If We Make It Through December.....

Can't you just hear that old country song playing in your head now??  :-)   
I have good news to all my blogger friends and family who have requested time and time again that I start posting more frequently- we now have much faster internet service!  Woo hoo!  I am so glad. 
We are also getting up with the current century and disconnecting our land phone line.  Yep, we're cleaning house around here.  Actually that is not true, but a girl can dream can't she?  I will always battle my pack rat genes (thanks, Dad!). 
Okay, I'm rambling.  For a quick update-December has been C-R-A-Z-Y!  Each year I swear it won't, but you know...life happens!  Having Emilynn participate in the Nutcracker took December to a whole new level of busy!  In one week we had dance 5 nights, and were supposed to have it a 6th night, but I let her skip.  During the second Nutcracker performance she was sobbing and refused to go on stage.  I have to say, most of the adults agreed they felt like sobbing too.  It will be good to start fresh in January. 
Then there was of course all of the school Christmas events, they had a little Christmas musical program and a Christmas party.  We also had a field trip to see a Christmas play this month, during which Kristen and I rode the bus.  Quite a memorable experience! 
The twins turned 5 on the 21st, so we have had all the birthday happenings to go along with that.  We went to lunch at the Mexican restaurant with family so they could get sung to.  They have wanted to do that since Henry and Hunter both did it this year.  I also took pizza, cupcakes, and goody bags to school for their birthday.  AND, for Emilynn's girl birthday outing (remember Carson went to the Marvel Universe Live show), she chose to go to Build-A-Bear with cousin Morgan.  She decided she wanted to let Carson go too, so we also invited cousins Dylan and Hunter.  Kristen and I took all 5 kids to Cracker Barrel and Build-A-Bear ourselves.  We were laughing at how crazy we were to attempt it, but it went really well.  Yep, 5 kids, 2 adults, and the mall 6 days before Christmas....it adds up to fun!!  :-)  There were kids grabbing accessories and it was very chaotic but fun chaos. 
The twins had their birthday party at home this year with family and had a Lego/Frozen theme. 
As for Christmas, it was different this year.  Henry and I spent Christmas in the hospital.  He has had a cold for a while and I had taken him to our after hours Kidmed clinic on the 20th.  He was diagnosed with croup (Emilynn had croup too) and was borderline for bronchitis.  He got some steroids and saline for his nebulizer and sent on his way.  Christmas Eve night we were at my grandma's and he was fine and playing, then he went down very quickly.  His breathing got shallow and he just seemed out of it.  My aunt Debbie checked him and his pulse ox was low.  She told me later she thought she had heard something in his left lung but wasn't sure.  We took him to the ER (my mom, Debbie, and I) after dropping off Dustin and the twins and giving Dustin the Christmas crash course in case I wasn't home.  Thank goodness I had everything ready! 
The ER did an xray and we found out Henry had pneumonia.  They normally would have sent him home with antibiotics but his oxygen levels were just too low.  We got admitted and sent my mom and aunt on home.  Henry and I spent a quiet Christmas in the hospital, curled up in a bed resting while he got IV meds to help him improve.  I have to say, it was nice having a room compared to sitting in that ER!  In the room we had 2 beds, a bathroom, and fridge. They had diapers for Henry, milk for his bottle (yes, he still has it!), and a t.v. we could change channels on-we were set! 
Santa also found us at the hospital.  Henry got a huge hot wheels track/set, a book, a teddy bear, a puzzle, and he got to take home his very own working stethoscope so he can keep a check on the teddy bear's lungs.  It was so sweet that the nurses did all of that for the kids spending Christmas there.  It brightened our day.  :-) 
We finally got to come home late Christmas evening.  After picking up the medicine and the twins, I was exhausted from being up so long.  It was definitely a different Christmas, but I am glad Henry is feeling better.  We just had a check up this morning and the dr. wants us to continue watching him closely and making sure he gets plenty of rest and fluids.  They can still hear the pneumonia, which will apparently take a long time to heal.  Henry is now on lock down until spring!  He has not been anywhere since he got home except we went straight to the dr. today and straight home. 
It is a little hard with cabin fever setting in, but Dustin and I have both been getting out a bit.  Also, it helps the weather has been crummy anyway and we have plenty of new toys to play with right now! 
We will see as the winter progresses how things go.  I will have to get creative in what we do.  School mornings are early and cold, so I think my father in law will sit with him for that for a while. 

Anyway, that is what's going on around our neck of the woods!  Maybe next year we can rest BEFORE the holiday like this and avoid getting sick!  I don't know, I know the first year of school is hard with bringing stuff home.  Emilynn has now had strep throat and croup.  Carson has been okay, just a cold/cough but his didn't get bad.  I guess 'tis the season! 
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, hopefully a little calmer and less dramatic than ours!  :-) 

What we've been up to...

• Well, I thought I would have so much more time for blogging and everything really once the kids started school.  Not true!  I feel like things are crazier than ever!  We have had 2 field trips and another one next month.  Grandparents' Day at school was really nice, and we also had a Halloween parade and party.  I guess what I'm saying is-it's always something going on!  Add in dance one night a week, and any other stuff that pops up, and you have a busy schedule!  I have been meaning to get back into swim lessons and have been in touch with the teacher, but it just hasn't happened yet.  I did take the kids swimming a couple of weeks ago-it was fun but cold!  I think the indoor thermometer might have been off.  What amazed me about swimming was how well Carson did.  He floated around in the five foot water without reservation!  I think Mrs. Elise is going to be surprised when we start back up! 
• As far as school goes-the kids are doing really well.  Carson fusses most mornings not wanting me to leave, but he is fine once I'm out the door.  Emilynn loves school!  I am amazed at how much they are learning already, sounding out letters and working on writing their names! 
• Our logging is done at our house, so the kids don't have that to watch anymore.  We are getting ready to have some bulldozing done though, so they are super-excited about that.  We also got gravel recently which was entertaining for several days.  It's funny how much they use their imagination to play.  Last night they made "guitars" with shoeboxes and rubber bands. 
• Christmas is right around the corner.  I feel like I have so much shopping to do!  I am almost done with the kids though, which is always the more stressful part.  I guess since we have the twins' birthday right at Christmas, I try to figure out both.  I want to make their birthday special even though it's at Christmas.  This year we are not doing a big party since we rented Romp 'n Roll last year.  I try to do something different each year and make it special.  This year we are doing individual things with each child, and then we'll have cake and ice cream, and maybe pizza on their actual birthday with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. 
• Carson's special "outing" was going to the Marvel Universe Live show last week.  It was a fun evening, but kind of different from what we are used to.  He likes Spiderman, so it was neat to see the "real" Spidey!  We had a yummy Chick-fil-A supper beforehand with Aunt Amanda, Poppy, and Hunter.  We met all of cousins Morgan & Dylan's family/grandparents, etc. at the show.  It was nice- but I am used to girl stuff so all this boy stuff is still new to me.  Carson enjoyed it I think.  I love individual time with my kids, I think it is so important.  Emilynn actually had a "date" with her Daddy to the Mexican restaurant recently.  She loved it and felt so special!  Henry is of course loving his alone time with me during school hours! 
• Emilynn's special birthday outing is going to be a spa treatment/makeover session with her bestie-Cousin Morgan at the local Diva's & Dude's kid salon.  I think the two little divas will love it! 
• Halloween was fun-we had a Ninja turtle (Carson), Queen Elsa from Frozen (Emilynn), and Sheriff Woody from Toy Story (Henry).  The kids wanted the Switch Witch to come again this year, and it was a success.  I have to say, I love the folks who give them non-candy items.  The candy is great but they get so much of it.  I will say, they ate tons of candy all day long on Halloween- before you go thinking my kids are deprived of candy!  They were then more than happy to have the witch take the rest.  Some favorite non-candy items were juice boxes, coupons for frosties from Wendy's, pencils, these popping things that jumped up in the air, rice krispies, cheese balls, etc. etc. 
• The school had a little Fall Festival Saturday and it was really fun for the kids. They had lots of games that were free with prizes.  No candy at all!  Yay!  I think it is something they will look forward to each year at school.  I just love their little school and how it's such a family environment!  I am trying to be involved as much as I can.   The other day Emilynn said to me, "I'll see you after school Mom.  I always know you'll be there."  Oh, it melted my heart!  She's my independent one so it's nice that she still needs me!  I'm sure when they are teenagers they will want me to not be at school so much-ha!  They'll beg to ride the bus.  :-) 
• Speaking of cute stuff- yesterday I cut the lights on to wake up the kids for school.  Henry says, "Cut that light off Mom, it's poking my eyes."  Dustin and I just laughed and laughed.  It was cute.  He says the funniest things sometimes.  We call him a parrot most of the time cause he repeats most everything you say in this funny voice. 
• We are loving fall around here.  It's my favorite time of year.  I felt we needed some fall so I changed the pic on here.  It's funny because I've had several people ask me if I pose the kids to get pictures for the blog.  Nope, you don't have to pose my kids.  Just act like you want to take a regular picture and the results are on the blog!  Ha!  I hardly ever catch a picture of them looking at me.  My sister and I tried desperately to get a picture of my mom's 5 grandkids on the fall tractor above.  We never got one.  The thing that gets me is if you get the little ones looking, the big ones act crazy.  Oh well, when they are grown and want to know why there are no good pictures of them I will tell them why! 
• We watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving yesterday-I got it from the library.  I had never seen it-it was cute!  The kids loved it.  I wanted them to see it because they are having a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at school eating toast, jellybeans, pretzel sticks, and popcorn.  I'm sure they will love it! 
• Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for sure.  It's so low key and doesn't involve gifts.  I am looking forward to my shopping all night that night though.  It is a lot of fun. 

