Daddy’s Weekend

May 5, 2014May 16, 2014Amber 2 Comments

Before I headed off to Gruene to meet up my quad mama friends, George had a trial run of being in charge. It went surprisingly well, which was a good thing because it made me feel confident leaving him for a whole weekend. While I knew he could handle the fort and he told me repeatedly he could do it alone, I rallied the troops. Nisey came Thursday evening to spend the night just like she does every week. On Friday, Nisey and her sidekick, Terri, cared for the quads while George worked. Nisey and Terri sent me these precious snapshots from their day together.

I haven’t the foggiest idea how she managed it, but Nisey put Rylin’s hair in legit pigtails. I’ve since attempted to replicate this hairstyle and failed several times.

I can’t be certain what happened the rest of the time I was away, but I found miscellaneous videos and pictures waiting for me on the camera….

I can only assume there was a great toddler flick showing. Elmo, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Baby Einstein or Bubble Guppies perhaps. Nothing else could convince these three to sit perfectly still long enough for a snapshot.

Sydney typically sings all day long until someone pushes “record” on a device, in which case all singing ceases. George was able to ambush her before dinner and captured her ellusive version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the Alphabet Song. My favorite part is when she catches him recording and instructs him to turn it “off”. He also managed to record a few other tricks courtesy of the quads.

Friday night, Nisey helped George get the quads to bed and then he was left to his own devices on Saturday morning. Aunt CiCi and Matt came later in the afternoon as fresh troops. Again, George had assistance with bedtime, but managed the night and Sunday morning solo. Early Sunday morning I received a panicked text from George because his morning help had to cancel. He muddled just fine, but I think appreciated all the helpers I sequestered after all. By lunchtime Sunday, George had fresh help and was able to run a few errands. I believe he now understands why cherish running errands run alone and count them as “me time”. Although these pictures show kiddos donning jammies, George texted me a few of the quads in coordinated outfits throughout the weekend. I’m not posting them because they are so blurry the babies are almost unidentifiable. Apparently no one was willing to strike a pose for Daddy.

Before returning home, I wanted to offer George a small token of my gratitude. When Amber B. and I stopped at a favorite roadside stop, Buc-ee’s, I immediately cruised the candy aisle in search of George’s beloved sour belts. When I found a bag of “Sour Power Quattro” I knew it was meant to be!

While I had a spectacular time in Gruene, I was ready to return home to George and my littles. I was gone just long enough to really miss them. When I opened the door, the dogs excitedly greeted me with wagging tails and excited yelps. Rylin rushed to the gate exclaiming, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”, but I’m not sure the other three noticed my return at all. Apparently Elmo was far more exciting than Mommy. I was slightly disappointed that the welcoming committee’s lackadaisical attitude, but I know George was more than ready for my return.

hugs!

Amber

Moms of Multiples: “I Bet You Were as Big as a Beluga” and Other Verbiage to Avoid

April 30, 2014Amber 4 Comments

In honor of Multiples Awareness Month, the Fort Worth Mom’s Blog asked me to write an article about what NOT to say to parents of multiples. I cannot express how happy I am with the positive response I’ve received so far. In this day and age so many families are different from your average 2.5 kid household with one dog and a two car garage. As it turns out, what makes families unique is also what falls under public scrutiny. I don’t believe people intend to be rude, but are often taken aback when they see something different. They really have no idea what to say and they unintentionally offend and hurt others.

A couple of days before my post on Fort Worth Mom’s Blog, an adoptive father published a video about what to say (or not) to adoptive families. He came up with the rule of thumb, “If you wouldn’t ask it about a boob job, don’t ask it about adoption”. It’s a humorous way to remember our manners, and it works for a multitude of situations where someone is different. The video is really hysterical; if you’ve got two spare minutes take a peek!

Here’s my piece, Moms of Multiples: “I Bet You Were as Big as a Beluga” and Other Verbiage to Avoid as published on the Fort Worth Moms Blog. Please take time to read it, and share with others. Knowledge is power, right? Happy Multiples Awareness Month!

