HERE WE GO

Oh boy, here we go, Madden is getting out of his crib and now there is no keeping him in.  Quite awhile ago he did it a few times and I thought "oh no, not already" but he just stopped and now it all started again yesterday and there is no stopping him so no nap today and let me tell you, that is a HUGE disappointment - momma needs you to take a nap Madden - you are  handful and your nap is a wonderful sanity break for me.   I trid for an hour to keep putting him in his crib but he just crawled right back out, that little stinker.  Then I tried about an hour later, same thing.   So nap nap today, of course sooner or later when it is bedtime tonight he will get too tired to fight it but I already miss the times when we could just lay you down Madden and you would go to sleep.   I know this is something every mom goes through but it is always a bummer.   Looks like it will be time to convert his crib to a toddler bed soon but I remember that is no fun either b/c then there is really no keeping them in.   Oh well, it is all a part of growing up.
By the way Baker had a fun Birthday yesterday and here are a few pictures of our celebration.

time for a few presents

he was in awe of his cupcake tower...or actually the car and candles on top of the cupcakes

nothing like cake between your fingers - no tastes for him though, he didn't bring his hand up to his mouth at all

the best part of the cake - the car on top :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAKER!



Here is sweet little tiny you in the hospital...look you don't even fill out your diaper

Here is that special moment I will never forget!

Serious sweetness

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET ANGEL BAKER!! Your brothers were so excited to be able to wish you a Happy Birthday today and at 6:45am you were up and we were all in your bedroom singing to you on your bed :)  Can’t believe you are 3 years old. I remember the moment you were born like it was yesterday. I was very nervous b/c you were coming 5 weeks early and I just wanted everything to be ok. The moment you were born Dr. Tu handed you to me and I said “hi Baker” and your big blue eyes looked deeply into mine, that was it… I was madly in love!


You have proven to be the toughest, sweetest little man we know. Your courage and strength continue to amaze us! I do not think there is a person in this world who could meet you and not fall in love with you….look out ladies :) You make my heart melt every day and I could not imagine our family without you.

Every morning when I walk in your room to get you out of bed you greet me with the biggest smile and even if I have to wake you when you are sleeping to go to an appt. you give me the biggest smile. I don’t know many people that are happy to be woken up but you sure don’t seem to mind. I always have to giggle to myself when I walk in your room to get you out of bed and I see little pretzel man Baker b/c you are literally folded in half many times in bed, with your toes all the way over your head and your little smiling face peering through those legs. Our little gumby man.

Thank you for cuddling with me every day and giving me your cute little grunts, your infectious laugh and the brightest smile this world could ever see.

Thank you for lifting my spirits with your gentle soul when I am having a rough day. Thank you for showing me you love me even though you can’t say it or can’t kiss or hug me. I hear it through your giggle and see it through your cute expression when you tilt your head to the side and bring your wrists up towards your chin. Thank you for showing everyone around you that physical abilities do not determine who you are or the character you will become. I have faith you will defy all odds and we will get to celebrate many birthdays with you and you will continue to teach those around you the meaning of love and determination.

Thank you for being the boy you are, your Daddy and your brothers and I all love you so much and we wish you the best birthday ever!!


The boys were so excited to hold you on your Birthday!





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And here you are today, on your big day.   Don't mind that Talan looks scared, he just is silly about smiling for the camera

WOW

Let me preface this by saying I love my children so much but WOW, can some days be so overwhelming and difficult.   I admire the moms that have it all together and look like they can handle anything, never get stressed, upset or raise their voice to their children.   Are there really moms like that?  It seems like there are and I wish I could be one of them.   I know I am not the best mom out there but I try to do the best I possibly can.   I just really wish I didn't raise my voice!  I feel so bad for that!

Sometimes I wonder if I go through the whole day without saying a word if the kids would act differently b/c it seems as though the words I do say some how evaporate in the air before they make it to the ears of my children.   Can we say 'repetition'?  I feel like I repeat every single thing I say so many times before anyone listens.  I often wonder what I am doing wrong because what I am doing sure doesn't seem to be working.   That is why it is extra hard when my hubby gets home and I try to say something to him and he 'ignores' me or has 'selective hearing'....love you honey :)   b/c I think, ok I at least need an adult to listen to me.

