QMBFF Christmas Morning

May 13, 2015September 21, 2015Amber 2 Comments

I am grateful for the time I recently spent in Lake Tahoe with four of the most incredible mothers I know. The bond between us is unique and unparalleled. Now that we are back home, I’m really appreciating the gift exchange we had while in Tahoe. After we settled into the cabin, we used the dining room table to splay out piles of gifts for each other. We only see each other once each year so I suppose it’s like Christmas/ Birthday/ Thinking of You gifts all rolled into one. And, we were like a gaggle of children on Christmas morning as we ripped through tissue and proudly displayed our goodies.

Amber created beautiful hand stamped necklaces reading “QMBFF”, which is the acronym we created for our little group (e.g. “Quad Mom Best Friends Forever). We proudly wore our necklaces the entire trip, and I wear mine almost daily now. She has a knack for jewelery making and sells customized pieces in her Etsy Shop,Texas Take. In fact, the girls proudly wear the bubble gum Minnie Mouse necklaces I ordered as stocking stuffers. She also ordered an assortment of personalized cookies made by a mother of triplets at Sugar Coma Cookies. Mary, the cookier, has been crafting gorgeous cookies for only about a year and I’m always blown away by not only the art involved, but the fact that they are delicious. I often find that pretty cookies don’t necessarily taste great, but hers are buttery and thick with a hint of citrus.

Ashley embroidered custom t-shirts that read “Raising Quads. #neveradullmoment #qmbffs get it”, which we wore on our Treetop Adventure. Other custom items can be purchased from her shop, Sweet Dumpling Boutique.

Becky packaged a trifecta of goodies including a book she’s raved about, No More Perfect Moms. I haven’t cracked it yet, but “No more perfect moms” has become a bit of a mantra for us. Amongst our group, we are totally open with each other about our day to day struggles, misgivings, and frustrations. We accept each other for who we are, and inspire each other to be strong mothers and wives without having unrealistic expectations. When one of us feels down, another will restate, “No more perfect moms!!!” In addition to the book, she gifted us healing salve (I later learned works wonders on ezcema and my uuber dry hands) and body butter from her sister’s shop, Cindy’s Suds.

Krista’s gift bag consisted of some of her favorite items including a Norwex baby microfiber wash cloth, Signature Soy Island Coconut candle, eos Organic Lip Balm, and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish. I’m admittedly impressed by the wash cloth. It’s a microfiber cloth that with warm water alone removes water soluble make up while gently exfoliating. It was serendipity for me since I didn’t have space in my quart size bag for face wash. I used my cloth the entire trip. Apparently it’s also antimicrobial so it doesn’t get that funk rags usually harbor. I should really order a set for the quads.

We burned one of the candles during the trip and the aroma is now nostalgic of our trip for me. I’ve burned mine daily so only about half remains…I’ll be hitting Target for another soon. Please note, if you put such a candle in your carry on luggage, TSA will search your bag and riffle through your dirty laundry. Not cool. Not cool at all.

I’ve been a huge fan of the insta dri nail polish since the girls were about a year old and I started painting their toe nails. Rylin was ecstatic to find we had a new color in our collection. In fact, I’ve already painted her finger and toe nails twice. Rylin also loves using my special lip balm from Krista. She often requests to use “that lipstick from Krista”. I can’t blame her though, the strawberry scent is divine and it’s really smooth.

Of course, my gift to the girls was a picture frame decorated with our respective states that read, “Distance meas so little when friendship means so much.” They displayed their picture frames on the window sill behind the dining room table during the trip, and it made things seem cozy.

Don’t forget to pop by the girls’ blogs for their versions of the trip:

Texas Tales by Amber

Our Multiples Journey by Becky

The Littlest Lesnaus by Krista

hugs!

Amber

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QMBFF Annual Trip

May 11, 2015September 21, 2015Amber 2 Comments

One year ago, I took a risk and took a road trip with my friend, Amber to meet up with three other quad moms we’d only met online. Despite forming incredible bonds with these women online through a shared experience, we had not met them in person. We presumed we’d hit it off, but it was uncertain, and I was slightly nervous. What if these girls were nut jobs?!?!