George and I are developing a thick skin when out in public with the quads and ignore much of what is said. A friend snapped this photo and later I noticed the woman in the background with her mouth gaping open while she chats on the phone. I didn't hear her, but I"m certain she was saying, "Gladys, you will not believe this...I am looking at quadtriplets. Yeah, four babies the same age. I can't wait to tell Brittany that she's got it easy with the twins."

George and I are developing a thick skin when out in public with the quads and ignore much of what is said. A friend snapped this photo during the March of Dimes. Later, I noticed the woman in the background with her mouth gaping open while she chats on the phone. I have no idea what she’s saying, but the expression is all too familiar.

hugs,

Amber

Toddler Tips #701: Civilized Dining (sort of)

April 29, 2014Amber 1 Comment

With each passing day, I find myself trying to solve some new challenge with raising four toddlers, aka “quaddlers”. They are a cunning lot who inspires a little ingenuity on my part (and George’s) just to manage day to day life. While my ideas are born from being surrounded by four toddlers, I think many of them could be helpful to any parents of little ones so I’m sharing.

We are far from a perfect mealtime at our house, but we are diligently working on it. At around 15 months we began serving the babies meals on plates (we ordered the Boon Saucer Edgelesss Stayput Divider Plate, Multi
as seen on Texas Tales), and we gave them toddler utensils. At that age, they refused to let us spoon feed them, and attempted to self feed by grabbing our spoons. They didn’t yet have the dexterity to feed themselves with utensils and instead relied upon finger feeding. Dinner finally became family mealtime where all six of us ate at the quad table, which allowed us to model utensil use for the quads. It wasn’t long before they made crude attempts at spearing and scooping food. Despite their interest level and best efforts, the process was frustrating to say the least. They’d chase their food and poke, but rarely got food onto their forks. I bought metal toddler forks, but they are so dull even I struggled to stab food. Sydney’s Occupational Therapist suggested using cocktail forks instead of toddler forks. The next time I was out shopping, I scoured Home Goods and found a four pack of cocktail forks that closely matched our flatware. I couldn’t resist buying the matching cocktail spoons as well even though they probably weren’t necessary.

I scored these at TJ Maxx for $6.99. They are a close match to our flatware so I could probably use them as cocktail forks if we ever had a cocktail party.

Since these are a close match to our flatware so I could probably use them as cocktail forks if we ever had a cocktail party. If that ever happens.

I excitedly presented the new forks at our next dinner. The results were magical. With small, yet sharp utensils, the quads easily speared food AND the food stayed on their forks. They were so proud of their newly acquired skill that they beamed. We’ve been using cocktail forks for a few months now, and for the most part the quads use their forks instead of fingers. It’s still messy, but I attribute better success to our new forks. I wouldn’t recommend offering cocktail forks to very young toddlers since they are a little sharp. They are probably best for toddlers who have the concept of self feeding and won’t poke their hands or faces. I might start with spoons and when the concept is mastered, offer cocktail forks.

They are messy, but really using their new forks!

They are messy, but successfully using their new forks! In the picture, Rylin is using her right hand, but 95% of the time she uses her left and does a much better job when using the left. I wonder if she’l be a lefty.

Are you left handed or right handed?

Hugs!

Amber

Pink-Blue-Purple-Green

April 26, 2014Amber 15 Comments

At some point before the babies’ birth, they were assigned colors: pink, blue, purple, and green. As we began receiving baby gifts they were often in pink, blue, purple, green so I naturally assigned colors. It helps us keep track of what paraphernalia belongs to each little person: cups, toothbrushes, or whatever. Anything that comes in those four colors will be assigned. We’ve done so much color assigning, the babies know their own colors, and the colors of their siblings. At one point, I noticed that Mason developed an affinity for orange so I tried to assign him a new color. It did not go over well. When I gave him an orange straw cup, he handed it back to me saying, “No. No. No.” When I switched it for his green one, he grinned then gulped his milk as usual. I find myself choosing things for the babies based upon whether or not they come in the four assigned colors. Easter baskets were no different. Since the quaddlers are old enough to participle in an egg hunt, I wanted to buy them sturdy baskets that would last for a few years.

