parenting multiples

Morning Ride 

Amber 2 Comments

final-4In the past few weeks we’ve been struggling with a lot of sibling bickering, sassy backtalk, and physical aggression. I’ve done my best to redirect this behavior and to keep toys and activities fresh, but the behaviors persisted. As a result of these challenging behaviors, my own patience is dwindling.

When mentioning my frustrations to a friend, she kindly asked how much outdoor play the kids were getting.  With triple digit heat, outdoor play has also been a struggle.  Unless there is water involved, we have to be out early and truthfully, we haven’t been getting a full hour daily.  Some days, after 30 minutes we are headed in to escape the heat.

Today I was set on getting at least an hour of outdoor play and sunshine, but we had to beat the heat to do it.  When I heard the boys wake up at 6:40 am, I immediately asked them to get dressed.  Bum-fuddled, they obliged.  Then, I ushered them to the backyard where I served breakfast.  It wasn’t long before a pair of sleepy headed girls joined us.  After about 20 minutes of outdoor play, we decided it was time for a morning bike ride.  Once all four were helmet clad, we set out to burn some rubber.  There was nice cloud cover so we stayed out riding for about an hour.  It was glorious!   There was some bickering and pushing later in the day, but it was better.

Tomorrow we will repeat this extra early outdoor play and see if it continues to improve everyone’s mood and behavior.


 

What are your favorite outdoor activities?

Hugs,

 

Amber

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Sand Bucket List

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This summer, we took our first family vacation with the quadruplets.  In fact, we took them to the same beach and condominiums where my grandparents took my mother and her siblings, then all of their grandchildren for decades.  While we were on Mustang Island, we made sure to introduce the quads to our tried and true family traditions.  We also added a few new items for our future family trips.

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1. Stuffed the car before bed and departed before daybreak at 6:00 am.

My dad has always been an early riser, waking up before dawn on regular days.  On the eve of a vacation, he’s generally awake giddy with anticipation while some people are just going to bed.  We ALWAYS left for a road trip between five and six am.

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2. Stopped at Czech Stop for kolaches

George introduced our family to the Czech Stop, which is located just north of Waco, Texas.  There you’ll find a variety of fruit and sausage kolaches (the most authentic you’ll find!) as well as other tasty treats.  The kiddos all enjoyed free M & M cookies.

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3. Snapped a picture with Buc-ee

I learned about the goodness of Buc-ee’s on my way home from our first annual Quad Mom trip.  It’s a family-friendly gas station designed to meet the needs of travelers.  They have spotless bathrooms complete with attendants and sanitizer as well as an array of tasty treats, supplies, and Texas memorabilia.  If you ever travel through or to Texas, it’s a must stop shop.

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4.  Played in the sand

Of course no beach trip is complete without playing in the sand.  Sydney had some difficulty with the dry variety, which posed a few problems, but damp sand was okay in her book.  We ordered an incredible Sand-Free Multimat, which is designed to repel sand, but it arrived about six hours after our departure.  I guess we’ll have to try it next year!

5. Caught sand crabs

If you wait until dark and bring flashlights, you can easily spot and capture sand crabs darting along the sand.  The kids had a blast chasing the little guys then setting them free.  Whenever anyone in our family mentions catching crabs we all have a good chuckle.  When my Uncle Dale was a little boy, Grandma chose a shirt for him at the souvenir shop that read, “I Caught Crabs on Padre Island”.  Thanks to the family tradition of catching sand crabs, Grandma thought it was perfect.  When Dale returned to school after summer break donning his new shirt, the principal called Grandma in a tizzy due to the vulgar connotations…..Poor Grandma didn’t realize the shirt wasn’t referring to sand crabs….

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6. Visited the Bob Hall Pier

I recall my dad and Grandpa taking us to the pier at night to see creatures including sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks swimming in the sea.  This time, we visited during the daytime and instead watched fishermen reeling in their daily catch.

