Finally!!

T-ball practice started 3 weeks ago. We had our first practice and the last 3 have been canceled due to rain. Thankfully God held back the rain until minutes after practice finished tonight. I was more excited than they were I think.

Jenna decided in the van that she didn't want to play today. That was it. Anyone who knows Jenna personally knows that Jenna is VERY hard headed. So, I tried to play it cool. I didn't push it. I knew if I argued with her she would definitely not do it. We made it to the field and everyone ran out to the coaches. Jenna, however, had other plans. She stood in one spot with her head down in complete pout mode. I left her there by the field and went to sit down. I was secretly wishing for her to pick up her head and joyfully skip onto the field. Knowing that she wasn't going to do that, I would have settled for a grouchy trudge onto the field. After about 10 minutes, she did just that.


Syd hit the ball and ran to get it. When Ethan picked the ball up she proceeded to pull her hat down and scream at the top of her lungs. She was FURIOUS!!!

Notice the ball is behind her! That happened A LOT!!

She wanted nothing to do with practice. She didn't listen, she didn't follow directions, and eventually she had Ethan wanting to quit. I tried to sit back and let the coaches guide, but it wasn't going great. So, I walked to the dugout and talked to them both. Ethan willingly went back out to the field and happily finished practice. Jenna, on the other hand, still wandered around the field and refused to participate. I was so annoyed! Jenna pushes it with any new authority figure. She tries to push it as far as she can. The coaches don't want to tell her what to do. So, she didn't do anything she was supposed to. Ugh! I'm gonna just sit back and try to enjoy it. Even if she never pays a bit of attention.

Ethan wanted that ball. He's getting ready to yell at Syd.

Is It Broken???

Don't you hate when you don't know how serious an illness or injury is? On Friday the 18th I received a phone call at work. It's never good when the school calls. The kids were on a field trip to the Evansville Children's Museum and had stopped at a playground on the way home.

Jenna, our tiniest munchkin of all, fell from nearly the top of the slide. The reason I can't give exact details is because the 6+ teachers/aide's weren't watching. They had to ask the other kids to show them where she was. She was holding and favoring her left arm the entire way home and I needed to meet the bus to check her out.
I wasn't going to do this, but why in the world wouldn't someone have their eye on probably the most dangerous piece of play equipment in the entire park? The kids are ages 3 to 5!! Okay, I got that out of my system.

Anyway, I looked her over and besides a few scratches on her head, nothing was bruised or swollen. I decided to let it go. I couldn't help but wonder if I was making the right decision. Do fractures swell or bruise? I had no idea. So, I called After Hours on Saturday to ask what they thought. They assured me that it could wait until Monday without doing anymore harm. So, I wrapped her arm and iced it. I knew it hurt because she flinched and winced in her sleep when I pushed on it.
By Monday she was pretty much back to normal. Tuesday we met our friends Ashley & Trisha at the playground. Jenna fell when she was getting off the slide and landed on her arm again. After that, I knew I needed to get it checked out.
Wednesday we went down and had it X-rayed. She has a greenline (greenstick) fracture. The plan is to take it easy and pray she doesn't injure it more. We didn't splint it because the Dr. said it should heal fine on its own. Praise God it wasn't more serious. Poor girl!! She was such a trooper!

Riddle of the Day!!!

What do you get when you have three freshly bathed kids...
(Landon not pictured)

Taco Tierra nacho cheese...
Toilet water with squishy bug... AND
Exhausted mommy with throbbing teeth??? (Braces put on 7 hours ago)
One big mess and...

Three little angels all snug in their beds!

The Verdict Is In...

Well, we have been waiting for over a month to get Ethan in to see the Allergy Doctor. Since he was born, he has coughed constantly. He can't run, skip, jump, rough house, or do anything high energy without coughing. The poor guy, every time the weather changes he starts in too. He coughs so hard it hurts. When we got to the doctors office he was a little nervous.

We waited for quite a while, so I gave him my camera to play with. I NEVER give them anything important to me to play with. My phone and camera are absolutely off limits. Since it was just Ethan I wanted to calm his fears so I gave him my sacred camera. He embraced his artistic side and began snapping away. He was such a trooper when they brought the white prongs out and pushed them on his back. It itched and hurt and he didn't shed a tear.


When Dr. White came in we found that Ethan is not allergic to anything inside. Praise God!! The cats can stay! He passed with flying colors on everything but one thing. Outdoor Mold!! The bad news: Outdoor mold is in the air 10 months out of the year. The two months it isn't, January and February, everyone is sick anyway. The good news: Its treatable!! Pulmicort breathing treatment everyday. Bath everyday. Every time he comes inside he has to wash his hands and face. Hopefully he will grow out of it in a year or two.

Dorothy, Lion, Monekys and Giraffe!! Oh My!!

