GOT 4 BOYS

Logan

2009-07-27T00:14:00.002-05:00

Maybe he was tired of Lawson's whining and drama and thought he would try to outdo him in the pain category or maybe he wanted a new weapon to use on his brothers...regardless of his reasons...Logan is the newest patient at our house! Friday night he was out playing soccer in the backyard with Lake when Steve came home and turned it into a game of dodgeball. Logan went into the playhouse on the swingset for cover and when the ball sailed through and out the back he dove to get it and jumped from the top and braced himself when he hit the ground. New fracture on the same arm he broke in 2005. Of course this is also the same arm he is used to doing everything on earth with! He was so brave and didn't really cry...just lots of Ouch! Ouch! A few tears escaped but that was more from dissapointment that we wouldn't be going to grandma and grandpa's house as planned. He had the whole trip already planned out with swimming, mini golf, and a playdate at the park. He was already saying this on the drive to the hospital. Luckily this break didn't require surgery. Last time we had to send him in twice which was horrible. They set it (IN A WHITE CAST!!) and we were home at midnight. He goes back this Friday and hopefully they will get a smaller cast and differnt color because there is no way I can keep that clean enough to send him to school. The pain is geting less with each day although his frustration is mounting. He feels enough better that he wants to do things and is finding it difficult with one hand. I helped him play Star Wars Wii on Saturday morning and althought I was doing my best....it wasn't quite good enough. He was a good sport and didn't yell at me when I couldn't make the characters move around like he can normally but I suck! My skill level (or lack thereof) did make him laugh.... he would tell me to push A on my half of the controller and I would have to be reminded where A is! He would say push AA and I would be clueless. I think I need to hire a tutor. Since he had already figured out a way to play less than 12 hours from his injury (having to have me hold one control) I think that he will find a way to play Wii before his cast comes off.

Lawson

2009-07-26T23:48:00.003-05:00

It was finally time to get the last Williams boy into the hospital to get the tonsils out. From the beginning Lawson was a "wait and see" kid. Dr. Donzelli our favorite ENT said that they were borderline in needing to come out so we would see if over time he would not need them. That sounded pretty good to us considering Lawson makes the least likley candidate for patient of the year. He has a tendency to over dramatize pretty much everything. But with 3 or 4 cases of strep last winter and lots of loud breathing...we decided it was time to get them out before he got any older and the surgery would become more risky. He didn't dissapoint! The week up to and even the day of the kid wasn't nervous at all. He sailed through the pre-surgery check-up and even the early morning check-in at the hospital. It was all easy up until the dreaded hospital gown! He refused no matter what I promised or threatened him with. I offered him $1 to put it on and the frustrated nurse even offered to match it! Eventually the nurse offered him the treasure box and I pulled his clothes off by force (oh and and they let him wear his Crocs into surgery) and that seemed to do the trick. I think he was just finally at the nervous point and needed some control. Poor kid. He went into surgery without much hesitation but woke up in tears. He did quit crying as soon as I held him and I was hoping we were home free. Not that easy. After a popcicle we got realeased and made the trip home. His brothers were soooo happy to see him and they all hugged on the stairs. I was afraid we were due for another trip back to the hospital during that one with my half drugged patient but he survived the love. Fast forward to night...decent...woke every few hours. Not so bad for just having surgery. Next day needed some extra attention but then it started escalating in the drama. You really would have thought they cut an arm or leg off. Maybe it was because he was older than the other boys when he had this done or maybe it was becuuse he had some sinus procedure done at the same time...I'm just not sure but he took much longer to recover and with a lot more drama!! Finally Friday evening Logan took over the injured spot and Lawson has been fine ever since. It's a good thing because I was truly out of sympathy!! Here is my little patient!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-04T22:35:00.000-05:00

Although it rained all day and we really didn't think the church backyard bash was going to happen this year but we took a chance and went to the service at 5:30. Toward the end of the service the weather cleared off and the party was on! The church had hotdogs, concessins and lots of activities for the kids before the big firework show at 9:30. We did face painting, chalk drawing, art projects and more. The favorite of the boys was one of the blow up slides. I think they went on it at least 10 times! We can't wait until next year!!

Playing Catch Up....

2009-04-01T22:11:00.001-05:00

July 6th,2009
I will be the first to admit that I have definitly been neglecting my blog. You would think that I would use the excuse that I have 4 small children but that would really be stretching the truth (I do still have the 4 small children) a bit. The reason??? Facebook!!! I have become addicted. When a friend first introduced me to FB I couldn't understand what the attraction was....I just didn't "get" it....well...obviously almost 700 friends later....I get it. I made a deal with my friend Steph that we would both try to play some catch up on our blogs so here we go. I'll be posting some of the events that I missed in the last few months....watch for Easter, the boys 6th birthday and the last weeks of school. Now that I've promised in writing I guess I will have to do it! See you soon!!!

Spring Kindergarten Concert

2009-03-26T21:23:00.003-05:00

The boys did a great job at their spring concert. Every year the music teacher coaxes and trains the newest students into a performance. It is followed by a reception in the classroom where the kids have been instructed to host and serve the parents. Really a great experience on that one. I have such little gentlemen! It was adorable last year and just as cute this year (even though we had the exact same songs times two!!) Here are some snippets...it's long so watch at your own risk. My only complaint is that I'm not sure what someone was thinking when they did the placement. For Lakes concert he was in the front row and I was in the back. Sounds good except the tallest kid in his class was next to him and kept elbowing him back behind him. This child was also the loudest. Poor Lake...but he didn't seem to notice. Then the next concert Lawson was in the back row (he is my smallest guy) and Landon in the 2nd row...of course both behind the tallest kids in the class. Go figure...so the camera didn't get them all that well but you get the gist of it. They are wearing olive green sweater vests over white shirts in case you need help spotting them. Landon is behind the girl in the pink dress and Lawson is behind the tall girl.

Go Hawkeyes!

2009-02-28T18:49:00.002-06:00

Every since Logan was born and then the little boys Steve has been grooming them to be sports fans. More specifically Iowa Hawkeye Sports Fans. He has succeeded into the Hawkeye fan part but as far as the other goes...not so much. Landon is the exception though and loves basketball. He says he wants to be a basketball player when he grows up. Pretty big dream considering his miniscule size. Today he and Steve went to see Iowa play at Northwestern. Landon says his favorite part was the m&m's and Coke! Go Hawkeyes!!

Playdates

2009-02-27T15:38:00.003-06:00

Since we have 4 kids I typically think that we don't need playdates. I kind of figure that since my kids are roughly the same age they can play with each other and I can get some stuff done. Yesterday was the exception. We needed some computer work done so my friend Dina sent her computer expert husband over. I told her to bring her son since he and Landon are in the same class at school and are friends. I have never seen the boys have so much fun! They played Wii for 2 hours. The funny part was when Carter went home he told his mom that "They have the coolest stuff...when can I go back?!" Ironically they never looked at, picked up, or talked about any other thing that the Star Wars Wii game which he already has at home. It had to be the boy factor....Hey Dina...maybe you need to add to your brood?!

Day Off Number 1

2009-02-27T15:25:00.005-06:00

When the boys have a day off from school and Steve happens to take a day off he likes to fill the day up. I prefer hanging out at home and just enjoy not having to supervise dressing, pack, load up, unload, reload 4 small boys. But since he was home we went downtown. We spent the day at The Field Museum and had a full day. Here are some shots. The boys loved it and another trip is planned again very soon!

Logan's catch-up birthday!

2009-02-27T15:05:00.003-06:00

I forgot to blog about Logan's 7th birthday party. We invited all the boys in his 1st grade class plus our 3 little interlopers and had a Ben 10 bash! We played Comet Toss Space Game, Ben 10 Wii, made alien face masks and did Shrinky Dink Art (I didn't know until recently that they still made this stuff!! The kids loved it!) We had alien space punch and of course Ben 10 cake! I was really hoping to have this at another location this year but Logan insisted he wanted it at home so we invited the bare minium for comfort and partied on! Here are a couple of photos...I forgot to take pictures this year but I think he will live!

Rock O'Bama and George Washington

2009-02-26T19:53:00.002-06:00

I am amazed by the things my kids learn at school. They seem way ahead of what I was learning in small Iowa schools back in the day. The other night the boys had all gone to bed except for Landon who decided to watch the Presidential address with me in my bed. The man announced "THE PRESIDENT of THE UNITED STATES" and Landon turned to me and said "Where is George Washington?" I explained that George is dead and won't be attending and now Barack Obama is president. He said "Oh..Rock O'Bama? I said "Yep!" He then sat back and watched. Well...not bad for a kid who is 5. We went out for lunch on Sunday and celebrated George's birthday so I guess he wasn't too far off!