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7. Enjoyed ice cream at Scoopy’s Veranda

George and I started this tradition with the kids.  Next door to Scoopy’s is Snoopy’s restaurant, which is where our family enjoyed sea food on the water for decades.  We thought the kids would enjoy a sweet, summer treat more though.

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8. Constructed sand castles

Rylin insisted we build a “large sandcastle” before departing from the beach each day.  This particular one was the largest of our structures.

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9. Fished off the Red Dot Pier

My father’s favorite pastime is fishing, and he’s been itching to take the quads fishing to share his passion since they were infants.  For Father’s Day, we gave him a pair of Mickey Mouse fishing poles and a pair of Frozen fishing poles.  He was ecstatic to have four kiddie fishing poles and to take the kids on their first fishing trip.  Rylin wasn’t terribly keen on the process, but liked her “girlish” pole.  Sydney appeared bored until she reeled in a perch, which excited her.   The boys really tuned into the process and seemed to enjoy themselves.   Harper caught the largest fish of the bunch, a mangled looking dogfish.

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Harper caught a dogfish, Syney caught a fishing weight and perch, the others caught perch.

10. Bought souvenirs at Ocean Treasures

I fondly remember browsing Ocean Treasures with my sister in search of the best bit of memorabilia.  The kids had an equally good time cruising the long aisles for something of their own.  Harper traveled all the way to Padre Island only to find ANOTHER fire truck for his burgeoning fleet.  He later regretted his choice and begged for a submarine instead.  The best part of our shopping adventure was seeing the magestic sandcastle.

After driving all the way to the beach, we came home with ANOTHER fire truck, stuffed poodle, plastic sting ray, and a pink sea shell.

 

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11. Cooled down in the pool

It’s family tradition to take a dip in the pool after a day at the beach.  The first day, the quads were uneasy in the baby pool, but quickly learned to steady themselves and splash around with their older cousins.

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12. Played in the surf

With close supervision, the kids learned to enjoy jumping the waves and watching the tide come in.

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13. Took a cousin picture on the seawall

Before departing and heading to our separate homes, we’ve always snapped a photo with all of the cousins.  This year we had the largest group of cousins ever, which included my cousins, Jennifer and Lindsay with their children.  A total of ten kids under ten outnumbered the nine adults.

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14. Took a stroll down the beach to collect shells

It’s always interesting how the tide brings in different things each year.  Over the years, I’ve visited this particular beach many times and it’s never exactly the same.  This year, there were a few scattered sea shells but many blue crabs, which I’ve never seen before.

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15. Fed the seagulls

The seagulls are a ravenous lot.  If you toss a bit of food into the air, they’ll artfully scoop it up before it touches the ground.

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16. Snapped family photos at sunset

We’ve always taken family beach photos, but this year I wanted them to be more than just random shots.  I hoped to snap a few worthy of hanging on the walls or putting on  a Christmas card.  I charged our DSLR camera and meticulously coordinated the family wardrobe.  I also heeded Lindsay’s tips for taking excellent beach photos. I made a grave error, however.  I did not leave the DSLR camera outside long enough for it to fully acclimate to the humidity.  Much to my dismay the lens was horribly foggy.  Thankfully, George’s Samsung Galaxy 6 takes excellent photos, and was able to capture these.  Despite being a phone camera, I was able to enlarge and print several for our gallery.  Sydney wasn’t willing to let her precious toes touch the sand so we either carried her, or we improvised and sat on a table covered in an aqua picnic blanket.

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I was admittedly concerned about how the quads would handle a long road trip, and sleeping away from home, but they surprised me. We stopped only twice each direction and whining was minimal.  Of the in car entertainment items I packed, the Melissa & Doug On The Go Water Wow Books kept the kids occupied the longest by far. Our trip was such a success, we are already making plans for next year, and hope to include the family members missing from this trip.

hugs!