Well, I am off to do laundry and dishes and pack lunches for tomorrow.  Carson took fish and hushpuppies yesterday for his main food-and of course had fruits, veggies, yogurt, etc. to go with it and for snacktime.  I'm pretty sure he's the only preschooler with fish in his lunch!  My kids take what I would consider different things for lunch most days.  I am not big on the Lunchable-but I have made my own version and sent it-which was a hit! I will occasionally get them for a treat, but the truth of the matter is my kids aren't that crazy about them anyway.   I should do a lunch post.  Anyway, I'm rambling.  More later....hopefully it won't be another month before I post again!!! 

We're Here!

We are still around!  Oh my goodness!  I know everyone's been wanting a back to school post, and I promise I am planning to upload the pictures this week.  Life has been B-U-S-Y since school started!  I honestly, for some naïve reason thought my life would get so much easier and slower when school started and boy was I wrong!  I almost feel like it's one of those things that no one tells you and just lets you find out for yourself, kind of like when you are pregnant and no one REALLY tells you how labor and delivery is, they just kind of let it be a surprise-ha!  I feel exactly that way about school!  No one told me how insane life is to have kids in school! 
Anyway, school did start and the twins are adjusting really well.  Life is definitely different around our household these days.  It is a good change though.  Bedtime is 8 p.m. sharp, everyday.  Even weekends we have been sticking to this for the most part, and we have tried to leave family dinners earlier to accommodate this as well.   Despite the early bedtime, we still end up waking the kids up for school, around 6:30 each morning.  What has been working for us has been for Dustin to shower while I cook breakfast, then he feeds the kids while I get a shower.  He is going to be working at 6 a.m. the next few weeks though, so I will have to do it all myself.  I did everything yesterday and it went okay.  Emilynn is happy to get up, the boys are not.  They do get up though and we leave home around 7:15 a.m. each day.  7:30 is the latest I like to leave.  School starts at 7:54 a.m. but we try to be early because things just go smoother that way.  We have not been late even once!  Yay!  I honestly have not minded getting up early.  I enjoy the school days because they are structured and I get so much more done.  I feel like non-school days are very laid back and kind of lazy.  We just chill and get up when we feel like it.  I still firmly believe it's better for the kids to sleep until their bodies are ready to wake up. 
It is so nice having Tuesdays and Thursday to just recover from school days and gives the kids time to still be kids and just play.  We are probably going to start swimming lessons again in the next few weeks, and that will be on Tuesdays or Thursdays. 
As far as the busyness of school, I feel like it is so much to keep up with!  I never knew how much paperwork came home from school!  There are papers everyday, times two.  I feel like I am in school again!  Dustin was teasing me saying I was doing my "homework" one night as I filled out some forms.  You also have to keep up with which day library books are due back, show and tell day, remember to send nap mats, blankets, and pillows back after being washed for the weekend, etc.etc.!  I guess I just never thought it through and realized all of these things!  Ha!  I really don't mind at all, it is actually a lot of fun and I love that I am able to focus just on the kids right now in this season of life.  I have NO CLUE how working moms do all of this!  I really don't and my hat is absolutely off to them! 
With all that being said, we had our very first field trip yesterday!  It was to an apple orchard and it was so much fun!  I think part of the fun was following the bus with my cousin Kristen!  We lost the buses for a spell and just shared a lot of laughs along the way.  The kids enjoyed the bus experience, despite me being a nervous wreck about it.  The whole orchard experience was fun though, we did a hay ride, picked apples, went to apple "school", and tried cider and apple donuts.  Overall, it was a great experience and the kids loved it.  They were so tired afterwards!  I was too actually! 
We have another field trip coming up to the pumpkin patch I think next month, and a big grandparents' day celebration. 
I have to also say, I LOVE the kids' teacher.  She is amazing and they absolutely love her.  There are 7 students in the class, and Carson is the only boy!  I think he may be the teacher's pet!  Ha!  I knew he would be!  He hates nap time, so she lets him read and play quietly while the others sleep.  She is just very nurturing and compassionate, and very excited about her job.  I think it's the perfect match for my kids' first school experience. 
We are trying to do as many nice things for her as we can, so I have to share this neat idea I found online.  I found a survey you send your teacher the first day of school, and they fill it out with all their favorite things and give it back to you.  I wasn't even sure if she would do it, but she did and sent a note about how sweet it was that we cared so much.  I am sure you can find it easily online, but it was a great idea and we've been able to treat her to little things here and there because of it. 
It asked her favorite flowers, color, food, candy, drink from McDonald's, coffee drink, what she would do with $10 to spend in her classroom, what she would do with $10 to spend on herself, you get the idea. 
I was so glad I did this because she chose things I would not have thought of.  For example, her favorite candy bar is Hershey's Take 5, which I had never heard of! 

Henry and I were a little lost once school started, but we have adjusted more now.  I was actually able to get groceries while the kids were in school, which was really nice!  It's funny what you appreciate when you have kids! 

Of course, we have been doing other things too- like going to see Disney on Ice's Frozen this past weekend-it was awesome!  I loved it as much as the kids! 
We also have had four birthdays so far this month with two more to go!  Loggers have been at our house clearing space for a calve pen so we can start raising baby calves-a new adventure for sure!  Dustin says we will have a "mini-farm"!  I love that idea!  :-)  The kids have LOVED watching the loggers and now want logging toys for Christmas.  They are definitely outdoor kids.  Every night after logging is done, they ask if they can "explore" the logging spots...and they do!  They found a hat one night one of the men had lost.  He was very happy to get it back! 

I think that is all for now.  I hope to get pictures uploaded by the end of the week.  I am SO behind on that....I don't think Henry's birthday pictures have even been posted from Feb.  and his farm party was so cute (I thought so anyway!). 

What I'm Into-August 2014

I follow other blogs who do this each month and thought it would be fun to do as well.  Hope you don't mind a break from kid posts! 

Books:  
This month I have enjoyed a new Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum book- the Twenty-First or Twenty-Second in the series, I forget which.  Whichever one just came out!  I read these and literally laugh out loud at them!  I have read the whole series several times and I never get tired of them! 
Hands-Free Mama- I am still reading this and it has been eye opening for sure!  I can't remember the author right off hand but it is about being intentional about spending time with your spouse/children by putting down the electronic devices and any other distraction.  I honestly didn't think I had a big problem with this, but I realized I do!  I was even letting books be a distraction from my children.  And reading is good, right?  I always hate going out to eat and seeing a whole family on their phones/devices....I prefer good old-fashioned conversation.  I do keep my phone nearby if my children aren't with me in case of emergency, but I really don't even like that. 
Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey- I am pretty sure I've mentioned how much I love Dave Ramsey books on here.  I just read them over and over because I find that I am always in need of inspiration to stay on track financially!  I don't think you can ever learn too much about being a better steward of the financial blessings God bestows upon you!  I read the two Dave Ramsey books that I own constantly. 
Bible - I have been more intentional about reading my Bible nightly, and I hope to prayerfully start the B90 plan very soon, where you read the Bible through in 90 days. 
The Happy Housewife- This is a religious book, and again I can't remember the author.  I am enjoying the inspiration for days when the laundry and dishes seem repetitive and overwhelming! 

I think that's all I've been reading this month.  Some nights I fall into bed and can't keep my eyes open, but most nights I read.  I actually re-read a lot of my Janet Evanovich books this month since the new one came out.  I got on a roll. 

T.V.- Well, I don't get to watch much t.v. anymore, but sometimes I will watch a little in bed.  Mostly I have watched Lizard Lick Towing this month, and not much else that I like.  I have watched more Paw Patrol than I care to mention.  Other kid favorites right now are Lazy Town (on Sprout), the Baby First channel, Super Why, and Wallykazam. 

Movies- What are movies?  Just kidding!  I did not watch any movies in August.  I am not a big movie watcher anyway.  My cousin did loan me The Help to watch, since I read the book a couple of months ago on her recommendation.  I have yet to sit down and watch the movie though.  The kids watched the Lego Movie, and some princess girly movie from the Redbox one weekend. 

Food- Any Mexican of course!  We had Mexican a few times in August.  I am also on a protein shake kick right now, so that's what I normally have twice a day. 
I also got fried catfish last weekend with hush puppies, which is probably my all-time favorite food!  Yum!

Music: I've been kind of enjoying the DVD player in the car being on the fritz.  It works when it wants to and means I can sometimes listen to music!  Yay!  Of course I love all things country.  Cole Swindell's CD is what I mainly have listened to all month since I went to his concert.  That and Luke Bryan are my favorites right now!  :-) 

Upcoming things for September I'm excited about:

• I am walking in a 4 mile race tomorrow.  I hope it will be fun!  I've been wanting to do a 5K for a while now, but found this one that's slightly longer.  We'll see how it goes.  I've been "training" at home by walking (and pushing 100 pounds of kids in the stroller with me, so that should help, right? ) . 
• School starting next Wednesday!  It will be so different, but neat to see the kids learning!
• Dance begins again in September.  I am excited for Emmy because she loves it.  I don't know about my excitement of the commitment once a week along with school.  We'll see how it goes.  It's her fourth year! 
• The kids' first field trip is in September!  I've been with my younger sisters on too many field trips to count.  Now I finally am going on one with kids of my own!  Fun!!!  My mom, grandma, and Henry may follow us too (their idea, not mine! LOL). 
• We are going to see Frozen on Ice in September.  I haven't told the kids, but I hope it will be as fun as I think!  Emilynn already has her Elsa costume she can wear.  Carson has a boy Frozen t-shirt too. 
• The local Arts & Crafts festival.  There is a huge tractor show with it that the kids go crazy over.  I also love all things handmade, so I like buying some gifts there.  Last year I got Henry a John Deere quilt, plus some other small things for the children. 
• Birthday month- September is birthday month in our family!  We have my sister Madison, my uncle Dale, my grandpa Pa, my grandma Nanny, my cousin Brandy, and me.  We have a separate party for each person.  You do NOT combine birthdays in our family and you have your birthday ON your birthday.  You don't wait for a more convenient weekend day, because that is NOT your birthday!  Ha!  

