This is what happens when.......

.......you remove all your clothes, including diaper, and pee in your crib. Guess the crib tent isn't a foolproof way for her to get a good nap. I also realize, it could have been so much worse. Could someone please tell me, is this typical of a last born, or what? I was just looking through photo books, picking out ones of Ashlyn to make a slideshow for her birthday. I have more pictures of Brooke climbing in things, out of things, up things, and you get the idea. So where do I go from here? Obviously snapping the onesie over her pants isn't working anymore.

Happy 40th Anniversary.

These are my parents, Lowell and Sharon. They recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on March 29. To me, their marriage proves that even though life as husband and wife is not perfect and there are many ups and downs, it can still be a lasting commitment. Don't they look so young and naive? I think my mom was 19 and my dad was 20. I was also 19 when I got married and Lance was 21. We'll see what 40 years does to us??? That will be the year 2036.....Yikes!!Speaking of parents this is a fun site (http://www.myheritage.com/look-alike-meter)where you can upload photos of you and your parents to see who you most resemble. My results said I look more like my dad by 4%. Ashlyn was sitting on my lap and saw this photo of my parents wedding and asked if it was a picture of Sarah, who is my sister. I guess we don't even have to do the Look-Alike-Meter for Sarah.



I also did this with my own kids and it said that Ashlyn and Ryan were 50% me and 50% Lance but Gaby resembled me 10% more and Brooke resembled me 8% more. It makes a difference if you try a different photo too. I was surprised that Ashlyn didn't resemble me more because everyone says she does. I tried a different photo and then it pointed more toward my side.

Climb...climb...up sunshine mountain.

At this very moment I am watching on the baby monitor, Gaby and Ryan, jumping frantically, while poor Brooke is asleep. She was awake at 6 am this morning and was so grouchy and tired. I only hope it's not as loud up there as it is down here.

Speaking of nap time, I wanted to show you a few nap related photos. The title of my post refers to the song that we sing when the babies slowly, but surely, climb up the stairs to bed. Gaby bolts up the stairs, where Brooke and Ryan casually make their way, stopping to explore bits of lint on the stairs and try to look over the banister.

Once all the babies are in bed, we sing Rock-A-Bye Baby. Ashlyn has gotten pretty good at singing some of these songs lately and Gaby is making an attempt. She has the rhythm down, just not the tune or exact words. Although you see a lot of my kids in PJ's these are some I took of them in their spring pajamas.Notice the pink socks. Lance, who at first wouldn't allow pink to come near his son, actually puts pink on him more than anyone else. He thinks its funny. Actually, when given a choice, Ryan will pick the color pink over other colors. Probably because we have so much of it around, to him its like white.

Tips & Tricks for Trips. Volume One.

Today, I felt the urge to share with all of you a few things I've found helpful while parenting multiples. Even if you don't have multiples, they may come in handy for you and your family. These are tips based on my experience and I will not accept responsibility if you do not agree or have a bad experience. You can take my advice, or leave it, just don't sue me, please.

This is a handy item I picked up at Walmart. It is an Overdoor Organizer made by the brand Mainstays home.

It has 21 pockets plus each one has a second pocket on the outside, so there are actually 42. It was very easy to hang and I love it. I plan to purchase a few more to hang on other doors in our house. If you have a lot of little feet, like we do, it is perfect for stashing all their shoes. Plus, I plan to stick pairs of socks in the outside pockets so they are easily available when we are rushing out the door. In the top couple of rows, I put hats and mittens. There was plenty of room to put the hat in the big pocket and the mittens in the outside pocket. Ashlyn had fun helping me and should be able to get her own shoes when needed. The picture on the package it came in shows the pockets containing shoes, socks, belts, small purses, hats, mittens, toys, and beauty products. I plan to hang one just for the kids to play with. The babies will love sticking small toys in it and taking them out again.

A week ago I purchased a Eureka cordless Quick-up. I had read many reviews online about it and it was actually on sale. This model is a 96F and there is a newer model out but I have had no problems with this one and liked the cheaper price.

If you have small children, pets, or messy husbands (like I do) this vacuum is a great investment. It can be mounted on your wall to be recharged, holds it's charge well (I can lightly clean my kitchen, living room, bathroom, and stairs before it starts slowing down) and is very light. You do have to keep in mind that this is meant to be an in-between vacuum. You will still need a full size vacuum for major cleaning. I was finding it hard to find time to drag my full size out. Plus it was loud so I couldn't use it when the kids were sleeping. Therefore, my floors were not getting cleaned very often. I use this one every day, at least once. It has great suction. It has a removable dust cup with a filter. It has the option of carpet or floor. The brush will turn for carpets and won't for bare floors. It is light enough that Ashlyn can use it, which is a huge bonus. The only complaint I have is that the dust cup is a little tough to open and close, but not too difficult.

