Our 4 P's

Crazy?

2012-01-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

So I was going CRAZY trying to find this book I lost that I mentioned in Overdue. We looked EVERYWHERE and when I say everywhere, it really was everywhere. I looked in the most impossible spots, but I was determined to not have to pay for this book!

I went to the library to return the movie mix up from Overdue and I get there and they can't find the case to the movie I had. They say I still had it! I was getting really irritated, because I KNEW I didn't have it. I went back to the kids section and while chasing a 17 month old around and keeping an eye on the other two, I am scouring the movie section to no avail. They tell me that I need to check at home again.

While I'm looking for the movie I decide to look for this "missing" book and what do I find??? THE BOOK!!!! You have got to be kidding me!! So now they are starting to second guess themselves and this whole movie debacle!

Maybe I'm not as crazy as I thought! Just maybe I have a little more organization to my life that I thought!!

Overdue

2012-01-09T17:04:00.000-05:00

A place to see what we are all NOT up to on Not Me Monday is over on MckMama's blog.

Here's what I'm NOT up to...

In one of my many recent trips to the library where I did NOT come home with 30 plus books between me and my four children, I did NOT discover that 3 books were more than 2 wks overdue! I did NOT want to blame the library and say they were mistaken because I would NEVER be so unorganized! The whole car ride home I'm trying to think about where these books could NOT be hiding and which set of grubby toddler fingers could have picked them up and walked off with them.

Two days later I have found 2 of 3 and decide to go the library with the videos that were due too. We get to the library and I have to wait for them to open (should have been a sign for what was to follow). I ask the library to see if the book I can't find is actually on the shelf, but much to my dismay it is NOT. I pay the late fee for the two I did return to NOT see a library employee come out from behind the book drop with an empty movie case of a movie I just returned. I sink knowing that that movie must still be in the VCR in my house. :( I then have to renew that and as I'm doing that I do NOT get told that I have 3 other books that are due today and do I have them? UGH!!!! I could scream for looking like such an idiot and for not doing a more thorough check of all the rooms before I left! I fortunately had one of 2, but the other two had to be renewed! I get home, go to the VCR in search of the missing Winnie The Pooh movie, to find The Muppet Show! You have got to be kidding me!!! I do NOT have the movie I need, but have a movie that belonged in another case I already returned!!!!! Winnie the Pooh was NOT in the Muppet case and now vice versa! AHHHH!!!! I'm NOT such a procrastinator that I wait until the kids are pushed to their limit and beyond ready for a change of pace to go looking for the library items I need to return. This would NOT be the reason for my delinquency!!

Speaking of NOT being a procrastinator...I did NOT wait until 10:35 the night before I was to go to wedding to pull out my only nice "wedding type" dress and realize its been hanging on the hanger for a year since my last winter wedding. I did NOT pull it out to see hanger marks and dust on the shoulders. I am NOT beyond tired at this point and grumpy that I now have to stay up to wash it and dry it! :( I am definitely NOT the one who will always be saying "I will figure that out tomorrow!" Much of my life with 4 kids, 3 of which are toddlers, is one day at a time, often one minute at a time. So, I tend to live this way all the time, and it obviously NEVER catches up with me!

And I would NEVER wear my 2 yr old daughter's hair clip in my hair to the wedding! I'm much classier than that!

So what have you NOT been up to?

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

Somehow I didn't get many photos this year for Christmas. And a lot of what I got didn't really turn out that great, but here is what I have.

Piper in her tutu and matching headband.

Paxman and his new favorite face to make.

Peyton modeling one of his books.

Parker showing off his Duplo set - not sure what the silly face is all about.

Only shot I have of all 4 of them together.

The boys with their new Imaginext Batman Castle.

Mommy and Piper.

Daddy playing air hockey with the boys.

Paxman and Mommy.

Peyton and Parker with their new Lego table.

Paxton's first haircut

2012-01-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

We put off getting Pax's hair cut for the longest time. I wanted to get some better before and after photos, but such is the life with four kids - there isn't always time for the things. He had some big time curls in the back and the front was creeping down into the eyes. So we finally took him with the other boys a few days before Christmas. He cried through the whole thing, but nonetheless it got cut.

The first snip....

The fight begins...

Family time

2011-12-23T15:13:00.000-05:00

Yay for family time! We are about to have an entire week together as a family. Jeff doesn't have to go back to work until next Sat. We are so excited because our time together is so limited with his busy work schedule.

Recently we took a trip to the Strasburg Railroad and took a ride on the Santa train to a town called Paradise. It was a nice time - there were carollers, a visit from Santa, presents from Santa, people playing instruments, Conductors. The whole thing was rather exciting for the kids and it was nice because other than one other family we had the whole car to ourselves!

Ho Ho Ho 2011

2011-12-22T12:49:00.000-05:00

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!

Santa photo 2011

Why are the kids matching and the adults are not? Well because we never intended on being in the photo. The babies wanted NO parts of sitting with Santa so it became an impromptu family photo op. Piper was ok if she got to stand at a distance and tell Santa what she wanted, but forget sitting on his lap. Of course Peyton woke up with a swollen eye that day too. But regardless, we ended up with a decent photo.

The kids wishlist from Santa:

Peyton: Sonic DS game

Parker: Red Power Ranger

Piper: Pink tutu

Paxton: doesn't have one but Santa is getting him a Weeble treehouse.

Not me Hodgpodge

2011-12-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

Follow Not Me Monday over on MckMama's blog.

Not Me Hodgepodge:

We did NOT decide to take the kids to the Strasburg Railroad yesterday to ride the Santa train and skip nap. We were definitely NOT gone for 7.5 hours to come home with 4 exhausted kids – one of which was so tired, but so happy to be out of the car that in his racing around the kitchen and dining room did NOT stumble and hit his chin on a bin that I have NOT neglected to put away. This said toddler did NOT put his teeth into his lip and have a nasty cut on his lip only days from Christmas and all the photos that will be taken.

I did NOT attempt to get last weeks 5 baskets full of laundry put away while a starting this weeks. I would NEVER be that far behind on laundry and we would NEVER be living out of baskets only to be running out of clothes in those. I would NEVER attempt doing all this with 3 exhausted toddlers who are NOT at each other’s throats because of no nap yesterday because their parents’ would NEVER skip nap!

I would NEVER be this far behind and still be working on my Christmas cards! They are definitely in the mail and on their way to make it there before Christmas!! And I would definitely NOT be so far behind on all the class gifts, teacher gifts, and family gifts that are going out before Christmas. I bought them so early and would NEVER have a mile long list of all the things needed to accomplish this week. I was smart and did a little every week leading up so there was no last minute scramble.

Let there be heat!

2011-12-15T12:47:00.000-05:00

We have had some wacky weather here in Pennsylvania. It snowed for Halloween...

Was in the 60s when we picked out our Christmas tree and in the 70s later that week!

And then we lost our heat and it happened to be the coldest days yet this season!!! Of course our heater breaks when the temps are in the 30s during the day and 20s at night! Thankfully though my cousin was able to order the parts and we now have a working heater again! (now that its near 60 again!) :)

Oh Parker!

2011-12-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

Parker is a handful!! Not much more needs to be said about this one, but I will for the sake of entertainment.

Parker is the one who gets into EVERYTHING and that just might be the biggest understatement of the year! He is great at "exploring". I like to let him and Peyton down in the playroom together (typically they play together and its a nice break for me to only have the 2 in the living room with me and the other two entertaining themselves for a little). It doesn't take long before he is into something he shouldn't be. He's VERY sneaky about it too.

Recently we have caught him in the laundry room opening the water softener taking the salt out and sprinkling the floor with it. Going in my closet full of all my card supplies and taking ink pads and rubbing them all over the carpeting and himself, dumping 3 jars of glitter all over my stuff, opening and ruining several other ink pads and putting glitter on them - everything he touched was ruined including our carpets! I just stood there and cried out of shear frustration with him as well as the fact that so much of my stuff was ruined. Thankfully Jeff was here that day to help me clean it up.

He's not only great at not respecting boundaries, he is absolutely STUBBORN!! Last night he decided to get up and ask me for a drink. I decided to oblige to avoid the multiple trips to my room begging because he didn't get what he wanted and waking everyone else in the mean time. Clearly picking my battles and hoping for the best. I make him use the potty, get him the drink, and he takes it to his bed. He then decides he doesn't want it as soon as he gets in his bed. GRRR!!! You made me get out of bed for this! So, we sit it leaning against his pillow to "save for later". I climb the two flights of stairs to my room and climb back in bed. Just seconds from falling asleep again and I hear "Mommy, my drink fell down". "Well pick it up". "I can't!" So, I go with him expecting to see it on the floor or behind his bed.....where was it you ask? It was on the bed - it had fallen onto its side right in front of the pillow!!!!!! He rights the cup and I say "You have got to be kidding me!!!! You got me up for this! You can pick up your own cup! DON'T YOU DARE GET OUT OF YOUR BED AGAIN!!!!!"

Oh, Parker!!!

Birthday Suit

2011-12-05T12:26:00.000-05:00

Not Me Monday is back and you can check it out on MckMama's blog.

Here's my Not Me Monday!

The other night, I went in to check on our two year old daughter before I went to bed, as I do every night, and did NOT find her naked from the waist down! She most definitely is NOT following in the dreaded footsteps of one of her older brothers! She did NOT have her diaper off and thrown into her closet, the top of her pjs still on and snapped with just her bare legs hanging out. She most definitely did NOT just pee ALL over herself and the crib to the point where I was NOT giving her a bath at 11:00 at night and there was NOT a puddle sitting on her vinyl mattress. She did NOT scream through her entire bath to then start giggling over how cute her new jammies were to then laughing at herself for tooting as I was dressing her. Nope, not my daughter!
As she is NOT dancing around the room, I am NOT having to go and get my tweezers to get a knot out of her dripping wet bumper and in doing so did NOT find one, two, or three binkies under her crib, BUT 6!!! I am an awesome mother and would never forget to pull out the crib just a few inches further to see if there were any binkies under there during my weekly check. She did NOT get super excited to find them all and want to have them all back in her bed! She did NOT proceed to ask me a hundred questions as part of her “what’s that?” phase as I am barely walking around absolutely exhausted and about to pee my pants because I do NOT have the bladder muscles of someone who has had four babies!!

Oh, and this did NOT happen on the night my husband left on a hunting trip! I NEVER have to handle these fun things all on my own!

