I love this family of mine.

[altarflame]

Aaron recently figured out how to get on the roof of our house. It isn't very hard; we have a deck outside with posts up to a low, slanted part, and from there you just get on up. I mean, it's not something any of the other kids (or I) can do, but this is Aaron we're talking about. So he tells us and Grant goes out and spots him and lets him walk around feeling like king of the world for a few minutes and then stays close by while he gets down, which is still tricky and a little tedious. Grant also tells him to only do this with him, since he can catch him if he falls or help him down if he needs it.

Then yesterday afternoon, Grant was lying down with a migraine and Aaron asked me if he could go outside and get on the roof. I said he could when Daddy was up, but not by himself, and that it should only be awhile. Time passes. I hear thuds and thunks above my head. I sigh.

So I brought him in with the intent to stand him in the corner and then ground him for the next day, on the grounds that I can no longer trust him to obey my limits while outside. But when he gets in, we start talking, and I tell him, "Aaron, I know you have really incredible balance and climbing skills. We both know you are way better than most kids your age at getting on the roof. But everybody falls sometimes. You even fall sometimes. And that's high enough that if you fall, you're likely to break your arm. Or your neck. Someone has to at least be out there to KNOW you got hurt, so we can take care of you and get you to a hospital, you know? What if you fell off the roof and I didn't even know you were up there, and when it got dark I went to check on you and you were out there passed out from pain, lying with a broken arm?"

He meets me eye to eye looking suddenly distraught, to say, "I never thought of anything like that!"

And I was like, "I don't think you realize that most other parents wouldn't let their kids get up on the roof at all. But we understand you love doing stunts and you are super physical, and so we let you do almost anything you ask, as long as you let us keep you safe...like riding your bike down all those stairs in Boston with Daddy running alongside, or getting on the giant rollercoaster at Busch Gardens when you were only 6. We're willing to let you try almost anything as long as you let us keep you safe. You're not ready to know what's safe on your own yet".

As illustrated by the inches from hit by bus on bike incident from several months back that nearly killed ME. He agreed, and his punishment ended up being having to have the same talk with Daddy when he got up and no tag team trip to the roof like he would've had otherwise. Aaron is so easy to teach, so willing to HEAR, it's nuts.

Along with this sort of nonsense, I am also dealing with the neverending and hopeless search for a strapless training bra. I see tons of suitable looking things online - just tubes of white cotton with elastic along the top and bottom - but starting at 32 widths, if not 34. I have this daughter that wants to spend the whole summer in tank tops and sundresses who has a 28 chest, but is starting to look downright awkward and....jiggly, almost :x....with no bras. And she's HORRIFIED by the idea of anyone (gasp) SEEING HER BRA. This is a more pressing issue than it would be otherwise because of the near-daily jaunts into water play, be it rain or hose or sprinklers. We were at the zoo yesterday at one of the splash pads and it got pretty ridiculous, Grant and I were just looking at each other like, "Uh oh..." I feel bad for her even dealing with this sort of crap at nine. She doesn't care. It's not her fault she's almost 5 feet tall and is getting boobs all of a sudden, she just wants to play in the water.

SPEAKING of the zoo yesterday. I have oh so many pictures and I know you want to see! Some of them are kind of awesome.


Isaac, random.


These crazy little rubber frogs that sometimes appear in calendars...apparently they really look JUST LIKE THAT!




"It should not be so humid in this dessert!"


Jake, Elise and their curly afros.


Here I can say, no. No,they are not all mine.


So this bicycle thing was kind of awesome. Our zoo is really huge. Elise is yelling "Cheese!"








Annie said, "Hey, I'll bet next time we come they'll have eggs!"


Giraffe feeding station - SO AWESOME.






New water play area by the new Amazon exhibit, which is more like a whole other zoo attached to the old one....




Wet, it's strange how hard it can be to tell Aaron and Jake apart. This is Aaron.


These are Jake.

Comments

[medland.livejournal.com]

Could you buy a regular bra and cut the straps off? Or buy one too big and move the hooks across?