Within five minutes of meeting each other everyone was at ease and we all felt as if we’d been long time friends. Our girl’s weekend in Gruene, TX was such a success we immediately began planning a second annual trip. Over the course of the year, we maintained our daily chats and dubbed ourselves “QMBFFs”, meaning Quad Mom Best Friends Forever. This time, we decided to head Krista’s direction to Lake Tahoe, California. A friend of hers kindly allowed us to stay in her gorgeous, cozy cabin for the weekend. Despite a year of planning and daily chats, we couldn’t believe when it was finally time to meet in person again. Honestly, the five (Amber, Ashley, Becky, Krista, and me) of us would be happy anywhere so long as we had time together, but this cabin and it’s tree scape was stunning.

I had to chuckle upon entering the cabin when a set of quadruplet dolls situated in double strollers greeted us! (The owner of the cabin is the mother of twin girls, hence the twin dolls and strollers.)

The first night we settled into the cabin and exchanged gifts amongst each other. I think all five of us had the same sentiment to share a token of friendship with the friends we only see annually. It was such an event, I am actually writing a separate post about all of the goodies we received. Stay tuned!

Our first full day of the trip was devoted to relaxation! Ironically on a day we could sleep late, Becky and I were both up by 5:50 am. Taking account the time difference it was nearly 8:00 for me, but still, who wakes up at 8:00 am on vacation?!?!? After enjoying cups of warm coffee, three of us set off to enjoy a scenic walk.

Later in the day, Krista arranged for a massage therapist to see each of us. Goodness was I overdue for a massage! The last one I had was prenatal, which means it was THREE years ago and oodles of stress later. The knots in my neck were so bad she advised icing them for the rest of the day. While we waited for our respective turns getting a massage, we chatted, snacked, played games, napped, and just enjoyed being without responsibility or stress. In the evening we enjoyed a little time in the spa while sipping smuggled in vino. I’m notoriously rule bound and had to get over the “No alcohol beyond this point” sign, which proved rather humorous for the girls. We weren’t discovered so it was all good!

That evening, we snuggled up on the couch for a movie. I may or may not have fallen asleep during the movie at about 9:30 pm…Again…it was 11:30 pm central time, which is my typical bedtime.

After a full day of relaxation, we set out for an adventure the next day. When we made reservations at the Tahoe Treetop Adventure Park, some of us thought it was a zip lining tour. Instead, it was what I’d consider a “high ropes course” with some zip lining opportunities. As it turns out, Amber, Ashley and I have an almost crippling fear of heights we needed to conquer. At one point, Amber and I were in near tears as we navigated a tight rope that seemed to be about 200 feet from the ground. There were no escape hatches so we worked together and finished what we started. Despite some fearful moments, it was a wonderful team building experience. Also, we learned that Becky and her family could start a circus act together. Being a former gymnast, Becky gleefully soared through the course. I think she also learned to embrace her children’s antics in acrobatics once she realized it’s in their genes to climb. Coincidentally, her husband is an arborist who spends his days hanging from the trees!

We were clad in matching shirts made by Ashley that read “Raising Quads #neveradullmoment #QMBFFSgetit”.

After being outfitted in the necessary gear we were ready for “ground school” where we learned how to use our equipment safely.

Ashely is considering taking up a career as a lumberjack….

From left to right the arrows indicate our locations- Amber B., Me, Ashley, and Krista. At this point, I am warily managing the tight rope that in-sighted so much fear. Thankfully for me, I witnessed Ashley successfully managing it so I knew I could too.

It may not have been 200 feet up, but if you look down it is terrifying!!!

And this is what Becky thought of the same challenge…she’s grinning from ear to ear! This earned her the nickname, “Monkey”.

After about 2.5 hours of exhilarating fun and terror, we were greeted by this little monkey…

We worked up quite an appetite while monkeying around so we grabbed burgers and beer.