I think that's all for this August edition.  More in September! 

Weekly Musings

• Well, we have furniture again!  We actually got it sooner than we expected, which is a good thing I think.  We drove to the city a few weeks ago and picked out some furniture, but my Mom suggested we at least check out the local stores.  She and I went yesterday and looked around two stores.  We only found 1 set at each store that was the right color and price range.  Luckily, Dustin and I are SO not picky so it isn't hard to please us.  We just choose something and keep it for 15 years-ha!  Anyway, we ended up going with a local, family run store.  We got a couch, loveseat, and recliner for the same price as the couch and loveseat in the bigger city store.  Yay!  It was delivered within 2 hours of purchase, and Dustin had a big surprise when he got home from work!  I told him I paid an extra $20 so he wouldn't have to go pick it up, they could just deliver it.  He said, "God bless your heart."  LOL.  I don't think he felt like fooling with moving furniture.  I must say, we were all excited to have furniture again.  We all laid out pretty much all evening.  Henry and I fell asleep on the new sofas.  It doesn't take much to excite us around here!  You would have to see how the kids and I had been piling up in the one chair we had left.  I would sit down, Henry would wedge in beside me, and a twin would get on either arm rest.  Dustin came in one evening and couldn't even see Henry!  All that being said, I am glad we waited until we found something we liked in our price range.  A few weeks without furniture didn't bother us a bit. 
• Speaking of major household stuff.....We discovered a HUGE leak under our house Saturday.  It ruined a ton of insulation, boards are wet, mold is growing a little, there's water under the house, you get the idea.  Big mess, but according to my Dad, it wasn't too bad.  Ha!  We didn't have water for about 24 hours, which was only slightly inconvenient.  The kids and I deal with it pretty well.  Dustin, not so much.  :-)  He got up early Sunday and declared we were done living like cave men and he was going to fix the leak.  One trip to Lowe's and some repairs later, we had water again.  We are still trying to dry out from under the house.  Then, we will have to do something about replacing insulation.  I am sure it will be a long process, but we'll get there.  There is always something going on when you own a home/cars.  I just kind of expect it and roll with it.  I even washed dishes outside Saturday night.  My witty husband said, "You've always wanted to be Amish, now here's your chance."  I told him I was pretty sure even the Amish had running water!  I also told him this Amish girl was going to buy paper plates, which I immediately went to the store and did!  :-) 
• We did have a fun Saturday before our major leak discovery.  Amanda, Kristen, and I took the kids to the lake for the day.  My mom, Aunt Debbie, and Uncle Dale joined us and we all had a ball.  We took a picnic lunch and just let the kids play in the sand and water.  I just sat there and kept counting to 7- making sure all seven of our kids were in sight.  We decided we were going to go back to camp when the weather gets a bit cooler.  I can't wait-should be lots of fun.

That's really all we've had going on this week, just working on the house.  I am glad we fit in a lake trip before school started.  I don't know if we'll try to do anything else fun next week....but we'll see.  Cousin Hunter already started school, I can't believe he's a big first grader!  Time sure does fly! 

Meeting the Teacher!!

Last Friday we went to meet with the twins' preschool teacher.  Exciting times around here!  We had actually met her back in January when we toured the school, so the kids remembered that they liked her and the classroom.  They were really excited to go again though as "official" students and see THEIR desks, THEIR room, etc.!  The day ran from 8 a.m.-12 p.m.  We decided to try to be there by 8 a.m. as kind of a practice run for regular school days.  We pulled up at 7:55 a.m. I am proud to say!  The kids were super-excited and I let them wear some of their new school clothes/shoes so that made the day more special.  We also took all of their supplies with us to drop off.  What a load of stuff!  Each child had a brown grocery bag filled to the top, plus their nap mats.  Dustin has laughed at how much I have had to do to get them ready.  I can't believe how many supplies preschoolers need!  They even needed headphones, which were harder to find.  Yep, my babies are taking computer class.  I can't believe it.  I hope they don't get any ideas about using the computer at home.....
Anyway, their teacher is SO nice and sweet.  She is really energetic and excited, so I think she will be a good match for preschoolers.  There are 7 in their class, which makes this Momma really happy.  I wanted a low number so they would get plenty of one on one attention.  I had all kinds of questions about how she ran the day, how drop-off and pick-up went, how lunch went and making sure they couldn't buy ice cream every day or have access to sodas and things bigger kids can get, etc.  My father-in-law, Papa, went with us.  He was finding out where she was from, and where he needed to pick them up.  His only two questions-ha!  I am glad to say Henry behaved, and we were home by 9 a.m.  A successful day.  Now, we wait till classes start September 3rd.  We surprisingly got 2 more weeks of summer, due to a certification/paperwork gliche.  Long story, but I am enjoying 2 more weeks to sleep a tad later!  We are sort of practicing going to be early and getting up early. 
I hope the school is ready for us!!!  :-)  I feel better after seeing them so excited about their desks and classroom, and how much they like their teacher.  I may actually give up my idea of sitting in the parking all day on the first day-ha!  I will still be worried I'm sure-it's going to be harder on me than them.  I am not the only one that's worried- I may be following Cousin Morgan's bus every day for Kristen to make sure she gets off at her day care okay!  I offered to take her myself, but she is super-excited to ride the big bus! 

Oh, and the kids main concern was knowing where the bathrooms were.  We got them acquainted with those, and all 3 used them before we left.  Glad we got that out of the way!! 

Weekly Musings

• I can't even begin to describe how busy things have been with our whole family the past few weeks.  It seems like every time we turn around, someone is having a medical emergency.  Luckily, nothing has been extremely serious other than my Uncle Dale's knee situation.  He has had that going on, then my Mom was on crutches for a rheumatoid arthritis flare up, my grandma fell and hit her head and had to go to the hospital for a CT scan and x-ray, my sister had an ovarian cyst rupture and she had to go to the ER, then my nephew had to go to the after-hours care place because he had Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease.  Whew!  And that's not even all, in the midst of all of this Meme's dad passed away, affectionately known as "Granddaddy" to everyone.  He will be greatly missed, and it is always hard to find a new normal after you lose someone.  Nanny Margaret was married to him for 50 years, so it is a big adjustment and loss for her.  My kids are learning so much about loss and it is really one of the hardest things to explain to them.  I try, but I'm sure I don't do that great of a job with it.  We will miss Granddaddy though-Dustin especially loved talking with him and enjoyed his sense of humor. 
• On a happier medical note, my best friend is in labor today!  Yep, we are adding another munchkin to our crazy big group!  I am anxiously awaiting my hubby to get home so I can head to the hospital (again!) for a good reason this time! 
• On another note, if I don't get Henry potty trained completely, I am going to go crazy I think!!!  He has had so many accidents lately, and it's hard because he knows what to do.  He takes his pull up off, and then pees on the floor.  So, we are missing some steps in there.  He knows not to pee in the pull up, but then does it on the floor.  Always the carpet too, frustrating!  We will get there I know, and he does such a great job a lot of the time. 
• Speaking of the peed on carpet, I am hoping to shampoo my carpet this weekend.  I was going to hire the company I had a few years ago to clean it.  I think I am going to try myself first, since he's not completely trained yet.  I forgot I had a carpet shampooer in my shed.  Yep, I seriously have Mommy-brain. 
• And speaking of our living room, Dustin is hauling our sofa to the dump this weekend!  I am glad, it is gross and completely falling apart.  It has served us well!  The issue is we have no plans to replace it yet.  I keep asking Dustin what he wants to do and all he says is "We'll do something".  Not sure what that means!  Ha!  I am a planner, so I prefer to know what we are doing and how much I should budget for it.  Anyway, I guess we'll do something.  :-)  I wish I knew someone with a nice, used one but I don't.  In the meantime, if you come to see us, bring a bag chair!!!! LOL. 
• We took the kids to see the new Planes Fire & Rescue movie last weekend.  They loved it!  It was really cute and I liked it better than the first one.  Disney did a great job as always.  Henry lasted through the whole movie too!  It was not a frugal outing, but we only go maybe twice a year.  It is so hard to pay so much for snacks that are purely junk.  The kids love to get their little popcorn and drink though.  I'll let it go....not gonna rant about the snacks again.  I do not smuggle in healthier ones anymore either.....I feel that's kind of dishonest.  I saw a special on T.V. that showed how concessions are mainly how they make money.  I felt bad after that.  Oh well, a treat is a treat. 
• The twins start school in a little over a week.  I am SO not ready!  We are ready with supplies, clothes, paperwork, etc. but I am not emotionally ready.  It will be okay....I keep telling myself that! 
• Our caller ID is not working on the phone, which is really annoying.  To combat this problem, I am now teaching the kids how to answer the phone.  I figure this is the best approach for telemarketers-they will maybe get confused and give up?  I don't know.  Grandparents will be excited to hear their little darlings.  It's a win-win for everyone.  I started this this morning after I had to talk to a lady from the Rawleigh company about Rawleigh salve for 10 minutes because I had to order Dustin some a while back.  (Danelle will appreciate this :-)  It was a nice lady, but I really prefer to just order online when I want something, no time for phone calls around here! 
• I don't know what got into me, but I dusted off our bread machine this morning and have a loaf baking.  It smells great, and the kids were really excited to help measure everything.  I am sure it will be delicious with some butter on top!  I don't know if this will be a regular thing now or a phase....we will see!  It is much better to eat something where you know exactly what the ingredients are.  It really is easy, so we'll see! 

