Naps Are Wasted on the Young

If someone put a fuzzy footed sleeper on me, gave me some milk, turned on a fan and a sound machine, gave me my favorite blanket, kissed me gently, and stroked my forehead and cheek I would be out like a light for at least 3 hours.  Seriously maybe 4.  So why when I do this to my kids do they not fall into a bliss state of complete relaxation?  Instead, Sam comes out every 5 minutes and says "I am awake I had a great nap."  Jake takes his bottle and plays the drums on his crib and takes off his sleeper.  Alice squeals and takes her clothes off......seriously how do they do that?  If they do go to sleep they are often woke up by someone yelling, crying or a door slam.......(ugh) they never go back to sleep either.  Then, the next 2 hours while I am trying clean, do dishes, laundry, and make an edible dinner they are crying.....screaming.......fussing......throwing themselves on the ground.  It really makes me long for the days when I just had 2 or 3 kids (no I am not giving anyone way.........well maybe around nap time so I can get something done:-) and they all laid down at the same time and slept.  The house was so quiet I go so much done or just took an nap right a long with them.  As with everything I know this is just a phase and soon they will be napping again great.  We do have those rare days I can get 3 to sleep at the exact time for 2 hours.......pure heaven.  Here to hoping today is one of those days!!!!! "Kids nap time!!!!!!!"

Broken Promise

So I told myself when I started this blog that I wouldn't let it consume me, you know become a big time mommy blogger!  (LOL) No worries here since my writing has become almost non existent.  I guess I use to think writing was a release for me, something just for me to get my feelings out and to feel better.  Well, now I see it is just one more thing on my overflowing to do list.  I want to do better because I started this blog for my kids, to journal their craziness.  I honestly just don't have time to write.  I really want it documented and if I could delegate it I would.....well laundry first then blog.  When my husband is home on the weekends (who is BTW a huge help cooking etc.) has made comments about how in the world do I get anything done besides basic care of everyone?  Truth is, it does get hectic and yes ,I do lose my patience sometimes but being a mother to 5 beautiful children really isn't too hard.  I think it could be so much harder: I could have to work (bless the working mothers), I could have a child with a disability or illness, or I could be doing it as a single mother.  When put in those terms life is pretty easy.  So why do I find it so hard to take an hour and blog about my day?  Too tired, need to go workout, need to fold the laundry, I would rather shop for a new dress for our trip, finish that book you started 2 months ago, sleep...........these are just a couple excuses:-)  I do want to do better for my monkeys so I am going to try.  Here are some fun things to remember for my kids:

Grace turned 7 and she got a brand new room with new bed, bedding, dresses, and pink walls.
We are have finished our basement and I love it!
Now we are remodeling out bathrooms due to a leak:-(
Grace lost her 2 front teeth and is adorable
Alice got her front teeth in and I think she could be the prettiest little girl
Alice is the craziest climber ever......stairs, couch, fireplace, coffee table.
Jake is walking and looks just like Daddy.
J is a very happy daddy's boy
Sam our crazy child.  He says things like "Are you mad at me? Yes you are." It is so funny when he does it!
S is way to smart for us.
G&D have done an amazing job in swim team this year and officially know how to swim!!!!
S is also a fish in the baby pool
Drew went to wrestling camp and loved it.  He is going again this week.
D is really coming out of his shell and gaining so much confidence.
My kids are amazing travelers and did a 18 drive straight.  One minor incident of gum in Sam's hair.  If you ask him he will say that he will never ever put gum in his hair again, I promise.  Just in case WD40 takes it right out.
Hubby and I enjoyed the best date day we climbed Waterdog and then all the way up to the Continental Divide.  We went on a 2 hour jeep ride that was meant for 4 wheelers......little scary at times.  I loved it and the quiet lunch that followed!

Well, lil monkeys I sure do love you and all the craziness you bring into my life!!!!  I just want to write down more of it so I can tell ya when you are older.

I love you!

Let summer begin!