One afternoon, Nisey and I took the quads on a field trip to Hobby Lobby to choose Easter baskets. There, we found an aisle almost solely devoted to Easter baskets. I glazed over at the selection of baskets spanning from floor to ceiling. White baskets with gingham liners immediately grabbed my attention. They were adorable! Except one thing. They came in pink, purple, and blue. No green. There was no way I was buying both Mason and Harper blue baskets so I searched for more. I feasted my eyes on yet another style, oval baskets in cheery pastels. Yellow. Pink. Purple. Aqua. Arghhhh. Nisey and I talked about buying spray paint to get all four colors, and then I spotted “the ones”. Sturdy willow baskets in each of the assigned colors. Hallelujah! I snatched them up as fast as I could because they had exactly one of each color. There was no way I was letting another Hobby Lobby shopper snatch one of my baskets. Over the next few weeks, the babies took turns joining me on various shopping trips. They are at the right age where they helped select Easter basket fillings, but didn’t get too attached or remember they picked out their own gifts. The evening before Easter, I stuffed each basket and lined them up on our hearth.

Not only do I assign colors, but I also still like to put things in birth order. I suppose it helps me keep things organized, and gives me the illusion of control.

After breakfast, we opened the gate from the breakfast nook, allowing the quads to locate their own baskets. They gleefully charged to the hearth where they zeroed in on their own basket, dumping contents everywhere.

The babies knew exactly whose basket was whose. They still checked out the contents of the other baskets, however.

While three babies entertained themselves with new toys, my little Houtdini opened every last egg to release the hidden jelly beans.

While three babies entertained themselves with new toys, my little Houdini Harper opened every last egg to release the hidden jelly beans and he ate 90% of them. I put just one jelly bean in each egg, and only gave each baby five so it wasn’t too many, but still.

Following festivities at home, we headed to Nisey and Grandpa’s house for a family lunch and egg hunt. My cousins, Seth and Ryan, collaborated with the Easter Bunny to make sure the egg hung was at “beginner level”, meaning the eggs were all in plain sight. Everyone grabbed their own basket and headed out for the hoopla. Only some didn’t see reason to keep their basket, and instead darted around the yard snatching eggs. This style posed a problem after there were more than two eggs though.

This little lady was on a mission to locate every last egg, and she dutifully toted her basket everywhere.

Harper was pretty good at finding eggs. He just didn’t see any reason to bother carrying his basket.

It’s a good thing, Dad didn’t mind toting Harper’s basket..

Sydney was content finding a single egg and carrying the contents around the yard. She could not have cared less about hunting eggs.

Mason wasn’t going to let Rylin have all the eggs. He gave her a run for her money as he filled his basket too.

And….the final egg count.

Last Easter, Nisey bought each of the quads a pair of bunny ears and we attempted a family picture with them. It didn’t go as planned. We attempted the same scene this year and the quads were highly disagreeable. They insisted that Mommy and Daddy wear the ears instead. We obliged, but no one sat still for even a quick snap.

Bunny ears literally brought Sydney and Harper to tears!

We enjoyed a lovely day with our family, especially given the gorgeous weather. Despite the four ring circus, we didn’t forget the real occasion, Jesus’ Resurrection. There is no better reason to celebrate than that!

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..

Happy Easter!

Amber

#WhyIWalk

April 20, 2014Amber 5 Comments

Last year, we were rookies in the March for Babies. We registered to walk only a few weeks before the big day and made very few preparations. Our skeleton team consisted only of George, Aunt CiCi, Brandi (George’s cousin), the babies, and me. At that time, we walked in honor of our babies. They endured seven week stint in the NICU, and at the time of the walk were making their first public appearances. George and I felt a sense of gratitude for the March of Dimes, which funds major research to help preemies like ours grow and thrive.

