April 22nd-28th

(4/22) Work day for Dad & me and Kathy had the kiddos.  Tried a new fish dish tonight that C claimed he wouldn't like because it had spinach on it.  He not only tried it, but liked it, asked for seconds and didn't even need to slather it in tartar sauce.  Win!  J ate it too, but D wouldn't even try it.  He gladly helped with devouring the pineapple we had for dessert, however.

(4/23) I worked in C's classroom this morning and got to make paper mache Easter eggs.  It's after Easter, but the kids don't care. Nanan watched the twins for me until nap time and they slept until it was time to collect C from school. The twins were into *everything* tonight, and at one point D tipped over the big tub of playdoh.  I was over cleaning it up and put my arm out to stop J from helping and he stood up hard right into the table.  He cried and I hugged him and finished cleaning everything up.  A little while later, I put on a movie to get the twinsies to stop getting into trouble and J cuddled up next to me and was out in a flash.  I don't think he napped this afternoon, but it immediately made me paranoid that he had a concussion... so poor thing, I woke him half a dozen times and checked on him all night.  He was fine, but was super tired.  And I likely have an over-active imagination.

Remaining photos from Lilja Photography

(4/24) Dad had the boys today, and I worked and then went to my boss's retirement party.  I got home after the littles went to bed (thank you, Nanan!) and then hit the gym for a quick run that I couldn't drag myself out of bed for this morning.  Stupid brain was working overtime and dear D, when you take your clothes off at night, you will get cold.  Please figure that out.

(4/25) Work day for Dad & me and Kathy had the kiddos.  Both twins had horribly upset stomachs today.  Ugh... bugs be gone!!  The best thing for upset stomachs?  Pizza, of course.  Er, just call it a lazy mama moment.  Luckily all the boys seemed to be feeling fine this evening so fingers crossed everybody will be all better soon.

(4/26) Managed to get in a run without getting rained on and got home in time for Dad to run out and shop, and then head off to work.  The boys and I played outside in the back yard, which I mowed during nap.  C tried to make a seesaw out of leftover wood scraps in the wood pile.  He got invited out for an overnight at a friend's, and got picked up when the littles woke up and Rob & Marc stopped by. Chaos!  Once everybody left and it was just the littles and me, I got dinner ready and we hit the park.  Our bright, shiny day turned really cold when the sun went behind the clouds, so we didn't last long.  And once we got home, it was time for bed.  I got in a few hours of reading time and loved every bit of it.

(4/27) Dad and C met Opa at the M's game today (W 6-5!) and the littles and I had a lazy day at home.  After nap, I let the twins play in the bath while I got their diapers ready for washing.  It was early, but was a perfect way to keep them entertained on a rainy, hailing afternoon.  The guys lucked out and had sunshine for the game, but here in the convergence zone, you never know what you're going to get. We had a nice dinner together after the big boys got home and got caught up on some TV.

(4/28) And Monday again.  Dad has the littles, Mom has work, and C has school.

Words:

While I'm cutting broccoli ~
D (opening the garbage): In there, Mama!

D: Lub you! I lub bubbles!

Driving by Buick dealership ~
D: DINOCO!

J: No lub you!
D: Always love you!
Me: That might make you my favorite child.

April 15th-21st

(4/15) Work day for Dad & me and Kathy had the kids.  J has gotten through all my devices to keep him from stripping at night, so I've started duct-taping the tabs of his diaper together.  I've tried snap covers, I've tried putting them on backwards, I've tried the snap covers on backward. Nope.  This child!!


(4/16) Day off for Mama and work day for Dad.  Nanan came to watch the twinsies while I worked in C's classroom. After class, I came home and made lunch for everybody and put the kiddos down for a nap.  Nanan headed home and then we collected C from school and went to Granddad's for egg decorating.  C & J really got into it, while D was just a madman and was all over and into everything.  When we were done coloring the eggs, I tried to putting on a movie to see if we could calm down, but it didn't work so well.  Finally I just packed everyone on home, gave the boys a bath and while I was downstairs grabbing jammies, they got into both the coffee grounds in the recycle AND the peanut butter. AND J had removed his diaper.  I emailed their dad and said if there's pb on his butt, it's his own darn fault.

