Dad’s DIY {Up-cycled Bulletin Boards}

December 12, 2014May 27, 2015Amber 9 Comments

My wife loves doing art projects with the kids, and even more displaying them. At our old house, we created a simple children’s art display using open frames with clothes pins and ribbon. It worked relatively well in the old space. When we moved to the new house, the art display came along. Because the kids started creating a lot more art, Amber added a few more frames to the art gallery wall. After a while, the frames became overly crowded and cluttered looking. Also, they were crooked on the wall most of the time. Of course eight little hands also rearranged the frames frequently. It bothered me. I had an idea to streamline the gallery and give each child a designated place for their own work.

Here’s how the art gallery wall looked with open frames.

To create our new display, I began with the following materials:

4 x 8′ plywood sheet, cut into four equal size boards (the hardware store will cut the boards to size)
packet of wall hanging brackets
roll of batting
3 yards of fabric
2 packages of wood trim
painter’s caulk
liquid nails
1 large foam floor puzzle (we up cycled a few that we used when the quads were crawling, they were well loved and gnawed so not good to pass down)
staple gun with staples and brads

This is the step by step process:

Lay out all boards on a flat surface

Draw a line 8″ down from the top on each board (This is the BACK). You will use this line later to place hanging brackets.

Flip each board over and draw lines 2″ in from all sides so you have a rectangle drawn(This is the FRONT). This will show you where to place foam and trim.

Lay interlocked puzzle pieces on each board. Then, use scissors to cut them to fit into the rectangle drawn on each board. Finally, use liquid nails to adhere puzzle pieces to each board. Allow to cure overnight.

Cut batting to fit over puzzle pieces and secure with a staple gun. This step ensures that surface is smooth.

Cut fabric to fit over batting then secure with a staple gun.

Miter cut trim at 45 degree angles and secure to board with brad nails.

Once all trim pieces are attached, each board should look like this.

Using a nail set and hammer, push nail heads into the trim.

Flip each board over and attach hanging brackets to the backside. Use the previously drawn line as a guide for placement.

Use painter’s caulk on the front side to cover nail heads and fill gaps at the joints. Finally, use one coat of paint to hide imperfections in the trim. Enjoy displaying artwork!

It cost about $25 per board to make, and I’m really pleased with the result.

George

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Annual Sit with Santa

December 7, 2014Amber 7 Comments

When the quads were infants, we were on lock down due to their premature immune systems. Although I wanted them to have keepsake pictures with Santa, it wasn’t worth the risk of taking them out in public. Even lock down couldn’t keep Santa away from the babies. He surprised us with a visit and we captured some adorable keepsake pictures.

Last year, we were still hesitant to take them to wait in long lines and still had lingering fears of germs. Santa was kind enough to drop by our house for a second visit.

I think we’ll always worry a little about germs (the mere thought of FOUR sick kids is horrible), but we are letting go of them to experience the world. This evening they had an opportunity to visit with Santa at our mothers of multiples Christmas party. I’ve seen the classic kids wailing on Santa’s lap pictures, and wondered what the quads would do this year. They didn’t grin for the camera, but not one tear was shed. They treated Santa just like everyone else we meet.

Santa wasn’t satisfied with just visiting the children, and insisted Mom and Dad have a chat too.

Hugs,

Amber

Gateway Church Southlake {A Spot to Visit with Tots}

December 5, 2014December 7, 2014Amber 2 Comments

I’ve found that everyone’s mood and behavior is always best when we play outdoors at least 30 minutes daily. However, sometimes winter weather puts a damper on outdoor play. I’ve been searching for indoor options to help keep everyone active. Thanks to our local mothers of multiples groups, we’ve discovered several fabulous indoor play areas. Many of our local churches maintain indoor play areas that are free and open to the public. This week, we joined our mothers of multiples group for a play date at the Children’s Indoor Play Area at Gateway Church Southlake. Someone counted 19 children and seven moms with our group. It was a nice turnout! The quads had a great time playing in this cheerful, bubble themed play area. I was grateful that my friend, Kristin, tagged along to help me watch all four.

