Carnegie Hill Mom

Dear Mom of Four, “Are they all yours?” you asked and responded with such glee when I said, “Yes—all four!” There we were, peering off the overlook at a snoozing grizzly bear at the Central Park Zoo . I snapped a gazillion photos of my brood, trying to get eight eyes to stop squinting simultaneously. Then you rolled up in your double stroller, big kids clamoring for a spot on-board while your baby tried for a nap. “Four! That makes me so happy!” you gushed. “I can’t wait to go without a stroller , like you.” As it was a school holiday, we were both loaded up with four kiddos apiece plus plenty of gear, making the most of a beautiful spring day in New York City. “Well, our stroller is waiting at the bottom of the steps,” I explained, “but it is a lot easier when the youngest can walk a bit.” “And you live in the city?” you continued. “Do you know anyone else here with four kids?” “We know lots with three but just a few with four. And yes, Upper East...

“Emily’s a baby! Emily’s a baby!” chanted my twins’ 1st-grade classmate. “I’m not a baby. I’m 4 years old,” my preschooler rebutted matter-of-factly. Thank goodness she has thick skin . Unfortunately, my two-year-old is a sponge for good and bad behavior, so she parroted back, “Emily’s a baby!” “I’m not a baby. You’re the baby,” Emily replied. “You’re two.” “I’m not a baby. I’m a big girl. I’m two and-a-half ,” my toddler insisted. The other day, my two-year-old even went so far as to march around the apartment, exclaiming, “I’m bigger than you!” to all siblings and parents in sight. At 35″, that clearly wasn’t true. But it highlights the yearning my littlest one has to measure up to her older siblings as she transitions from baby to child. My older kids understand that sometimes it’s appropriate to give their sister what she’s crying for or grabbing at just because she’s little. But as her third birthday approaches, she can’t play that card much longer...

We all know getting out the door with little kids underfoot is an endeavor on an ordinary day. Preparing for a ski day with four kids under six , however, calls for a whole new level of parenting dexterity—and especially the determination to push through the craziness . Getting my family geared up, outside and onto the ski slope is a whole lot of journey for a (thankfully) incredible mountainside destination . When I get bogged down in the process and wonder, “Is it really worth it?” I just tell myself, “Yes” and keep moving through the steps. Any of these sound familiar? (Number 21, anyone?) Wake up and rejoice that it’s Saturday—my day to sleep in! Roll over and realize that it’s a ski weekend, so I do actually have to get up. Dish up and eat somewhere between 6 and 12 bowls of cereal. Brush six sets of teeth. Explain to my four-year-old that, no, she can’t stay by herself while the rest of the family goes skiing. And yes, that means get ready now . Make a no...