Oh and meal time, holy cow.  Is it really that hard to just eat what is put in front of you and not say "I don't like that" before you even take a bite or to take 1 hour to eat your meal b/c you are fighting eating every step (or should I say bite) of the way.   Even better yet in Madden's case to ask for some food, have me give it to you and then you throw it across the room and say 'no' or shake your milk sippy so milk goes everywhere and repeat, repeat, repeat over and over again, almost every meal of every day.   I think that is why sometimes it gets so frustrating b/c it is the same struggle a number of times a day, and day after day.   I just feel like I am not getting through.  As I type right now Deegan has one of his favorite lunches in front of him and it has been there for 30 minutes and he is still not done and he likes the stuff, he just gets side tracked.   You might think, well why are you on the computer then, well this is for my sanity, I am venting :)   The house is in distress behind me right now.   Madden and Talan are wrestling over a sea of messy toys that we have already cleaned up a number of times, Deegans is still at the table and good ol' Baker is sitting in his chair right next to me being sweet of course.   I can ignore some naughtiness for a moment right, because we all know it will be there in another minute for me to deal with for the umteenth time, I am just breathing and venting.

Madden, you are such a cute little thing and you can be so sweet but my, oh my, you are such a handful and I am at a loss on how to handle you sometimes.   The screaming, and throwing toys, books, food (whatever you can get your hands on) seems to never end and my disciplining doesn't seem to make a difference.   Thank goodness for those hugs and kisses you will still give me throughout the day to help make up for some of it :)  I want you to turn out a nice young man and I am so afraid I am messing you up somehow.

Talan and Deegan, you go between physically and verbally fighting and loving on each other multiple times of day.  You can get so upset at each other and then the next moment be back to the best of friends but of course this relationship does cause me to break up multiple arguments every day.

I thank God for my job, it is my sanity break and I love it.  I just work very part time but what I do helps a lot.  I am teaching Power Pump tonight and I can't wait.  Guess what, I go and teach and I instruct the class to do something and they do it right away and I only say it once.   It is an amazing feeling :)  What a stress reliever to exercise and to have a "break" from the chaos of my every day home life.  I know some people feel differently about working moms and that is ok, you are entitled to your opinion and I really truly do admire the moms that can be home with the kids 100% of the time and never have a break, I can't do it and stay sane but I admire you for what you do.

Of course my kids are far from horrible children, don't get me wrong, I think it can just get a little crazy with 4 little ones in the house.  I probably sound like a horrible mom and I probably shouldn't even post this but I am wondering if I am alone in feeling this?  Do your kids listen to you?   Forgive me as a I vent.   I, without a shadow of a doubt love each of my children more then anything and although our house is a crazy, rambunctious house with rarely a dull moment I surely would not trade it for any other house.  God blessed us with 4 sweet boys and I will always be grateful for all of them!!

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

Talan and Deegan started Preschool this week.   They are going to Sonshine Preschool on Tue/Thur mornings at Word of Life Church.   There are 18 kids in their class and I was a bit worried b/c they both kept asking me if I was going to stay the whole time with them and both of them can be a bit hit and miss with leaving me and I was expecting some tears but so far so good  :)  They are doing great and when I picked them up on Thursday Talan said he wasn't ready to be done playing yet.  So that is  a good sign.   They are excited that their friend Trey Baar is in their class and they say they have made a couple other friends but they don't know their names yet :)   They are also very excited to be able to take backpacks to school on their show-and-tell days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEEGAN!