As always, parting ways at the end of the trip was bittersweet. I was ready to be reunited with my little munchkins and George, but sad to bid my friends farewell. I wholeheartedly believe little getaways like this recharge us so we return as better wives and mothers. I’m grateful for these friends and the opportunities to spend time with them in person. To ease the sting of leaving, we naturally began planning the next grand adventure. In 2016 we are headed north to Becky’s home state of Michigan, which she lovingly calls “The Mitten”.

hugs!

Amber

Don’t forget to pop by the others blogs for their accounts of the trip:

Texas Tales by Amber

Our Multiples Journey by Becky

The Littlest Lesnaus by Krista

PS- If you can’t get enough of Four to Adore, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

No Skid Toddler Slippers

May 5, 2015November 12, 2015Amber 2 Comments

We have A LOT of tile in our house, which tends to be cold underfoot, and I hate having cold feet. I wear slippers a lot of the time, especially during the winter. Apparently the kids took note and developed and minor obsession with slippers. In fact, they wear slippers in the house almost daily. The girls were ecstatic when they received princess slippers from our quad buddies, The Bells. However, these adorable slippers were a bit eh, slippery on our tile. The girls practically ice skated all over the place and hit the ground a bit too much for comfort. I’m admittedly over anxious about head injuries since I had a concussion at age six from slipping in a pair of socks on the hardwood floors.

After the quads were tucked into bed, I rummaged through our craft cabinet and found some Tulip dimensional fabric paint. In about five minutes time, I dotted the paint over the preexisting dots on each slipper. I then let them dry overnight. By morning the girls donned no skid slippers! It was such a simple fix. It also works on socks, footed pajamas, or any other soft soled shoe.

hugs!

Amber

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DIY Friendship Picture Frames

May 1, 2015April 26, 2015Amber 1 Comment

It’s been a year since I met with my quad mom best friends for girl’s getaway in Gruene, TX. Though we span three states, the five of us communicate almost daily and often multiple times throughout the day. A few times we even Face Timed each other for “remote play dates”. At the conclusion of our trip last year, we began planning the next one, which is this WEEK! As our trip drew nearer, I decided I wanted to make a little gift as a token of our friendship. I’m not the most artistic person and I cannot sew, but wanted it to be something handmade that was meaningful to the five of us. Initially, I thought I’d make Sharpie mugs (thank you, The Cozy Old “Farmhouse” for the inspiration!), but I travel using carry on bags. Packing four ceramic mugs in a carry on wasn’t ideal. Eventually, I came up with a picture frame design commemorating our long distance friendships.

To make your own picture frame you will need:

4 x 6 or larger picture frame (I learned that flat front frames in light colors were easier to design)
Sharpie markers in your desired colors
Your desired designs printed from Microsoft Word or a similar program
A pencil
Clear tape
Scissors

First, create a design template from Word using whatever font and clip art you’d like on your frame. I wanted my design to reflect how our friendship spans three states so I used silhouettes of each state, but you could do whatever speaks to your friendship.

Next, press your design template onto a window with the font facing the glass. Then, using heavy pressure shade over the design. This will create DIY tracing paper unique to your design.

Once you’ve created tracing paper, cut each individual design out and tape onto your picture frame. Then, using heavy pressure trace over the outline of each design with your pencil or a ball point pen.

When you are finished tracing, remove the taped on designs. There should be a very faint outline of the designs. It’s so faint you really can’t see it in my picture, but it’s there.

Finally, trace over the outline of each design using your Sharpie markers. Voila!

For the girl’s picture frames I included a design of the three states where we reside then wrote, “Distance means so little when friendship means so much.”

For presentation’s sake, I printed some of our favorite group photos from our last trip to put in each frame. However, I intend for them to update the photo annually. I know we will have good shots for 2015!

hugs!

