I (apparently) need more adult interaction!

Apparently, I need more time with adults, just saying.... I actually got excited today when I saw the McDonald's Happy Meal toys are changing on Friday.  Yep, a commercial came on and I was excited.  Boy, I really, really need more time with adults, huh?  I really don't like my kids eating so much processed fast food, but we've had a lot of occasions this past month that warranted it.  I thought if I saw one more of those yellow "minion" things from Despicable Me 2, I would scream!  There are even unopened ones in my car, because apparently my kids are sick of them too.  Bring on the Smurfs on Friday!  :-)  LOL.  Truly, my kids have no idea, nor did I, about Despicable Me, so they were less than thrilled with the toys. 

I will try to get a life.  I promise! 

My nephew actually told Meme one day that McDonald's was out of apples for the happy meals.  She pulled up to get him a meal, and sure enough, they were out of apples.  I just thought I'd throw that out there.  If I'm throwing myself under the bus, I'm taking my sister Amanda with me!  Ha! 

In all actuality, if we MUST eat fast food, I prefer to get them Taco Bell.  I get them a cheese quesadilla without the jalapeno sauce.  Cheese ones are not on the menu, but they sell them.  It's as close to "real" food as I can find in a drive-thru setting.  Just a tip.....

Oh, and as far as toys go- if you get an "under 3" toy, they are much nicer and more generic than the regular ones.  All my kids much prefer the under 3 toy, but sometimes they are out of them.  Henry has gotten a little radio player thing, a school bus with a door you open and close, and some other neat things.  They are made nicer and are just Ronald McDonald themed.  Just another idea.....

Honestly, it's much easier to just feed the kids at home.  Not to mention healthier too.  My kids don't really eat anything in a happy meal except the apples and fries....they aren't all that fond of the processed chicken....which at least makes me a teeny bit happy! 

