Kid Appreciation . . . I'll lend you some!

Since Aaron and I have the unique experience of being blessed with triplets first then a singleton, we don't get a lot of time with just one child alone. Last week Aaron wanted to go to the mall to get us new cell phones. It was late afternoon and I knew he would be gone forever so I told him that he had to take one kid. Caden really wanted to go so Aaron reluctantly took him. Aaron was gone over 3 hours when he came back boy was he amazed at how nice it is to have only one kid with you. They walked around the mall, bought the phones, shopped in Kmart, and got gas. He couldn't say enough about how well he listened and stayed with him. I took Reese with me yesterday to my scrapbook class and grocery shopping so Aaron could take the older kids to the park. She was so good even though she wanted out of her seat at the scrapbook store to look around, it still was nice just to have one kid. A few weeks ago when Aaron was still working all those horrendous hours, I went to Galesburg to get us lunch and took Caden with me to get lunch. I went through the McDonald's drive up which took forever and I decided I couldn't stand to eat McDonald's one more time so I went to Taco Bell. That drive up line was super long too so I did something I would never do with the other kids with me: we went in to order the food. It was so easy to get him out and Caden waited in line so nicely and listened well. It was so quick and easy to get him back in the van and home. I've tried to take one or two kids with me at a time here and there shopping or running errands and going to appointments. It is so nice to spend time alone with them. They seem very different apart from the other kids -- maybe they aren't but as a parent you can really listen and talk to them without so much extra noise and commotion going on. Their behavior seems much improved too in a one-on-one situation but that may just be the fact that you can keep your finger on them better than when they're 4 of them. It's so funny to me when parents of one or even two kids complains how they could never go anywhere without help or that their children are so wild that they could never do half the things we have done. I don't have a lot of choice in taking all 4 with me sometimes. People aren't exactly beating down my door to babysit for me -- they are a lot of work. It's all about what you know. I've only known triplets so when Reese came along she seems so easy that I don't feel she is any work at all and I really don't think she takes up any time to take care of her. I was used to doing everything times 3 before all at once. Only changing one diaper or feeding one baby or dressing one is nothing. The thing that is the most troublesome to me is getting them all in or out of the van. I have to buckle them all in, then when we arrive I have to unbuckle, load them in their wagon (if we using it) and buckle seat belts, then we when we are done buckle them back in the car seats. By the time I make one stop where we all get out it's the same as a mom with one kid making 3 stops. It's exhausting and time consuming! When Aaron and I have taken one child with us, we are so amazed how easy it seems that we both say what are all these other parents complaining about? I always say that if we could loan out the trio to some people for a few days they would realize that having one or two is really not that hard but it is all in comparison and even one kid can be a challenge at times. I'm sure Kate Gosselin (the mom with twins and sextuplets) would wonder why I'm always complaining since I have half as many children as she does. Maybe I should borrow her kids for a week then I would shut up. Problem is whose kids can Kate borrow to make her feel better??????

Good Morning

This is what our bed looks like most mornings that Aaron is home -- what a way to wake up.

Do you think I have a problem?

