Triple Blessings + One

Hey....where y'all been?

2010-06-23T11:46:00.005-05:00

Sorry its been awhile. But here are some pics I dug up.

This was a couple days ago.2007 2008Here are some more random photos taken off my phone. I know....so sad. I forget to use my regular camera. My last post has snow in it.

If I can start a New Years resolution right now, I'll try harder to post. And also to have a more exciting life so that I have something to post. The kids were playing hopscotch together. We love warm weather so we can play outside and not want to kill each other so often inside. Ashlyn was playing model one day. She loves getting all dolled up.
Ryan is a true boy and loves getting dirty.

Random photos....

2010-02-06T10:14:00.003-06:00

I'm updating my blog...I know...shocker. I just uploaded some photos off my camera. I thought I'd share them. This was at Lance's after the last big storm we had.

Who's kids are these?We love the environment. We recycle. Yesterday's grocery bags are today's new fashion.
Gaby learned a valuable lesson today. A battery operated car and long hair are not compatible.Good thing she is good natured. She thought it was funny but "I won't do it again Mommy, I pwomise".

I also have to say that 4 kids under 5 + nasty virus and stomach flu + bad weather and cold temperatures = Hell. Good thing God invented wine.

Anticipating Christmas......

2009-12-16T07:09:00.002-06:00

I sometimes wish I could be a kid again at Christmas. I remember laying under our tree and looking up. My kids were doing the same thing the other night. Its still fun to see it through their eyes.
A rare peaceful moment in our house.

Happy Belated Birthday!!

2009-11-15T16:43:00.003-06:00

This is a week overdue but we have been moving for the past week and I finally got all my equipment together to post photos. Gabriella, Ryan, and Brooke turned 3 last Sunday and have since had 4 celebrations. They will think their birthday lasts a week every year.

We did things a little more casual this year with just a last minute store bought cake. I know, I didn't get one for each child, at this point they don't care. I will try to go back to each their own cake next year. For the record, they loved the balloon cake and the fact that there were candles that were "ABC's".

I hoped the shopping carts would come in handy for picking up toys and inspire them to help clean. It seems to help. They also love to zoom around and around the house where our bathroom has 2 doors and makes a circle through the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and dining room.

Well this is not the order that I wanted the text and photos to go in but my computer doesn't seem to want to let me rearrange them so I'm not wasting any more time on it. Hope you enjoy it "as is".

Happy Birthday again to my little sweeties. I hope someday that you may read this and remember all the happy times we had and not so much the difficult times. Know that I love you no matter what and you will always make me proud to be your mother.

First oficial snow. Is it Winter already?

2009-10-09T19:08:00.003-05:00

It usually snows for the first time here around Halloween. Actually its usually the very night of Halloween so its a little early this year. So does that mean that we are getting it all over with sooner or that the winter is going to be long and horrible?

Homecoming 2009.

2009-10-09T17:50:00.002-05:00

Here is Ashlyn's first time riding in the Homecoming parade. Its hard to see because even though my friend Dorinda reminded me to bring my camera....I forgot again. So I took these on a camera phone. She is second from the left. The little boy in the sunglasses on the right side of her is her current "boyfriend" from what she says. His name is Austin. I asked if he was nice and Lance asked if he was rich. She said "yes he is nice and what does rich mean?"

Here she is waving from the bus. She is wearing a hat and mittens because it was like 45 degrees today.

Pray for us, please.

2009-09-25T16:19:00.003-05:00

I've been dreading this post for a while but I didn't want anyone to feel left in the dark. Some of you already know this, but we could really use your prayer and support.

For those of you that don't already know, I'm sorry and I hope you don't hold it against me but I've had a hard time talking about it without crying. I hate to cry so I've been sort of hoping that people would just find out from other people and eliminate the need for me to do any more crying.

Lance and I have just recently gotten divorced. It was final last week. If you're surprised then you are in the majority. It seems sudden but has been on the horizon for quite a while.

I don't want to go into it too much right now because I don't have the strength and the kids are currently destroying the living room. Soon they'll be chopping up the trim and starting a bonfire.

Specifically, please pray for our children, and that we can always put them first. Secondly I'd appreciate prayer that my sanity will not leave me, as now is when I could use it the most.

1st day--part two.

2009-09-02T16:12:00.002-05:00

Snack time.
Kayla and Ashlyn on the bus together.

Ashlyn and her funny faces. They get to sit next to each other on the trip home. Ashlyn was angry that I wanted a photo and she wanted to get on the bus.

Funny thing that when I gave birth to Ashlyn I purposely picked a rare name so that she wouldn't have to share it with another class mate. Guess what the only double name in her whole class is? Yes, she is now Ashlyn O.

1st Day of Preschool.

2009-09-02T07:38:00.003-05:00

I'm in shock and denial that my baby is starting school already. I still see an infant in a baby seat when I think of her. When I commented about her being my baby and that she is growing up, she said "well, sometimes babies grow up".

I guess they do. And I better get dressed or we will be late for her first day.

Our trip in a nutshell.

2009-08-30T17:06:00.007-05:00

Here's Ashlyn at the airport waiting for our plane. We arrived a little early, which after almost missing our plane on the way home, I highly recommend. Here's our plane in the background. 1st trip for her and 3rd for me on a plane. I love to fly and would rather do that than drive any day. I hate driving.Ashlyn on the plane by her window seat. Her latest phase is acting like a lion if you can't tell.She also likes to pose like she is on the cover of Vogue. Maybe I should send this to United airlines. They could use it for advertisement and I could make some cash."We love to fly and it shows".Here we are at Dorinda's and in her makeshift ball pit. Sorry I was not better at capturing the whole trip on film. We had so much fun I forgot to take out my camera.We went shopping for her birthday. Oh and I forgot, I got my hair cut. For the first time that I can remember I allowed the stylist to cut my hair how ever she wanted. I really like it I just hope I can find the time to straighten it. How do you like my Jessica Simpson boots? OK, even if I wanted to wear these "stripper boots" they were over $100. I don't know which Ashlyn like better these or the red patent leather stilettos. She has style, what can I say?Here is Ashlyn modeling her new princess watch and her new outfit.One of her obsessions was the family cat. His name was lollipop. He was not as impressed with her as she was with him. Cats always seem to have that bored look though so who could tell.This was right before we boarded the plane to come home. I think Ashlyn is trying to show her sadness.This was a model of the Lincoln memorial (I think) that was in the Chicago airport. We had to change planes there.

Sorry I don't have more photos. If you check out Dorinda's blog you can see a few more. The photos could never have done it justice anyway.

Ashlyn had a blast playing with Kaitlyn and Caleb. I really never even missed my kids much because her triplets couldn't have been more like my own. Except Ryan of course is a boy and she has 3 girls. They were climbing right into my lap and calling me mommy after about a day. I even feel like I miss them now that I am home. Its such a shame that we don't live closer.

Thanks for the great vacation Nelsons!!

Virginia looks just like home.

2009-08-29T07:42:00.002-05:00

I have photos to come when I get home to download them. We are having so much fun.

For those of you that don't already know Ashlyn and I flew to VA to wish a blogger friend a happy birthday. The time flew by and we are coming home today. I miss my 3 other children and can't wait to see them but I also wish we had more time here.

So wish Dorinda a happy birthday at http://www.nelsontriplets.blogspot.com/ and I'll be home soon.

Our little starlet.

2009-08-12T19:14:00.003-05:00

On Sunday we took the kids to the local annual Threshing/harvest show. This was the first year I had gone since I was a kid and went with my dad and grandpa.

I couldn't wait until my kids were old enough to enjoy it because I really had a good time when I went. It was especially fun to watch my grandpa's excitement to watch the threshing. He loved anything related to the old time farming since that was how he grew up.

They had a pedal pull and as you can see Brooke got her photo taken. She wasn't actually even old enough to enter but before they started they let the 3 year olds try it. The kids each tried it even though they aren't quite 3. She did pretty good with assistance and so did Ryan but Gaby could have probably entered the contest. She is awesome at pedaling. She can already ride Ashlyn's bike at home.

They had a nice little playground near the eating area and the kids played on these sea saws for a long time. It was pretty pathetic that we had to teach them how to play on the playground. Guess that's what you have to do for farm kids.And I definitely have to get me one of these. They were all very willing to go in and we had to coax them back out. Time outs would be a lot easier for me.We had a really good time. The weather was nice. The kids got to try cotton candy for the first time. At first Gaby wouldn't eat it. She touched it to her mouth and tried to put it back. I finally shoved some in her mouth and then she was eating it by the handful. I never have known a kid that doesn't like sugar.

Notice anything?

2009-08-02T16:31:00.002-05:00

If you are new to this blog you may be thinking "wow, what a cool blog". If you've been here before you may have noticed I redecorated a little bit. How's it look? Too flashy?

Meet Coco.

2009-08-01T15:21:00.002-05:00

Ashlyn was begging for a horse one day and I made the mistake of suggesting we get a pony. Well a week later, after thinking about all the expense and risk a horse would bring to our family I told Lance I had changed my mind.As you can see it was too late. Lance had said something to Grandpa Ray and he went and bought 6 horses. This little pony was one of them.Ashlyn was thrilled for a whole 2 days. She was either riding him or standing beside him and chasing flies off of his face. The newness has worn off now so he only gets the occasional visit but he really seems to like her. One day she wasn't paying much attention to him even though he was following her so he nipped her on the back.Gaby gives a whole new meaning to the term bareback. Don't ask me why she isn't wearing a shirt. At least she has on pants.

A 4 year olds point of view.

2009-07-31T03:09:00.003-05:00

When we took Ashlyn away for her birthday we got her a little camera of her own. These are some of her artwork. It doesn't even have a flash so I think she does a pretty good job. Apparently she is a shoe fanatic.

There is a really great one of Gaby with her finger up her nose but she would be embarrassed some day if I posted it.

Day 4, 5 & 6 of vacation.

2009-07-05T09:52:00.004-05:00

Well I've forgotten most of what we did in the last few days except rest and catch up on sleep. I love how "vacation" makes you feel more exhausted than any normal day of the week.

I realized this morning that I forgot to mention that we went to the dentist on Monday. Ashlyn has been there but this was Gabriella, Ryan, and Brooke's first visit. They did awesome!! No one cried.I think it helped that they were a little older than when Ashlyn first went. She screamed bloody murder for her first 2 visits but now loves it.It also helped that I brought home some supplies from my last visit and we "played dentist" the night before so they knew what to expect. Ryan had a good report on his teeth. Brooke was told she needs to work on not sucking her thumb. Gabriella has 2 watch spots already. This did not surprise me as I've always thought her teeth would decay easily although she brushes the most and her teeth look the cleanest. Ashlyn has her first 2 cavities. They are tiny but still need to be filled. We'll be dreading that visit. It will probably change how she views the dentist from now on.
Last night Ashlyn and I went to a wedding together and then we met up with Lance's family for a big birthday bash for his Aunt Jean. The kids had a blast at the party. There were horse and buggy rides, karaoke, lots of food, and fireworks. We finally put them to bed at 11 pm.

Day 3 of vacation.

2009-07-02T16:57:00.005-05:00

This is Storybook Land. This was not Ashlyn's first trip to this magical land.Here she is on the very same horse 4 years ago. She was only 3 months old. Doesn't she look like a baby doll? Here is Brooke's turn on the horse. By the way, if you aren't familiar with Storybook Land, its a park with statues of the classic stories. It really a great place to spend a day or two. There are lots of other things to do too.Gaby.Ryan.Here is a group shot. Riley and Amanda came too. No one would stand by the Cowardly Lion or the Wicked witch. They all kept looking behind them to make sure no one was moving.There are 2 rides at the end of the park. A carousel and a spinning ride that goes up and is supposed to resemble a balloon ride. Of course all the kids said the rides were their favorite part. There was also a little train that took you around the park. I think the train ride was their second favorite.If you're wondering why Gaby is the only one wearing a hat, its because she has such thin hair on top of her head and we didn't want her scalp to burn.

After the park, we stayed overnight at a hotel. It was Ashlyn's 3rd time staying overnight but the others had never been to a hotel. They had a great time. We swam in the pool (which I just realized I forgot to take any pictures). The room we rented had a king sized bed, a queen, and a pull out sofa. Lance and Ryan slept in the queen. Gaby, Brooke and I slept in the king, and Ashlyn slept in a big overstuffed armchair with an ottoman, pushed right next to Lance. They did really well until Brooke started screaming at about 6 am. She was crying asking "daddy, where are you going?" I think she had a bad dream. Or she caught Lance trying to escape the madness. We did have a good time over all but there were many difficult moments too. How many of you would dare to take 3 two year olds on an overnight vacation?

Day 2 of vacation.

2009-07-02T16:44:00.002-05:00

Grandpa Ray's birthday. Grandma Vicky got the kids these outfits on her trip to Texas. They look really cute on them. I tried to get a nice shot of them all together. Its like pulling teeth (which Gaby must have thought I was going to do cause she couldn't keep her hands away from her mouth).Ashlyn and her cousin Amanda couldn't stand to be more than 6 inches apart. They spent most of the evening with their arms around each other. I love that she gets to spend so much time with her cousins.
As if getting 4 kids to all look and smile at the same time wasn't hard enough, here are 6. Ashlyn is the oldest at 4, then Riley and Amanda (who are twins) are 3, and Gabriella, Ryan, and Brooke are 2.

Day 1 of vacation.