 

Amber

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Family Legacy

Amber 2 Comments

When my mom was a child, her family took an annual road trip to North Padre Island, Texas. After school ended for the year, they’d load up their station wagon and head south for 10 days of beach bliss. My Grandpa loved the sea, especially deep sea fishing and swimming while searching for sea life. His love of the beach was passed down to each of his children who maintained this family tradition. While I was growing up we went to the exact same beach, and stayed in the same condos where my mother stayed. It became a family tradition with our entire extended family.

We all loved the beach and developed routines for each beach trip. However, when my sister, cousins, and I grew older we wanted to discover new destinations besides our familiar beach. We’d still take trips to our beloved North Padre Island, but we skipped the family trip to see new things. The last time our family went to North Padre Island was 2008. Both of my grandparents were with us, and we all vividly remember Hurricane Dolly  visiting that year. I’d heard of hurricanes before, but never experienced one until Dolly. Though it was only a category 1 hurricane, Dolly brought incredible winds and more rain than I’d ever seen. Dolly literally chased us all the way up the coastline until Austin. Visibility was null. We could not even see the dots on the highway, and prayed we were within our lanes.  Miraculously, everyone in our family made it home safely that year.

It wasn’t that long ago, but our photo collection is quite sparse for that trip.  We didn’t have smartphones then, and relied on our Cannon Powershot, which we didn’t use much, apparently.

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Grandpa and Aunt Terri enjoyed the beach views from the balcony.

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We fed the seagulls bits of bread from the sea wall.

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We took photos in the sunset.

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The hotel gave us glow sticks as the hurricane came toward us.

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This was the beginning of Dolly’s appearance.

 

Grandma and Grandpa humored us when the family elected to visit Crested Butte, Colorado in 2010.

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It was a lovely trip, and we were all glad we headed north for a change.  Colorado is gorgeous in the summertime, and the hikes were stellar.

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My grandparents welcomed the quads to our family in 2012, and we captured this precious four generation photo.  Grandpa became seriously ill in 2013 and passed.

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The kids have fond memories of visiting Grandma. In fact, Rylin periodically talks about when we blew bubbles on the porch together last summer.  Grandma passed away this spring, and though she lived a full 86 years, it was difficult to say goodbye. After her passing, we all knew that it was time we return to our beloved North Padre Island to honor our family tradition. Also, it would be the first time the quads, and several of the youngest cousins would ever visit the beach.  Our family vacations to the beach are part of our family legacy, which I hope will live on for many more decades to come.

We all die.  The goal isn’t to live forever, it’s to create something that will.

This year, 19 members of our extended family made the trip back to the beach and it would’ve melted Grandma and Grandpa’s hearts knowing that our family tradition is being passed to the next generation.  Stay tuned for details about the trip!

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hugs,

 

Amber

For more from Four to Adore, connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  We often share pictures, life hacks, activities, recipes, and more via social media.

 

More Fried Squid, Please

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Ramen noodle houses are a new trend in our area so we decided to try one with the kids for family date night.  A foodie friend recommended Hanabi Ramen & Izakaya so that’s where we headed.  Ever since the kids were babies, we’ve tried to expose them to novel foods and encourage them to try new things.   As our crew began to develop picking eating habits, we began implementing Ellyn Satter’s approach to feeding.  Though this approach has helped tremendously and eliminated mealtime whining, the kids still have three year old opinions about food and fickle choices.  For instance, bananas may be all the rage for a week and then are taboo.  Given their three year old ways, it’s always a gamble whether they’ll enjoy something new or not.

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Interestingly enough, they become FAR more adventurous out than at home.  Our dinner at Hanabi proved to be quite a quadventure.  On the way to the restaurant, we told the kids we would have noodles for dinner and fried squid.  We avoided giving them any type of expectations about how the food would look or taste, and simply labeled it. Upon our arrival, we were seated at a cozy booth and each child was given adapted chop sticks.  While waiting for our food, they practiced pinching the chopsticks like tweezers (this was a great fine motor task!).