This Spring has been hard with the crummy weather it has just made me crave nice weather, grilling, and playing outside till 8pm. I think we are finally getting there....thanks goodness before I ran off to Mexico or somewhere hot and sunny!!!. Public school is now out so that makes summer official, although I think we will still do some "school" each day because it is just natural to keep it up. One thing I am not as excited about is running my kids to every activity under the sun (okay they aren't in that many but swim team is at least 3 days a week). Being a HS mom I have kind of become a home body and I am good with that. I love my home and just being there makes me feel stress free and relaxed (yes even with 5 kids running around)! I am not sure how it happened because I hated being in the house when Grace and Drew were little, we would get in the car and just go for a drive most afternoons around 4-5. Now it seems we get so busy with a project I sort of hate to stop to run G to dance, plus it ruins the flow of their play. I love that we have a park in the backyard and I LOVE my back deck with my comfy patio, to me it is perfect! Here is to summertime my favorite time of the year!










Today:



Jake and Alice played in the grass. Alice wouldn't put her feet down she looked like a little ballerina



Jake found the mud!



Grace and Drew thought it was hot enough for a sprinkler on the trampoline.......it wasn't:-( brrr



I passed on all of Alice's little clothes to a good friend...wipe a tear.

Well child check-up's are for singletons

Well, I use to look forward to the well child check-ups with all of my other kids.  I loved seeing how much they had grown and maybe brag a bit about their gifted abilities.  You know typical mom stuff.  Having our twins has been a relatively easy adjustment, I am not really sure why.  When we found out I thought I would need a cleaning lady and nanny.  Well, we had a nanny about 1-2 days a week for about 2 months or so and I still have yet to find a good cleaning lady.  It has just been us and I think we have done great!  That is until we head to the doctor's for the well child visits and the dreaded shots.  I hate it so much, don't get me wrong I love to see what they weight and what percentiles they are in, but it is just miserable for all of us and I wish I had 3 nannies with me 2 for the babies and 1 for me.  The 1 year visit was no better, expect my girlfriend watched my other 3 kids. (Grace usually goes with me to help hold one when they are done with their shots but his time she opted out because "I hates the screaming:-(")  I agree but I couldn't opt out.  So off we go at the worst time ever....6pm, my thought (when I booked 3 mo ago) was DH could go and help, but of course he had to work late (how convenient).  So they are already fussy in their stroller before we even get into our room which BTW was 77 degrees.  That is wonderful while I hold 2 unhappy 1 year olds.  We get them weighted and all the other business out the way....everyone will be happy to know that their head sizes are still off the charts.  Great Alice is tiny with a huge head...that will be pretty for prom!  I strap them both back their strollers in their diapers, they are coming undone.  After about 10 minutes of more waiting in walks the Doctor with the Intern, perfect..................teaching during my apt.  Well, he got a lesson alright.........don't have twins!!  By this time they are both screaming because apparently someone tried to look at them.....do not make eye contact with the 12 mo old please, they only like mommy.  They are crying in unison and I am sweating bullets.  The doctor says hmmmmm they both have temps and my reply is "yes, they are both teething, I try not to medicate much, and oh yeah it is 1,000 degrees in this room." (I didn't really say the last one but I did state I thought they were overheated)  They then ask me about the forms I filled out and one of the questions was does your baby share.........um he is 1.  NO.  He has 4 brothers and sisters when he has a hold of something he doesn't let go........not because his social skills aren't up to par but because he is SMART!!  This line of questioning goes on for about 5 more minutes.......Que louder screaming babies.  They are now over it.  Doctor gets a page and leaves.  Intern stays in the room and asks "do you really have 3 more at home?"  Yup.  "Wow, you are busy." Yup.  Doctor returns and now it is time to examine the babies......yeah right.  Jake goes first he screaming and tries to roll of the table.  I don't think he got a good look at anything.  Alice is next and she is even worse.......she holds her breath she is so mad.  Finally it is shot time.....great the moment we have all been waiting for.  Jake goes first it took all my strength to hold him down and Alice was the same way.  Mommy was smart though she brought jammies to put on them, put them in their stroller with a bottle and all was forgotten.  Well, until the next day when they both had 100 temps all day long.  The bright side is that they were so worn out from all of it they took 3 hour am naps and 2 hour afternoon naps............poor babies.  Well child visits are for the birds when it come to TWINS...... bring reinforcements!!!!

