The year of the leaf blower

This Christmas I have four healthy, happy, sweet little boys, wearing cute little Christmas Eve outfits to boot. 

I could not want for anything more.  

I've always wanted to learn how to make one of these picture collages ..... but it never seems to work out quite right. Today's attempt is courtesy of photoshop elements, but I think it will take me a while to get the hang of it.... I'm not very computer savvy with these types of things.... anyhoo, a goal for the New Year!

"Please bring me a leaf blower... I've been so good"

Warning: LOT'S of pictures in this post! I use my blog in large part as a container of memories, for myself and especially for my children to one day go through. This year, I got a new lens. Previously I've mostly just used the one that came with my camera so this was really a splurge! It also meant that I was reaching for my camera even more than normal! I couldn't help myself.

Things I'll especially remember this year:

Red Christmas booties.

These booties, along with the chubby little hand reaching for them, remind me that the babies will only be babies for a short time. Next year they'll be almost two when Christmas rolls around and I'm sure, not wearing booties.

Chris and I making a midnight run to Toys r Us the night before Christmas Eve. Chris was driving while eating frosted cookies, not the home baked kind, the kind you impulsively buy while waiting in line at Walmart when you know it's going to be a long night. We ate and laughed about how last minute we were about shopping this year. Those people that completed their shopping the day after Thanksgiving?.... yeah, soooo not us! Not this year, and let's be honest, maybe not ever. Truthfully, we had a blast running through the isles picking out toys for our boys and niece. 

My dad, doing fantastic and getting stronger every day.

Chris, assembling Colin's bike at midnight on Christmas Eve (or I guess Christmas day at that point) because I decided it would be sooo much better for Colin to come downstairs to an assembled bike rather than a bike in a box. He's such a sport!

His and her bikes, one for Colin, one for cousin Macy.

The quiet at the end of the day on Christmas Eve- the kids all in bed, presents assembled just right, the fire just starting to peter out, Christmas music still playing softly. For as long as I can remember, this window of time when everything feels calm and still and lit up by candles and Christmas lights, has been my favorite. 

Colin's joy about everything Christmas this year!

"Look, Santa ate the cookies!!!!"

Watching Colin and Macy enjoy Christmas together. 

These two are so fun to watch.

Christmas morning:

The trips, enjoying the excitement but contained!

Colin got a saw from Aunt Madeline and Uncle Kyle and proceeded to open every gift there after with his saw!

I'll also remember how generous our family and friends were to our boys. They are so blessed by the people in their lives. Some even made them adorable, hand made gifts... you know who you are! 

Thank you. 

Singing "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus. This is an old tradition that got reinstated this year. As the boys grow and get even more excited about all the gifts, I'm finding myself looking for additional ways to help reinforce to the boys what Christmas is really all about. This was one of the things we did this year to help us re-focus after a morning of unwrapping!

And yes, Santa did bring Colin a leaf blower. 

Turns out it's also good at keeping babies at bay. 

Hmmm.... maybe this was his plan all along???

We're 9 months today!

We don't sit long for pictures! 

Mom, you have about 2 seconds and then we're out of here!

We love to chew on just about anything!

We're always looking for interesting stuff to get into and explore!

Case in point, Everett has spotted something he wants....

Now Finn sees it.

Your mommy could not be prouder of each one of you!

Finley Joseph

 Everett Owen

Carter Paige

Christmas 2011

Front

Back


Huge thanks to my sis-in-law Daniela who designed this card for me! Check out her site and blog!

Meanwhile, everyone except Carter and I have the flu- Everett and Finley have fevers and Colin and Chris are throwing up. I myself feel like a ticking time bomb.

When we get through this mini-adventure (man, do I have some stories!), I'll post pictures from Christmas. It was so lovely.

I hope everyone else had a blessed, healthy, Merry Christmas!

The true spirit of Christmas

Remember this post?

I was feeling overwhelmed, tired, bogged down by the every day demands of motherhood. 

I had these beautiful Christmas cards laying in a box, by the door, unaddressed.... and I wasn't sure how I was going to get them addressed and mailed. 

Then a little elf called me and essentially said, "I'm coming by to pick up your box of Christmas cards. E-mail me your address book and I'll address them all."

"Are you SURE???" I asked.

She wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

The next day the elf returned with this:

A stack of stuffed, addressed, even stamped Christmas cards, ready to go and wrapped up in a red bow.

She handed them to me, along with a Starbucks coffee, and went on her way. 

This act of kindness might just be the thing I remember most about Christmas 2012. This elf is busy too and has a lot going in her own life and yet she took time to ease my burden. I felt humbled, appreciative and a deep desire to pay it forward by keeping my eye out for an opportunity to ease someone else's burden. 