Location:

700 Blessed Way

Southlake, Texas 76092

Hours:

8 am – 8 pm weekdays

Cost:

FREE!!!

Favorite Features:

Did I mention it’s FREE???

Since the play area is indoors, it’s climate controlled and clean.

The play area includes several ride on toys (e.g. train, ark) that do not require coins to operate. There are small climb on toys for young toddlers and a large climber and slide for older children.

Tips:

The entrance to the children’s play area is on the north side of the church. Look for the signs and you can park close to the entry.

Shoes cannot be worn in the play area, so be sure your kids are wearing socks.

Sydney and Mason were the only ones brave enough to climb to the top of the play area. Sydney had so much fun, I had to go up and get her down myself.

The boys got plenty of practice taking turns driving the coveted fire engine.

Rylin did not care for the larger climbing area and instead took refuge on this pack of gum.

If you aren’t in the Dallas Fort Worth area, chances are local churches in your area have similar play areas. Ask around! There are several other indoor play areas we plan to try this season.

hugs!

Amber

Divide & Conquer

November 20, 2014November 20, 2014Amber 1 Comment

At the quads two-year well visit, our pediatrician encouraged us to take the quads to a pediatric dentist. We had so many appointments due in the summer, I put the dental visit off. I finally scheduled an appointment for all four, and made sure it was a day when George was off work. The week prior to the appointment, I read a Bernstein Bears book about going to the dentist and practiced looking at the quad’s teeth. I also showed them pictures of some of our quad buddies at the dentist. These kids were going to be prepared! The evening before the appointment, Mason was fussy and his eyes were a little glassy. We put him to bed with Benedryl thinking it was seasonal allergies.

By morning, Mason was moaning. Under the cover of darkness, I got him out of bed and immediately knew he had fever. I padded to the bathroom for an official temperature check. The Exergen delivered the news- 101.5. Fever. Without much thought, I started pouring Advil into our Elmo dispenser. All of this and I didn’t notice Mason looked like this:

The poor kid looked awful. I wanted to believe it was seasonal allergies, but fever indicated otherwise. Mason wasn’t going to the dentist. As our 9:30 dental appointment approached I started troubleshooting. I thought I’d haul the three healthy ones to the dentist and leave George at home with Mason. I figured with a twin stroller I could contain two kids while leaving one free for an exam. It would be hard but totally workable. What I didn’t realize is that George wanted take the kids to their first dental appointment. Yet, sending George with all three didn’t sound like a good idea. It was time for the ‘ol divide and conquer play.

George took Sydney and Harper first while I kept the other two. According to George, both kids opened their mouths and let the dentist check their teeth. Sydney appeared most at ease so x- rays were attempted, but she wouldn’t stay still long enough. Nonetheless, both got to choose a prize and new toothbrush.

The dentist snapped this picture of George with Sydney and Harper.

Once George, Sydney, and Harper were back home, I loaded Rylin into the van. Though it wasn’t my original plan, I really enjoyed taking just one child to the dentist. Rylin lapped up the attention. In the waiting room, Rylin chatted up other parents telling them about her pink and gold beaded necklaces and fluffy boots. Upon meeting the dentist, Rylin willingly opened her mouth for an exam and sat with the dentist. Her favorite part of the visit was getting a pink princess toothbrush then choosing a fairy wand from the treasure box. She also chose on Mason’s behalf, and we rescheduled his appointment.

When we got home it was time for Mason to take another dose of Benedryl and Advil. He wasn’t too keen on the idea so I gave him a straw. He slurped it as if it were juice. Before bed, I gave him a curly straw, which he really appreciated. I think I’m onto something here.

The ol’ divide and conquer play worked out well. Everyone will revisit the dentist in six months and will hopefully tolerate a cleaning.

Hugs!