Amber

P.S. Stay tuned for details on our 2015 trip in Tahoe. And if you can’t get enough of Four to Adore, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Indoor Camping

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015Amber 2 Comments

“April showers bring May flowers” seems to be a a theme at the moment. In North Texas droughts are typical in the warm months so rain is always considered a blessing. Except that unending rain holds the quads hostage inside. And, cooped up toddlers quickly turn into cranky, bickering toddlers. After several weeks of rainy days I was running short on patience and knew it was time for a novel activity. We’d run through my arsenal of indoor activities several times over. On the fly, I decided we’d camp inside. I dashed into the playroom closet and snatched the quad’s backpacks, which I stuffed with toilet paper binoculars (made by Poppa a while back), mini flashlights, and magna doodles. I also riffled through our bookshelf and scouted three books related to camping: Charlie Goes Camping, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and Let’s Go Camping. To create a “campsite” I quickly set up the our play tents and Ikea play tunnels. Once everything was ready, I announced it was time to camp and handed each kiddo a backpack. With camping gear in hand, all four enthusiastically slithered through the tunnels and into their tents.

When everyone was cozy in the larger tent, I read the camping books and we talked about what it’s like to camp. While reading, I realized that making s’mores is an integral part of camping and would be the perfect afternoon snack. The only problem was we didn’t have two of the main ingredients: graham crackers or Hershey’s bars. Of course, not having the right stuff never stops me once I have and idea in my head. I remembered a finding a recipe for home-made graham crackers, plus we ALWAYS have chocolate chips.

The kids weren’t the only ones to enjoy the tents….

Before nap, the quads helped me make the graham crackers by dropping in pre-measured ingredients then cutting rolled dough into shapes. When they woke up, we had some makeshift s’mores for snack.

Our s’mores were no traditional with homemade graham crackers, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows. Nonetheless, they tasted pretty good and the quads learned about s’mores! To wrap up our camping day, I found a short cartoon about camping, Olivia Goes Camping, on Amazon Prime. (When we do “themed” activities, I always to a quick search on Prime to see if there’s a related television show, and I almost always find one that’s age appropriate.) This particular episode was really cute and the quads seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. In fact, the Olivia series is one of their favorites. I often spy them acting out scenes together after watching an episode.

What’s your favorite rainy day activity? It looks like we have more to come…

hugs,

Amber

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Psst….If you can’t get enough of Four to Adore, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

March for Babies

April 20, 2015April 27, 2015Amber 2 Comments

This year as we prepared for our third March for Babies, I felt compelled to do a little more research about the background. I always knew it was an organization we supported due to our personal experience with premature birth and stint in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but didn’t know (or perhaps had forgotten) the full history.

The March of Dimes was originally founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) due to his personal experience with paralysis from polio. Through research grants, the polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk, MD and Albert Sabin, MD. Once the original mission as accomplished, the organization later changed its mission to the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality. Since that time, March of Dimes has supported research into the cellular and molecular basis of genetic diseases, developmental processes and abnormalities, and the epidemiology of premature birth to improve medical diagnosis and develop treatments for a wide range of birth defects and developmental disorders.

The March of Dimes is credited with leading the way to discover genetic causes of birth defects, to promote newborn screening, and to educate medical professionals and the public about best practices for healthy pregnancy. They were instrumental in the research for surfactant therapy to treat respiratory distress and helped initiate the system of regional neonatal intensive care for premature and sick babies. These two initiatives were critical to our family since all four babies were born in respiratory distress and immediately admitted to the NICU. Finally, the March of Dimes Folic Acid Campaign achieved a dramatic reduction in the incidence of neural tube defects, birth defects of the brain and spine. Due to my diagnosis of MTHFR, early folic acid supplements helped me carry the quadruplets as long as I did.

Today, the March of Dimes official mission is,

“To improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, infant mortality, and premature birth.”

In case you wonder exactly where donations are used, The March of Dimes spends 76¢ of every dollar raised in March for Babies to support research and programs that help babies begin healthy lives.