Hi, my name is Mindy and I'm addicted to taking photos (whew -- glad I got that off my chest). I have taken 640 photos in March so far -- hey, there's two whole days left I can get at least 100 more taken in just two days. In February I took over 900. We don't even go anywhere like on vacation or anything most of them are just ordinary shots from home. Now that 900 photos probably has at least half that are weird photos I took of things like scrapbook pages, blog photos like soda cans, lotion, or Easter eggs, and just bad photos that all need to be deleted. I'm really not a very good photographer at all and the lighting in my house is horrible. I have to take about 20 if there is just one person involved and 20 more for each person in the photo to get just one sort of decent one. My kids are the worst at wanting to get their photo taken (unless their brother or sister is holding the camera then they are all about posing and smiling just too bad the photographer usually has their finger over the lense or is aiming at their feet). All I can say it's a good thing that digital cameras were invented. I don't print very many of my photos either; they are all on the computer. I usually on print the ones that I want to scrapbook, but even then I hardly ever get around to using them. If I printed all the photos I took, we need to build on to our house just for photos and Aaron would need a second job to pay for the developing. When the triplets were first born I used to print them all, and then so I would remember I'd write their names on the back and the date and then put them in an album. I couldn't keep up and we can't afford to do that. In the beginning of January I decided in my quest to simplify I would go through each month's photos at the end of the month to delete the ones I didn't want and upload my very favorites that month to a photo site like Walgreens or scrapbookpictures.com just in case my computer crashes and I lose all my photos then I'll at least have my favorites. I thought when I did January of 2008 that I would go back and do all the Januarys (2005, 2006, 2007). I started and never finished January of 2008. Story of my life, good intentions, but little time with too many interruptions always makes me fall short of my goals. I just need to keep plugging away I guess.

Oh and good news Reese finally pooped today (I'm sure you're dying to know that). 8 days -- she beat her old record of 6 days! She is much happier now -- who wouldn't be?

I don't know how Horton could hear a darn thing!

We did it, we took them to the movies! We saw "Horton Hears a Who". It's a good thing there were only 2 other sets of people in the theater with us and they turn up the movie volume REALLY LOUD. Actually for 3 years old they did pretty well but we took up about 10 seats because Addison and Caden kept moving seats. We sat in the first row of the stadium seats and there was a railing in front us which doubled as monkey bars. Ethan giggled and giggled at some parts (he likes violence like where the monkeys are trying to stop Horton with bananas) and he pretty much sat on Daddy's lap the entire movie. Caden thought we were at home and took off his shoes then I found his socks laying in the aisle -- just like home. We brought contra ban candy and drinks (from Walmart) and purchased the biggest bucket of popcorn ($12.75 with 2 gigantic sodas -- Yikes!) at the theater but I forgot to bring little bags to share the popcorn so there was a big deal of who would hold the bucket and a lot of "Hey!" when someone reached in to get more popcorn. Ethan ate a whole box of Whoppers by himself so we'll see how long until he throws up later tonight. We made it through the whole movie but 90 minutes is about our limit. Getting them out of the theater proved to be a problem as they were running up and down the rows of seats plus all our stuff doubled while we were in there I think and trying to pack up and carry everything was a challenge. The theater employees probably wondered why it looked like they had a full house when there was a total of 10 people as we left quite the mess. The baby even liked the movie, she watched for a while before she ate and went to sleep. Aaron says we'll have to buy the movie when it comes out on DVD so he can watch it. I'm not sure what he was doing during the movie but I managed to see it and that was with making 3 trips to the bathroom and purchasing popcorn.

4 months already?

Can you believe Reese turned 4 months old today?
I can't believe time is going so fast. She is still a great sleeper and continues to sleep in her crib at night. I have yet to get her on a "strict schedule" although I know about when she is tired and hungry. It's so different than with the triplets but a schedule is a must with multiples. But she's getting to the age where I need to get her some set times to sleep but she pretty much can sleep anywhere still when she's tired and with a TON of noise going on (imagine that, it's noisy here) -- it's not like she has to be put to bed or anything. Our main problem is the last few weeks with sickness and Daddy being gone we just kind of did whatever, whenever. Some days we get up at 7 am and sometimes it's almost 9. Reese must be working on teeth, she is a slobbering fool. She's still super happy (except today a little cranky because she hasn't pooped in 5 days -- she usually poops twice a week -- Tuesdays and Sundays but this week she missed her Tuesday poop -- FYI my doctor says breastfed babies can go 12 days and not poop and it's okay, let's hope that doesn't happen here). She is loving to play with toys and she LOVES her siblings so much and the feeling is totally mutual from all of them! I hope that it all continues.