Well, that's all for today, I don't have a menu this week.  We've been kind of winging it and eating whatever.  I am going to have to do some eating out of the freezer these next two weeks cause we just took a cow off yesterday to be processed.  I am glad, we are out of fresh hamburger and I refuse to buy it from the store. 

Just chillin it!

I didn't think much of it when my cousin texted me last week to invite me to a concert.  It was Cole Swindell and she had an extra ticket.  I talked it over with Dustin, and asked him what Cole Swindell sang!  Ha!  I actually had heard his songs but didn't realize who he was or anything.  Most of the time I listen to our VBS CD in the car, or whatever movie the kids are watching.  I don't get much alone listening time! 

When I met my cousins to go I thought the ticket they handed me was weird, it was one you wear around your neck and laminated.  Turns out that was because we were on the second row!  I had so much fun!  Turns out he has a lot of good songs and has written a bunch for other artists. 

Have I mentioned before how much I love concerts?????  I really do.  It's nothing like listening to live music.  We had a blast and it is always fun to get out for girl time!  The people watching is pretty fun too! 

Tyler Farr also played, but I will admit, we just weren't that impressed.  I did get a guitar pick he threw to the audience though....

Here was our view from our seats: 



Yep, we were practically on stage!  So much fun.  We are now planning to head to more shows.  I miss all the concerts I used to go to before I had kiddos.  I will unashamedly admit I am also really excited about the Frozen on Ice show the twins and I are going to see in September!  Ha!  Things definitely change when you become a parent!   :-) 

Weekly Musings

Hello again blog world!  It seems I've been on an almost month-long hiatus from blogging!  Dustin and I are back from a very relaxing, very refreshing 10th anniversary get-away.  It was so nice-I think it deserves a post of it's own.  :-) 
As far as everything else going on around here.....

• We are in back to school mode.  I think that should be another post of it's own.  Let's just say I had no idea how much was involved with getting ready to send my babies to school!
• My Uncle was in a bad car accident last week when someone hit him head-on on his way to work.  He is very lucky he wasn't injured worse than he was.  As it is, he had surgery last week on his knee (broken in 3 places) and we've been by to see him most every day.  I don't know if we really cheer him up or if we are stressful.  Carson made him brownies one day, and one day I found he and Emilynn to be the only ones in the den.  She was telling him knock-knock jokes to cheer him.  The kids are really thoughtful.  Emilynn doesn't quite get the concept of jokes yet, but she tries.  Her knock-knock jokes go like this........

Emilynn:  "Knock-knock". 

Emilynn:  "Who's there?" 

Emilynn:  "A banana riding a bicycle.  Hahahahhahahahahahaa". 

• Yep, her jokes are all told all by herself and make no sense whatsoever.  She thinks they are HILARIOUS.  You end up laughing at her laughing.  Silly girl. 
• I was explaining to the kids they had nap time at school.  Carson told me he didn't want to take a nap.  I told them they didn't have to sleep, but they had to at least rest.  Carson replied- "Rest really isn't my thing."  O-kay.  Dustin and I died laughing.  I don't know where they come up with this stuff!  I told him to take that up with his teacher.  Ha!  Poor teacher. 
• Henry is working on his potty training still.  He has good days and bad days with it.  I am hoping by end of summer he will be totally trained.  I plan to get the carpets cleaned after that-they are in awful shape!  No sense in doing it while he's still having accidents sometimes though.  I had it cleaned 2 years ago and it looked like new.  Maybe he'll be "housebroken" soon, haha! 
• We have not made it to see the new Planes Fire & Rescue movie but maybe this weekend.  The kids really want to see it and we have not had a spare time to go.  I have to say I am looking forward to it a little myself.  Yep, I get tired of watching the same kids shows/movies over and over and over.....
• I keep saying we are gonna go ahead and start getting up at school time and get into that routine.  Then, every morning when the time comes I think....I'll try tomorrow instead!  I don't think I'll ever be a morning person.  I am trying though, I really am.  We'll get there eventually I suppose.  I'm torn between getting in the routine and savoring every last moment of summer!
• I am going with my cousins to a concert tomorrow night and I must say, I am excited!  I had not planned to go but they had an extra ticket.  I love concerts so it should be fun!!! 

Well, I'm sure we've been doing more stuff, but my mind is blank right now!  It could be that we've been up a while yet I'm still not awake! 

I will post more later!  For now, here is our menu plan for the rest of the week.  I need to get back into that habit too! 

Hamburger steak, gravy, onions; mashed potatoes; corn; rolls (having my father-in-law for dinner)
Leftovers
Baked chicken and some sides (yet to be determined but I plan to bake a whole bird)
Something with the leftover chicken...maybe chicken salad or casserole
*I also have to figure out what to cook for our family dinner Sunday night.  It's my turn to bring meat.  I have no idea what I want to do yet! 

Weekly Musings

• I'm back!  We've been so busy this summer!  The computer was down for a spell, but seems to be doing better after Dustin's uncle worked on it for us. 
• The kids and I have been staying indoors most of the time trying to beat the heat.  It is SO hot here!  We need rain really badly.  It has to be hot for my kids to prefer being inside! 
• We walked in a 4th of July parade, and the kids loved that!  They actually rode their bikes/hotwheels/whatever they wanted to ride.  It was fun and I think we'll make it a tradition. 
• Emilynn wasn't scared of the fireworks this year!  Carson wasn't AS scared, and Henry slept through them, but it was progress indeed!  Last year all my kids went screaming in the house completely terrified, so this was definitely better. 
• I spent the 5th yard saling with my friend Nicole and cousin Brandy.  We had a ball!  I love hunting for bargains.  I found some great Gymboree clothes for the kids for school, and several pair of Stride Rite shoes for the boys for $1 per pair (normally $50 each).  I got the name of the Stride Rite lady to get more outgrown shoes from her.  I love when you find someone like that!  Her kid had triple wide feet!  Henry's are only double wide, so I guess that's good, huh?  :-)  Anyway, we had a fun day of laughs and a few bargains here and there.  I think we will add that to our fourth of July weekend tradition too. 
• It is too hot to cook around here.  We are having BLTs, sandwiches, crockpot meals and stuff that doesn't require the oven!  I love the light suppers you can cook for summer. 
• Speaking of food, we are loving the local Farmer's Market.  We got most every Wednesday.  I kind of just plan my meals around what I find there.  We had corn, green beans, and ham steak from there last night.  I have been getting their tomatoes until ours and my grandpa's come in.  It's also fun to get some things I wouldn't normally buy, like acorn squash.  There have been good berries there too.  Just a bit of everything!  The prices are SO cheap too, I can take $20 and leave with 3 big bags of stuff and change leftover.  I can't say enough good things about it!  :-)  I will be sad when it's over for the season!  Good thing it lasts through October! 
• The kids are getting more and more geared up for school.   Most days they ask if today is "school day" when they wake up.  I am still having a hard time dealing with it, but I will manage I guess.  :-)  It makes me sad, scared, and excited all at the same time!  We are getting more ready though, with gathering supplies and some school clothes, shoes, etc.  There is a lot to do to get ready!!! 

Well, that's all I have new to report!  I know we've been busy, but it's mostly with family get-togethers.  Nothing huge and newsworthy, just our usual family gatherings.  We definitely keep busy! 

Monday Musings

• I have had a few issues with the computer lately, mainly it's gotten slow.  I am going to get it worked on this week, so hopefully it will make blogging and just doing things online in general easier!  That's really not a good excuse for not updating though, mainly I just enjoy being offline!  Reading is what I prefer to do in my spare time.  :-) 
• I have been up and at 'em early today, showered and ready for the day.  I  have been trying to clean up from the busy, busy weekend!  My days go SO much better and I am so much more productive when I can get up and get a shower to start the day.  A lot of people tell me they would stay in their PJs all day if they were stay-at-home moms.  My response is- No, you wouldn't!  Sitting around in PJs is WAY overrated!  (In my opinion).  :-)  Plus, I am raising adults and that is not the example I want to set for them.  Also, we always have somewhere to go, so unless I want to go to the store with the giant cowlick I get every single night, a shower is a must!  :-)  Now, if I can get up even earlier to get my walking in before we start our day.  Baby steps! 
• Is anyone else having fly issues right now?  Maybe it's just our house since the kids seem to hold the door open for approximately 37 seconds before actually stepping outside.  A flyswatter is on my list of essentials for today!  I can't go another day without owning one!  I think the last one was broken by the kids. 
• It has been so hot since last week that the kids didn't even stay outside much at all.  You know that is bad because they go out in all weather. 
• We had a fun weekend with a church kids' outing, a family reunion, and lots of family time.  Now, I am ready to finally get to watch my baby sister play in her all-star tournament tonight.  As you know my family loves ball!  Dustin doesn't share this love and just shakes his head at us.  I just hope Alyssa has some innings left to pitch so I can see her!  And yes, I guess we are a little crazy if I'm willing to drive an hour and take 3 kids with me to watch a game!  Ha!  I did talk my mom into riding with me, so we'll make it what my kids like to call "an adventure!"  I am trying to get all my cleaning done and I will have to cook supper super-early so my hubby will have something to eat.  :-)  I am sure no matter what I feed them, the kids will STILL want something from the concession stand.  I can't say much, we used to love visiting the concession stand ourselves.  The food just seems to taste better than what your mom has packed from home!  I will still smuggle in some snacks, a mom's gotta try, right?  :-) 
• Well, I know I haven't had a lot to catch up on, but I honestly can't remember what's gone on the past week!  Maybe the heat is affecting my brain!?!?  I am off for now to finish tidying up so we can head to storytime at the library and get some new reading material for the week. 