2009-06-30T15:05:00.003-05:00

As you can see, we went to the zoo. The kids had a blast only wanting to spend a few seconds at each exhibit before screaming to go on the next. We could have just as well been on one of those flat escalator walking things at the airport(what ever they are called).Here's mama bird with her little chicks. Ashlyn refused to sit with us. She is acting more like a 16 year old every day.

Ryan. Gaby.Brooke.Ashlyn.

Here is last year if you want to compare. Zoo 2008.

Is it June or December?

2009-06-29T07:46:00.002-05:00

I picked these snowsuits up on garage sales over the weekend and the kids wanted to try them on this morning. It is only 59 degrees but not quite snowsuit weather.

Happy Father's Day.

2009-06-22T18:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday it poured rain but since fishing is my hubby's favorite pastime, I'll post this photo for him. This was our first boating experience with all the kids......and our last for a while. The kids needed a life jacket.......by the end......I needed a straight jacket. I was a nervous wreck. When we should have been lying back, enjoying the view as Lance trolled, I was doing my best to keep "all men on deck". When we were covering great distances across the lake I could have used about 4 anchors to keep the kids from blowing away. No one was more happy than me to see the dock again. Except maybe Gaby. She thought the boat was fun for about 5 minutes and then turned a shade of gray and clung to me for dear life. Since I missed Mother's Day on the blog I thought I'd post this photo of Ashlyn on the day that our litter of 6 kittens were born. She witnessed all 6 of the births which is something even myself as a farm girl never actually saw until that same day. The first was born right in the middle of our deck and the rest in a box near the front door. I know I should probably not post my son in all his glory yet again but I just can't help it. He just cracks me up. This was after a bath in the real bath tub and he must have felt he wasn't clean enough because he finished it off in the doll bath tub on our play center. Look, he's even rinsing his hair, sound effects and all.

Tea for Two and Two for Tea.

2009-04-05T08:59:00.002-05:00

I love a good tea party especially when it includes my kids (I try to ignore the etiquette, or lack there of). We've used this tea set for tea, hot chocolate, and even water when they just want to practice pouring which they can't seem to get enough of these days.
Gaby and Brooke just happened to be the only ones up from nap that day so it was a little less hectic. I love days like this when I can enjoy their company instead of feeling overwhelmed and half deaf from all the screaming. Does anyone know when summer is coming? I want to be able to shoo them outside before I lose my mind.
Wondering what is covering our chairs? They are covered with waterproof toddler size mattress pads. I know......it's stylish. You want to copy me don't you? I tried finding some type of cover that would do what I needed it to and still look nice but as you can see, I had no luck. So bedding it is.

Super Boy and his Baby Sidekick.

2009-03-31T13:36:00.003-05:00

The funny thing about the super man PJ's is that the cape Velcros on and Ryan hates it. He thinks it's an "itchy tag". You have to sneak up behind him and stick it on without him knowing it. Ashlyn loves to do that and then he will wear it for a while until he realizes it there, then he freaks out and rips it off.

We are having another blizzard today. What is up with that? I hate this time of year.

Locks of Love.

2009-03-19T18:46:00.006-05:00

These pictures speak a thousand words. We're a little sad but it will be so much easier with her starting school in the fall. We've been talking for weeks about the Locks of Love program and explaining how is works to Ashlyn, who was happy to donate her hair. Maybe I should have spent a little more time explaining because she was determined to give her hair to a little girl at the salon today. Instead, we will be mailing it off soon and I plan to email a photo to the organization which may get posted on the website.

Speaking of websites, for those of you who haven't already seen it here is our hospital's new website.

Sometimes.....

2009-02-18T06:28:00.002-06:00

Sometimes we play nice together (rarely....actually).Sometimes we like to snuggle (our babies grow up so fast you know).Sometimes things get a little hairy (someday I'll tell you about the egg incident).Or we do things a little backwards (notice the tag?).But if we have just the right shoes, it makes everything seem perfect.

Sorry my posts have been so rare lately. I'll try to do better. The kids are growing and changing so fast. They talk a lot and say some of the cutest things. They are truly becoming little people.

We're still alive.

2009-01-22T10:12:00.003-06:00

Even though it was 20 degrees below zero here recently, our kids and I all had a really nasty stomach flu (picture 3 out of 4 kids puking at the same time, Ryan luckily had it first and he was done by the time the girls got it), we've gotten a ton of snow in the past month, mommy has been working extra hours and daddy has been traveling for few work conferences....we are still alive.

Sorry for the lack of posts but if I do even sit down to the computer it's either to check my emails quick or pay bills.

To bring you up to speed, the kids are doing pretty well in the toddler beds. Ashlyn loves being in the little kids room but sometimes doesn't let them sleep when they want to. The little bit of hassle it brings is worth it to see the kids bonding together and Ashlyn feeling like she's part of the group. Nap times are a struggle. The kids just don't want to settle down right away and we used to just zip them up and walk away. It was nice to have a good 2-3 hours to get something done in the house. Now we have to devote 30-45 minutes trying to get them to sleep and that leaves less time for anything else.

The potty training is making progress but I think it will still be a while before its complete. The girls usually wear training pants all day except to sleep, and they stay dry most of the time. Ryan usually chooses to wear a diaper (I always give them a choice) but will rip it off to use the potty off and on.

Well that's going to have to be it for now. I will post more later.

There's no turning back now....

2009-01-01T13:41:00.003-06:00

Yes....it is what it looks like. We've moved Brooke, Gaby, and Ryan out of their cribs and into toddler beds. I've been dreading this day and held off as long as I could but Ryan and Brooke have been unzipping their crib tents (despite everything we've tried to keep them shut) and climbing out. Then they try to help Gaby but eventually abandon her and she starts to cry. Since her bed is a lot taller and we're afraid she may try to escape and land on her head, we made the decision to get them new toddler beds with their Christmas money from Grandpa and Grandma. So far, they love them and I think they may be asleep, finally, for their nap. Lance had to go up and sleep with them to get them to settle down.And of course, Ashlyn has been waiting for such a long time to move into their room with them. Now she finally gets to. Let the slumber parties begin.......just don't wake mommy and daddy.

New Photos.

2008-12-27T09:52:00.005-06:00

Here are a few of the many photos that were taken last week by Jon Kampen of Kampen Photography. This is the 3rd time we've taken our kids there and once again, we were not disappointed. I did compress the photos so they would download faster which makes them a little fuzzy but you can see how cute they are. Also notice I changed the photos on the right side of my blog.

Wishing it were summer.

2008-12-22T18:18:00.004-06:00

Since we are preparing for another big snow tonight I let the kids try on their new swim suits.Why do they have new swim suits in the middle of winter? Because with multiples you learn to buy things off season because they are cheap. The girls' bikinis were like $3 each and Ryan's was around $2. They have been running around the house half crazy.

Ashlyn and I made sugar cookies a couple weeks ago. It is my Grandma's recipe. She always has the best sugar cookies. They are decorated so perfect that when I was in grade school, some of my teachers saved them instead of eating them. At least that's what they said. If they had actually tasted them they would never have been able to not eat them all. Ashlyn doesn't exactly decorate them the way Grandma does but they look perfect to me.

How to not overeat during Christmas.

2008-12-20T09:28:00.002-06:00

Having your gallbladder removed is one way. Probably not the preferred method though. If you're confused, don't worry, it's not you. I'm medicated right now. Just a little bit.

I, unexpectedly, had my gallbladder removed yesterday afternoon. I had an attack on Thursday and went in for an ultrasound on Friday morning. I had lots of stones and one was lodged in the neck of my gallbladder. Hence the pain.

So our incredible surgeon, Dr. Van, was able to squeeze me in for later that day. I was pretty miserable last night but am feeling a little better today.

So now I have to eat low fat for 4 - 6 weeks while my body readjusts. Dry toast and Turkey breast....yum!

The Pee Parade.

2008-12-13T07:24:00.002-06:00

Sounds like a good time for the young and the old, doesn't it?

The little ones are still showing interest in potty training. Mostly because its a group effort, I think. Once one does something, the others follow. So for about 45 minutes every morning we've had 3 toddlers peeing a few drops and then picking up their potty and going into the bathroom to dump it. Then they put it back and the cycle starts all over again. Plus they have also wanted to wash their own hands. I'm sure you have all seen how a toddler washes their hands. So yesterday I had had enough and I told them that they can no longer go into the bathroom (their potty chairs are in the kitchen). I want to tackle one messy step at a time. Once they get the peeing down, to where they will actually empty their entire bladder. Then I will let them start washing their hands. Until then, we are using hand sanitizer and I spray their potty chairs with Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface spray every so often throughout the day.

Anyone who has done potty training knows that it can be extremely frustrating and times 3 is a nightmare. I know with Ashlyn it took about 2 months from the very start, to the end when she could be trusted to wear only underpants. So maybe 6 months from now we'll have it down.

Monday we are having the kids pictures taken and since it is so late in December, don't be surprised if they don't get mailed out until after Christmas. So if you usually get a Christmas card from us, don't think we forgot you.

Hey there, its me again.

2008-12-07T11:58:00.004-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. Like over 2 weeks ago. Why? What have I been doing that is so important? Um......being a doting wife(ha ha), mother with the patience of a saint(cough), and an employee that has worn the soles off of her New Balance shoes. Well, not all the way off but the treads are starting to flatten.

When I come home from work, which has been getting later and later, I drop everything and grab a plate of whatever Lance has cooked up for the kids. Which is usually my first square meal of the day. If you can call pizza a square meal, its actually kind of round. One night he made a huge steak and I didn't even know about it. They ate it all before I got home.

The kids love to crawl up onto my lap....all 4 of them...and say "bite...bite". Then I say "no, mommy's food". Now Gaby says "no, mommy's pood". After my lovely meal I usually change into pajamas and park my butt on the couch. I have been soooo tired. I don't want to do anything. I do help put the kids to bed, which has to be some form of aerobic exercise and I'm thinking about making a video and selling it.

I then watch about 1.5 hours of TV and its off to bed. Where I have actually been sleeping lately. Thanks to a little friend called cyclobenzaprine. At least I think I've been sleeping. I used to take Ambien and unbeknowst to me, I was getting up in the night and doing things I did not remember the next day. Scary? Yes it is.

I started the cyclobenzaprine for 2 reasons. One, to help me sleep and two, I have been having some muscle cramping for about a month now and have no idea why. I did go back to the rheumatologist and she is convinced that I have Fibromyalgia. I am still not 100% convinced and will probably keep searching for another, less permanent, condition. Preferably one that is curable with a tiny little pill, that has no side effects. Or maybe not a pill but something like.....I must not, under any circumstances, go anywhere near dirty laundry....or dishes either.

I really hate to talk about my health because I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. Even the thought makes my skin crawl. I just wanted to let you all know so that you would understand if I don't always have the energy to keep my crazy life under control. I have to let some things slide. What do you think? Should it be keeping my kids bathed and fed and happy, or having a pristine house without dust bunnies in the corners and 3 baskets of folded (but not put away) laundry piled in my bathroom. And that's IF it gets folded. Thanks to my mom and Vicky, it sometimes does. I just can't be Mrs Perfect, even though I'd like to be.

If in the past or future I declined/decline an invitation or say no to something that I really should be doing, I either don't like you (rarely the case) or I just can't do it. So there, that's done. Now, who wants an update on the kids?

Potty training has been hit or miss lately. Mostly miss. We've decided that when we finally reach the end of this journey, we will reward ourselves with new furniture (preferable without urine). The carpet will have to be cleaned also. That's Lance's reward.

Gaby who was the one to start this endeavor and was showing the most promise has completely back pedaled. She either forgot how to pee in the potty or she is being obstinate. She is a German/Irish/Norwegian female, what do you think the answer to that question is?

Ryan is actually still letting us know once in a while that he has to pee and then producing pee in the potty. We thought he would be the last to be trained.

Brooke has had a couple of accidental deposits but mostly she just likes to be naked and strips as often as she can.

So I just go with the flow. At this rate they may be potty trained by 6th grade. Now that would be some BIG diapers.

Wow that was much longer than I planned. I guess its 2 weeks worth.

Potty Training Triplets......

2008-11-21T12:13:00.002-06:00

...is not a one man job. I have spent the entire morning chasing half naked babies, pulling up underpants, scrubbing floors and chairs, wiping butts, dumping pee (still only Gaby's), and washing clothes. Gaby was fighting the thick cloth training pants so I broke out Ashlyn's old princess panties. She loved them but so did Brooke who has yet to figure out where the pee is supposed to go. She won't wear anything but the princess panties. I tried putting a pullup over it but she keeps ditching it as soon as I turn my back. So of course we've had a few accidents. Ryan is starting to run to the potty after he pees his pants and at least he will wear the plastic pants. Brooke is determined to wear the thin princess panties and doesn't have a clue why pee is running down her legs.

At the moment, Gaby is sitting on the potty because she cries when I put her to bed for a nap and says "stink". I'm thinking that she has to go but it's always harder to get them to poop on the potty than pee.

So this is day 2 of potty training purgatory. I'm expecting it to last either a short time and then we are back to diapers, or drag on for months. I would love any advice or funny stories.

Princesses and a Prince.....in training.