Speaking of growing fast the older kids had their preschool screening today to qualify for preschool in the fall. They all went with the teachers to "play games" with no problems. I had trouble getting Ethan away from the therapist when he was done though. The therapist said he did well on some things and some things he didn't do. He is a talking fool but it's hard to understand him since his speech is not very clear. One of his favorite phrases, besides the word "stuck", is "shut up". We only say it to our cat and I didn't think we said it that much but that's something he's picked up and pretty much tells everyone to "shut up" I've even heard him say "shut up, baby" to Reese. I'm sure that won't be the only colorful phrase out of his mouth but he's probably saving it all up when he goes to school. I peeked into one of the preschool classrooms and it looked cute and fun. I think they will love it if they qualify to go there. I'm wanting half days this year because they still have another year to go after that and I'm sure their preschool teacher/s will thank me for only sending them half days too. I'm ready and I feel they're ready -- All Aboard has really prepared all of us for it. I'm excited and am already planning on what I will do everyday with more than 3 hours of free time with only one child!

A Little R & R

Aaron has been home since Monday. He wanted to go back to work on Wednesday but I told him it was important to spend time with the kids and for my mental health that he take the whole week off. He is going back to his old job at Peterson Plumbing in the Quad Cities on Monday. We are on a "mini vacation". We have been taking the kids out and about to stores,out to eat, but mostly we have been lazily laying around the house. They went to the park with Aaron yesterday for an hour. They have school on Friday and we plan to take them to their first movie. I can't believe the change in their behavior. The first day he was home, I thought I must have been wrong about them acting out because Aaron was working so much. Aaron was very impatient and it seemed just as stressful as when he had been working, but it just took a little bit of time and now they are calmer and so are Aaron and I. We made it through but to all those single moms and moms whose husbands work tons of hours, or on the road -- my hats off to you -- I don't think I could do it all the time and be sane!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

Our Jack-Jack (as Ethan calls him) turns 3 today! We are planning on going to his party in a couple weeks! He is a fun cousin and friend who fits in with us just as if he were born with Addison, Ethan, and Caden. We have a lot of fun playing with Jackson! Happy Birthday! Hope you had a great day! We love you!!!!

Happy Easter!

The "Easter Rabbit" as Caden calls him hid 90 eggs in our house for a fun hunt. They loved searching for them and were pretty good at finding them.

Look at Reese's cute little chick basket with bunny ears added.

We went to Steve and Ashley's house for Easter. Aaron didn't go as he worked again but this is his last day at this job! Can you hear the applause from my house about that? We had a nice time there eating and playing with Papa and our cousins.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAEL!

Happy Birthday to our nephew and cousin, Cael!

He's 5 today. We were bummed that we couldn't go to his party. It was at Chucky Cheese in Peoria which would have been a whole new experience for us but since we are still recovering I knew there would be more melt-downs that happy times. Daddy is still working and there was no way I could monitor all of them myself; the other party guests have their own children to watch and it's not fair to ruin someone else's party because we are a bunch of grumps! So we plan to go visit him next week to play and give him our gifts when we are feeling better. We hope his party was fun and I can't believe he is 5 years old already!

If I were a drinking woman . . .

