It's a 3 Bean Circus around here

So glad you've arrived at my new blogsite! I'm excited about the small changes.  While "no crying over spilled milk" is a motto I live by, and I pretty much am a "no crying mama" because I rarely cry, I felt like this new title fit our life and family better.

Bean and I often refer to life as a three-ring circus.

In the first ring is Miss Rose.  She's usually moving constantly.  Asking for attention and entertainment.  Miss Rose arrived home this evening from watching a movie at the neighbor's house.  She had a small pillow in one hand and a string tied to a stuffed dog in the other hand.  As she was telling us about the movie, she was constantly moving around the living room.  Twirling the string around her arm, perching on the couch, getting up again, moving towards the other couch. 

Bean started boxing her out to try to get her to stop moving so much (as bedtime was next) but she didn't even notice.  Then I asked her to come stand by me and I put my arms around her to help her calm down while she finished telling us about the movie.  Yeah right.  She couldn't handle just standing there, and wiggled free.  The good thing is that usually within minutes of hitting the pillow at night, she's out.  Often less than 5 minutes.

Our little firecracker Gracie is found in the second ring.  She's a little monkey.  Often being very goofy--both with her body and her language.  Just tonight in fact, she stripped off all her clothes because she knew it was a bath night, even though it wasn't her turn yet.  When I asked what happened to her clothes, she just gave me a silly grin and stuck her bum out at me.  She loves the phrase "shake your booty."  She's at the stage where we find funny things in her bed after she falls asleep.  The other night it was a flashlight.  Gracie loves wearing socks and gloves on her hands.  I have no idea why.

And in the final ring, is sweet Lily Cate.  Her exact role is still to be defined.  I do know she's our most vocal baby.  Already "yelling" and making her presence known.  Like her sisters, she's not concerned with sitting up or crawling very quickly.  In fact she rarely rolls from her back to her stomach.  Because she doesn't want to, although she can.  Lily loves her mama and can be happy as a lark but the second I walk in, she makes a huge stink! (not that I mind too much though!)

So, that's our three-ring circus.

The circus really gets going between 4pm and 5pm every night.  When Bean and I get home from work, meltdowns begin.  Miss Rose begins to throw fits complete with writhing on her bed at whatever great travesty has occurred. Gracie runs around like a maniac, usually asking to watch a movie about 8234 times and hungering for attention from Mama.  Lily just wants to be held.  By mom.  She'd probably be happy to be on the boob for the evening hours.  Or at least have it available at her discretion.  For the sake of connecting with me, not necessarily for nutrition.  God forbid I need to put her down or hand her off.  Or be in the same room without having her in my arms.

When the circus gets going, I'm trying to keep everyone calm, to think ahead to the next meltdown or demand.  Usually lamenting that once again my children aren't eating a vegetable at dinner.  Bean is in constant motion, herding children to the next event of the night, and trying to clean and get dishes done.  I'm tired all over again just recounting this!

Growing up my nickname was Beana and I just happened to marry a man who's nickname is Bean.  Complete coincidence as we didn't grow up together.

These are our little bean sprouts.  I like to call him the Ringmaster and I'm the Ringmother.

Welcome to the circus people.  Oh, and we're not under a big top.  We're under a little top.  The circus effect is magnified when it takes place mostly in a smallish home. 

But it's our three bean circus, and we wouldn't change a thing for the world.

(let's just hope our plans aren't superceded by the Big Man Upstairs, because it would be kind of a pain to change the name to ourfourbeancircus.  Maybe I should reserve the blog name just in case.  Nah.)