Things I love...by Landon Williams

2009-02-13T20:08:00.002-06:00

1. Mom
2. dad
3. teacher
4. pets
5. brother

A few notes about Landon's work. Did you notice that "Mom" is captitalized and dad isn't ? Did you also notice that the teacher comes before the brother? Also pets come before brother and we don't have any?! Lastly "brother" means what? He has 3 brothers but said "brother?" Hmmmmm.....

Logan...my own Picasso!!

2009-02-12T07:25:00.000-06:00

We recently signed Logan up for an art class. He resisted at first because in his words "I already know how to draw!" We made him go and of course he loves it. I think that he is showing real talent. These pictures are cartooning of a cat's emotions... (I know...I'm biased...I'm his mom!) You be the judge...Here is some of his work...

Who needs Guitar Hero when you have Wii Boxes?

2009-02-11T11:08:00.000-06:00

The boys love, love, love the Superbowl. Why they like it may surprise you though. Is it the sport of football? Is it the food? Maybe the commercials? Nope...it's the half time show. Last year they got hooked with the halftime show with Prince and this year they love Bruce Springsteen! Here they are rockin' out complete with their box instruments. I guess it is time to make Steve unpack the Wii Rockband that he got for Christmas. It looks kind of pathetic to make the kids pretend wtih cardboard boxes!

100 Day is here!

2009-02-10T06:58:00.000-06:00

Well...4 projects later 100 day is finally here! Now if we can get through Logan's party this weekend I will be able to breathe and relax for a day or two!!

Something to make you say "hmmmm"

2009-02-09T16:12:00.002-06:00

Logan just came into my office with a can of Pringles potato chips. He asked me what a seal is. I I looked at what he was talking about and he pointed to the lid where it said flavor seal. I explained that it meant the lid to keep the taste fresh. He then proceeded to lick the paper lid and said...it doesn't taste like anything!! He did it all so fast before I could stop him from licking it but it WAS funny! He pointed again to the FLAVOR SEAL labeling. I guess that is what you get when you have a reader!

Words of Wisdom from Logan

2009-02-06T19:50:00.001-06:00

This is what I was just asked....?!

Logan: "Mom did you know that fleas mainly live in the woods?"

Me: "Really?"

Logan: "Yea...so you really don't have to worry about them getting you!"

Hmmmm....I didn't realise that I had been losing sleep over fleas...

**Disclaimer: We have never had nor thought we had fleas in our house.

Should I be Worried?!

2009-02-01T12:08:00.001-06:00

Whenever I hear a door close when one of the boys go into a bathroom I get a little concerned. It usually means a clogged up toilet from stuffing rolls of toilet paper in the toilet or they are taking something in there they don't want me to see. Nothing good ever comes from them closing a door and since none of the boys are known for their modesty when it comes to the bathroom this is a bad thing. I won't bore you with the details of the things I've seen. Let's just say that I feel like I live in my own personal version of Animal House. The other day I heard the door...went to investigate and found the above. Landon had been trying on my make-up. I guess I can take solace in the fact that he didn't do a good job with it AND my toilets aren't clogged!

My Trend Spotter

2009-01-31T10:29:00.004-06:00

I've blogged before how my kids are fascinated my infomercials and always tell me what and why I need the things that they see on tv. Logan has been telling me that I need a Snuggie for quite sometime now. I will admit that they look comfortable but I didn't really think it would do much more than the zillion blankets that we already have around here. Fast forward to yesterday as I sat child free listening to CNN while working on some paperwork. (Paperwork sounds better than reading Face book doesn't it?!) On comes a blurb on the popularity of the Snuggie. I guess it has hit America by storm. So either Logan has a real talent for spotting trends or the whole country in one of the biggest recessions are purchasing things like a 6 year old!? I cut and pasted an article from USA today also for your reading enjoyment. Hmmm I wonder how long it takes for shipping....?

By Maria Puente, USA TODAY
The Cult of the Snuggie threatens to take over America! Or at least, a substantial number — 4 million — of late-night couch spuds.
The Snuggie, an oversized fleece blanket with sleeves, stars in a ubiquitous TV ad so cheesy it's practically art, and apparently wildly entertaining. The ad shows people wearing Snuggies at a sporting event, cheering and high-fiving each other while dressed … sort of like medieval monks.

"Every once in a while, a product transcends advertising to become part of pop culture," says Scott Boilen, president and CEO of Allstar Products Group of Hawthorne, N.Y., which conceived and markets the China-made Snuggie.

Indeed, Snuggies seem to be everywhere. See them on Facebook — nearly 250 groups, pro and con; one fan club lists 5,999 members. Watch them on YouTube — nearly 300 parody videos posted, including one titled "The Cult of the Snuggie," with 146,000 views as of Tuesday.

My own bookworm

2009-01-30T10:43:00.005-06:00

Every day Logan brings home two books from the school library. He loves to go there and was so excited last year when he got the privlege of two books rather than one. Each night we read them and he studies them thoroughly. His typical choices are non-fiction resource books about science, rocks or birds etc. Not easy read selections at all. Poor Steve gets the bulk of the job of reading those. I tend to take on the bedtime reading of Boxcar Children etc to all the boys. Much more fun! Now Logan is also a big thinker...this morning as we were leaving and he packed up his backpack with yesterdays selection he said "Mom...do you think I will read all of the books in the LMC before I leave Steck?" I told him he has a good chance!! Wait until I tell Steve about that one! I did some checking when I ran into the LMC director this morning at drop off and he will have to read 14,000 books...wow! Get reading Logan!

My companion of the week

2009-01-29T22:23:00.000-06:00

Poor Lake has been the last victim of the germs that have hit our house over the last two weeks. He has been a good sport though and isn't as high maintenance as some of his brothers. Today he told me he wants to be my "helper" so I let him! I think he may have a future in cleaning...

The New Math Method

2009-01-28T11:36:00.001-06:00

This is what I found when coming into the kitchen yesterday. Lawson and Landon had a pile of Hershey Kiss Chocolates lined up on a little wagon and were counting them. I stopped listening after 89...I have to say I hadn't thought of practice oounting with chocolate but it makes sense! Now I know where all of the chocolate goes. I guess anything for an education!

You know you are living in 2009 when...

2009-01-28T09:27:00.001-06:00

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7.. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

AND NOW U R LAUGHING AT YOURSELF

3 Down...1 to go...

2009-01-27T22:44:00.014-06:00

Poor Lake was the latest victim of the bug that has hit our house for the last week. Lawson was first and missed 3 out of 4 days of school last week and ended up having pneumonia. Landon stayed home yesterday with a really bad cough and needed breathing treatments all weekend. He didn't want to go and pick up the boys after school...he thought they should just stay there! When we did pick them up yesterday Lake came home with a fever and fought it off all day today too. He spent most of the day just sitting on the sofa watching TV. He asked me about every half hour if it was time to pick "his" boys yet. When they were all home and the dust settled I heard Landon and Lawson searching for Lake and they asked me if I had seen him. I was working on a PTA project and didn't really pay much attention. Eventually as I heard them look some more I decided I had better investigate. Poor Lake had fallen asleep on the family room floor. Take a look...

The poor kid was so tired that he fell asleep while Logan played Star Wars Lego Wii Game on full volume and Logan was kind of trouncing on him!!

You're Fired!

2009-01-26T20:08:00.002-06:00

Last week on the way home from school the boys got kind of loud and obnoxious and I guess I must have raised my voice louder than Landon felt was acceptable. He yelled out "Mommy...You are Fired!" I took all I could do not to laugh outloud. Logan was horrified that he would say such a thing and told him he couldn't do that. Maybe I have a mini Donald Trump here since he has the line down very well... If only getting a break from this thankless job was so easy...

Happy 9th Anniversary!

2009-01-24T15:48:00.004-06:00

I have to force Steve to read my blog (maybe a good thing) so he probably won't see this but "Happy Anniversary" in case he does. Don't worry I got him a Hallmark card in case he doesn't see it! No big plans today. Lawson has pnenomia and we have no sitter lined up. What could be better than a January night spent at home with your kids anyway? Well...Maui maybe. When we got married we promised to go back to Maui every 5 years to celebrate. I know we both really believed it when we said it but 4 kids in 14 months really gets in the way of a lot of plans. Having 4 kids (especially triplets) never entered our minds 9 years ago either. Regardless...here we are and Hawaai will have to wait. Technically we have only missed one trip... Maybe next year right?

25 things about me

2009-01-22T23:25:00.003-06:00

I've been hanging out on Facebook and got tagged by a friend. I thought since I'm tired and feeling lazy it would be a nice filler.