2008-11-20T12:35:00.004-06:00

Because we were going stir crazy (meaning the kids were driving me nuts) today we decided to do a project. I found these printable crown cutouts off the Internet and Ashlyn and I put them together.As you can see, Ashlyn was the most excited about this. To explain the training part of this post, I am announcing that we are in the very early stages of potty training. I'm not too excited about this because my plan was to put it off until they were about 3.5 years old. From what I've heard, multiples seem harder to train and since Ashlyn was 2.5 when she was officially trained, I thought I'd at least wait until then.Gaby has other plans apparently because without too much encouragement she has started training on her own. She comes to us and smacks her butt and says "stink" when she has pooped. Then a few times she has went to the toilet asked to pee and when we take off her diaper she has already pooped. She has actually peed in the potty chair a few times by accident. Today when I was going to change her before nap time I asked if she had to go pee. She went running into the bathroom and sat down and peed in the potty. Then she says the cutest thing. She turns around and points to it and says "poot, poot". Since she got a treat for going potty Ryan and Brooke wanted to try. All they did was sit down and say "all done". Then of course I have to chase them and get them back into diapers. This morning all 3 got away from me and ran up and sat at the top of the stairs, all with bare butts. Can you see why I've put off potty training?This is what Ashlyn calls a dolphin. She's pretty good, isn't she? You should see her interpretation of Daddy. This is how the kids were sitting to watch Baby Einstein one day. You would think that they actually might like each other. Don't be fooled this lasted about 15 minutes and then someone was squishing someone else and you can guess the rest.

I'd have to say that so far age 2 is not much fun about 90% of the time. At least for me.....I'm sure they are having a blast. This morning, I had to take a call from work and I couldn't hear so I went into the bathroom (my office). When I came out, Ryan and Gaby had dumped a box of hanging files containing our most important papers on the floor and were rolling in it like they had won the lottery.

I just pray over and over each day for patience. I know this is temporary. It will get better. And worse. And then hopefully better again.

I guess I haven't complained in a while.....

2008-11-14T12:10:00.002-06:00

....so its about time I do, huh?

Does anyone else with multiples, or even small children of any ages, feel tempted to get rid of everything they own except a couple of mattresses to sleep on?

I am so sick of stepping (tripping) over things, finding strange things in random places, and taking things like pens, butter knives, and the remote away from my kids.

If you let them into a room they will dismantle it in 30 seconds like a pack of monkeys. Then they will use their secret powers to hone in on the most dangerous/incredibly fun item and have it in their clutches before I can say "don't touch that".

Argh!!

Happy 2nd Bithday Sweet Babies!!

2008-11-07T21:42:00.005-06:00

To Gabriella, Ryan and Brooke:

I can barely remember the past 2 years, it has went so fast. You are doing new things every day and it makes me want to hold you and kiss you while I still can. As much as I want you to grow independent so I can have some peace, I know I'm going to miss these days, eventually.

This was one of the favorite toys received today. Can you tell?I didn't want to leave Ashlyn out. She is struggling over jealousy issues with them getting lot of gifts. I kept telling her that it was fun to see how happy they were and that Christmas would be here soon and then her birthday. At least the kids didn't mind sharing with her.

Just Another Day.

2008-11-07T07:49:00.003-06:00

These photos were taken by my mom a few days ago and they do well to capture how nice the weather was here recently. Yesterday we had rain that turned to snow so our heat spell is gone. Bye, bye light jackets. Hello snowsuits.

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T15:36:00.005-05:00

You won't believe it but the kids actually sat here all by themselves, without prompting. Not for long though, as you can see. If your wondering....Brooke is a kitty cat(Ashlyn wore it 2 years ago), Ryan is a pumpkin (Ashlyn wore it last year), Ashlyn is a unicorn but didn't have the rest of her costume on yet, and Gaby was supposed to be a ghost but we decided she looked more like an Angel. What do you think?

So here is Ashlyn completely dressed.

Inexpensive Toy # 4.

2008-10-29T20:25:00.002-05:00

Sidewalk chalk. Which they sometimes color with.But mostly fight over. Even though the box holds like 30 pieces. There is never enough when you have multiples.And apparently Brooke thinks it's lipstick.
This photo doesn't do her justice with her blue and green lips. At least no one tried to eat it. Yet.

How bad can it get?

2008-10-26T10:49:00.004-05:00

Have you ever put your children to bed to keep yourself from beating them to within an inch of their life(I'm being overly dramatic, of course)? No? Have your kids ever opened a spigot full force and drained a half gallon of water on your counter top, which then drained unto the floor and into several drawers? Not only that but they were courteous enough to pull all the photos and Ashlyn's artwork off the fridge first so that was soaked also.

You might ask yourself, where was I when this was happening? I was loading the washing machine which took a total of 3 minutes. One minute per child.

And so far, at this moment in time, they don't even have access to all the things I've been hiding from them. Scissors, glue, tape, knives, markers, pens, pencils, make up, breakable items, things I'm saving for them like photos, their baby things. What happens when they find them?

And they aren't even 2 years old yet.

I am anticipating some serious damage done to any possession we hold value to. I am also anticipating.........boarding school?

On a sweeter note, we made caramel apples last night. The kids loved them except Gaby. She didn't like the stickiness.

Who needs a maid?

2008-10-25T15:59:00.002-05:00

Since I have been home less I have had even less time to clean, so I enlisted a little help.
Apparently it was too much for them because they needed a little nap after they were done. (They aren't really sleeping on the stairs, that would be kind of dangerous).

New Pillows.

2008-10-22T18:07:00.004-05:00

These were on sale at one of our local stores and I loved that each kid could have their own color.

Inexpensive Toy # 3.

2008-10-19T11:51:00.004-05:00

Looking for a cheap way to entertain your kids? How about feminine hygiene products? Mine can't seem to get enough of them.

What they do while I'm away.

2008-10-14T06:49:00.004-05:00

To those of you that are just seeing this post for the first time, there are 2 videos. Some of you may have only seen the first one because Ryan and Gaby published the post before I could add the second one. I was changing Brooke's diaper while it was downloading and when I came back they were sitting at the computer and it said your blog posted successfully.

Now I don't know about you, but that scares me. I barely even used a computer and never touched a mouse until I was a senior in high school but my almost 2 years olds are blogging. Anyway, I hope you thought these were as cute as I did. My mom caught it on film for me.

Can you see me?

2008-10-12T09:24:00.003-05:00

The kids are gearing up for deer season. Can you tell who is who?

Home-made playdough.

2008-10-08T17:57:00.003-05:00

You may have already made this, but it was a first time for me actually making it myself. I used to play with the same stuff when I was a kid (and I still love it) but my mom made it. Ashlyn loves it and she has already mixed up the colors, which she promised not to do. Why is that so much fun as a kid but really irritates you as a grown up?

So here is the recipe if you don't already have it:

2 1/2 c. Flour

1/4 c. salt

1 Tbls. Alum

1 1/2 cup boiling water

3 Tbls. cooking oil

Mix flour and salt. Add rest of ingredients. Separate into portions and add food coloring of your choice. Knead, if needed. Mine first came out looking like really thick oatmeal, then I added more flour and it was perfect.

Keeps in plastic bags in the refrigerator for months.

I love this stuff because it smells better than the store bought stuff and it doesn't ever dry out and get crumbly. It stays nice and soft.

I even let Gaby, Ryan, and Brooke play with some and even though I stressed that they should not eat it, they all tasted a little. I remember doing that myself as a kid and know it doesn't taste very good so they will probably only do it once. At least you know they are non-toxic ingredients so it won't hurt them to experiment.

4 Cuties and a Parade.

2008-10-03T17:47:00.003-05:00

Brooke, Gabriella, Ryan, and Ashlyn wearing their Halloween shirts. The ghosts on the front flash when they move. When I bought these I never knew how handy they would become. The kids wore them to our homecoming parade today and it was so easy to spot them in a crowd.

Here Lance was pretending to put the cat on my head and that is what they are all smiling about. (MaryBeth, I stole your pumpkin idea.) Ashlyn and Gaby were like candy Hoovers. The girl to the right is Kayla, my niece. Here are all the girls collecting their loot.
Ashlyn saying "no more pictures, please".
Ryan going for a big piece from Grandma.Gaby and Brooke thinking all the work of collecting was worth it because it tastes so good.Ryan agrees.

A New Game.

2008-10-02T09:26:00.003-05:00

Its called 250 straw pick up. If you can't tell, these are drinking straws that Ryan helped himself to this morning. They picked every last one of them up and they will still use them.......even after they were on the floor.It was good for about 20 minutes distraction at least.

Why have I been MIA?

2008-09-30T18:44:00.002-05:00

I'm hearing from various people that my blog is slowing down. Sorry. I really miss writing on here but have found it hard to even check my email and keep up with all the blogs that I read lately.

Yes, it is my new job that is keeping me busy. Its a sacrifice I'll have to make and I hope you forgive me, because I really love it. I'll admit it is a lot of new things but I am learning quickly and it just feels so good to be working in a field that I love again, minus the crazy hours.

I love my kids too, but I haven't really missed them that much. This job is a perfect compromise so far, because I am away from home part of the week but still home a lot more than most working moms. The kids wave me away each morning, blowing kisses, and greet me with a huge smile saying "momma!!!" when I walk in the door.

Today was my first day orientating in the OR. The Dr. I work with is an orthopedic surgeon so our Tuesdays will mostly be spent in surgery. I have never worked in surgery but am finding that I really like it. It was a long day today but I got to see a lot of cool things.

So hopefully I won't totally neglect the blog. I'll try really hard to keep writing. Maybe I'll put my mom on camera duty to try and give me some inspiration. She'll love that.

Here is my little Betty Crocker hard at work making cupcakes. Ashlyn loves to help me bake.

And then there were 3.....

2008-09-24T17:46:00.002-05:00

First there was Brooke that recieved the crib tent because she was climbing out.
Shortly after was Ryan.
And now Gaby joins the club. Look how happy she is.

A Day in OUR Life.

2008-09-20T19:09:00.004-05:00

"We woke up our parents at 5:30 am and they were grumpy, but look how happy we are". "I can hardly wait to start the day!!""OK, lets pull up them stocken's".

Now to switch gears, my brother was telling me that the reason mom's don't have any photos with their kids is because they won't be in a picture unless they get all dolled up. Plus my friend Dorinda said she has rarely seen me on my blog. So tonight I took photos with my kids.......undolled. Like it or not, you're gonna see me.

Gabriella with mommy. Don't look a day over 20, do I? Ha ha!! Dorinda, have your husband tell me how to photoshop those wrinkles out of my neck. And what can he do about sun damage?

Ashlyn kept insisting on having her elbow in the photo. Isn't it cute?Ryan's got that classic "deer in the headlights" look.Brooke is saying "cheese" with all her might and Ryan just couldn't stay out of the spotlight. I took all these photos myself, can you tell?Just had to end with this one. Ryan transferring all the princess chapsticks from one purse to the other. I know he is going to kill me some day. I can't help it, he is so cute.Yesterday, the girls got their Birthday/Christmas/Easter dresses in the mail. I got them on clearance for $12 each. They are frilly and pink and look adorable on them. Ryan was so mad that he didn't get one. He even ran and got one of Ashlyn's dress up dresses and tried to put it on. I need to get the boy some more trucks, and hammers, and guns (0k not guns yet). He is just trying to fit in with the crowd.

Gaby is getting smarter.

2008-09-19T08:33:00.003-05:00

Or maybe not so much. This morning I went to get her out of bed as she was yelling "Aahh" over and over. There she was perched on the top rail of her crib with her little butt hanging over the edge. She was holding on to the end rail of the crib (which is taller) for dear life. This is the second time she has done this. She did it for Grandma after her nap yesterday.

Since I am not ready for toddler beds and my Gaby though sweet, and beautiful, and smart.......a graceful ballerina type she is not. I can just hear her skull bouncing off the floor. So another crib tent is on it's way as we speak. I have been wondering when this day would come since Brooke and Ryan have had theirs for months.

So please pray for her safety and my sanity as we await our much needed package.

I didn't take a photo of this because I didn't want to encourage her in any way so you'll have to use your imagination.

Just like the end of Bambie....

2008-09-17T20:14:00.003-05:00

Ashlyn has been watching the movie "Bambie" lately and loves it. I told her that my grandmother took me to see that same movie at the movie theater when I was a kid. She loves knowing things like that. She actually calls it Bammie which is even cuter.

Well, at the end of the movie Bambi and Faline have a set of twin fawns and she loves this part because she is learning what it means to be twins or triplets.

Lance likes to hunt and has invested in a really cool camera that straps to a tree and photographs any time is senses movement. This way he can watch for a really big buck without having to actually sit in the tree, day after day. Mostly because I won't let him do that anymore because I need his help more than I need another deer head.

So anyway, here is one of the photos that his camera captured a couple of weeks ago.

Can it get any cuter? So apparently we have a doe with twin fawns in our little woods in the backyard.

Work it girl......and boy.

2008-09-14T19:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to my dad's cousin's funeral with my parents and 2 of my brothers. We drove about 5 hours (we left at 4:30 am), and then after the funeral and a couple hours of visiting, we headed back home. It was a long trip but it was so worth it. The funeral was very sad but it was great to see our cousins again. Hopefully we can continue to keep in touch.

I made a quick run into Target to pick up something for Ashlyn since she had wanted to come along but I decided it would be to much for her to endure all the driving. I only had a few minutes and saw these sleeping masks by the checkout counter. Ashlyn has been wanting one. They were only a dollar so I got one for each of the kids.

Ashlyn said she is going to wear her's to bed tonight.Gaby wore hers for a couple of hours today, both on her eyes and off.Brooke really liked hers too.At first Ryan wouldn't even touch his until he saw the girls wearing them.

Good News.