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

If you've ever had one of these you know they rock! This recipe makes a TON of cookies so next time I will be halving it. I actually got this recipe from a Jane Green book I read "Promises to Keep" - good read by the way!

Ingredients:
5 cups blended oatmeal
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 pounds chocolate chips (I used semi sweet - want to try milk choc. next time)
8 oz good quality dark chocolate, grated (I used Ghiradelli semi sweet reg choc, not dark bc I couldn't find dark)
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice - I didn't put these in)

Method:
Preheat to 375 degrees F

Grind oatmeal in a food processor until it is a fine powder

Cream the butter and the white and brown sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda into the mixture. Add the chocolate chips, grated chocolate (I put mine in the food processor bc my grater didn't work well - just don't turn too much of it into a powder - keep it chunky), and nuts (I left these out).

Roll into balls and place 2 in apart on cookie sheet, or drop by teasponfool onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 min or 10-12 for crispier cookie.

MINE!!

2011-12-02T17:10:00.001-05:00

MY FAMILY

If you have recently followed my status updates on Facebook, you've heard this from me - I am forever amazed at how ignorant and judgmental people are!!! I have 4 kids yes. They are all mine and I am NOT crazy for having 4 kids. I love EVERY one of them and although life might get kind of crazy around here and I am often found pulling my hair out and melting into a puddle of frustration, I love that we have 4 kids and that our family is as big as it is!
Do I ask the parent of an only child or two for that matter whether you are going to have any more? Do I ask you if you know how babies are made? Do I ask you if are crazy for only having one? Do I stand in a store and silently judge you with my facial expressions? Do I tell you how to discipline your children? Do I assume that because it worked for my children it MUST work for your child(ren)? Do I question your age or your marital status? Do I outwardly call you insane, crazy, or a lunatic as if this couldn't possibly be how you chose to live your life? NOOOOO I do not!! Its none of my business and neither is me having 4!!! SO BUTT OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Paxman

2011-11-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Some fun with Paxton...

Trying out Daddy's slippers

Which way are you going Pax?

Our little thug

Inevitable

2011-11-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

This is how Piper most often spends her days - decked out in her tutu, princess slippers, and on occasion her sunglasses. (and on this particular day she has a dress on too!) All "girlied" out!!

If you spend even five minutes in our house you will most likely hear a lot of fantastic vocabulary revolving around "poop, butts, and farts" followed by huge belly laughs because with 3 boys in the house (not including Paxton here) this is all apparently gut bustingly funny! Well, it has rubbed off on our sweet, girly girl, 2 year old princess. Not only does she say these things, but she finds them just as funny! So, there are inevitably two sides to this little girl who loves her princesses, but loves her brothers and Daddy even more!!

2011-11-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

HALLOWEEN 2011

Dinosaurs, monkies, and a princess fairy

Pinkalicious: Piper is in love with the book series Pinkalicious so that's what she was for Halloween. I had a blast with this - my first all out girly costume!

Paxmonkey (which he is often called on a normal day)

The cousins

The fairies - this was totally unplanned but they looked so cute together

The boys (minus one very active monkey)

These teeth are courtesy of Aunt Dorothy - they were the hit of the night

The gang

The aftermath of wearing her hair in pigtails!

HAPPY 'BELATED' HALLOWEEN!

Do over??

2011-11-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

So today was just an all around crappy day. Everything just seemed to fall apart all at once! I needed to vent so I sent Jeff an email, that I will now share with you...(I must preface this by saying I never give the kids Koolaid, but decided to allow them to have it as a special treat)

Today has been such a horrible day!!!!!!!!! We get to the park and Parker wipes out and is covered from head to toe (literally) with mud! Then this woman decides to YELL at the boys for the sticks that they had just picked up - I didn't even get a chance to say anything to them. She goes over and physically removes them from their hands and throws them in the grass area. If that wasn't enough to set me off - her kid was following Pax around and picking him up. The one time he was going for the steps and she lifted him and dropped him! Of course the lady had an excuse as to why it was ok everytime she did something she shouldn't have.

Then Peyton was bad, was pushing to go first and Sissy wiped out in the parking lot. He was throwing a tantrum over the Koolaid I took away as punishment while Piper was having her 100th tantrum of the day over having to get in the car.

We finally get home and they are eating lunch. They finish and I go out to the car to get the bag. I come back in to Parker standing by the gate with throw up running down his chin and belly. He threw up spaghettios and meatballs, oranges, and red koolaid in the living room, hitting blocks, toys, toy bins. Pax is over playing in it with his hands, his feet are covered, pants soaked. I get his stuff off, put him in the pack n play where he poops. Meanwhile Peyton is in the bathroom so I have Parker standing by the trashcan and he eventually says he's fine. Next thing I know he is throwing up all over the kitchen floor!!!! This whole time Piper is sitting in her chair with spaghettios and oranges - do I need to tell you how that ended up???

I have to somehow wrestle Pax to get his diaper changed and shirt off so I can wash all the throw up off in the tub. Parker is in the tub too and Pax is screaming his head off!! The throw up is now all over me!

This whole time Peyton is continually asking me for the darn koolaid!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, Parker peed all over the bathroom floor!!!!

This is coming off of a rough weekend too - on Sat I went to the Post Office to mail a few packages. A 10 minute trip tops! On my way home I need to get over so that I can go around these people riding bikes. I end up driving over someone's brake pad and it pops my tire!! Did I mention I have ALL 4 kids with me???

Jeff is at work, about 2 hours until he can get to me, my parents are on their way to a funeral, my brother is working, so I call Jeff's dad. He comes to help me, still hoping for about a 20 min tire change and we can all be on our way. No such luck!!! He can't get the spare tire to come down and has to go get me a new tire put on my wheel. The kids are going crazy at this point, I let them out, and Paxton falls headfirst into the pavement and scrapes up his face, gets a huge lump on his eyebrow.....I call my sister in law and she is able to come but can only fit 2 of the 4 in her car. Jeff's dad takes the other two back to the house to meet Emily. During this whole fiasco, the car doors are open, my lights are on... the battery dies!!!! Finally after 2 plus hours I am finally able to go home to find out that my neice was supposed to go to a playdate with a friend and because they had to come get my kids she couldn't go!!! I wanted to cry right along with her!!!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-03T16:40:00.000-04:00

TRICK...

OR TREAT...

This is Paxton's latest trick he attempted. I left him buckled in a five point harness in his high chair while I took Parker to the bathroom. I came back out to find Paxton standing on the tray of his high chair!!! I grabbed him with one hand and reached for my camera. He then realized it was a little scary and wouldn't stand back up for me to take the pic how I found him.

Paxton's new trick

2011-10-21T16:05:00.001-04:00

Paxton's latest trick is to climb up on the couches and go from one end to the other, over the end table, onto the loveseat and back. The other kids think this is hilarious! I take him down, and take one step away from him and he is instantly back up on that couch!

Bulldozing his way across...

Caught red handed!

Thinks he's hotstuff!!

Why doesn't he have pants on you ask? Well because I was too tired to wrestle them back on after a diaper change.

Pumpkin Festival

2011-10-21T15:21:00.000-04:00

We took the kids to a Pumpkin Festival. The pumpkins we got from there were horrible (rotted within days), but other than that we had a great time!

Jumping away in the moonbounce.

Sissy on the slide (and yes they are all wearing coordinating outfits) :)

Paxman enjoying the haybales and pinecone while the kids jumped.

Our four pumpkins on a hayride.

Daddy's girl

Parker's got his Mama's sensitive eyes and Peyton has his Mama's sweat gene!

Driving the old bus

A pitstop in the maze

Argh!!

Scooby posing for a pic with the boys.

Parker trying out the bus.

Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon

2011-09-21T22:22:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I participated in the Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. It was my first ever and I didn't necessarily love it while I was running it, but I'm ready to do another one! I struggled more than I thought I would and unfortunately just had a bad running day. I knew from the get go it was going to be a LONG 13.1 miles, but nevertheless I crossed the finish line.

Here are some of the photos from that day.

Center City shot - this was soon after the cross over the start line.

Don't mind all the faces I am making in the photos - this was at the end when they surprised us with a hill just before the finish line. I'm in the zone and just ready to be done in this photo.

Staring at the ground helps to keep me focused on the here and now rather than how far I have to go.

Don't know the guy next to me, in fact I don't even remember running past him.

A cell phone shot just before the race started....this is the friend that I trained with throughout the summer and ran the race with., Sandie.

AND....the FINISHLINE!!! I couldn't have been happier to see something come to an end! I am in the this photo - on the left behind the person with their hands on top of their head.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to do something like this. Running is my outlet and I have really come to enjoy it, so being able to accomplish running a half marthon was a great feeling! Thanks needs to go to Jeff and my parents for watching the kids so I could get my training runs in!!

Piper's 1st day

2011-09-21T16:19:00.000-04:00

I may be biased, but I think she is just so adorable. I want to eat her up!!! She was so excited to go to her first day of school/playgroup and of course Mommy had her all decked out in a new outfit (right down to the shoes). She had a blast!!

1st days of school

2011-09-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

No one wanted to smile for me for their first day of school photos. Peyton started 1st grade on Aug 31 and is loving it!

To his defense he was coming off of battling a stomach bug...

Parker started preschool today. He did ok. He cried when I first dropped him off. He is much different than Peyton so that was an adjustment for me. I struggled to hold it together seeing him cry because I was leaving him, but when I picked him up he was smiling.

Unfortunately on the way to pick up Parker, someone pulled out in front of me and I had to slam on my breaks, getting the back one stuck!! I was stranded in the parking lot with Jeff two hours away at the Hazleton plant for work! Fortunately my Sister in law saved me and picked us all up!!!! Thanks Em!

It felt like a "Not Me Monday!"....My flip flop broke while running errands with Piper and Paxton, I am 2 minutes late picking up Parker because of having to run home to get new shoes (it was either that or go in on his first day barefoot - great first impression that would have been), not to mention the whole car situation, then its 1:00 and the kids still haven't eaten lunch due to the car breaking down, we get home and I see that the chicken I was defrosting for dinner leaked raw meat juice all over the counter and floor (guessing there was a hole I didn't know about) and then I pick up both babies out of their seats from lunch and they are soaked (diapers were overloaded!!). I was so ready for naptime to just breathe...BUT that didn't happen!! Ugh! Can we just start over tomorrow??

He finally smiled, but of course was looking away! He told me he wasn't going to ride in my car, he was just going to wait for the bus to pick him up! :)

Piper needed to have her picture taken too with her backpack. :) She starts a preschool playgroup next week. She's very excited to be "going to school" just like the boys.