Monday Musings

• Dustin and I had a nice anniversary dinner Thursday night.  It was low-key.  We ended up eating locally because he was so tired from work and still on-call.  We laughed at how we "lived it up".  I guess after 9 years, you are okay with low-key.  We were home by 7 p.m.!  I will still give him a hard time about that.  :-)  We may go out for a longer outing soon, we'll see.  It always depends on babysitters.   My cousin Brandy was nice enough to watch the kids for us to go out Thursday. 
• Friday night we took the kids to the drag strip.  We have wanted to take Carson forever, and we hadn't even planned on going Friday.  Dustin came home and said some friends were going to be there racing, and I said- well, let's go!  We quickly ate a little supper and packed some sippy cups and off we went!  It was a lot of fun!  It was LOUD, but the kids didn't seem to mind once they got used to it.  Carson loved it!  I knew he would.  He wanted to stay after even Dustin and I were ready to go.  Henry didn't cry, he did seem a bit scared at first.  He never cried though and we covered his ears when the really loud cars came up.  Next time, I may try to leave him with a sitter.  They all were thoroughly entertained though-for 3 straight hours!  We sat and they never got restless or anything.  It was a fun family outing for sure!  I know we'll go back.  Dustin and I used to go all the time before we had kids.  We like going on Fridays because anyone can get out there-it's called "Street Wars."  One larger, silver car pulled up to race and Emmy said, "Is that Nanny and Pa?"  We got so tickled at her.  One old truck only hit 33 miles per hour.  It's just fun to watch.  We got home around 11 pm and everyone was pooped!  On the way through town, Emilynn says, "I am tired, you two shouldn't be riding me around, you should be home!".  She always has something clever to add to a situation.  She's taken to calling Dustin and I, "you two".  So funny. 
• Saturday we spent the whole day hanging out at home, I even got a nap!  We finally had a campfire for the kids-they've been wanting one forever.  We cooked hot dogs, steaks, and then of course- s'mores!  It was fun!  It was nothing like camping, as I had to keep running inside for supplies!  Haha!  They want to sleep outside next, so we'll have to try that sometime too.  When I mentioned we don't have a tent, Carson said, "We need to get one at Walmart." 
• I decided Friday to brave "the city" with my kiddos alone!  Yep, I took all 3 kids on a big grocery shopping trip to Sam's Club, Target, and Kroger.  It went remarkably well.  They were a bit loud at Sam's, just excited about everything I think.  So, they did not get gum as we left the store, which was devastating to a 3 year old.  They were much better at the next two places, and then we finished with ice cream and headed home.  I was tired but it was a success for sure!  I was glad I was able to take them, I like being independent! 
• Today we headed back to the Y!  I really wanted to get back into working out, and since we are paying for our membership, we should utilize it!  Henry still cries a LOT when I leave him, so I wasn't sure how it would go.  I dropped the kids off in the Children's Gym and headed to work out.  I hit the elliptical machine like a banshee because I had no idea how long I'd get to work out.  I have been there and not even worked out 5 minutes before they came to tell me Henry was inconsolable.  Today, I made it 45 minutes!  Another success I'd say.  I was able to do cardio, and several weight machines before I saw the girl coming to get me.  I tell you, I was tempted to hide behind some machines, but I was almost done anyway.  I didn't want to push my luck, so I went on and got the kiddos.  Henry actually wasn't crying when I went in to get him, he was outside and it looked like he had been eating mulch.  This may have bothered some folks,  especially if it's your first kid.  I just wiped the mulch off his face and off we went!  Ha!   We then changed and swam for about an hour.  Henry did great swimming, I got him to start blowing bubbles in the water.  Maybe he'll be a little fish like Emmy.  Carson did better too, even getting his head wet.  Emmy floated and did all her underwater routines.  We saw their swim teacher and talked about our next lessons.  I think we are going to do a round of private lessons this time, and see how that goes.  I think Carson would especially benefit from it.  Oh, and I really goofed.  I forgot Emilynn's bathing suit.  Yep, I get mom of the year on that one!  So.....I threw a swimmy diaper on her that I had for Henry (I try to bring an extra for poop incidents), put her puddle-jumper on her....and called it a suit.  I also crossed my fingers Henry wouldn't poop because we'd be done then.  These are the things that happen when you try to pack a bag on the fly with 3 kids distracting you.  Please refer to my previous tips- always pack your bags at night!  After kids are asleep, or your kid may end up swimming practically naked in the pool.  Just a thought.  Going to the Y was kind of a spur of the moment thing today, I had figured I'd have to go at night once Dustin was home, but I thought we'd try it in the morning.  I really don't like going at night because I like being home with Dustin and the kids.  I know it's "me" time, but the whole reason I joined was to be able to go during the day and utilize the child care and swimming pool.  I will keep trying I guess.  We'll see what happens on Wednesday!  It would be ideal to go Monday, Wednesday, Fridays during the day, but we'll play it by ear and see.  I like going those days because it's the same child care worker those days, so the kids (Henry) has someone familiar to get used to.  Also, Mondays are milk days, so that is doubling up on the errands to save gas.  Fridays are groceries, and possibly swim lessons, so that helps too.  Anyway, I still plan to walk at night with Dustin, so we'll see how things go.  If I have to do the Y at night, it will most likely be Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  I would prefer daytime so Dustin can relax when he gets home.  We'll see. 
• We are going to try Vacation Bible School at Papa's church tonight.  It's right by our house, so we'll see how it goes.  We were at the beach for our church's VBS, so I want them to get to go somewhere.  Carson doesn't want me to leave them, so it may be just Emmy at VBS.  We'll see what happens tonight.  
• We are hoping to get our chicken coop this week.  My dad has to pick it up for us, so it will depend on him and Dustin I guess.  The kids had hoped we go Saturday, but I thought a day at home would be nice and we really needed it.  When I said we weren't going to get the coop, Emilynn said, "Oh, the chicken factory is closed today?".  Something like that!  I hadn't explained the chickens will come from somewhere else, possibly even the post office.  I want to see how many the coop will hold, then figure out how many we need.  I have had several people recommend Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orringtons (I probably butchered that spelling/name).  I also have a lead on some that are almost ready to lay, so those would be better if we can get them.  I have no idea what breed they are.  Actually, we will still have to get eggs from my dad to supplement what ours can lay.  Unless we get enough to lay 1 dozen per day, which is unlikely I think.  Yes, my kids eat that many eggs!  They love them.  If I cook eggs for breakfast for the kids, I have to cook 8 easy.  If Dustin and I are eating too, then it's even more.  The kids are going to love collecting eggs though and having more pets around here! 

9 years ago....

I married my sweetie!  Today is our anniversary, and we are celebrating in style.  We are heading to the "city" for dinner.   That's about it, low key suits us just fine.  My mom is graciously watching the kids again.  She is a trooper, for sure.  I am so thankful we've been having more regular date nights this year (a goal of ours for the year).  It helps us reconnect and stay sane.  It is very weird though to be out without at least one kid in tow.  I always feel so refreshed after some "me" time. 
When I think back to 9 years ago, we were so young!  23 and 24 years old.  Wow!  Time does fly!  It's been a fun journey so far and I guess it's really just getting started.   
Happy Anniversary to us!  :-) 

Frequently Asked Questions-Twins Edition

I have had so many questions over the years and comments about the twins, so I thought I'd share a few of the most popular.  I don't get as many questions now that they are bigger and look nothing alike.  They are not even close to the same size, so unless you know them you really don't know they are twins. 


Are they twins?
Yep, they are! 