Jake: 21lb 3oz
30.5 inches

Alice: p'nut 17lb 12oz
28.5 inches
I guess she will be backwards facing till kindergarten!

Girly Girl...............

I don't know how it happened but it is official and I have a girly girl. I am so not a girly girl so how could this be. Growing up I remember leaving a ring around the tub almost every night from the filth I got into each day. I was a jock in high school and even college. Don't get me wrong it isn't like I never did my hair or wore a stitch of make-up, I did all and then went to play in my college softball game. Even today I always get up do my hair/make-up, cute outfit (this makes me feel good as a SAHM) and then scrub the toilets and carry out the trash.
So I wonder how did I end-up with such a girly girl. The little girl that changes her clothes ten times a day and each outfit is cuter than the next. She plays with her dolls constantly and wants to take them to the zoo and to church with us because they will be lonely. She is a dancer.......I have 2 left feet. She is a great little cheerleader...........basketball was my favorite sport. She gets dirty in her dresses and painted nails...................I don't even remember wearing a dress or painting my nails. She is sensitive and sweet and loves everything purple and pink. Her cheer coach just moved her to the group for 4th-6th graders because she says Grace has real talent (she is not 7 yet). How? Not from me. On Saturday, I got to watch her do her Hip Hop routine for her recital and she is really good. I know I sound surprise but where did she get that talent? Maybe her daddy has some dancing abilities I have yet to see. So I guess my girly girl will be a dancer and a cheer leader instead of a little tomboy! It is just amazing what little people your kids become with their own thoughts and abilities. I Love My Girly Girl Grace!!!!!!!!!!

Time flies with 5 kids...........

Wow, I thought time stood still during geometry class in high school, but now it seems like I blink and another week or month has gone by.  I think children are little time keepers.  When they are babies you celebrate each month, when they are children you celebrate every half year, and then when they are older time travels by you with each passing sports season.  It is hard because sometimes you just can't wait till they are big enough to sit-up, crawl, walk, ride a bike, swim, drive a car........ When does it stop we are always looking forward to the next milestone.  Right now Sam tells me he wants to be 4 so he can wrestle and I kind of want the babies to walk so we can play outside more.  Then I think am I "living in the moment" or I am just waiting for the next exciting moment.  I think I even do this in our daily life of  living for the weekends when daddy is home.  I am afraid I am so guilty of just going through the motions instead of really taking in the giggles, the kids swinging on the swing set, and even the fighting over who pushed first.  It is hard but I am really going to try to "be" in each moment and not think about the fact that I have to switch the laundry in 15 mins, lay out some meat for dinner, wipe down the counters, check on the babies, I really just want to forget it all and watch my kids play and take it all in.  I know they are only this small today and I can't get yesterday back.  I love my life I need to make sure I am really living it and not waiting for the next thing I need to do or the next thing to celebrate.

So today I enjoyed:
Holding my babies
Sitting on the floor and letting them crawl all over me
Reading to the kids
Baking carrot cake bars
Doing a nature walk with them
I am going to enjoy watching them swim and taking Grace to cheer leading.
I really enjoyed this beautiful day God has given us!

Make sure you ENJOY your day!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

I just want to say happy birthday to my beautiful babies (I get to call you babies till you are 2) Jake & Alice.  On this very day last year at 6:23pm and 6:24pm (Jake is oldest) you both enter this world with gusto and as perfect as can be.  I was shocked and in denial you were coming hence the showing up at the hospital dilated to 10cm and my water breaking the moment I tried to climb in to bed.  Thank goodness for my little plug Alice laying sideways or you would have been born in the Canon.  It was so amazing to have two of you at once, such a new experience.  At that moment I knew why God gave me two arms one to hold Baby A and Baby B.

