Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ideas

I try to keep a pretty spiffy looking blog, but after blog stalking around, I decided that mine needed some improvements. The biggest idea I walked away with (borrowed, stole, copied, imitated?) was to take pictures of the kid's artwork and put those on their own site. Like the originator of the idea said, it is a great way to remember what the kids do before parting with it (you can't keep it all). To see what masterpieces my sweet ones have been working on, click the button on the right side of the blog. I've also put a button there where my food related posts will be found.

* I should add that after setting up a blog for the kid's artwork and taking pictures of their best pieces, I now have the site set up AND still have the original art. I can't bring myself to part with it yet!

Happy Half-Birthday Sam and Emma Kate





Birthdays only come around once a year, which is wonderful when you are over the age of twenty seven, but for children, that is a long time. In our family, we celebrate half birthdays too (no presents, just a fun dinner, birthday singing, and cupcakes).  We enjoyed sloppy joes, tater tots, and pumpkin cream cupcakes. Yay for Sam and Emma Kate! 2 1/2 already!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

I love the rainy nights

Matt and I have joked for years that we are the ideal candidates for life in Seattle. We love the cozy, rainy, gray days. After a long dry summer, the rain we've had for the last couple of days has been a welcome sight. When the kids asked to play outside in it, I was all too happy to get them suited up (how nice to play outdoors without sunscreen or sweating!).
 looking up at the rain
 love this face...squealing with delight

 splashing and not getting in trouble for playing in the water (like he does when he splashes in the dog's water bowl, toilet, or sink using his step stool)
 a cleaned out sandbox made for a great wading pool
 here comes big sis (think she might have hurdles in her future!)

 love the action shots!

3/4 of my favorite people all in one place (4/4 watching football on the couch. don't act surprised)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Those smelly feet

Here's a quickie from the weekend:

Caroline (while coloring at the kitchen table): Mommy, what smells in here? It's awful!
Me: I don't know. I don't smell anything.
Caroline: Whew! It's terrible!
Me: Well, I don't smell anything.
Caroline: I know! It's probably my feet. Lemme check. (pulls foot up from underneath the table and gives it a good whiff). Yep. It is. It is my feet that is making that awful smell...


and with that, Caroline finished coloring her picture.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Weekend

We've had a pretty laid-back-but-getting-a-lot-done sort of weekend. Matt took Caroline to soccer on Saturday morning and then we all went out to lunch. We also went to State's campus for Caroline to participate in a chocolate milk study. Matt treated us to Bojangles for dinner (he's a keeper) and I did some grocery shopping.






Today, we decided to go to the 9:30 service at church. Sometimes we try the nursery with the twins and other times just one of us will go and take Caroline. Sometimes we go to the 11:30 service, and sometimes we can't seem to get it together to go at all. Today started out fine. The kids were perfectly dressed and polished. They each picked out a book to take. The twins had their blankets. We got a seat near the front so they would be able to see the action. I promised (bribed?) a trip to Target for play-dough for stellar behavior. This was going to be a good day. Do you sense things about to fall apart? Sam didn't like to books we brought. Emma Kate wanted to sit by Caroline. Caroline wanted to play with an acorn (that she found in the parking lot on our way in) that kept falling in the pew in front of us. Sam wanted to be held. Emma Kate wanted to be held. Only by me. Sam didn't want Emma Kate to touch me. Emma kate didn't want Sam to touch me (I don't think she wants him on the same planet for that matter). Sam's blanket fell. Caroline wouldn't stand for the Gospel. Emma Kate's blanket fell. Emma Kate wanted Caroline's acorn. Sam wanted the acorn. Get the picture? The noise we were putting off as a family was getting increasingly louder and my patience was getting increasingly more thin. I finally broke up the fight between the twins and got Caroline to pay attention as the priest was consecrating the host. About this time, a loud squeaking came from the back of the church. Everyone turned around. The priest stopped what he was doing. Because of holding two toddlers I couldn't get a very good view as to the source of the noise, but it was getting louder and louder as it was getting closer to the front of the church. When I finally was able to get a look, I saw an older man walking with a small child who was using a walker on wheels and leg braces. The walker was squeaking and dragging along with the child's legs and braces. This little boy, who was all of four or five, was slowly making his way back to his seat on the left side of the church. I felt an enormous amount of gratitude for the small problems my children were giving me. I felt a huge sense of gladness that we attended the service that we did because I needed this message to reach me loud and clear. My children kept on misbehaving and arguing right up until the end of the mass, but I had a renewed patience level and attitude. I have thought of the little boy from church quite a bit today.  I know that all children are blessings and all children have their own difficulties, but if his father can walk beside him with everyone looking and the service going on while missing some of it, I owe my children more of my own patience.