Birthdays

2011-09-13T15:26:00.000-04:00

Peyton and Paxton had a birthday party together this year. Peyton turned 7 and Paxton turned 1! The kids enjoyed getting their faces painted by About Face II.

Argh!

ROOOAAARRR!!

Our sweet little princess with her butterfly and flower.

All of the kids with their painted faces.

It was so windy that I don't really have a shot of him blowing out candles, but he got the monkey cake he wanted.

Paxman loves his cake!

Can you tell?

The man!

Fun at the park

2011-08-23T17:26:00.000-04:00

Our 4 Things

2011-08-23T17:21:00.000-04:00

Thing 1, Thing 2, Thing 3, & Thing 4!

We have four things this year and I absoulutely love this shot of them!

"Vacation"

2011-08-23T17:15:00.002-04:00

So vacation wasn't really a vacation but it was still nice to get away. I just took my "job" with me to a place without baby gates or limits! Having two in diapers did me in with all the sand and having to carry a baby who was covered from head to toe in sand, meant that I was too! I spent the whole week just helping kids with whatever they needed all week!! And unfortunately I broke my 1 year streak of no big heart episodes on our 3rd day at the beach! Bummed about that, but will take it over having them all the time!

We went with friends of ours and had a great time creating memories together.

Of course I uploaded all the photos in the wrong order- from the end of the week to the beginning but you get the point! :)

Piper sitting in a hole that some boys dug.

Peyton was our fish! He spent most of his time swimming and boogie boarding.

Tried to get a family shot on the beach, but Piper was having no parts of it! What else is new?

It was hazy this day, but got some great shots with the sun burning its way through the clouds.

Parker really loved the water too - a little more aprehensive than I expected but he still had a great time.

Love my little Paxman!

Bribery to get this shot was the playground that was off to the right!

Ride time!

Daddy's little girl - riding the pink tea cup and all!

Paxton loving the beach! He had his binky in the entire week because just coming off of tongue surgery we didn't want any sand in his mouth - he surprisingly kept it in most of the time!

Digging with Daddy!

Our four P's

It was so windy this night - hence the reason my hairs is flying all over! I had a dress on this night, but had to stop and buy shorts because I couldn't push a stroller and hold down the dress the whole night!

Our big man! Can't believe he's going to be 7 already! We've been taking him to the beach since he was almost 2!

This is how Paxton spent his mornings. Unfortunately it didn't last long and I could never get an afternoon nap out of him!

Well that was our beach trip in a nutshell.

Pax's surgery

2011-08-03T21:30:00.000-04:00

July 13th Paxton had his frenulum surgery(tongue tie cut). This photo was taken pre-surgery (with Jeff's cell which is why its a little grainy). Unfortunately the pjs weren't gender neutral. We spent the morning hanging out waiting for him to be taken back for a procedure that took no more than 15 minutes. Forutnately Jeff and I fell apart at different times - I had a hard time handing my baby over to the nurse knowing they were going to put him under and Jeff had a hard time seeing him post surgery. He was a mess afterward and had a rough couple of days until he started to heal. He is doing great now and is even starting on some table food, something that was impossible pre-surgery!

This was on the ride home. He was exhausted!!

Paxton is 1 year old!!!

2011-08-03T21:17:00.000-04:00

Paxton is 1 today! I know I say this all the time, but man time flies!! I can't believe its been an entire year since we were blessed with this little guy!! This face just makes me laugh. He's the best addition to our crazy family of 6! We love you Pax-man!

Yummy!! He loves his cake!!

A fist full of cupcake!!

Here's to a fun summer...

2011-07-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

So far this summer has been plagued with sickness for quite a few weeks! Piper is now recovering from an ear infection and Jeff is recovering from a sinus infection. Hoping that after this we are done!!! There has been more illness than I can count and I am looking forward to a healthy household!

The rest of this summer has a lot of big things coming up for our family... On the 13th, Paxton will be having his frenulum (tongue tie) surgery. We are anxious for him to be able to eat food without choking and throwing up. I am very excited to have this taken care (something that I have been fighting for his whole 11 months of life) but I am also so scared. He will have to go to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and be put under for surgery as well as have a breathing tube and heart monitor. While I know he will be in good hands, I get sick to my stomach every time I think of having to leave him and watch him be wheeled away to surgery. Its not major surgery, but putting one of your children under anesthia where anything can go wrong is still nervewracking.

Three short days after his surgery we are going to Ocean City, Maryland for a week. We are going with friends - Carrie and Mike and their daughter Kate. It will be so nice for all of us to get a break from life here at home.

We will be home for three more days and Jeff and I go away to celebrate our 10th anniversary. I can't believe how fast 10 years has gone by. We have grown so much over the years and have created such a beautiful family and life together. It may be crazy but it's our's and I wouldn't change anything for the world. Love you babe! (pray for Grandma and Grandpa and "Silly hair Grandma" as they will be spending those 3 days trading off with the kids)

Shortly after we get home Paxton (our very last baby) will officially no longer be a baby anymore! :( And life will begin with THREE toddlers in our house at one time!! God help me now!!!!!!!! Pax is quickly figuring out how to make himself mobile. He has started crawling on his hands and knees (no more commando) and is pulling up on things with a side step here and there! It won't be long before he is walking!

And, sadly I will be turning 30 three days after Pax turns one! Goodbye to the twenties! :( Not sure what's in store for the big day, but maybe no one will remember and I can just remain 29 forever!

In late August Peyton will be turning 7!!! Our first baby will be 7!!! Did you get that?? I can't believe we will have a 7 year old! Its seems so strange to have kids out of the toddler "survival years". Just as strange as having no more babies in the house (since we have had one baby every year now for the last 3 years!). Just as strange as it is to think we have been married for 10 years! And just as strange as it will be to think that I am still 29! ;)

Soon after Peyton's birthday, he will be going to first grade - which he is very excited about. I don't think he knows how long "all day" is when we talk about how he will no longer just go in the afternoons.

And just before the summer is over I will be running a half marathon in September - that is if my old stress fracture holds out. I have unfortunately been having some soreness. I'm hoping that's all it is and that it will go away soon so I can get back to running!

So, as you can see our summer is packed with big events!! Stay tuned for many photos to come....

Old friends. New memories.

2011-07-02T15:41:00.002-04:00

A little over 7 years ago Jeff and I moved into our first house in Telford, PA when I was pregnant with Peyton. Little did we know that we would find some really awesome friends that I know will always be a part of our lives. Scott and Candace have become such great friends and although they are now an Army family who we see very little of, we are able to pick up right where we left off whenever we are together. Candace has become my sounding board, as she too is a mom of 4 small kids and its always nice to have someone who can understand those rough days. Just having someone who can relate makes all the difference.

They are traveling the country and seeing family and friends before they leave to go to Germany for 3 years. We were fortunate enough to work it out to see each other on Wednesday. The kids played for hours while we all caught up and just enjoyed spending time together again.

Its crazy to see how much our lives have changed since we first met....

~Grayson, Parker, Peyton, Reagan (we only had Peyton when we met and they only had Gray and Reagan!)

~This is Tavian.

~Jaelyn and Piper hamming it up!

~And Candace and I (and Paxton). Two Mamas crazy enough to have four kids!

Although we can't spend hours playing cards anymore and having dinner together, facebook and the phone will do for now. :) Love you guys! Will miss you greatly and hope to see you again soon!

Forutunate

2011-06-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

For the past couple of months, just about every Wednesday morning, my mother in law comes and watches Peyton, Parker, and Piper while Paxton and I go out and run errands. It started out with me just going to the grocery store, but now I try to squeeze in as many errands as I can just so I can avoid the nightmare of taking all 4 kids!

Well, today was no exception and as Pax and I went from one errand to the next, ending in the grocery store, I run into a few women who are out shopping with their kids in tow. Even though I wouldn't wish badly behaved children on anyone, it gives me a little bit of pleasure, or maybe reassurance is a better word, watching someone else's kids do the same things that my kids do when I take them out by myself. I can smile to myself knowing that I'm not the only one with kids who are racing around the store, laying on the floor, putting holes in the eggs, touching everything they see, pulling candy off the shelf in the checkout aisle, having complete meltdowns as I continue to push the cart and walk away, or fighting, hitting, and/or yelling at each other (not that our children do this all the time - but at one time or another this has all happened to me or does so on a regular basis).

When I first get to the grocery store, I run into a woman (a rather outgoing, boistrous woman) with 2 kids (maybe 4 and 6) and she starts small talk with me and goes about her business. I then hear her yell at the kids and curse at them and although it catches my attention and my first reaction is "wow", I qucikly shut the judgment down and think about how many times I have slipped and said things to the kids that I never wanted to say to them or wish I could have taken back out of frustration and just as I'm thinking of this, she turns to me and says "Be glad he's still little" pointing to Pax. "Oh I have 4 kids, I know what its like." "Ugh, sometimes don't you just wish you could keep them that little forever?" she says. I laugh and agree.

I keep running into her throughout the store and she makes her little comments everytime I see her about whatever the kids are doing. At one point she says to me "So how did you get out without all your other kids?" "My mother in law saved me!" and I laugh and she says "That's not fair. How lucky!" As I'm walking away I am thinking to myself "You have no idea what I go through on a daily basis and how stressed out I am most of the time taking care of 4 small kids so close in age." I wouldn't say I'm lucky, but that I deserve the chance at not pulling my hair out, at not feeling like I'm tapped out and have nothing left in me to give but still needing to bleed just a little more, and my kids deserve a break from me and to be with someone who can see things with a fresh pair of eyes and have more patience for all that they will endure in just a few short hours because they aren't there dealing with it everyday, all day. Not to mention, I don't believe in luck either. I am very fortunate that my mother in law has the ability to take a few hours out of her day to help me out.

I know this woman had no idea that she would elicit such strong feelings in me with her comment, but I think what solidified it was her last comment to me, "How old are your kids?" "I have a 6 yr old, 3 yr old, 2 yr old, and an 11 month old". To which she says, "What were you thinking?!?!" in a very loud and critical tone. I hate the judgments people make!!! I love my family and wouldn't change it for the world and for short of putting all my personal business out on the internet for everyone to read, we weren't planning on having Paxton, but God had other plans in mind and we wouldn't change that for the world!!! He is what completes our family of 6 and despite the hardships we might face, we would go through it all again and again!