This year, we started much earlier and rallied our friends and family to join us. We even ordered royal purple team t-shirts to show group cohesiveness. Our team doubled in size when our neighbors with quads also joined the cause. Together our team was over thirty-eight members strong and raised $1650! This year, the cause was bigger than just our own family. It was in honor of our healthy, thriving babies, but also in memory of the many babies who passed away this year. Our community of multiples is a small one, and when tragedy strikes, we all feel the sorrow. Far too many families experienced infant loss, and the March of Dimes is helping to make sure that more families do not endure similar situations. I can only hope that our team grows even larger and stronger next year!

The sea of royal purple warmed my heart.

This sign proudly hung in the “Garden of Hope” for other families facing premature births.

Our sign was surrounded by signs honoring other babies. Take a close look at each one though. Some signs honor babies while others are memorials for babies. We walk to help prevent future families from hanging memorial signs. No family should have to endure the loss of an infant.

This year, my parents and sister's boyfriend (Matt) were right at our side.

This year, my parents and sister’s boyfriend, Matt, were at our side.

Along for the walk were the Murphy Clan (top) and Bonnie Brae Crew (bottom). Two of these walkers were expectant mothers with babies due this summer. They know the March of Dimes is working to make sure their babies are delivered full term.

Wait a minute...one of these is not like the others. Which one doesn't belong? When Harper was unhappy in the Runabout, Spencer happily took his place.

Wait a minute…one of these is not like the others. Which one doesn’t belong?
When Mason was unhappy in the Runabout, Spencer happily took his place.

Aside from group cohesiveness, a nice perk of having a large team was that we didn’t face a barrage of questions or a sea of paparazzi like we did last year. It allowed us to just walk and enjoy the spring weather. Also, it was far easier managing four babies with so many helping hands. Everyone gladly took turns pushing our 120 pound stroller and entertaining fussy babies.

We crossed the finish line as a group for one cause. Everyone, including he babies, received a sticker that read, “I did it!”

Quads doubled!

After the walk, the babies enjoyed quick picnic lunch of their favorite staple: peanut butter and honey sandwiches with apple slices and goldfish.

Nisey and Papa beam with pride when they are with their grand babies. Our family team shirts didn’t come in toddler sizes so I ordered March of Dimes onsies for the babies that read, “Proof Miracles Happen.” I thought it was quite fitting for them.

Have you ever participated in a charity walk or fun run? If not, I hope you’ll consider joining the March for Babies next spring.

Hugs!

Amber

We would like to extend a special thanks to those donated to our team: George Shawver, Jr., Carol Vincell, Kristi Bowman, Melissa Shaw, Megan Haley, Karen & Brad Cox, Ashley Lopez, Patty Winkle, Leslie Murihead, Melissa Dumas, Marianne Southwick, Lindsay Howard, Treva Muirhead, Cathy Wildman and Terri McGuire.

And for those who walked with us: Jaime Balderas, LeeAnn Brager, Esmeralda Colmenero, Gracie Colmenero, Alfonso Cordova, Joey Cordova, Juana Cordova, Jen Crawford, Candelairo Hernandez, Griselda Hernandez, Kimberly Hernandez, Rojelio Hernandez, Matt Johnson, Kristen Klatt, Kelsey McGuire, Daniel Murphy, Debbie Murphy, Dennis Murpy, Sara Murphy, Ann Odom, Brenda Quintan, Alan Reid, Deven Reid, Jessica Rivera, Alondra Rodriguez, Mina Rodriguez, Viviana Rodriguez, Daria Schwalbe, Paul Schwalbe, Priscilla Serrano, Kaylie Slaughter, Tyler Slaughter, Brandi Steele, Evelyn Villanueva, Courtney Zehnder, Denise Zehnder, and Steve Zehnder.

A Golden Hour

April 14, 2014Amber 7 Comments

Just when I thought spring was here to stay, Mother Nature threw a curve ball. Once again, the temperature dropped about 30 degrees with drizzle, successfully holding us as hostages indoors. ARGH!!! To top it off, Mason and I both have an irritating cough. Consequently, he’s extremely clingy, needy, and whiny today. If I could, I’d snuggle him up and read or watch movies all day long. Yet, the other three babies crave enrichment and attention. I’m sorry, Mason, unfortunately it’s not a snuggle all day sort of day.