1. I am very competitive and love to win!
2. My whole life I planned on having only daughters but ended up with 4 sons and I'm glad.
3. I've always wanted to adopt a daughter from China.
4. My dad bought me a Kawasaki125 motorcyle in 8th grade as a bribe for moving.
5. My 1st job was detassleing corn.
6. I have a huge barbie doll collection from childhood.
7. I have studied Feng Shui.
8. Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday and my 1st son was born then.
9. I love Spring.
10. I got married on a beach in Maui.
11. I would love to move to Maui someday.
12. I fantasize about making my family go naked so I can catch up on laundry!
13. I'm often guilty of over-committing and I am such a joiner that even if I have no time available I volunteer anyway.
14. I love to garden.
15. I love color and use it freely in my decorating.
16. I am addicted to chocolate.
17. I make an awesome Chocolate Creme Brulee.
18. My boys tell me that they will live with me forever and I like the idea!
19. I had a huge crush on Shaun Cassidy as a pre-teen.
20. I love to shop...boutiques, grocery stores, gas stations, hospital gift shops...I can always find something to buy in any place.
21. I have bookshelves full of parenting books but never have had time to open even one.
22. I always wanted to name a son Wyatt after my maiden name. Steve disagreed.
23. I had my belly button pierced back in my 20's.
24. When I was growing up I wanted to be a fashion designer and ended being an interior designer.
25. I love it when things are organized but am not good at maintaining it.

My little artist

2009-01-21T08:17:00.001-06:00

This weather is murder on your car! Dirt, salt and other misc. grime all over making my shiny black Yukon look dull, dusty grey. Well...apparently some little Picaso in my house thought it needed some sprucing up....Here is what I came out to today. A natural talent don't you think?! I think Lake is the culprit here.

A Historical Day through the eyes of a little kid...

2009-01-20T22:30:00.003-06:00

We got up this morning and I told the boys that today is a very important day and that it is inaguration day. They were very curious and had lots of questions. First they wanted to know what an inaguration is. The best description that I could come up with on their level was that is a ceremony kind of like a wedding marrying the president to the country. That seemed to suffice for now. Then the questions started like how many stars the flag has...why do we have to wear red, white, and blue today? The questions go on and on. They were excited that he is coming to the Whitehouse from Illinois. My favorite though was when Logan said "If my dad were president he would make the whole country clean up!!" Then he said that he would vote for me for president and I asked him what I am good at and he said..."MEETINGS!!" I am not really sure what to think of that! I do know that I'm glad it is over because I'm tired of the boys fighting over how to pronounce Barack Obama and I would selfishly like more channels of tv for them to watch!

Hey 4 eyes!!!

2009-01-20T08:05:00.000-06:00

I remember when I got glasses in 4th grade I hated how they looked! I hated those things (except loved finally being able to see!!) for years until in 11th grade I finally got contacts. When 3 of the boys were diagnosed with a need for glasses I was dissapointed although not surprised. THey have mainly been troopers and have had them for about 1 1/2 years now. They do look sweet in them although I still wish they didnt' need them. It isn't easy to keep track of and maintain 3 pairs. Well...yesterday we added another person in our family to wear glasses...Landon. Now if you are thinking that Landon is my favorite or anything because he gets more blog time than anyone else ...he isn't (none are!!) but he gives me A LOT of material!! We went for a glass adjustment yesteday and as we were finishing up Landon became pretty distressed. "WHAT ABOUT ME!!??" He really wanted glasses. We have gone through this every time but usually a quick pair of sunglasses suffice and we are on our way. Not yesterday!! We had a really nice lady who took pity on him and offered to sell us a non-prescription pair to satisfy him. We had thought of this before but they tried to charge us the full price. This lady just did frames only. He is in love. He insisted on wearing them to school today and when I picked him up I asked if he really wore them. YEP! ALL DAY LONG they reported! Go figure... I spent 7 years trying to get out of them and he has spent over a year begging to get them and he doesn't even need them! Here he is...what do you think?

We survived!

2009-01-19T20:50:00.000-06:00

I thought I would check back in at the end of our 5 day "vacation" and let you all know we are still alive and kickin' (meaning that in more ways than one!) We hit church yesterday and that was the first time I had been outside since Wednesday! We then went out to lunch to Mongolian Barbecue (not a big hit with Logan of course) and then shopping for a new phone. Steve has been bugging me to get a new one for a couple of months so we went shopping. He wanted me to get a Blackberry and I wanted an I-phone or just keep the basic model that I had. After hours of shopping we finally took a look at the I-phone and I convinced him that was the best one! Now the funny part of the story...Landon loves electronic things...computers, phones, TVs, remote controls...if it electronic he is all over it. At the first store the boys picked up these little paper cards that looked like a phone. Landon went around talking into it the whole time and calling it his "phone." It really was just a photo of a Blackberry with all the info on the back. At the next store it got more interesting. Since Steve was the one who needed convinced on the phone choice he spent some time looking at it with the salesman. Landon was there listening to the whole thing. He and the salesman were best friends before we were done. It took forever but eventually the new phone was choicen, programmed and ready to go. I still had my old phone and of course Landon started eyeing it. He asked for it so I gave it to him. I can't believe that we wasted money on gifts for the boys at Christmas! They played with my old phone all night last night and all day today! Of course it doesn't make calls anymore but it still takes photos and has games on it. The funniest thing about it now? Tonight after bath time...Landon kept insisting tha the needed his "I-phone" before bed. Steve thinks that he is confused thinking it is "my"/I phone but I saw the way he was listening yesterday...he knows what an I-phone is and my guess is that he will be the next one around her getting one! That stubborn streak of his works for him and takes him places!!

We're on a 5 day "vacation!"

2009-01-15T21:24:00.002-06:00

Vacation may not be exactly what I think of the next 5 days are going to feel like but but I'm hoping if I can think of it that way maybe it will be more enjoyable!! Today it is so cold in Chicagoland that school was cancelled. This means that the winter party from back in December got cancelled again. Besides the cancelled party a day off from school should be fun right? Well...the problem is that we already have tomorrow off for a teacher work day tomorrow and Monday off for Martin Luther King Day. That makes 5 days of cabin fever with 4 little bodies that will be running, jumping, talking, drawing, and generally just major mess making in my house! I broke down today and gave them a new Wii game to play. That did buy me some quiet time so I'm trying to think of some activites for tomorrow. If anyone comes up with anything please let me know!

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-01-14T21:20:00.001-06:00

Got this from my friend Ellen!

YEA! School is back in session!!!

2009-01-05T23:03:00.001-06:00

Enough said!!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T19:34:00.004-06:00

We ended 2008 with dinner at home and a movie. We had planned to go to some friends house for a party but they ended up sick. I'm feeling like skipping the sickness is a great start to 2009 for us!! Get well Wishes to Outnumbermommy! We saw Madagascar 2 awhile back so Lawson asked Santa for Madagascar 1 for Christmas. We watched it and once again Lake fell asleep in the middle and Landon right before the end. While in Iowa we went to bedtime stories and the same two boys fell asleep during that too! We ate our favorite dessert from Hugo Frog's and called it a night! I'm still contemplating my resolutions for 2009 so I will have to get back to you on those! Happy New Year!!

Popular Picks for 2008!

2008-12-30T10:56:00.015-06:00

The boys make a Christmas list each year and in addition I see things that I think are cool and they might like. After last year when Logan questioned why Santa brought certain things that weren't on the list I decided to try a new angle this year. I would work from "The List" and probably save a lot of stress and even money. Well...it kind of worked. I strayed only slightly and those items were a big hit so it was a win win sitution. Now for some of the things I knew from the beginning that they wouldn't be played with and I was mostly right. Some things they love so all is well. I thougth it would be fun for the boys later in life to see what they liked when they were 5 and 6 years old. There seems to be a recurrent Alien theme going on...

The Hit List:
Martian Matters Alien Maker for Logan
Mega Rig Space Shuttle for Logan
Ben 10 Kevin Levin Car for Logan
Spongebob Movie for Landon
Guess Who game for Landon
Ben 10 Omnitrix for Lawson
Ben 10 Alien Creation Chamber for Lawson
Ben 10 Alien Space Ships for Lawson
Bisquit the dog for Lake
Incredible Hulk Smash Hands for Lake (more on this later...)