Princess party

2011-06-21T15:45:00.000-04:00

Just a snapshot of Piper's party - her cake was as pink as the tablecloths before sitting out in the heat!! :(

She refused to blow out her candle, but here she is checking out the princesses!

This is one way to do it! Apparently this is Parker's cupcake, not her own!!

Showing Braycee her new baby!

As you will read in an earlier post, Paxton was very sick and ended up at Urgent Care and Piper ends up starting with a fever that night as well!!

It can't possibly be!

2011-06-21T15:22:00.001-04:00

If you follow me on facebook you will have seen these recent posts where you will get to see how fantastic my week has been!!

~Great wknd-Peyton ends up with strep n mono, Pax wakes up on the AM of Piper's bday party with croup and ends up at Urgent Care with a neb trtmnt and steriods, throws up on me 3 x's in CVS while waiting for his Rx, get home to a 2 n 3 yr old with fevers, spend the night going from kid to kid, to end it with Pax's ENT appt where we r reminded that his "minor" surgery involves sedation, breathing tube, n heart monitor!

~I have cleaned up and worn more throw up (with 3 kids with bad acid reflux - that worsens with sicknesses) in the last 3 years than most people do in a lifetime!!!

~As if cleaning up massive amounts of throw up from a 10 month old and taking care of 4 sicks kids who won't sleep wasn't enough - Piper decided to stick her hands in her poopy diaper and paint herself and her crib with it! AWESOME!

~Dropped Peyton off to his last day of Kindergarten and I cried. Time goes by too quickly! :(

I AM EXHAUSTED! ENOUGH SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Side note- Parker started out with a fever on Sunday and is still fighting it and now Jeff is in Boston for 3 days - 4 till he is home with us again! AHHHHHH!!!!!!! And I am refusing to accept that my throat and glands really hurt!! - trying to will the sickness away. :) Will let you know how that one goes.

Water fun

2011-06-10T22:07:00.000-04:00

Today we went to the Water Spray park and had some fun with Aunt Emmy, Braycee, and Tilman.

Peyton turning the fountains on.

Piper taking a little break.

Braycee (right/top), Piper, and Parker (with his back towards the camera) running under the rainbow sprinkler.

Tilman (left), Braycee,and Piper under the rainbow.

We had a great time and it was a perfect way for the kids to cool off.

Piper turns 2!

2011-06-10T21:57:00.004-04:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to our beautiful princess! We love you more than words can describe and without you our family wouldn't be complete. Thank you for always keeping us on our toes, making us laugh with all your dance moves, making us smile with every cute word you utter, and for making our hearts melt with your beautiful blue eyes and smile.

This gift is beyond fitting for Piper - she can hold her own with the boys, but she LOVES her girly things and especially princesses!

A Barbie movie...

A Mermaid cake to celebrate - could her birthday get any more girly? :) (not to mention the princess placemat under the princess cake!)

We love you Piper Elizabeth!

Enjoying some cake...

Even Paxton liked a little taste...

Parker was licking his plate clean...

Despite have Strep throat and a fever of 104, Peyton enjoyed his cake too!

Look what I can do!!

2011-05-31T17:05:00.000-04:00

Time flies, as we all know, which is why it usually seems like our kids grow 2 inches overnight, start with a full conversation of vocabulary within days...But I have to say Paxton truly does things practically overnight. One day he can't hold his bottle and then the very next day he just grabbed on and ta da!! Its not like he started showing signs of being ready, started holding here and there. No, he just grabbed it one day and said "I'm ready Mom, let go!"

(and yes those crazy 'Where's Waldo' pants are his PJs, not his clothes) :)

The same goes for sitting. He didn't go from putting him on the floor in a sitting position and occassionally toppling over. No, he decided to do it himself....he went from rolling over, to army crawling (which also happened overnight), to sitting up by himself.

YAY!! I can sit!

Melt my heart

2011-05-11T17:09:00.000-04:00

Moments like these just make me smile...

Ready for a walk...

This was the compromise - they both wanted to push Paxton but Piper quickly took to the idea of pushing her baby stroller! She loves her babies.

Bike riding with the "babies"

2011-05-11T17:07:00.000-04:00

I never get her to smile for pictures...

Parker posing for the camera...

She insists on the hat being backwards!

Her Strawberry Shortcake bike

9 months and 25 pounds

2011-05-11T17:00:00.000-04:00

The 9 month old weighs as much as the 2 year old!!! At Paxton's last checkup he weighed in at 25 pounds (weighing as much as Piper does) but is doing well. He is still on his reflux meds and is probably going to have his tongue tie cut soon. We are in the process of figuring all that out with the doctors and the insurance company. It is a full on tongue tie that is causing trouble with swallowing (often results in throwing up) and will most likely result in speech problems.

I just want to eat him up!! :)

Time... where does it go???

2011-05-11T16:53:00.000-04:00

I wish I had time to post everyday, there is so much I would like to share with you all - but the best I can offer is catch up days with piles of posts!

I thought I didn't have any more race day photos, but here are some of the kids and their face paint as well as one of me running taken just before the finish line.

Piper isn't much for having her picture taken these days...

I'm in the pink shirt, behind the woman in the blue shirt and hat.

A day at the park

2011-05-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

As of late we have been spending just about every day at the park. Its nice because 3 of the 4 can do so much by themselves and can have the freedom to run around and play. Pax loves to sit in the stroller and take it all in or go for a ride in the swing.

I soooo need to run!!!

2011-05-09T17:18:00.001-04:00

Jeff went to Chicago for work this past week - he left the day after my race so it was a whirlwind of a weekend with a lot of time spent in the car back and forth to Philly and then he left the next day. So we were already starting the week off on a bad note with the kids just bouncing off the walls and exhausted all at the same time!

I decided not to ask anyone for help the first night, figuring I could handle it. I wasn't completely stressed and figured, how bad can it really be?? Well, grabbing them dinner, going to Target to pick up formula for Pax, going to the park, and then coming home for bed, turned into one of the most stressful nights I have had in such a long time. Between a diaper leakage, Parker having an "accident" at the the park which resulted in my throwing the underwear away and not having a spare outfit (yes, I was THAT mom at the park with her kid who had wet pants and was still playing!!), Piper climbing out of her crib for the first time (and not the last time!), and another "accident" on top of the normal routine of taking care of them, I ended my very first night of 4 by myself in tears!!

If only it ended there.... it was just nonstop craziness for the next 4 days. As mentioned before, Paxton has a tongue tie which often results in him throwing up his babyfood because he can't control the food going down as well. The reflux also doesn't help this issue either. It just makes him more prone to throwing up at the slightest gag. So as you can see, this was a good one. I kept Jeff up to date with many photos throughout the week. :) This being one of them.... This was also just as I was about to walk out the door for an appt for Parker (will go into detail about that later). Thankfully Denise (Jeff's mom) was able to come over that night and help me!

Our poor little 3 year old with the worst allergies!!!! He is on Allegra twice a day, Nasonex once a day, perscription eye drops, and then Visine throughout the day as needed to wash away allergens he has been exposed to in high doses. Its never ending and exhausting for him and for me!! This resulted from playing at the park, getting allergens on his hands, and then rubbing them into his eyes. They said this will keep happening and there is nothing that can be done about it - we just have to do our best to keep him from rubbing his eyes. Sure, you tell a 3 yr old not to blow dandelion seeds all over the place, rub flowers on his face, roll in the grass and dirt, keep his brother from blowing them all over him, and then as soon as his eyes start to itch - keep him from itching them!!! Yeah right!!!! It means a lot of hand washing the second we walk in the door, shoes off immediately, clothes changed before napping and then again when he goes out again, faced washed constantly... Its heartbreaking to see him like this and to hear him ask for eye drops so that his eyes aren't itchy!!

All of this happened by Tuesday. If only I could say the week got better. Piper climbed out of her crib three times in one night until she finally hit her head on the floor - I say finally because now she's too scared to do it again! At least that's what I'm counting on.

Thanks to Denise and my parent's for all their help!

Thankfully Jeff is home and despite him having to work on Mother's Day, it turned out to be a pretty good day which ended with a glass of MUCH needed wine and some time to relax with him.

Very anxious to get back to running to relieve some stress. Be careful Jeff, I might not come back!! :)

Finished!

2011-05-09T16:36:00.001-04:00

10 mile race - check. Haven't run in a week - check. Eating everything in sight and not running a single thing off - check!!

Well, I did it! I may not have been the fastest, my butt may have been dragging across that finish line, but I can proudly say that I ran the whole thing and am anxiously considering a half marathon in Philadelphia in September!

As many of you mom's know, life usually revolves around the kids and nothing else, especially if you don't work outside of the home and doing this race was "my thing". My connection to the real world. Often, people would ask what are your hobbies? What do you do? Sadly, I didn't really have an answer... I worked myself through college, got married, and then worked 60 hr weeks right out of college and didn't really pour myself into anything. Then I found running after having Peyton. It has become my outlet, my stress reliever, my hobby. I was so grateful to be able to do this, something for me. I am so thankful to Jeff for all the support and encouragement throughout the whole process. I'm so glad I got to share this victory with you!

Unfortunately, I don't really have any photos of the race, except one pre-race and one post-race taken on a cell phone.
My race buddies - Sandie and Faith Awful picture - but post race in the car

Go Phillies

2011-04-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

He surprisingly leaves this one and doesn't even reach up to touch it! We'll see how long that lasts!

Piper's beard! :)

2011-04-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

Gotta love Emeril's Spaghetti and Meatballs (its like Spaghettios sauce almost - is orange and stains EVERYTHING - hence the reason she is naked!)

Its been a while...

2011-04-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

Its been a while since I have updated you on anything that is going on around here! Peyton just started Pony B Little league and is doing well.

Paxton is into everything BUT baby toys now!

You see how he is reaching OVER all the baby toys to get the big kid toys?!

My 10 mile run is less than 2 weeks away! Ahhhhhh!!!!! And we are anxiously waiting for the weather to warm up and stay that way!

Laundry, laundry, and more laundry

2011-04-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

It feels like all I EVER do is laundry!! By the time I get done one weeks worth of laundry (I do laundry almost everday, but I also have a "laundry day") its time to do another weeks worth of laundry again!! Believe it or not, this is also with FOUR loads of laundry already washed!!!!

Easter preview

2011-04-02T18:30:00.000-04:00

The boys...

Sissy - she would only sit still for a second but we got this one!

All four of them - the only one that turned out! Pretty good considering three of them are 3 and under!

Look who turned 3!