Are they identical?
Sigh.  No, they are not identical.  One is a boy, one is a girl.  That is what I always wanted to say, but instead I would smile and just say no, they are not.  For the record, boy/girl twins cannot be identical no matter how much they look alike.  They are always fraternal due to the gender differences.  Must I explain more about anatomy?  I hope not!

How big were they when they were born? 
The twins were born at 35 weeks gestation.  Carson was born first weighing 5 lb. 4 oz.  Emilynn was born 34 minutes later weighing 5 lb. 9 oz.  They were both 19 1/2 inches long.  That's a lot of baby in a belly! 

Do twins run in your family? 
No, not really.  That's the short answer.  The long answer is there are a few distant sets.  However, none that would affect US having twins.  Twins occur because the mother releases two eggs, they have nothing to do with the father-you know what I mean.  So, the twins in our family are not blood related to me in any way, so NO our twins have no real family connection.  My family has no twins in it's history from any of the women in our bunch.  I hope that makes sense.  I would honestly answer this one yes or no, depending on my mood for that day!  Ha! 

If they don't run in your family, did you use fertility drugs?
This one floors me, honestly.  I don't know why people feel the need to know someone's personal business, but they do.  Yes, we unfortunately could not conceive on our own and used Clomid to get pregnant.  The people who know us best already knew this, so anyone asking was not close enough to be privvy to this information but apparently felt they needed to know nonetheless.  Oh well.   People's nosiness knows no bounds I have discovered. 

Boy, you have your hands full. 
I honestly never know how to answer this one.  If I'm having a rough day, I want to say, "you think?"  I wouldn't do that though.   And I never have a bad day.  :-)  I also want to say, "yes I do, so please let me get on with my shopping before they go crazy!" haha!  It's okay.  If I were more prepared, I would think of something nice like, "Yes, we're very blessed."  Most of the time I just say, "Yep, I do!" and keep right on rolling along without even stopping. 

I'm glad it's you and not me. 
I just smile at this one.  I want to say, "Me too!"  Honestly, no matter how crazy our days are, I can't imagine not having my three very different, very amazing kiddos.  Each is different, each is so unbelievably loved.  I am glad it's me too!  :-) 

How do you keep such a clean house with 3 little ones? 
I'm kidding!  Just seeing if my family who reads this is paying attention!  I WISH people asked me this question- maybe one day!  Ha! 

You have a lot of help, don't you? 
People who ask this mean from the kids, and we are usually in a store.  Yes, I have lots of little helpers and I am grateful for the help.  I was told to always accept help from your children, so they will always ask and expect to help.  That is what I do, no matter how much longer a task takes with above mentioned help. 

Now, these are the most frequently asked questions by non-twin or non-multiple parents.  Other parents of twins and multiples ask completely different questions.  Things like eating habits, length of gestation, time in the NICU, sleeping patterns,  sleeping arrangements, etc. etc.  Maybe I'll post on those types of questions too!  Before I forget all the craziness that went with infant twins.  I have had many lengthy conversations in the baby food aisle at Babies R Us or somewhere once a mom and I both realized we had twins.  It also made me realize how blessed we were to have such healthy babies.  It's funny when you are talking to another parent of multiples, you cut to the chase.  No time for small talk, time is precious, especially if you managed to get out alone!!!  :-)  I'm so thankful for the experience of having twins- no matter how crazy the days can get around here! 

More birthday catching up....

There seems to be a birthday theme around here, or maybe I'm just catching up on blogging.  Anyway, here's a few more pics from the John Deere/Dora the Explorer 3rd birthday party in December. 

We had their party at the local fire station.  This enabled us to not worry about the condition of our house, invite as many people as we wanted (80 I think was the final number of family/close friends-we are a big group!), and also support the local fire department. 

The tables- I used yellow as the main color to go with John Deere and Dora.  I think it worked okay. 

 

Our menu for the evening was chili, crackers, a veggie tray (we had to have something healthy!), hotdogs, and chips.  It was cold outside and my kids like chili (although I don't think they even ate at the party, too much excitement).  I figured most people like chili and it could be made ahead of time- easy peasy, right?  I almost panicked though because my crock pots weren't heating up very fast that day!  It all came together though and I didn't have much food leftover!  I had made four large crockpots of chili!  We also had hotdogs for the kids and non-chili eaters.  It was an easy menu and I think a hit, considering the small amount of leftovers.   

Favors and Pinatas!  Side note- John Deere favors are expensive.  You can only find them online, and some just are unreasonably priced.  I did get a few John Deere items, but also supplemented with little tractors from Walmart, farm-themed rubber duckies from Hobby Lobby, and farm themed pencils from somewhere.  I wish I had thought to put Cow Tails candy in the bags!  That would have been cute.  Dora stuff is everywhere and cheap! 