The Miss List:
Pokemom Battle Playset for Logan (This had been #1 on his list!!)
Starwars Voice Changer Helmut ($30!!!) for Landon
Batman Tumbling Car for Landon
Speedracer cars for Landon
Hotwheels Trick Trax for Lake
Build your own Dinosaur for Lake

They don't hate the toys on the miss list but they aren't playing with them either! Lawson really didn't have any misses so either he chose wisely or will play with anything. He really loves the Wii. Landon did hate a few other gifts and apparently we have some manners to work on before next year! Apparently he doesn't like Ironman pajamas, Ironman sweatshirts or books about Racoons. He didn't try to hide it either. Luckily everyone loves the off list purchase of the Wii so that is keeping them busy.

Christmas Catch Up!

2008-12-26T00:01:00.001-06:00

Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve...I know...I'm behind. The trip to Iowa began a day earlier than planned and two whole days ahead to grandma and grandpa's house since the weather looked ominous. We had planned on going to Des Moines for an overnight but that got snowed out too. All was well though...we had a great time and just relaxed. It is rare that I actually sit down and I have to admit it was nice! I'll post more pictures of Christmas later! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

A Hallmark moment...

2008-12-21T20:09:00.010-06:00

Tonight Steve was addressing some of his Christmas Cards (I don't do his since he sends a zillion cards to people I have never heard of...)and Landon was watching him. As Steve was putting the return address labels on them (they have caricatures of our family on them) Landon looked at them and named each of us...but when he did Steve he pointed out that it was "wrong" because Daddy doesn't have hair anymore...I thought I would die laughing. To give Steve credit..he did get it cut a couple of weeks ago so he didn't "lose" all that Landon was insinuating! Landon must have been on some sort of hair alert today because at church he was rubbing a man's bald head when the guy bent down to speak to him!! Ugh...looks like some etiquette lessons for the boys is on my wish list for Christmas. I just found a photo of Steve right after the haircut...it's REALLY short...check it out! Oh..and excuse the reindeer ears!

The countdown continues...

2008-12-16T06:59:00.000-06:00

I think traditions in a family are very important. Kind of like when I was growing we always went driving around looking at Christmas lights at night we always had chili on Christmas Eve, and I always begged to open one present on Christmas Eve and when I finally convinced my dad to let me it was always new pajamas. We have lots of traditions started already with the boys. One of them is our Advent House. It is a big wooden house with 24 little doors to open. Each day it is someone's turn to open one and pass out the treat that the hole contains. Sometimes it's candy, sometimes a coin, and sometimes a note leading to a special surprise. It is fun for the first couple of days but this house IS DRIVING ME NUTS!! We have an order that we go in but they still are pushing and shoving to get to the door to see what it holds for the day. Somedays someone doesn't like the treat that it contains. Sometimes I forget and have to postphone it until later in the day. Why can't I be organized enough to have the whole 24 days filled at the beginning of Decemeber when it begins? Well...I know that answer...because they would cheat and look ahead. Anyway...they do love this house and hopefully someday I will again love it too. I really prefer the chocolate filled one that Jingle brought!

Manic Monday...

2008-12-15T23:38:00.003-06:00

I got up this morning after only a few hours of sleep. I was working on a bulletin board design for the PTA. I sort of took on a little too much at school and chair several committees on the PTA. I'm the Box top coordinator and want the bulletin board up before the Winter room parties begin on Friday. Did I mention that I'm the room mom for 1st grade too and had to help plan and execute the winter party? Anyway...I digress...I got up, got everyone ready and at 8:30 this morning I remembered (while changing a hearing aid battery for Lake) that I needed to take Lake and Landon to Romeoville for some hearing tests. The weather was bone chilling cold and the roads were ice but we made it there after dropping off the other two boys at school. I felt a little funny because Landon was in pajamas because his class calendar had today as Polar Express Day but I just explained that when we went to the testing. The kids all wear pj's to school and the teacher reads the Polar Express to them and they get lots of treats and hot cocoa. I rushed him back to school by 1 so he could participate. I asked him how it was and he just smiled and said he would be wearing pj's Tuesday and Wednesday too. I forgot to mention that is is also Spirit Week at school and tomorrow is crazy clothes day and Wednesday is pj day. Hmmm..whatever...Tomorrow Lake and Lawson's calendar says it is Polar Express Day so they will wear pj's. Tonight I had to run to Target and I ran into a mom that I know who has a daughter in K-L. She mentions how excited Morgan is about the Polar Express Day and that she is coming to school tomorrow (she's been out sick) and is thrilled. I bet my face went from white to red in 2 seconds. I said...ummm today was Polar Express day...She said no it is tomorrow. I asked her which class she is in and she confirmed in Landon's' class. UH-OH! Please tell me that I didn't send my child to school today in pj's when it wasn't pj day! I ran home and checked his calendar and sure enough it does say Polar Express Day is today. Lake and Lawson's calendar say tomorrow so I won't know the answer until tomorrow. I thought it was odd that K-L was having the Polar Express Day on a different day that K-B and K-S but thought it was a space issue or something. I will report back tomorrow!! I guess either way Landon gets to wear pajama's this week and if he was the only one he didn't seem to mind!

More Jingle Adventures...

2008-12-14T07:26:00.001-06:00

Jingle finally made it back from his mission at the North Pole with the candy cane fiasco. And Jingle has been a busy elf this week! He came back from his long trip and told the boys a story about riding an Ostrich! Then since they are too big to ride one he gave them these really cool pens to write with! They have been using them non-stop! Then the next day he said that since we have so many kids here at our house he needed some help. When the boys came home from school Jingle had rounded up all the Webkins and Beanie babies and had deputized them! Each animal had a badge and everything! The boys are on extra special behaviour with more eyes on them!!

2008-12-13T19:31:00.002-06:00

Our Visit with the Big Guy!

2008-12-13T19:11:00.004-06:00

We made our annual trip to see Santa today in downtown Naperville. It is a pretty nice set-up where they have Santa in the warming house on the Riverwalk. You go into a little shelter and they serve you free hot chocolate and popcorn while you wait for your turn to go in see Santa. He is in a nice room (with heat!!) and you privately get your photos and tell him your desires. They have you fill out some info on the kids before you go in so he seems very familiar with your kids. It works like a charm. My favorite part was when he looked at Logan's list and said (with no help from me I might add...) "You know I can't bring EVERYTHING on this list right?" I've been telling Logan that for a month but actually hearing it come from Santa himself should help things along on Christmas morning. Noone was afraid but they were very quiet and polite. After we went to Lou Malnattis for pizza and chocolate chip cookies. The boys love going there every year as much as they love to go see Santa. This time we order Calamari and Lawson asked what is was...I said "squid" and he asked to try it. He ate more than half!! His words..."This is awesome!" What a kid! It is now 7:15 and the boys are already in bed...it was a big day!

A cool gift idea for the person who has everything...

2008-12-12T06:59:00.004-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to shop! It really doesn't matter what I am shopping for...groceries, furniture, accessories, clothes (except I hate shopping with Steve for things for him)I love to shop. I was browsing thorough the Costco website a couple of weeks ago and saw those throws and you could have a photo put onto it. I showed it to Steve since he was in the room and he wanted me to order one for his mom for Christmas. I did it (and ordered myself some things as payment for my shopping services...) and it came yesterday. It turned out very cool. I'm usually not into things like this but the photo I chose really is subtle. The boys loved and have been posing by it. The photo of them is larger than them in person. I highly recommend this idea for the person who has everything. I should have ordered one for my mom too! (Sorry mom...you aren't getting one of these...maybe Mother's Day?!)

Two surprises from Jingle for Tuesday!

2008-12-10T22:32:00.006-06:00

Tuesday started out great with Jingle leaving a new toy for the boys to share. It was a Hot Wheels toy and the boys loved playing with it before school. After school Jingle left a note with a plate of cupcakes ...

Hi Boys! I got a call from Santa today and we are having a production line problem with the candy canes...He really needs my help so tonight when I go to give my behavior report tonight I need to stay to help out or there won't be any candy canes for Christmas this year. Here is an early treat of cupcakes...I will be back as soon as I can! Be good!!!

Love,
Jingle

So we haven't seen Jingle since yesterday. He wasn't here this morning but we keep waiting. I hope he makes it back tomorrow...we miss him!!

Snowboots, snowpants, hats, mittens and more...

