Craig just finished his second week at his new job. Every afternoon he comes home at 4:45 to hold the twins and play with Devon. It's an amazing schedule after so many years of 60+ hours a week. We marvelled last weekend at the fact that Craig couldn't do any work even if he wanted to; the building is locked on weekends and nobody really goes in.
What do we do all day while Craig is at work?
Not much.
The twins eat when they want to and Devon plays with his toys. Our house here is open plan, so I sit on the loveseat in the large living room.
Our decorating theme is "Baby." I love that the huge entry way can accommodate both the triple stroller and Devon's single so we never have to fold them up and stow them away.
As you can see, Devon's play room is separated from the rest of the space by a huge gate. I like to call his space "the pen", but not to be confused with him being penned in like an animal. More like "I spent ten years in the State Pen." There are two doors that can swing open for Devon to go in and out freely, but at certain times of the day they are shut. Sometimes when I have to take care of the girls, I feel a stab of guilt for putting him in Baby Jail. I know some people are very anti-gate, because children need to be taught to stay away from dangerous areas of the house. I agree with this logic.
But tell me this: how do I teach Devon not to drag Melina out of her swing and dump her on the floor while I'm changing Carrie's diaper? Devon loves his sisters. He's never acted upset, jealous, or angry around them. He points and beams "Baybeeee" several times a day. When they are older and less fragile, I'm sure they'll make a formidable trio, but for right now he needs to be kept away to keep them safe. His hugs could cause brain damage.
It's like the old farmer riddle:
A farmer has a goat, a wolf, and a sheaf of grain to take to the market. He has to cross a river in a boat that can take him and only two of the others. If he takes the wolf and the goat over and then goes back for the grain, the wolf will eat the goat while he is away. If he leaves the goat with the grain, the goat will eat....
No, The Pen is a necessary way for me to keep all three of my children supervised and safe at the same time.
Really, a jail cell would hardly be cutely outfitted with Devon's shelves full of his "toyeeees," as he calls them. This is what The Pen looks like in the morning, just waiting for Devon to finish his oaties and come play.
This is what it looks like twenty minutes later.
Sometimes it's enough of an accomplishment just to handle both the girls at once. Just getting up from the couch requires me to roll one off onto something with one hand while supporting the other with the other half of my body. I had to snap this shot of Carrie sliding off the bouncy seat after I finished tight-swaddling Melina. We do a lot of tight-swaddling right now. The twins are going through a phase where their arms need to be tied down to keep them from hitting themselves. It's sort of funny to see them flailing and crying as if to say "HOW CAN I GET ANY SLEEP WITH SOMEBODY HITTING ME IN THE FACE ALL THE TIME!!!!!!"
So, basically my son is in Baby Jail and my daughters are in straitjackets.
Devon's recent accomplishment is holding his own sippy. He's had the arm strength and motor control to do it for months, but every time I came at him with a full sippy he'd open his mouth and his whole body would go limp as he concentrated on drinking. He's so proud of his accomplishment and enjoys practicing this new skill several times a day. It's a matter of pride that he won't let a sippy go before draining it fully, then setting it carefully down on his tray without spilling a drop.
So, why are we in Florida again?
Well, if anyone's noticed the price of oranges increasing in the past few years, it's because the Florida citrus industry has been hit hard by several new challenges in addition to the occasional freeze. A disease called Citrus Canker has been decimating entire orchards, turning acres of Indian River greenery into dried stumps. The disease is exacerbated by an insect called Citrus Leafminer, which creates wounds on the leaves that become possible infection sites.
Craig's research with the USDA will determine whether a new product will reduce Leafminer populations in orchards. No, it's not a pesticide, it's a pheromone that should disrupt the natural mating cycle of the insect. The research is funded by the growers, who are faced with losing their livelihoods if Citrus Canker and another new disease with the naughty-sounding name of Huanglongbing (the "H" is pronounced with a "W" sound) can't be controlled. We're so proud of Craig for taking on this new challenge.
Devon, Carrie, and Melina are going to grow up thinking that Daddy is a very important man. After all, a green highway sign on the 95 South advertises the location of his office at the USDA Horticultural Research station.
It's a pretty big deal.
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