A few weeks ago, I stocked up on Target One Spot items, some for the quad’s Easter baskets, and some for rainy days like today. After that particular haul, I attempted to execute a craft that I saw on Texas Tales that involved gluing pom poms onto Easter themed die cuts. Similar aged quads managed it, I expected similar results. It didn’t go as planned. At all. I dotted glue on the shapes and directed the babies to stick their pom poms. They dutifully stuck their pom poms onto the glue. It started out well. Then they proceeded to remove the pom poms and smear the glue everywhere. Or, in Harper’s case to attempts at eating the pom poms. Feeling deflated, I scooped up all components of this activity and stuffed them into our craft box for another day.

Today it was time to revisit the pom poms, but not as the original craft. Instead, I pulled out our old baby food making ice trays. I gave each of the babies a tray and a handful of pom poms, directing them to put the pom poms into the squares. For a good five to ten minutes, they stayed in their toddler chairs as they stuffed pom poms into the trays, emptied them and refilled them. I was delighted at that and really didn’t expect it to last beyond that.

This is how our activity began, at the coffee table with toddler chairs.

Look closely and you’ll see how each of the quads approached this task in their own way. Some put one pom pom in each cube while others stuffed several into the same cube.

Amazingly, these pom poms continued to entertain the quads for a full HOUR! Say what? Naturally, they didn’t sit at the table for an hour, but they found an array of ways to play with the pom poms and enjoyed every minute of it. I actually think they would have happily played longer, but nap time was fast approaching. The $2 I spent on pom poms was by far the best investment I’ve made in a while. They created a golden hour for us on an otherwise dreary day.

After they had enough table time, the quads found new ways to play with their pom poms. Harper stacked them onto a chair.

Sydney piled them on her feet and kicked in delight.

Rylin stuffed a baggie with them.

Meanwhile, Mason filled an empty wipe box.

What’s your favorite One Spot find?

hugs!

Amber

P. S. Pom poms are obviously choking hazards so this required some diligence on my part. Surprisingly, Harper only tried to consume one pom pom and no one else even considered snacking on them. A win in my book!

Spring Has Sprung!

April 10, 2014Amber 9 Comments

By Texas standards, it’s been a harsh winter. Thanks to below freezing temps, hail, and rain, we’ve been cooped up for several months without seeing the light of day. In fact, days passed when no one even ventured onto our porch. As the quads transformed into rambunctious toddlers who craved climbing, running, and exploring, indoor activities became a challenge. We made due by creating a “motor lab” in our media room by adding a mini trampoline, slide with climbing wall, a sit ‘n’ spin, and various riding toys. It wasn’t horrible, but indoor play pales in comparison to the great outdoors. With the sun shining again and temperatures warming up, we’ve been enjoying outdoor play daily before nap, and sometimes again in the evening. We play outdoors so often that we made a small investment in “yard” shoes, which are Garanimal’s version of Crocs. They slip on and off easily, and can be hosed down outdoors. In any other situation, I’d say Crocs, or any imitation of them is a fashion faux pas. For quads playing in the yard, they are perfect!

It’s incredible how well the babies play when they have ample room to dart around, and new sights and sounds to explore. Sidewalk chalk has been a favorite activity, but is currently banned. A few little people thought tagging furniture and fences was a bright idea. This does not bode well for a house that is now on the market (you read that correctly, we’re moving…more on that later). Banned side-walk chalk isn’t a huge deal because the quads still enjoy swinging, relaxing in chairs, digging in the sand, swinging from monkey bars, collecting rocks and grass blades, picking flowers, and playing games of tag. I dread the dog days of summer when triple digit heat waves plague us. I relish these sunny spring days!

Drawing on the concrete and rocks is okay!

Drawing on the concrete and rocks is the way to go!

Tagging the fence and lawn furniture with chalk is not okay.

Tagging the fence and lawn furniture with chalk isn’t so great.

Mason is proving himself to be quite acrobatic, and enjoys swinging by his arms.

Harper can reach the bar really well, it's a bit harder for him to heave his feet off the ground though.