2011-04-02T18:27:00.001-04:00

He's turning into such a little man. No more baby. :( I haven't updated professional photos with him since last year and he has changed sooo much! He has lost all of his baby looks.

This is the beloved "Fra Fra" (aka Zebra) that he sleeps with every night. We had a Fra Fra party for him too! (Fra Fra came about because that's how he learned to say zebra and it just stuck as his name)

This just makes me giggle!

Birthday party Part 1

2011-03-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

We always celebrate with the kids on their real birthdays as well as have a party for them. It was beautiful weather out, so after dinner and chocolate cake we went outside for a walk and to play in the yard. We came back in to open presents.

"Yes, I blew out the candle!"

Best buds...

Piper wearing her dinner on her shirt....

Its not too clear in this photo, but Peyton has lost two teeth on the bottom...

Jungle Book 1...

Dragon car that goes with the castle they got for Christmas...

What's new?

2011-03-18T15:24:00.000-04:00

What's new here at the Borchelt household? Well I'll tell you...

I'm training to run in the 10 mile Broad Street Run in Philadelphia on Sunday May 1st! I'm nervous beyond belief, but its something that I have been thinking of doing for quite some time now. The only goal I have set right now is to cross the finish line (and not in last place!) There's not a whole lot of training time outside except on the weekends, but I have been getting in some intense workouts on the treadmill too!

Parker is potty trained!!!! For about a month now he has been potty trained and is doing great! I tried to train him a few months ago with no luck, but just recently I got annoyed with 3 in diapers enough to just try again. It only took about a week or two until he was telling us all by himself and we RARELY have an accident. Now its only two in diapers!!! YAY!

Parker and Peyton now share a room. It hasn't been going as well as I would like, but hopefully we will get there soon. Parker has a hard time falling asleep and is usually still talking at 10:30 and is up really early (for him anyway). Unfortunately he's waking up a lot in the middle of the night too. Its exhausting to say the least. It makes for a long night of not much sleep for me or him and a long day with a grouchy kid!

Paxton moved over to Parker's old room and Jeff and I got our room back, well sort of; there's now a treadmill in our room instead of a crib!

Happy Birthday Parker

2011-03-17T23:00:00.000-04:00

Our miracle baby. Its hard to believe that its been 3 yrs since God has blessed us with this spunky, STUBBORN, energetic, sometimes shy, smart, giggly little guy.

After huge heartache and almost losing him, God gave us this little joy in our lives and for that we are so very thankful! We love you little man! Happy 3rd Birthday to our St Patrick's Day baby!!

(I wasn't allowed to take his pic but I tickled him to try and get a quick shot! - This was as good as it was going to get) More pics from his birthday night and party to come....

2 errands or 10?

2011-03-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

Typically the 3 oldest kids sleep until between 8 and 8:30 every morning, not today! They all decided (except for Peyton) to get up at 7:20 clearly not ready to get up yet! Parker has been a mess all day! Nothing like starting out your morning with crying, whining kids that had they just slept until normal time would most likely be happy and at least able to function on their own. Everything has been a chore today... getting Parker to go to the bathroom takes 15 minutes instead of 2, getting everyone dressed and out the door to run 2 errands that I am dreading taking them on takes an hour and my house gets destroyed in the process, the boys are fighting NONSTOP.... While running the errands I'm playing referee, trying to keep them from destroying the store, from losing my mind, and still concentrate on the few things I ran out to get! Not only are they touching EVERYTHING in sight, they are just running out in front of people and nearly avoiding being run over by shopping carts. As I'm apologizing to the one woman, she says "No worries, I just didn't want to run anyone over", to which I say "that's ok, maybe if you did they would learn to stay with me!" She turns to me and says, "I understand, I have 5" which nearly brings me to tears, because she actually understands and ISN'T judging, much like all the rest of the comments I get from everyone!!

In the first store as we're picking out Parker's cake for his birthday party, the ladies who are "helping" me are chit chatting and telling me how neat it is that Parker likes zebras and is having a zebra party as my boys are putting their hands on every cake in the open cooler and I'm just waiting for one of them to come crashing to the floor. In my head I'm screaming at these ladies who are oblivious to the FOUR children I have and that I don't have time to stand around and chat, all while I'm spinning in circles making sure that they are all still with me and not getting into too much trouble! Can we just get on with it ladies?! Then as we get to the checkout lane, the pacifier that is keeping Piper sitting and quiet in her seat falls to the floor and the manager talking to the cashier steps on it!!! I could have cried. She offered to wash it off, but I kept my cool and stuffed it my pocket, grabbed my stuff and children and tried to calmly get them all to the car without losing it!

We get to the last store of 2 and we only have to run back and get formula and pick up Paxton's reflux medicine... wouldn't you know it, we get all the way to the back of the store and Parker tells me he has to go potty!! I could scream! It means corraling them all to the front of the store again (which is no small task and takes much more time than it should), and then going to get the medicine. After the bathroom, Piper starts spilling her snack ALL over the floor. She's eating these mini cheezits and they just start falling all over the floor; as I'm cleaning up that mess Parker decides to go through my bag and finds Swedish fish and pulls them out UPSIDE down!!! Now not only do I have to clean up the 50 tiny cheese crackers, I now have fish to clean up off a nasty dirty floor! An errand that is supposed to be taking 15 minutes is now working on 30... I go back to get the meds and they can't find them!! As they are searching, Piper is wiggling out of the seatbelt and trying to climb out of her stroller to face Paxton, the boys are running around and picking up stuff off the shelves. I finally pick up Parker, use my legs to hold Piper in the stroller, and yell at Peyton to stop messing with the pinpad for credit cards!! Finally they find the medicine and as I'm paying a man says to me, "Excuse me ma'am." and in my head I'm thinking, "great, what now?" and hands me Piper's binky (a clean one I had in the bag, not the stepped on one)! I was MORE than ready to get in the car and go home 45 minutes later! It felt like I had just run 10 errands instead of 2!

On a more positive note... I was able to snap this photo this morning. I love the smile behind the binky. :)

Really??

2011-03-03T16:57:00.000-05:00

Why is it that time seems to go faster and faster with every passing day?! I cannot believe that Paxton is 7 months old already. It feels like just recently we were processing the news that our family was growing even bigger yet and here we are only 5 months away from our baby no longer being a "baby". Even though I thought we were done after having Piper, really KNOWING that Paxton is our last changes my outlook on watching him go through all the baby stages. Parker was still so much of a baby himself when Piper was born, being only 14.5 months old and I guess I got so wrapped up in trying to keep my head above water that I didn't sit and think "wow, this is really our last baby, no more of this stage or that stage", but its all too real this time and I'm not sure I'm liking it. :) Don't worry Mom and Dad, no more babies for us, just a little sad that the baby coos and smiles will all be over before I know it.

2011-03-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

As I write this post listening to the boys play their nerf guns downstairs I came across this article in the Oprah magazine about a little boy who shot and killed himself with his father's gun accidently and the tears flooded my eyes to think of the despair this family must be going through and the lack of thought that was put into gun saftey in the house. I am always at a battle in my head on when its ok for boys to be boys and to play with these kinds of toys. They just don't get the seriousness of shooting a gun and that shooting a toy gun at someone in fun is vastly different from the potentially fatal outcome of shooting a real gun. Right now Jeff's guns are all locked in a gun safe and are kept a secret for the most part due to their lack of ability to understand the danger. We are believers in not allowing them to point the guns at each other or other people in a violent manner but this life altering choice for this family reminds me of how much more we still have to teach them.

Double fisted screams

2011-03-02T16:37:00.001-05:00

Her latest "trick".... Gets lots of laughs around our house. Be glad that the photo doesn't do the volume level justice!!!

One of the many daily battles

2011-03-02T16:33:00.000-05:00

I could tell them to sit down and back away from the tv in my sleep!! They are constantly fighting over a spot in front of the tv....wonder what will happen when there is a 4th and no room??

The big blues

2011-02-25T12:39:00.000-05:00

This little guy's smile (not to mention the blue eyes and chubby cheeks) makes the bad week I have had seemingly disappear. Its just been one of those weeks that you wish you could start over... I hate to say that I wish it would just be over because I know how precious the time I get with my family is, but man I could really use a new start. Nonstop crying, fighting (6yr old vs the 3 yr old), throwing up (Pax's reflux turns into vomiting when he gets a cold!), sleepless nights, cleaning up potty training messes, ALL the loads of laundry that come with all the throw up and potty training.... Plus, Jeff has been so busy at work that I have been flying solo through much of the day and night. Thank goodness its FRIDAY! (Not that the weekend means much in "mommy-world"). Here's to a new week next week!!

Pax wearing the Woody hat - looks more like a sombrero on him than a Cowboy hat!

Our girly girl

2011-02-11T09:47:00.005-05:00

Despite poor lighting, this picture describes our little princess to a "T". She is a girl through and through!!! This morning she insisted on wearing her ballerina tu tu, her princess crown slippers, and her sunglasses all while carrying her purse over top of her PJs.

Wordless Wednesday - Brotherly Love

2011-01-26T16:43:00.002-05:00

I know its supposed to be a "wordless" post, but I just have to say this makes my heart melt... they set this up all by themselves and are laughing it up and telling stories! (it quickly progressed to a snowball fight, but hey it was nice while it lasted!)

Paxton turns 5 months

2011-01-03T22:00:00.003-05:00

The Pax-man is 5 months old today. He's been battling one sickness after another, but he is still full of smiles. Right now he has a terrible cough that just won't go away and worsens his reflux. Jeff and I have become good at catching vomit. :)

He loves to watch the other kids while he hangs out in his exersaucer.

Smiling at his Mommy. :)

Christmas 2010 Part 3

2010-12-25T22:01:00.003-05:00

The boys got a Dragon Castle that they love!

Everyone is sick and it hit Piper the hardest...taking a rest on the pillow pet.

Opening her Olivia doll. (a cartoon pig on Nick Jr)

Boys at stocking time.

Opening the Dragon Castle.

Christmas 2010 Part 2

2010-12-25T21:51:00.002-05:00

So Christmas Day started at 3:45 am for us!!!! Peyton came upstairs asking me if it was time to open presents yet!!! "No, Peyton its the middle of the night, go back to sleep!!" He then came up 4 more times before it was finally time to get up!

Pax man and Peyton were the only one's willing to take a picture before opening gifts.

Pax with his gifts from Santa.

I'm sad to say that Peyton's gift from Santa didn't arrive in time. :( So this was the subsitute Bullseye until Santa mails his out. He got a letter from Santa that said too many boys and girls had wanted Bullseye that he had to have extra made and to be fair to everyone he is mailing them all out at the same time. He accepted this rather well!