(4/17)  Work day for me and Dad had the kiddos.  After I got home from work, the big boys headed to hockey and the littles and I watched Cars for a bit and then I put them to bed.  Love snuggin' with my kiddos!

(4/18) Work day for Dad & me and Kathy had the kiddos.  She put the twins down a little early to hopefully squeeze in a nap before I came to collect them.  She didn't think J slept, since there was an awful lot of talking.  I warned Grandma & Granddad that he might be tired, but he made it until about 8:30p before zonking.  C had a kids' play this evening and I went to a movie with the book club gang.  I loved it, and it was nice to get out to play!

 (4/19) Lazyish morning home with the kiddos.  They actually slept in a little (8a) ~ so nice!  I packed the boys up in the car so we could go to the library and the park, but unfortunately it began to pour while we were at the library, so we made a run to the store instead and called it good after collecting our books.  I put the littles down for a nap and failed to respond right away when D was hollering about J taking his diaper off and went up to two diaperless boys and two disgusting cribs.  GROSS.  I was so irritated and asked J if he would always-always keep his diaper on and he responded with, "No, no always. No lub you!"  BRAT!  It was a long night of going up there and re-clothing him.  And I was totally tweaked at 1:30am when he was screaming because he was cold.  Go figure!  It's a phase... it's a phase... it's a phase.


(4/20) Happy Easter!  We went to brunch at Grandma & Grandma's, and totally lucked out with the weather so we could hunt outside! J popped those suckers open in seconds and kept walking by his brothers and stealing their eggs when they weren't looking.  We sugared them up plenty and stuffed them full of delicious food.  Only, we wore ourselves out an decided to take the littles home for a nap. I went out searching for my Fitbit, which jumped off my belt this morning, but didn't have any luck.  Sigh.  After nap, we had a delicious dinner of pasta salad and artichokes.  D manages to get every bit off the leaf by really chewing it.  And C without front teeth, has to come up with unconventional ways to eat his!   After dinner and bath, we settled in for another long night of continuously going up to put J's clothes and diaper back on.  I'm not a fan of this stage *AT ALL*.

(4/21) Monday-Monday... la-la, la, la-la.  Work day for me, C is at school, and Dad has the kiddos.

Words

D (driving by the lake): I see the puddle!

D: Kingcomer!  (what he's calling carrots right now)

And D is wet in 3...2....1

D: Hi, C! How are you?
C: I just went to the bathroom, you don't have to ask.

Dad: Let's turn around here.
C: But I want to climb up there!
Dad: I'm out of shape. 
Me: And your brothers aren't quite ready for long hikes yet.
C: But of course, I am in perfect shape!

D: Did you have a good day?
Me: Yep!  Did you have a good day?
D: Uhmm, NO!

D: I see the moon!
Me (turning the corner): Uh-oh, where'd the moon go?
D: Where'd the moon go?  Fix it!
Me (turning the corner): Look, I see it!
D: Yaaaay, fixed the moon! 

April 8th-14th

Love our pictures from Lilja Photography!

(4/8) Work day for Dad & me, and Kathy had the kiddos. I attended a baby shower today for a coworker.  I had so much fun shopping for a little girl the other day. Not that little boys aren't fun ~ it's just fun to shop for the other flavor.  Had a nice night with the boys - we spent the evening watching baseball and I whipped up some burgers to go with.  Appropriate baseball viewing eats!

(4/9) Work day for Dad, and day off for me.  I worked in C's classroom this morning and Nanan came to watch the littles.  She stayed for all of their nap so I didn't have to wake them when I went to get C.  We were going to go to the park this afternoon after school, but J took such a long nap that we ended up just playing in the yard and calling it good.  Part 2 of their bath (part 1 was playing in the dogs' water bucket) came after dinner, followed by bedtime.


(4/10) Work day for me, and Dad had the boys.  C started hockey camp tonight and came home with a sweet new jersey!  I had some time with my little boys and we watched some McQueen together before they headed up to bed.


(4/11) Work day for Dad and me, and Kathy had the kiddos.  I pulled up and C was riding a tiny tricycle. He cracks me up!  Got home and crammed in dinner and some TV together before bedtime.  It's been a battle over keeping J's diaper on lately.  I've resorted to putting him in a pull-up with a snapped diaper cover over the top and jammies over that.  He can get through all of them, including when I put the diaper cover on backward.  I'm ready to pull out the duct tape.  Went through 3 diapers tonight, and he didn't even quit when it was pitch-black out. Brat.