I'd be enjoying a nice hot cup of cocoa with Irish Creme (more like a cup of Irish Creme with some cocoa) or pineapple juice and Malibu Rum or a Margarita . . . okay I am a drinking woman but not now because I am a breastfeeding woman and I don't want my happy and sleep-loving baby to become belligerent and awake because she had some "Happy Hour Milk". So I have to have the next best thing . . . lots of caffeine (no, I didn't drink all those today -- today and yesterday!). I even had to break my no caffeine after 6 pm rule tonight after the kids went to bed -- it's been quite a day! I haven't even spent a lot of time with them today, but they were about to push me over the edge tonight. We made plans with Grammy for them to come so I could help the Easter Bunny finish his shopping and get some groceries. Ethan and Addison are still so grumpy and Caden is feeling fine but has the strong need to tease and annoy them which isn't hard. Just getting all them dressed and out the door today was a major accomplishment, I told Patti we would be there around 10 and I think we were about 30 minutes late. The second we walked in the door there was crying and fighting. Grammy has some sinus/allergy issues; she said she was fine but now she probably wishes she was too sick to watch them. Three hours later I return and they are still crying and fighting. Ethan accidentally called 911 and then proceeded to scream in Ethan volume fashion when 911 called back to check if they should come. Patti said the operator asked a few times if she was sure everything was alright. I kind of wished they had come to take him away for a few hours (just kidding)! We get back home and there's more fit throwing and crying. I finally get them down for a nap and Addison wouldn't take one and that makes her mood more enjoyable. I keep trying to find things (bath, food, blocks, our bean container, TV, songs) to occupy them but all they want to do is irritate each other and do things they shouldn't like play with the TV buttons, hit each other, or slam cupboard doors 8000 times. Ethan's favorite things to do tonight were get in the refrigerator, stand on their little card table, and spit chewed up food in various places around the house. I was trying to figure out what is going on. Yeah, they're still not feeling 100% but this is beyond that. Then I realize we really haven't been anywhere this week until today but even getting out the house and playing at Grammy's didn't help a whole lot. I think they are really missing Daddy. This is week 3 of the crazy hours. He worked 84.5 hours last week and that doesn't include the 18 hours in commuting to and from work, and the 4 hours of walking from the parking lot to the power plant (safety thing -- the parking lot is a 20 minute walk from where he works). When the kids wake up most of the time he's there in bed (sometimes he's not here yet) and he gets up 60 to 90 minutes before he leaves again. I think they are really out of sorts that they haven't seen him in so long. They all go sit in the bed with him while he is sleeping so I know they want to play with him. They are constantly asking me where he is. When he's finished with this job and he gets caught up on his sleep, he's going to get to spend quite of bit of quality time with them so I can have some peace and quiet time for me. Aaron told me the 21st was the last day of this schedule, but they got behind and now he thinks it will be at least one more week; I hope he's right otherwise I may have to have that cup of cocoa!

Relaspe

I thought the kids were on the road to recovery. Well, Caden seems back to his ornery self. Ethan and Addison seemed much better yesterday but today not so much. Yesterday they were still not wanting to eat -- even junk that they said they wanted and then didn't eat but they were playing and acting mostly normal. In the middle of the night Addison woke up wanting juice and she had a temp of 101 (good thing I got that new thermometer) so I gave her more meds. Ethan woke up too and he took some juice but I couldn't get him to take any medicine. Both of them have laid on the couch most of the day and been very cranky. Caden is not helping matters since he feels fine he is teasing them and trying to start fights. Ethan fell asleep on the couch about 12 and at 2 I put him in his bed and he went back to sleep. If they are not better by tomorrow they will have to go back to the doctor. As for me I'm still fine except that staying home with sick kids is even more tiring than if I we were running around somewhere everyday. Aaron still working endless hours and he's not home long enough to catch any germs I guess.

Lucky Me!

It's so bizarre to think back to last year at this time we had finally decided we'd try to have another child. We had been waiting to use our frozen embryos -- for that "right" time and we decided the time was never going to be "right" and just to go ahead. Our final decision really was made for us when we found out that our insurance company no longer offered any infertility/fertility coverage (I wonder why?) and the doctor told us that our embryos weren't of very high quality so he said we should implant 2 and even then our chances of having a baby were very low. I refused to implant more than one as the thought of another set of multiples was overwhelming -- I could handle another set but the whole scary pregnancy and birth of multiples was more than I could go through again -- I know way too much about that aspect. We would have had to pay the entire fees for the embryo transfer and all the medicines and we couldn't justify doing that on something that had little chance to be successful and a high chance of being heartbreaking. That same week I took the triplets on a walk and someone asked me if we were going to have more children. For the first time in my entire life I said out loud, "No, this is it for us." It was one of the hardest things I have ever said. At that moment it was real we were done having children. The very next day I took a pregnancy test and now a year later we have a three month old daughter. It's so weird how things work out sometimes. I was ready to accept that three kids were enough and I know we are very blessed to have them. Then the whole world was turned upside down with some pee on a stick. This is why I feel that Reese is just as much of a miracle as the other three and I am lucky to be their mama!

