I recently read some things I wrote a while back on here, and I really hate that I’m missing out on documenting so much.

I keep saying I’ll get back to doing it regularly.

And I keep not doing it. So I’m not even going to make any sort of vows or promises about it.

But I do miss it, so I’ll try.

There’s a lot that’s gone on in the past few months.

Fawkes and Phoenix willingly gave up their pacis. We told them they could leave them for Santa Claus and Santa would take them and turn them into toys for Christmas. I can’t remember how long ago we told them that, but it stuck. Fakes gave his up out of the blue one night. Phoenix followed a few days later.

Griffin is nowhere close to it. He did go through a period of time where he kept getting up for about two hours after bedtime and I did take his pacifiers away after a while sometimes. He’d get through the night fine most of the time, but if he woke up he’d cry out, so I started putting it back with him after he fell asleep.

He’s still not over his pacifier, which is fine since he’s still only three and his brothers were four, but that whole thing about him getting up at night led to us dropping naps, which fixed the problem. Although he is sometimes really cranky at bedtime. He’s a dramatic and sensitive child.

On that note, Phoenix can be very sensitive too. Fawkes isn’t as sensitive, but if he gets upset he goes all in.

Fawkes and Phoenix have been totally out of diapers for a few months now. Our benchmark was them going about a week without peeing in their diapers at night. There have been a couple mishaps here and there, but overall it’s a done deal. They’re at the point where they’re usually standing up to pee in the toilet now, Phoenix in particular. Although he’s been a little lax with his aim the last couple mornings.

On the subject of having something down but then getting lax about it, Griffin has been daytime potty trained for quite some time, but over the last few weeks he’s had some accidents. He had one at school today (though he didn’t tell his teachers and only mentioned it to Tristen after he’d been home for a little bit) and another this afternoon, although I think he caught himself on that one because he must have stopped himself; his undies were wet but his pants were not.

The biggest thing I’ve got Fawkes and Phoenix working on is putting their socks on right. And for all of them, turning the lights off when they leave the bathroom.

Let’s go through a typical day right now.

The kids get up around 7:30. They use the bathroom and dress themselves (although I sometimes help Griffin because he just needs the focus). Tristen bought some baskets a few weeks ago that she puts their clothes for the next few days in, so they’ve gotten used to finding their clothes there.

Then we all go downstairs to watch whatever’s on PBS kids while they get their breakfast. We used to be up early enough to watch Super Why, but now we usually get downstairs while Daniel Tiger is on. Part of that is because we used to get dressed after eating instead of before going downstairs.

After they eat they get their socks and shoes on then we’re out the door around 8:25 and it’s off to school. What happens on the ride there varies, but a lot of times lately the boys take turns asking me to play them some songs. The playlist pretty regularly features Sunflower and What’s Up Danger from Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse, theme songs to Scooby Doo and Ghostbusters, Immortals from the Big Hero Six soundtrack, and Titanium by Davis Guetta featuring Sia. Sometimes we get Sweet Child of Mine, which I introduced them to, Clint Eastwood by The Gorillas, which my sister Erin used to play for them when she was in town and would pick them up, various versions of Do You Know the Muffin Man, songs from Sing and Sing 2, and Coulda Been Me by The Struts (which they recognize from the aforementioned Sing 2, which was the first and thus far only movie they have seen in a movie theater).

I then go home and work for a few hours then go pick them up. On the way home we pass a mural that features a few very large birds on it. One they’ve named Stinky Bird and sometimes they’ll have conversations about it. Stinky Bird apparently can shoot lasers from it’s eyes, farts a lot (yes, they’re at the age that fart-related conversations are funny) and all sorts of other things Stinky Bird can do and does.

Once we’re home Tristen, who works from home now, takes her lunch break to feed them and hang out with them and to give me some more time to work. Once her alarm goes off, which is the theme from The Hobbit, it’s time for me to take back over.

They’re at the point where they can be somewhat left to their own devices. I’ll usually let them watch TV for a bit then make them go upstairs to play in the playroom. If it’s nice out we’ll go outside for a bit until someone gets hurt or bugs start bothering people. It’s mostly just me pushing them on the swing set, but I did recently teach them how to play the version of Hide & Seek where “It” has to tag people before they get to base. I always thought that was a much more fun way to play.

A couple days a week our current sitter, who is the sixth or seventh in the last year and a half, comes to watch the boys. Her name is Amy and she’s terrific with them.

On Milly days I usually take the boys with me to go pick her up. We’ll either grab a bite to eat while we’re out or we’ll bring Milly home for a while, just depending on what’s going on. This past week for example we brought her home and we all carved pumpkins. Tristen started a food/pumpkin guts fight, which was fun to watch. I very specifically did not want to get involved because I was wearing some decent shorts.

Tristen usually handles dinner. We have a tradition where if the kids finish their dinner we’ll let them pick something from a candy jar. Tristen plays some music and I slowly bring the candy jar into the kitchen, holding it reverently above my head.

I’m usually working through dinner, but I help out with bath time. Then it’s brush the teeth, jammies on, everyone picks one book for me to read them, then off to bed. Sometimes Tristen and I will watch some TV, but a lot of times I’m back to work after that.

And that’s a typical day here towards the end of 2022.

What else is going on?

I’m about a month away from having finished a year of French lessons on Duolingo. I started because Milly and some friends were doing German. I know a decent bit of Spanish and am (or used to be) pretty good with German, and I just thought it would be cool to know French.

Milly got a 90 on a math test today. She’d been struggling with the subject so I was very excited for her.

We got a new Harris Teeter right up the road. We’d heard it was going to be the biggest one on the east coast and it was going to have two stories, but it does not have two floors and I found out from a manager that it’s not even the largest in North Carolina. (It’s third.) Still, it’s very, very nice.

When Tristen and I first drove out this way to check out this house, she teased me when we passed a Food Lion because the nearest grocery store to our last house was a Food Lion and I’m not a grocery store snob like she is, so I’d go there while she’d travel a bit further to go to a Harris Teeter.

Anyway, she said, “Look babe, there’s your Food Lion.”

Then we crossed the street where there was a sign that a Harris Teeter was coming soon, so I said, “Look babe, there’s your Harris Teeter.”

I do feel bad for the Food Lion. The Harris Teeter is really nice and has more vibrant shops coming to the shopping center. If the locations were switched I’d still go to the Food Lion, but as it is, I don’t care to wait at a light at a busy intersection when I can just turn right into the parking lot of a closer restaurant. I’m all about practicality.

I made the boys some cardboard swords a while back, so they decided they wanted to be knights for Halloween. I spent WAY too much time making full suits of armor out of cardboard for them. As much time as I spent on them, I’m going to be shocked if they make it through the night with them. Griffin has worn his the most, Fawkes has put his on once, and I haven’t gotten the whole suit on Phoenix.

They are pretty cool though. I’m particularly proud of the scabbards I made for their swords (which improved with each one I made). It really kind of became my thing for a bit, and I haven’t ruled out making something for myself, just because.

Still, if they get through Halloween night wearing the helmets, chest pieces, and belt/scabbard, I think I’ll be happy enough.

Tristen’s mom, Laura, was offered a job at a place similar to but much bigger than her previous place of employment and is kicking ass there. We went to a little Halloween party there last night. Tristen and the boys are at her mom’s house right now for a family dinner. I really wanted to go, but I’ve got a lot of work to do.

And yet here I am having taken a break and gotten totally distracted doing this. With that, I’m going to get back to work.