Amber

Proud Mama Moment

November 13, 2014November 13, 2014Amber 14 Comments

Yesterday was the coldest day of the season by far. Temperatures were near freezing and the wind was gusting at about 65 miles per hour. It was bitter cold (at least by Texas standards). Yet, we opted to continue with our scheduled Christmas card photo session outdoors. I layered everyone up with thermal onsies and warm socks, but it was far cooler than I imagined. The quads fussed a little during the session, but did really well. Our photographer offered to take a few extra shots at her in-home studio in case the outdoor ones didn’t turn out. Everyone had noticeably red noses and hands. We gladly accepted this offer, just in case the others were bad. Naturally, everything took longer than we expected. Traffic was brutal, we got stuck behind a sluggish train, and situating indoor lighting took time. What we planned on taking one hour ended up running right past dinner time. After the photo shoot, everyone was getting hangry (hungry + angry) and there was nothing quick to serve at home. We stopped by our favorite Thai restaurant and crossed our fingers no one would expire.

While we awaited the arrival of our food, the quads played in the toddler area and befriended another little girl. When dinner was finally ready, everyone noshed happily and cleaned their plates.

As we were wrapping up our meal a couple approached us. The woman leaned in towards us and said, “Your family is beautiful!” I beamed a little bit. Then she said, “I just have to ask…” My heart sank. What was she going to ask??? What did she feel compelled to ask at our dinner table? Would it be one of the many curious, yet often intrusive questions we hear? Our skin is getting thicker, and we are accustomed to reactions we get while out in public, but rude commentary still stings. I held my breath just a bit as she continued, “Are they two sets of twins?” WHEW! Not bad. At all. I kindly replied, “Actually they are one set of quads.” Instead of prying or asking 20 more questions, the woman simply added, “Well, they are exceptionally well-behaved. You are doing a great job”. It made my day!

At home, we work very had to teach the quads appropriate behavior. They are two so they have plenty of tantrums, disobedience, and sibling scuffles. A lot of these things, actually. When we are away from home they do an exceptional job of demonstrating their good behavior. It makes the effort worthwhile, and it makes me proud of them.

What was a proud moment for you?

hugs,

Amber

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” – William Shakespheare

October 7, 2014October 10, 2014Amber 2 Comments

When Sydney was a mere two-pound preemie fighting for her life, a friend sent me this quote “Though she be but little, she is fierce!”- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. How well it captures Sydney! She’s always been the smallest of the clan, but meek she is not. While I’m proud of her tenacity, she scares the fire out of me. She scales furniture in our home with the grace of a ballerina and befriends strangers wherever she goes. I’m certain she’d attempt to cuddle a deranged mutt wandering the street or scale the fence if she wanted something. It can be terrifying. Consequently, one of her goals for Early Childhood Intervention is to demonstrate caution around dangerous situations (e.g. hot stove, strangers, animals). I manage Sydney’s shenanigans in the house, but venturing outside the home poses clear dangers. In order to help her master this goal, I begrudgingly knew it would mean practice. Her trainer suggested we begin by checking the mail daily.

Insignificant as it seems, checking the mail was a monumental task for us. It meant single-handedly teaching four two-year olds how to walk together and also recognizing the dangers of the driveway and street. I began tackling this task with Sydney and one other child at a time. With just two, it was relatively simple. I’d hold each little hand as I led them to the mailbox, quickly snatch the mail and lead them back. Sometimes Sydney resisted hand holding and attempted to bolt, but with just two kids I could grab her easily.

After a week or so of that, it was time to go as a whole group. In time the quads started pairing off and holding each other’s hands as they followed me to the mailbox. Once we reached the mailbox, I taught them to wait within a square on the sidewalk while I retrieved the mail, giving a piece (usually the junk mail) to each child before I instructed them to bring it inside. Although the quads are doing a fabulous job at this new daily chore, I continue to remind them of the boundaries and show them where cars drive, ect. Occasionally, Sydney threatens to dart off, but she recognizes the street is a place for cars and not kids, which is a piece of mind.