This year marked our third year to walk as a family team. Our first walk was a bit impromptu, but we found the walk to be an empowering experience. Last year was the first year we rallied a team to join us and purchased team t-shirts, which gave us a sense of cohesion. This year, I was hesitant to walk knowing George couldn’t join us due to work, but our family and friends promised to help me and rally around our family team. With that spirit, I ordered custom-made t-shirts from Custom Ink that would help identify our team members during the walk. Seeing our small sea of sapphire blue in the crowd warmed my heart and reminded me why we walk each year.

Friends from all aspects of our lives joined us for the walk, and we appreciated their support immensely.

Twins, triplets & quads, oh my!

Unfortunately, Custom Ink didn’t have infant t-shirts available. My artistic friend, Jen, hand painted a custom tank dress for this beauty.

Nisey and Poppa were a huge help to me. Without George by my side, they helped me get everyone ready and off to the walk.

Along with my parents, my sister, sister’s fiance, aunt, and two younger cousins joined us for the walk.

The front of our shirts read, “March for Babies. Saving lives one step at a time.” The back read, “Shawver Quads Family & Friends. March of Dimes 2015.”

I would like to extend a special thanks to our friends and family who supported our March for Babies this year by making a donation to our team, purchasing a team t-shirt, and/ or walking with us. In no particular order: Steve, Denise, Courtney, Matt, Tiffany, Landry, Luke, Haylie, Ryleigh, Jason, Matt, Natalie, Molly, Sadie, Brandi, Garrett, Seth, Terri, A’ Lysia, Emmerson, Mina, Laayla, Jen, Priscilla, Marco, Sydney, Kristen, Alan, Devon, Marianne, George Jr., Carol, Lindsay, Sara, Billie, Guadalupe, and Karen.

hugs,

Amber

Psst…..If you would like to make a donation to our team, it’s not too late! Please visit our team page to make a donation here.

Sources:

History of the March of Dimes

The Origin of the March of Dimes

March of Dimes FAQ’s

March of Dimes Research Breakthroughs

My Best $4 Investment

April 14, 2015May 27, 2015Amber 11 Comments

While buying Easter basket goodies for the quads, I spied small colored spray bottles at the Dollar Tree. I wasn’t sure quite how we’d use them, but grabbed four different colors and added them to the baskets. I’ve been making my own produce wash and counter top spray and pouring them into empty spray bottles for a while. Every single time the quads see me spraying something they request a turn. In fact, they can spray the kitchen table down after dinner and any other area that needs attention. They are expert sprayers! I knew they’d appreciate having their very own spray bottles.

One morning I decided it was time to fill the new bottles with tap water and take them in the yard. I laid down a few simple rules: NO spraying people, animals, or bugs. Anything else in the yard was fair game. The kids all nodded in agreement and set off to spray whatever their hearts desired.

I knew spray bottles had potential entertainment value, but seriously I had NO idea how much fun spray bottles would be for a bunch of toddlers.

They sprayed my Gerber daisies…

They spritzed the flower beds…

They splattered the fence…

They bathed our caterpillar climber, “Happy”…

They misted the herb garden…

They washed the windows…

They cleaned the sidewalk chalk from the house…

Though they looked menacing armed with spray bottles, they followed the rules really well- NO spraying people, pets, or bugs.

These spray bottles were some of my best $4 investments to date. They’ve entertained the quads for HOURS!!! The first day they played a solid TWO hours with them, the next day another 90 minutes (they may have played longer, but I got bored watching them spray), and they’ve asked for spray bottles every single day since I introduced them. The best part is they enjoy spraying so much that bickering is minimal.

hugs,

Amber

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Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

April 12, 2015June 7, 2015Amber 5 Comments

Last weekend felt like a whirlwind. We started off by participating in our friend’s wedding, then we had our usual weekend errands followed by a birthday party, and Easter Sunday rounded it off. In the midst of loading and unloading, one of the kids apparently switched an interior light on in the van. Unbeknownst to us, it stayed on all night long. After dressing everyone in Easter attire for dinner at Nisey and Poppa’s house our van battery flat lined. Since the van is our sole family vehicle, either we’d go in the van or be marooned at home. Naturally, the van was parked safely in the garage rendering the battery inaccessible for a jump. Loading four toddlers into car seats isn’t an easy task so we had no intention of unloading until we arrived at our destination. With all four kids loaded in the van, George pushed it down the driveway onto our street for a jump. Though it was a bit of an ordeal, it did the trick and we were on our way. The kids were good sports about it and sang the alphabet repeatedly while waiting.

