Race Cars

K is our child that really gets into things. I think his first obsession was the Wiggles. He was so hooked on the Wiggles that we could not even say the word in front of him or he would cry to watch it.

His next "joy"was Elmo. All three really liked Elmo so we watched Elmo's world around here for awhile.

Next we moved into the Little People Videos. These were my

personal favorite as they were easy to listen to and just so sweet. K loved these videos.

More recently he has been hooked on Mickey "House" so for Christmas he received a bunch of Mickey Mouse stuff. They all still like the Mickey Mouse stuff and we have been watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a ton.

K new joy is Race Cars. Grandma E bought him a shake n go race track for Christmas and we have changed the batteries out on that thing at least 4 times since Monday. He LOVES it. So when the family was here for Christmas, K watched his cousin E's Cars movie one night. Ever since he has been asking to watch Race Cars about 100 times a day.

So low and behold, since we have not opened gifts with my family yet, Grandma M went out and bought the Cars movie for K so now he can watch Race Cars. The only problem with this is that the girls do not have any interest in it. Thank God for two TVs as they get to watch TV before they go to bed every night.

Here is a picture of K with his cousin E in their "Cars" outfits.

St. Anthony Part II

So my mom has been here all morning helping me with the kids and also helping to get some stuff cleaned up around here. She was doing my laundry for me bless her heart, and she went to put sheets away where they belong and what do you think she found.....the gifts I was looking for last night. Now I swear I looked in those drawers at least three times for these gifts. Oh well at least they are found and now I can stop looking. That St. Anthony is darn good!

St. Anthony

So I have been missing my wedding ring since Labor Day. I took it off when Jon and I went camping so I would not lose it camping and we knew it came home with us but we could not find it anywhere. We had a delivery guy in our house that same week we got home so we thought that maybe he had taken it but we would never accuse anyone with out being sure.

I have been so bummed out about this as I knew Jon took a lot of time picking out my diamond and it meant a lot to me. So for Christmas when Jon asked me what I would like I told him a new diamond. So he went out and picked out a new diamond for me and it is beautiful but for some reason when I opened it up I just did not feel right about it.

When I was laying in the hospital with a lot of time to think I remember I prayed really hard to St. Anthony to find me ring. I just felt like it was such a waste to get a new one even if it was covered by the insurance. When I got home I did not think much more about it and I was trying to fall in love with my new diamond ring. Until last night....

I was cleaning out the closet looking for something else that I have misplaced when all of a sudden I looked down and in between my shoe rack and another bin lay my watch and my wedding ring. I think I stopped breathing.... I got up and brought the ring downstairs and dangled it in front of Jon's face. He could not believe it. We both thought that ring was long gone. So Jon is going to take the new diamond back to the store. We are sure this diamond will make someone else happy some day but for me I am just so grateful I found my wedding ring again! St. Anthony works Miracles, now if I could just find that gift!

Transition # 1 Complete

So I have been telling people that we have three big transitions to do with the kids after the 1st of the year. The big switch from cribs to bed, potty training, and as we tried earlier getting rid of binkers.

Since I am not able to lift the kids for a period of time due to the surgery, yesterday, we made the decision to transfer them to toddler beds. I just held my breath as I was not sure and a little uneasy about how it would all work out. I have heard horror stories from lots of multiple moms about this transition.

However, I am happy to report (knock on wood) that we have been through one nap period and the through the night with no problems. They are very proud of their big beds. They have all taken turns sneaking upstairs in the past day to lay on their new beds. It felt great to take their cribs down and pack them up. Although, I have to say that it was bittersweet as my babies are not really my babies anymore as they are getting to be my big kids.

In fact, the other day I called one of them baby and my nephew who is 6 informed me "they are not babies anymore Aunt Nicole". I told him that they are my babies! So as much as I want to hold on to time and take in everything I can, they will always keep growing and changing. They will continue to amaze us everyday and for that we are so grateful.

So one transition down and two to go. Hopefully the next two will go as easy as this one has gone. Sweet dreams!

MOST WONDERFUL TIME....

We had so much fun yesterday! From the minute we woke up it was a blast. The kids were really excited about what Santa brought and then the whole family moved into the living room to open up other gifts. I kept reminding them that it was so nice that Baby Jesus shared his birthday with us and they all agreed.

Here is a picture of all of us before we sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus! Big thanks for Grandma E for making the cake! As you can see K was ready to eat...

So I am struggling a bit with this laying around and recovering thing....