One activity- My sister was in charge of games/fun stuff.  She always does the games at my kids' parties, I do the cakes for hers.  It's a trade off.  She LOVES a good game!  Here the kids were signing/coloring posters that said "Happy Birthday Carson" or Emilynn.  They are still on the twins' walls in their room.  A sweet keepsake. 

She brought hay indoors-oh yes she did.  It was a mess!  The kids had to hunt through the hay to find animals hidden inside.  Nothing is off limits with Amanda! 

This was a fishing game she had my brother-in-law construct.  It was a hit!  I think it might have taken a fall out of the truck on the way up there or something....but the kids didn't seem to mind or notice.   There were several more games, but I can't even remember them all.  Honestly, Amanda could play games all night!  I know there was a Dora butterfly game and a "find the tractor" game. 

We may have even skipped a game or two because people were yelling for cake.  We almost had a riot on our hands!  Well, my Uncle really wanted cake.  We obliged him! 

 

After the main games, we busted the piñatas which is always a highlight of any party in our family!  Let's face it, they're just fun!  Or maybe we have too much pent up anger-haha! 

 

A note about cake and multiples- ( I posted the cake pics a few days ago).  If anyone has multiples, I will suggest singing Happy Birthday to each child individually.  I read that somewhere so that's what we've always done to make each of them feel more special.  That's also why I do completely separate cakes as well.  Good thing I don't have quintuplets or something I guess!  :-)   They seem to really each enjoy that moment of individual attention- their moment to shine! 

 

The final gifts of the evening- bikes!  Meme and Poppy give the grands bikes when they turn 3.  They were a hit and still are a hit!  Carson took right to his bike and rides it all over.  Emmy has taken a lot longer, and she is still mastering the bike.  She has gotten MUCH better at it. 

They received so many nice, useful gifts.  It was just enough clothes, books, etc. with a few toys mixed in for fun.  We gave them each one of those kids' digital cameras.  They loved them and still use them all the time.  Maybe I'll upload some of those pics on here- they can be very interesting!  

Monday Musings

• My cell phone is back in action.  Darn rice!  Guess I won't be getting a new snazzy phone after all.  Pooh!  I may casually check into them so when it finally gives up I will be prepared.  It is on it's last leg after all.
• I feel great since my surgery!  My energy was back to normal today and I really do feel good.  Now if I can get back into exercising at the Y.  That is my goal once my hubs is off call for work. 
• We spent the morning at my grandma's house watching workers building apartments across the road from her.  It's amazing how entertaining construction work is to kids.  I guess I never realized it, cause it wasn't something my sister and I were interested in.  My kids will watch for hours.  In fact, this isn't the first construction site we've "stalked."  :-)  Cheap entertainment folks! 
• We are going to see a live play this week at a children's theatre.  I am excited and really hope the kids enjoy it.  We are going to the Disney Princess/Pirate show next month, so I'm kind of glad the live play is first.  I'm sure it will have less stimulation than a Disney show.  I don't want them "ruined" to live theatre and basic props.  :-)  I'm not saying that will happen, I just know how enchanting Disney can be! 
• I actually cooked dinner tonight, first time I've had to cook since my procedure on Wednesday.  It was a nice, long break!  I was ready to get back in my kitchen though.  Dustin ended up working late and didn't even get to eat it.  Oh, well.  I'll try again tomorrow I guess! 
• I have been busy planning the twins' preschool year.  Today I put together their school table (I found on clearance at Walmart for $45!  Online they are $90-125.  I was thrilled!).  They wanted to do school work right away, so I got them a few worksheets I plan to use for their school.  They did them in no time, they did 5 sheets each!  We also made a book, and worked through their monthly Highlights magazines, and did some cutting work before I finally declared school over for the day.  I think they would have kept going, which tells me I may need to plan more things for each day than I have planned so far.  Of course I'll fill in with crafts and fun stuff as well, they love a good craft project!  I'll post more about their curriculum soon. 