Since we conquered mail checking, visiting the park was next on my agenda for helping Sydney master her goal. Together, George and I took the quads to our neighborhood playground in our stroller. As soon as we unloaded the four, they darted to the stairs and gave the toddler slides a try. In the beginning, I was concerned Sydney (or really anyone) would leave the toddler area and attempt the section for older kids. For the most part they all stayed within eye shot and didn’t push the boundaries too much. With a good bit of prompting, Sydney learned to safely manuever the equipment. At one point she tripped and fell off a small set of stairs and landed on her back (taking my breath away). Thankfully she didn’t have a scratch and quickly returned to playing. Going to the playground proved good for the whole family. We enjoyed a bit of fresh air, and were able to meet other children the same age that live nearby.

Much to my chagrin, George guided each of the quads to the "big" slide. While the others were slightly reticant, Sydney managed this slide with gusto.

Much to my chagrin, George guided each of the quads to the “big” slide. While the others were slightly reticent, Sydney didn’t miss a beat.

After the neighborhood playground was a success, we later took the quads on a picnic to a city park without strollers. All four walked alongside us down a meandering path, over a bridge, and through a meadow to our chosen picnic spot. Once we settled, they all stayed on our quilt as we nibbled our dinner. It turned out to be a lovely Sunday afternoon.

We are finding that with continued practice getting out to enjoy the world is much easier. In fact, we’ve gone to several restaurants without using strollers. We can unload the quads from the van and they walk with us. It’s liberating!

hugs!

Amber

Conquering My Fear

September 4, 2014September 6, 2014Amber 12 Comments

I remember the days B. Q. (before quads) when I yearned to have a baby and had all sorts of notions about what motherhood would mean. At that time, I’d see mothers out and about with their littles in tow. It seemed that every woman I passed had an adorable “mini me” clad in Janie & Jack attire with a winning toothless grin. I fantasized about dressing my own baby up in itty bitty boutique outfits and having a chubby cheeked baby sitting in my shopping cart. Of course, my baby would never wail, smell rotten, or spit up. My baby would be perfect at all times. (A girl can dream, right?)

When our instant family of quads arrived, I found myself getting plenty of baby snuggles but I was also marooned. My fragile babies couldn’t go anywhere besides the doctor for a full year. When the days of lockdown ceased, George and I seized every opportunity to let the quads explore their world. We toted them to museums, stores, restaurants, and anywhere else we thought we could safely take them. Many of our field trips involved other friends and family members to help wrangle the tots. No matter where we ventured, it was always a four ring circus for many reasons. It wasn’t quite what I envisioned in my fantasy world.

Despite our many family adventures, I had never loaded the quads into the van myself and taken them out in public. Not once. I’ve taken them out alone, or in pairs myself. And, we’ve enjoyed many play dates on our own and taken trips to the neighborhood strip mall in our Runabout, but never a legit outing just the five of us.

The notion of being alone with four babies in a public place terrified me. Each time I considered a quick errand with them on my own, I immediately conjured up a laundry list of scenarios from downright embarrassing to horrific. I thought surely before they were two I’d have the courage to take them out own my own, just once, but I didn’t. Their second birthday came and went, but my fears paralyzed me still. Every last one of my quad mama pals took the plunge and flashed pictures of their success stories with a pile of kids in a cart somewhere. They could do it, why couldn’t I? Thursday morning I decided it was time. We were going to Target. After all, Target boasts triple seater carts, sells most anything my heart desires, and it puts people in a trance with its merchandising tactics.

Thursday morning after breakfast, I scribbled a quick list of items we needed and scrambled to get everyone dressed. Naturally, everyone was uncooperative. All four were whining without mercy. Entire bins of toys were dumped and strewn about the house creating landmines for me. Though I felt discouraged and now concerned about how they’d behave, I was also determined. As soon as everyone was sufficiently dressed, I hustled the crew to the van where I strapped everyone in. Much to my chagrin, everyone settled once the van was in motion and I revved up our best kid tune playlist. I thought, “Okay, we CAN do this!”, and made a beeline to Target.