Today, you are both now 1 and so different.  This year has gone faster than any other years.  I am now convinced that the more children you have the faster it goes.  I remember every detail of my pregnancy with you and your "Birth Day".  I was all amazing and went too fast.  You have both grown and changed so much in the last year.  Alice you are so delicate and petite and Jake you remind me so much of the other 3.  Today was a perfect day just being home with you and not missing a second of your big day or any other day for that matter.  I am so blessed to be a stay at home mom, I love every second of it. 

Your First Birthday's Highlights:
Grace woke you up singing happy birthday
Mommy made you pancake and even let you have a little syrup on them
You swung outside
You got to eat your first pb&j and it was made by Grace
Sam sang to you about 6 times and never forgot the cha cha cha at the end.
Mommy made you homemade chocolate cake -if you had been 1 or 2 born you would have gotten something healthier:-)
Grace decorated it
Jake you stuff you face so bad and even rubbed your eyes
Alice you ate it like a little princess
Daddy came home to spend lunch with you and to assemble you new rides
Grace and Drew pushed you around for an hour on them!
You had lots of Birthday calls and skypes with everyone who loves you!!!
It was a very quiet and peaceful day much different than the craziness of your birth but all special in the same way.

We love you so much Jake and Alice!!!!!

Bad Blogger

I have been so bad about blogging this week but things are just crazy!  So here are the happenings:

1. Jake and Alice pull-up to everything.
2. Jake stood on his own for 3 seconds today:-)
3. Grace and Drew are both doing swimteam and are doing great.
4. Grace offically finished her 1st full year of HS
5. Drew is reading at a 1st grade level (just turned 5)
6. Sam is 2.5 and has a mind of his own
7. Sam has taken a few swim lessons and loves it.
8. He has also learned to pee standing up.....Lord help us
9. Jake and Alice went to daycare for one day and cried all day....crazy because they are such sweet, easy, and happy babies.  They are offically banned...lol
10. Grace and Drew finised AWANA and their grand prix cars did great.
11. We started construction on our basement to finish it and I am so happy!!!!
12. We went on an offical HomeSchool group trip to the zoo.

We are so blessed these days and I can't believe in a few days we will be celebrating the babies 1st birthday's.  It just doesn't seem possible.  It is a goal of mine to post their birth story because J&A's was the craziest of them all!!!!

Here are a few pictures of my monkeys:  As you can see I am loving my new camera!

Dear J & A

I wanted to stop and send you a little note about what you are doing today 11.5 months!  You two are something else, you bring new meaning to the word baby proofing!  Jake, you are pulling up to everything, and your brothers and sister think this means you are ready to walk.  Maybe even go outside and play.  You love to swing, pull books out of the book shelf, steal your sisters bottle or toy.  Alice, you are just figuring out that you might be able to pull yourself up if you really try hard.  You are full of smiles and still our little sweetpea.  I really think you might be petite, not sure how that is possible!!  I trimmed your crazy hair, well because it was crazy.  Plus you won't leave your bows in and you cry when your brother (J) pulls them out.  You eat so well and stuff so much in your mouth it looks like you are storing nuts for the winter.  I love how you steal food off of J's tray if I set you too close.  You both army crawl and lose your pants........my favorite!

Your big sister adores you and thinks of you as her little babies.  A, she loves to dress you especially when you can match her.  G is your second mommy for sure!  Your big brother D thinks you guys are so funny and can't wait for you to be able to really play.  S likes to hug you too hard and occasionaly wrestle you.  You both are good sports and take it in stride.

My favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning when I go upstairs to get you too!  J, you are always just barely peeking over the crib bars with the biggest grin.  You are yelling loudly at your sister.  A, you are sitting with your legs swinging between the bars hollaring back at J.  It really is the cutest thing.  I would love to know what you are saying to eachother.  I look forward to the day when I can sneak-up on your little talks....so precious.  You guys are two of  the sweetest babies I have ever met.  You fill my heart-up with such love, I just wish you guys would slow down a bit!!!!!