This Christmas spirit thing is contagious, in the very best of ways.

***** I'll post a picture of our Christmas card in the next couple days. I love how it turned out, thanks to Momento Design!

Pure magic on the Huckleberry Railroad

This could become a very long story so I'll try and keep it short. The shorter, bulleted version:

• We decided to take all the babies to Crossroads village (about a half hours drive) to ride the Huckleberry Christmas train which travels through the woods passing by Christmas light displays. Never been before but it sounded really nice.

• Did we not learn anything from Zoo Lights?

• We got there, unloaded the kids and all their gear- two were in a double stroller, one was in the moby wrap against me, one in the ergo against Chris. We ran to the ticket booth and got there just in time (we thought) to catch the 5:50 train. 

• The 5:50 train and the 7:30 train were sold out. Only the 8:30 train, the last of the night, was available. Side note: WHY DIDN'T WE CALL AHEAD OR ORDER TICKETS ONLINE?! 

• By this point Colin was beyond excited about this train so I personally was NOT going home without riding the train.

• I suggested that we just "hang out" with all four kids, while we wait (almost 2 1/2 hours). 

• Chris suggested I was crazy. He was right. It was cold, starting to drizzle (why does it always rain whenever we attempt to take the babies out lately?) and our double stroller wasn't fitting through the door frames in the late 19th century quaint village.

• Chris drove the babies home (just to re-cap, so they basically got ready, were driven 30 minutes, were unloaded from the mini-van, were carried/ pushed around briefly in the cold and rain for a few minutes, and were then loaded backup and driven home!) The babies were actually great sports about it. They are such good babies. Life with these boys keeps reminding me to go with the flow. You gotta be able to adapt a plan that isn't working on the fly and not harbor any disappointment.

• Colin, my mom and I stayed and passed the time by walking around the small town in the cold rain and riding the merry go round (the fastest I've EVER seen, seriously) 

The fastest merry go round EVER

Watching and waiting for our turn

Gramma and Colin, passing the time

• When Chris got home, he stayed with the babies and my Dad drove back to join us for the train ride and drive us home after.

•  As we stood on the platform and waited for the train to approach, under my breath I said, "This better be good."

• IT WAS!!!!!!!!!

On the train, waiting to go

• Colin LOVED it! I've never seen him let loose like this. Singing along to the carols, dancing, hugging, smiling, telling us "Merry Christmas", and pointing out the window to the lights. It brought us such joy to watch him.

• My personal favorite memory is when he slung his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into a back and forth sway to the music. Then he turned my face to his and gave me a big kiss. I mean seriously, does it get any better?

• For me, one of the best things about being a parent is getting to experience these sorts of things all over again, through the eyes of your child. Pure magic.

Santa, I want a leaf blower

We made it to Michigan! 

Colin, snuggling his new Elmo, sitting next to my parents tree. Elmo was a Christmas gift brought out early.... hour 3.5 of the car trip to be precise. It was necessary.

I'm thrilled we get to spend the week at my parents house, just relaxing (well, as much as you relax with four boys under three) and enjoying time together. We're the first to arrive and then the house will gradually become busier as Christmas approaches and  my brothers, sister in law and niece arrive too. I can't wait. 

Chris and I took Colin to see Santa today. It was his first time going to sit on Santa's lap ever- in his whole almost 3 years! :). This year, he was all about going, in part out of curiosity to see Santa in person, rather than just in pictures and books. And especially to make sure he knows, Colin wants a leaf blower and a hammer for Christmas!

He was excited AND nervous. 

The look on his face says it all as we wait for our turn.

When it was his turn, he said, "Mommy too" so of course I went. But he did sit on Santa's lap which surprised me. I could tell he REALLY wanted to do it, and to chat with Santa without getting upset.

He held himself together. He mustered up all his bravery, said what he had to say. "Leaf blo- wer, Hammer too please." "Yes, me good"

And then the tears came. 

Pretty sure the thought bubble above his head would say, "I've said what I needed to say. I'm ready to leave."

After our Santa visit the three of us went out to lunch and it was really really nice. I love when we ALL get to hang out (pretty much all we do on the weekends), when I get to spend one on one time with each child and when Chris, Colin and I get some time together. The original three. 

Then I went home, parked my butt in the living room and snuggled the rest of my babies, next to the tree, for the rest of the afternoon. 

Someday they'll grow big

I had such a heart warming conversation with Colin yesterday, while the two of us were driving to a Christmas party.

Me: "So at the party, there's going to be a baby named Quinn. He's just little, like our babies. Except there's only one baby, not three."

Colin: "Only one baby?"