There's a party going on . . .

in our ears -- ear infections are us! All 3 of them were REALLY sick last night and went to bed an hour early. They were burning up and you'd think a mother of 4 would have a thermometer that worked correctly -- I didn't. I had to check on them about a million times last night because I was so worried about having a high fever. This morning I knew they needed to go to the doctor because I had to carry Ethan downstairs and he wouldn't move off the couch even with Tylenol. Luckily we got in this morning. I had some issues with HOW I was going to physically get them there though. I wasn't sure if Ethan and Addison could walk all the way from the parking lot to the doctor's office. Our choo choo wagon is super hard to get out of the elevator and if I took the double stroller I didn't think I could push it, carry Reese's carseat, and hold Caden's hand. Aaron still wasn't home at 8:30 am even though he's supposed to be here around 4:30 am and my in-laws were missing in action. I decided I would leave Reese with Aaron (who finally came home at 9) and they could both nap. Then on our way Grammy and Papa rescued us. Grammy met us at the doctor's office and Papa came to our house to stay with Reese. Caden has one really infected ear, Addison has one ear with fluid (infection coming), and Ethan's has a double whammy with both ears being really infected. We had to go to Walmart to get medicine and after some chicken nuggets they are all in bed napping. Still hoping Reese and Mommy and Daddy stay healthy! And I did buy a working thermometer at Walmart!

My Splurge!

I don't buy much for myself (except some scrapbooking stuff) but yesterday while shopping I decided I would go to Bath & Body Works. I needed some good lotion! I love their body creams and I haven't had any for almost a year. Keely got me some OTC lotion with all her couponing and bargain shopping and it was okay but nothing compares to that body cream. I think I must be a decedent of an alligator because my skin is so dry and scaly -- sorry TMI. Plus it smells really good and since I don't get daily showers I probably need some nice aromas on me. I was starting to get a complex because Addison has superhero strength smelling abilities (which must be equal to Aunt Keely's extra sensitive ears). She is always asking me "what's that smell, Mama?" Of course, I never know. Yesterday she asked me that when I was putting on her shoes. I did shower yesterday so I didn't think I smelled bad but I had her smell my hair and my arm. Who knows -- maybe I do stink and don't know it! Well if I did, the cream should help. I got 4 bottles -- you know Bath & Body Works and their scams, buy 3 get one free deal. It was a big chunk of change for us to spend on lotions but that should last me a few months -- or a whole year considering how often I get to shower!

Sickies!

Caden has had a little fever since Wednesday. He's just been laying around not wanting to do much and needing a few extra hugs. He doesn't want to eat anything and continually says "My tummy hurts". Today Grammy offered to watch all of them while I did some shopping (Thanks, Grammy). They were tired when I picked them up and went right to bed when we arrived home. I had to wake them up after 2-1/2 hours and all of them were sick. I had been to Toys R Us today for cousin birthday shopping and got each of the kids a rare small surprise. They liked what I got them but they felt too yucky to play. I gave them all "shots" (medicine cups) of Motrin and they are feeling a little better but I think we are going to be playing it low for the next few days. Hopefully, Reese, Aaron, and I stay healthy {and no one starts throwing up!!!}

Keely to the Rescue!