We got home the other day and I was busy making supper when the kids decided to pull out their old costumes out. It was so funny. They had monkeys, a lion, and giraffe. First they practiced their biggest ROARS, followed by their best monkey impersonations.

Princess Dorothy!

Then they proceeded to pull each others tails. That was what they did for the next hour. I have to say, it was nice to fix supper in peace for once.

See Mom! This is how monkeys do!

RRROOOOOOAAARRRRR!!!

Landon's best monkey impersonation.

How do we...

discipline Ethan without breaking his spirit?? That is the long time question we have wrestled with. He is our most difficult and disruptive of the bunch. Rob and I look back to when they were just little babies. He was our best baby. Easily the most laid back and happy.Its funny, I can see the character traits he's inherited from Rob and me. From what I've been told, Rob was a very goofy little boy. He did everything in his power to annoy his sister. He did things like, throw a croquet ball in the air and miss it and knock himself out. He was just GOOFY! Always into something he wasn't supposed to. Ethan is the same way. He doesn't play with things like normal people. He breaks stuff or hurts himself because he doesn't play like a normal kid. He takes toys and causes turmoil and disruption. Ethan is similar to me in his lack of imagination and enjoyment in playing. I didn't like playing pretend or barbies or dolls as a kid. I was more task and goal oriented. Give me a task and I would work on it until I completed it. He is just like that. He doesn't know how to play pretend. Ethan gets bored with toys and activities quickly.

He may not have the knack of playing, but he has been given an ear for music. That is definitely a trait not inherited from myself or Rob. He can hear a song one time and practically have it memorized. He even puts the vibrato in his voice when he sings. I pray he has a good voice when he gets bigger. Every second of his day he has a song going through his head. You know how you hear a song and it drives you crazy because you can't get it out of your head? Ethan can learn anything by music. That is his niche.
So, how do we try to reign in his outbursts and disruption without breaking his spirit? He is in trouble for screaming and yelling songs, teasing and disrupting the other kids. He is ALWAYS in trouble. Its been rough, I feel like he likes getting in trouble.

This week has been particularly bad for Ethan. He was very disruptive and blatantly disobedient. He ran out in the drive-thru at McDonalds, turned around and smiled after being told seconds before to stay on the sidewalk. Stuff like that all the time. So, I made the tough decision to keep him home with Rob and me Friday night instead of letting him go with the others to Grandma and Papaw's house.

We spent the next 24 hours working with him and trying to start a new strategy. We went to Walmart and bought 5 rain gauges. They are the perfect size for pennies. So, now we are earning pennies for any good behavior. We are going to reward pretty much anything good. Once they get pennies up to the 1 they get in a treasure box. Once they fill their gauge up to the 5 they will go to Walmart to pick out a (cheap) toy. Ethan picked up on it right away.

Hopefully this will give him something to work towards. We will see!!

PIZZA!!!

We had a fun filled evening at Sandy's Pizza tonight. Our long time friends Brian, Ashley, and soon to be big sister Trisha met us at our favorite pizza place. We both have been really busy and have looked forward to getting together for a loud, rowdy, but fun time. Any time you get my five little ones together with their best friend Trisha there is bound to be lots of shouting, running, laughing, playing, and loads of fun. Sandy's has buffet on Tuesday nights and kids under 6 eat free. That is right up our alley!

It has been a really cold, dreary, rainy day. The rain has set in and is going to be here until morning I think. I'm hopeful for warmer weather soon! The kids are itching to get out and play.

I can't wait for the time change this weekend. I'm trying to train for a half marathon on April 30th. It gets dark so early we haven't been able to do much running outside. With the time change we will have another hour of daylight to get in some miles.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I haven't taken any pictures lately. I hate to post without pictures. That's partly the reason I haven't posted lately. I kept telling myself to take the camera with me so I can snap some here or there. So, I decided to go ahead and post anyway. I promise I will try to get some new ones up soon.

Nothing new really going on. Hopefully we can fit something fun in this weekend that I can report back with.

Have a good week!

Slumber Party!!

So, Thursday night the kids asked to sleep in the living room. I was quick on my feet and told them we would do it on Saturday night. That stopped any objections and got them into bed peacefully.

I momentarily forgot my "little boys and girls" aren't 3 anymore and remember things now. It wasn't long after they returned from grandma & papaw's house Peyton asked if we were going to sleep in the living room. In two seconds the blankets were drug in along with their pillow pets.

We went into the basement and did some wrestling, throwing, jumping, and lots of laughing. After a premier of The Little Mermaid, a childhood favorite of mine, we came upstairs for jammies. Rob & I hauled the trusty mattress up and the kids piled on. That was it. They haven't moved. Landon is the first and only one asleep so far. It's been a great night!

If I could have one more moment...