2008-09-12T11:20:00.003-05:00

Well, I got the job that I applied and interviewed for. I just found out yesterday. I think it's going very well so far. It is a little stressful at the moment because we are just starting this clinic but every day gets better and I'm learning a lot.

I ordered this Jump-o-lene on clearance for $20 last week and the kids are loving it. It was a good investment. I wanted something that would keep them occupied during the long, cold winter, when they can't go outside everyday. It just came today and they have been in it for almost the entire time.

I know the photos are a little fuzzy because the kids couldn't stop jumping for one second so that I could snap a photo. If your wondering who is going to take care of my kids while I'm working, so far my mom and mother-in-law are. My sister offered to help out and I do have another prospective candidate whom I have talked with on the phone. She sounds great and if my hours pick up I will probably see if she wants to do a day or 2.
Right now I am employed to work part time and I will continue to work Saturdays for as long as I can. If we start to get too busy then I want an extra day with my family.
The kids don't seem to miss me and I haven't yearned to be home with them either. I love them so much more when I am not stuck at home with them 24/7. Then all I can think about is "I need to get out of here before I lose my mind". They are less whiney when they see me too......so far.

Since I took photos of the girls last weekend, here is one of my little Romeo. His shirt says "Little Guy, Big Eater" which describes him perfectly these days. I think they must be having a growth spurt cause they eat constantly. I can't believe they are going to be 2 in 2 months. My babies are growing up.

Progression to Disaster.

2008-09-10T13:44:00.003-05:00

Five. Four.

Three. Two.

One.

Just Us Girls.

2008-09-08T07:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Grandma Vicky took Ryan to church with her, and Daddy was doing whatever it is that Daddy does, so it was just me and the girls for most of the day. It sure was nice and quiet here.

Ashlyn is getting ready for Halloween already. She is starting to plan what everyone is going to wear. She wants all the girls to be princesses and Ryan to wear the pumpkin costume that she wore last year. Gee, I wonder who chopped Brooke's bangs? It couldn't have been her mother. Well it would help if she would sit still.
Gaby had a little trim too but she has less hair so it doesn't show as much.
I was trying to get these three to pose nicely. Gaby was more interested in picking her toes.
Then after 4 photos just like the first, she finally looked up and then Brooke had to look away. They plan this out amongst themselves you know.
Then Brooke says "ok that's enough touching".

When the Cat's away......

2008-09-07T11:32:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, Ashlyn went to stay at her grandma's house for the night and while she was gone I let Ryan, Gaby, and Brooke play with her dress up clothes. They had so much fun. Usually if she is here, she won't let them touch her things. The only downside was I had to wrestle the clothes off of them when it was time to go to bed. There was lots of screaming and crying involved (most of it came from the babies).

Even Ryan got to participate. Don't tell him that his "Prince" vest is really made for Cinderella and of course he couldn't attend the ball without his purple high heels.

Just wanted to let you all know that I did get an interview for the job I applied for. It was last Wednesday. I haven't heard anything more yet. The job is for a clinic nurse position for the new Orthopedic doctor that just started at our hospital. If I get the job I will also eventually train into assisting with surgeries. I have actually been working with him since he started so I'm hoping that will sway them to give me the job. Please keep me in your prayers.

I also just wanted to pass on that my dad's cousin passed away last week. She is no longer suffering but we will miss her very much.

And the Winner is........

2008-09-05T09:12:00.013-05:00

Here are the moments leading up to the big drawing. I had lots of help. Some of it was actually wanted.If you're wondering where Brooke is, she is taking a nap because she was Miss Cranky Pants this morning. Ashlyn got to use her scissors to help. She doesn't even know that she is not actually cutting any of the names. I just gave her the scraps to cut after I cut all the names out.Here is Gaby making her first attempt to cut using a scissors from a toy hair care set. It doesn't have a blade. She loved that she was included, though.And Ryan using the same set of scissors. They had a blast and I'm so glad we did this. It was a fun family project. Ashlyn is the only one that really understands and she was so excited. She has been asking all week when we were going to do the drawing.Here is Miss Ashlyn drawing out the folded slip of paper. The one in her right hand is just a scrap that she was cutting. I didn't want you to think she drew more than one. Now she is carefully unfolding it.And.....

For those of you that didn't win, I'm sorry. I would have loved to send out books to all of you. You don't have to totally miss out on the books though if you have a little extra cash to spend. If you go to Amazon.com's website and search for Karen Katz or click here and I've already done it for you, they are having a sale right now where lots of their merchandise is buy 3, get the 4th item free. I do know that the Karen Katz books are included as long as they are under $10. There are also many other books (and other things too just check it out)to choose from if you want a variety. We personally love these books.

I wasn't asked to endorse Amazon but I love their site and have been using it for years. On the products that come directly from Amazon you can get free shipping on orders over $25(when you click on the item look for it to say "free shipping on orders over $25"). This was the reason why I can only give the prize to one family, because it won't cost me anything to ship it.

So MaryBeth, congratulations!!! If you want to go the Amazon.com site and pick out your books and then email at lcofarrell@tnics.com . If you want any that are over $10 (I think that the "Counting Kisses" one is, but most of them are under $10) then you can have 3 books plus the cookbook. Or if you stay under $10 for each book, you can actually have 4 books plus the cookbook. If you see any other than Karen Katz that fit into the sale, and that you think the girls would like, you can pick them instead. I'm pretty flexible. Just email me if you have any questions. Make sure you tell me your address in the email and I will get them sent out soon.

Here are some pretty recent photos of MaryBeth's girls (she also has triplets that are 2 years old named Sarah, Kate, and Maggie, and a big sister Ella that is 3). MaryBeth, I hope it's ok that I stole these photos from your blog, if not just let me know and I'll take them down. Here is a link to her blog so you can all check it out. Four Silly Sisters. These girls could use some cheering up because their daddy was just deployed to Iraq for a year. Their mommy could use some too.

Ella

Sarah

Kate

Maggie

I'm hosting A Giveaway!!!!

2008-08-28T16:33:00.007-05:00

I want to tell you about my favorite children's author. Her name is Karen Katz. She wrote Ashlyn's all time favorite book. I started reading this book to her when she was a baby and she still loves it and now so do Gaby, Ryan, and Brooke.The name of this particular book is called "Counting Kisses" but I haven't read a Karen Katz book that I didn't love. Here are a couple of our favorites. "Twinkle Toes" is perfect for your little princess. It has a piece of pink fabric on the front cover for a skirt and each page has a piece of fabric for your baby to feel. If you have boys, don't worry cause Ryan loves this one too.

"Daddy and Me" is a fun one about a building project with Daddy. Each page has a flap to lift to find the hidden tool.She makes board books that can withstand 4 toddlers so that tells you they are pretty durable. I will warn you though that her "lift the flap" books, though loads of fun for little ones, I no longer leave mine unattended. We had some really cute ones that are now missing their flaps.

So to really show you just how much I love her books I'm going to give 3 free books away to one lucky winner. Of course they will be new and not the ones that my kids have loved up. All you have to do is leave a comment here saying that you are interested. If you don't have little ones, maybe you know someone that would like them for a gift. If you are the winner, I will even let you pick the books. Karen Katz pretty much has one for every occasion.

I'll leave this up for a week and on Friday, September 5th, I'll take all the names from the comments and host a drawing. I'll contact the winner to get a name and address and mail you the free books.

Oh, and because you could also use a treat yourself, I'm going to throw in this cookbook for you. Isn't it cute? It's also a great support for breast cancer awareness, so its twice as nice.

If your wondering why I am hosting this drawing, it's for 2 reasons really. One, I am feeling generous and really want to share my love of books (and cooking).

And two, I know because I have a site meter that I have lots of viewers from all over the country but I rarely get to read comments from you. Call me selfish but I would love it if you could even just say Hi. So maybe this will entice you into leaving a comment, just this one time. The contest is open to anyone. I don't care if you're related, a friend, or just happen upon this site. The drawing will be fair and I promise not to cheat.

Good luck!!

Oh, and if you're a guy and you read my blog, you don't have to take the pink cookbook. We can switch it out for a different one. I know at least my brothers read my blog, or at least they say they do. I could even find you a nice book about sports or motorcycles. How's that sound?

2 Prayer Requests.

2008-08-28T09:30:00.003-05:00

If you can find the time.

First off I have applied for a job. I know, it's a shocker. I have been working on Saturdays since February, but have been saying that I love this particular position so much, it would be great if I could do it a couple more days a week.

Well, be careful what you wish for, because there just became available a position almost exactly like that. Except even cooler. So I, of course, applied and even worked one day with the new doctor because they haven't hired anyone yet. It went great and I am saying lots of prayers that they will offer me the position. If not, I will accept that this is not perfect timing and stay home with my little sweeties (or mostly monkeys) for a little longer. I'll let you know when I find out anything.

My second prayer request is a little sadder. My dad's cousin, Yvonne, is suffering daily with the debilitating symptoms of ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. For those of you that aren't familiar with this disease, it basically causes increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or breathing. Patients may even become paralyzed and it always results in death but the progression is different for every person. She is a very strong woman and is also very lucky to have her sister (who is a nurse) and her daughter live with her and care for her. Her daughter, Martha, has a blog called Joy in the Journey where she writes about her mother. Please pray for her comfort and also for strength for her caregivers.

On a lighter note, here are some funny photos my mom took of the kids. Please ignore the background, if my house weren't such a cluttered mess, then were would all the mice hide? Just kidding, we don't have any mice, at least not yet.

This is my latest design. If I'm in desperate need of a shower and there is no one available to watch the kids, I just strap them into their highchairs with a cup of water and put Baby Einstein on my computer. They thought this was great fun.

Ever made a batch of cookies......

2008-08-21T15:48:00.005-05:00

.....and literally had to fight the urge to eat the whole batch? You haven't? Hmm, I wonder who I can blame that genetic defect on?

I have been on a mission to find a recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I am picky when it comes to my cookies. I like the taste of butter, verses shortening but I like them big and fat and chewy.

So I have been googling "fat chocolate chip cookies with butter" and I came across this recipe for the Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie.

I did have to tweak it a little bit because mine came out pretty flat, but still tasted very good. I usually have a problem with my cookies being flat. I don't know if it's the climate, or the altitude, or quite possibly the baker.

So I've learned from experience that when baking a new cookie recipe, I bake one cookie first to see how it turns out. Then I can tweak the recipe as I need to.

So to make mine look slightly similar to the cookies in the photo, I added an additional cup of flour and an extra 1/2 tsp. of baking soda.

Of course I had to taste the single cookie that I baked and it took two tries to get it right. Lucky for me the kids woke up from their nap and they helped me with the taste testing.
This is good news and bad news. The good news is I found a really great cookie recipe. The bad news is I have been trying to greatly reduce my sugar intake, because I've found that it exacerbates my aches and pains, and also makes my energy level plummet. I have been doing really well until my "search for the greatest cookie". Well, I guess now that I found it I will just have to file it away for special occasions or else "bake and take". Which means that I bake them and then take them over to someone else's house.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words.

2008-08-21T15:15:00.003-05:00

I was shopping at Walmart on Tuesday and had Ryan and Brooke in my cart. My mom had Gaby and Ashlyn. The kids were getting kind of tired because it was past their nap time and they started to whine. All of a sudden these two started trying to hug each other even though their straps wouldn't really let them. It became a game and they kept doing it. It sure made me feel about 50 lbs lighter (which I needed cause I stacked about 50 lbs worth of groceries into my cart). I snapped this photo with my camera phone. You gotta love technology.
Don't you just love Ryan's expression?

Lets get ready to rumble.......

2008-08-20T09:58:00.003-05:00

In the right corner, we have Ryan. 26 lbs. Bursting with enthusiasm. And maybe a little disgust (girl germs, eww).In the left corner, we have 3 girls. Gaby, 26 lbs. Belly shaking with giggles.Brooke. 22 lbs. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in diligence.Ashlyn. 30 lbs. Shows no mercy when it comes to hugging.

Though it may look like they are fighting, they were actually hugging each other. Isn't it adorable?

Here they are pretending this tote lid is a boat. They actually did this by themselves.The kids are getting a little better at playing together and there is maybe a tad less fighting. I got energetic over the weekend and sorted out all their toys again. Now, they are only allowed one tote out at a time. This has been very exciting for them because each new tote is like Christmas. Before, with all the toys scattered from one side of the house to the other, they were too overwhelmed to play with any of them.

They did get a bit of a cold last week and that has made for a little crankiness. Mostly a runny nose and sore throat. Not the worst cold they've ever had.

Hi, how are YOU?

2008-08-13T10:54:00.009-05:00

Such a common saying isn't? How many times a day do you hear that? Of course the expected response is "I'm fine, how are you?" Cause people don't really want to know how you are feeling. Believe me if you say "actually, I feel like total crap" and start running down a list of your symptoms, unless they are your doctor or your mother, they will start looking for the nearest exit. And I'm guessing even doctors want to run and hide sometimes.
So why am I writing this post today? Because I am concerned about "my concern" for my health. If I added up all the hours spent trying to diagnose and cure myself....ok I don't really want to know. Let's just say, it's a lot. Is it too much? Should I just accept that this is who I am and live with it?

I am tired of searching for answers but I am also tired of being tired. And achy. And sick to my stomach. Most of you don't even know I've had these symptoms because I really try hard not to whine about it. Because I know it gets old. Believe me, I'm sick of it. I actually saw a rheumatologist last week for a 2nd visit to review the tests we did on my 1st visit. She had a stack of papers containing my lab results and explained each one to me. Then after the explanation she would say, "it was in the normal range". These tests were all things that I was very grateful to have come back normal, but the closer she got to the bottom of the stack the bigger the lump in my throat became.