Happy 5th birthday to our sweet boy Deegan!    It is funny to think back to the day you were born.  After Talan came out you decided you wanted to enjoy some time on your own so you turned sideways and stretched out and just decided to chill there for awhile.  You didn't care how much or how hard the nurses were pushing on my belly to get you to flip or how hard I was trying to get you out you wanted some peace in there by yourself.   Hope you enjoyed your time by yourself b/c you don't get much of that now!  
I am surprised how well you did yesterday with having to wait one whole extra day to be able to say it was your birthday.   It didn't faze you at all that it was Talan's birthday and not yours, you weren't jealous or anything and that made us very happy.
You are such a sweet, sweet boy.  Your Daddy and I love you so incredibly much!   One of my favorite things about you is how wonderful you are with Baker and how you tickle his cheeks or how you share your toys with him.  You are such a kidder and you love to laugh and what a great laugh it is.  Both you and Talan have such great imaginations and I love to listen to you guys play and listen to the stories you tell!  You are so loving when you ask if Baker or Madden can sit on your lap or if you can "read" them a book.  Even with some things you ask to do with Baker and I say he can't do that and you so sweetly say "it's ok Mommy, I will be careful", oh my you have such a big heart.
When you woke up this morning and I told you Happy Birthday Talan told you that you didn't look 5 and that you guys wouldn't be big until you were as big as Daddy.   I don't know what is going on though, you suddenly turned in to a good listener and a responsible boy today.   Breakfast time is always crazy here and usually you are hard to buckle down and get to eat and you kept telling Talan, "you have to eat your breakfast first" before you guys could play and "just eat Talan" (are these things I say over and over every day for every meal perhaps)  and we went to Red Robin for your favorite lunch (mac and cheese) and you wanted to help Madden eat and help him to go over to the game room and you even waited patiently for him to catch up to you.   My feeling is this is a temporary thing but hey, if it sticks, well awesome!
Daddy and I love you so much Deegan and are having so much watching you grow up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TALAN!

Happy 5th Birthday to our first born, Talan.  You came in to this world 1 hour and 40 minutes earlier then your twin brother but it happened to end up so you were born on different days so to you, you are a whole day older then your brother!   Your Daddy and I are so blessed to have you in our lives.   I love your sweet and gentle heart and how you tell me that I am the best Mommy ever....always when I am sure you are trying to get something out of me :)   I love how you look out for your baby brothers Baker and Madden and how you are quick to yell to me if something is wrong with Baker or if Madden is doing something he shouldn't be.   You are also honest and Daddy and I appreciate that.   When someone has done something naughty we can count on you to tell us who did it and what happened.   Deeg's likes to fib a bit but you are sure to come in saying "no, we both did it" and of course often it is that you didn't want to but Deegan said you had to :)   You and Deegan are the best of friends and we sure hope it stays that way forever.   There is a rarely a moment where you are apart from each other for longer then a minute and heaven forbid if Mommy or Daddy tries to just take one of you somewhere, that just does not fly.   We love that you love each other so much.   You are so great with giving kisses, hugs and I love you's to everyone in the family.  I could go on and on about every little thing I love about you but most of all I just want to say how thankful we are to have you as our son and how proud we are of the good little boy you are!   Can't believe you are 5 already!   Your Daddy and I waited so long to be blessed with babies and you started off the bunch and we love you so, so much!
Today was the 1st time the boys were able to invite some friends over for a birthday party.   So the friends that came were:  Carson & Cody (friends from preschool last year) , Alex, Hunter & Lane (all neighbors), Brooklyn and Kaedan and Kaedans 2 little sisters (Kamryn & Lexi) came too.  They all got along great and had fun playing on the tractors, playing in the sandbox and going for a 4-wheeler ride.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being able to take Talan and Deegan to their first movie (and my first movie in 8 years).  We saw Toy Story 3 and we all loved it.  Such a cute movie, although Talan was pretty hung up on how much he didn't like that naughty purple bear!   We pretty much had the theater to ourselves and had lots of popcorn and candy.   It was such a fun, fun time!

This past Thursday the boys had orientation at their preschool (Sonshine) and they will have their first day this coming Tuesday.   Also Thursday night was their first Little Dragons Class at the YMCA.   This is pretty much like a little karate class.   When it got started I wasn't sure what they would think b/c it was pretty serious and most of the kids knew what they were doing but they followed along really well and seemed to enjoy themselves.   Hopefully this won't get Madden kicking and punching now too though :) 

Pretty funny b/c you can see the ones who have obviously done the class before and then the 4 newbies (our boys and the Slofstra boys) all huddled at the end :)