A Photo Attempt

AND the reason I think family photographers are such miracle workers.  I can't imagine getting kids to be still and look at the camera and not have a fake smile, yada, yada.  I can't even make my own kids do it.  Still I think the outtakes are funny.  BTW I didn't get THE picture but it was worth a try.





Wow, I have 3 kids.  Weird.  :)

Random

amazing weekend

Jared went and got the boy's swingset from our old house

they were pretty pumped

Jared makes this EXACT same face when he is working on a project

YO Adrienne!!!!

(Sorry, I grew up on Rocky Movies)

So I'm wondering would it be wrong to ask that these kids NEVER grow up?

Like, could she always be small enough to bathe in the sink?

And could he always fit on Daddy's shoulders and think that, that is the. best. place. on earth?

And could he always eat ice cream with such abandon??

Ok, maybe not that last one. The poor kid would NEVER get a date. :)

Yeah, I am pretty sure I have no choice but to let them grow up. Sob.

I told you it was random.

"The one where I go on and on about squirrels"

There are a lot of perks that came along with our new home and our new neighborhood. A couple of the boy's favorite things are the "twin" squirrels, Alex and Eli. They believe that they are twin brothers and the squirrel's names are the same as their own. Not real original, I know, but really adorable, nonetheless. They do not come every single morning but they do visit several times a week.

When we first moved in we attempted to feed them bread or pieces of cracker. This, however, simply would not do. My sister Missy was over one day and said just throw them bread that is what ours eat. I showed her their response to bread. They walked up picked up said bread, sniffed it and threw it down. I'd watched them repeat this several times and was not surprised. These are some high maintenance squirrels.

One day when Jared was on his way home from work I called and said "we NEED a gallon of milk and nuts". He laughed a bit. I'm sure because, feeding the neighborhood squirrels had become such a priority. They were coming to the door regularly and begging. I hated to look at their "sad, little faces". So we got them some nuts, walnuts to be specific. They now LOVE us! No more looking down their noses at us because we had now pleased their rather particular palates. Oy.

Fast forward to this morning. The squirrels came and knocked. The boys began to feed them their walnuts and decided that they would sit down and have their breakfast with the squirrel on the other side of the door. It was adorable. They talked to one another, squirrel to child, and I got to listen. The squirrel brother came along and chased away the smaller squirrel so he could eat also. The chase escalated and the boys LOVED watching. And then Eli suggested that they simply "need to share".

Ahhhhh, some things do sink in. Yes, I went on and on about squirrels this morning but there are few things more precious than realizing a little bit of what you are attempting to teach your children gets through to them. NOW if I can get him to actually share and not just know that it is the right thing to do I will be thrilled!

As far as what's going on around here other than us communing with the squirrels we are bracing ourselves for a huge snow storm. We have been in the house A LOT due to various colds and such. I took Addison to the Dr. yesterday and said out loud to her in the car, "I am sure glad we got out Addie, Mama needed this." I had to laugh at myself. We went to the doctors and to get groceries. It felt like a spa day. Ok, not really, not at all. But it was a welcomed outing and I returned much happier.

I think that throughout seasons of motherhood you have to take what little solace you can get. Sometimes it's 15 minutes with a magazine (or on a really good day a book) and coffee on your couch. Jared and I currently have 3 children, 3 and under. We are quite often exhausted by the end of the day. But it is a season.

I was thinking the other day about grocery shopping and the fact that I can't even go to the store anymore, poor me, yada yada, and I heard a still, small voice (enter: the Holy Spirit) say "You will be able to in about a year, you'll have all day, 5 days a week to get errands done. Your house will be quieter, you hours a bit less demanding." Ugh, it hit me hard. You see the boys start school soon enough. I will just have Addie at home. I have NEVER just had one child at home, ever. I'll miss my boys. I'll miss their demands of my time. I quickly changed my thinking and decided to revert to enjoying their crazy, little, loud selves and wishing they'd stay 3 1/2 forever. Perspective is a beautiful thing. I need it on a regular basis.

I am RAMBLING! O.k. off to play with those crazy boys because Addison is napping. See what happens when I don't get out much. I write huge posts about squirrels.

A Glimpse...