I can't say enough about both the crib tent and the baby cam. I posted links to the websites on previous posts if you want more details. I posted a link for Amazon.com for the crib tent but actually found it cheaper at Walmart.com. Also I ordered the Summer Infant Video Monitor and an additional camera, so I could see the whole room. Well, I made a mistake and the extra camera is not compatible with the main set that I ordered. So I will return it and I emailed the company to see if there is one that is compatible. The set that I ordered is an older set which cost less but may not have the option to add a second camera. I hope I can find a way to get a second camera because with one, we can see all babies if they are in a certain spot, but if they move out of view, you can't see them. Even with one, we usually are able to see who is crying and if they really need us or are just fussing. The crib tent is a definite must in Brooke's case. Having her out and about in a toddler bed was a nightmare. She was keeping everyone awake, including herself. Since putting her back in a crib, everyone is sleeping better......especially me. I ordered another one for Ryan since he fell out of the crib yesterday. I was working on this post while they were supposed to be napping and heard very loud crying coming from the top of the stairs. There he was with a big bump on his forehead. I'm not too worried about Gaby. She seems to like her crib and isn't quite as agile as the others. She does like to bounce though, maybe if she gets worked up enough, she might just catapult herself out.

If you have kids that like to undress themselves here is what I do for Brooke and sometimes Ryan. I snap their onesies, which they can't yet get unsnapped, over their pants. So far this has always worked. Usually if I don't do this to Brooke she will remove her pants within 15 minutes. Can you tell which of my children is the most difficult? Now that I think of it, she has been giving me grief since before birth. She had her little butt stuck up under my ribs for about the last 2 months of pregnancy. Good thing a mother's love is strong.

This is a protective faucet cover made by Boon(http://booninc.com/flo.html). It is a great invention. Not only does it prevent my kids from knocking their heads on the faucet but it is very entertaining. Ryan especially loves it and tries to drink every drop of water that comes out. His diapers are very soggy the morning after a bath. Although this photo looks like Ashlyn, it's actually taken from the Boon website. I thought it captured the spray of water much better than my amateur photography skills could. What I also love about Boon is that they donate 10% of each sale to a children's charity. Well, that's it for now, my breaks over, and it's back to work. I plan to post more tips and tricks every now and then. Feel free to pass yours along as well.

The saga continues......

Since I don't yet have my crib tent, which is scheduled to arrive this week (please Lord hurry) it was next to impossible to get Brooke to settle down for a nap Thursday afternoon. My mom and I converted her crib to a toddler bed because she can get out of the crib but cannot get back in. This was our last resort after trying to put her in a pack-n-play, and then Ryan's crib, thinking maybe she couldn't get out. Having the freedom to move around the room pleased her, but annoyed Ryan, who tried unsuccessfully to join her (though he's not far behind).



That night we went to Lance's parents for supper to celebrate Ashlyn's upcoming birthday. I took lots of pictures, but forgot my camera at their house so I can't show them. Ashlyn had a blast but is starting to act like a typical kid her age. She embarrassed me by acting unappreciative of some of her gifts. In the past, I have sat and commented on other peoples kids not showing the proper amount of excitement when opening a gift. Some have even heard me say "if my kid ever acts like that, I will take all their gifts back". I guess, she really wasn't that bad, just tossed aside some of the clothes and didn't want to say thank you because "she didn't want that"(which by the way she wanted to wear the very next day). I have actually seen kids crying because they didn't like what they had gotten. I just wanted to say, that I have once been one of those people, that gave advice freely about parenting, when I had no experience of my own. To those of you that remember, I'm extremely sorry. My kids are already proving my naive theories wrong and they are not even tweens. So everyone is welcome to sit back and watch me stumble around parenthood and pretend I actually know something about it. I'll try not to give any more advice.



This brings me back to the topic of my youngest child, Brooke. I have since ordered a baby cam (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5983012) also to mount on their bedroom wall. I have looked at these in the past thinking it would be a good investment. Not only could we watch our babies day and night to make sure they were safe and secure but down the road we could find out if they are sneaking out the bedroom window when they are teenagers. If you are a teenager and reading this, I can tell you this is not a good idea. I can also tell you that if you try and sneak out of the house, and start your (very loud)car, when your older brother (who's babysitting) has drank a whole 2 litter of Mountain Dew.........he is NOT asleep......and he will hear you. So back to Brooke and the baby cam. I decided against getting one because of the price. The cheapest one I could find was around $99 and then you can get a second camera for another room for about $70. I was also worried that I wouldn't be able to see the whole room since it seemed like you could only set it to view one crib. Well, I now know which crib to set the camera view on, and I decided the price was worth every penny when I found her hanging by one leg from Gaby's crib. She wasn't even crying, though her leg was really stuck and almost purple. What actually brought me to their room was Ryan crying after the phone rang and woke him up. I don't know how long she hung there, hopefully not long. She has also been annoying us lately by climbing over the baby gates. She's like the Energizer Baby. Vicky tells me Lance was like this so I guess I know where she gets it.