I would give you one more kiss!! I would tell you how much I love you!! I would grab you up in my arms and squeeze you until you begged for air!! Isn't that what we all say about the passing time?

Today I didn't feel the way I thought I would feel. Sunday was the day of total celebration. The day we all came together to have a huge party and show the kids just how much we love them. I had planned on today being somewhat similar. I wanted to make it as special as I could.

When I woke up I found myself lacking in enthusiasm and excitement. Of course I masked all of my feelings and put on the biggest smile and woke all of them up with a big Happy Birthday!! They popped up and were happy to have another day dedicated to them. As I got them settled in with cups of cereal and Mickey Mouse Club House I went to finish getting ready.

All morning my mind drifted to the moments just before their birth up through their first few months. I ended up meandering downstairs and looking through their scrapbooks. I was looking for something. Something that reminds me in the most intense way of just how blessed we are. I wanted to find their diapers. These diapers aren't just any diapers. They are the diapers they wore right after they were born. I pulled one out and just held it. I remember the day they were born like it just happened. I could retell the evening just as though it were moments ago. It is forever etched in my mind and heart. The day our lives were changed forever.

(This is my MP3 player. Pictures just don't do it justice)

I carried the diaper with me all day. I took it to work with me and throughout the day I picked it up and just held it. I don't know...it is weird. I wanted to go back in time. Just for those couple of hours when they were born. So I could have those moments back and know what I know now. That way I could hold them without fear of losing them. I would tell them all the plans I had for them and all the adventures they would have together. I would take every second I had to will them to fight. Instead, I look back and see a frightened mommy who was trying to be strong. I wasn't pushing them to fight, I was preparing myself for loss. Instead of being their rock, I was protecting myself.

Today did not feel the way I had hoped it would feel. No, it was full of memories and moments I will never get back. I put on a happy face and made the evening fun for the kids, but inside I wanted to go back in time and relive every moment I could. I wish I could rattle off all the funny things they have done over the past 4 years. There are so many moments I wish I could relive. I don't want to do it all over again. The good Lord knows I definitely don't want anymore kids:), but I have this panic of forgetting. You know how over time the emotion fades and the memories we once treasured are gone? That is what I fear.

This day was bitter sweet. I can't tell you how excited I am to go places and watch the kids take in the world as they see it. At the same time, I realize time is passing so quickly. It is like watching the sunset and seeing the very last ray fall below the horizon. The days of diapers and cribs and bibs are gone. The last few glimpses of my little babies are quickly fading. I am scared to blink for fear that they will be gone and I will have missed it.

Today was a good day. It was a day of celebration and reminiscing. I embraced it fully and am so glad I have this blog to remind me of just how blessed I am.

Sweets, treats, & candy galore A tasty celebration as Ethan, Peyton, Landon, Jenna, & Sydney turn 4!

Today was party day!! The countdown was over, anticipation was at its max, they have been waiting for this day for at least a month. We went to church this morning and rushed home to start decorating. Thankfully my sister and brother-in-law came by early to help decorate. Nikki was a lifesaver too. She locked herself in a room and wrapped presents while I finished setting up the cake stuff. Seriously, we would have been in trouble if we hadn't had help. Thank you!!!


My Aunt Jody and I made the cake balls. They were lions, tigers, frogs, butterflies, and flowers. They were a HUGE hit!! Thanks Jody for all the hard work you put in to help with those!


Once people started to arrive things got busy!! We sang happy birthday and after cake and ice cream the kids scattered outside. The Lord decided to give us a birthday present too! Warmer Sunny Weather!! You can't ask for anything better when you have as many people as we had in our house. The doors were open and everyone could meander about.

We quickly transitioned to the presents. I felt bad rushing through them, but people weren't supposed to bring gifts. We had so many we had to keep it moving to get through them all. We love all of our friends and family. They spoil the kids rotten!!Sydney was so excited for the princess dress up stuff she got. The girl so so animated!! Landon is more subdued. He wanted to open the cards and look at everything. Peyton was thrilled to get a cape, pirate hat and sword from Grandma Shannon and Papaw Tony. He has wanted one since before Christmas. He didn't take it off the entire night.

Jenna had to put everything on that she opened. She had her cape, hat, and ball glove on!
My fingers are raw from ripping boxes and twisting wires to get things out. It was an awesome day! Oh yeah, they also got a trampoline from Grandma Esther, Papaw Bob, Aunt Mel & Uncle Shawn. See what I mean about being spoiled!!! We got the girls each a barbie, and the boys a remote control car. We also got them each a ball mitt, T, bat, and balls. They can't wait to get outside and start practicing!!

What a great Day!! The only thing that could have made it better was if Papaw Bob could have been here to Celebrate with us!! He is a huge part of the kids lives and they missed him. Next year we will make sure to plan the party on a Saturday. To everyone who came and celebrated this great day with us, Thank You!!! We love you all!!