When our appetizer, fried squid, arrived,  I wasn’t sure whether they would sample any.  I’m not typically a fan of calamari so I wasn’t expecting fried squid to be tasty.  However, to be an example for the kids, I tried a bite, and really enjoyed it.  After taking note from us, all four of the kids tried fried squid too, and they devoured it!  In fact, they enjoyed fried squid so much we ordered a second plate of  it.  During the meal, the kids also enjoyed boiled eggs, which they’ve never been willing to try at home.  The kids impressed the restaurant staff as well as other patrons with their willingness to try atypical foods.  The chef brought them a plate of dumplings to try and the kids gobbled them.

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We don’t expect our kids to like every food they try and we will never force them to try anything, but we really enjoy giving them the opportunity to sample things.  We also want them to learn how to respect different cultures and people, and food is one way to teach this lesson.

P.S. If you watch the video of them sampling squid for the first time, you’ll notice Harper says he doesn’t like “squid that’s in the sea”.  He later clarified that he prefers it “Died and fried”, meaning he doesn’t want to eat live squid.  I’m with him on that!

Have you ever tried fried squid?  If not, it’s worth the adventure!

hugs,

Amber

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Curious Harper 

Amber 2 Comments

This is about Harper.  He was a good little boy, and always very curious…

As soon as Harper could crawl, he developed an immense curiosity about everything around him.  Once he could walk, and then climb we were in BIG trouble.  By the age of two, “dismantle” and “destroy” were part of his vocabulary.  His sisters often mention “mischief” and “shenanigans”.  He’s keen on taking things apart to figure out how and why they work.  I love this little boy’s zest for learning and his clever nature, but it exhausts me.   Every single day I struggle with finding consequences for his behavior that will not squelch his inquisitive nature.  His most recent endeavors include:

  • flushing two toothbrushes down the toilet, resulting in an entire toilet replacement
  • pouring a bottle of dish soap into a pot of Gerber daisies
  • squirting almost an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink
  • emptying a bottle of shampoo into the bathtub
  • dumping hair detangler in the sink
  • dismantling a toy helicopter, solar powered butterflies, Nerf bullets, and a Hot Wheels track
  • doling out snacks from the pantry
  • unleashing dust bunnies from the vacuum cleaner
  • shredding magazines
  • removing flaps from books
  • unrolling tape to make tricycle streamers
Thankfully, I purchased eco friendly dish soap. After I scooped the majority of soap out and heavily watered the flowers, they’ve continued to thrive.

 

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This time, Harper had a lesson on how the vacuum worked, but he’d already dumped it before.

I promise, I supervise him well and offer a variety of sensory and enriching activities to satisfy his thirst for hands on learning, but nonetheless, Harper is programmed for curiosity. Before going to bed, I say a prayer something like this:

“Dear God, please help me to appreciate Harper’s zest for learning and to treat him with patience and respect rather than anger and frustration.  Help him learn ways to be productive with this curiosity, and eventually use it to earn an honest living.”

Last week, Harper’s curiosity finally benefited me.  I noticed that his bolted-to-the-wall nightstand was askew.   Just before I started to press for an explanation, I decided to investigate it myself.  Though I have no idea why he pulled the nightstand crooked, I was ecstatic to find the treasure trove behind it.

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In the company of a plastic sword, miniature road barrier, Christmas tree angel, and wooden fish, you may spy a kelly green iPod nano.  Why yes!!!  This particular iPod has been MIA since October.  Many months ago, Sydney took it from the dock and seemed to be handling it well so I let her play with it, but then it vanished.  When questioned, Sydney insisted it was “by the bed”.  After taking our bed, hers, and the boys apart, I gave up hope.  I missed this iPod especially when I wrote reports at work, or wanted to enjoy a particular playlist, but really I presumed it was flushed with the toothbrushes.  Harper was quite pleased with this discovery too.

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 I can only hope that future investigations will lead to similarly wonderful discoveries. In the meantime, I’ll continue prayers for patience.

hugs!