2008-12-09T22:19:00.003-06:00

Why of why do I live in the snowy midwest with 4 small children to dress? I finally broke down over the weekend and purchased the snowpants for the season. Last year I bought 4 new pairs and never took the tags off but of course they don't fit this year. This year I haven't been so lucky. I have been told by 3 five year olds that if you don't have snowpants on at recess (I think recess lasts about 10 minutes!!) you can't leave the blacktop on the playground. I don't know why they think that they NEED to leave the blacktop because I don't believe that they are allowed to pick up snow anyway....but I was harassed all last week to buy snowpants. So now that we have them the boys rush to get into them each morning. Today it was 40 degrees and pouring rain. They stood in the driveway this morning soaking up the raindrops. Buckling them into carseats soaking wet was not fun. I can understand somewhat that they want snowpants but why do they want to wear them TO school? They go right inside from in front of the door. They really don't even need boots for the walk in. So here we are every morning...Coat? Check! Snowpants? Check! Boots? Check! (I need to add socks to this because Landon somehow missed that step at least two days last week!!) Hat? Check! Gloves? Check! Add to this list a packed lunch, homework folder packed in the backpack, and a spare pair of shoes to wear when you get into the classroom. Oh...and don't forget glasses for 3, hearing aids for 2! Well...on the bright side summer vacation will be here in only 177 more days and shortly before that we won't need snowpants anymore... I'm tired just thinking about doing it again tomorrow!

Jingle

2008-12-08T20:43:00.008-06:00

Our Elf Jingle arrived last week and has kept us hopping ever since. The boys have been waiting all year long for him to come back and they have been thrilled once again to wake up every morning to see what mischief he has been up to. So far he has brought Advent Calendars, left giant chocolate bars, a Christmas Tree Gingerbread kit, new Jibbitz, a recipe for cinnamon ornaments that we made, christmas card kits for making our own cards, and a new I SPY Bingo game. He has been found playing in a elf size ballpit and climbing the chandelier. You just never know what he is going to do next. Tonight we were at the mall and we caught a glimpse of him in the Hallmark store!! I told the boys he was sneaky...

A little backtracking...

2008-12-07T21:50:00.001-06:00

I've been pretty busy so I've been neglecting this blog for a couple of weeks. We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving (well...as quiet as you an have with 4 small boys!) The boys brought home lists of things that they are thankful for and Logan left off his brothers "because I ran out of room" but Mom and Dad along with Mrs. Erwin made the list. Lake is again thankful for his dog this year (!?) We STILL don't have a dog but he continues to be thankful for it. We ate a nice dinner at home and the boys had a big game of touch football during the afternoon. Lawson was sick so he stayed inside with Mommy but we watched from the window. Then we all went on a rock hunting expedition for Logan's first grade project. On Friday Steve took Landon and Lake to the Christmas Parade while Logan and Lawson decorated the Sports themed tree in their room. Over the long weekend we went shopping so the boys could make their lists for Santa. It is very interesting to watch their little minds think about what they want to ask for and why. Logan has a list about 15 items long while the other boys were less "needy/greedy."

Charity Starts at Home...

2008-12-07T10:39:00.002-06:00

Yesterday after a full day of shopping, donating, Santa visits, pancakes breakfasts and haircuts I overheard the boys talking. Lake had "recycled" a empty milk jug because he was goin got make a "money collector." This of course made my ears perk up and I went to invesitigate. When I asked Lake how he was going to collect money with his jug he said that he would just put it out and people would walk by and stuff money into it. I guess he HAS noticed the Salvation Army collection people. Then I asked what he was going to do with his money. He replied "I'm going to give it to Logan!" So either the spirit of giving has touched Lake or he has really picked up on the oldest childs obsession with money and it going to help him out. I wonder if I should be worried?!

The BEST pumpkin muffins ever

2008-11-25T08:41:00.000-06:00

This recipe was given to me by a friend and is the perfect way to use up some of my stockpile cake mixes. I used a carrot cake mix and these are to die for! Even the boys loved them....they were moist for a week and maybe longer but we ate them all.

1 box of cake mix (I used carrot but spice would be good too!)
1 egg
1 can of pumpkin (the small size)
1 shot of oil
1 egg

Mix all together and put into muffin tins. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake at 350 until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Mine only took about 20 minutes. Let me know if you try them!!

A list making trip to the toy store and more...

2008-11-22T15:20:00.004-06:00

We have spread our Christmas list making trips over the last two weekends this year and today had a little bonus. We were done looking and Steve was paying for the new snow boots and I took the boys over near a bench to wait for him to finish paying. There sat two little old ladies who were VERY old. They were poking at each other and pointing to the boys and of course as all triplet mom's expect ...they started up a conversation with me. They wanted to know if they were twins, how old etc...They were very sweet women and I answered all of the questions politely. Now during all of this Landon hadn't been paying much attention. Well..unfortunately that changed. He took one look at the ladies and said..."TWO old ladies!!" I could have died but they were hard of hearing and his speech (fortunately today!!!!) isn't always very clear so they didn't understand him. Then he pointed to his mouth and loudly said...."Did you swallow a fly AND why?!" If you are a regular reader of my blog I have previously mentioned his obsession with that book. It all came together today! Apparently these are the first old ladies that he has ever met and he has been wanting to ask this question. I really wanted to crawl under the check out desk but instead just smiled pleasantly and said "Time to go boys!!" and we were out the door with me laughing so hard that I had tears streaming down my face. Never a dull moment around here.....In case you are wondering...the nice little old ladies didn't seem to understand any of this so I think we are ok...

Football Sunday's

2008-11-21T08:20:00.000-06:00

Last weekend when we were emptying the master closet Steve pulled the never used exercise bike out and set it up in front of the bedroom tv for its first use ever!! We had lots of takers for rides and Steve was worn out after the first kid. It must be some sort of guy thing to watch football and exercise? Or maybe it was just a way to get out of the work of moving all of those clothes?! At least the boys waited patiently for their turn...

The finished year long project...

2008-11-20T07:40:00.001-06:00

Here are the long awaited Master Bathroom project. A leak started the project last December and then between finding someone who could figure out what was wrong (I KNEW the boys don't splash as much as one guy insisted!!) getting a 2nd opinion, ordering parts and then finding and scheduling tile installers, painters, electricans and plumbers the project went on and on. It was kind of like being back at work except for the 4 little guys running around asking tons of questions of the workers. I believe I mentioned them asking workers where there teeth, hair etc were? Besides being pleased with the final result I am sooooo glad this project is over!

Wordless Wednesday...(Just because he is so cute!)

2008-11-19T07:38:00.000-06:00

My Closet

2008-11-18T19:05:00.009-06:00

Here is my freshly painted closet. The closet is gigantic and was the main selling point on buying this house. When we first moved her from Iowa the window treatments hadn't come in yet and we ended up throwing a mattress on the floor in the closet to sleep. Since the window in the shoe nook is high up it gave us privacy and a little bit of darkness. It was a HUGE job moving all of the clothes out of the room and I ended up donating two HUGE trash bags full to charity. I have way too many clothes that don't fit but still never have anything to wear! This is my proof that my boys didn't get their closet stuffing habit from me!

Are you a closet stuffer?

2008-11-17T11:20:00.000-06:00

I am a decent house keeper. It isn't perfect all of the time but I am working on it all of the time. Now I will admit if a guest knocked on the door I may have a tendency to stuff something out of site temporarily but my guys have taken it to an all new level! For the past couple of weekends Logan says (all on his own) that he is going up to clean the toyroom. Well..in my all day quest today looking for a lost library book here is what I find...

I can't even get the door open. I am going to have to reach my hand in and pull all of the items that are blocking the door before I can even attempt to clean it up. It looks like an all day project doesn't it? Ugh...off to work on it....no wonder the rest of the toyroom looked so clean! I would like to add that my closet doesn't look like this. In fact I just had it painted last week so I will post a photo tomorrow of the new color. I've had a couple of requests for the finished bathroom so watch for those too!

One little, two little, three little indians...

2008-11-14T20:56:00.003-06:00

Last night Logan came home from school telling me about the unit he is studying on indians of the Great Plains. I listened and then hoping to impress him I mentioned that we have some indian blood in our family on my dad's side of the family. I expected him to be excited but for some reason he was horrified! His first reaction was "Indian Blood?! How do I get it out!!??" I thought I was going to die from laughing so hard! Needless to say Logan found no humor in it...I quizzed my dad today for more information and we think that he is part Cherokee indian which lived in the Kentucky region that he is from. Well...if anything else ...the boys act like indians on some days!

Aloha Chicken

2008-11-13T17:12:00.003-06:00

I found this recipe today and thought it looked good. What better place to put it where I can find it then here? I plan on trying it this week. I have almost all of the Goosebury Patch Cookbooks and the recipes are typically excellent. I'll let you know how it tastes.

Aloha Chicken
From Gooseberry Patch’s Slow Cooker Recipes

4
lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

20
ounces pineapple chunks

11
ounces mandarin oranges, drained

1
green or red pepper, chopped

1/4
cup onion, chopped

1
garlic clove, minced

1
tablespoon soy sauce

1
teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Arrange chicken in slow cooker; set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients; pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours
Serves 8-10

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-12T05:03:00.000-06:00

Happy Veterans Day

2008-11-11T20:18:00.002-06:00

Happy Veterans Day! Thank You Veterans for all that you have done or continue to do to protect our freedom and our country!

