Super Star & A New Kitchen
Look who is ready for the 4th of July! This year should be fun with her.
And no, we did not do a kitchen remodel! This is the latest hit at our house, found at a garage sale. The babies love it just as much as big sis!
A Day In My Life
Over at Multiples & More, the QOTW is "What is your typical day?"
Well my typical day for most of the year and my typical day for the summer are two different things. During the school year I am by myself a lot. David's coaching responsibilities are time consuming and we miss him, not that I am complaining. The first year we were married he was a high school football coach in Texas, enough said. He has so much more time at home now as a middle school teacher than he did then.
The summer is a different story, especially this summer. He is not working his usual summer conditioning camp this year, so he is home with us most of the time. We will miss the extra cash from him working camp, but my life is much easier with him here.
Back to what our schedule looks like.
7:00-7:30 am - Up and at 'em for the babies. Brooke usually sleeps in longer since she goes to bed later. Make breakfast, get the kids dressed, let them play! Consequentially break up a few spats.
Throughout the day - Multiple diaper changes, wardrobe changes, drink refills and clean up. Many times we will venture out of the house, since there are two of us adults. We don't really have a specific time when we do this, we just usually don't go during baby nap time.
10ish - Twins take a morning nap. Brooke enjoys some uninterrupted time alone with Mommy & Daddy or at play by herself.
12:00 - Lunch for everyone. The twins love to feed themselves and I'm totally okay with that. I just cut up whatever we're all having in about a million pieces with the kitchen shears (those things are great!) Brooke is not the best eater, but I try to get her to eat something at lunch time.
1:00 - Mommy & Brookie have learning time for a few minutes. I think she really likes this special time with me. Daddy entertains K&C.
2:00 - Rest time! K&C down for their afternoon nap, B picks a movie or does whatever she wants quietly in the playroom. Sometimes she will fall asleep.
3:30- 6pm - Can be a crazy time of day. Somewhere in this time, I'll figure out what we will have for dinner & prepare it. Also there is a snack. We try to keep the kids entertained for the rest of the time. Sometimes, okay let's face it - most times, Sesame Street gets involved.
6:00 - Dinner. Always ends in a huge mess, but everyone gets fed and happy. :)
6:45 - Baths, # of kids in bath at once varies.
7:15 - Baby Bedtime Routine
7:30 - Babies in cribs, usually asleep by 7:45
9:00 - Brooke stories, prayers, and in bed -- for the first time anyway. ;)
Sometime after that - I try to get a few things done around the house if I'm not too tired. David & I like to spend time together, even if it's just relaxing with a tv show we both like. I end up staying up later than I should, and prepare to do it all again the next day.
And to answer the rest of the QOTWs...
Do you follow your routine very closely?
Some things I try to keep very consistent, most importantly nap times. The awake times/activities vary from day to day, especially now that David is home and we like to go and do things during the day.
How much help do you have?
Right now I am loving having my husband home. Other than that, with our parents a good distance from us, we don't have much help from day to day. It's not that help is not there if we need it, we just don't call on the people that offer much. My Aunt Beth is close by, and we have some really awesome friends that happily help us when we need it. The grandparents make trips to visit us regularly.
What chores do you do on a daily basis?
I sweep! Several times a day I do this because I don't want the babies picking up any choking hazards like a nickel or something ;). I wipe down eating surfaces, I try to pick up after everyone, I (or David usually) take out the trash bag we seem to fill up every day. I throw the toys that have trickled through the house back in the playroom. I run the dishwasher, and not quite every day I wash clothes.
Do you get any "me" time during the day? What do you do?
I get lots more "me" time in the summer than during the school year. It's nice! "Me" time happens mostly during rest time and after kids' bedtimes. It involves my daily quiet time with God, blogging, facebook, reading a magazine or book, or watching some tv.
What is your favorite part of each day?
I love seeing Claire and Keely light up when I go in to get them up in the morning or from a nap. I love spending one on one time with each of my girls. I love watching the girls interact and be sweet to each other. I love checking the mail with Brooke. I love each and every snuggle, hug, and kiss. I know this time with them is limited and will be gone before I know it, so I do my best to savor all of it before it's gone.