 

Amber

 

 

A Texas Tradition

Amber 4 Comments

Here in Texas, we have a rich history filled with pride and tradition.  We Texans love the shape of our state, our lone star flag, our sports teams, and of course, our state flower.  Anyone who is a native, or naturalized Texan appreciates bluebonnet season when our beloved state flower creates a sea of blue along the highways.  During this time, Texans proudly snap family pictures in patches of bluebonnets.  I have fond memories of taking such pictures at my grandparent’s house each Easter.  They lived out in the country and had fields of bluebonnets around their house.  Sometime after they moved out of their house, we stopped taking bluebonnet pictures, and I actually can’t remember the last one our extended family took.

This season, the bluebonnets near my parents house were gorgeous and mom suggested we seize the opportunity to take the kid’s first bluebonnet pictures.  They had a grand time frolicking through knee high flora and smelling the sweet wildflower aroma.

This photo was my favorite of the foursome, and was surprisingly captured with my iPhone rather than our DSLR camera.

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The tell tale sign of a roadside family photo is when an 18 wheeler is part of the backdrop….Ironically my sister’s fiancé works for Walmart.com  Perhaps it was a little homage to his employer.

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Don’t worry…we got more sans truck!

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Fun

Every family photo shoot ends with an obligatory “silly” shot….

Texas Bluebonnets

 Bluebonnet Fun Facts:

In 1901, the bluebonnet was adopted as the state flower.

There are actually five species of bluebonnet, and all are accepted as the state flower.

Bluebonnets peak bloom season actually is May to July

In the 1930’s, the Highway Department began planting bluebonnets along state highways.  Texas was the first state in the nation to plant flowers along the highways.

Texas State Wildflower Day is celebrated every April 24.

 

Does your state or province have any similar traditions?

hugs!

Amber

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6 Reasons to Join a MoM Club

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MoMs club

When I was expecting quadruplets, I was hesitant to join our local Mothers of Multiples (MoM) club.  I felt that since the majority of members were mothers of twins, or expecting twins I wouldn’t fit in.  Plus, I already had an online support group for mothers of higher order multiples.  In hindsight, I wish I had joined during the pregnancy because I probably missed out on support from a wonderful group.  I ended up joining our local group when the quads were about 15 months old, and at the time I was the first member with quadruplets though there were a few members with triplets.  Since parents of higher order multiples tend to “find” each other, I’ve recruited others in our area so I’m not the odd mom out.  I struggle to attend the group’s monthly meetings, but I’ve gained plenty from my membership.  Over the past few years, I’ve come to appreciate our club and recommend that parents expecting or with very young multiples join their local group.  My favorite perks include:

  • Playgroups

    In addition to organized playgroups, I’ve bonded with other members and we regularly schedule our own play dates.  It’s always nice to have play dates with other multiples since quads can easily take over a room.

craft at story time©FourtoAdore.com©FourtoAdore.com

  • Buy/ Sell/ Trade

    When the quads outgrow things (e.g. double strollers, coordinated or matched outfits) there is an automatic market for them amongst club members.  I’ve been able to sell items on our group’s page as well as at the semi annual consignment sales.  Plus, I’ve been able to purchase needed items from group members.  As a MoM, I always like it when our outgrown “sets” can be appreciated by another family.

  • Family Events

    Periodically, our club hosts family events.  These events are usually very low cost or are free.  They offer excellent opportunities for fellowship amongst parents and children.  I always appreciate our annual photos with Santa and the Easter bunny without having to wait in long lines or pay a hefty price tag.

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Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch

 

  • Mom’s Night Out

    Several times each year, our club hosts a mom’s night out, which includes wine, snacks, and a fun activity (e.g. Painting with a Twist).  Just like family events, most of these events are either free or low cost.

  • Local Resources

    Whether I’m searching for the best medical specialist in our area, great places to host birthday parties, or places to take the kids for fun, our group will have a list of suggestions.  Chances are someone in the group has the intel I need.  It’s always nice to know when a MoM has vetted something.

I found out about a fantastic playscape for the quad’s 3rd birthday from the club.