I wrote this post last week and I would like to add that she is now able to climb into cribs as well. I keep finding her in bed with Gaby. Gaby doesn't seem to mind.

Can anyone say "Crib Tent"?

Brooke's new nickname is Houdini. I was blissfully cleaning my toilet this morning while the kids were supposed to be napping. I heard Ryan start to cry and Gaby saying "Uh oh", so I went to investigate. This is what I found.......
I will now be investing in one of these http://www.amazon.com/Tots-In-Mind-Inc-Cozy/dp/B000ICQOUU/ref=pd_sbs_ba_njs_title_2

The Royal Court.

Ashlyn and her cousin Kayla played dress up today. They had so much fun being princesses. If I haven't mentioned this before, Kayla shares a birthday with Ashlyn. They were born 5 hours apart. They have so much fun together........when they aren't fighting.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

These are the St Paddy's Day shirts we picked up at Walmart. There were only 3 that said "Part Irish All Trouble" (which is so true, by the way). Ryan's says "Kiss Me I'm Adorable". Lance's family really enjoys St. Patrick's Day and the Corona parade. I tried to get a photo of Ashlyn all alone but she was not cooperating. She was upset because the babies didn't want to sit with her. They kept trying to get away.

What they did while we were away.

The kids had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. Here is Ryan stuck in our little toy oven. Brooke has also gotten stuck in here except she's so tiny, she was up to her chest with her feet sticking out the bottom. It is not fun to get them out, either, let me tell you.Enjoying the finest delicacies............sugar wafers. First time they had them and they were a hit. If you look real close you will notice they are wearing clothes instead of pajamas.Now they are NOT wearing clothes. My mom said every night before bed she let them run around in their T-shirts. Brooke is obsessed with dressing herself so she is putting her clothes back on.Gaby is trying to put on a sock. The day after we came home she climbed unto one of their booster seats for the first time (Ryan and Brooke have been doing this for months). Although I swear someone must have taught her this while we were away, my mom says she didn't. She gets up there, stands straight up, and lets go. Then she cries for someone to help her down. Once she is down she climbs right back up. As for the other two, they have been scaling everything they can. We had to put our changing table in the playpen because Ryan was climbing to the top and tossing all the diapers, wipes, and clothes he could get his hands on. Most people use playpens for containing children, but we use ours to hold everything we don't want the kids to have. I don't think that will last much longer, though, because I have already had to remove Brooke from this area once.Ashlyn, the computer whiz. My first experience with a computer mouse was when I was a Senior in High School. She is already adept at using one at the age of 2 (almost 3). Scary, isn't it? Here she is using a box of wipes as a booster seat. In case anyone wants to know, these are our favorite wipes. Vicky gets them at Sam's Club. They're pretty cheap and very portable because each package has a pop up, reclosable, lid. We have a package of these wipes on every flat surface, in every room of our home, and in every vehicle.

Back to the Daily Grind.

For those of you who haven't heard, Lance and I just got back from a much needed vacation in Las Vegas. We flew out on the 5th and came home the 8th. It was heavenly. I forgot my camera (still kicking myself) so I had to rely on one of those cheap disposables, which I only had when we went to the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon. The pictures didn't turn out too bad but I won't bore you with too many vacation photos. We went with 2 other couples (Mike and Ellie and Aaron and Jess) and our (single, attractive, available) friend Tara. The 3 girls are friends of mine from high school (probably not for much longer after they see my blog).

Tara, myself, Ellie, and Jess in front of the gorgeous view of Lake Mead. Sorry girls for posting your photos without asking. I think you all look beautiful. If you want your photo removed you have to send a request, in writing, and it will be removed in 5-7 business days.These photos were taken by Mike, who actually remembered his camera. Mike, if these photos are copyrighted, you'll have to let me know how much you charge to allow me to publish them.
This is Hoover Dam. About half way down you may be able to see a ventilation shaft. The next photo was taken from inside of the ventilation shaft, looking out. We took the dam tour and it was very educational.That is about the extent of our photos. The rest of the trip was also amazing. I would have loved to show you MGM, the Venetian (my personal favorite), the Bellagio, Treasure Island, Caesar's Palace, the Stratosphere, and whatever else we saw, but unfortunately, my photographic memory only gets me so far. So I guess you'll all have to go and experience it yourself.

Lance actually won a little cash playing one of the slot machines ( I won't mention that he lost a little playing Blackjack). He also went on a thrill ride called the Big Shot. It's the worlds highest ride at 921 ft above the Vegas Strip. You're shot 160 ft straight up into the air at 45 miles per hour. He has a photo but won't let me post it. The rest of us were too chicken to go on it.

We really enjoyed the site seeing, ate a lot of good food, did a lot of walking, and had a great time with our friends. We are already planning a trip for next spring.

Thank you to my parents and Ray and Vicky for watching the kids.