Cell Phone-Less

I have been cell phone-less since Friday evening, and I must say I've adjusted quite well already.  :-)  I'm not the most plugged in person, but the cell phone is how most people communicate with me.  My phone has not been doing the best lately, like you may have to push a button 3 times for it to actually work.  The camera stinks.  You can't even tell who's kids are on the background...it's that fuzzy!   Ask my sister-I'm not joking about that.  :-)   So, I have no idea why I thought my phone might make it through a dunk in the water, but so far it has not recovered. 
What happened you wonder?  Well, my darling 1 1/2 year old decided to dunk my cell phone in the cat's water bowl while I was engrossed on the computer trying to figure out a banking issue.  I heard him dunking something, which he's done lately and I always tell him "no-no" each time.  I turned to tell him this time and jumped up as he was bringing my phone out of the water.  The screen was still showing so I thought maybe it wouldn't be affected.  I was wrong.   It's a dud, at least for now. 
I called my grandma to tell her if she needed me to call the house phone, or write me a letter.  She offered to bring me my grandpa's phone which he never uses, it just sits in the car.  I told her that wasn't necessary, I was just calling to let her know what was going on and we probably need to order me a new phone.  My grandma is our family phone person.  She always orders my new phone, programs it when it arrives,  calls me when everything is transferred over and ready to go.  I happily pick it up and pay her for the phone.  It's a beautiful system.  Anyway, I kid you not, 20 minutes from when I called her, she was pulling in with my grandpa's phone. 
It has been very interesting having a different phone.  I get no calls or texts, for one thing!  Except Dustin.  He called me on my way home from Walmart yesterday.  I hadn't heard the phone ring yet, so imagine my shock as I'm driving down the road and Alan Jackson starts blaring in my car- "I'm a country boy, I drive a four-wheel drive.  Climb up in my bed, I'll talk you for a ride.  Up city streets, down country roads...."  You get the idea.  It took me a minute to realize what was going on, then I answered the phone hysterically laughing.  It doesn't take much people!  :-) 
As soon as I got home, the second cell phone promptly died.  I left it in the car because that's the only place I can charge it.  I'm down two phones now.  Really though, it hasn't been too bad.  If you ever want entertainment, try switching phones with someone. 
Maybe I'll finally get a new phone now- but I still don't want a $30 data plan.  That is the problem, there's just not many options.  I'm sure I'll find something suitable this week.  Until then, I'm happily unplugged!  I am just glad my surgery was all done last week because the hospital and doctor's offices were using my cell number to get in touch with me.  I guess I am somewhat dependent on the phone. 
For now, my phone is in a bag of rice attempting to dry out. 

More cake.....

Since we are on the subject of cake, here is Henry's first birthday cake, finally!  From February 14! 

 

I know the pic isn't the best, but it's the best one we go in the midst of the b-day chaos.  Henry's birthday was a bit hectic this year because he was sick but we went ahead and did the party anyway.  I know that sounds bad, but I had all the food made and he was still in okay spirits.  We decided to just trudge on.  I have made this Winnie the Pooh cake and small smash cake 3 times now.  Once for my nephew Hunter, once for the twins, and now for Henry.  It's a family tradition to have a Pooh first birthday, apparently.  I already had stuff leftover, so it just made financial sense to do it.  And....I'm sentimental as well!  :-)  

 

 

I think he liked it folks!  At least the icing anyway!  More artificial dyes- I know! 

 

Hunter's 5th Birthday Cake

Here is Hunter's 5th birthday cake: 

 

Here's the breakdown of how we made it: 

This year, my nephew requested a beachy/pool party themed cake.  I must say, it was fun to make and very quick compared to some in year's past.  My mom & I planned it and made it in one afternoon.  It is actually huge, a full sheet cake.  The little "beach balls" are mini gum balls my mom bought from Cracker Barrel.  She also bought fruit strip gum at Cracker Barrel which were the beach "towels" under the umbrellas.  The drink umbrellas were used as beach umbrellas and they are from Hobby Lobby.  We made a final trip to the cake supply store to get all the adorable little sea creatures-the fish, dolphins, turtles, starfish, etc. 

The sand mixture is coconut I toasted in the oven until brown, ground up in my BlendTec blender until "sandy" with graham crackers and brown/white sugar.  I thought it turned out very realistic in appearance and texture!  It was yummy too! 

All in all, it was fun to make.  I always love the end results of cake making, but dread the process because it can involve so many steps and I always have lots of helpers in my kitchen.  OR, I have to wait till bedtime and then I'm up tired working on cakes.  This cake was different though.  Carson helped me stir up the mixes, and the kids helped a little with decorating.  It wasn't bad at all. 

In case you're wondering cost- here's the breakdown of what we spent.  My mom did call Food Lion and inquire about buying a plain, undecorated sheet cake.  1/2 sheet was $24.99.  I guess full sheet would be around $50.  Ridiculous in my opinion when a mix is around $1.50. 

4 cake mixes- $1.19 each= $4.76
dozen eggs= free from Poppy's chickens
oil= had on hand- I use Palm Oil shortening
box of graham crackers= can't remember-maybe $1.50 for Walmart brand
coconut= already had on hand
sugar= already had on hand
sea life animals & a nice cake board and box at supply store= $13.59 (the cake box was a splurge but made it so much easier to transport the cake.  Since I have little ones, I thought it was a good investment to store the cake (in my closet) and also transport). 
icing- 4 cups shortening, 4 lbs. powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla flavoring, butter flavoring, almond flavoring= had all on hand already
food coloring= had on hand  (I know, I don't like artificial dyes-I haven't experimented with natural dyes for my cake decorating but I plan to!)