  • Support

    Since I was a little late to join, I missed out on some of the support our club offers.  Members bring meals to new parents (goodness knows this is HUGE for parents with multiple infants).  For parents with babies in the NICU, there is a preemie closet that lends clothes to babies while in the NICU.  Finally, the group is full of sage advice about anything imaginable from getting babies to sleep through the night to deciding whether to separate or keep multiples in the same classroom.

 If you are a parent of multiples, or are expecting multiples but haven’t yet joined a MoMs club, click  Multiples of America: find a club to find one near you.  If you join a club, you are also a member of Multiples of America, which offers specialty support groups (e.g. higher order multiples, surviving multiples, multiples with disabilities, ect).

 

P. S. If you aren’t a parent of multiples, but have young children, there are other organizations such as Mothers of Preschoolers and Parents as Teachers as well as informal neighborhood and community Facebook pages that offer similar benefits.

Kid’s Emergency Car Kit

Amber 5 Comments

When the kids were almost two years old I started taking them out places on my own. I soon realized a diaper bag was too cumbersome.  It was hard work keeping up with four toddlers and managing a diaper bag was an unnecessary hassle.  However, being toddlers, they still needed emergency supplies.  I decided to make good use of my trunk organizer and fill it with things I’d find handy for accidents, particularly when we began potty training.

Kid's Emergency Car Kit

For each child, I filled a gallon sized Ziploc with a change of clothes, underwear (or pull up), and a spare pair of shoes.  Then, I labeled each bag and added them to my trunk organizer.  In the event of an accident, I could easily change a kiddo and seal soiled or wet clothes into the Ziploc.  In addition to the clothes, I stocked my trunk with paper towels, bottles of water, grocery sacks, baby wipes, Lysol wipes, old towels, and of course a potty seat with liners.

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The Safety First potty seat is great for the car because it has a lid, which is handy for stacking.  If taken to someone else’s house, it also comes apart so a small seat fits onto the toilet and the lidded seat works as a stool.


Even though I don’t haul extra clothes and things in my purse, I have a small make up bag filled with a few essentials, particularly the kids’ epi pen and Benadryl.  

 On several occasions, George attempted to remove our emergency supply stash to free up trunk space since we never seemed to need anything from the stash.  I insisted we keep  them “just in case”, and was so happy to have them in the past few months.  While waiting in gridlock traffic to see Ice! at the Gaylord, Mason got car sick- all over himself and the car.  Within ten minutes, we had Mason fully dressed in new threads and the car was relatively clean.   He may have been wearing a faded t-shirt that read, “Happy Birthday to Me” and jeans with pink stitching, but they were clean.  Thankfully, everyone at the Ice! exhibit is given a giant blue parka, which successfully concealed Mason’s ensemble.

Gaylord Texan ICE 2015

I should’ve learned from that experience to pack better clothing since they could be used.  This week, Mason took a little dip in Nisey and Poppa’s koi pond and was soaked from head to toe (he was being well supervised and Poppa immediately fished him from the water or it could’ve been tragic).   Little man once again had to wear a less than desirable outfit, but he was clean and dry!  When I created our emergency stash of supplies, I expected it to be for potty accidents, little did I know how handy they’d be in other circumstances.

What do you keep in your trunk?  I’m thinking I should add spare clothes for myself…you never know!

hugs!

 

Amber

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I work out.

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I work out

There’s a cute little t-shirt design circulating around my moms of multiples group with vinyl lettering stating, “I work out.  Just kidding!  I have quadruplets.”  I’ve informed hubby this would be an excellent gift for me because it’s quite accurate.