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

See, that was never an issue when I was growing up... even with a girl that age. If she didn't want to wear a bra, she didn't need to, even if it was "showing" while she was swimming. No one really cared. So all this talk about it being Such A Big Huge Deal™ is weird to me.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Actually swimming doesn't matter, she's in a bathingsuit and it's all good. But in a white tank top surrounded by leering 13 year old boys at the splash pad, it was kind of awkward to see purple nipple (with color) and breast bud and all. If we were at a beach in the keys it probably wouldn't even matter if she didn't have a shirt at all; but in urban Miami it's different. I don't know. I think if you would have been there you would understand.

eta:also,the "want" part of your comment is huge here. Wearing a bra was her idea from the get-go and she's been in (soft, cotton) ones for a year now. So it "feels weird" to her to not have one on, but she is totally weirded out for straps showing, which I sort of can't fathom as mine are ALWAYS showing :p

[shechinah-el.livejournal.com]

I think it's partly the knowledge that you're nine and wearing a bra and most of the nine-year-olds around you don't wear bras, and boobs are a very woman thing, and it's weird and awkward in some ways even if it's cool in others, and etc. all of that. At least it was for me, at 10/11. I felt like there was too much of me and like I was burdened with something that other girls didn't have to deal with, and I didn't want other people to notice that.

[noelove.livejournal.com]

dude can't you make her a strapless bra? I totally grew boobies at 9, I know how much it sucks.


annnnd I'm completely in love with Jake. he's is so FREAKING cute.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

You guys always look like you are having such a good time.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_delphiki_/]

ARE YOU SERIOUS? You can touch giraffes?!?!?!?!? Like and feed them?!?!?!?

Excuse me while I freak out...

Giraffes are my favoritest animals ever. I really did read the rest of the entry :p

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I was petting them here and there :) They are so gentle. It's great!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_delphiki_/]

You just had to rub it in... didn't you?

:p

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I have NO IDEA why it's bad to her, my bra straps are showing practically every day.

[julieannie.livejournal.com]

Would she feel better if she had more of a tank top or sports bra where it could be her secret that it wasn't a tank top and she could be just as active?

[breathbox.livejournal.com]

or what about one of those tanks w/ the shelf bra built in? you can find them in smallish (xs should do) sizes at american eagle, etc.

[aranel.livejournal.com]

This is what I was going to suggest too.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

She has a couple of those, but she also has tons of sundresses and tanks already without anything built in and we don't wanna just ditch all those clothes if I can avoid it. Especially brand new birthday presents and the heirloom tank ;)

[(Anonymous)]

If the strapless bra idea does not work out, you could use ribbon to make faux straps for the sundresses.

-lost_almost

[neurotic-orchid.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous pictures! I absolutely love the last one. And the turtles. HA

I think the roof rules for Aaron are really great.

Re: Bras. I found this one. It's for tweens and young teenagers, so I don't imagine the size small is very big. Might be worth a try: http://www.bonton.com/product/kids/girls%27+bras+%26+underwear/cc+girl+girls+bandeau+bra+natural.do

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

That might really work out! Thank you :)

[neurotic-orchid.livejournal.com]

np Hope it works. :)

[shechinah-el.livejournal.com]

Every time I look at pictures of your kids, I'm all "So Annie and Aaron are Mystery Twins; Isaac somehow, despite all laws of physics, came out of Tina; Jake is the Cuban Grant; and Elise is basically Tina 25 years ago." I love it. Seriously, if it weren't for the very obvious age difference I don't think I'd be able to tell you and Elise apart in photos. lol. It's like my friend Jen and her sister Dani, who is about 14 years older than her... they look so much alike that except for the 5 kids and obvious age difference they're identical.

That lemur-kinda-thing looks like Kermit all the time... "waaahhh, life is boring, I am despondent."

Seriously, why are Florida's zoos so much better than Boston's zoos? lol. The Stone Zoo has, like, two goats, a monkey and an empty dolphin tank. The Franklin Park Zoo is at least decent.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Dude, it's a meerkat! You know, like Timone from The Lion King? Like Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet? Geeeeez Julie, I thought you hung out with kids :p

And our zoo in Miami is INCREDIBLE, it's like one of the top 3 in the world? You can no way no how do it all in one day, is the only thing.

And yeah...pics of Elise and I. My hair and skin are darker. And that is IT.

[shechinah-el.livejournal.com]

I hang out with kids, just not kids who have ever heard of a meerkat or seen The Lion King :)

[fkgirl.livejournal.com]

shoot, I think Jake looks just like you too!

[shechinah-el.livejournal.com]

Also, on bras... I have a distinct memory of being in fifth grade, wearing my favorite orange shirt and crouching down to get cereal out of the cabinet before school, and my mother asking why I wasn't wearing one of my new bras. I purposely didn't because you could see the straps through the back and so far, in my class, it was only the chubby girls who wore bras, and it was embarrassing, and anyways she'd asked in front of my brothers why I wasn't wearing the bra she made me buy with her at Sears with my brothers staring at me. I also had to learn how to shave my legs with three sets of male eyes watching. Ugh, that was weird and embarrassing. Oldest girls of many boys get no privacy! lol. So yeah, I feel her on that.

