LaLaGirl – Twinfinite Chaos! Parenting Multiples and Dealing with Autism

We’ve been doing well, getting all our FUN STUFF in before school starts again and before the weather turns lousy again. The weather was gorgeous on Monday, and we took advantage by heading out to the zoo! The kids and I had a blast. This was our first zoo trip where we just walked around and checked things out, without having our huge quad stroller in tow. We didn’t even take the double stroller this time. I think we’ve officially graduated to the age of WALKING everywhere! (At four and five. ‘Bout time, huh?) I did rent a wagon, so I wouldn’t have to lug our cooler and four jackets through the zoo, but that was easy to manage. And I’m a mean mom and didn’t let ANYONE ride in it!

Have you been to the Denver Zoo lately? They have a brand new baby giraffe – major “Awwwww!” factor, there. He’s got long spindly legs and a short little neck and runs around the enclosure so clumsy, just like a little toddler. We could not stop watching him! I’m sure there are lots of other amazing new things to see there, but we focused on the big important things: the train, carousel, and the monkeys. I HATE the monkeys. I don’t know why. They’re my kids’ favorite part of the zoo, but I hate winding through the maze of Primate Panorama, and hardly seeing anything. It’s my least favorite part of the zoo. I’d much rather spend time in the old school section of the zoo and see the giraffes, zebras, camels, and kangaroos! We completely skipped over Tropical Discovery and the polar bears and seals. Next time.

Yesterday, I met Arin and her boys at the park, and we had a splendid time there for a few minutes. I love that I live close enough to her now that we can pop over to the park and hang out for half an hour and then we can both move on with our day! Just a quick hello, and it’s so easy to do now that we live in the same neighborhood, practically.

After the park, I took the kids for haircuts – all four of them! That cost me a small fortune. I need to learn how to cut hair, I guess. Or settle for crappier looking haircuts, maybe? I’ve taken them to Cost Cutters in the past, but I’ve found that unless I spend the $14.95 at a kids’ salon, their hair looks like shit. They always end up with a lousy haircut. What gives? Where do YOU get your kids’ hair cut?

I’m pleased with how their hair turned out, even if it is quite a bit shorter than I planned, for the little girls anyway. And as soon as I figure out how to fix Pablo’s Dumb and Dumber boy bangs, I’ll be even more pleased. Cute little stacked bobs. No more long, messy, tangles. And we’re growing out bangs, so it’s not perfect yet, but it looks so cute pulled back in front! Pictures on Flickr right here.

Now, it’s Wednesday, aka Library Day. We need to get out of here in just a little bit if we’re going to make story time. We missed it last week, for some reason, and I have a TON of stuff to return. (And probably a small fine or two to pay. Booooo!) And tonight, Mallory is having a special sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. She’s is so excited, she’s about to burst. I need to find something fun and special for the girls and Pablo and I to do tonight, so they don’t get their noses out of joint. I have one more FUN SPRING BREAK thing I wanted to try, and I’m not sure if we’re going to do it or not. I was thinking of taking the kids over to Color Me Mine to paint a piece of pottery. Thursday is Family Day at the store near us, and all the family can paint for one firing fee, which is a great deal. We may try that tomorrow. Or then again, we may not.

And last night was my twin club meeting with my new club. I’m meeting some fantastic ladies there, have been mostly talked into doing their website next year, and am missing my old life less and less (although I still miss my old friends VERY much.) Life just keeps going on and on, doesn’t it? Outtie. Have to dress four kids for the library! Ack!

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I should be annoyed with today. The weather is gray and dreary, I have a zit under my nostril, and my hair looks like shit (my last haircut was back in JULY!) I have approximately seventy-three loads of laundry to do today. Thanksgiving is coming right up and I haven’t even started shopping or even planning my menu. I started typing this post earlier and one of the kids accidentally closed my browser window, and as luck would have it, it happened to be the first time in history that WP didn’t autosave my draft. Pablo’s been sensitive today, and has been in my lap sobbing three times since breakfast. The girls are potty training and heading into the bathroom every ten minutes so they can dribble five drops of pee into the toilet. The kids are playing with magnetic letters and having me identify Every Single One of them as they stick them on the fridge. Paul left right after breakfast to finish up the bathroom remodel he’s doing at his rental property, and he’ll be gone all day tomorrow too, helping his brother lay a brick patio.

I have every reason in the world to bitch, but for some reason, I’m just not embracing the bitterness? I don’t know what my deal is. I don’t know if it’s the International Delight Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice creamer, or the fact that I know next week at this time I’ll be decorating my Christmas tree, or the big bottle of Yellowtail Shiraz I’m going to crack open tonight at dinner time when we have some friends over for spaghetti and meatballs. It might be the fact that Paul shaved his head the other night and looks positively hot, and I’ve been wanting to poke down on him ever since. It may be that I found episodes of Family Guy on OnDemand! and I’ve been obsessively watching them, along with episodes of PeeWee’s Playhouse. It could be the fact that the girls look so stinkin’ cute in their tiny little Elmo panties, it hurts me to look at them. It may be that I smoked enough weed ten years ago that I’ve achieved some state of Permanent Mellow.

I don’t know what it is, but I think it’s what makes me able to parent two sets of twins, a kid with autism, and a kid in middle school without getting drunk by lunchtime!

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