After people discover I have quadruplets, the next question is often “How are you so small?”  I don’t have a gym membership, and I don’t work out,  but seriously I don’t need to.  I HAVE QUADRUPLETS.  It’s a workout every. single. day.  all. day.  I don’t have a FitBit or similar gadget,  but if I did, it would most certainly indicate that I walk a gazillion steps each day.  I literally do not sit down until I’m going to bed, and when I do I conk out fast.  When when we sit down for family meals, I find myself getting up numerous times to take care of various things.  If you’d like to know what a typical “easy” day for me is, check out my diary on Fort Worth Child, here.  (my entry ends at 9:15, but at that point in the day I’m usually up tackling chores or whatever until at least 11:00 pm, sometimes even midnight.)  Before Christmas, we went to ICE! at the Gaylord with my sister and her fiance.  Much to our chagrin, each of us ended up toting a child clad in a huge parka through the line and exhibit.  It was undoubtedly a challenge for all of us.  I got a huge chuckle days later when George, Matt, and Courtney all complained of burning biceps, but I didn’t even notice.  I’m apparently used to lugging an extra 25-40 pounds and my biceps are well conditioned.

Sydney at the Gaylord Texan ICE exhibit

Gaylord Texan ICE 2015

A typical day for me is a decent workout, and then I have intense weight training and cardio days, like Monday.  Harper and Mason bounded into our room at about 6:30 am, and we immediately noticed Harper’s eyelashes were covered in gunk.  Pink Eye.  Definitely pink eye.  After peeling myself out of bed, I logged onto the computer and requested an 8:00 am appointment with the pediatrician.  It was the first one of the day, early, but I wanted to knock it out.  Plus, we had a play date planned with our quad buddies, the Bells.  There was a miniscule chance this gunk was non-contagious allergies, and if so I wanted to keep our playdate.  After requesting the appointment, I started scrambling to get everyone ready for the day.  I was feeling pretty accomplished.  All kids were dressed and fed by 7:15 am, and I donned my “mom uniform” aka yoga pants and a pullover (perfect for a work out!).  At about 7:30 am, George called and in a flustered tone said, “You’re going to kill me!”  I couldn’t imagine what sin he’d committed so early.  In a rush to get to work, he mistakenly took my car keys instead of his own.  This would be fine except there is only ONE key to my Explorer, and even worse, George was too far from home to turn around.  Scenarios began rushing through my head.

  1. I could cancel the appointment.  It was probably allergies anyways.  Right?
  2. I could insist George take a half day, and request a later appointment.  I wanted this to be a good solution, but I knew it wasn’t.  He’d waste over half the day driving.
  3. I could load the kids into our EasyGo Foldable Wagon and pull them to the pediatrician.

Which would your choose?  Being a workout buff, I obviously chose #3!   I pulled the wagon from the garage and loaded the four into it and began huffing it.  I started strong, the sidewalk was smooth and flat, and I was energized.  And then I realized we live in a rather hilly mountainous neighborhood.  Heaving a wagon that outweighs oneself uphill most certainly counts as cardio and weight training.  Wheesh!  We made it to the office in 15 minutes, which wasn’t shabby.  I probably smelled awful and looked like I’d run a marathon, but we made it.  As we waited for the doctor to check Harper, I started wondering if she’d say it really was allergies or nothing to worry about.  I’d be seething if so….I’d loaded four kids into a wagon, walked uphill (both ways), and paid our copay.  This was one of those moments  when the kid needed a legitimate diagnosis.

quadruplets in the foldable wagon

This wagon was a Christmas gift from some friends, and it is nifty!  We parted ways with our quad stroller because the kids were unwilling to ride it in, but for long walks lost stamina.  This wagon folds flat and fits easily into our trunk, but fits all four kiddos!

When the doctor walked in she immediately noted, “I know which child I’m seeing today!”  She then examined Harper’s ears, eyes, and throat.  It wasn’t long before he had a diagnosis of conjunctivitis and a double ear infection.  Poor guy!  I felt bad that he was really sick, but it did legitimize our morning jaunt.  Since Rylin was beginning to show symptoms, a prescription was also called in for her (A-M-E-N).   With diagnoses made and prescriptions written, we were headed back home at last.   Pink eye is terrible, people.  Just terrible.  Sydney was taken victim two days later, and Mason is holding out but is probably doomed to the same fate.