This was really my last hope of explaining the aching and pain I've had throughout my body for the past 4-5 years. I've had many tests done and this was the second rheumatologist I'd seen. If she couldn't find anything, I was giving up. I would just have to deal with it and quit complaining.

Well there was one lab that came back abnormal and it was my Vitamin D level, which was low. I was sort of anticipating this because I have never been a milk drinker. I used to take Calcium supplements with D but I've not been doing it faithfully, mostly because I need to take them on a full stomach and usually only remember it when I haven't eaten in a while. And so it becomes a vicious cycle.

But, Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to cause some of the symptoms I am having. So I am truly hoping this is the answer. I won't know for a while because my level was low enough that I have to take a prescription once a week, for 8 weeks. Then I have to have my level tested again to see where we're at. She said I probably wouldn't notice a difference for several months.

I can deal with that because I am feeling a little bit better just knowing that there is something wrong with me. Not that I ever doubted that I was feeling pain, but a person does start to wonder just how much your mental status plays a key in your well being. I was starting to wonder if I was crazy. I also started worrying that the few people that did know about my symptoms either thought I was looking for attention (cause who doesn't want a good dose of pity, I don't), or that I was a hypochondriac.

The difference between a hypochondriac and me, is that they will read about diagnoses and try to make their symptoms fit, or even start to "believe" that they have these symptoms. Me, I actually make lists of my symptoms and really try to stay in tune with my body, then I start looking for things that relate to these symptoms.

Because even though it is your doctor's job to try and find out what is plaguing you, no one knows your body more than you do. Also, who has more time to invest in yourself than you?

I just wanted to pass along the advice to not give up. If you feel like something is wrong with your body, keep looking for answers. Since I was a little girl, it seems like I've always had something going on. I won't go into too much detail about that because, frankly, it's boring.

I think a lot of my problems come from genetics on both sides of my family. The women on both my Mom and my Dad's side seem to have had a lot of health issues. So I have a double whammy. Too bad they couldn't have canceled each other out. Or wait, maybe that would mean I wouldn't exist?

Last night, Lance said "why do you always have to have something wrong with you?" It's not like I solve one problem and start looking for the next. It's more like ok, this is one thing that's wrong, I still don't feel well, what else could it be? I need to know what the problem is so that I can fix it and then hope that I will feel better. I think I would enjoy my kids a lot more if I didn't feel so lousy. So we'll see what the Vitamin D does. I sincerely hope that is the answer.

Plus I'm all about staying ahead of the game. Early detection can really save your life. I believe that a person should be as proactive in their health as possible.

Everything that I have been diagnosed with has taken many years, many tests, and sometimes many doctors. Even though you think that a doctor should know everything, they don't. They are human too. So sometimes it doesn't hurt to see someone else just for a fresh perspective.

And I promise that if I ask you "how are you?" I really mean it. I don't mind listening to people talk about their health. I wouldn't be a very good nurse, or friend, if I did.

Freezing Corn and Funny Kids.

2008-08-12T07:04:00.001-05:00

On Saturday while I was at work, Lance and our good friend Carol were hard at work freezing corn. Lance planted a small field of sweet corn behind our barn and it turned out quite good, though it did get knocked down a bit from the storm we had a couple weeks ago. I am very impressed. He is so proud of his corn patch and tells anyone who will listen that there haven't been any raccoons in the field, the corn doesn't have any worms, and it cleans up very easily. It also tastes really good and we have been eating it daily. We have stinky baby diapers to prove it.I rushed home from work to help finish up the freezing and I guess there are 90 pint size bags of corn that we were able to freeze. We will be sharing this with Lance's mom and Aunt and also my parents for keeping the kids.His mom and Aunt left just in time for the corn to be ready to freeze. So they lucked out and didn't have to help. They took a much anticipated trip to Norway to visit distant relatives. I'm not sure when they started planning this trip but they have been talking about it for a long time. So Carol offered to help and we appreciate her immensely. Thanks again, Carol.

It was my turn to help this year because I've gotten out of it for the past 3 years due to the fact that I was either pregnant with a bunch of babies or being mommy to a bunch of babies.

This time, my parents were a huge help by taking the kids to their house for the morning and feeding them lunch. Then they brought them home for a nap. By the time they woke up, we were done. My mom sent this photo in an email and this is what she had to say about the morning. They have new baby pigs that belong to my sister's family.

"Ashlyn thinks the pigs are cute but didn't want to hold them. This is as far as she would touch them. The babies didn't like them either. I thought Ryan would climb out of the Yellow stroller from the back. None of them wanted to touch them at all. They were really good and we had fun."Imagine that the babies would be so afraid of tiny little piglets. Guess we aren't as country and I thought we were.

When I was out photographing the cornfield I came across this weird looking pumpkin in Lance's garden. I looked closer and saw that one of the kids had set 2 little stones on top of this pumpkin.

Things to do at 3 am...

2008-08-10T07:55:00.005-05:00

......when you can't sleep.

1) Change positions with abrupt, exaggerated movements. If you can't sleep neither should your spouse. Saying "humph" about every 5 minutes really gets your point across.

2) Flip your mattress so that you will be sleeping on the most comfortable side. Make sure you let your spouse know before you flip so that they don't end up on the floor (unless you don't like them).

3) Count backwards from 768.

4) Reminisce about things that happened in the past. Like the time you and your friends were in high school and were acting goofy outside when you thought no one was listening. Then you noticed that a window was open to a classroom full of students. So you all started running and laughing and one of your friends fell down the stairs and broke her ankle. Good times!

5) Recount old discussions and wish you had said something you didn't.

6) Recount old discussions and wish you hadn't said something you did.

7) Wish for a nicer house.

8) Wish for a great career (that doesn't involve screaming, biting babies).

9) Think about how much you love your family and that you wouldn't trade them for the world (except for the screaming and the biting) (and the running away and the playing with things that are not allowed).

10) Practice your fire/tornado drill. In your head that is. Waking the kids and screaming "there's a fire, get out" would not help you in the sleep department.

11) If your spouse is not yet awake, give them a couple good kicks, just for fun.

12) Start next year's income tax. Yeah, right.

13) Clean the house. Yeah, right.

14) Read a book, or better yet catch up on blog reading.

15) Surf the net and try to diagnose all your health concerns. Then email your doctor about all the things that are wrong with you. Trust me, he/she already knows what is wrong with you, they are just too nice to tell you.

16) Count sheep. Or if you have enough light, you can count the cracks in the ceiling.

17) I've heard people (my mom) say if you can't sleep you should tell every part of your body to relax, one by one. My brain is so dysfunctional that when I've tried this, I start with my toes and by the time I reach my knees I'm thinking "what should I make for lunch tomorrow?" "I think I've got some ham, maybe I could make potato soup" "with fresh beans from the garden" "and I should make some homemade bread". By that point I'm hungry so I go check out the fridge.

18) Sing songs in your head. Just don't sing out loud. To you it may sound like an endearing lullaby but your sleeping spouse probably won't agree.

19) My second most favorite thing to do at 3 am is update my blog, which I didn't actually do on here until now, but I did have a list started in my head last night when I couldn't sleep.

20) My most favorite thing to do when I can't sleep is to stare at my beautiful, sleeping babies.

1 Haircut and 2 Cute Girls.

2008-08-07T17:08:00.004-05:00

Here's the before. I know it wasn't that long but I had the opportunity to get it cut so I just did it.Here is the after. He was rocking in a baby doll cradle.
The girls wanted their picture taken too. Gaby.
And Brooke.
They had a hug fest this afternoon. So cute I could have just eaten them right up.
Here's all three. Almost looking at the camera.

Ali's Wedding Dance.

2008-08-04T23:03:00.005-05:00

It's late (11 pm) but I just got these photo's from my mom and they are so adorable, I had to post them quick. Now you can see just how much fun Ashlyn had at the dance.

Thank you to Ali and her new husband Allen for inviting us and showing us such a good time. It was great spending time with my family and reminiscing with some of my cousins that I haven't seen in a while.

Here is Ashlyn with the bride. Doesn't Ali look beautiful?

On the dance floor.

Ashlyn slow dancing with Grandpa (my dad).

Ashlyn and I are bustin a move. It looks like we are doing the twist but I don't know what that was. I seriously got ready for the wedding in 15 minutes. Can you tell?

Some Cute Photos.

2008-08-04T14:30:00.004-05:00

At the lake on Sunday. Ashlyn warming up with daddy. Gaby watching the waves. My little surfer dude. He looks so much like his daddy here. If you notice Ryan is sticking out his tongue here, it's because Aunt Jean was poking her bottom denture out at him. She started doing this to stop him from yanking on her cheek. He's developed this nasty habit of inflicting pain on others and thinking it's funny. He stopped immediately and ran away when she started doing that. It was hysterical.Ashlyn enjoying the water.Climbing on the rocks.Ryan loved the sand.Brooke and Ashlyn. 8 grandkids age 4 and under. This was the 4th of July.
Keeran is driving Miss Ashlyn.
The cousins again.
Notice Brooke is pitching a fit.

We went to my cousin Ali's wedding on Saturday. It was a beautiful ceremony and it was Ashlyn's second wedding attendance. For the 1st she was only 4 months old. She was so excited and has been waiting for a month. She first thought that she was going to be getting married and wanted to wear a wedding dress. Then during the wedding she thought the duet singers where the "Fairy Godmothers" and asked if "Ali was going to lose her shoe now".

Can you tell her favorite movie is Cinderella? She had a great time at the reception, tapping her cup to watch the couple kiss. We got some great photos on my mom's camera of Ashlyn with Ali and during the dance. I will share these with you when I get them. I, of course, forgot my camera.

Is it 3 pm already?

2008-08-01T13:55:00.005-05:00

A very wise person once told me that people who are perfectionists have messy houses because in their minds, if they can't do it really well, why bother? I'll accept that theory. That's one reason I have a messy house.

Reason number 2 is that years ago I diagnosed myself with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). I realize that some people require a Doctor or Psychiatrist to make such a diagnosis. Not me. Hey, as long as I'm not asking for medication or therapy of any kind, I can say I have whatever I want. Though I will say that our family physician kind of agreed with me when I brought it up. Mostly, after I described a typical day in my life.

I guess I'm writing this post because today feels like one of those days when I busted my butt all morning and when I look around it looks like I did nothing. Then I feel quite discouraged. By now you are all saying to yourself, "then why is she sitting here blogging instead of picking up?"

I have reasons for that too. Number 1 is that I'm doing it for all of you. If you are having a down day, you can look at my photos and say "at least I'm not as bad as her". Number 2 is that this is the first solid 20 minutes I have sat down all day and if I choose to sit at my computer and scarf a peanut butter sandwich while I do it, I will.

So.......back to the ADD. See, do you believe me now? I do everything in circles. Even writing. My brain just spins and spins all day long. I will start one project and all it takes is one little thing to throw me off and I am off doing another project. Do I EVER get anything completed? Yes, but it takes true dedication.

So I am a perfectionist with (self diagnosed) ADD. Is that enough reason to have a messy house? Hmmm, how 'bout if we throw in a set of triplet toddlers and a preschooler....just for fun. Not only does my brain spin but I feel like I should have a lazy susan glued to my butt most days. Except that would be really hard to walk.

I started compiling a list of all the things I did this morning but can't even remember what I did and its probably really boring anyway. So instead I'll show you what I didn't do.

Here is the kitchen and the front entrance to our house. I took the rug out and shook it then left it hanging on the deck rail. This area desperately needs vacuuming and shoe decluttering.

Here is the deck with hanging laundry and the towel I used to dry the kids after I bathed them in a plastic tote. They managed to find water and mud while playing outside this morning.

Here is the pile of wet diapers and clothes I took off of them before bathing them in the plastic tote. I will get to that in a second. Or our cats will think I made a bed just for them. Do you think the baby urine will keep them away?The next step will be tackling this. My project of the day is to try and get my clean laundry folded. Will it happen today? Most likely, no.

This is the living room.

This is the play room. Need I say more?

And my time is up as Gaby is crying in her crib. Guess my break is over.

Here's MY sign.

2008-07-29T12:33:00.005-05:00

This morning I finally hung my sign that I had ordered from here.

See, our driveway curves around our house like this.

And our children like to play right here, where it is hard to see them when you come around the corner.

Most people that know us, know to drive up slowly......just in case we are outside playing.

But some people don't know us. Especially big delivery trucks that are in a hurry to get their deliveries completed. They sometimes come roaring down the driveway and around the curve.

I usually sit in my nice blue plastic lawn chair, right in the middle of the driveway so I can see them from all angles and watch for cars.

I'm hoping this sign will be easy to spot and will make me a little less afraid that the kids will get mowed over by a speeding car or truck.

So this is how it looks. Does it grab your attention?

And I put it up none too soon, because right after, this is what my kids where doing.Now I need a sign that says "Please don't run over my kids as they are lying in the driveway.....pretending to take a nap".And then another sign that says "If you see my kid running down the road, please bring her back".

We're back.

2008-07-27T10:13:00.005-05:00

Lance and I had a nice trip and spent time with a couple of my high school friends and their spouses. We went out to eat and then played shuffleboard. Well I didn't, I'm the type that doesn't like to play games unless I know I am good. Since I'm not in my eighties, I doubt I'm any good at shuffleboard. Then we saw the movie "What Happens in Vegas......" which was really funny.