[fkgirl.livejournal.com]

What about the clear straps? Would that bother her too?

[fkgirl.livejournal.com]

I have been doing some searching and found this http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2926339/0~2378467~2378483~2380767?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2380767&P=1

Do you think you could make something like this or hire a seamstress to do it for you? I think this would work well.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I saw that, too - out of stock and all. I can't really sew all that well and would really rather not resort to paying somebody to make something...it seems like this has to be out there somewhere!

I actually googled the product on that page and it's out of stock everywhere, but also starts at a 34.

I don't know about clear straps, I've always thought they were the dumbest tackiest thing ever...but she might think it was awesome, who knows. It is funny to me that everyone commenting here is fixating on the bra stuff, like, come on, I just assumed comments would be about zoo pics ;)

[fkgirl.livejournal.com]

LOL bra problems must be near and dear to all our hearts and issues! It's a pain in the butt to find a bra that fits me right, and I'm sure most women have that issue. It's funny cause I wanted to tell you that I loved the pics of the zoo, but it just got completely passed over when I started searching out some bras. HAHAHAHHA I suck.

BTW, I'll keep an eye out here and see if I find any for a decent price, I have to find a lingerie store with my GF anyway cause she can't find a bra anywhere on base. 34 DDD for some reason just isn't in stock! HA!

The zoo pics are indeed wonderful, and looked like a bunch of fun. We went to the San Diego zoo a couple years ago and got to feed the giraffes there...poor Kent got SLIMED by one of them. It was hilarious!

Yes I'm doing much better. Still in physical therapy and dealing with nerves settling and making my feet going crazy once in a while and a bit of pain. My back muscles are very weak, and I've put on 10 lbs since all this started considering I'm not allowed to move like I'm used to and all the steroids they pumped me with. So it's a slow process, but I am feeling better...but just fat. LOL I'm trying to watch what I eat, but the closest I'm getting is watching what I eat go into my mouth!

[fkgirl.livejournal.com]

ok I'm spamming you LOL

http://www.amazon.com/BustFree-Strapless-Training-Small-Regular/dp/B000RZR3QW Maybe??

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Those bust free things are weeeeiiird. I assume you need more boob than she has? And $28 for one pair of them is kind of crazy. I have been aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall over amazon...

Off topic, but I hope you are doing well. All your health and mobility issues have been so awful, especially dealing with foreign hospitals and language barriers and feeling so far from home. I hope things are calming down.

[fkgirl.livejournal.com]

yeah I figured you saw them...I have never used them cause I need support like woah, but one of my girlfriends SWEARS by it and she's only a small B cup.

[nyessax.livejournal.com]

Your kids are so incredibly photogenic (and I'm pretty sure they know it). That last picture of Elise makes me melt.

Annie reminds me a little of me as a kid. I put off wearing a bra for as long as possible because I was afraid people would be able to see through my clothes or something and notice that I was wearing one. I refused to go bra shopping until just before middle school, when we started having to change for PE, because I was afraid people would see me in the locker room and notice that I wasn't wearing one. There's no winning.

Anyway, it's not bandeau style, but Maidenform has a convertible bra (http://www.maidenform.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=71475&categoryId=16&wtlCategory=Maidenform%AE%20Bras&parentCategoryId=1) that goes as small as 30A. 30 may (or may not, since sizing is so inconsistent) still be too big, but since the style has hook closures, you could move the hooks pretty easily.

another option for annie

[(Anonymous)]

i have had cups sewn into my dresses before, and it can add great support! i know you did not want to have something made specifically, but this is more along the lines of having something tailored.

it's great for sundresses and strapless things that don't work so well with under garments.

[daveandmonika.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Macy's?
I found this: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=339490&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results which on the size chart says ages 6-12.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that link, I am just getting to methodically going through everyone's suggestions to actually order something and I think this might be it :)

[oscariswilde.livejournal.com]

I love the pictures. I particularly love 2009_jun36.jpg that is like the perfect close up shot.

[failstoexist.livejournal.com]

you could also use double stick tape, safety pins, or other commercially available clips and things to keep her bra straps pinned to her shirts so they don't move. This might be nice in the meantime while you try to find a better solution.

I think just starting out wearing bras is tough...especially if you're still wearing clothes designed for girls who don't need bras. maybe avoid white shirts for now or have her put on a bikini top underneath if she really wants to wear them and might get wet, especially.

kids are adorable as always...getting so incredibly big!!