What is your least favorite part of each day?
Hmm...poop! Collective crankiness somewhere between 4 and 6 each day. Whining. Oh the whining!
Are you able to make time for all the things you want/need to do? If you could fit it all in, what would you do?
I don't have a lot of regret at the end of the day. I just try to make the best of the time I have. I know I am far from perfect, but I find joy in each day God gives me. I wouldn't want to change my day. Read more...
Blue Jean Diapers
The babies love getting around in their new blue jean diapers! I thought these were too cute when I saw the commercial for them, and Grammy was so sweet to buy them.
Claire has the blue flower, and Keely has the red.
The Simple Things
The simple things amuse them, such as...
a fan,
a ball,
and a laundry basket.
We don't need much to have fun!
Read more...
Toddlers
BBQ
The Saturday before Father's Day, the girls and I took David out for barbeque. We tried Spring Creek BBQ and we loved it, even me! We wheeled the girls in high chairs through the line and to our seats with our food (and a little help). We were pretty much the only people there so the kids could be their normal noisy selves. :)
Claire above, Keely below
Swim Lesson Success
Guess who completed (certificate and all) her swim lessons?
I thought we might not make it through the end of the week because Monday of week 2 of lessons was looking quite grim. She screamed the whole time, I mean the whole time!
I was ready to throw in the striped beach towel, but David encouraged us to go back for one more try.
He rode along to cheer Brooke along, accompanied by Baby Sisters. The audience support really seemed to help her, and day by day I noticed her being less scared while cautiously picking up each new skill.
I wouldn't say that last day was just perfect. She yelled from the pool to Daddy, "I want to go back to Plano!" and she repeatedly asked Mommy to keep her safe.
But all in all I would call swim lessons a success! The day after they "graduated", Brooke and her buddy Ava celebrated by taking a strictly fun dip in Ava's neigborhood pool. And they loved it!
Skinny Dipper
If you haven't noticed already, many of my June posts involve water and swimsuits. The other day we let the babies join sister in the pool for an impromptu after dinner swim.
Claire let us know right away she was not interested! So I took her inside and dried and dressed her. She was still game for some spectating.
Keely however loved splashing in the pool, swimsuit or no swimsuit. She could have spent all evening in the pool with big sis.
Keely, our naked little jaybird
If she can put her leg up on it she will. She does this in the bath too and it makes me nervous!
Little water tots :)
Happy Father's Day to my Two Favorite Guys!!
Not that Dad reads my blog, but maybe Mom will read it to him.
Dad, I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day!! I feel so blessed to call you my Dad. I could not have a better father in the whole world. Thanks for being such a great dad that I can talk to about anything.
Sweet story about Dad and me: My dad likes to tell this one and it goes something like this... When I was about Brooke's age, Dad would take me to the babysitter's house in the morning, and on the way he would stop at the convenience store and buy me one of those tiny orange juice jugs and some mini powdered donuts. My favorite! Well that was back in the days when you left your kid in the car for a minute when you ran inside. So I waited in the car while an Elton John song played, specifically I Guess That's Why They Call it The Blues.
Soon enough, Dad was back in the car with my OJ and donuts, and I'm sure with a big smile on his face. I smiled back at him and said, "Daddy, I simply love you more than I love life itself." Straight from the song, word for word.
And those lyrics still ring true. I love you Dad with all my heart. I wish I could be there with you on Father's Day!
Love,
Sugar
***********************
The last three or so years, Father's Day has come to mean even more to me. David, you are exactly the father I would wish for my daughters to have. Since I grew up with such a great dad, I know how much it means for my kids to have one too. Loving, patient, kind, genuine, selfless are just a few words to describe you. Thank you for being the spiritual leader of our family. Thanks for being a great husband and friend too!
I hope you have a wonderful day, and I hope you enjoy your barbeque (a special treat since I don't care for it, ha)!
Love,
Kim
************************
The girls really wanted to do something special for Daddy. Below is part of a project they put together for him with a little help. The pictures ended up filling a two-sided frame for his desk. Hope he likes it!