Upon our arrival at Target, I circled the parking lot for THE cart. I spotted one in the back corner of the parking lot and parked beside it. I loaded Harper and Sydney in the harnessed seats, Mason in the main cart seat, and padded Rylin in the buggy with threats to her life should she stand. (Rylin is by far the most opinionated and strong-willed of the quads, but she’s also the most obedient of the pack, which makes her trustworthy with responsibility.)

I strutted into Target with my brood of smiling toddlers and it felt darn good. I know the layout of Target like the back of my hand so I started tackling each item on the list and making sure to skim end caps for clearance finds. Thirty minutes into the trip and all four were chipper and clearly enjoying the scenery. In fact, I hadn’t offered a single snack to anyone. I ponied on, grabbing more items off the list. At 45 minutes of Target time, all items on the list (plus a few extras) were loaded into our cart and I had four happy children. WOW!!!! At that point, it was time to check out, but they earned their individual baggies of Fruit Loops and loads of praise for their upstanding behavior. I checked out, loaded our goods into the van, and loaded four toddlers without incident. SUCCESS!!!!

It feels liberating to finally conquer my fears of taking the foursome out own my own, and I feel encouraged to try more things myself. I know every trip out won’t be so easy, (and it wouldn’t be if there were just one toddler either) but at least I know successful trips CAN and WILL happen.

Triple seater carts work great for multiple toddlers

One of my many fears about solo outings was handling the public Q & A sessions. I don’t mind answering questions, but being alone meant we needed to stay the course. Interestingly enough, at 10:00 am on a Thursday our local Target was primarily populated with moms that had full carts of kids. I saw at least five other moms with more than three kids. It seemed that most shoppers at that day and time were on a mission of their own, and didn’t have time to worry about my crew. Dare I say it was peaceful?

It wasn’t long before Rylin realized the diaper bag doubled as a pillow.

After our successful Target jaunt, I rewarded myself with a salted caramel frapuccino. I won a giftcart at our last Moms of Multiples meeting and i thought of no better occasion to enjoy it.

After our successful Target jaunt, I rewarded myself with a salted caramel frappuccino. I won a gift card at our last Moms of Multiples meeting and thought of no better occasion to enjoy it.

What fears do you need to conquer? What encouragement do you need?

Hugs!

Amber

Four Friends

September 3, 2014Amber 2 Comments

Although our home is often filled with piercing shrieks of, “MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and sibling scats, the quads are finding playmates in each other. For every shrill scream that makes me cringe, toddler cackles and chatter warm my heart. When I feel exasperated by the bickering, I see what close bonds are rapidly forming and I am grateful. I only hope that as the quads grow they continue to enjoy each other’s company and love each other fiercely.

These two ladies cheered on their brothers during the riding toy races.

The compassion they have for each other is undeniable as well. It’s a well-known fact that a kiss from Mommy or Daddy heals any boo boo, but a sibling’s kiss will also do the trick. If someone is picking at their dinner, it’s not uncommon for someone else to spoon feed them with a little airplane “zoom zoom” for fun.

Best of all, they inspire each other to use their imagination during play and invite each other to try new things.

Mason and Harper think it’s hysterical to walk around the kitchen on their knees. As I cook dinner, one of them will start this antic and it’s not long before two boys are strutting along the kitchen floor giggling the whole way.

The four pack practiced setting their table for tea time. They served quite the spread of plastic food.

I can only imagine what is in store for these four little people.

hugs!

Amber

Ahoy, mateys. Greetings, ladies. {Pirates & Princesses Party}

August 4, 2014August 8, 2016Amber 10 Comments

As the quad’s second birthday approached I began to panic as I fell short on party ideas. Instead of choosing a theme and then searching for a coordinating invitation, I reversed the order. I perused invitations first, and found a simply adorable princesses and pirates birthday invitation for boy girl twins. I contacted the designer and she customized the invitation for us by adding an extra pirate and princess making it the perfect invitation for quadruplets. Once I had a theme and invitation chosen, I discovered a treasure trove of ideas on Pinterest fit for a princesses and pirates bash.