(4/12) We had a chill day today.  C discovered a yard sale a few blocks up and some new kids to play with.  He threw an epic fit when I told him he couldn't spend his life savings at their sale, and threw a long enough tantrum that I covertly videoed parts of to send to his father.  If I had to suffer through it, so did he! Really, I was just trying not to laugh at the drama.  After nap, I packed all the boys up and we went to the park and played there until dinner.  We then headed over to Granddad's because Uncle Craig is in town!  The littles ate and ate and ate tonight, and I caught D up on the table no less than 4 times trying to steal the frosting off the cookie cake.  We had a great time, and finally the four of us big kids were in the same location so Grandma could get a picture. We were there waaaay past bedtime and the littles were wired for sound by the time we got home. Weeeee!


(4/13) Lovely day today.  Of course the boys were up at normal time (7:30a) and once we dragged ourselves out of bed, we packed everybody up for a nice drive.  We drove out to Umtanum for a picnic and to scout out a couple of camping areas.  We wandered around our picnic spot, the boys tossed some rocks in the river, and of course D got soaked less than 5 minutes in.  We crossed the rail road tracks and went up the hill a ways and then came back down, choosing instead to go across the river instead of over it, getting our own shoes soaked.  We drove a little further and circled around and headed on home.  It was a lot of driving, and D only asked how our days were about 52-billion times.  Good thing he's so cute.


(4/14) Monday again.  Dad has the boys, C has school and I am at work.

April 1st-7th

(4/1) Whatever hit me yesterday seems to have let up, and we went about life as normal.  Dad & I went to work and the kids went to Kathy's.  Kathy texted to let me know that C had spiked a fever.  Ugh.  After a rest and some meds, he was back (mostly) to normal.  I made the kids' favorite dinner and C barely touched it.  Poor bubba.  I didn't hear a peep from any of the kids after I put them to bed.  Totally not normal. 

(4/2) Blah, sick-sick-sick.  Don't mind me while I crawl in a hole and die.  I felt so bad - it's C's spring break and we're stuck at home, inside.  I finally rallied enough to get everybody out into the back yard and the boys had a blast getting soaked in the dogs' water bucket and playing in the sand box.  I fell asleep pretty much as soon as the kiddos did.

(4/3)  I'm feeling much better today, but Dad isn't feeling so hot.  Dang.  This plague doesn't mess around.  He was off with the kids today and I went to work.  Thankfully, Nanan came and grabbed a stir-crazy C for an overnight.  That will be fun for him!  Dad crashed as soon as I got home and could take care of the twins.  I hope he's feeling better tomorrow. 


(4/4)  Dad's still feeling awful, but had to go in to work anyway.  I went in too and the littles went to Kathy's.  I'm missing book club tonight with the girls, but after being so sick, a quiet night with my little guys was perfect.  After dinner, I put on Cars and we cuddled up on the couch.  After the littles went to bed, I caught up on some shows, and then hit the hay myself.


(4/5)  Dad took the day off sick today.  The littles and I played playdoh and had a quiet morning together.  After nap, the twins and I piled in the car and met Nanan, C, Jake, Amber & Ryker at IHOP for birthday dinner.  Nanan's b-day is officially tomorrow, but when the stars align and we can actually get everyone in the same place, we take it!  C came back with us - we missed him!

(4/6) Hooray, Dad is back in the land of the living!  The boys and I played playdoh while he ventured out to run errands.  I unexpectedly had no afternoon plans, so after the littles went down, I caught a quick run and then C and I hiked up to Starbucks and to the park.  After everybody got up, we had dinner, watched hockey, had bath time, playtime and then finally bed time again.

(4/7) Wee, Monday! Back to school for C, to work with me & Dad has the littles. 

Words:
Me: Night-night, littles!  Love you!
D: Night-night littles! Lub you!
J: No night-night.  No lub you!
Me: Always, always love you!
J: No!
Me: Yes!
J: No yes!

Watching Cars:
D: Kachow!
J: NO ACHOW!

D calls J "little boy"
D (offering grapes): Want some, boy?
D: Welcome, boy!