On Tuesday, at 8 am somebody was knocking at my door. I was getting dressed and Addison and Caden were yelling from downstairs that somebody was here. Sometimes they open the door even if it's locked so I kept saying "wait a second". Then they yelled "it's aunt Keely!" As I come down the stairs I say, "it's not Keely" and I open the door and there's Keely, Jeffrey, and Jackson. Jackson says "SURPRISE!" She got up at 4 am and got her 11 month and almost 3 year old up at 5 am to come here and save me from my own insanity! I guess I had complained on the phone, in emails, and on my blog a little too much about Aaron being gone. We got all the kids ready and took all 6 of them (in 2 vehicles) to playgroup and then out to eat (McDonald's of course) afterwards. Then when they all took a nap she wanted me to go do something by myself. Of course ding-dong me says "well what will I do?" I did find a few things to do, I could have just drove around in the van by myself and that would have been good enough. Then after we put the kids to bed we scrapped a little and stayed up way too late (1:30 am) and they left after lunch the next day. It was so thoughtful of her to make the 3 hour trip here to save me! Just having some fun adult conversation was a break. It really helped and I feel much better now! Thanks, Keely!

Reese's World Gets More Colorful

Reese's crib is in our room which she has religiously been sleeping in for about 3 weeks now. She has her own corner of the room so I thought it would be nice to decorate the walls just as I would if we would have had the space for her own room. Our bedroom walls are painted dark grey which I loved at first and now wish they were brown but that will have to wait. Anyway while pregnant I was flipping through a parenting magazine I ran across these super cute canvases with simple animal painted on them. I loved them and rushed to look up the website and found several that I loved and realized that they were $45 each for the smaller versions. Even one painting wasn't really in our budget but I thought how hard would that be to make myself. I bought 4 blank canvases at Hobby Lobby for under $20 and I already had the paint. I put gesso on the canvases then Aaron and I painted each canvas a solid color before Reese was born. Finally a few weeks ago I took the plunge and drew the animals and then painted them. They didn't turn out too bad and I saved about $200 by doing it myself. I think they will look cute above her crib and give her something nice to look at for a while.

Room Rearranging = Serenity Now

More Seinfeld reruns! My husband told me yesterday he would only be working 9 hours instead of his normal 11 so he would be home at 2:30 am instead of 4:30 am. With extra sleep, he agreed that he could take the older kids to preschool and Reese and I would get to stay home for 2-1/2 hours. I was so excited and made my "cleaning" list and I knew that I would accomplish so much during that time like I did last week which in turn would make me feel so less stressed. Well he didn't understand that his crew was working 11 not 9 hours. When I woke up at 3:30 am, he still wasn't home and didn't answer his phone I was super worried but he called me back. There was no way he could take the kids to school. We only have 5 days of preschool left so I took them but was disappointed that I didn't get my "me" time {isn't it sad that I'm referring to cleaning time as "me" time now?} So I know he needs his sleep but he was walking a thin line today when he got up and I was rushing around to fix lunch and doing several other things at the same time and he says "Is there anything I can do to help you?" I said "Are you serious???? Look at our house, pick something!" According to him the mess isn't bothering him. Really? I'm not shocked since he is hardly here and when he is, his eyes are closed the majority of the time. I can't even walk around or set anything down. It's probably a good thing he had to leave for work again. I had planned to rearrange some furniture in the dining room today then I had to move some things around in the playroom because Ethan is standing on the train table to climb and stand on the window sills. Then I decided to move furniture in the living room. I love moving around furniture because you get to really clean under stuff and piles of stuff get put away and it just makes everything new again. I have never done 3 rooms at once which may have been a mistake because at 7 pm there's still a lot to do. Caden and Addison would not nap today -- it's hard to push around large furniture with 3 year olds who will not move for anything. Aaron used to hate it when I moved the furniture and actually would tell me I couldn't do it or it wouldn't work. I realized he didn't like it because no one in his family moves their rooms of furniture around. I didn't know that people left things in the same place all the time. My mom and grandma moved stuff all the time. I guess you do what you're used to. If he's wise, he won't make one negative comment about our room arrangements when he comes home -- maybe he won't even notice since he's so tired. So once I get things figured out a little better my house may look a somewhat better but one thing is for sure there are too many people in this house with way too much stuff! The rearranging is already making me feel like I have a few more things under control -- just a few.