All for now, more later!  :-)  Have a blessed week! 

Monday Musings

What have we been up to around here?  Lots!!

• Relay For Life was last Saturday, so I was busy all day with that.  It's always a fun and touching event.  Our family BBQ team was busy as always! 
• My sister Amanda, and my cousins Ashley and Kristen had a yard sale with me Saturday.  We have two yard sales a year at Amanda's house.  I was glad to get rid of some bigger ticket items.  I am tired of storing stuff we don't use!  It's taken me 33 years, but I am finally tired of clutter!   I hope to keep decluttering.  It is also nice to have the extra cash for stuff that was just laying around.  I even drove my car with the trailer attached-scary!  I didn't do bad though.  (Well, I don't know what the folks behind me thought-ha!)
• It is HOT here!  I look forward to summer, but it is also stressful for me.  My kids love to be outside and I love them to be outside.  Henry gets extremely overheated though, so it is a fine balance to keep him cool and indoors with a little outside time.  We are making snowcones a lot, and we also have a sprinkler now (thanks Meme!) so those things help along with our kiddie pool.  The kids have just started asking me for one of those larger above ground pool deals you get from Walmart.  I don't know if I want to get one of those or not, they kind of scare me with Henry.  He is not afraid of the water at all.  Maybe next year will be better?  Or maybe we could get a really short one?  I still don't think I'd sleep well at night knowing it was in my yard!  Maybe we'll just keep our Y membership and visit my sister's and dad's pools!
• We had a copperhead snake in our driveway.  A big one-yuck!  I am not a fan, especially after Dad was hospitalized for a copperhead bite a few years ago. 
• I have dabbled in planting a few flowers lately.  Just in pots around the porch, not in a flower bed or anything because of the chickens.  I think what I planted looks nice, but I certainly didn't inherit my mom's green thumb. 
• You know how some days your kids get along great and some days they fight ALL day long?  Today is a fighting day, and it's about to make me lose my religion!  I swear I've broken up at least 32 fights today.  Such is life I guess.
• I had to crawl under my bed to get my glasses that Henry knocked over behind the bed yesterday.  What did I find under there?  The bathroom curtain.  How completely random!  I had taken it down to wash and just figured it was buried in a pile of laundry somewhere.  Nope, it's been under my bed.  Honestly, you just never know with kids.  I am constantly surprised at what I find.  The washing machine is always an interesting spot.  I found 1/2 of a hotdog in there recently.  It made it through the whole cycle in tact.  Chapstick and pens are popular washer items for some reason.  I can't figure out how this happens. 
• Henry is completely in the midst of terrible twos.  I have no clue what to do with that boy.  He can be so sweet and so mean at the same time.  I am wondering if he needs the 2 year old preschool program for some socialization.  I do not remember the twins being nearly this bad.  Dustin thinks I just need to work with him more when the twins start school.  We will see!  I think he has always had to be on the defense with the twins around, so now he is big enough to "fight back" and he does!  It's stressful! 
• I am sensing a theme in this post.....it sounds like I have lost control around here-ha!  Some days do feel like that....but that has always been the case with three kids practically the same ages.  If I could go back and space them out more, I still don't think I would though.  I always wanted my kids close in age.  We definitely have that covered!  :-) 
• Strawberry season is over and I'm sad!  We went by the patch today to make sure, and yep, it was over.  We also had to return a basket they let Henry keep last time we picked berries.  He was so proud of his basket with the mostly green berries he picked!  I just love paying for green berries!  :-) 
• I think I have loved strawberry season so much because it fell right in the middle of me doing a diet detox plan.  I recently checked out "The Daniel Plan" from the library, and it was a great book!  I agreed with so many of the ideas and principles in the book.  I wanted to try the detox, and I did for a few days last month.  I did not stick with it long enough to notice huge changes, so I want to do it again for much longer this month.  Basically you just eat meat, fruit, and vegetables.  Foods God made.  You do not eat dairy, which I think is fine to eat, but I will try to cut it out for the sake of the detox temporarily.  I am not a huge fan of the summer milk we get anyway.  The cows eat more rich, fresh grass and so the milk has a stronger taste of that.  I prefer the winter milk myself, so I am cool with cutting back on milk right now.  Anyway, I will have to share how it goes the second time around! 

Well, I am off to change a diaper and clean- just a normal day around here!  :-) 

Change to the Snow Cone Syrup Recipe

Okay, I had not actually TASTED the snow cone syrup, but since I posted it yesterday I decided to taste it.  It was WAAAYYY too sweet!  I decided to cut it in half with water (the entire amount!) and it was still plenty sweet.  I will probably cut it down even more next time I make a batch.  Of course my kids had not complained...but they are kids, what can I say? 

So, you may want to water down the syrup a bit or cut back on the sugar to water ratio.  Play with it, and no matter what I'm sure the kids won't notice the difference! 

Homemade Snow Cone Syrup

It's that time of year again-summer!  It's hot outside and the kids want to cool down with a icy treat.  I was delighted last year to figure out that my beloved Blendtec blender crushes ice so well!  It makes it perfect for snow cones.  Eliminating the need for one of those snow cone machines I almost bought that would probably collect dust most of the year!  I love how many things the Blendtec can do! 
Anyway, my kids love snow cones like the next kid, but I find the syrup to be a little pricey.  It's not like we can all have the same flavor either, because Emilynn wants pink, Carson wants green, Henry doesn't care......
I instead found the perfect solution-homemade syrup!  Honestly, it's not healthy at all, but it is a TREAT, to be used as such (only occasionally!). 

Homemade Snow Cone Syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 pkg. kool-aid (I just chose whatever color would make the kids happy)

Bring the sugar and water to a boil and boil 1 minute.  Mix in 1 pkg. kool-aid.  Cool down and enjoy!

I bought some clear plastic squirt bottles from Walmart to store this in-they are made for ketchup and condiments I think, but work great for all sorts of things and only cost 50 Cents or $1 each. 

I am going to store ours in the fridge I think. 

Again, not healthy but good for an occasional treat!

If you want a healthier treat- go for a fruit, yogurt smoothie, or a homemade popsicle (the kids love these too but you have to plan ahead for this).  I have even started just freezing 100 % juice in the popsicle molds and the kids still scarf them down.  I may even try diluting it with 1/2 water, 1/2 juice for an even healthier, less sugary treat. 

Enjoy and stay cool!  :-)

School

Well, this is a post I will admit I've put off a few times.  I am sure everyone has heard me mention the twins going to school in the fall, but I also talk about homeschool a lot too.  I figured I needed to clear up all of the confusion.    The topic of school is quite controversial, from many angles.  Our local paper is constantly having articles about teacher's pay, SOL test scores, etc. etc.  When you talk to people in person, there is definitely a divide between those who choose to homeschool, utilize the public school system, or prefer private school. 
First and foremost, I must say that my opinions are just that, MY opinions.  I respect other people's opinions and choices as well, because you must do what is right for your own family, and really for each child individually within the family.  

As a background, I will start by saying that Dustin went to public school for all of his school years.  He also went to a special school specifically for lineman.  I went to private school for all of my school years.  Then I went to a very large public university for my college years.  Like 25,000 people large.  I wanted to be a number, and I was. 

For our children, we began homeschool last fall because they were ready.  They needed to start their education.  I was very excited and the kids did great with learning and listening to me (I wasn't sure how that would go).  It was very rewarding to see how much they learned and how eager they were to learn.  I use the past tense because we are no longer homeschooling.  After the first "semester" if you will....Dustin and I talked about the next year's schooling.  I enjoyed homeschooling and was willing to keep trying it.  Dustin really wanted the children in a more traditional school setting with other children.  We decided to tour a few schools and make a decision from there.  After much prayer and discussion, we have chosen a small, private school for our children.  It is not the private school I went to, although we did tour that one.  I have to say I wrestled with our decision for months, and now that we have made the decision, I am at peace.  I know it is the right decision for our family at this time.  Am I saying it won't change in the future?  Nope, I'm not.  We will take it year by year and I know that things change, seasons change.  If we need to make changes, we are open to that as well.  I know homeschool worked and that I can do it, so that is always an option.  I worry more about Carson at school than Emilynn, so we will see how that goes.  As for the homeschool, I stopped at the end of last year because I really wanted the kids to just get to be kids since they would be starting school this fall and have at least 14 years of school ahead, not counting college!  Of course, we still do their preschool workbooks when they ask, and we do little craft projects and other science-y stuff like our butterfly experiment.  I truly believe education can happen anywhere, and should happen everywhere....so that is our motto around here!  The difference has been I have let them kind of lead the process since the beginning of the year.  They will ask to do their workbooks, so we do them.  Other days they don't ask and just play all day.  It works for now. 
Now, how do the twins feel about school?  They are excited for sure!  Carson has even gotten excited, and I am really looking forward to it for them.  It will definitely be different, having just Henry home with me during the day.  It will also be different getting up early!!!  Today, the first child woke up at 9:06.  School starts at 8, promptly!  Yes, we have some adjustments to make for sure!!! 
I have found that the kids' schooling is something I am asked about ALL the time....so here are a few of the most frequently asked questions. 