Almost immediately after arriving at Nisey and Poppa’s house the quads set out on an Easter egg hunt. Thanks to the previous week’s practice, they knew exactly what to do.

Even though he was capable of finding and collecting eggs independently, Harper asked GiGi to hold his hand, and she didn’t mind obliging him.

Unlike last year when Rylin and Mason found the lion’s share, everyone collected a fair amount of eggs.

Easter was the ideal opportunity for the boys to re wear their wedding threads, and the girls donned their wedding “back up dresses”.

How did your family celebrate Easter?

Amber

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Here Comes the Bride

April 6, 2015April 6, 2015Amber 10 Comments

On Good Friday, our friends, Kristin & JW tied the knot, and we had the honor of participating in their special day. George officiated the wedding and the quads served as ring bearers and flower girls.

Several months ago when Kristin & JW asked us to be part of their wedding day, we gladly and confidently accepted. As the big day approached, I think George and I both became a bit nervous about committing. In fact, when we attended another wedding in September, George observed the ceremony and hesitantly proclaimed, “I can do this!” At that point, I made it clear that our friends were counting on him and if he didn’t feel confident in his ability to officiate he’d better let them know right away. However, when George puts his mind to something he perseveres and he was going to deliver. For the past few months, George conferred with a pastor about officiating and began practicing. In time, his confidence grew.

In the meantime, the quads wedding day threads arrived. When I pulled them out of the boxes, Rylin squealed in delight at her wardrobe. Once I put it on her she began twirling and swaying as if the den was a ballroom. Sydney, on the other hand, had a different perspective. As I pulled her petti romper up, she instantly squealed in disdain and stripped it from her body. I knew it was problematic. Feeling deflated, I put Sydney’s outfit back on the hanger and put it away to try later. While Sydney seemed to loathe the frilly little number, it was a battle getting it off of Rylin for bedtime. She would have worn the flower girl garb to sleep if I’d let her.

About a week later, I tried the petti romper on Sydney again and got the same reaction, but this time she was more passionate about her disapproval. She stamped her feet and waved a finger at me as she told me “No, Mommy. No!!!!” Knowing that Sydney tends to be sensitive to textures and clothing, I ran my hands on the inside of her outfit and agreed it was slightly itchy. At this point, I consulted Sydney’s occupational therapist for advice. She suggested that I hang the outfit in the girl’s room so Sydney could explore it daily, put a compression garment underneath, do a brushing technique to Sydney’s skin, and let her use a pacifier while wearing it. I managed to find a nude colored leotard at a local dance studio to put underneath, but Sydney still told me she itched. I followed the other advice and Sydney tolerated the dress for up to 20 minutes at a time. I knew that wouldn’t be long enough for an entire wedding and reception, but hoped she’d wear it for the ceremony. Just in case, I picked up a back up dress in the same color as the original frock.

Wardrobe aside, we had another challenge: to get four two year olds to walk down the aisle each carrying a sign. I assumed they’d willingly do this for the rehearsal, but wasn’t sure how they’d manage with 300 people staring at them. In preparation for this, I offered up some positive reinforcement (individual Pez dispensers) if they did their job as asked. I knew photographers liked using Pez with children since it doesn’t stain faces, and I thought it would take them time to empty the dispensers during the ceremony. We talked about this reward all week long, and these kids were thrilled about it.

Prior to the ceremony, both boys happily suited up in their khaki pants, white dress shirts, pink bow ties, suspenders, and boat shoes. They were dapper little guys no doubt! Rylin happily put her outfit on and danced about the room. Sydney was adamant she was not getting dressed. In fact, she intended on wearing only diaper. GAH!!!!