Parker with his Santa gift!

Piper and her big girl slippers.

Christmas 2010 Part 1

2010-12-25T21:44:00.003-05:00

We decided to start a new tradition this year... making a Gingerbread House. This is it half finished. I got wrapped up in taking care of babies that I couldn't take one of them when it was all done.

Christmas Eve 2010 - It was a struggle to get them all looking and smiling, so it comes in stages...

Parker wanted to smile, but was being stubborn. :)

We had Christmas at my parent's house on Christmas Eve this year. This was the only photo I was able to manage getting. They all got pillow pets... the HIT of the night!!!

Wordless Wednesday - My Boys

2010-12-08T16:16:00.002-05:00

Random...

2010-12-08T16:08:00.002-05:00

There are starting to be many photos of just the boys because Piper refuses to sit with them for more than 5 seconds.

I even found Piper a Batman shirt!

The boys were playing around and Piper wanted to be a part of the picture so Peyton quick put the basket on her head. She looks so thrilled!

The boys coordinating again. :)

Finally one of all of them!

The picture says a thousand words

2010-12-08T16:00:00.003-05:00

Paxton went for his 4 month checkup on Monday and was 18 lbs and 27 inches. (Peyton had him beat at 19.4 at 4 months). The dr increased his reflux meds and we are off to see an ENT specialist for his tongue tie at the end of December. Other than that, he is growing well (obviously) and moving on to the dreaded cereal and babyfood (my least favorite thing about the baby stage).

Ho Ho Ho

2010-12-03T15:53:00.003-05:00

Poor Santa! Piper was fine with waving at him, but wanted NOTHING to do with sitting with him. Pax was ready for a nap and wasn't thrilled having to sit next to his screaming sister when all he wanted to do was sleep. :) The boys were anxious to tell Santa what they wanted... Peyton - Bullseye to go with his Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Parker - Slinkydog (from Toy Story as well). Santa was impressed with their simplicity and offered to bring them more toys. Thanks Santa, we needed that!

We are hoping to get through one more year with Peyton believing, but the kids on the bus aren't making it quite so easy. I have gotten really creative in trying to avert everything he's being told! And in case you were wondering, we are the only one's who have the real Santa at our mall. Everyone else has Santa's elves dressing up as Santa to help him out. :)

18 months

2010-12-03T15:25:00.002-05:00

Piper will be 18 months next week! Boy, how time flies. She is a girly girl to the max; she loves her shoes, her purse, MY wallet. But, she can hang with the boys too. They keep her tough (sometimes a little too tough). She would rather spend her time getting into things than playing with toys. She's great at destroying. It drives the boys nuts when they are trying to build a train track or a tower!
Her talking has gone through the roof in the last month - she parrots just about anything you say, esp when you are telling her not to do something. Instead of getting down, she says "get down!" and just bats her eyelashes at me; a real piece of
work!

Mommy is slightly jealous of the trendy looks she can pull off!

Paxton is 4 months

2010-12-03T15:21:00.003-05:00

"Pax man" as we often call him, is 4 months old today. He goes for his four month checkup on Monday and I'm a very anxious to see how much he's grown. He was 18lbs fully clothed about a week ago, so we shall see!

He is full of smiles and LOVES to talk to everyone. Oh yeah, and did I mention he's a big time Mama's boy! I'll take all the snuggles I can get because I know how fast it goes.

So cute

2010-11-13T14:54:00.003-05:00

"I'm so cute and I can do whatever I want! That includes standing in my highchair to eat my lunch!" - Piper

And, a side note... what about this doesn't scream girl?? I don't know how many times I get asked if I have 4 boys!!!! She's in all pink, in a pink highchair/cart cover (and you can't see her shoes, but they are pink too!!!!!)

Astounded

2010-11-09T17:02:00.003-05:00

In the past two outings I have had with the kids recently I have been astounded at how lax people are with their kids and just leaving them anywhere unattended.

We went to the library the other day and there was a baby sitting in a stroller with no one in sight for about 15 min. At the same time there is a boy about 2 yrs old swinging toys around, narrowly missing the other kids playing around him. All the mom's in the area are looking around with the "who's kids are these?" look. Finally this woman appears out of the rows of bookshelves and approaches the baby, never checking on the 2 yr old. I'm completely dumbfounded that this woman never approached the baby or even checked on the baby for such a long time. Anyone could have easily walked off with the baby and she would have had no clue!!! Later I see her looking for the 2 yr old and calling his name. She had no idea where he was! Come to find out later that these weren't even her kids, she was the BABYSITTER!!!!!!!! My heart sank when I found this out, knowing that the mom who has left these kids in her care is assuming they are being protected, loved, and taken care of , when clearly they are not. To top it all off, the woman was a teacher for many years and decided to start taking care of kids in her home to be home more with her own children. Really?? These are the people who are teaching our kids?!?!

Today as I was sitting in Target with the kids as they were eating their lunch, a woman is on her cell phone having a very personal conversation that the rest of the people in Target really didn't need to hear, as her children are pulling on her clothes trying to get her attention. While it was more the conversation that she was having that got my attention than her kids needing her and her not responding, it was what she did later that floored me! She had ordered a hot chocolate from Starbucks and I guess had gone out to her car and realized it wasn't what she ordered. So she pulled up to the front, left her kids in a RUNNING car by themselves while she came and stood in line waiting to get a new hot chocolate. In the 5-10 min she was inside I only saw her look outside twice to see if they were okay. I would have been a nervous wreck leaving them for that long in a running car in a busy parking lot!! I felt like I needed to keep looking out the window to make sure no one came along and just took them, or they didn't get out of their seats and drive the car away themselves (being that they were about 4 or 5). Have I ever wanted to just run in somewhere myself and leave the kids to do a 10 min errand that will now take an hour with 4 kids? Yes, but I've never done it!

I consider myself to be pretty relaxed when it comes to my kids. For example, I will leave the youngest in the house (gated in the baby proofed living room) while I go and take Peyton a few feet down the sidewalk to the bus stop, but to leave these kids unattended for such a long time just astounds me!!!! It also leaves me feeling VERY grateful that my husband works hard to provide for our family so that I am able to stay home with our children. And the few times they are with my mother in law or sister in law, I know they are loved and safe.

Me

2010-11-02T23:03:00.003-04:00

3 days straight of 4 mile runs! Yep, I'm tooting my own horn! :) Very excited to be back up to this many miles.

I have to celebrate the "me time". Its what keeps me sane.

Why did I include this picture you ask?? Well because its staring me in the face ALL DAY LONG!!! Surprisingly this candy fanatic is doing awesome at not succumbing to the temptation (only 18 lbs to go and this baby weight is GONE!)

Tanya

Merrymead Farm

2010-11-02T16:21:00.007-04:00

As if Trick or Treating wasn't enough, we decided to take the kids to Merrymead Farm ....

It was windy and cold, but we had fun. We took a hayride around the farm (the brown blob is Paxton sleeping in my new favorite baby carrier - Baby K'tan). :)

Haunted house

Hayride fun

We did a cornstalk tunnel. It was rather scary at times when Parker had run off and we were running around in circles trying to find him. (its like a corn maze for little kids, but its still tricky to find your way out - try finding a toddler who rarely walks and runs nonstop in a cornstalk tunnel with about 5 different ways to go!)

Tanya

Happy Halloween

2010-11-02T16:03:00.006-04:00

Halloween 2010 was fun, crazy, and exhausting for everyone! We trick or treated 3 nights in a row (at church's Trunk or Treat, with various family members, and then our neighborhood). The boys have been OBSESSED with Toy Story this past year so when they were excited to go as Buzz and Woody, I thought it would be fun to dress Piper and Pax as Jessie and Bullseye (slightly different than the movie version, but it works - Thanks Em for lending us the costumes!) Peyton was SO exicted and wanted to sprint from house to house, Parker ate candy nonstop, Piper went along for the ride, and Pax slept the whole time.

It was a constant battle with Sissy to get her to wear the hat.

"To Infinity and Beyond" - Buzz Lightyear

"I'm the best Sheriff in town" - Woody

"Yoodleeheeho" - Jessie (sporting a pink bucket) :)

Our bullseye with his Halloween binky (that he loves so he will use it long after Halloween) :)

A very happy Bullseye

Tanya

MOOOMMMMYYYY!!!!!

2010-11-01T09:53:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted a Not Me Monday post, originated over on MckMama's blog in forever, so here's a quick one!

Paxton still likes to sleep in his bouncy seat and I am definitely NOT too lazy to change that. And I most definitely DO NOT allow my 3 month old to sleep with his face covered with a blanket all while NOT wearing a pink and white girl bib because I am always on top of the laundry around here.

And while I was quickly writing up this post, my 6 year DID NOT yell, "MOMMY, Parker took his diaper off and is poopy!" I DID NOT find my 2 yr old on the couch with his poopy diaper in his hands and his little toosh just inches from touching the back of the couch!

Tanya

PS - Don't fret... what you can't see is that Paxton's face is turned to the side and the blanket is not covering his mouth and nose.

Why?

2010-10-30T15:41:00.003-04:00

I want to know why its ok for someone to take my husband's hard earned money to buy crap??!! I don't really discuss politics publicly because, well, that's just not my style, but I need to say something to all of those who feel the need to abuse the system!!

Twice now in my quick trips to the grocery store to pick up a last minute item, I have been behind women who have used food stamps to purchase nothing other than junk (candy, beef jerkey, random items that in my opinion are not what you should be using that money for!!) I am all for people who truly need the help, getting the help, but I am NOT for people using our money to buy things that aren't to help sustain a healthy lifestyle for your family. If you don't have enough money to purchase food for your family and you need help in doing so, than here is a novel idea - purchase FOOD!!

Why is okay for you to waste our money on things that aren't benefitting your family? Why do you need that beef jerkey the length of my leg (no lie!!!)? Or why do you need to have 6 candy bars? While I think these are treats and you deserve the right to have treats, but on your OWN money, not our's!!

I guess part of the problem lies in the system and not having stricter guidelines! Get the help if you need it, but use it to buy necessities, please! (don't even get me started on what these women were wearing - designer watches, Guess purses....)