We have two tiny bottles of eye drops to be administered one drop per eye THREE times per day PER kid.  Of course, these little drops while miraculous with their healing powers, are not appreciated by the children.  When they spy the bottle, they take cover and have to be wrestled like crocodiles.  We then drop one droplet onto closed lids because nobody will open their eyes for this fun.   Then we pray something gets onto the eyeball banishing the eye goop from our home.

In case you wondered how I stay slim without a gym membership, I have quadruplets.  It’s a workout just managing the day to day.

What’s nuts is I’ve walked the kids to the doctor and dentist on my own volition, not just because I didn’t have keys.  There was a time when the kids were so difficult to load into car seats that loading the stroller and walking was easier.  Plus, it was a workout.

 hugs!

 

Amber

 

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Food Revolution Phase 3: Family Style Meals

Amber 11 Comments

mealtime peace

Dating back to our newlywed days, George and I have eaten dinner together at the table with no interruptions.  Family meals were equally important with the addition of children. When the quads were babies, George constructed a quad feeding table, which worked well for spoon feeding them.   When they were about two years old, we transitioned to a family dinner table, which helped us better enjoy family meals because we were facing each other.  For a while, mealtime was a pleasurable experience, but then it became dreadful.

Eliminating snacks certainly didn’t improve mealtime, and changing our snack menu improved nutrition, but still did not alleviate mealtime stress.  Once again, I was back to the drawing board.  I thought back to a conversation I had with one of our ECI therapists about a year ago.  She too experienced mealtime woes and found the work of Ellyn Satter quite helpful.  The foundation of Ellyn Satter’s work hinges on this principle:

“The parent is responsible for what, when, where. The child is responsible for how much and whether.” – Ellyn Satter Institute (ESI)

I thought we’d done a decent job following this principle as well as many of the other recommendations of the ESI.

  • Served three meals a day at regular times with snacks in between
  • Sat at the table to eat
  • We ate as a family with no interruptions
  • We did not operate as short order cooks and did not limit our menu to appease anyone
  • We always served something the kids would like at meals, and included a satisfying starch
  • We let the kids choose which items from the meal to eat and how much of each item
  • We denied snacks between the regular meal and snack times

Despite all of these long standing mealtime habits, there were disgruntled children at our dinner table and it was unpleasant. Having quadruplets means that many of our daily tasks are completed in an assembly line manner, which makes things efficient and fair.   The kid’s plates were no exception.  In the past, after a meal was prepared, we set out the kids plates, filling them with each part of our meal.  We ended up with four identical plates that were doled out at the table.  During the meal, they were allowed to opt out of eating anything on their plate and were encouraged to put unwanted items to the side.  They could also request more of anything they especially liked.  Yet, there were many nights that kids screeched about something at dinner.   I had one final idea I wanted to attempt.

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While I was cooking dinner, I started asking the kids to set the table, giving each child something to set out.  They took this new responsibility very seriously, and it really helped me because it completed a task and kept them occupied while I was busy. Once the meal was ready, we placed all of the food on the center of  the table.  Then, we’d take each dish, going around the table to ask each child if they wanted any.  If it was an item they could self serve, we let them.  If it was too difficult for them to manage, we’d ask them where (the where is critical) on their plate we should put the food, and how much.  This small change was magical.  Three year olds crave independence and control over anything they can manage.  Giving them the control over what went on their plate and where it went alleviated our mealtime stress.

We’ve been serving all meals in this manner for about a month.  In that time period, not one child has thrown a fit.  In fact, the kids have been extremely complimentary about their meals saying things such as, “I like this meal, Mama!”  (Mind you, they are complimenting the very meals that previously sent them into a tailspin.) They’ve also tried foods they previously denied.  They don’t clean their plate, and I don’t want them to.  Instead, they are eating until they feel satisfied and most of all, they are happy.  Mealtime peace has been restored!

 

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Rylin didn’t want to oblige me for a photo, but her plate is a really good example of how it was designed by her.  She really loves tomatoes and she chose a tomato salad with Japanese dressing on it.  The other three aren’t as keen on tomatoes and opted out.

 

How is dinner served at your house?

 

hugs!

 

Amber