When we choose a party theme, George and I go all out. consequently, we both dressed the part. I made good use of an old bridesmaid dress my mom had in storage and accessorized it with my bridal tiara. George wore a few tatty items from his closet with a dew rag to create a pirate look. As part of their birthday gift, I ordered princess dresses (on clearance) from the Disney store for the girls and Carter’s pirate t-shirts for the boys.

After our guests were welcomed, each tot was given an empty bag personalized with their name, which would later be used to collect game prizes. Little pirates were to take a hat, sword, and eye patch while princesses were asked to select a dress and tiara. The pirate gear was all found in Target’s party section and doubled as party favors for the boys. The dresses were on loan, but the tiaras were also party favors. I used a shower curtain rod to display the selection of princess dresses available.

Give party guests an empty bag to fill with game prizes at a party

I used free clip art from Disney Junior to create labels for the loot bags. Unbeknownst to me, it’s a “Princesses and Pirates” summer on Disney Junior. This made finding party goods a cinch.I used more free clip art found online to create signage for directing pirates and princesses about what to get.

A few weeks before the party, it occurred to me that the quads weren’t familiar with pirates. To prepare them for the party, we watched The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. We also read Unexpected Treasures from our own bookshelf. Since I love literacy based crafts, we created a few pieces that served as party decor. Pirates don’t generally have the best reputation for being kind and such so I carefully selected books and videos where pirates were portrayed as having desirable virtues.

The quads had fun making their party decorations and still enjoy looking at their masterpieces.

My friend, Jen, kindly served as our party photographer. I have enough trouble being a hostess without also managing the camera. Besides, she’s a far more talented photographer than I! To make sure she’d be IN a picture and not just behind the lens, I snapped this one of her.

My sister and cousin, Brandi were both on board with our princess theme and donned old formal dresses to the party. Noteworthy…CiCi is wearing my junior prom dress, and I think she looked just like Belle.

Matt did his best to dress for the pirate theme with his red and white stripes with eye patch.

Each of our little pirate guests came sporting pirate themed threads, but our quad buddy, Harrison matched Harper. It was adorable!

Since the quads are two and all of their guests were two, I planned a few simple party games to keep everyone occupied. First, everyone tried their hand at fishing. My cousin, Ryan, sat behind a black curtain hung by a tension rod while the little ones tossed a fishing pole over the curtain. He then clipped goldfish crackers or shark fruit snacks to their line for the “big catch”.

I also set up a treasure dig in the yard. I filled a bucket with sand and littered it with gold doubloons (Dollar Tree plastic coins), gems, and rings. Each guest had a chance to riffle around to find a few treasures of their own.

My friend, Ashley, is talented in the baking department so I sequestered her help for creating cupcakes and cake pops. Both were a huge hit! By the end of the party one cake pop remained and I enjoyed savoring it with a glass of vino.

Ashley made cupcakes for each princess and captain, and the liners coordinated with their “assigned colors”.

Ashley hand-made each of the sweet treats served at the party. Her attention to detail is impeccable.

The boys easily made wishes and blew their candles out, but the girls were a bit more hesitant. Rylin used a straw to finally blow hers out, but Sydney got help from Mason.

This year the cake smashing was much more tidy. I love how each of the quads approached their cupcake their own way.

Harper willingly wore his eye patch for just long enough to capture a photo.

With four tykes, gift opening was a bit like a Christmas extravaganza. I was proud of how well the littlest guests as well as our four managed the scene. No one protested, tried to get into things they shouldn’t, or caused any trouble whatsoever.

The quads worked well together to open packages.

The quads are all able to tear through paper, but still need a bit of encouragement to realize there’s something beneath the pretty paper. With a little help from ~~Captain Flynn~~ Jen, Mason decorated his arm in Jake temporary tattoos as did his troupe of friends and siblings.

Set up a temporary tattoo station for a pirate themed party.

Little princesses chose from an assortment of princess tattoos. Sydney’s choice was none other than Cinderella.

What a scene!

The boys immediately made use of the pirate ship riding toy they received. This toy has been among our most popular toys since the party, and is often sought after.

Hugs!