As you can see, I had most everything on hand already, so I spent about $ 20 out of pocket to make this cake.  My mom also spent money on the candies and things, but I'm not sure what they cost. 
When I run out of something I just replace it as needed, like the meringue powder and flavorings, so I don't know what they really cost per cake. 
It's safe to say, it's much cheaper to make your own cake versus buying store bought or from a professional baker!  Hunter loved the cake and the kids all enjoyed it with homemade ice cream, so I'd say it was a hit!  Now....wonder what my challenge will be next year??? 

Endometrial Ablation-Post Op Day 2

I had my Novasure endometrial ablation on Wednesday.  Everything went very well with the procedure.  The anesthesia did not make me too sick or anything, just sleepy for Wednesday.  I have been taking it easy with lots of help from my wonderful family!  I have to say, this procedure was pretty simple and the recovery seems very easy as well.  If anyone has any doubts about doing it, I say go for it!  :-) 
As for more details on how things went, I had my procedure at the hospital's outpatient surgery center.  I got there at 10 a.m. for a 12 p.m. procedure.  I had a nice older gentleman for my first nurse, he got my i.v. going and got me all ready to go.  He was cracking Dustin and I up.  My Dad came back and hung out with us too, and it was like de ja vu from when I had Henry.  I questioned out lout why I kept bringing the two clowns with me!  They are both comedians at times and try to lighten the mood for sure!  I was very relaxed and it didn't bother me a bit.  I can honestly say I wasn't nervous at all going into this, for some strange reason!  I met with anesthesia, my doctor, my O.R. nurse (LOVED her!), and the anesthesia nurse.  It was finally showtime at 12, and they gave me some anesthesia in my i.v. and wheeled me out.  I remember very little else from that point except hearing them say we were headed to room 13.  Yikes!  I'm really not superstitious and what could I do at that point anyway?  Haha.  I woke up in recovery and felt pretty good except for cramping.  They gave me some i.v. meds for that and basically just watched me until time to go to the next recovery area to be reunited with my Dad and Dustin.  I was able to eat crackers then and finally drink some water!  Yay!  I was feeling sick to my stomach but I felt like it was probably from not eating and having all that anesthesia plus pain meds on my stomach with no food.  I was pretty quickly sent on my way-they wheeled me out to the car and off we went.  We made a quick stop for my prescriptions and then Subway, that was the only thing that sounded good to me.  I wasn't able to eat it though until we were about halfway home.  I slept a little while in the car, then woke up and ate my sandwich.  I also ate an apple my Dad had with him.  All that food stayed down well, and I went home and slept for several hours.  We got home around 4:15 pm.  That was later than I expected, but still not too bad I don't guess. 
As far as how I feel, I feel really well.  I have not had to take the first pain pill!  I'm on an antibiotic to prevent infection, and my doctor is hopeful that I won't ever have a cycle again!  I am really looking forward to that!  I hope anyway!  It will be nice not to feel so tired for about 2 weeks out of each month.  I am hopeful that I will feel more energetic and have more energy for my kids.  I will post another update as the months go along and see if that's really the case.  I couldn't decide whether to do this procedure or not, but ultimately it came down to a quality of life issue and my kids.  I want to be able to do things with them no matter the day of the month and have plenty of energy. 
As far as my family goes- they are not letting me do much!  I am very grateful!  The doctor said I could do whatever I felt like, including lifting the baby (he's almost 30 lbs!), exercising, etc.  The O.R. nurse spoke to me privately and told me she had the procedure done, I'd feel great and want to do everything, but don't.  She said if you do too much, you could start bleeding.  When I told her my baby was 30 lbs. she didn't think I should lift him.  I read on some online forums where other people had longer recovery times as well, so I decided to just take whatever help my family was willing to give me!  It couldn't hurt to take it easy, right?  My sister Amanda brought us dinner Wednesday night.    Yesterday, my father-in-law took the 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift, then my mom showed up to finish some laundry she had started the day before.  It was bugging her-yep that's how she rolls!  I just let her do whatever house keeping she wants and don't even question it!  It's such a blessing to have her help!  Then, around 9:00 or so, my grandma and younger sister Madison showed up to help.  I was sent to the couch with my laptop for the remainder of the morning, then I took a nap when Henry did!  Yay!  Today I've been on my own so far, but it's been okay.  Carson keeps asking me how I feel-he's a little nurturer.  We are just lounging around.  My mom and grandma both have said they are coming over to see us.  We'll just keep taking it easy I guess!  Maybe I'll get some blogging done!  My sister Madison was fussing I hadn't blogged in a week! 
Anyway, all in all, I am thrilled with how this procedure has gone so far and would recommend it to anyone!  I will try to post more updates about it later on (as I remember!).  For now, I am very hopeful and excited about it the possible results!  :-) 

Thank You Sunshine!

