Do you love your camera?

Then please tell me what kind it is! Our camera is shooting its last pictures, and is needing to be replaced. We are kind of out of the loop as far as cameras go.

Another request: What toys/games do your kids enjoy playing with the most? Our kids, mostly the girls, are not very interested in their toy offerings any more. I've been doing the 'well I LOVED this when I was little, so they'll love it too. ' Umm, not working, I've finally realized. I've asked them what they would like, and their answers are not inspiring many ideas either ("I want a leeetle rubber ducky," " I want a cool Barbie!"). You can guess who said which. I don't care whether you've got boys or girls, let me know!

Craft #1

It seems I get bit by the crafting bug every January. I churn stuff out through March, and then it seems to get out of my system. 3 kids is not conducive to a "craft bug." I only was able to finish this fun project because my mom was in town. I had these boards sitting in my craft stuff, applied Modge Podge (the best stuff ever) and scrapbook paper, and there was something pretty to hang on the wall. Hopefully I can get some more stuff finished before the summer hits.

Called the Waambulance today?

We are all about positive and negative reinforcement of behavior in this house. Whining is probably the most annoying behavior of small children. That, and peeing on the floor, which was Jilly's unfortunate regressive habit last week.

My kids whine most when they're hungry, which is understandable, but still annoying. Ben doesn't put up with it as much as I do. We do lots of counting, ignoring until they can ask nicely, and a new strategy employed today at lunchtime.

Jilly and Evelyn: Whiiiiinnnne, we don't want that for lunch! I wanna tortilla! I want a chocolate tortilla! Waaah!

Ben: Alright, I'm going to call the Waambulance. You guys are whining too much.

At this point, Evelyn immediately stops whining and starts saying, "No, Daddy! I'll be nice! I'll be nice Daddy! Don't call the waambulance!" Jilly is just staring at Ben. He gets all official on the phone, pushing some buttons and talking to no one. He clears things up with the fake Waambulance officer, after Evelyn promises to stop whining for a while.

And it worked. Better than anything else has lately.

Hopefully the girls don't figure out for a while we are just mean parents getting a good laugh out of our kid's fear of "the Waambulance."

P.S. Totally unrelated content, Evelyn's been making up new games lately. Most recent? "Simon Says Hide and Seek Magicful Bunny Please Come Out" game.

Project: Get my bedroom back

I think out of the last 4 years, we've had a kid sleeping in our room for nearly 3 of them. And we were okay with it, until recently. Three kids will do strange this to you. Like wanting your own, private space. Besides the bathroom.

So we have begun debating how we are going to put three kids in one bedroom. Thankfully, it is on the large side. It will definitely be a process involving sleep training for the Gordo (I've been hoping for way too long that he would just start sleeping through the night, but no luck), making light-blocking shades, and another tent-sort of object (light-blocking) for the top of his crib so he'll sleep in until 7 am.

My question to all of you is this: Did putting babies with older children cause one to wake up more? Regress in bedtime habits? Did crying disturb the other child?

Two bedrooms and five bodies makes for interesting living, I tell you.

These pictures are from House Beautiful. I love these two bedrooms, not necessarily the coloring, but the light and space. And a place to read. That bookcase in the background? And the armchairs/couch? Totally going to be in my bedroom someday.