Addie's new feeding schedule is not the most convenient. Her first morning bottle is now at the same time that the boys are waking and need my attention. It involves Morning snuggles for the crankies. Potty trips and clean undies. Breakfast and chocolate rabbit (choc. milk) making. The busyness of the morning. Her 3rd feeding now falls at dinnertime. I need to make a change. In the meantime I will tell you the realities of this morning.

I made cinnamon toast on whole wheat bread which makes up for the fact that you are just pouring sugar on top of it and calling it breakfast. I know it doesn't, actually but let's pretend for my sanity's sake that it does make it "healthier". OK, moving on.

I managed to make the toast and pour the milk before settling down with my Addie and her bottle. This lasted as long as a piece of "sugar toast" lasts in the hand of a 3 1/2 yr old boy. NOT LONG. "I need another one, please" is uttered and I decide to put Addie down and make more. She's not happy. OK boys happy, back to bottle feeding. "I need another one."

At this point I decide that I can bottlefeed a baby and butter toast. I drop said bottle in butter and decide that this feat is physically impossible. You can't hold toast and butter it with one hand. I once again have to set her down. Alex asks AGAIN after this and I say "wait until I am finished feeding your sister".

Then, because he is resourceful, he holds up a piece that was Eli's and asks if he can just eat that. I say "yes". Here is the bad part....I said yes, fully knowing that sweet Eli just likes to eat the top part full of butter, sugar and cinnamon off the top and then licks whatever he didn't manage to eat off on the first round. He then asks for more and discreetly puts his first piece of toast to the side. So, in short, Alex ate toast that had been licked and gnawed on a lot.

Bottom line: Alex was happy, Addie was happy, Eli was happy and although I was slightly grossed out all in all Mama is happy. :)

See, "perfect Mom", I am NOT.

Oh, gotta go Alex's wants more. Sheesh.

Our THREE Kids!

Saturday night at church they sang a song that Jared and I had at our wedding. And after teasing him about whether or not he remembered the song I said "can you believe how much our lives have changed since we stood here for our wedding?"

Well these pictures are a testament to how much things have changed.

Alex, Eli and Addie

They have definitely changed our lives and although sometimes we'd like to have a break from these three they have only enriched our lives and marriage and for that I am feeling very thankful today.

A Reminder for those in the Trenches

I needed to be reminded of this today. "The days (of parenting) are long, but the years pass quickly." I added "Be a good otward" (actually it says "steward" but now that I am looking at it I needed to re-write it. :)

When I was in the hospital and the boys would come visit, they had fans. The nurses LOVED them. Most of the nurses were about 10-15 yrs older than Jared and I and would tell us how much we need to love this time because they are going to grow up REALLY fast. Most of them were dealing with teenagers and planning graduation parties and adding a teen to their car insurance (warning: start saving now b/c this is apparently pretty expensive) or sending them off to college. They were kind of sad about how quickly the years had passed and wished that their sons still ran up to them and gave them giant bear hugs like mine did each visit. This has really stuck with me.

Right now the boys are a real challenge. Nap times are obsolete although we do have rest/quiet time it is not the same as getting a quiet break without trips to the potty and lots of questions that require my attention. Tantrums are back with a vengence and oh yeah, I have a soon to be 5 month old. Although, she seems to be the easy one she still needs to be fed and taken care of. :) My days are loooooooooooooooooooong but it won't be long before:

they won't BEG to go to Nani's with us to decorate the tree

(all of the ornaments were in one spot but we managed to only break one)

They won't always crawl into Daddy's lap and ask for a book to be read.

They won't always ask for you to color with them

They won't always stare in wonder at the first snowflakes of the season and want to go outside and catch them (only to want to come in 2 minutes later b/c they are cold).

They are never going to have their first laugh out loud moment like Addie girl had last night. So cute.

Their boo-boos won't always be healed by a kiss from Mom and Dad.

They won't always think that the coolest thing to do on the weekend is to build trains with Daddy or watch a movie with their parents.

I know these moments will be replaced with first dates and diplomas, etc., etc., and that will be exciting but it is ALL going to fly by too quickly and this is what sometimes gets me through a rough day, or week as the case may be.

So to my sweet children, you are driving me crazy but I am determined to love you through it and soak up every ounce of these, long but fleeting, days.

