Family of 6

We made it home Saturday afternoon after two very long flights...7 hours from Bangkok to Tokyo, and then 12 more hours from Tokyo to home. I have to admit, though, I rested better than I thought. I have very restless legs at times that prevent me from relaxing (restless leg syndrome?), but I was actually OK. Our flights were on time, and minus a bit of turbulence before Tokyo, all went well. The boys were excellent travelers, even waiting for over one hour to clear customs and immigration at home. At the last stop where an officer checks your immigration card, the officer saw that Amarin was from Thailand and greeted him in Thai. Well, that was the last thing I was expecting to hear!

It's actually pretty surreal sitting here at home...did we actually go to Thailand already? The four kids are doing well. There is, as we expected, some competition on all fronts and it's going to take a while to figure out the "pecking order" for the boys.

Amarin loved his oatmeal this morning, and all I added was raisins. I gave him a taste of brown sugar (because you just can't eat oatmeal without it!), and he really grimaced at the taste. And for lunch, a hot dog with BBQ sauce! Tonight, burgers and corn on the cob, and he finished all of it. We laughed when Amarin picked up the corn and stared at it...poor kid has no front teeth on the top. But he figured out how to eat it all! All the boys helped husk the corn earlier, and they each grabbed some ears to be sure they had their fare share to husk. I think I might try this with cleaning. Maybe they'll all want to clean more than the other brother...

Today I'm thinking that having four children is really not much different than three. I'll get back to you later on that one. The biggest "aha" moment for me today is when I told the boys to read books while I bathed Laura, and then it would be bedtime. Jacob and Charlie sat and read books while Amarin stacked them and carried them around the room. Now, our guide in Thailand had told me that kids do not have many books in Thailand because they are so expensive. So, now I'm thinking that maybe I asked Amarin to do something that he didn't really do before. Maybe I'm going to have to teach him how to sit and enjoy picture books. I read to the four kids before bed which I normally don't do (I give you moms credit that do read before bed because I'm usually too exhausted) and Amarin loved it...they all did. Except Charlie wanted to read his book to everyone and got a tad bit huffy when I told him that I was the reader tonight.

I know I have to be patient, but I'm looking so forward to having a schedule again. Maybe I'll start school early...or maybe not...four against one isn't really working in my favor.