Amber

I missed out on taking pictures of our food spread, but we served toddler favorites (PB & J, goldfish crackers, fruit, chicken nuggets, ect) and paired them with cute labels with fancy names for the Plain Jane fare. Here are all the printables I created using the free clip art from Disney Junior. Feel free to edit and use for your own Princesses & Pirates Party.

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Health & Wellness Month

July 28, 2014July 29, 2014Amber 3 Comments

July is apparently our family’s official health and wellness month. EVERYONE, including the dogs had one or more annual well visits this month. I kicked off the round of appointments with my dental cleaning, which I firmly believe counts as “me time”. For a full hour, I sat comfortably in a lounge chair as I watched uninterrupted television and someone spoke to me as if I were the most important person in the world. I left with a sparkling white smile, a goody bag of dental accessories, and clean bill of health. Ahh! I LOVE having my teeth cleaned!

During the middle of the month, Sydney lapped up a little mother daughter time when she returned for her follow-up appointment at the pediatric ophthalmologist. She loved every minute of it as she got to snuggle in my lap while watching The Princess and the Frog. Since there are limited opportunities for screen time, Sydney clamors to watch a new flick whenever she can. Long ago George dubbed her a “professional movie watcher” due to her zeal over movies. Even though she’s mildly far-sighted, Sydney’s vision is within normal limits and does not require corrective lenses. Whew! Glasses are adorable on toddlers, BUT I shuddered to think of the challenges of keeping glasses on this feisty girl with three toddler siblings.

Last week marked a trifecta of appointments. Breaking from our usual group well visit, everyone went in pairs. We started with the girls. It was so much more relaxing focusing on just two kids at a time, and not trying to either cram four kids into a tiny exam room or pop in and out of two separate rooms. Both girls remain petite, but thankfully have grown in the past year and are overall very healthy. They are also doing well with developmental milestones.

Sydney also enjoyed the feature film in the pediatrician’s office.

Following their appointment, I took the girls out for a mini girls day complete with a Target shopping trip and lunch at Chick fil A.

George’s cousin, Brandi, came along for the girl’s day. And, in case you’re wondering, that is ketchup on Sydney’s cheek and all over her fists. She believes ketchup is a stand alone food rather than a condiment.

Two days later, it was the boys turn. Both were given a clean bill of health and kudos to developmental progress as well. Given the statistics regarding premature birth, I’m both relived and proud of the progress they made to close the gaps of prematurity. Aside from being tiny, there is little to no evidence of their rocky start.

The boys seemed to enjoy not having their sisters tag along for the appointment.

The boys didn’t get a shopping trip, but they enjoyed the kiddie rides outside Kroger after I rented a movie. Then, they came along to drop of a baby gift for a friend. They behaved so well at my friend’s house they were given plenty of praise, which made me a proud mama.

Later that evening, Nisey babysat while I took Sasha and Lily in for their annual well exams. Lily’s anxiety kicked into overdrive and she behaved like a lunatic while Sasha cozied up on the exam table.

The quad’s car seats worked well for transporting the dogs to the vet. I buckled the harnesses and secured the leashes to them.

The canine family members didn’t fare as well as the human ones…both are due for dental cleanings and Sasha needed allergy medication for her skin and eyes. We love those two nonetheless and I’m relieved all those appointments are DONE, at least for another year. It was exhausting on my part. The quads still need their first dental exams, but we are waiting a few more moths for that as I recover from our health and wellness month.

Sasha’s calm demeanor seemed to help Lily ease her nerves after a while.

My favorite part about all well checks is tracking the stats, and for fun I included the dogs weights. Lily is officially the smallest family member and always will be.

Rylin

21 lbs

2′ 8″

Harper

27 lbs, 4 oz

2′ 9″

Sydney

19 lbs, 8 oz

2′ 7.5″

Mason

21 lbs, 4 oz

2′ 7.5″

Sasha

20 lbs, 4 oz

Lily

9 lbs

Do you find dental cleanings relaxing or anxiety provoking?

Hugs!

Amber

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