Love, Mommy

Feel the burn

Well, I just started my 1st 60 days in my new program "Insanity", and let me just tell you it is "insane". I have only done two workouts and I can barely walk (in good way). You know like when you were in high school and you just started your basketball season and did so many suicides you could barely walk......good. I really like it because it is intense to say the least and it says you can burn up to 1000 calories, now that is a lot of burgers and pizza I can eat! Not to mention yesterday I had to change my Weight Watchers from breastfeeding to not breastfeeding (wipe a tear Jake is done) seriously they took away 9 points!!!! I almost cried and was through all my points by dinnertime..oops! I also love it because most workouts are 40 minutes long and this works great for my crazy schedule. Plus I can't handle more than 40 minutes of this stuff.

I am back to getting up early (4:45 early)ugh. Not my favorite but DH hits the treadmill at the same time and when we are done working out he showers and I make him breakfast and send him on his way. I know I am very 1950's but I am great with that. So it is only 6am and I have time to sit down with my coffee and write, just a little me time. The babies are stirring but just with sweet conversation to eachother. I love this time, I need this time. I feel ready to start the day when the monkeys get-up and already have a great sense of accomplishment. I do think tomorrow I will have to parent from the couch because I won't be able to move!!!!!

Potty training was so easy!!!!

I know most of you reading this post might get the feeling I am bragging.....maybe a little. You would be too if it only took you like a day potty train your 2 year old. Really I am just doing a happy dance about the fact I only have two in diapers....now you all are getting the last laugh! Sam was so easy, I am not really sure why but here are a couple of my thoughts. He was ready age wise. I believe 2.5 is the perfect age, I am not saying kids can't be trained before that, I just feel this is when "most" kids can hold it long enough to get "themselves" to the bathroom. I know we all have people in our families that insist they had their children potty trained at 9mo, 12, 15mo. Sure, ya did. A 9 mo old walked themsleves into the bathroom took their pants off, went to the bathroon, wiped, flushed, and put their own pants back on. Yeah right more like the mom was trained to take the child to the bathroom. (DH's Dad was potty trained at 9mo:-)))))
Another reason is he talked well, you gotta be able to say "I gotta go potty, mommy." I also think it helped that he had older siblings. My number 1 reason for his success of potty training is bribery. Not above it and won't ever be. The promise of spiderman big boy pants or M&M's goes a long way. So it has been about a month that he is using the potty with minmal accidents, and several times of pulling off the road so he can go to the bathroon. Him being potty trained is great and I have no more big boy dirty diapers (thank goodness). But on the other hand it was easier when he was in diapers and we are shopping at Walmart with 5 kids and a cart full of groceries!!! I am proud my little guy is growing up!

Potty funnies
He take his pants, underwear, shoes, & socks completly off to go to the bathroom.
He saw his brother stand up to "go" and insisted he was ready........he was NOT ready!
The first time I pulled over so he could go potty he made me tell him something to "aim" for.
He also had the stomach bug shortly after he was trained and now every time he goes #2 he says "I think it is diarreha Mommy". I don't know why but it is funny to hear a 2 year old to say such a grown-up word....TMI I know!
Just this week he learned to "water the trees" in our yard. One night about 5pm the kids were all inside playing and Sam walked out the back door and said "I gotta go potty mommy!" LOL

Dear Outstanding Wrestler Div 1

Drew we were so proud of you this wrestling season! By watching you wrestle no one would ever guess this was your very first season. You went out to the mat for each match with such focus and desire to pin the other kid standing in front of you. You shed a few tears and showed some fear but you always came back and did an amazing job. You made you mommy and daddy fall in love with this sport and you have totally put it in a new light for us. We hope you continue to wrestle because we think you have a special gift and believe it is teaching you so much about yourself. During this season you were 10-3 and all but 3 of your wins were pins, 2 were techfalls, 1 you beat on points. One of your loses you got beat by a kid that weighed more than 5lbs more, 1 match you lost by 1 point, and the other you got beat by a kid that took 2nd in the Rocky Mountain National. You got four 1st place finishes and two 2nd. We are amazed at the improvements you made through the year. Your coach thought so too because last night you were named "Outstanding Wrestler Div 1"!!! We love you so much Drew, we are so proud of you!!!!

L, Mommy & Daddy