Frog and Toad and Logan...

2008-11-09T11:17:00.006-06:00

Logan has been bitten by the reading bug. I suspect he has been able to read for quite some time but enjoyed the attention of someone reading to him. Who can blame him with three younger brothers? I picked up a book of Frog and Toad at a thrift store for $1.21 and although I had never heard of it I thought since it said Easy to Read that it would keep someone entertained around here. And I guess I should admit that it was book fair week at school and they were dying to buy books. A book fair with 4 kids is not a cheap excursion. The $30 that we spent there balanced out nicely with the new favorite used book for $1.21! Can you believe that I spent $30 on new paperback books that I haven't seen anyone read since the first day but the $1.21 used hardcover treasury collection is a big hit?! So anyway...Logan has been reading Frog and Toad aloud to me wherever he can catch me. I have heard it while in the shower, while cooking, while trying to watch tv...everywhere~! I have to admit I was a little excited when we were at story number 14 out of the 15 that it contains. My entertainment was almost over!! I mentioned it to my friend Theresa and she said these were a favorite of hers when she was growing up so I was glad that I had it. Well...Logan is a thinker and started wondering if the author had written any other Frog and Toad stories. I told him that we would go online and check sometime and maybe we could get more someday. Well...my children aren't really known for their patience and Logan was very persistent wanting to go online and look. Sure enough there was one more book and he wanted to save up and buy it. How can any parent make their child save for a book? I caved and we had a "date" last night and went to Barnes and Noble and bought it. He wrangled another book out of me too (about bugs...) but who can say no to an excited new reader?! Now to go and listen to 5 more Frog and Toad stories...

Chef Landon

2008-11-06T06:36:00.005-06:00

Landon loves to be my helper. He follows me around asking if he can "help" me and is very persistent. Besides wanting to "help" me all of the time he also likes to play restaurant (resternaut is the pronunciation here!)...he gets a towel and puts it either around his waist to be the Chef or over his arm to be the maitre d. I finally got him an apron (missing from the picture) and a chef hat so he could pretend more easily. Here he has gone past pretending and is actually helping make some soup. It really tasted good too!

Popcorn anyone?

2008-11-05T10:02:00.003-06:00

Our school teaches our kindergartners that the name for words that keep "popping" up in reading is a popcorn word. The boys talk about them all of the time and Lake's teacher sent home a special popcorn bag to keep them in. She sends one home each week (they are on yellow popcorn shaped paper..very cute) and we are supposed to put it in the bag and go over them. Well...she also said keep them safe so we really don't get ours down from the top of the refrigerator very often. We did happen to get them down over the weekend and here is a picture that I captured. Lake was eating popcorn, studying his popcorn words and copying them onto paper. He is such a good little student!

Election Day!!!

2008-11-04T00:17:00.007-06:00

In honor of election day here is a video of Lawson saying the Pledge of Allegiance. He does it flawlessly and I'm guessing he probably does a better job with all of the words than some adults that I know! I had a hard time selecting which version to use because Logan tried to edge in on the show. The other version is just a nice tame one but I decided on the more true version of our life at this time. They kind of remind me of the candidates this year! I know that I'm probably biased but I think Lawson did a great job!! Enjoy!

Ewwwww.....

2008-11-02T22:36:00.003-06:00

For the last 6 years we have bought pumpkins but really never get around to carving them. Fast forward to this year and the boys begged daily to see if today was the day that we would carve the pumpkins...I finally caved and we brought in the pumpkins. Of course the boys aren't capable of using knives to carve the pumpkins yet but were capable of cleaning them out of seeds. Who do you think cleaned out the pumpkins? Lake and Lawson did a decent job but Logan lasted about 30 seconds and then needed gloves. Landon liked looking but wasn't really very interested in scooping out pumpkin guts either! There was lots of boy humor joking about the "guts" and pumpkin "poop!" They did chose the carving that they wanted me to do...it was an all evening job. Can they do it on there own next time? Maybe next year right?

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:34:00.007-05:00

It was a busy day at our house. I was room mom for the first grade Halloween party and of course had to stop by each of the other boys parties to say hi. The school has an annual Halloween parade with all of the kids in their costumes which is really cute. All the kids line up with their class and parade around the outside of the building for the parents to see. Apparently no one in our neighborhood is employed because it is standing room only! I will post those pictures when I have more time. After school we picked up Happy Meals and came home to get ready to trick or treat. As you can see we got tons of candy (and this picture is just the banned nut stuff!!!) We went out around 5 and came home around 7. We would have done the last half hour but Lake insisted that "We have ENOUGH candy now!!" I hope to hold that over his head at some later date! Everyone was exhausted from a big day and a lot of sugar. Usually we pile all 4 bags into one big pile in the middle of the floor but just as me picking the costumes has been banned...this was a fight too. The boys insisted on keeping their own pile separated. I should have known this was coming because we stopped at home midpoint to empty the bags (a conscientious mom probably would have called it a night and that was enough...but....)and they were all concerned how i was piling it! I guess that they are really growing up!

Cool or Tacky?!

2008-10-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

There is a house in Naperville that we drive by each Halloween. This is the first year that all 4 boys really appreciate the decorations. I'm pretty sure what I think of it but the boys just LOVE it! The yard is full of decorations for Halloween. And when I say full I mean FULL! Not quite the subtle, tasteful fall adornment that I prefer but the boys love it! What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Trunk or Treating...

2008-10-28T20:50:00.009-05:00

Our church has an annual fall festival/Halloween party and we have been taking the boys almost since the beginning. The festival has lots of craft stations, cookie decorating, bouncy house, games, pumpkin decorating etc. At the end people in the church line up their cars and give out candy...it's called trunk or treating. The boys love it and I have to say it is a really efficient way to get candy! Logan's costume hasn't come yet and he refused to dress up in anything other than BEN 10 so he just tagged along in regular clothes. The other boys were Super Heros. Here are a few shots of them.

Do you think it bounces?

2008-10-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

First let me start that Landon loves basketballs. If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up ...he wants to be a basketball player. He likes to watch them go into the hoop. He likes to sit on them and roll around and even just likes to hold them. He also loves to throw them really hard at the ground and see them bounce up. Well...not all basketballs bounce. Last Saturday we all went to Hobby lobby to look for a lamp. Again...taking 4 boys along to Hobby Lobby wouldn't be my first choice but Steve wanted to go for some reason... (possibly not wanting to be left home alone with 4 little boys while I went off shopping?!) we arrived and off Steve went with three of the boys and Landon followed me over to the "sports" themed section. He immediately went to a resin basketball bank and grabbed it and threw it with all of his might onto the floor to see the "bounce." Well...unfortuately it was made of resin and not of rubber...the look on his face was priceless...it was a mix of confusion that the ball didn't bounce and a look of horror to see what my reaction was going to be with the pile of debris laying in front of us? Well...hopefully I passed the test. I didn't wig out since I knew that he really thought it was just a real basketball for bouncing. I tried to use it as a lesson and we went to find someone to help us clean it up and offer to pay for it. We ended up with a really nice manager who cleaned up the pieces and was actually more concerned that Landon was hurt (he wasn't.) We didn't have to pay for it (well...I was buying 4 banks anyway so I think they knew they were already getting their money's worth out of me!) Landon said "Uh oh...I'm sorry" and we were quickly forgiven. Now when he sees a basketball he mentions Hobby Lobby and tells me "It didn't bounce!"

Happy Birthday Kim!

2008-10-26T06:14:00.001-05:00

When my mom told me that I was going to be a big sister I remember specifically requesting that it needed to be a sister. I did not want a brother and was adamnent about that fact. Fortunately I got one and 34 years ago my sister was born. She wasn't quite big enough to play with but eventually she was entertaining enough if I wasn't unfortunate to be babysitting her every Friday night while my parents went out. Her we are on her 2nd Halloween. She would have just turned one a few days before. Happy Birthday Kim!!

Word Wall Challenge!

2008-10-24T18:29:00.010-05:00

Logan is in first grade this year and every Friday they have a spelling test which they call the Word Wall Challenge. He brings it home every Friday and today it was a 5/5! He typically does well but I was worried this week because usually I make him practice every night and this week I didn't since grandma and grandpa were visiting. He still did great and even got the bonus words! Yea Logan!!

Halloween 2007 3 little monkies jumping on the bed...