I am the type of person that is always going 500 MPH at everything. This has been challenging for me to be in the hospital and now at home with a million things going on and having to have everyone else take care of it for me. When I think about what happened with being sick, it truly was perfect timing. I mean we were getting ready to leave town for the holidays and so I could have gotten sick on the road. I had just finished my Master's the week before so it could have interfered with getting that complete so as I said, it was perfect timing. God has a way to make things work out and I have to say that his timing on this one was perfect. The more I think about it I come to the conclusion that this is a sign to me that I need to SLOW DOWN! So for now I am going to take it easy and be the QUEEN around here so I can get some rest and I can come back with a vengeance when the time it right.

Guess What I Got For Christmas.....

An Appendicitis!

I was feeling a little funky all last week so I decided I better go to the doctor on Thursday and at that point everything looked normal but he wanted me to come back for a CT Scan on Friday morning. I was not thrilled about the idea as we were trying to get ready to leave town that day and I was supposed to be at work. However, he convinced me to come back so I did. Good thing as my appendix was twice going on three times the size it was supposed to be. They wanted me to get in an ambulance and go straight to the hospital but I told them I would drive myself as I wanted to go get my mom so she could come with me.

Anyway, to make a long story short this has been brewing for awhile and I really haven’t felt that great but I have been so busy with school, work, and kids that I just ignored it. So as much as it stinks that I have to deal with this over the holidays I am grateful that it happened when it did and it was not more serious that it could have been if I had waited any longer.

The good news is that instead of us going to see the family the family has now come to us. I feel fine, a little sore and I am sad that I can’t pick up my kids for awhile but very grateful that everything has worked out fine.

God bless and Merry Christmas!

A Joyus Season!

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family and friends. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this season!

I love this picture of the kids laughing!

Sickness...

We have had a week full of sickness around here. It is nothing to serious just bad colds and ear infections but it does make life around this house a little more crazy. I took A to the doctor tonight and she was also put on the same antibiotic that the other two were put on on Monday so hopefully we will all be feeling great by the weekend and for the Christmas Holiday.
A has a big fear of the doctor because the last time she went she had her flu shot. So all day today whenever I would mention the doctor A would say "I happy now mommy, I happy" Poor thing was scared to death to go to the doctor so she thought that if she acted "happy" she would not have to go. It was really sweet watching her try to be happy when really she felt horrible. She is now in bed sleeping full of meds so hopefully she will sleep all night.

Master of Project Management!

Okay so I might not be a Master of Project Management but I do have a Master’s in Project Management. I finished my final presentation to the board at school this evening at approximately 7 PM. Once it was complete I was numb! I just sat there and did not feel anything. This is something that has been on my mind for a long time and like my mother-in-law stated to me today in an email, another chapter in my life has been completed.
I have to say that I am very proud of myself and this accomplishment. I am not the “school” type so I am thrilled that I have obtained a Master’s Degree. I also feel like this sets a great example to my kids for their future educations. Also, I am the first person in my family to obtain a degree like this. To me that is very exciting.
So tonight I went out with my classmates for a very large mug of beer and it was great to celebrate with the people who have been in the drenches with me.
Graduation is in January and I look forward to the day that I get “hooded”!

Sweet Boy

K is a very sensitive and sweet little boy. Lately, we have been taking the kids out for a drive at night so we can see all of the houses with lights. The other night we were out driving around and every time Jon would drive by a house with lots of lights K would say "Thank you Daddy" or "Good Job, Daddy". It was pretty cute.

K loves to hold his sisters hands and he also loves to give hugs. He is not a snuggler like the girls unless he is tired. He is starting to demand more attention from mommy often grabbing my hands and walking me somewhere with him. He is a keeper! :O)

In Trouble Already!!!

This afternoon the girls got up early from their nap. I should say E got up early from her nap and proceeded to yell A's name at the top of her lungs until A woke up too! Anyway, they were helping me with the laundry so I would have them match the socks and then put the folded clothes in to the basket. This was actually more work for me but they thought they were such big girls helping me out.

To get to the point of my story I held up the Yellow pair of footed PJ's and asked who's they were. E immediately screamed "MINE" (Her favorite color is yellow so naturally anything yellow is hers). A said "NO MINE" and they proceed to shout at each other for at least a minute. I had a vision into the future about them fighting over clothes, boys, shoes, etc.. YIKES!

The Tale of Three Elves

When the babies were 6 months old, our friend Sue gave us a picture/story book about the babies. It includes both of our cats T & D and the babies. There are pictures of our house, the kids, and the cats.

It is really cute and the kids just love to look at it and exclaim
"look mommy its our house" of "look mommy Ella is sad" as there is a picture of Ella crying in the book.