Who needs a Jacuzzi?

I am not the triplets bath giver! I gave up that when they were no longer in the baby tub in the kitchen sink or in those rings in the tub. I figured I did it so much when they were infants that it was Aaron's turn so he is the designated bath giver but now that he's gone at night I have to do it. We aim for every-other-night baths. I have been really good about doing it on schedule unlike Aaron (who is unbelievably in shock every time I say "it's bath night"); he tries for every 2, 3, or 4 days but then the it's hard to see the kids' faces or touch them without being sticky. They are insane in the tub. There's so much splashing! They are almost too big to all fit in our tub but I don't want to do them separate again as it will take longer. The splashing cleans them off better anyway and since I only get to shower about every 2 days or so I get a little rinsed off when they bathe too!

My Temporary Mantra: This too shall pass!

We are on day 6 of Aaron's new work schedule. He leaves here at 2:30 pm and arrives home around 5am. He sleeps from 5 until 11:30 am. This gives him enough time to eat lunch, take a shower, say 3 sentences to all of us, and get ready to go back to work again! It never ends -- there's no weekend, no days off. This should end somewhere between the 21st and 26th of March but it's only the 8th (I think!). Things are hard here. The kids are extra rambunctious and I am extra tired. I can't get a thing completed except run the dishwasher! On top of our home being a wreck, I have to keep them away from Aaron when he's sleeping, not so easy when they can open the door to the bedroom and if I block off the stairway, there's major Ethan fit throwing (if you know Ethan, then you know he can be SUPER loud and doesn't give up EVER). Today I decided by 8:30am that they needed to leave the house. So even though I never done this before I took all 4 kids to Walmart. My first shopping experience with all of them and I must say they did pretty well. They were loose because I can't pull that wagon and push a cart with Reese in the carseat and I can't just carry her carseat because somehow her 10+ pounds feels like 50 after about 5 minutes. We only had a few problems and I didn't lose any of them. I even ventured over to the toys and let them "look" for a while. Our kids are really good about looking and holding the toys and not thinking they are getting to buy them. We hardly ever buy them any except at birthday and Christmas and they pretty much accept that. The end of the trip got hairy but we were there about 1-1/2 hours and I'm pretty sure all of Walmart broke out in applause after the crazy mom (who forgot to comb her hair) and her 4 rugrats left the building.

I'm not so physically tired as I am mentally exhausted from no breaks from them. It seems like as soon as they are in bed, I start feeling the need to go there myself so I have no "me" time. Boy, do I realize just how important that "me" time is. My house being so messy exhausts me too. I start to pick up but then there's 3 people behind me undoing my work!

On top of all this I feel the need to say I HATE TIME CHANGES! Every time I hear it mentioned on TV or the radio the people are so positive about it and it makes me want to shake them. "It will give us so much more daylight time . . ." WHATEVER they must not have little kids! It plays havoc with their schedule. I know you're thinking everything will just happen an hour later for them . . . WRONG somehow it goes an hour the opposite way you think and then they are all messed up and I'm all messed up. Like tomorrow I will think they will be getting up at 8am the new time but really they will get up at 6am the new time which is really 5am the old time! Maybe I should be like Kramer in that episode of Seinfeld and say I'm not changing my clocks . . . of course this could cause a problem when the rest of world moves an hour ahead huh?

This too shall pass . . . This too shall pass . . . This too shall pass . . .