Our hotel room, where we stayed the night, had a really noisy fan on the air conditioner and whenever it started up it was really really, loud. I should have complained right away and possibly been switched to a different room (leaving Lance behind of course). We decided maybe it wasn't that bad and attempted to sleep there anyway. Well Lance slept fine but I woke up many times when that stupid fan kicked in (and I had even taken a sleeping pill). So the next morning I did go and complain and they actually gave us the night for free. I was so shocked. We were hoping for a discount but that was really nice.

The hotel is called Homewood Suites by Hilton and we have stayed there quite a few times. We love it. It seems like it would be high priced but it's not. I highly recommend it.

We did a little shopping and picked up some really cute outfits for Gaby, Ryan, and Brooke on clearance. Yesterday I took some photos in them and that was a challenge. Some children were more cooperative than others. MaryBeth knows what I mean as she has also had some difficulty photographing her kids together lately. It must be the age.

My little Princess, Ashlyn. She sure loves that stuff.

Say What?

2008-07-23T21:54:00.004-05:00

The kids are becoming more and more vocal and it is just so funny. Today Gaby said her first 3-word sentence. She said "Who did that?" How many times a day do you think she hears that phrase?

This was Ryan today. He was just babbling to himself for about 20 minutes. I have no idea what he was saying but it sounded good. I just don't know where he gets that from?

Brooke doesn't say much but she knows how to express her needs, or mostly, wants. She has this very annoying sound that she makes. It just grates on my nerves. Lets see if I can communicate it through typing. It's like "eeeeennh". I'll try to capture it on video one of these days. Just what you want to hear, right? She will talk when she wants to but seems to act like it's beneath her to speak to us. She shakes her head yes and no which is helpful, sometimes.

They've all got "no" down pretty well but so far it's really cute how they say it so it doesn't bother me too much. Yet, anyway.

Then Ashlyn and I had a great conversation a couple of days ago. She called me into the bathroom to help her wipe and she had a huge wad of toilet paper. We have had this conversation before. I mean the price of that stuff has become unreal. So I said "Ashlyn you are wasting the paper. It's expensive. Do you want me to start taking money out of your piggy bank to buy toilet paper?" She said, "No mommy don't do that. I will ask Santa for some Princess toilet paper and then I won't want to waste it."

Aint No Mountain High Enough.....

2008-07-23T12:14:00.007-05:00

While loading the dishwasher after breakfast this morning, the babies were being especially quiet. Then comes the decision, do I relish the rare moment of silence or investigate because they are probably up to something?

Well I went to peek into the playroom and this is what I found.

Remember what I said yesterday about my mom being busy working and we did things we weren't supposed to? This is what I'm talking about. Seeing my 3 babies on top of the changing table (which doesn't look very tall in the photo but actually is) made my heart race for a second and in my mind I was seeing my siblings and I on top of our barns, silos, and any other tall building on our farm. You name it we did it.

So this, apparently, is where it starts. Of course I did what any other parent would do. I grabbed my camera, said "say cheese" and then said "that is naughty, don't ever do it again!!!"

Ashlyn wanted to get in on the fun too.

I also got the results back on my scan from last week and it isn't serious. I was kinda thinking a cyst but worried anyway. I had 2 marble sized cysts, one on each ovary and fluid that looked like a third one ruptured. I had suspected I had a rupture the night before because my little bit of pain and mostly feeling uncomfortable, became stabbing pains to the point I took a Hydrocodone and reclined. I felt much better but that stuff keeps me awake so I got very little sleep that night. I only take them when I absolutely have to. So what this means? Probably birth control pills which usually make me ill and numerous other side effects.

Happy Campers.

2008-07-22T18:00:00.004-05:00

Today went much better. My Blogger friend Dorinda once said, and I quote "It's called toddler roller coaster - one day you think you can't take one more second and are going nuts and the next they are the cutest thing on two legs (or six) and you wonder why you were upset in the first place. I think God made them that way on purpose." So why couldn't he have equipped parents with a defense mechanism like temporary deafness or hyperexagerated couldcarelessedness. Sorry, making up words again.

Anyway, on to the cuteness. Last night they all sat down and watched Alice in Wonderland.It was the first time that all my kids have actually sat down and watched a movie. OK the babies only sat for about 15 minutes, but its a start. Ashlyn loved this movie and watched it 4 times (it was a rental). To anyone who cares it's a future gift idea. We normally don't watch that much TV (really, we don't) but sometimes it has to be done or momma loses her mind.

Today we got out of the house bright and early. If it weren't for the outrageous gas prices and the lack of funds, we would go out a lot more. But, like I hear from my mom and mother-in-law, "when their kids were little they never went anywhere either". When you are a stay home mom, and live in the country, and don't have a ton of money, you stay home. Then you get creative, or in my mom's case you stay busy.......and find out when your kids are grown......they did lots of stuff they weren't supposed to do. I'm sure that also happened in my mother-in-laws case. If you know Lance and his siblings you are shaking your head yes as you read this.

This morning, we went to return the movies and play at the park. We had a picnic and then went for ice cream. The kids had a blast and fell happily to sleep the minute we got home. The babies actually woke up happy and had a great time playing in Ashlyn's tent while she was asleep. The tent is pitched in the living room.They had so much fun. They would run across the room and give me a kiss and then run back to the tent and pile in. Here, Brooke is actually trying to kiss Ryan. Yes, you heard me, they are actually starting to kiss each other. They hug too. It is so beautiful it sometimes makes me want to cry.Here are a few tickle shots. It was a really fun day and I might actually miss them when we go away this weekend. Lance and I are spending a night away for our upcoming anniversary. We are celebrating 12 years. That's another roller coaster I could talk about.

What's with Boys?

2008-07-21T13:31:00.003-05:00

Is it really the difference in gender or is it personality? My son refuses to sleep, and therefore is a complete emotional wreck throughout most of the day. He throws tantrum after tantrum.

We are starting week 3 of converting 2 naps to 1. This all started because Ryan refused to take a second nap. I was keeping him up in the morning and then he was ready for a nap right after lunch. The girls had just woken up so they weren't tired yet. Then when they were tired, Ryan was asleep and I didn't want to wake him by putting the girls to bed. So I started keeping them all up and putting them all to bed after lunch.

So by now they should be taking a nice long nap after lunch, right? So they can recharge. So I can recharge...and have a break from the constant crying and fighting. This is when I either rest myself (because I didn't sleep the night before) or I get some things done that have been waiting all morning. Child free.

So what am I supposed to do when Ryan wakes up after almost an hour, screaming his head off? He also does this during the night lately. I have been giving him Tylenol and sometimes Mortin beforehand, and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't know if it's his teeth or what?

All I know is that he has been like this from day one. He was always needing to be comforted whether it was with a pacifier, a blanket, a stuffed animal, or daddy to rub his back. Sometimes when I put him to bed he will start screaming and jumping in his crib even though he is completely exhausted. If I give him a different stuffed animal, that he hasn't already had in his crib, he will take it and lay down and go to sleep.

If he was a singleton, with his own room, I would assume he needs to learn to comfort himself, and let him cry. Unfortunately, he shares a room with his 2 sisters that like to sleep. If I had an extra bedroom I'd move him out but Ashlyn is already in the hallway. Even if I put her in their room and him in the hallway, his crying would still wake everyone up.

Does anyone have any advice? Am I missing something? I want so badly to like my son. I still love him very much, but right now, I do not like him very often.

Update ~ He was actually pretty good this afternoon once he got the screaming out of his system. He can be really adorable when he wants to. I think he sensed that I was almost at my breaking point and didn't want to push it. I feel really bad once things settle down and wish I were a better mom. I wish I were a little calmer in situations like this. Maybe he just really needs his mommy.

Confessions of a Chronic Worrier.

2008-07-20T08:49:00.005-05:00

Some people are raised Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or Buddhist (and the list goes on). I was raised Baptist, but I was also raised worrishously. Never heard of that religion? Ok, so maybe it's not so much a theological practice, but instead a genetic defect.

All I know is that my mother is a worrier and not only have I inherited the trait but I've witnessed it practiced in my household since birth. Sorry Mom but people who know you are not going to be surprised. This is not a parent bashing post, I love my parents. I'm only trying to sort through my own head why I only got 3 hours of sleep last night.

Half of it can be contributed to my children. For some reason they decided they hadn't seen enough of mommy and daddy during the day and took turns screaming bloody murder pretty much every 45 minutes.

The other sleepless hours were spent tossing and turning and silently going through my long list of "what ifs". What if there is a fire? How will we get all the kids down the stairs and out to safety? What if there is a tornado? What if the gas prices become so high we have to resort to horses and buggies or be stuck at home every day? And of course the worry that tops them all, what will I do if something happens to one of my kids?

I know it really is pointless. I know that God already has our lives planned out but I cannot seem to retrain my brain. Hopefully I have at least diluted some of this DNA by adding Lance's genes. He doesn't worry about anything.

It doesn't help to be trained in the medical profession. That only increases my worries. I've seen the worse case scenarios. I've seen the person who felt a little off and seemed to be forgetting things, then went on to find out they had a brain tumor and died less than a year later. So I will continue to be suspicious of every cough, bump, and hang nail. I will be the mom that calls with a ton of questions that may seem ridiculous (which on the other end of the phone, during a busy day, seems annoying....I've been there also).

Some day my vigilance may pay off. I just might discover a rare illness in one of family members, in the early stages, when it can still be treated.

Having an evacuation plan ingrained in my brain may save my kids from dying in a fire.

Keeping all sharp objects and small pieces out of reach may keep my kids from getting cut or choking. Unless of course they learn how to do this (Ryan's favorite new game is to push a chair up so he can reach things that were, up until now, out of reach).

But at the very least hopefully I can sleep a little easier, knowing that my kids are healthy and safe. Then I will smile a lot more.

This concludes my brain babble for today.

"Bye-ya".

TGIF.

2008-07-18T08:31:00.004-05:00

Mostly I'm glad it's Friday because I get to go to work tomorrow. I love Saturdays!!

Yesterday, Ashlyn was still obsessing about the skunk, or "stunk" as she calls it. She was even worried about her cousins (Riley and Amanda)that live just across the cornfield from us. She asked if their house has a door that they can close to keep the "stunk" out. We have seen no evidence of out little critter since that day which I appreciate very much.

Ashlyn had a really fun day yesterday with her cousins. It was my niece Morgan's 10th birthday. I'm sure my sister agrees that its unbelievable that she is already 10. They went to the lake and then had ice cream. Ashlyn is the one in the pink tube on the left. The green is Nicholas (Morgan's brother), Morgan is the one without a tube, Elisabeth is the other pink one (she is my oldest brother's daughter), then her brother Bennett is in the blue one, and Kayla (Morgan's sister) is the blue one with flowers, and Nathan (my other brother's son) is behind the blue tube. Yesterday morning I got the pleasure of having my ovaries scanned. It was a blast let me tell you. When they tell me to drink 4, eight oz glasses of water, I drink 2 and I still felt like I was going to pee my pants. Then I got to lay flat on my back for about half an hour while the tech pressed the wand into my painfully full bladder. The reason for the scan is to hopefully find a cyst and nothing serious. I've been having some swelling, a little pain and a lot of feeling like there's a balloon in my belly. I've had cysts before but the symptoms weren't quite the same and didn't last this long. I'm not letting myself worry too much yet but am a little upset that I will probably not find out the results of my scan until Monday. I absolutely hate how our health care system works in cases like this. For me, to not even be able to see what is inside my own body while a tech does the scan, then I know she is not allowed to tell me what she sees or thinks it is (they could get fired for this), she takes her photos to the radiologist who reviews them and writes up a report. Then, the radiologist is swamped and usually goes in order of urgency. Since I still have not heard anything I'm guessing that it's nothing too serious. Still I would like to know. It's driving me crazy and I haven't slept well in about a week. I've always thought that our bodies should have a window so that we can just look inside and see what is going on in there. I'll tell you something really funny. The whole time I was laying on the table it was like deja vu from when I was pregnant. I kept thinking "if she tells me there is a baby in there I'm going to die". I'm pretty sure that news would not have waited until Monday.

Shhh, Don't tell Daddy....

2008-07-16T12:04:00.003-05:00

Remember this photo? Ashlyn helping Daddy plant the garden? Well is seems that our efforts have paid off. Ashlyn didn't like peas until she tasted the fresh ones out of the garden that she helped plant.Now we can't keep the kids out of the garden. They have already learned how to sneak in there and steal peas.We're not too upset cause they are eating them, after all.We want them to save some for us, and the peas are a little small yet, so I usually only let them each have 1 or 2 pods.Then to get them to leave the garden I say "run the mosquitoes are coming" "hurry".
So far it has been working. They all take off running and giggling.It was such a beautiful morning today so we spent a lot of time outside. Apparently we came in just in time because after I put the babies down for a nap and was sitting at the computer, I smelled a skunk. I looked out the window and it appears that our momma cat was sprayed in the face. I feel badly for her but I'm not going anywhere near her. I didn't actually see the skunk so I hope it's not too near by. We'll have to be on the lookout when we are outside. Ashlyn has been talking nonstop about it and what she will do if she sees it. I showed her a photo on the Internet of a skunk and she thinks they are really cute. I think I've scared her enough about it that she will not try and pet it if she sees one. I hope.

Gaby is the only one that doesn't like the peas. So to include her into this post I will show you her latest game. She loves climbing into things like strollers, wagons, playpens, and highchairs and then pretend crying for someone to come and get her out. She does this over and over. It's been about a week of this game and we are getting tired of it.