Its not punny

2010-10-28T16:33:00.004-04:00

Last night at dinner Parker is giving us trouble staying in his chair and eating, so Jeff says "Parker turn around and eat. If you want candy (candy they got at the Halloween parade), then you need to eat." Parker replies, "I. DON'T. WANT. CANDY!". Of course, I start cracking up! Hearing him talk in such complete sentences with such emphasis and to tell Jeff to take his food and shove it in so many ways just had me rolling. Parker scowls up his face and says "Its not PUNNY!" (His "F's" are "P's") Unfortunately this gets Peyton laughing too and ultimately defeats Jeff's attempt at bribing Parker to eat his dinner. Got to love the terrific two's!

Double edged sword

2010-10-22T15:59:00.009-04:00

As I was putting the kids in the car after a LONG morning out running errands, an older woman stops me and says, "Wow, you took 2 of them out shopping with you!" Then I say "I actually have 4 kids." She says "Oh wow, you have 4?! You look too young to have 4 kids." To which I say, "I'm actually almost 30." "30?! You look 18!", she says. "Thank you.", I say. She then says "I have 4 kids and 12 grandchildren and am loving life. Enjoy them!" "Thank you. I will."

Why am I telling you this, you ask. Well because you don't know how much I get this. I am always being told I'm "too young" to have four kids (or 3 just a couple of months ago). While I know that I will appreciate looking younger than my true age later, I DON'T now!! I am tired of being attached to the stereotype of being a teenage, unwed mother or being judged for my choice in having 4 kids when I still have so much of my life ahead of me and how dare I have wasted my young years on having kids! As I know I am guilty of judging others, we all are, I am still amazed at how judgmental people are of the fact that we have four kids, close in age, and are young. I know I'm young, but I'm NOT a teenager. I have chosen to create this life for myself, am married to a wonderful man, and love my children , and am TIRED of having to defend it to perfect strangers!!!!! (now that's off my chest!) :)

A fault of mine is worrying. Worrying about everything, but I especially worry about what others think of me, so these judgments are always a huge deal for me and are very hard for me to shrug off. I'm always wishing I looked older to avoid this exact stereotype, but at the same time fear aging.

Its a double edged sword because as my birthday approaches (still about 9 months away - but we all know how FAST time flies) I am dreading turning the big 3-0!! Turning 30 is a HUGE fear of mine! (insert eye roll here - I know) But seriously, I feel like it marks a new chapter in my life and closes another. I know my child bearing days are over (thankfully, but still sad nonetheless to know that I will never get to enjoy that again), my days of having toddlers and even "little kids" will soon be over (some days that can't come soon enough, but I know I will miss that one day), being in my young twenties is no longer, and truly being "young" will surely disappear.

And if I'm being completely honest, I just don't want to get old! :) As many of you know, I took up running after having Peyton and really started to enjoy it. Running 20-25 miles a week was nothing and became a hobby of mine. Now, running has become a chore and it is taking its toll on my body! I know my body has been through a lot in the last 6 years (esp the last 3), but I am still amazed at how "old" I feel after getting off the treadmill or coming in from a run around the neighborhood. I guess its just a constant reminder that life is changing and I need to embrace it and enjoy the ride, no matter how old I look or how old I truly am.

Hodgepodge Tuesday

2010-10-19T15:28:00.004-04:00

Because I didn't know what else to call today's post... its a hodgepodge of photos.

These are the pumpkins from our pumpkin picking day.

Parker and Daddy busy carving his pumpkin.

Peyton poking holes in his template.

The boys scooping the insides out. (yes, I know the pics are out of order, but I just don't have the time or energy to fix them.) :) My flash wasn't on and it got an orange glow, but I guess it makes it look a little more festive.

A visit to the park and the obstacle course. (And GO EAGLES!)

Piper climbing inside the hippo, sporting her pink Eagle's jersey.

Ribbit, ribbit...

Surprisingly I didn't have to work too hard to get this shot and I love it. My two toddlers want nothing to do with sitting still, let alone still enough for me to take a photo of them and Pax wanted me to hold him (BIG mama's boy) and not Peyton. BUT, we got it without a lot of tears or stress.

Piper (16 mos), Peyton (6yrs), Paxton (2.5 months), and Parker (2.5yrs)

Unconditional Love

2010-10-15T23:07:00.002-04:00

I love reading "I Love You Through and Through" by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak to Piper...

"I love you through and through.

I love your top side. I love your bottom side.

I love your inside and outside.

I love your happy side, your sad side,

your silly side, your mad side.

I love your fingers and toes,

your ears and nose.

I love your hair and eyes,

your giggles and cries.

I love you running and walking,

silent and talking.

I love you through and through...

yesterday, today, and tomorrow, too."

Unconditional love... its something so amazing that can't fully be understood until you look into the eyes of your child for the first time. You grow up knowing that your parents love you no matter what you do, but you can't fully grasp the enormity of that love until you experience it for yourself. You look into those little eyes, at their fingers and toes, and you instantly fall in love. Your heart melts with each giggle and each new word. Its a love that grows with each passing day.

Right now as I am just trying to keep my head above water and get through these "survival years" (as dubbed by a friend of mine - Jen), I am equally amazed at how reciprocated that unconditional love is. No matter how angry I get, or how many times I've flipped out over the food all over the floor, or how tired I get of changing the 100th diaper that day, or wiping hands and faces endlessly, they don't see my flaws and never fail to love without judging. (all of this will most likely change when they become teenagers, but for now I will enjoy it while it lasts) :)

Peyton, Parker, Piper, and Paxton, I will "love you through and through, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, too."

Tanya

15 lbs 3 oz

2010-10-15T22:50:00.005-04:00

Photo taken by Gail Bunning from Gail Anne Photography

Paxton went for his two month checkup on Wednesday and he weighed in at 15 lbs 3 oz! He's growing well (obviously) and we are on to a new formula AGAIN to try to help this whole reflux thing. I'm saddened that I wasn't able to continue nursing for many reasons (his tongue tie and his reflux issues), but hopeful that this will be the answer we are looking for. Its hard to watch your little baby in so much pain. Forunately he will grow out of this and his medications are short term. (most likely until he's one)

Tanya

Tis the Season

2010-10-06T14:47:00.009-04:00

And so it begins! I am now back to living at the pediatrician's office. Piper has an ear infection and Paxton is having reflux issues again.

I guess with four kids I'm bound to be there more than most, but even when I only had three I felt like I lived there over the fall and winter season.

In my many trips recently I have noticed things that I have never had time to see before (the Grandma's were watching the other kids allowing me to take just those that had an appt). As I'm sitting and chatting with whomever I happen to have with me, I've noticed parenting/pregnancy magazines sitting on the shelves in the room. Now I would like to know who has time to be reading these magazines other than people they don't pertain to? These magazines target audiences with younger children (often birth through preschool), not school age children or teens. I know that I do not have time to read these mags, because I'm usually catching juice cups before they hit the floor or find their way to the trash can, picking up books and puzzles up off the floor, keeping little hands out of all the unlocked drawers filled with medical supplies, chasing kids off the big scale that beeps every time they weigh themselves, keeping the boys from fighting over who will sit in the one and only chair in the room, keeping curious toddlers from unrolling the huge roll of paper, ripping pieces off and throwing them around the room, and keeping them from dragging their hands across the germ infested room and then conveniently making it to their mouths. As I was saying... who has time to read these?

I must give a little thanks to both Grandmas for watching the other kids for me because its been rather relaxing to take just one out with me.

Tanya

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-03T16:05:00.004-04:00

Today was pumpkin picking day.... We had a lot of fun taking a hayride to go and pick out pumpkins, climbing on haybales, playing in corn sandboxes, and playing on the combine slide.

Tanya

Laughter

2010-09-27T16:21:00.004-04:00

Today is just one of those days where I need to laugh it off! I need to laugh as Piper has gotten into the frig for the 20th time and is now carrying around the bottle of salad dressing, as Parker is throwing grapes across the table at Peyton, as I'm cleaning smashed Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich off the floor and the bottom of my foot, as I chase Piper around with a vacuum as she eats a muffin (I know its my own dumb fault for not putting her in the booster seat, but I just wasn't in the mood - guess I paid for my laziness), as Parker is sitting in time out and screaming at the top of his lungs (and then proceeds to scream for the next hour till he finally crashes for a nap), as we are racing to the bus stop which ends with Parker screaming because he can't get on too, as its 1:30 and I am just getting to finally put food into my shaking, hungry body, as Piper tries to scale the entertainment center for the 100th time today and finally Parker gets so tired of hearing me tell her to get down that he lifts her down (did I mention that he's only 10lbs heavier than she is).... its just one of those days where I gotta laugh!!!

Tanya

Refreshed

2010-09-24T12:38:00.002-04:00

Today we went to the library and of course any adventure out with all 4 kids on my own is, well exactly that, an adventure! We pull into the parking lot and there isn't a spot in sight and end up in the overflow lot. Of course stress level is starting to rise knowing I'm going to have lug all 4 of them from Never Never Land into the library without getting hit by a car. The parking lot is always a challenge because of the lack of arms to carry 2 toddlers and a baby. So with both boys cooperating and holding onto the stroller that is carrying both babies we make it safely through the front door, we return our books, and head to the children's section.

I don't like to take them places where they can't be coralled because they all head in different directions and I can't keep up, but surprisingly they did AWESOME! Everyone stayed in one little section (which is no small feat with two toddlers), they all shared with each other and the other kids there, there was no complaining when it was time to go, no one ran away when we were trying to leave...It was a rather stress free trip out.

Topping it all off were the comments I got from other people. Typically I get comments that get under my skin and are hard for me to shrug off. Pretty often I get, "WOW, you have your hands full!" - which is usually code for you are insane for having 4 kids or you have no control over your kids so why did you have them (Or maybe that's me thinking that!!) :) Just kidding! Most people have very negative comments or their tone is very negative and with my stress level already so high, it just really gets to me. BUT, today as I'm watching everyone watching me handle my four kids, biting their toungue as they take it all in, one sweet lady with her toddler grandson says to me, "You are one very busy lady." To which I say, "Yes I am!Four kids keeps me moving." She says, "And you are so calm!" Me, "That's because they are all being so good. The key is to get out before someone has a meltdown".

As we're checking out, the lady checking our books out says, "All I can say is wow (as she looks in the stroller, my arms carrying Paxton and at the boys, silently counting) and you are cool as a cucumber. I am throughly impressed!!" "Thank you!", I say with a HUGE smile on my face.

Its not often that I get positive uplifting comments about handling all my kids that leave me feeling refreshed and as if I can really do this whole thing called motherhood. Often I am just trying to survive, hold my head above water, do whatever I can to get through the crazy moments without crying or screaming, and to have two people point out how well they thought I handled the kids was really nice to hear.