I thought I would share the story with all of you!

The Tale of Three Elves By Sue H

Twas the night before Christmas, when quiet as a mouse, Three elves were all busy, cleaning the house. The dusting was done by the girls with great care....While K was vacuuming up all the cat hair.

The parents were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sleep filled nights danced in their heads.

With K in his toque and each girl with a cap, they danced in the kitchen to a lyrical rap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, They sprang to their dance to see what was the matter. Away to the window they flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster of mid-day to the objects below, When what to the wondering eyes should appear, But T and D , dressed up like Reindeer!

Pouncing about so lively and quick, We thought in a moment they all would be sick.

More rapid than eagles they finally came, When A called them, loudly, by name.

"T , D , get in this house now, before mom wakes up and has a cow.

To the top of the porch to the top of the wall, Get into this house and don't you dare fall!"

Then in a twinkling they heard on the roof, the two big cats that were part of this spoof. As K and A and E turned around, Down the chimney came T with a leap and a bound.

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, and D came next, bringing ashes and soot.

A bundle of toys T had put in a sack, and said "give me a treat or you won't get these back!"

His eyes-how they twinkled! His whiskers so merry, but he really wasn't kidding so those elves did not tarry.

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow and his whiskers were covered with white from the snow.

The tip of Jon's shoe he held tight in his teeth, The laces encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full if jelly.

He was chubby and plump and all full of himself, when he looked right at the 3rd and smallest Elf...A wink of his eye and twist of his head, Soon E was crying with fright and with dread!

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, which is napping and sleeping the poor little jerk. And curling up along side of his toes, was D all sleepy with a very cold nose.

So K the brave, gave a loud whistle, and the cats flew down the hall like a rocket, or missile. And being good elves, they hid out of sight, saying "Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Funny Comments...

We have had a lot of funny comments lately from the kids so I decided that it was time to share some of them:

1. E told Jon tonight after he picked the kids up from Grandma's; "Daddy, I wanna get in my car so I can go to town and get some cash" Jon and I both find this funny because we live in the city and we never talk about going to "town"

2. When I got home from work tonight here is what E told me "Mommy, Meme (A) has hard poopies"

3. First I would like to say that my mom's name is Mary so the kids have a Grandma Mary. We have been talking a lot about Baby Jesus and who his mommy and daddy are and all about the three wise men and the angel. Anyway, the other day I asked A who Baby Jesus mommy was and is a loud voice she exclaimed: "Gamma"! I guess when I think about it I can see how it could be confusing but non the less I had a good chuckle about this one.

4. The other day Jon was going to run some errands and I suggested that he take one of the kids with him for some one on one time. So he picked K to go. The girls were not happy with this so they were throwing a fit about that fact that they did not get to go. K then started a little dance and was singing "Kgo with daddy, meme and e stay home"!

Little Ladies

These little girls are already turning into Little Ladies. They love to pretend they are like mommy! They like to carry purses and babies. They love to talk on the pretend cell phone having an adult conversation about who knows what. It is especially cute when they hold the phone between there ear and their shoulder with no hands. They love to rock the baby and the other day E said "shh mommy my baby is sleeping"

It is amazing to me how fast these little girls are growing up. It is so sweet to watch them interact. The other day I was in the kitchen and I heard E ask A "MeMe are you pooping?" to which A replied "no E just wet"! They are also fascinated with looking at each others poopies now too. So when it is time to change someone the other will come running saying I wanna see Meme's (E's) big poopie. I think we are close to potty training.

I am jealous of the relationship they get to have as sisters. They are so lucky to have each other and I am so lucky to have them as daughters. (Just to be fair I am very lucky to have my little boy too!)

Funny Story...

So the kids went over to Sue's house the other night as I had a dentist appointment and Jon was out of town. Sue is the mother to one of my very good friends. Sue is really the "baby whisperer" and has helped us out ever since we brought these munchkins home. Sue is incredible with kids and has taught me a lot about how to be a good mother.
Sue was having the kids help her unwrap Hersey Kisses for some Christmas Cookies. K kept repeating that he was "helping Sue make cookies" over and over. Sue walked into the next room to put some lights on her tree and she said all of a sudden it got very quiet in the kitchen. When she walked back into the kitchen K had chocolate all over his face and E was chewing something as well as they had been eating the Hershey Kisses. Sue asked in a stern voice..."who is eating Sue's candy"? K sheepishly raised his hand and then broke out in tears immediately. E quickly took the kiss she was eating and threw it in the bowl with all the other kisses like she was not doing anything!