The current obsession in our house is with Rapunzel. Disney's new animated princess movie Tangled is really cute and we've probably watched it somewhere near 100 times so far. (no, really not exaggerating!)

As a result, Rapunzel is the favorite princess in our house these days. And it's not just limited to Allison. EVERYONE has to get in on the act. Allison is, of course, Rapunzel. And Peter gets to be her unlikely common-criminal-turned-true-love Flynn Ryder. Mr. Brown gets to be a second Flynn Ryder. And baby Jonathan alternates between the 3rd string Flynn and the chameleon Pascal.
What about me? Well, I tried auditioning for the part of the silent but beautiful and kind Queen. Instead I have been cast as Mother Gothel. Upon my protests I was told that I "could be a nice Mother Gothel." Well that makes it better. Although I personally can't imagine a universe where a woman who is several hundred years old as a result of hording a magical flower and subsequently kidnapping and imprisoning an innocent baby princess could be considered "nice." But, hey, what do I know?

So every day we pretend we are the Rapunzels and Flynn Ryders of the world. To complete the picture Allison uses two scarves tucked into the back of her dress to act as her long hair.

I have to admit there are several advantages to this pretend scenario.
1. the kids play together nicely. There are very few arguments between the lost princess and her friends.
2. the role of Mother Gothel allows me to make requests of Rapunzel such as picking up toys or clearing dishes that actually get done because it's all just part of the game.
3. it's nice to see them playing together rather just making a big mess

This stage of pretend play is very fun to watch.

Overheard

The conversations at our house get more and more funny as the kids get older.

This morning the conversation went like this:
Allison - I want to see the big guy
Mr Brown - Is Jonathan the big guy?
Allison - yep!
Mr. Brown - Are you the big guy?
Allison - NO!  I'm Allison Brown!
Me - Is Peter the big guy?
Allison - No.  He's Baby Peter (a game we've been playing where we rock the kids like babies)
Me - Is daddy the big guy?
Allison - Noooo.
Me - Yep.  Daddy's a man.
Allison (to daddy) - You're not a MAN!
Me - What is he? 
Allison - He's a Daddy!

Apparently man & daddy are mutually exclusive.

Sometimes we grow by leaps...

... and sometimes we grow by Browns.  This is one of the latter times.

Yes, that's right... the newest little Brown will make his or her debut in September!  We are both thrilled and terrified.

I will now take this time to answer a few questions you might be having...

Another one already?  Don't you know this isn't a race?
Yes, we do.  And in my opinion, there is no perfect spacing for children beyond the timing in which God provides them.  This is when our newest addition was needed.

How far apart will the kids be?
Allison & Peter are 14 months apart.  Peter and the new baby will be 26 months apart - just over 2 years.

Isn't 3 kids just too many?
Too many for whom?  For you... maybe.  For us... since God blessed us with this baby, I'm guessing not.  And while I know 3 kids seems like "a lot" today, it's really a very normal and reasonable sized family in my opinion.

Will you buy a different car?
Probably.  We currently have a sedan and an SUV.  While we can fit 3 carseats in them, it's not ideal.  I suspect a minivan is in our future.

Will you keep working?
Yes.  I have no intention of quiting my job when baby arrives.  Our kids are very happy in a very wonderful daycare.  I have no regrets about that.  While I may someday be a stay-at-home mom, for now, this is the path for our family.

Will you find out the gender?
I don't know yet.  Probably not.  But I may change my mind at the last minute in that ultrasound room.   And yes, I do mean "my mind" because Mr. Brown is leaving this choice up to me.

How are you feeling?
In a word - crummy.  The nausea and vomiting are as bad as ever.  But last week I met my new BFF - Maggie.  Maggie is my Zofran pump that gives me a continuous dose of anti-nausea medication directly into a small catheter in my thigh.

How far along are you?  When are you due?
I am currently 12w4d.  My due date is 9/10/10 which means I'll probably be having a scheduled c-section somewhere in the 1st week of September.

Isn't a c-section risky?
Yes, it is.  But after having one out of necessity, I am not comfortable with the risks associated with a vbac based on my particular situation.  If you have an issue with c-sections, don't have one but leave my decisions alone.

Hurricane Toddler

When we had just one child, even when we had just one toddler, I was reasonably able to keep up on housework.  Things were not perfect but in general rooms were picked up and presentable should someone unexpectedly stop by.

Now that there are two tiny tornados that run through my house each day I have found it IMPOSSIBLE to keep things at an acceptable level of chaos.  There is always something... toys strewn about, miscellaneous bits of toast or waffle on the floors, missing sippy cups that turn up underneath recliners, and just general bedlam.

Given my health issues and business we have agreed to bring someone in every other week to do the real cleaning.  And that is a huge blessing.  They get the floors and toilets clean and change the sheets.  I'm actually not quite sure how we did it before they started coming.  But even with that it just seems to spiral out of control daily.  Don't misread me here... I am not looking for perfection or a spotless house or passing the white glove test.  Far from it.  I can handle a certain level of dishevelment.  But almost every day it passes my threshold. 

I have routines.  Sort of.  We make sure to do the dinner dishes every night, wipe down the table and counters and sweep the kitchen.  We pick up toys before bedtime.  And yet nearly daily I find myself rushing to get out of the house and so things that I would have intended to pick up before leaving for the day are left for when we get home.  And when we get home it's a whirlwind of dinner, playtime, bathtime & bedtime followed by an exhausted me and Mr Brown trudging through the absolutely necessary chores and leaving the rest for tomorrow.

Getting up earlier is not an option.  My alarm already rings at 5am and that's only if the oldest tornado doesn't wake me sooner.  I can't be functional before 5.  Not gonna happen.

So, moms with more than one toddler... how do you do it?

Two Teeth

Peter now has both of his bottom teeth. They definitely make him look like less of a tiny baby. He is rolling around like crazy and loves his jumper. It's been very fun getting to watch Peter and Allison get to know one another. They positively adore each other and both light up when they see the other.