Me: "Yup. Only one."  

This is curious to Colin because of course, he doesn't know any different than his mommy bringing home three babies at once.

He seems to be thinking about this in his car seat, as he looks out the window at the cars going past. I steal glances at him in the rear view mirror.

Me: I hesitate, but end up asking, "Colin, do you like having three baby brothers?"

After the week we've had, I hold my breath.

Colin: "Uh huh, yes" he says softly but with such certainty that I know it is his truth ("Uh huh" is the way Colin says "yes").

Me: "Why?"  I don't expect him to answer but I can't seem to help myself from asking the question.

Colin: "Someday grow big..... and play with me!" He is excited.

Wow. He gets it.

For a second I can't say anything because I'm so darn happy. He gets it. Despite and amongst all the momentary chaos, as we figure out how to safely contain everybody while they play, he gets that someday they're going to grow big and play with him. And he looks forward to playing with his brothers. I can't even remember us talking much about this fact, but maybe we have??? After a week of hearing him yell, "NO!" "Move back!" "THIS GUY's getting my stuff!" and giving a few time outs after the occasional push when a brother has grabbed a toy, it was nice to hear this conversation.

I'm not naive. I know they will fight. They will fight, love each other and always be, brothers. 


There was a long enough pause in the conversation as I thought about his sweet comment, that Colin finally says,

"Mommy, you did not KNOW that?!"

We laughed and drove on to our party.

Sunshine and rainbows?

Not today.

Today I feel overwhelmed, depleted, exhausted.

The Christmas season should be about enjoying time with each other, remembering what we're thankful for, celebrating our faith. And goodness, we have SO much to be thankful for.

And yet, here I am allowing myself to be bogged down by all the little things. The x-mas cards, all piled in a box by the door, just waiting to be addressed and mailed, the gifts not yet purchased or even thought about,  the laundry piled almost to the ceiling in my hallway, the x mas decorations I still haven't finished putting up around the house... that I SO wanted to put out. There are e-mails, texts and calls left still unanswered. There are friends I miss so much but can't seem to find time to catch up with. There are clothes to be organized into piles of give away or keep, swings and bassinets and baby toys piled in the garage that we no longer need and which I want to give away. I just can't seem to find the time to sort it all. There seems to be so much to do and too little time, and more often than not at the end of the day I find that I'm just too tired to get anything else done. 

One of my boys is sick and wants only to be held. I want only to hold him. Thank God for the Ergo carrier. He's asleep in it against my back now. The other two babies are perfectly happy and want nothing more than to figure out how to get at Colin's toys. When they can't, they stand at the baby gate shaking the bars wildly in an effort to break free... and get at Colin's toys. This is all very unnerving to Colin. How could it not be?! 

I am blessed to have extra hands to hold the little ones this afternoon and tonight. It could be an opportunity to start checking things off my list... or at least begin to make a list! And yet all I want to do is sleep, then get up, put on a dress and meet my husband for dinner and drinks downtown- which I also desperately need. 

I'm really hoping people understand, if our x mas cards arrive closer to st. patrick's day, or our gifts are less creative than usual this year, or when I'm really, really late at returning phone calls- or worse, forget to return one... it's nothing personal. I just have four little men crawling all over me and some days feel in a fog. 

Last night I had the opportunity to hang out with a bunch of triplet moms. It was so refreshing to hear from people who have been here. I laughed so hard hearing some of their stories because I could really identify. Like how a week can go by without realizing the kids need a bath. And when I told them that I felt in a bit of a fog this week due to sick babies and my helper being on vacation, they understood exactly what I meant. 

And they assured me the fog will one day lift.

..................

**** For anyone reading this and wondering, "if she's got so much to do then why doesn't she get her 'to do' list done instead of wasting time blogging??" Well, because writing clears my head and clarifies my thoughts and when I get the itch to write, the words spill onto the page in minutes. This post took me about 10 minutes to throw up on the paper. And I feel SO MUCH BETTER! :-) 

AND because I want to document the hard days just as I write about and celebrate the amazing days. Being a parent is not easy and parenting four kids under three challenges me on every level. The truth is, some days are really hard. Some days I feel incompetent. Other days go swimmingly. All part of the deal of motherhood I suppose.

Some pictures from our day together yesterday..... just me and the boys, no Amelie!

Finn and Everett, perhaps on facebook??

Carter, feeling yucky and feverish

a moment of brotherly love between Everett and Colin

and the loving brotherly moment has passed...."Get away from my stuff!!!" is most likely what Colin is screaming.

And yes, we do know what baby gates are,  even use them but our place is pretty small and they aren't always effective because most often Colin wants to be and play where we all are.... making things difficult