Harper can reach the bar really well, it’s a bit harder for him to heave his feet off the ground. Today he thought he was a big boy when Sydney’s OT helped him do a few chin ups.

Seriously, I could line up hundreds of swings with the belt clips undone and Harper would be occupied for hours.

Lounging in baby Adirondack chairs is always a great way to relax.

When the quads were tiny babies, they happily wore sunglasses. Then they tuned into opinionated toddlers who refused accessories. Just recently, the girls have realized the wonders of sunglasses on a sunny day.

Mason melts my heart when he picks dandelions from the yard, presenting them to me as he says, “flower, have it”. He has a very generous spirit.

What are your favorite outdoor activities in the spring?

Hugs!

Amber

Snaggle Tooth

April 7, 2014Amber 6 Comments

Our pediatrician recommends seeing the dentist between 18 months and age two. I’ve been planning to take everyone for their first dental exam this summer, around their second birthday. Plans changed last week.

Monday evening as George dressed Sydney in her pajamas, he gasped as he exclaimed, “What happened to Sydney’s tooth???” My response, “I don’t know? Is something wrong?” Apparently the little monkey chipped a good portion of her front left tooth, but neither of us could recall when it happened. Sydney isn’t the most graceful child, but neither of us knew of bump that would cause a chip of this size. She was fussy that evening, but didn’t seem terribly bothered so I wasn’t panicked, but worried about it still. The next day, I made an appointment with the pediatric dentist in our neighborhood to get it examined. Nisey babysat the trio while I took Sydney to see the dentist.

Sydney rarely smiles, revealing her teeth. I snapped this on her 18 month birthday.

I tickled Sydney and got her to reveal her new and improved smile with the chip.

Sydney and I enjoyed a little individual time in the waiting room, but we weren’t there more than five minutes. Dr. Roberts welcomed us and exuded a gentle demeanor well suited for little ones. Despite Dr. Roberts’ friendly nature, Sydney does not appreciate anyone opening her mouth. She protested with gusto squealing and thrashing angrily. Nonetheless, Dr. Roberts got a good look at her teeth. Thankfully, there was no nerve damage. Sydney got a clean report plus a Cinderella toothbrush (coveted by Rylin) and pink dinosaur. She will, however be a snaggle tooth until she loses that tooth and gets a permanent one in it’s place. She’s just as adorable as before the chip so I don’t foresee any problems for Sydney.

Noticing a bit of tooth shifting, Dr. Roberts inquired whether Sydney was thumb or pacifier sucker. I admitted that Sydney still used her Wubbanub to help calm her sensory system. I was prepared to use the justification our occupational therapist gave me, but it wasn’t necessary. Without hesitation, Dr. Roberts warmly replied, “Let her have it!” In fact, she said it’s preferable to allow a pacifier because parents can control their use. Sydney may be Wubbanub dependent, but she’s only allowed to have it in bed, for sleeping or sensory breaks. Her thumb goes with her everywhere, and I’m confident she’d pick up a serious thumb sucking habit if we took her Wubbanub now.

Sydney fell in love with her Wubbanub in the NICU, and continued to love it after she came home.

At 20 months, Sydney is still smitten with her Wubbanub. She now has a nice collection of hand me downs from her siblings who are no longer interested.

Needing to go to the dentist for an “emergency” situation wasn’t ideal, but I enjoyed spending time with only Sydney. Individual time is rare and always treasured. After our visit, Sydney and I enjoyed a bit of retail therapy at Target. I scored several items from the One Spot for the quad’s Easter baskets and a few household essentials.

Sydney had fun trying this magenta feather boa on, and she wasn’t upset when we put it back on the rack. I would have loved to buy it for her, but this dress up accessory was $20! I think not.

We captured a “selfie” before heading back home.

Have you ever experienced a dental “emergency”?

Hugs!