The bride and the mother of the bride told me numerous times Sydney didn’t have to be in the wedding, and I wasn’t planning to force her. However, I was not about to take a screaming child clad in only a diaper to a wedding ceremony. I knew she needed to be calm and wearing something, even if it was the back up dress. At this point, we turned on a cartoon and as Sydney became captivated, I quietly slipped her petti romper on. When she noticed she protested a bit, but was far more interested in the television than what I was doing. It wasn’t long before I had her fully dressed and hair done. It was as if a load was lifted from my shoulders! We had a wardrobe victory.

Being a little ladies man, Mason snatched a kiss from the bride before the wedding.

With the pressure of having all four kids and the husband in the wedding, I enlisted the help of Nisey and Terri to manage the little people.

Nisey and I left the quads in the care of the bridesmaids and Terri while we made our way to the front of the congregation with Pez in hand.

As music began to play, I crossed my fingers everyone was cooperative. When I spied Harper walking down the aisle with his “Here” sign in hand I felt confident about the others. Oftentimes it only takes one to take the lead and the others will follow.

Sydney refused to walk, but was okay to be carried. Thankfully, Nikki is a rock star who obliged.

Once all four kiddos were in my clutches, my nerves eased. However, George still had a ceremony to perform and I had four kids to supervise. Much to my dismay, they quads devoured every single row of Pez within a couple of minutes. It would have been okay except that they started chattering LOUDLY. They weren’t trying to be disruptive, but have no clue how to whisper. I knew the people sitting nearby would be disturbed so Nisey and I ushered all four out of their seats to the outskirts of the congregation. There, Rylin and Mason cut loose and began running with joy.

Thankfully, it was an outside venue so running around didn’t really cause a ruckus. Once the ceremony ended it was time for post wedding pictures.

Sydney held it together all she could and was not happy when I requested a family picture.

At the reception, the quads took charge of the dance floor and had fun in the photo booth.

Looking back at the day, I am so proud of my family. George received many compliments about the ceremony, and I think he delivered just what the couple wanted. The quads managed to stay clothed the entire time, went down the aisle, and carried their signs as asked. I am grateful for all of the help we had to make those things happen too. Most of all, congratulations, Kristin & JW…we love you!

hugs,

Amber

On the Hunt

March 30, 2015March 30, 2015Amber 3 Comments

Since the kids were about 16 months old, I’ve been a member of our local mothers of multiples club. I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the families with multiples that live within our community via an online group, play dates, and events. The family events are a really nice way to enjoy toddler friendly entertainment nearby while also mingling with the group. This weekend with the help of my friend, Jen, we went to the group’s annual Easter egg hunt.

In the week leading up to the event, we talked about the egg hunt each day. In fact, we got our Easter baskets out of the attic and did a little egg hunting practice at home. We also had fun creating Easter themed crafts (please visit my post on Twiniversity for our craft tutorials). All of this pre-hunt chatter had the kids stoked for the big day. The weather was stunning with sunshine and moderate temperatures.

The event coordinators did a great job organizing everything. They cordoned off parts of the lawn by age group and spread out over 600 eggs! Instead of filling these all the eggs, they set up a prize station where the kids could exchange the eggs for prizes. As we waited for the egg hunt to begin, the kids were entertained with a craft station where they decorated bunnies and eggs.

It was rather impressive how so many little ones stood behind the line awaiting the countdown for the egg hunt to begin. Countdowns can be confusing…Sydney with her newly acquired counting skills counted up from one to ten.

Yes, your eyes are correct, Sydney has a huge bruise on her cheek and a Cinderella tat on her bicep….She looks like a scrapper, I know. Honestly, I don’t know where the bruise came from and the tattoo was a reward for using the potty.

After counting down from ten, it was a mad dash to collect the eggs. The only problem is that my children seemed to think they should only grab their assigned colors, and therefore were off to a slow start. They eventually got into the groove and found plenty.