A dose of reality

You know how, as a mother, you have those "perfect Mom" days. I had one of those yesterday. I woke up and made the boys alphabet pancakes with a Mickey Mouse shaped one thrown in to make them smile. They screamed out which letter they wanted made next and I complied. We sounded out each and we had a lot of fun. We made a craft out of their cubby handbook and talked about all the beautiful things the Lord has made in the world. Although, Alex laughs hysterically at the fact that God made chickens. He thinks I am kidding about this one and refuses to believe me. :) We played in the backyard and I thought "my life is unbelievably wonderful". I had all my kids home and they are healthy and happy. My husband works his butt off so I can stay home with these kids and I am unbelievably blessed.

I LOVE days that are like the one I described above but they are not always my reality so before my optimism and joy seems unrealistic and maybe a bit irritating :) let me tell you about my day today. I woke up with a headache, which, may have been because I was up 1/2 the night with a fussy newborn or because my 3 year old had a nightmare and needed Mama at some ridiculous hour. Alex woke up in rare form today for the 2nd day IN A ROW. To give you an idea of what this looks like, yesterday, he threw a fit becasue I shook his chocolate milk cup instead of using a spoon to stir it. I am not kidding, I REALLY wish I were. We needed milk and juice so rather than wait for Jared to get home, like any sane person would, I took all 3 of my kids to the grocery store (with a headache). I reasoned that this grocery store is smaller and has those cute little carts that Alex and Eli could push. They don't have those carts anymore.

Long story short, I wasn't a "perfect mom" today and of course I never actually am. I was the Mom who lost her patience, whose kids watched 2 Veggie Tales along with way too many other shows, who heated up mac n' cheese and let them eat it in front of the TV. Yeah, I was that Mom and while I will have other days like this, it just makes me treasure the days when I sit in my backyard and thank God for what feels like a little glimpse of heaven. Today, however I am just thankful that he promises to renew my strength.

Now 2 of the 3 are napping and I am hanging with my Addie (who is starting to sport a double chin), drinking a cup of coffee and blogging. Life isn't too bad. :)

She's growing so fast.

Our little peanut has grown out of her preemie clothes. I cannot believe it. When I had the boys at the Dr. last week with all of their various ailments I snuck in a weigh in for Addison and she weighed 5 lbs 9 oz.

Here she is 2 wks after birth, swimming in her preemie clothes and looking pretty cranky. Can you blame her? :)

"Uh, Mom, these sleeves are gettin a bit short!"

"Hey, what the heck is that?"

Don't you love when they discover their hands? So cute.

Miss Addison is a very good baby. She fusses when she's hungry, messy or has spit up on herself. She wants to eat every 3 hours and does one 4 hours stretch at night so if I go right to sleep after the 10pm feeding I could actually snag a little over 3 straight hours of sleep. WE have been getting out with her much more than we did with the boys. We just are very honest with people and tell them not to touch her. We don't pass her around either. We have been able to go to church and library time. I know we are quite the jet setters :)

I have LOTS of posts in my head just little time to write them. I hope to take a little time to get them in print so that I have a memory of this crazy time because let me tell you having 3 kids is NO JOKE. I know I have sweet friends reading this who have 5 and more and they are probably snickering but i have decided that they are secretly super heroes. If I allow myself to believe this than I don't have to wonder HOW IN THE WORLD they do it all. I can just continue to lament over the difficulties of having 3 that are 3 and under. :) It works for me.

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complete chaos!!

add to this equation alex's pink eye, eli's nasty double ear infection, addison's cold and jared's case of poison ivy along with a few other life stressors and you have what we are up against. Thankfully there are precious moments like these (below) thrown in on a daily basis to keep us sane. We are so thankful for each of these crazy children and try not to take any of this "chaos" for granted.

What our life looks like lately

In reality it is much less peaceful and quiet! :)

Welcome Home Addie!

Jared's back to work so it is my first day home with all 3 of my babies ALONE. My goal is SURVIVAL but I thought I would take a few minutes and share pictures from the first day she came home.

The boys ran to the car. They were SO excited.

They love to "help" which can be a bit scary but they area great older brothers.

Alright, I am off to brew some REALLY strong coffee. Wish me luck. Better than that PRAY for me! :)