Amber

Shawver Shenanigans: Still Alive & Well

March 29, 2014Amber 6 Comments

It’s been quite a while since an episode of Shawver Shenanigans. It’s not for lack of Shenanigans. At 20 months old, the quads are getting into all sorts of mischief, so much that I can hardly keep up with them. Another conundrum is that they are quite aware of their behavior and I don’t want to encourage them to continue something undesirable (e.g. climbing on the couch and sprinting) by snapping photos. Nonetheless, I captured a few highlights hopefully without encouraging bad behavior.

The quads have been doing exceptionally well with using utensils at meals. Don’t get me wrong; meals are still a total mess. They are, however, getting food onto their utensils and they transferring that food into their mouth 50% of the time. I’m proud of their progress so I thought I’d do a post about how meals are going with a video clip of some of their marvelous self feeding skills.

I prepared a meal that I thought would help them display their emerging skills: meatloaf with mashed potatoes, green beans, and garlic bread. I thought they’d effortlessly spear the green beans and meatloaf and could scoop the potatoes without them falling off the fork. W-R-O-N-G! The quads did not view this meal as a the culinary art of Suzy Homemaker. Instead, they saw a sensory experience to be seized. Mason grabbed potatoes by the handful and proceeded to fling them across the table as if it were a school cafeteria food fight. As I attempted to redirect him, Sydney artfully smeared potatoes in an arch shape across the table. It didn’t take long before Harper and Rylin joined the shenanigans. I was horrified it the disaster that was my kitchen. Not only were my children creating mayhem at the table, but they weren’t eating the meal I prepared with my last shred of energy for the day. UGH! The potatoes seemed to be wreaking havoc so I scooped them up and attempted to salvage the rest of the meal. I can’t win them all, can I? We’ve had many more meals that would be a fantastic example of civilized toddlers using utensils, but I’ve scrapped sharing that. It seems that when I hit “record”, things go awry.

The meal started off as a pretty one. I tried.

Mason looks a tad guilty here.

In the evenings, George began a new tradition he may soon regret: piggy back rides. He lays on the floor, and one or two babies climbs on his back for a ride. They do surprisingly well checking their balance and hanging on. Of course, these piggy back rides are at a snail’s pace so if they fall it’s not a big deal.

Sometime after nap and before dinner, the quads get all jazzed up with a second wind. They take great pleasure in darting up and down the hallways as they shriek creating a reverberating echo. I’m relatively certain this particular activity contributes to evening headaches, but they are happy squeals so I let them have their fun.

What’s shaking at your house?

hugs!

Amber

Pink Cake

March 26, 2014April 5, 2014Amber 6 Comments

The quads are beginning to make requests, some quite specific. All. The. Time. While I love how their language is progressing, it also brings new challenges. Often times, denials result in full throttle toddler tantrums with someone kicking and screaming for what seems like eternity. Of course when one child is having tantrum, there are often bystanders who chime in. Other times, there is no tantrum, but persistent requests that cannot be met. I do relish when the request or the timing is humorous or downright adorable.

At 5:45 am, I heard Mason softly requested, “Drink, please.” I wasn’t too keen on being up at 5:45 am, but I obliged this polite request. Clearly, the kid knew he was parched and wanted his needs known. When I presented him the desired drink, he replied, “Have it”, as he nodded in agreement. Thankfully, he went right back to bed after hydrating.

After being in bed two hours, Sydney woke up saying , “Outside. Outside. Outside.” as she gleefully jumped in her crib. Not the best time of day for playtime. This time, we gently told her it was “night, night” and she settled. Tantrum averted.

Harper’s new request, “Boogas”. No, he doesn’t want boogers, he wants me to use his saline and nasal aspirator to remove his boogers, and he knows exactly what to do.

Harper insists on doing the saline on his own.

My favorite request to date, however, was Rylin’s for “Pink cake”. A family friend gave her a Strawberry Shortcake magazine filled with pages of pink cakes adorned in strawberries and frosting. This led Rylin to begin the request for “pink cake.” Not white cake or yellow cake, this was for pink cake only. She persisted for two days straight, and thankfully accepted many denials. Finally, on day two, George caved and made his princess a pink cake from scratch. This may be my favorite request to date because it was seriously tasty cake. I’m secretly hoping she’ll request it again, I’d love another slice.