Have you ever had a pet that is just irreplaceable?  I mean, I know all pets are part of the family.  I also know that sometimes one stands out just a little more than others, maybe they bond a little better...who knows?  We've had many pets over the years, including many dachshunds that we rescued as seniors.  I loved all my doxies, but Oscar was by far the closest one to me.  I loved that little guy and I still miss him to this day, despite him being gone 3 years now. 
Our cat, Sunshine is that kind of pet.  She is the best.  I am so thankful to have her, she truly understands the kids and is so loving and gentle with them.  She gratefully puts up with being pulled, poked, and prodded regularly with no complaints.  She has rarely, if ever, scratched the children, though many times they surely deserved it.  Perhaps when they picked her up by the tail, for instance.  This has been done too many times to count.  The more the kids bond with her, the more worried I am that something would happen to her and they would be devastated.  I have no clue how old she is, she was a stray at my former workplace.  Everyone took care of her and she came to live with me after having a batch of kittens.  We all pitched in to have her fixed and she officially became mine.  She puts up with endless rides in the Power Wheels vehicles, wedged between the twins.  I have never seen a more patient and gentle cat.  I am very grateful to her for her love for my children.  She truly makes them so happy.  
All of this was brought to my mind this morning.  The kids went out to play with their sidewalk chalk, on a break between all the rain we've had lately. 
A while later, I stepped on the porch and what did I find?  A beautiful, sweet, loving white and orange cat that was now sporting blue fur on her back.  Yep, she's blue today.  Colored lovingly with sidewalk chalk.  Maybe she was wanting a new look????  I don't know but I will say, I am grateful for this wonderful kitty!  Aren't the best ones the ones you just rescue?  I think so!!!! 

Here's a pic of Sunshine, just chilling in one of her favorite spots- a warm tire! 

We love you Sunshine!  Or as Carson calls her, "Shun Shine!" 

Cakes-yum!

I am working on my nephew, Hunter's, 5th birthday cake today and tomorrow, so I thought I'd go ahead and post the pics of the twins'  birthday cakes that I have never posted.  Yes, from December (twins' 3rd b-day).  I am behind.  :-)  Story of my life!!!  :-)   I'm also electronically challenged at times, Henry's 1st birthday cake wouldn't upload (from Feb.).  I'll have to work on that when I have more time. 

I will post a pic of Hunter's cake too, when it's done.  It is a beachy/pool party theme this year.  Fun stuff!  Hope it turns out how I have it pictured in my head.  We'll see! 

Carson's John Deere 3rd birthday cake- I decided instead of buying a $15-20 tractor shaped pan, I'd just use the money to buy him a few tractors he could play with later on.  He loved it!  He plays with these tractors almost every day!  I found the tractors at Walmart and Tractor Supply. 

Emilynn's 3rd birthday Dora the Explorer cake- I had this pan because I made it for my little sister, Alyssa's birthday one year.  It was neat to make this cake again.  The only drawback to this cake is the different colors.  You have to mix a LOT of colors for this cake.  Like light pink for just the bottom of her shoes and tongue.  Yellow for socks and bracelet.  Anyway, it was still fun and my little Explorer loved it! 

 

 

Update on Mommy- Endometrial Ablation anyone?

First of all, I will say I do not normally share really personal medical information on here.  I am making an exception in this case for a couple of reasons.  Mainly I am sharing because I read a lot of horror stories about this experience online.  Maybe someone searching and considering this procedure will read this and NOT be afraid like I was.  So- disclaimer- could be T.M.I.! 