1.  Where are the kids going to school?
As I have said, we have chosen a small, private school.  It is 15 minutes from the house.

2.  Why are they not going to the public school? 
Well, this is probably the most controversial part of school discussions.  Public versus private.  My husband really wanted the kids in private school.  I did as well.  Mainly, we wanted a religious based school, where Christianity is not only allowed, but taught.  I have a real issue with God not being allowed at school.  I am not thrilled about sending the kids somewhere he's not allowed.  I know some say that the children can be a good influence and show others Christ.  I know my 4 year olds are just learning about Christ and are not secure enough to witness to others.  They are very easily influenced and so I want them in an environment that supports our beliefs.   Dustin and I both feel strongly about this, but again, it is OUR beliefs.  I respect everyone's decisions as far as what is right for them. 
Also, we really wanted small numbers for our kids.  The class they will be in for next year has 8 in it right now.  I think it is super-important for my kids' personalities.  Emilynn requires a lot of attention and she WILL get it, in a positive or negative way.  It's just her make-up.  I prefer a small class where she can hopefully get the attention she needs.  Carson is quiet and reserved and in large situations he retreats.  It is my hope a smaller class will help bring him out a bit and allow him to thrive in a nurturing environment where he feels safe.

3. Are they riding the bus?
Nope, I am taking them.  The bus comes through our way super-early...like in the 6 o'clock hour.  Too early in our opinion!  Also, we are a tad bit funny about others driving our kids.  I may or may not have followed my father-in-law to the next town when he drove Carson for the first time.  Yep, I have relaxed a bit since then!  In fact, my cousin works right near the school, and lives 5 minutes from us.  She may end up taking the kids some mornings once we get a routine established which would thrill the kids to no end!  They love her. 

4.  They are just in preschool???!!!???
Yes, they are.  They just turned 4 in December.  Although they may seem ready for Kindergarten, they do not qualify to go until next year.  In fact, we are starting preschool with a 3 day program to get us transitioned into school.  I think mostly I need the help with this.  I am quite nervous about leaving my babies all day!!! 

5.   So it's all day?
It is an all day program.  8 am to 2:50 pm.  They will have a nap at school as well.  The school does not do a half day program.   It actually will work better I think because I can come home and get stuff done around the house in the meantime. 

6.  Isn't that super-expensive?  
Yes, private school is expensive, but not unaffordable in my opinion.  We are willing to pay for the benefits right now.  I say, don't assume you can't afford it until you check into it.  The school we have chosen will let you pay monthly, or all at once.  Some private schools also offer scholarships to help families pay.  I feel like it is all about priorities and where you choose to spend your money.  This is something we are choosing to invest in because it's important to us.  I don't know what else to say on this except it's a personal choice.

7.   Will they be in the same class? 
Yes, they will.  Especially now with it being their first school experience.  In the future, who knows?  We may split, we may not.  I've heard lots of opinions from both sides from different twin moms.  I feel like with a girl and boy they will have different friends within the same class anyway, so it probably won't be as big of an issue but we will certainly take it year by year. 

And for the most asked question I've gotten lately......

8.  Are you going back to work when the twins start school?
This question baffles me a bit because I'm not sure why the sudden interest in my employment.  I'm not sure if people are concerned about our finances, or just nosey...?  I honestly think I'm going to start asking, "Why did you need to know?"  I mean, maybe they have a job prospect for me or something in mind???  At any rate, the answer for now is no.  It is not in the plan for the upcoming year.  I can't speak for too far in the future, but I will at least be home until Henry is in school.  We feel like he deserves having Momma at home just like Carson and Emilynn have had Momma at home the past 4 years.  Also, our plan is for me to go on any field trips that pop up and I will be the one that needs to pick them up if they get sick at school or anything like that.  Soooo.....If I ever DO go back to work, it will have to be something extremely flexible that Dustin and I decide will work for our family.  Our family and kids will have to come first always. 

I think that is all of the questions about school and the twins.  If I missed anything, I'm sure someone will ask-ha! 
I also forgot to mention that Cousin Morgan will be in preschool at the same school.  Emilynn, especially, is VERY excited about this!!! 

As for now, we are excited and nervous about the start of school.  It will definitely be harder on this Momma than the kids I'm sure.  I am excited about having some individual time with Henry though and also getting more done around the house that constantly is neglected with 3 kids underfoot.  I also sometimes drive my grandparents to doctor's visits, so there is plenty to keep me busy and keep my mind off the fact that my babies are growing up.  :-)  It is a new season we are entering that's for sure!

What's going on in our neck of the woods.....

I finally had a small snippet of time today to update the blog, and wouldn't you know, blogger would not let me sign on for the longest time......so I have a short window of time now to update on two weeks worth of activity.  Oh well, such is life! 

This is recital week for us, which means a little craziness, but not too bad.  It's Emmy's 3rd year in dance, so we know the drill and just go with the flow.  Tonight is her run-thru, which means I have to have everyone fed and she and I will need to leave promptly at 4:45 to make it on time.  I also need to bathe her because in the summer, sand seems to be the best hair accessory around here.  I am not sure why....?  Yes, I have lots to do.  And you thought stay at home moms ate bon bons all day, right?  :-)  Haha.   Just to keep it more real, I will share that there are 6 loads of clean clothes waiting to be folded on my dining room table, and probably 5 more to wash.  In case anyone was feeling bad about being behind on their laundry, dishes, or whatever.  It will get done eventually I suppose. 

Our butterfly project is wrapping up, we have 3 butterflies that "hatched" or emerged or whatever you wish to call it.  I don't know how long we'll keep them before we release them.  They only live 2-4 weeks, so I hope we let them go soon.  The kids seem to think we will be able to catch them once we release them....so I'm working on explaining how it's going to go down.  I've explained it at least 5 times already but I'm not sure they understand the permanence of letting them go.  I have been keeping pictures of the process to share. 

Strawberry season is in and we are loving it around here.  I am embarrassed at how much I end up spending at the strawberry patch each year.  They are just so delicious and it's the only time of year we eat them fresh.  I need to get more to freeze for smoothies, and decide if we need any jam made.  I think I am good from last year, but might make some for gifts.  I like receiving homemade gifts, so I like to give homemade gifts.  I do not know if anyone else likes it, but no one complains anyway! 

I had a nice Mother's Day, and I got a nap in which makes me happy.  We celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday that day, so we got to visit almost all of the mothers and grandmothers at once.  It was nice. 

Yesterday, I ended up watching my nephew for two hours, with my kids at my grandma's house.  I figured I could do anything for 2 hours, right?   Right!  Weeelllll......I don't know!  Ha!  I loved having extra time with him, but I don't know if my grandma loved it.  When she got home Henry had gotten scissors and put a hole in the pack 'n play.  Yikes!  I was actually changing the baby's diapers and concentrating on that, when I looked over and saw him going at the pack 'n play like he was trimming shrubs.  That was the only mishap that I am aware of!  Ha!  Four kids does seem like a lot more than 3!  I did enjoy keeping him though.  It was fun. 

Well, I'm off to cook spaghetti and get ready for dance.  Emilynn loves dancing on the "big stage" and I enjoy the run-thru.  I get to see all the classes' dances for the first time, and spend one on one time with my girl.  I love spending individual time with the kids, I think it is so important for them and us. 

Weekly Ramblings....

• Everyday I have thought about getting on the computer, and everyday I haven't felt like it!  I just like being unplugged most of the time.  Give me a good book and I'm happy!  I have read 2 books this week already and am working on a third. 
• Speaking of books, storytime is back up and running at the library!  Yay!  It is on Mondays now at 10:30.  We went Monday for the first time, and it was really fun.  The kids acted up a little, I think they were breaking in the new lady.  Hopefully next week will be better. 
• I am tired of the storms we've been having!  Thankfully the kids are able to be outside today, which makes things so much easier on me and them.  I can get more cleaning done, and they can get energy out. 
• I am taking the twins tonight to see Rio 2.  They are so excited!  They love the theatre!  I am not trying to make Henry sit through it, it is hard for him.  It would probably be better if there weren't so many previews!  It is nice to have an outing with just the "big kids" though.  And I think Amanda and cousin Hunter are joining us.  Fun! 
• Our butterfly kit is so cool!  They have finally built their "cocoons" and are now making the transformation to butterflies.  I can't wait till they emerge.  I have taken pictures, I will try to post the different stages. The kids have done great with not touching and moving the containers. 
• I think I have been trying to recover this week from last week.  We ran around all week and then worked most of Saturday till the early hours Sunday on our big fundraiser for a gentleman who has cancer in our community.  We raised over $8500!  It is amazing what a small community can do when it works together!  
• My mom and I have been cleaning today, we scrubbed our master bathroom from top to bottom.  It definitely needed it.  She loves a cleaning project!  And I love the help, and need it!  Next up is my bedroom-it is a disaster as it was the holding area for all Christmas gifts, and is the dumping grounds for anything we don't want the kids to get into.  I really want to re-do it and paint it an aqua color.  I have a relaxing space in my mind....we'll see how long the transformation takes....probably 2 years at least!  We did take 2 huge trash bags of toys out of the living room, and the kids did not even fuss and haven't missed them.  They haven't asked for a single item which has surprised me.  I guess I will go through the bags (they are in my dreaded storage shed right now) and yard sale what we don't need.  I do like to keep stuff like that to rotate toys.  It keeps things interesting for the kids.  I think we will definitely cut back on Christmas this year....it is just overwhelming to me and the kids!   
• My nephew is turning a year old next week.  You know what that means- cake!  I have to make a Mickey Mouse birthday cake and a Mickey smash cake.  We also have 3 parties next Saturday.  It should be a crazy, busy day! 
• Dance pictures are tomorrow, one more thing checked off the end of the year to-do list for dance.  I have to order tickets for recital (they are online this year-very high tech!), and the DVD.  We end up watching the DVD over, and over, and over!  We end up spending a lot of money at the end of the dance year!  It is definitely an expensive activity at times!  Emilynn seems to love it though.  We'll see about next year when we add pre-school to the mix! 