With that renewed patience we made chocolate chip cookies, ate some dough, left the dishes in the sink, and decided it was nap time. Now, THAT'S a good weekend!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Good Lovin'

Parenting isn't easy. It was a choice and a blessing, but it isn't always easy. The last few days has found me breaking up fights, separating the kids, bandaging bite marks, and putting offenders in time out. Just when I thought I couldn't take another minute of them being so hard on each other, I saw Emma Kate loving on Sam and him reciprocating. What a wonderful reminder that they DO love each other. These are the best moments!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Cool Guy Haircut

Sam allowed me to cut his hair last night. It had become unruly and was always sweaty and curly...I was amazed that he sat still for an entire episode of "The Fresh Beats" while I trimmed. Although I hate to cut the curls off, I love shorter hair on him. This morning I put some gel into his hair and he ran to the mirror. When he saw his reflection, he said, "Cool Guy Haircut!". Glad he likes it.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Babies

"How long are you going to refer to them as 'the babies'?" Matt asked me the other night. I didn't have an answer to this (other than, "they ARE my babies"). They still seem so small and young to me. Didn't I just bring them home from the hospital? Weren't they just a little over five pounds (if you've held Sam lately, you know it's been awhile)? 

Sam and Emma Kate have reached several milestones in the last few months though. They've given up their "ga gas" (pacifiers). They've also gone through potty training and are pretty close to being fully into underwear. They are drinking out of big-kid cups. The eat cereal and milk without making a big mess. They are going to preschool (and loving it now, thank-you-very-much). To round out their new found big-kidness, we took the fronts off of the cribs and now they are in "big girl" and "big boy" beds! Do they stay in them? YES!!! Emma Kate falls out a time or two each night, but they love being in these! I am so proud of them for these steps and milestones.  It is wonderful to see them progress.  

So how much longer will I call them "the babies"?

After bath: The aftermath

Routine is very important in our house. After dinner, we bath the kids, play in their rooms, watch a show, read a book, and get them tucked in. The other night Matt played with them after their bath and I cleaned up the dinner mess (is that a fair trade off?). Once done, I called the kids downstairs to watch Dora. Matt stayed upstairs and I assumed that he was getting his clothes ready for work, but after five minutes he didn't join us. After ten minutes he didn't join us. After Dora had ended he hadn't joined us.  Where was he? He was napping. On Sam's floor.  Now THAT is tired!

Monday, September 6, 2010

First Day of School

We have completed the first week of school. I've been putting this post off all week because I prefer to only put upbeat and positive posts on this blog (who wants to read anything negative?). I've been blessed with three smart, funny, happy children who love being together and love being at home with their family. They get along with their friends, but they are really three peas in a pod who need little else in their life. Caroline gets very anxious at drop-off time at school and always has. This is her third year at the preschool and it is as rough now as it was when she was a two year old. The twins are taking to school much in the same way. As a mother, it is a heartbreaking scene. I worry about them and how they are feeling the entire time they are at school. For years now, people have told me that it will get better and that Caroline is "just shy" or "takes a while to warm up" but I've always known it was more than that. I am her mother and I know her well. We tried enrolling her in dance class (something that she begged for and desperately wanted to do) and she froze with fear and wouldn't participate. We are currently on a soccer team, and as expected, she isn't interested in the team dynamic. 

Like any other situation in life, it isn't what happens to you but how you deal with it. We've spoken with our pediatrician and our basic course of action is to wait this out with patience and love and to limit the amount of new programs we throw her into. We are taking her to soccer as a family and if she doesn't participate than so be it. We are taking her to school three days a week and assuring her each day that we love her, will always come back for her, and hope that she has a great day. We are holding off on dance and gymnastics until she seems ready or until she asks for lessons again (we've told her to tell us when she feels ready). Other than that, all we can do it wait and pray.

Here are the three amigos on the first day of school

Sunday, September 5, 2010

My Pack

Matt scored some GREAT seats to the opening NCSU football game. We started the night with dinner at Wendy's, then walked around the stadium, and watched the first half of the game. 
Emma Kate enjoyed people watching
Caroline wondered why the line dancers could show their bellies but she can't.

Sam loved getting such a closer view of the players
but the highlight of the evening for the kids was the free Wolfpack chapstick that was handed out as you entered into the gates...layer upon layer upon layer was applied

the seats were awesome, the weather was perfect, the score was terrific, and our "pack" was a joy to have with us...what a great Saturday!