All Aboard!!

2008-07-14T14:12:00.004-05:00

I was searching for a new form of exercise for myself and this is what I've found. Pushing 100 lbs of babies up and down and around in our driveway. They love it and I can "feel the burn".

Notice Ashlyn's bling? That's what she wanted to wear this morning.

If your wondering when we got a quad stroller, we didn't. It's technically a double but sometimes you gotta improvise.

A Beautiful Princess and a Tub of Cool Whip.

2008-07-11T12:47:00.014-05:00

Sounds kinky, doesn't it? I can only imagine the hits I'm going to receive from people looking for porn.

She didn't eat the whole tub, she is just licking the bowl. We made a really good chocolate pie that my mom gave me the recipe for. Notice Brooke and Ryan, waiting patiently, hoping she'll share.Not a chance.
Then to burn off some of the extra energy from the chocolate, she decided to dance like a princess.
Her balance is impeccable.
So precise are her movements.
With a big finish at the end.Then back to the cool whip tub to see if there's any left.
Yesterday was my mother-in-law's birthday. We had a little get together at our house last night. Even though we grilled the steaks outside and I only used one burner on the stove, our house was like an oven. We only have AC upstairs in our bedroom, provided by a window unit. We would like to get one for downstairs also but are trying to hold out until next year. We have already spent so much money on home improvement that we are at our limit (and then some).

Gas and grocery prices aren't helping matters at all.

The house actually came with a window unit for the kitchen but that thing went straight to the dump. I don't know what year it was made but it was the biggest air conditioner I have ever seen. Here is actually a photo of it. See it sitting on the desk to the left? You can't even see it all, that is only half of it. I can only imagine how much electricity it took to power that dinosaur.

Today is also a very sticky, humid day. I don't know why I am even sitting at this computer because I know it is throwing off some serious heat, and I could be napping upstairs with the kids.

I know the heat is adding to the kids poor temperament and it's not making me feel any less grouchy either. While I was cleaning up the kitchen this morning, I kept noticing a wine glass (from the party) with one tiny drop of wine left in the bottom. With a baby hanging on each leg and Ashlyn whining that she wanted more milk, it was sure a good thing I did not have access to any alcohol.

And seriously, could you listen to this all day without popping a cork (literally and figuratively)?

Thank God I have this guy to come home and save me at 5 pm every evening.

Please ignore our messy, disaster of a kitchen. A big change from the photo before we moved in, huh? It doesn't always look like that. Only about 90% of the time.

And then they were cute.

2008-07-08T15:16:00.003-05:00

Yes, these are the same kids that I was talking about this morning. Just had to post this video I just shot of them. It totally makes up for all the whining.

Ryan is reading the girls a book(if you can't tell that). This is the second time in 2 days that I've caught them all sitting together on the sofa. Maybe they do like each other after all. They just don't want anyone to know it.

Whine, whine go away.......

2008-07-08T09:26:00.005-05:00

Nap training and teething. What a perfect combination. Now all we need is another cold.

How is it that a person who wanted babies so desperately, for so many years, can now cringe and sigh when one of her beloved babies wants to be picked up?

It's called sensory overload!!!

There is also a thing called noise fatigue. It's real, look it up, or come over for a couple of hours. Seriously, by the time Lance comes home from work he can't even ask me a question and I jump down his throat. It's because I can't, or don't want to, even try and think anymore.

I really can hardly wait until the little ones start asking a million questions a day like Ashlyn does.

Brooke has been cutting her eye teeth (the most traumatic set of teeth) for, lets see, 12 years now. Or maybe just a couple of weeks. She basically went from "miss independent, take my things and I'll bite your head off" to following me around all day sobbing over every little catastrophe, and as soon as I am even remotely horizontal she NEEDS to be sitting on me. Which I would not mind so much if she wouldn't be always trying to "help" with everything also.

Plus, if she gets to sit on my lap then, my gosh, Gaby and Ryan NEED to sit there too. Then all hell brakes loose. You'd think after spending 8 months in a womb together they could at least stand to have one inch of skin touching another sibling's inch of skin!!! You would think. But no.

On the other end of the spectrum, Ryan has been giving me lots of kisses lately. Gaby and I danced this morning with her giggling the whole time. Ashlyn was posing really cute yesterday like this.And then she wanted a photo with her shoes in it.All of the babies are starting to talk more and more each day. Right now they are coming to me every couple of minutes and saying "cacker" and "more" except Brooke who is perched on my lap, trying to put her toes into the handle on the drawer in front of us.We have been watching home videos lately and the babies sit entranced and now seem to recognize themselves in photos. It's so amazing to see them start to turn into little people at this age.

Now if only I could get them jobs and a drivers license. Ok I won't wish for that day to come too soon, especially with the gas prices.

Yes, that is a potty that Brooke is sitting on and No, I am not starting potty training. We just keep it on the deck for when we (the kids that is) are swimming naked. Brooke has peed in it once and someone else did by accident, I think. They were all taking turns sitting on it and someone left a deposit. I didn't catch who it was. Having one potty has been a cause for battle so yesterday I ordered 2 more.

Have a Sparkling, Tearless, July 4th.

2008-07-04T15:39:00.006-05:00

Cause you know I will.

This was last night, and my battery was almost dead so Ashlyn's sparkler got cut off. So I added a little video of her at the end. Gaby just getting started.
Ryan can hardly contain his excitment.
Brooke kept wanting to hold it closer and closer to the end. This is so typical of her...wanting to get as close as she can to the fire without getting burned.
This depicts my life perfectly. Ashlyn getting her chance to be in the spotlight and is interrupted by a crying baby, a naughty boy, and a cursing father. Ryan was apparently mauling his sister for some reason or other. Nothing new here.

And yes I am laughing cause what else can I do but laugh at our insane life.

Hide and Seek.

2008-07-03T16:10:00.003-05:00

My kids have found a new place to hide. They convinced me to clean out my lazy susan in the kitchen (by trying to make off with the flour, sugar, powdered milk, and 3 jars of tomato sauce that were being stored there) so that they could perch their little butts here. I admit, it is cute, and the stuff that was in there looks much tidier sprawled out all over my counter tops. If you look close enough, you'll see that the powdered milk is still in there. That's because I doubt anyone will have much of a thirst for reconstituted milk, especially since Ashlyn has been sticking things like baby spoons (and God knows what else) into the box through the spout. Hours of fun have been had ripping the paper off piece by piece. Who needs TV? Someone told me recently that they had a cupboard just for the kids with pots and pans/miscellaneous stuff, "because they love to pull those kinds of things out of the cupboard and play with them". Then who puts them back? The only time my kids put anything into anything is if it doesn't belong there.

I am too neurotic to allow this to happen with 3 babies. Or maybe I'm not neurotic enough. I'd end up with pots in the bathroom (which might come in handy when I have 3 potty trainers), pans in my bed, and the miscellaneous crap would be mixed in with the other miscellaneous crap that I already have overflowing from every square inch of my home.

In my house if they aren't supposed to have it and they can get it, it gets moved up higher. Soon they'll be able to scale the sides of my cabinets and then were will I keep the sharpies, steak knives, scissors, flour, sugar, butter, tissues, the phone, and remote, and the other miscellaneous crap??

Yes, my boy loves pretty shoes.....

2008-07-02T09:51:00.002-05:00

I received a few comments about Ryan wearing pink shoes in one of my previous posts. I hadn't even noticed when I published the photo because I am so used to seeing him wear girly shoes.Gaby and Brooke (and Ryan) love wearing Ashlyn's one pair of dress up shoes so much that when I saw 2 pair for $2.88 each at Wal-Mart I thought I'd surprise them. I would have bought a pair for Ryan also because I knew he'd want them too, and then there would be a fight, but there were only 2 pair left.
So I searched high and low for shoes for Ryan that were boyish but would attract his attention and divert it away from the girls' new shoes. I finally settled on a pair of flip flops that were on clearance.
As you can see I could have spared myself the agony of searching because he will only wear the dress up shoes. I think I've seen him wear the flip flops once and that was only because someone else wanted them.
So do you think this a glimpse into his future sexual orientation or just a phase?

He does wear them well, doesn't he?

Multiple moms: What do I do when Ryan is refusing to take a second nap and the girls are clearly still needing one? Do I convert them all to one nap or keep him up and put them down? I know in theory it's best to treat them as individuals and therefore keep him up but all I can say is Ahhhhhhh! Must....have.....some.....alone.....time. I was on my way to converting to one nap for all 3 and then they got sick and we are back to square one. So what do you all think? I'd appreciate advice from non multiple moms too (especially if you are wanting to borrow a baby for a week or 2).

PS. Why does spellcheck sometimes not work on this thing? Don't they know that a perfectionist needs spellcheck??? Sorry if there are errors but at the moment I have Ashlyn and Ryan sitting on my lap fighting because Ashlyn wants to hug Ryan and he doesn't like it.

Psst......

2008-07-01T10:38:00.004-05:00

I'm about to let you in on a dirty little secret of mine. So turn off the soaps, close your blinds, and unplug the phone. Ready?

I...............rarely clean my shower.

I know, it's disappointing on so many levels. You were hoping for some juicy gossip and Lance has been hoping for a shower free of scum.

For one thing our shower is really old and needs recaulking, but that's just an excuse because I have never been one to clean my shower regularly. I even had a brand new one once and was a little better at keeping it nice, but not much.

My main beef with shower maintenance? The stinky cleaners. You know, the ones that you have to have proper ventilation before spraying? Do they work for any of you, because I can't seem to get the gunk off? Maybe you are supposed to use it more than biannually but it doesn't say that in the instructions.

When I was pregnant with Ashlyn, right before she was due. I was smack dab in the middle of nesting and stood facing my shower with hatred in my eyes. I didn't want to expose my unborn baby to the harsh fumes, so Lance graciously offered to do it for me. The toxic scent was so bad I had to leave the house even though we had windows open and the exhaust fan going.

So the point of this post is that I found a better way. Today I tried a cleaner that I bought last week. It's from the brand Method. I have been using the Method All Surface cleaner in the cucumber scent for about a year. I love it. These products claim to be "planet friendly" and safe for children and pets. I hope this is true because I love how great they smell. They clean really well too!!

The newest addition to my cleaning closet is called Method tub+tile, soap scum + stain remover. It comes in a delicious scent of eucalyptus mint. It does not stink. It smells heavenly. Even Ashlyn commented on how good our "bafroom" smells. It did get rid of lots of the soap scum and left it shiny.

The thing I like best about these cleaners is that they should be safe for my children. Especially if they like to help clean, which they do.

The website I included above should give you some info about the Method products. They are also sold by Target, which is where I get mine. They have all sorts of other products that I will try over time. They are a little on the pricey side but to me it's worth the extra pennies. They seem to last a long time also. I just purchased my second bottle of the all surface cleaner since January and I use it every day for my counter tops, table, stove top, and I used it in my bathroom until today. The tub and tile worked great for my bathroom counter top and sink so I'll continue using that.

I did have some of the disposable wipes in French Lavender but used them all up and didn't see the big can of them at Target. Last time I ordered them online. Ashlyn used them a lot for cleaning and they also smell really good.

A House Full of Sickies.

2008-06-27T16:07:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but we are all ill again. Seems like we just got over this. Our symptoms are fever, sore throat, a nasty cough, and body aches. The kids have been super crabby and I am praying this will end soon.

Brooke and Gaby are back to taking 2 naps but Ryan refuses to. Though he acts like he needs it the most. Maybe all boys are just whiny.

Nothing much else to report. I'll try to be more interesting later.

Flower Power and More Crazy Cousins.

2008-06-20T11:43:00.005-05:00

When we bought our farm it was the dead of winter and we really didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. We had no idea what was underneath all that snow. Well we were very fortunate to find that there are an abundance of perennial flowers planted throughout the yard.

This makes me very happy because I do not have a green thumb at all. If there was a such thing as a black or brown thumb, that is what I would be classified under. Give me a plant and I will surely kill it.

My mom once gave me a Peace Lily for nurses week and said that it was a very hearty plant and very hard to kill. I should be able to manage it. I tried, I really did but I guess I can accomplish the nearly impossible. I just never know if I should water it or if it's getting too much, whether it should have sun or shade? Plants just don't talk to me like they do some people.

Lance has grown us a garden for the past 2 years. For me it's just to sad when I put all the effort into it and get nothing in return. But I do love flowers and so do the kids. Here are a few photos of our lovely landscape.

Dark pink peonies. I have always loved peonies and said that whenever we found a place that we were actually going to stay, I was going to plant some. Well we have a ton here.Light pink peonies.Yellow roses. We have a baby gate around them to keep the kids from falling into it and getting stuck by the thorns. It didn't stop Gaby from picking one though. She kept crying but kept trying to pick it until she was successful. Now that's what I call determination.Yellow Irises which are starting to fade. We also had 2 colors of tulips in this same spot.There is also this great thing called a snowball tree. If you've ever seen one you'll know what I'm talking about. I took a picture but the blossoms are all turning brown and falling off so it doesn't look so great right now. They have big bunches of white flowers that look like big round snow balls. The kids loved them. They would grab handfuls of blossoms and pile them up.

We also had purple lilacs right off of our deck. I loved sitting out with a cup of coffee and smelling the scent of lilac. Then there is at least one apple tree and maybe a plum tree.

Here are a couple of photos of the kids enjoying the peonies.