So, how long did their good behavior last, you ask? Until they got into their carseats and the boys were already exchanging slaps back and forth! Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Tanya

First smiles

2010-09-17T13:32:00.004-04:00

My heart just melts with those first smiles... After weeks of what seems like a blank stare, wondering how much they can see and just what they are thinking, the reward is BIG. The first smiles always bring tears of joy to my eyes. I'm trying to capture every first moment and savor it as I know this is my last baby to go through all these with. (Even though this was 11:30 at night and my eyes were burning with exhaustion!

Its extrememly hard to get a good angle with a chubby little baby who only can only lie down, but cute nonetheless!

Tanya

Our Kindergartener

2010-09-17T13:24:00.006-04:00

So I'm only about 2 wks late on posting this, but better late than never, right?? I had my first official mommy letting go moment. Peyton started Kindergarten on Sept 7th and is LOVING it!!! As I fought the urge to follow the bus to school (and throw up), the tears were running down my cheeks as my first baby rode to school with a complete stranger behind the wheel and with no seatbelt, but we all made it! And now sending him with such eagerness and excitement in his step has been a joy for him and for me! We love you buddy and are SO proud of you!

Parker had to wear a backpack too and cried when he couldn't get on the bus too (and still does EVERYDAY!!)

Tanya

2010-09-15T15:20:00.004-04:00

My week has just been one of those weeks and its only Wednesday!

As a mother of 2 toddlers, life is a constant whirlwind of testing the limits. Now that Jeff is back to work after a week off with us, the kids have decided its a free for all and they are going to see how far they can push mommy before she blows.

Piper has mastered a few new tricks this week like climbing up on the couch, stopping the baby's swing right after I get him to calm down, and standing on the endtable between the couches, all leaving me pulling my hair out. As I sit helplessly feeding a baby with bad reflux who really could benefit from a few straight minutes of feeding rather than me constantly stopping him to put an end to the toddler antics, I wonder when it ever got to the point where just getting her to sit down on the table (rather than get down) became satisfactory. Or when she falls off, I don't gasp and rush to pick her up, but rather ask her if she's ok and think to myself "Well maybe she'll learn to not jump around on the couch!"

Oh how things change from the first child to the third. Sorry Pax, but you just might be fending for yourself soon. :) To think that I still have one more to put through this toddler stage....

Tanya

Eternally Grateful

2010-09-13T16:35:00.002-04:00

As I sit with tears running down my cheeks, watching the minutes pass until my husband calls to say he's on his way home, my clothes covered in spit up, feeding a very fussy baby, watching helplessly while my two toddlers crush Cheezits all over the living room floor, use the coffee table to practice their balancing skills, do gymnastics with the ride on horse, climb into the baby swing, throw toys all over the room, I am reminded of a story I read on another mommy friend and cousin's blog about a mom of a 2 yr old who has a brain tumor and currently is in a comma.

With a breaking heart for this family, my mommy woes become moments to treasure and remind me how eternally grateful I am for the 4 little blessings God has given me. God is a God who gives AND takes away, reminding us to cherish every moment as if it were our last, EVEN when you're sitting on the floor holding two toddlers all while trying to quiet a crying baby aching for the moment when your husband walks through the door to lend a hand. Thank you Lord even for moments like these!

1 month checkup

2010-09-10T23:25:00.003-04:00

Our little man is officially NOT little. He had his one month well check today and he weighed in at 13lbs 1 oz and has grown an inch!!

2010-08-26T17:21:00.001-04:00

I love watching these two hanging out together (even if it is watching the TV ridiculously close). :)

Our littlest man

2010-08-26T17:19:00.002-04:00

Our littlest man is growing and growing!! He's now 12 lbs!

We're home

2010-08-13T15:20:00.003-04:00

We're home and everyone is very excited to have a new baby in the house (well most of the time). As expected they have all had their share of jealous moments, but we are just taking it one day at a time.
Parker loves to hold the baby....

Piper likes to try to steal his pacifier... :)

Snoozing with Mommy.....

A little awake time (these moments are few and far between - He's quite the sleeper)....

Peyton is a big brother AGAIN! He tells me that we should have lots more babies. I have assured him that will NOT be happening anymore and that we have plenty of brothers and sisters to love. :)

He's here!!!!!

2010-08-12T13:16:00.006-04:00

Paxton Jaret was born on August 3rd! He was 10lbs 1oz and 22 inches long. Our biggest baby and the completion to our family. The delivery went well; I was given pitossin in the morning, but had to wait for other emergency deliveries to break my water and get to meet this "little" guy. Unfortunately I started not feeling well after the delivery and within a few hours of having him my SVT (my heart condition) started acting up and I ended up in the ICU for the first night. It took about 4 hours to get my heart rate to come down from an average of about 196 to the mid 90's. It wasn't until about 2am that my heart came back down to a normal level (in the 60 and 70's). I ran a marathon from my hospital bed!
It was a very emotional few days for us all; I wasn't allowed to have the baby with me (I was barely able to see him), Jeff stayed with me instead of going home to be with the kids, and of course I was hoping to get out in 24 hrs to see the kids and get a chance to rest (its extremely hard to rest in the hospital with people constantly in and out of your room), but I had to stay pretty much confined to bed for a day and then down to the maternity ward with constant IV fluids and checkups from nurses, drs, nurse practioners, nursing students....

And the verdict is in....10 lbs 1 oz. Jeff was the closest in his bet. Needless to say I wanted to punch him when he guessed close to 10lbs. :)A trip to the ICU to see Mommy and Daddy...

Kisses...

Daddy's turn...

Our baby boy...

As you can see, coming home photos didn't go to well...

The biggest and littlest brother in their Phillies outfits....

The boys....

A couple more days!!!

2010-07-30T14:06:00.002-04:00

My belly is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!! But, only a couple more days and we get to meet our newest member of our family. I am scheduled to be induced on August 3rd. I have mixed emotions about it. 3 pregnancies in 3 years has made this pregnancy horribly painful making me very anxious to be done, but at the same time its a little sad knowing this chapter in our lives will be closed.

Will keep you posted....

The only one

2010-07-29T14:11:00.005-04:00

If it wasn't for these faces....

days like today would do me in. Today was a definite "Not Me Monday" kind of day. I feel like these days only happen to me.... I'm the only one sweating it out (literally) as I'm chasing my kids around the store and trying to get something accomplished at the same time. The only one with holy terrors racing around the shopping cart and screaming. The only one who is 39.5wks pregnant, carrying a 35 lb toddler, another toddler trying to climb out of the cart, with one foot in the women's bathroom door to still be able to keep an "ear" on my oldest. The only one with a toddler and an almost 6 yr old (who should know better!!!!!) running over to the eggs, opening the carton to have my 2 yr old pick one up and squeeze it. The only one wearing raw egg all over my dress as I finish up my grocery shopping, because I didn't get this far to quit now! The only one with a one yr old who is taking a bite out of everything she can get her hands on in the cart, including the bread and hamburger rolls. The only one with the toddler pulling all the crap they have in checkout aisles off the shelf and into the cart with her and onto the floor. The only one with diced peaches leaking all over the whole cart to just put them back on the shelf because I just might start to cry if I have to admit to one more person that my life is out of control. The only one who's 6 yr old is twirling his hat around and catches the edge of my dress, lifts up, and ever so kindly gives everyone in the aisles behind me a show. The only one who has the bagger who only puts 2 items in each bag, making things take 4 times as long and all the people around me telling me I have my hands full, to which I want to say "Thank you for stating the obvious and unless you feel like helping me out, SHUT UP!!!!"

BUT, look at those smiling faces and how cute they all look and how could I possibly do anything but laugh off these days!?!?!? :) (just need to keep telling myself that)

Monkey Joe's

2010-05-27T16:43:00.003-04:00

On Mother's Day we decided to go to Monkey Joe's to let the kids play.

Tball

2010-04-14T14:56:00.002-04:00

Jeff and I have been waiting for 3.5 yrs for this day... Peyton has been hitting a baseball since he was two. He first learned in our apartment living room, knocking the pictures off the walls. His first Tball game was this weekend and it was the longest and funniest 4 innings of baseball I have ever watched! The kids chase their own balls, fight over who is going to get it and throw it, play in the dirt, pick grass, and one little girl even took the ball from the pitcher that was trying to tag her out with it!

Peyton as pitcher...

Second base...

Can't resist playing in the "sand"... He insists that its sand and not baseball dirt.

Running to first after his first hit...

Waiting to be up to bat...

I can't believe my first baby is old enough to play the one sport he has LOVED since he was a toddler. Love you buddy!!

Too smart for his own good (or maybe mine!)

2010-04-14T14:22:00.005-04:00

Not Me Monday (except its Wednesday)! I just had to post what most definitely DID NOT happen to me today in a Not Me story. Today I had two "quick" errands to run (as quick as any errands can be with a 2 yr old, a 10 month old, and my friend's 5 month old). I was finished at my last store and I had bought Parker an Icee on our way out. On the way out, he did NOT drop it in the parking lot. I pick it up and save most of it to get back to the car to try and wipe it up. Parker climbs in the front passenger seat which was fine with me since he couldn't get into much (or so I thought) and he was at least not going to take off on me and run around the parking lot. (He was there for literally 30 seconds tops!) He did NOT start playing with the buttons on the door. I put him in his car seat, Piper in hers, lean over and start the car to start the DVD player, put the bag in the car, close all the doors, and am going to go put baby K into her seat to hear a big CLICK. All the doors most definitely were NOT locked with the car running and two kids in it. Oh and did I mention my cell phone was in the bag in the car!!!!!! I did NOT start to panic, I did NOT plead with a 2 yr old to unbuckle his seatbelt and help Mommy out.

Thank God for a very sweet woman who asked me if I was ok and when I asked her for her cell it was NOT broken! The tears are filling my eyes, but just as I am about to ask her to go into the store and call the police, a nice man asks if he can help and I am able to call 911 and admit that my 2 kids are NOT stuck in my locked and running car!! After both of my "rescuers" leave I am left to wait for the police by myself with slight panic that they might not show up and I won't have a cell to call again. Fortunately they show up shortly and unlock my car filled with a screaming 10 month old and my toddler who has decided that he does NOT have to listen to Mommy and put the lid back on his Icee!

This photo doesn't show the red stained hands to go with it and the red stripe down his belly to match.

Oh and to top off the day, he decides to take off his diaper, pee the bed, and not take a nap!!!!!! Really????