Now I know my problem . . .

it's momnesia! You're thinking "what?" But there was a segment about momnesia on the Today Show this morning. Here I thought I was just scatterbrained but it was getting to the point of being really embarrassing at times. Like forgetting the diaper bag when going somewhere, not remembering an appointment, misplacing your keys, etc. I have done all these things and more. Like once we went to spend a few day's at Keely's house and forgot to bring high chairs, I've "hidden" things around the house from the kids and then can't remember where I put them, I've said their birthdates wrong, and just today I couldn't remember if I spelled Reese's name with a "s" or a "c". Many times I have trouble coming up with words when speaking or typing but it's on the tip on my tongue. I'm one of those people who can tell you a name begins with a certain letter but it may take me hours or days to come up with it -- usually I will just takes a while. I was seriously beginning to think I had some major problem. My grandma has Alzheimer's and I wondered if I was having early onset of that -- no kidding. But it turns out studies show that there's this "stew" of hormones when your pregnant and for a while postpartum and if you are breastfeeding (which I am) it continues. Now sleep deprivation plays a part too but I have the world's best baby who is sleeping completely through the night -- last night I had to wake her after she slept over 9 hours straight). The other major factor that affects women with toddlers is stress -- well there's my answer. Having little kids is stressful and since I have 3 the same age -- many times it's three times as stressful! Glad I found my answer! Good news is I have never forgotten a child anywhere yet but I do a headcount at least once during every trip making sure I have all 4!

Budding Photographers?

The kids have a new obcession . . . taking photos! Everytime I have the camera out they want to take the pictures. I have a hard time getting the camera back. They never "pose" for me but sure want to be cute if their brother or sister is taking the photo. I get lots of photos with fingers in front of the lens but I have gotten some funny ones just thought I share:

Here's some of "still life shots":

This is our underwear basket. What? You don't have an underwear basket sitting on your coffee table -- you need to get with the times!

I Love Mondays!

If you read my blog by now you know I am a bit out of the ordinary on things so here's another odd thing about me . . . I love Mondays! Don't hear too many people say that. Even when I taught school I liked them. I find Monday to be my most productive day -- the day I get stuff done. I guess I feel organized and refreshed after the weekend and it's a new beginning but it all evens out because about Thursday is when I feel everything is falling apart and I can't get one thing done and I'm super tired. I haven't done anything lately at night when the kids go to bed -- I think a few times I have been asleep by 9:30 which is ridiculous! So far today I have done 3 loads of laundry, showered, ate breakfast, scrubbed a bathroom, emptied the dishwasher, picked up the dining room, put away clothes, fed the baby twice, and got the trio out the door to go to school with Daddy! That was all done by 11 am! There are days when if we get dressed and I feed the baby we are doing well. You know you are doing well when 3 year olds say "Mommy you cleaned?!" I love Aaron taking them to school -- I wish he could do it all the time but today he starts working his 80+ hours a week. Most days he leaving here a little after 2pm and getting home after 4am -- this is nonstop 7 days a week for a little more than 3 weeks. It's going to be rough on us all. He's going to have to sleep and I'm going to have to keep the kids away from him while he tries to do that. I may lose my mind dealing with the kids alone for that many hours a day but it's short time and it's such good money especially when we were down to pennies when he was laid off. Now we can "catch up" on bills and save some in case there's no work again when this job is over. I guess there's people who just do these types of jobs at power plant shut downs and work about 6 months out of the year and they make so much money they can take the other 6 months off and he suggested maybe he should travel to the next one or two (Chicago and Rockford) and I said well only if you think you'll make enough to pay all my psychiatry bills too. Being alone with 4 kids 3 and under all the time is rough and stressful -- heck it's stressful when we are both home.

Happy Birthday to our nephew and cousin, Blaine, he turned 4! We went to his party at a tumbling center which I am considering moving into since Ethan can jump away there. They had a good time but tons of sugar, being tired, and not being "my" birthday lead to a couple criers at the end {my children not anyone else's}. I thought Ethan would have had his fill on jumping for a while but the second we get home what does he do? Jump on the couch, of course! The party was fun!