Well, I have a table full of laundry that needs folding....and there is always something to do around here! 

A chicken mystery...

After a long day of all the regular stuff we do around here, plus I DID go to that ballgame I wanted to see....I went to shut my chicken coop last night.  It was already completely dark because we had to repair a flat tire I had when I got home from previously mentioned ball game.  Yep, that's what I get for taking time out for me-ha!  The devil surely does not want me to do that apparently.  Anyway, as I walked to the coop, I noticed chickens were roosting on the dog pen-again.  I have worked SO HARD to get the chickens all back in the coop at night and merging the old chickens with the new ones.  Finally, it's been working great.  Then last night, all was amiss.  I found another chicken in the shed where I keep the food for them.  A third was in the pet carrier I use to bring new chickens home.  Weird.  I get to the pen and lo and behold, it's already closed.  Hmmm....how did THAT happen?  One chicken was inside.  I immediately asked if anyone knew what was going on, and Emilynn pipes up and says she shut the pen earlier in the day.  I will admit, I got a teensy bit upset about that.  I felt like all my hard work was down the tubes.  I am hoping tonight they will all go back in the pen like normal.  Sigh.  So.....we spent the next 30 minutes finding all the chickens.  Dustin held the light and I plucked them up one by one from their roosting spots and put them back in the coop where they would be safe.  Some had gone in the woods to roost.  Luckily, most of them don't mind me holding them and handling them.  We finally got all of them up, got the kids bathed and in bed, and I collapsed in bed myself.  I had to laugh at what a sight it must have been, us running around the yard searching and grabbing chickens.  I surely should have worn the shirt Meme was kind enough to pick up for me for my birthday last fall......

Yep, that's me!!!

Monday Musings

• Easter was great-it was beautiful weather, and a laid-back day full of family and fun!  The kids had a blast playing all the "egg games" as they called them.  I have pictures to upload, which I hope to get done this week!  I am very behind on posting pictures!!! 
• The caterpillar to butterfly kit is so neat!  It came Friday and the kids are loving it.  A very good homeschool project and educational project for anyone!  I am going to try to document the transformation in pictures.  So far there are 6 caterpillars in the jar, just walking around and eating.  They should build their "cocoons" within the week.  The company we ordered them from also has ladybug kits, worm farms, ant farms, frog kits, and lots more!  I think we may try an ant farm next.  You know I love anything educational-even if we aren't "officially" homeschooling right now.  Education should happen anywhere and everywhere I think. 
• Emilynn's specialist appointment went better than I thought.  She did great and we are trying a few changed to see if it helps with her stomach. 
• This is shaping up to be a busy week for our family.  Our family (and friends) "BBQ team" is doing a big fundraiser dinner Saturday night for a young man who has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  It is so scary to think one day you are feeling fine, and the next day you have a life-changing diagnosis.  I can't imagine what the family is going through dealing with a cancer diagnosis and a 2 year and newborn.  We must remember these things when we THINK we are having a bad day!   Our week is going to be filled with cleaning, cooking, and serving up a delicious meal.  I really hope we make a LOT of money to help this family.  Nothing makes me happier than serving others.  Truly.  I've been trying to explain to the kids what we are doing this week, as my biggest hope is for them to have a servant's heart, and a giving heart. 
• I have got to start planning Dustin's and my anniversary get-away!  It is so unlike me to be this last minute about it.   (It's in July!).  I know, I have plenty of time, but I do like to plan ahead!  What I am most looking forward to is sleep!  Ha!  I haven't slept a full night in 5 years!  Yes, it is impossible to sleep all night when pregnant with twins. 
• I cannot believe I haven't been to the first ball game this spring!  I have 2 sisters playing, 2 nephews playing, and 2 nieces playing and I haven't seen the first ball game.  So unlike me!  I hope to get to a game this week, maybe even today! 

Well, I am off to go run a few errands for different things.  There's always something to do around here!!!!! 

Monday Musings

• Spring seems to have officially sprung around here, although I think a few colder days may be in store this week.  We have our garden plowed up, it needs to be tilled up and it will be ready to plant!  I am excited to have the garden going again, and the kids absolutely love it.  It's a great learning experience and I think all kids should know where their food comes from, whether it's veggies or meat or anything else-and I don't mean that it's from "the store"!  :-)  I think you could grow a few things in even the tiniest of spaces. 
• We attended an egg hunt at a friend's house Saturday.  It was so much fun!  The eggs were filled with so much fun stuff that wasn't candy.  We got tattoos, lip gloss, stickers, putty, and even fishing lures! 
• My mom and dad both have birthdays this week!  Dustin's cousin is also getting married.  It's going to be a busy week!  Lots of fun things going on!
• Emilynn has her first specialist appointment this week with the pediatric gastroenterologist.  I am really hopeful this is another part of the process of finding answers to her stomach issues.  I will post updates and more details on her problems soon.  I do know that she will probably have an endoscopy and possibly colonoscopy to see what's going on.  We have already ruled out celiac disease and a few other things. 
• We found 24 eggs under our front porch!  We finally found where one chicken was laying!  I hated to waste all those eggs but it was no telling how long they had been under there.  Come to think of it, I should have saved them for our annual family egg toss!  Darn! 
• I am ordering butterflies today.  I bought a butterfly "kit" thing and now we need the caterpillars.  I thought it would be a great homeschool project, and the kids have been asking since winter if it was time to order them.  Carson is probably the most excited, he loves bugs and stuff like that. 
• Speaking of spring, one of our hummingbirds is back!  I have to make some food for him-it is on my to-do list this week.  It is SO easy to make your own food for them, it is just a simple syrup with sugar and water.  I DO NOT add the red dye to it, and they gobble it up just fine.  I can't imagine what the red dye does to their little bodies, when I know what it does to our bigger ones.  I will post the recipe when I make it.  I got a $2 feeder from the dollar store, so it's a very cheap, fun project to have!  The kids love looking for them to come eat and watching them. 
• And speaking of homemade, making lip balm is also on my list to make in the next few weeks.  I have beeswax I ordered, so I will have to post the recipe if it turns out okay.  I love Burt's Bees lip balm, so I'm hoping it's similar. 
• Swim class was great Friday.  The boys really did good!  The teacher and I were wondering what happened to the boys!  Carson was much more comfortable in the water and kept doing things to show off for Ms. Elise, the teacher.  Henry was floating all around in his puddle jumper, kicking his little feet.  He is going to be a fish like Emmy.  There was so much confusion with the pool being broke for so long that the teacher is giving us an extra lesson for free this time.  That makes me happy!  Ms. Elise and the Y are great!  (In case you missed me saying that 5 dozen other times! Ha!) 
• The kids and I have been walking every morning for a week now.  It feels good to exercise and gives me so much more energy.  I have learned I have to do it first thing in the morning, and I WILL be interrupted at least 32 times.  Invariably someone will need more drink or something as I'm going along.  I basically just walk up and down our driveway until I am tired and that's that.  I only walk a short portion of the driveway, where I can see the kids the whole time if they decide to play instead of walk.  I am hoping it will help on the road to losing weight, but also showing the kids an example of an active lifestyle.  They are not sit in the house, play video games kids or anything by any means, but I think it's good to exercise and be active as a family.  After a long winter, it's nice to be back in the swing of working out.  As far as weight loss, I know that will be a slow process, as we choose to eat real, whole foods versus the low fat options on the market.  I just really feel we should eat food as God intended, not the new options that are made in a laboratory somewhere to mimic things like butter, milk, meat, etc.   My goal is to just eat less of those yummy, real foods.  We also need to work on not eating out so much as that seems to happen more these days as we get busier and busier. 
• Speaking of eating out, we went to our favorite Mexican place after church and did not need a highchair.  Henry wanted to sit like a big boy.  I was a little sad as we hit another "milestone".  He is growing up too fast for this Momma!  He even pooped in the potty last week!  One another note-Carson would probably still sit in the highchair if we let him!  Ha!  Kids are all so individual and different.  It's neat to see the different personalities develop.  Just in the last few months Carson has come out of his shell big time.  He is just less stressed really, he worries less about every little thing and just seems to be having more fun.  He is looking forward to school in the fall and he even spent the night away from home for the first time recently.  Big changes in my oldest boy! 

Well, I just wanted to do a quick update, and I am off to order butterflies, do laundry, and all of the
other things that pop up around here! 

Random updates...

• This is the first time I've been on the computer since last week!  I just don't have much free time if I do what I need to do (i.e. laundry, dishes, cleaning the house....etc.etc.!). 
• The kids and I have been exercising every morning this week and I hope its the start of a new routine for us.  They could actually play while I walk, but they usually like to walk too.  We seem to be more productive when we start the day this way. 
• Tumbling class is good.  Emilynn is the only one who wants to do it after the first class.  We've been twice.  She does pretty well at it.  I don't know if we'll keep it up because I don't like another night with an activity!  Swimming is during the day which is nice. 
• Speaking of swimming, we are back in the full swing of lessons.  My fingers are crossed that the pool will stay fixed! 
• Dance is winding down, with recital in a month.  We got our costume (it's so cute!) and all of the other stuff we need for recital.  We will enjoy a break this summer from dance.  I think Emmy will do it again in the fall, but that has not been determined!  She says no sometimes, yes others.  We'll see.  It will be on Mondays in the fall, which will be a change for us. 
• We are loving the warm weather!  The kids are outside most all of the day.  It helps keep the house cleaner and I think just puts everyone in a better mood.  We are not stuck inside on top of each other. 
• Our new chickens are laying great!  We are back in eggs which makes me so happy.  I was worried once we let them out to roam that it would mess up our egg situation, with the "old" chickens not wanting to roost in the coop.  It has been ok so far.  5 sleep in the coop, 3 sleep on the dog pen.  Whatever works! 
• I will post the homemade shampoo recipe soon-I am giving it mixed reviews.  As with most "natural" products, I think it takes some getting used to! 
• The kids' backpacks came this week-they are so cute!  They are so thrilled with them!  Next, I need to order lunch boxes. 