Claire-flower dress; Keely-plaid
6/18/2005
Five years ago today I married one great guy, and every day since I have been so thankful God led us to one another. I knew he was the person I had prayed for all of my life. I wasn't nervous at all that day, just ready to be married to David!
When I look at these pictures it seems like so long ago. I feel so much older than that girl in the pictures, I guess because it has been such an eventful five years!
Thank you David for being the most wonderful husband I could have ever imagined. I love you more than I can put into words.
Then & Now
I usually insist that the girls wear hats if they're going to be outside for more than a couple minutes. So over the last couple of years, we have accumulated quite the collection of hats.
The hat Brooke chose today brought up some memories.
Daddy's Helper
One of Brooke's favorite things to do is help Mommy and Daddy. Naturally she jumped at the chance to help Daddy work in the garage on some weight things for his school.
Yes, she is wearing a blow up toy around her waist. Don't ask.
QOTW - Eating Out
The question of the week over at Multiples & More is "How do you handle taking your multiples out to restaurants?"
There is no doubt we eat out much less than we did before, but it is nice to get out every once in a while. We may get a little emotionally exhausted, but I get to avoid cleaning high chairs and sweeping the dining room for the third or fourth time in a day. After a few dining disasters and lots of learning as we go, I have developed a few strategies in making the most of our dining out experiences.
Our family's general rules for going out to eat with 3 small kids:
1. Pay first, then eat. We generally stay away from any place with a wait staff. That way when someone inevitably has a meltdown, we don't have to wait around for the check while wondering how many people we are annoying. Plus, it's usually cheaper - no worrying about how much tip to leave.
2. Bring the essentials. The must-haves for our family include hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and bibs. Also nice to have on hand are bagged snacks (cheerios, goldfish) and filled sippy cups. By bringing drinks for the kids we avoid spills and offset a little of the cost.
3. Be a team. This is essential, and also the reason I would rarely attempt taking the kids out to eat without my husband. Usually one of us will order and hold a baby, while the other secures a table and two high chairs with the other two kids in tow. David instinctively knows that when he gets up to refill his own drink, that means filling up everyone else's, picking up a stack of napkins and a few more utensils that have surely been dirtied or dropped on the floor. We both seem to have developed either a sixth sense or third eye that allows us to evade spills, falls, and tantrums (most of the time anyway).
4. Kids first. Usually the food is hot when you get it. So the first thing we do when food arrives is start pinching the babies' food into baby bite size pieces and laying it out to cool. Brooke usually doesn't need her food cut up, but we take the food out to let it cool for her. When the kids all have a few minutes of food in front of them, then we can start getting to our own meals.
5. All hands on deck. If we do go to a "nice" restaurant with the girls (meaning there is a waiter involved), we try to make sure the kids do not outnumber the adults. It's amazing how that third set of hands helps.
Now I am sure that you are just dying to go out to eat with us! Read more...
First Autograph
This past week, I started a structured learning time with Brooke that I hope to continue throughout the summer. We spend a few uninterrupted minutes each day focusing on letter and number recognition and letter sounds. I am excited about it since teaching is my thing, and so far we are both having fun!
I am really proud of Brooke! After just a short time, she can write her name. This is a picture of the first time she wrote it all by herself (minus that last "e").
Silly Silly Sisters
Claire and Keely always wake up in a good mood -- always! Brooke went in with Daddy & me to get them up from their nap and they were all three so cute talking to each other, we just put them together in Claire's crib. The simple things that amuse them!
Please excuse the nakedness; it's tough to keep clothes on one of our girls.
Keely's in the middle
Swim Lessons
This week Brooke began swim lessons. So far, so good. It's a "Mommy & Me" type class, so I am with her in the water the whole time.
She goes back and forth between being really excited about swimming and being scared to try some of the new skills.
And to change the subject, we were getting pretty concerned this week for Brooke because we hadn't seen that pesky nickel after a week of its ingestion. Another x-ray Monday showed the coin still in her stomach, so we visited a GI doctor and she recommended some different medicine to move things along. The doctor said if we still didn't see the nickel in another week, she would have to do a procedure to remove it. Thankfully tonight we found the nickel. So hopefully no more x-rays or doctor visits for a while!
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