AshlynBrooke GabyShe has 2 photos cause she was loving it and it was so cute.Yes, Ryan wanted one too. Though he doesn't look happy about it. Then, just to prove a point he tore his up and was busy sweeping the petals off the deck.
The little ones waiting for Daddy.
Last night we had Lance's family over for fresh fish that he and his brother and sister-in-law caught yesterday. Here are the youngest of the cousins. We had 8 kids age 4 and under. Talk about stress. We were so busy making sure no one trailed off or got run over. At one point someone was leaving and we all were counting and making sure they were all there. My mother-in-law said "where's Ryan?" We all started frantically searching and there he was sitting on her lap. It was a long day. Just look at little Jack and you can tell.

I'll also include the recipe for the fish that we love. Lance usually catches Walleye and once in a while Northern (which isn't as good). I wanted to find a way to bake it because I hate the mess of frying it and it stinks up the whole house. Not to mention that it isn't as healthy.

I just take the fillets and dip them in egg and bread them with our favorite breading (which is actually a hodge podge of different things). Then I put them on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle melted butter over top of each piece and sprinkle with paprika. Then bake in the oven at 500 degrees for 12 minutes. Flip and bake another 5 minutes. They taste so good, we eat this at least once a week when Lance has the time to fish.

Can't I just have it all?

2008-06-17T15:45:00.003-05:00

Can't I have an immaculately clean house, happy, obedient kids, be able to prepare healthy meals from scratch, and have time to blog?

Can't I have perfect flawless skin, hair that doesn't look like a rats nest, curves to die for and a flat, pencil thin midriff? I guess some brains and a personality would be good too.

Can't I have a husband who works hard, helps out with the kids, does housework, and is incredibly handsome? Wait I already have that. Thank God!!

Happy Belated Father's Day, Lance!! I'd have done this post sooner but I'm working on all of the above.

Roasting Weenies and Horsen Around.

2008-06-12T21:22:00.006-05:00

I was going to tell you how depressed I am that it's been raining......and then..... raining some more. We got a little flooded yesterday and it's supposed to continue off and on for the next couple of days. More about that next time.

Instead I'll tell you about a little party we went to tonight at Uncle Howard and Aunt Jean's. We roasted weenies. This is Ryan with Daddy, enjoying the fire.Then we visited the horses. Ashlyn was so excited to ride the horse. She of course didn't go anywhere and Daddy was right there holding her.This is Lance's brother, Paul with his son Riley. Riley has a twin sister, Amanda, but for some reason I didn't get a photo of her tonight. Ashlyn plays with her cousins often so we'll get one next time.
The kids are all checking out the horses. They weren't really scared at all.Ashlyn's cousin Jack feeding the horse. We had to really watch that the horses didn't eat more than just the grass that was offered.This is my sister-in-law Donna with little Alex, Gaby, Brooke, and Daddy holding Ryan.The kids fought over the car on the deck. Each one waited very impatiently for their turn.Ashlyn and cousin Riley pretending to drive the 4 wheeler.Brooke playing on the deck and stopping to say hi.This is Jack again. He is Lance's brother Kelly's youngest. They are visiting from England. Jack is just 3 months older than our 3.Here he is sporting a nice red bump on his forehead after throwing a tantrum and ramming his head on the deck a few times. Gotta love them boys. They are tough. Good thing he is pretty.Here is Jack's older brother Keeran. He is one year older than Ashlyn and they have been playing together all day today. There were even tears a few times when they had to separate. We expect to see a lot of them while they are here.

A day at the zoo.

2008-06-10T09:53:00.002-05:00

Last week we went to the zoo. We kind of went in fast forward because we thought it was going to rain. It didn't, but how much time can a person spend at the zoo anyway? Especially when your daily life is a zoo.

This is how we roll......2 double strollers. We let Ashlyn jump out whenever she wanted a closer look. The babies really seemed to like the zoo. These little guys were my favorite. Baby goats. The kids got to feed them from their hands. Ryan got freaked out when I pushed his stroller up to them. He gets freaked out pretty easily. He likes things at a distance but when they come near him he goes nuts.Here are some random shots of Ashlyn posing behind the billboard animals. I tried to get Ryan to pose with her because he was my other passenger (Lance was off with the other 2, teasing the monkeys) but he was not cooperative.

I really wish we would have taken the time to get a photo of each of the kids in front of the bird wings. It would be fun to go back and take one each year to see how much they have grown. In fact, I think I have one of Ashlyn from last year. I'll have to look. Lance was in too big of a hurry to take each baby out and do the photos. When I showed him this photo of Ashlyn he agreed we should have done it. Oh well, we'll start next year.
This was the kids favorite part of the zoo. The carousel. There were only 3 seats so the kids took turns standing. No one seemed to mind.After this we went through the drive through at McDonalds (or Old McDonalds, as Ashlyn says) and had chicken nuggets, fries, and apple slices on the way to Walmart. I used to say I would never feed my kids in the car because they always make such a mess. I rarely ever gave Ashlyn food in the car when she was a baby. It's a whole different story when you have 3 more little ones. We didn't want to haul them all out, and then put them all back in, just to haul them all out again. So while Lance drove, I lobbed chicken nuggets at my kids. See how I can compare my life to a zoo? At least I didn't feed them dried corn from the duck exhibit.

Is anyone else exhausted? Man I feel like I could sleep a week straight. Summer is kicking my butt.

Spongebob Squarepants and other noise.

2008-06-06T11:29:00.013-05:00

Our Dr. says that TV will make my kids stupid. I agree to some extent. Lately, Ashlyn will say that Spongebob is her favorite cartoon. In fact, this morning she said "Spongebob is a really good guy. I love him!" I'm glad he is only a character cause I'd hate to have him for a son-in-law. I usually don't even let her watch him because he annoys me. Cartoons like that could definitely make her stupid.

This morning, to get a moment's peace while the babies were napping, I let her watch her beloved just because it was so cute what she said. I thought how bad could it be to watch it for a little while? She had been parked on my lap talking a mile a minute and asking a million questions while I was trying to check my email. Question, could listening to toddler babble and nonsense for 24 hours a day make me stupid? I guess I should take an aptitude test and see if it's done any permanent damage.

So I turned on the TV for her and went back to what I was doing. Most days the TV doesn't even get turned on until Lance gets home and checks the news and weather. I have been lax on this issue in the past, when the babies were smaller it was so much easier to let her sit and stare at Dora and Sprout TV than to let her "help" me with the babies. Now that they are bigger and could actually be playmates for her (if she lets them) I try and keep TV to a minimum. They all love Baby Einstein though and I will pop that in now and then if I really need a distraction.

Anyway, I started feeling guilty because I could almost feel Ashlyn's brain being sucked out of her skull watching the "big yellow sponge" dancing around, acting like his usual annoying self. Plus I also realize that the reason she sits on my lap and chatters on endlessly is because she misses me and wants my attention. That and the fact that she has the Schwenn gene, or should I say curse, that causes her to blabber on without thought or purpose. I myself have that if you haven't noticed.

So I came up with an idea to make homemade finger paint. I found a site that had some simple directions. You can find it here if interested. I like that it's made out of soap so that I can use it to scrub my table at the same time. It says its easy to wash out and I hope that's true because she is creating an ocean on the table, and her shirt, behind me right now.

I'm not neglecting her, if your wondering. I am turning around and commenting on her artwork every couple of seconds. She is being very quiet verbally so she must be deep in concentration. OK, the ocean is spreading so I think we better rap this up.

After washing, the blue did stain her hands a tiny bit but not bad (the photo above is from before we washed). I'll let you know what her shirt looks like after washing it.

Of course, while carrying the containers to the sink to clean up, one drip landed on the floor. Blue too, mind you. We have grayish carpet in our kitchen (not by choice, it was here when we moved in and why replace it until the kids are older?) and I used a washcloth and gave it a little scrub and it came right out.

So I think it's a hit. She had a blast. Bye Bye Spongebob.

TV can't be all bad though. Ashlyn has learned some of her cutest phrases from TV. Once after I finished wiping her butt on the toilet, she said "thank you Your Highness". I felt just like royalty.

*********************************************************

Edited to add: The shirt did not come out stain free. But of course I did not pretreat it nor did I wash it immediately. Luckily I used a shirt that she will keep using for art projects (recognize it Brian and Dolora? I hope you don't mind since you sold the company anyway. Ashlyn thought it was a big fly on her shirt). Also you can't tell from the photos but I have a clear plastic table cloth on my table so it won't get stained either. I think next time I'm just going to let her play with the paint in a cookie sheet or something. She didn't really draw much with it. Mostly she just liked to glop it on and make a mess. She played with it for a long time though so we'll do it again.

Happy Feet.

2008-06-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

A Little Facelift and A Photoshoot.

2008-06-04T21:02:00.006-05:00

In case your memory is as good as mine, I'll point out that I changed our look a little bit. I was on a mission to get some new group shots of the kids for Father's Day gifts. I had picked up these little shirts really cheap and don't the kids look cute? Since I normally never see them clean and dressed up, I thought I'd put them on my blog so I can see them every day.

I'll give you a little play-by-play of this photo shoot. First shot of the day and all smiles. If you recognise this chair from other photos, it's because it works really well for a group shot. It swivels, so I usually just pile them all in and spin it, then stop it and quick snap away.

It didn't hold its usual charm. Here they are all realizing that they are "touching each other" and they are starting to melt.Ryan is going to pretend like he never smiled while sitting stuffed into a chair with his 3 sisters.Then we tried this pose. It worked well until Ashlyn decided to try spinning them for me. Brooke was nearly knocked off.I took several in this great Radio Flyer wagon that I dragged unto the deck. We received 2 of these wagons from Lance's parents when the babies were born and we love them. I can even drag both wagons, holding 2 kids each, down the driveway to get the mail.

Anyway, this is the only shot where they are actually looking at me while in the wagon. Ryan was obsessed with the cat on the ground and the only reason the others are looking is because I was shaking a dripping wet branch over my head. The things a mother has to do to get her kids attention.Pose #4. For some reason the kids just sat there and didn't try to run away. I was pretty shocked. Obviously they were too. Gaby says "Why are you always pointing that thing at me? I hate that thing with the flash...its blinding. Maybe if I don't smile, she'll go away".
Ashlyn says "Wait, I have something in my eye". Ryan says "Hmm, what is that down there?"Ashlyn says "wait, I have something in my ear". Notice Gaby's feet? This the reason why I don't have 50 shots in this pose. I kept snapping as fast as I could but because she was tapping her feet, my camera wouldn't take the picture. Of course as soon as I said something, they all started tapping. I have some cute video of that but will post it another day. My Internet is on the fritz and I don't even want to attempt to upload it.Ashlyn says "who stinks?" Maybe that is why Gaby is finally smiling.I chose the one I thought best and put it on the sidebar of the blog. I'm sure you've figured out the headless wonders at the top are my sweet peas also. Lance thought it was so weird that I wanted to crop to just their feet. I love it though. What do you all think? I'd love to hear your comments.

Dear Diary,

2008-06-03T10:32:00.002-05:00

I would like to mark this day in history as the day that I completed a self lobotemy (which means I removed part of my brain) and boxed up the remains. I then buried the offending piece of matter in the garden next to my husbands prize tomatoes. Why would I do such a thing? I'm hoping with less of a brain these children will irritate me less. I will be oblivious to the chaos that is around me.

What else can a mother do when her 3 almost 19 month olds are coming down with a second cold when they haven't even recovered from the first one? When they refuse to nap when they are exhausted. And prefer to follow you around and cry instead. Then get into every single thing they are not allowed to get into. Just to say, hey look at me. Well, I do what any other SAHM would do. I blog.

At least Lance is here to help me. Except he is "on vacation". Which means he is allowed to leave whenever he feels necessary. I asked him why I don't get a vacation? He said because I don't have a job.

Also next to my husbands dear, prized, tomatoes lies a slightly bigger pile of dirt. Can you guess what is burried there? It's about 5'10" and has an imprint of a frying pan on the back of his head.

Why I love summer.

2008-06-01T07:10:00.005-05:00

Cool shades.Napping in the swing.Cuddle time.Digging in the sand.Unconventional baby bathing.My kids are going to grow up thinking everyone bathes on the deck.Some day they'll regret the butt shots being displayed on the internet. Just be glad that I didn't capture Ryan's boy parts flapping about. Or his excitement at watching his boy parts flapping about.

The Bilibo.

2008-05-27T09:48:00.006-05:00

It's not an exotic, adult toy. It is this. Ashlyn received this great new toy in the mail from her Auntie Rita. She always has great gift ideas. This toy is designed to spark a child's imagination. That is does. There were suggestions for ways of playing with it and Ashlyn loved them all.
The turtle was her favorite. The babies love to play with it too, when they have Ashlyn's permission, or she just doesn't know they are playing with it. Here I think she looks like the kid on the Fat Albert cartoon.

They come in many bright colors and maybe we'll get 3 more? What do you think Auntie Rita?

A Visit from Bambi.

2008-05-23T10:09:00.005-05:00

My sister brought this little fella over yesterday morning. Someone donated it to them after their dog drug it out of the woods. Though she really wanted to keep it she found out it would take a significant amount of work to care for it.

She called the local zoo who directed her to the Game Fish and Parks and they told her that at that age they need to be fed every 3 hours round the clock.

The "little dear" would also need assistance with using the restroom. Not as easy as changing a diaper every now and then.

She asked me if I wanted it. I said, no thank you I have enough little beings that need to be fed every three hours and at least I don't have to help them go pee pee.

He is a cute little bugger though isn't he?