Well, I am off to get stuff done before swim class! 

Weekly Musings (a.k.a. my random thoughts..)

• I have not done well with my 3 posts a week, have I?  It seems as though each time I sit down to blog I get interrupted with all the various things that go on around here.....someone peed on the bathroom floor, someone turned on the water hose outside, Henry's in the fridge...etc.etc.  I wonder if anyone reads the blog much, but when I don't post I have so many people come up and tell me they miss reading posts. 
• We are loving the springtime weather around here!  It has been so nice to be outside pretty much all day and has definitely been a mood lifter around here! 
• I have gotten back into hanging out laundry with this weather!  Is there anything prettier than a line of clothes blowing in the breeze?  The kids are all about helping me hang laundry and they check it a thousand times to see if it's dry yet.  I love clothes fresh off the line.  And why pay to dry them when the sun will do it for free?  :-) 
• We are starting a new thing tonight- tumbling.  They've been asking forever to do it, so I was excited to try it.  I thought it would be something they could all do together.  I went to sign them up last week, and....well, no one wanted to do it but Emmy.  My boys are such little home-bodies.  We will see if they change their minds after we go tonight.  I love that it is so casual and very inexpensive.  You can go on Thursday and Saturday, or just one.....or both.  You don't have to even say which you are doing, you just go with what suits that week. 
  Dustin looked at me like I was nuts when I said we were doing another activity.  I admit it's a bit crazy.  But, if it doesn't work we won't do it in May!  He was just thankful I didn't want to do t-ball.  We are both still traumatized from soccer.  We are done with team sports for a while!  I can't imagine getting my kids to stand on the field waiting for 10 others to bat.  It sounds like torture for me-ha! 
• Dance is going to be wrapping up next month, so I guess we will have a big break from that, and just stick with swimming and tumbling if it goes well.  I have no idea if Emmy will do it in the fall.  I say she probably will want to, but right now she says no!  I think she is ready for a break from it.  She will get a trophy this year cause it's her third year, so I guess it would be a good stopping point if she chooses to stop. 
• We are back in the egg business!  We got 4 more laying girls on Sunday after church.  Now, we are back up to 8 and yesterday we got 7 eggs!  They are all in the coop until the new chickens get used to our place....for about a week.  I hope the "old" girls will get back into the coop at night.  It is crazy with chickens roosting everywhere!  We have had some traditional egg hunts around here-trying to figure out where the chickens were laying.  We had one that layed an egg in the back in Dustin's truck! 
• I found the cutest backpacks for the kids and ordered them this morning.  They are really excited about them!  Carson's is a print with tractors, dump trucks, and all things that "go".  Emmy's is a horse.  It's like an actual horse (Stephen Joseph brand-they are the cutest ones!).  I wanted something not too "trendy" for their first year.....I knew if we went to the store they would choose Disney princess and Cars or Toy Story.  I don't know why, I just wanted something different!  I am excited to see how they turn out with their names on them! 

Well, I am off to do some cleaning......my most frequent past time!  Ha!  I read a quote somewhere that said something like...."Trying to clean while your kids are still growing is like trying to shovel the walk while it's still snowing."  So true!! 

A Day in the Life....

I've seen these on other blogs and thought they were interesting to read.   So, here goes.  This is how our day yesterday (Wednesday) went down..


7:20 a.m.- Henry woke me up.  He says, "Boo Boo's here Mom.  Door is locked."  I thought it was strange but got up to check and as I thought, no one was here!  That stinker.  I guess Mom visits us so much he just expects it. 
 Henry and I snuggle on the couch with his bottle and blankie and watch some Max & Ruby. 

8:00 a.m.-Twins wake up.  I dress everyone for the day and give Emilynn her stomach meds. 
8:30 a.m.-Breakfast.  Cheese and grapes-kids' pick. 

9:30 a.m.- I put a show on for the kids (the "rat movie"-Ratatouille) while I try to grab a shower.  I am interrupted by all 3 kids, and Mom calls while I'm in the shower, so Emmy brought me the phone in the shower.  Nice.  She actually pulled back the curtain and stuck the phone in.  A shower by myself is a luxury these days! 

11:00 a.m.- We are finally all dressed and ready to head out to run some errands and collect stew money from stew we sold over the weekend for Dustin's Dad's church.  I load everyone up in the car, get the movie going, and realize I left my cell phone behind.  I hop out and go to grab the spare house key and get it so I don't have to turn the movie and car off.  The spare key's not there.  I go back to the car and ask the kids if they know what happened.  Emilynn says she buried it so they could look for it like buried treasure.  Like on Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  Sigh.  I get her out the car to show me where....she can't find them.  I rebuckle her and cut the car off, grab the phone, and we are finally off. 

We drop a paper off at my cousin's house in town, then head to my sister's work to drop off a book order and some clothes for my nephew.  As it turns out, my mom, step-mom, and sister are all there so we have an impromptu meeting about a benefit dinner we are having next month for a man in our community who just got diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  My mom collected $300 that morning to help with the dinner!  Our community is awesome! 

12:15 p.m.-I finally get to my grandma's.  She wanted to do lunch, which I thought meant take out.  Nope, she wanted to go to a restaurant.  We gave the kids a talk about what we expected of them, my mom joined us, and off we headed.  The kids were great in the restaurant!  They ate a ton of food and got ice cream cones with my grandma.  It was really enjoyable and fun! 

2:15 p.m.-We are back at Nanny's and we visit/play for a bit.  Then we head home because Wednesday is dance night.

3:15 p.m.-We get home and visit my father-in-law and uncle-in-law for a few minutes, then play outside until Dustin gets home.  I work a while in my storage shed while the kids play.  It's in a perpetual state of chaos, so there is always stuff to do in there.  I also collected all the trash from the house and car so it was ready for Dustin to throw in the truck when he got home. 

4:30 p.m.- D is home and I get ready to start dinner.  Carson asks if we can get Happy Meals for dinner since we are going to dance.  I decide to scrap dinner plans and instead clean out the fridge while the kids play with Daddy. 

5:30 p.m.- The mad dash begins to get everyone out the door for dance.  Yes, the whole family goes. That's pretty much how my family has always been, if someone has something, the whole entire gang shows up.  It's just how we roll around here.  We arrive with 3 minutes to spare. Success! 
I drop Emmy off, talk to a few moms, then head out to grab dinner and run more errands with the guys. 

6:15 -7:15 p.m.- Dance.  We head to Rite Aid, Food Lion, McDonald's, and Subway.  We have just enough time to eat dinner, then I pick Emmy back up from dance. 

8:00 p.m.- We leave dance.  We always stay after and talk to Dustin's Cousin's wife.   Their little girl is in class with Em and they are good friends.  So cute!  I'm glad Emmy has a few girls to play with, she is surrounded by boys around here! 

8:15 p.m.- We are home after pulling over once on the way home to adjust a seatbelt that was apparently "hurting".  We begin putting PJs and pull-ups on everyone and start bedtime shows.  The kids get 1 show at bedtime. 

During all this I am excited because my stuff I ordered to make homemade shampoo arrived.  I decide to mix it up, and end up having the twins both in the kitchen helping me.  Daddy says he's sticking to his regular suds.  Ha!  I will post the recipe if it's good. 

I also load and start the dishwasher, take clothes out the dryer and re-load it, and gather clothes for another washer load of clothes.  Then I pack Dustin's lunch, and make bedtime cups for everyone.  Oh, and I take my medicine and vitamin. 

9:38 p.m.-  It's finally time to lay everyone down.  I rock Henry and get him down.  Then I lay with the twins.  Carson is not sleepy.  Emmy goes right to sleep.  Carson talks, and talks....and talks.  He finally, finally gives in to sleep about 10:55 p.m.  I hear a rustling next door and wonder if Henry is up.  I head to check and he meets me in the hallway.  I head back to his room and rock him till he's sleep again.  It takes about 10 minutes. 

11:05 p.m.-Head to bed and am met by Carson.  Up again.  The kids are like whack-a-mole.  I get one down and two more pop up.  Some nights they are asleep by 9, some nights are like this. 
Carson and I head to our room for a bit.   Dustin is looking at trucks on the computer, so Carson joins him and I read for a spell. 

12:00 a.m.- Lights out.  Again.  I lay with Carson again in his room.  He finally falls asleep for good. 

12:22 a.m.- I hit the bed and am awake for only about 0.2 seconds.  What an exhausting day! 


A few notes about the day:

• We had approximately 37 bathroom trips throughout the day (or that's what it felt like!), and several diaper changes.
• I never once had a spare moment to get on the computer.  That's why I don't always blog! 
• I normally have to vacuum every single day.  I just didn't have time yesterday.  Nor did we pick up the living room.  Today will be quieter I think so we can get that done. 
• I also actually got to call and make Emilynn's specialist appointment (more on this later).  I've been meaning to do that for over a week now.