At my recent doctor's visit, my doctor shared with me that he thought endometrial ablation would be a good thing for me.  He really thought it would solve some problems I'm having.  Well, I talked to some people about it and they all had great things to say about it.  However, before you have it, you have to have an endometrial biopsy.  The word biopsy freaks me out.  I have no idea why.  It just does.  I had heard from people who had biopsies that were extremely painful.   Last week after much thought and prayer, Dustin and I decided I would go ahead with the ablation.   I called last week to schedule the biopsy.  I was on hold forever.....giving me every chance to hang up.  For some reason, I didn't.  I got transferred to several schedulers.  I still didn't hang up.  I scheduled my biopsy for this morning and promptly began to worry constantly.  I kept giving it to God, then taking it back.  I had heard horror stories about how painful the biopsy was.  I will be asleep for the procedure, so ironically that wasn't and isn't worrying me.  Just the biopsy.  I have been really busy over the past few days with lots of errands so I didn't have much time to worry.  Today was the day though, and I was a wreck inside.  I kept telling myself, I was in labor with Henry with 2 minute apart contractions and never felt a thing.  Maybe that meant this would be an easy experience.  By the time I reached the doctor's office, I was really a wreck.  My blood pressure seemed like it would be high, but it wasn't TOO bad.  I told the doctor about my nerves and he simply said, "If it's too uncomfortable, we won't do it."  Just like that, I felt calm.  His nurse is wonderful, so she was very reassuring as well.   The entire process took maybe 30 seconds, and was not painful at all.  I was so thankful and so glad I didn't let a small test keep me from doing something that will (hopefully) greatly improve my life.  I feel sure the fact that I've had three babies "the normal way" with the last being almost 9 pounds probably helped my situation out immensely. 
Now, I hope and pray my ablation experience is just as positive!  I am scheduled for next week and I will update after that, I promise!  If I can help one woman not fear this procedure, it will be worth posting my personal information out there for everyone to see.   
I can honestly say, I will sleep SO MUCH better tonight with this behind me! 

Getting Back to Normal

It has been so hard to get back into the swing of things this week.  I think we are finally settled back in to our routine, despite the fact that our dining room table is full of clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away.  Our clean clothes still aren't unpacked, but I decided to quit stressing about all this and go at my own pace.  It's not like I have a time limit on this stuff!  I decided to head to the grocery store today with the kiddos and boy, what a trip that was!  We headed to Walmart because it's the closest place, even though it's my least favorite for buying groceries.  I have to give them points though- they finally caught onto the bandwagon and have carts with kid seats attached.  That makes my life SO much easier.  I can actually put two weeks worth of stuff in the cart if it's not filled with kids!  I don't know why it's taken them so long to realize these were oh-so-necessary, but I am thankful!  We were in the store for almost 2 solid hours!  It was insane and I was sweating profusely at the end.  It's always nice to take the kids as a reminder of why I normally go alone.  I can get through SO much faster alone.  The kids don't ask for toys, so that is a plus.  They will ooh and ahh over stuff that they want for their birthday or Christmas.  They also like to talk to everyone they pass and help me make each and every grocery decision.  It's educational and fun for them, and I like working on their social skills.  It can be crazy though.  I mean, who would think it would take 5 minutes to choose what type of pull-ups they need for nighttime.  I will have you know, it is a VERY big decision whether you choose monster trucks or Spiderman.  Oh, to be 3.  We almost had a meltdown because there were no princess ones we could see.  I'm telling you, I was scrambling through packages.  If I'm alone, I get whatever and they deal with it.  I do try to let me make decisions where I can, like in pull-ups!  Emilynn worked very hard talking to everyone.  I tried to work on having her say, "How are you?" and reply with "I'm fine" when asked the same question.  There are so many opportunities to learn each and every day!  With that being said, going to Walmart with three toddlers should be added as an Olympic event.  If it is- I will surely go for a medal!  :-)  I saw a friend I had not seen in a few years in there and she said, "Are all those yours?", meaning my kids.  I had to look at the cart to make sure she only meant my 3 and we didn't have a stowaway added to our bunch.  Yep, they are all mine!  :-) 
It feels good to have a stocked kitchen again (although my Mom will tell you it's always stocked....she calls me a food hoarder.  I am not really a food hoarder, but the closest real store is at least 20 minutes from my house....so yes, I like a well-stocked kitchen for reasons such as Walmart experience noted above!!!). 
The kids have already asked if they can go back to the beach.  I'm so glad they had a good time, I was really worried my little homebodies would hate vacation.
Now I am turning my focus on all the things we have planned for the rest of summer- getting chickens, working in our garden (got veggies already!), starting swim lessons back up for the kids, and I have to finish planning for the kids' 3 year old preschool homeschool year.  I have a lot of things I'm looking forward to!  I hope to also get a bit of rest- the twins wake up and join me in bed or want me to lay with them.  I have had some choppy sleep lately.  I wish I liked coffee!  It was nice to be on vacation and not have much to do other than rest-I read 3 books on my vacation!  Now, back to reality!!!  :-) 

We're Baaaaaack!

We are back from our week long vacation to the beach!  We had a great time and made a lot of memories.  I have lots to post about and some pics too.  Right now though, I have to dig out from under some laundry piles and put away all the clean clothes we brought back.  Not to mention figure out what we're gonna eat for the next week or so till I plan to get groceries.  We are trying to get back to normal this week and get back into a routine.  The kids loved the ocean! 
More later....for now it's chores and hanging out with the kiddos on a rainy Monday.