2008-10-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

One fell off and bumped his head...momma called the Dr. and the Dr. said..."NO MORE MONKIES JUMPING ON THE BED!!" This story has been a favorite of the boys as long as I can remember. Steve used to read it to them in their 2 month NICU stay almost daily. They have grown into the story and get lots of daily jumps in on their beds. Somehow so far...we haven't had to call a real doctor but who knows...I'm sure that the day will come!

Where's the fire?! Halloween 2006

2008-10-21T13:58:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite Halloween pictures of the boys. This is Halloween 2006.The costumes were warm (and reusable..they were real raincoats!!, the wagon fun to create, and they seemed to have fun and got lots of candy which is the point right?

Halloween 2005

2008-10-20T22:28:00.002-05:00

This isn't my favorite picture from our Zoo themed Halloween back in 2005 but it will have to do...my scanner isn't working and I don't have the better one saved on this computer. The boys were zoo animals and the wagon was decorated as each animal's habitat. In case you can't tell...they were an elephant, a giraffe, and lion and a gorilla. Steve and I each had shirts with Zoo Keeper on the back. They were a bigger hit than the animal costumes!

Logan's first Halloween 2002

2008-10-19T10:18:00.004-05:00

Since yesterday I was mentioning how little the boys have changed since last year...I thought I would post some pictures of Logan from his first Halloween and how much he has changed! Now remember that Logan was only 14 months old when the triplets were born but he did have a whole year all to himself. He was the most photographed baby that existed. Typically I took him to Picture People on the 14th of every month for a "monthly" shot plus special occasions for the whole first year. The first few months I took sometimes every other week. Aaah...the luxuries of one child! Needless to say once the triplets came the professional photo shoots slowed waaaay down. I still took lots of pictures but taking 4 kids to the mall was not at the top of my to do list. His first year he was SuperMan/baby! Looking at poor Logan in the pumpkin costume...photos were not on the top of his to do list either. Enjoy!

Last year at Jonamac...

2008-10-18T21:24:00.002-05:00

I was talking to one of my friends about photos this morning and I mentioned how little my guys have changed over the last year...Here is a picture from the pumpkin farm last year. Take a look and see if you agree. Maybe a little taller but still pretty much the same!

The enthusiastic writer...

2008-10-17T21:09:00.005-05:00

Lake is loving school. He is the first one ready in the morning and he never complains about going! Somedays he is even waiting in the car when I finally get everyone else out there. Lake seems to love writing in school. He comes home and draws and writes for hours. Last week he decided to label everything in the house. The kindergarten classrooms have everything labeled to help kids learn to read so Lake has decided it would serve some purpose here also...he can read well but his spelling is still a work in progress:

The Planting Project

2008-10-16T10:18:00.003-05:00

We did a small project of pumpkin planting. Well... we didn't actually plant pumpkins...we planted flower seeds into tiny ceramic pumpkins that we broke the tops out of (it was a kit!!) and then all we had to do was water them. The boys loved it and didn't make too big of mess. They love watering it everyday and we saw some sprouts yesterday. We may have flowers by Thanksgiving!

The Great Pumpkin Hunt

2008-10-15T17:47:00.023-05:00

Last weekend we ventured out to our favorite pumpkin patch/apple orchard called Jonamac. We have been going for the last few years and the boys really look forward to it. This year we went a little earlier than usual and there were actually pumpkins left! Of course being the bargain hunter that I am...I already had a porch full so we were good on that either way! We had a great day and fit in a lot of activities. The boys have definate likes and dislikes so we split up for awhile. We did a petting zoo, rode ponies, rode the apple train, played in the hay maze, raced ducks in a water trough, crawled through tunnels, played on the slides, picked apples, searched for pumpkins, did the apple slingshot, and much more. Here are some photos from the day!

Halloween 2004

2008-10-14T21:27:00.003-05:00

Since I've been busy reading There was an old lady who swallowed a fly today (the same copies are starting to cycle back in...)I thought I would share another
Halloween picture from the past...Here are the 3 little pigs and the big bad wolf circa 2004! This is the choo choo wagon that I decorated to look like the pig houses. This was the ideal vehicle to take 4 toddlers around the neighborhood. I'm going to miss that wagon this year. I finally parted with it this summer and it should be interesting how long we will be out without a ride!

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly....

2008-10-09T23:28:00.003-05:00

Apparently the school has a large collection of the book There was an old lady who swallowed a fly! Landon loves to read out loud to us and he has brought 3 different versions (only different illustrations) of this book home this week. After the boys take a shower in the evening he reads it to us as we lay on my bed. Lake is a faithful listener but Lawson and Logan didn't last past the first night. Today either the school is out of other copies or he has some new obsession...he brought home "My baby sister!" Not going to happen....

Halloween 2003

2008-10-06T17:23:00.002-05:00

I thought it would be fun to take a look back over Halloween from the beginning. I know Logan was here first but since my scanner is giving me issues I will start from the time we had 4! Here the boys are the Teletubbies....

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Mom (and grandma!)

2008-10-01T22:34:00.000-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. I will be kind and not mention what age that would be. The boys have been excited all day to call her and really want to celebrate! We did finally call her and each boy got a turn on the phone! Happy Birthday Mom!

Taking a look back...

2008-09-24T21:26:00.006-05:00

I was browsing some picture files to day and ran across Logan's first day at preschool picture. He hated preschool up until the little boys started attending too and it was so sad. He would go and everyday before he would leave he would say in a sad tiny voice "I'm going to miss you today mamma." Then he would go and he never did fight going ....it was like he was going off to do his duty like a little soldier. Then he would come home and the first thing he would say is "Mamma...I missed you today..." This went on the whole time up until May 4th 2006 when the other three started. He still complains about school occasionally...he just can't figure out why it has to last all day. He thinks it is cutting into his play time.

A month down...

2008-09-23T20:52:00.005-05:00

Well...tomorrow the boys will have been in school one month and you may be wondering what I have been doing with my free time? Well...I'm not really sure! I know that between PTA committee meetings, dentist appointments, sick kids, church growth groups, meetings with plumbers (twice for a problem toilet!!) appraisers etc...I haven't gotten a thing accomplished. I have had a little bit of fun (twice had lunch with a friend) but other than that...nothing really remarkable has happened! I thought I would have wiped out many projects by now. What happens to my 6 hours every day? I come home and clean the house and it actually stays that way until 4 pm! I do have to say that last week was the first week that was a full week. We had a short day the first day (pictures to eventually come) and then Labor Day and then a teacher work day! Can you believe all of that in the first month? The boys are adjusting and seem to really like school most days. Logan did ask me today why he keeps having to go because it "ruins all of my fun!" Landon is in love with Ms. Louis. He talks about her constantly and I have to drag him home after school. He keeps wanting to bring her home with us! He even asks to call her before he goes to bed. It does give me ammunition when I want him to do something...I just say "Wouldn't Ms. Louis want you to do that?" Usually works 99% of the time! Lawson loves school and is no trouble at all. He had some breathing issues yesterday so he sat out of gym...he thought that was the greatest thing because he got to get books from the library and read instead. Seems a little early to dislike gym already! They have gym 4 days a week...eek! Lake is a charmer and the perfect student. He is always ready to go in the morning and loves to come home and show me his work for the day! All in all things are going well and we are getting into a comfortable routine.

Homework times 3!

2008-09-02T21:11:00.003-05:00

Tonight was our first official homework. The triplets had to cut out things from newspapers and magazines of words or logos that they recognize. It was a lesson in trying to teach the kids that they could already read and give them the confidence to start learning to reading. Well fortunately or unfortunately these 3 already know how to read. I can't really take credit for it because they were pretty much self taught. I will say that I put the Leapfrog DVD's in the player but other than that they did it on their own. Well..it got me in a little deeper than I wanted tonight because they kept skimming the ads and each one of them kept trying to cut out the BUDLIGHT Beer photo's out to paste on! I told them we couldnt' use that for school and they asked "Why?....we read it!" Hmmm...we don't even have Budlight in the house but they CAN really read! See what being a little ahead does for you?! I think I'm going to have grey hair soon at the rate this homework stuff is going!

Green, Yellow, Red Lights....

2008-09-02T21:04:00.004-05:00

Apparently Logan's 1st grade teacher is using the Traffic light system to control behaviour. Tonight as I was tucking him in he said..."Mom...if you get a yellow light Mrs. Erwin won't call your mom but if you get two she will!" I asked him by chance if he had gotten a yellow today and of course he didn't ( he is SUCH a rule follower and very quiet at school) but he said that someone did. I got a kick out of it. I asked him that if he got one would he tell me? He said no...and then asked if I would be mad at him. I told him I would be sad (he is just like I was when I was his age...never wanting to disappoint my mom! That look on her face was a much bigger deterrent than any spanking could be!) Here is to hoping for no yellow lights in our future!

Good bye Summer

2008-08-27T23:00:00.001-05:00

I ran into Walgreen’s last Sunday looking for some plastic folders for school and turned the corner and came to a sudden halt. “That is NOT a Halloween costume, is it?” I barked to the shopper with the bad haircut. “Uh, yes,” she said, eyeing me warily. “Crazy!” I mouthed. Deflated, I turned and headed toward the rifled through depleted supply of school supplies feeling fifty pounds heavier. I can’t believe it. It’s gonna happen again, isn’t it? Summer is going to end.

It started a couple of weeks ago. I stepped outside and caught that telltale whiff in the air, that smell of drying leaves preparing to drop from the trees. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Pretty soon other signs have quietly started popping everywhere, slipping up on me like snakes in the grass. A few fall items replaced school supplies in the seasonal aisle at CVS. High school football practice and scrimmages started last week. I bumped into a short stack of Halloween candy at the grocery store, and a buzz through Costco yesterday brought me face to face with an inflatable spider dancing to the music from Halloween. Fall is on its way, and is rushing in ahead of its time. Well, I have just one thing to say about that, “Wait, just a minute! I still have 26 more days of summer! 26! And I’m going to savor every last one of them. Take your cool weather, chili lovin’ self right back where you came from and stay there until September 22nd. Logan is very concerned about when summer is over and fall begins and must ask me at least once per day about it.

I do love fall. Fall will be especially sweet this year since it will be my first fall in 6 1/2 years that I will have uninterupted free time. School is a wonderful thing!! I know I will like the relief from the summer heat. The leaves are pretty, and high school sports kick in again. They’re energized by the change in seasons. I will mourn the passing of summer (except the school part again!!) I hate turning loose of the flip flops and shorts…and the glorious sun. The bad parts of fall mean jackets and jeans, rain, less daylight and the promise of winter gloom. No more waking up to bright sunshine that just won't let you stay in bed and no more barefoot walks to the mailbox. No more long days that give way to lightning bugs and hummingbirds. No more popsicles or homegrown tomatoes at the farmers market. Gone...all gone. For another year. Another long year. Eight months of having to wear a coat or at least planning ahead before going outside. Eight months of unpredictable weather and gray skies.

Accessories with 6?

2008-08-10T10:15:00.005-05:00

We went shopping today to "accessory" shop for a few things around the house. For some odd reason Steve decided he wanted to be involved too. (I think he really just secretly didn't want to be left at home with 4 kids because why else would a guy want to shop for accessories when his wife has a BFA in Interior Design?!!) So off we went with all 4 boys! We did pick up a few things but it definitely wasn't the day that I could have achieved alone. Oh well....only 15 more days until school starts and those alone shopping times can begin! Hopefully I will find the final art for the bathroom and pictures will be coming soon!

Great America

2008-08-03T22:12:00.007-05:00

Logan won a "free" Great America ticket for reading is school last school year so we finally got around to using it the last weekend before it expired. I use the term "free" loosely since the whole thing ended up far from free. $25 for parking and $15 cups of pop hardly seem free. Not to mention the $15 locker to store your possessions. Regardless the boys had a great time (at least up until the end when Logan declared us "really bad parents for not feeding them again!!) and Logan could mark "visit Six Flags" off his summer must do list. Here are a few pictures from our day. Let's just say that Steve and I don't like roller coasters and the boys seemed to have inherited that too! They did like meeting Dorothy the Dinosaur and Wags the dog from the Wiggles (well...not Logan but the others liked it!) We came home with some reeeally expensive stuffed animals from carnival games too. I can't wait to do it again next year and see if any of their fears change. If nothing else the trip was a good test to see if they are ready for Disney World.

Blackberry Farm Times 3 or 4!!

2008-08-02T22:11:00.004-05:00

We spent the afternoon at Blackberry Farm today and we had a great time. It was the annual triplet summer picnic. We all take our kids and husbands to a park and eat and play. Most of the families have three kids but of course we have 4 so that explains the post title. We ended up riding the train, visiting a log cabin, riding the carousel and mini tractors and checked out the petting zoo. The boys had a great time and the weather was perfect. I can't wait until next year!

One of my favorite You Tube Videos

2008-08-01T16:35:00.002-05:00

No progres on the bathroom today so far so I'm posting one of my favorite You Tube Videos that really hits home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEFE3B0Rje0#

More to come later....

Today's Progress

2008-07-31T22:58:00.002-05:00

Here is the latest progress...the vanities are in but we are waiting for the water and the faucets to be hooked up. Some tile adjustments need to be made so that's the hold up right now. I need to still buy towel bars, waste cans, soap dispensers etc and I'm dying to get out shopping for other stuff to put in it once I make a few more decisions. I'm still deciding on mirrors, paint color and towel color and of course the art work. Decisions...decisions. I miss my job! Note the ugly wallpaper that was hiding behind the old mirror.

It's not all work here...

2008-07-30T21:42:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend we had lots of things to do around the house but we took a little time out to go to Morton Arboretum. We had been wanting to go since we got our membership back in December. The children's garden was closing when we got there so we are planning another trip soon but we did see some other areas of the park. Here are the boys in front of one their favorites...the giant ants. The park was beautiful and I can't believe that we have lived here for 8 years and hadn't ever been. I'm really looking forward to taking advantage of lots of different attractions now that the boys are getting a little older.

Getting Closer...

2008-07-29T23:39:00.001-05:00

Here is today's progress. It has been very smooth up until the vanites. The pipes are too low so now we are waiting on a plumber to move the pipes up so the drawers will operate. Another glitch is the junction box for the lighting. I need two but of course we only have one. Another phone call to make tomorrow to schedule an electrician. At least my shower is now available so I can stop showering in the other bathroom. I think we can survive another week.

Managing Chaos....

2008-07-28T22:37:00.001-05:00

Today was a very, very long day....It started at 7 am when we had painters come to paint the family room (same color as it was...just a fresh coat) the boys room, the kitchen ceiling and repair a wall in the toy room. Oh did I mention that the master bathroom project is still in progress so that basically left us the office to hang out in. The office is a decent size but a little small for 5 people to spend a whole day trapped in. I dug out some toys that the boys hadn't ever seen so that helped entertain them but of course were "starving" all day, bored, and Landon even decided to throw up the pizza that we brought in for lunch. I had loads of snacks in the room and the forementioned toys. I briefly considered going somewhere (we did go the Dr for Lawson's follow-up) but was needed here to make decisions on some of the work. Here are a few glimpses of our day...

I'm guessing we aren't related to Tiger Woods...

2008-07-27T23:46:00.003-05:00

We took the boys miniature golfing last night and I have a feeling we have (need) lots of golf lessons in our future. Or maybe Hockey is our sport if the way the boys were holding the club was any indication. Logan had decent form and so did Lake....Lawson did ok but Landon is left handed and just didn't get the hang of it. He refused all help of course so that didn't really improve his game much either. I did get a hole in one right after Steve decided we should keep score. (He looked a little nervous after that!) He did end up winning but not by much. The boys had a great time and the weather was perfect. We ended the night with dinner at Red Robin where as usual we ate waaaay too much food. A perfect summer Saturday night!

Flipping continues....

2008-07-26T21:33:00.001-05:00

The picture from yesterday was the bathroom before picture. Here is the progress (???) as it continues... The top two pictures are the bathroom at the beginning of the day and the last picture is at the end when the floor tile was installed. The floor tile is 18 inch square travertine layed in a brick pattern. I can't wait for Monday when the tub gets tile!

"Flipping" This House!

2008-07-25T09:46:00.001-05:00

Ok..so maybe the title is a little exagerated since we are only redoing the master bathroom right now AND we have no plans to move or sell at this time but I do love Flip That House on TLC so I used it OK?! Back in December we had a leak down to the kitchen ceiling...3 plumbers and almost 7 months later we are finally making some progress on the redo. The jacuzzi tub (who had a bad seal...basically a $3 part) is fixed and the bigger money is pouring out! So far the demo is done and the floor tile went in yesterday. The vanities are sitting in the garage and tile for the tub will be installed on Monday. I'm coordinating electricians for the new lighting, plumber for faucets and then carpet cleaners for the room next door when the water seeped thorough. I'll try to post some before and after pictures and you can judge for yourself if 4 years of Interior Design School paid off. With 4 small boys....at least Steve has his own personal interior designer for now. We will see if I feel like taking on new clients when this deal is done!! The boys love it all for now and try to observe anytime they can sneak out of my sight!