Christmas Program

The girls participated in their school's Christmas program on Thursday night. I must admit that I wasn't going to go as I had another holiday party to attend but Jason in his subtle ways convinced me I needed to go and I'm glad I did. Last year they were little wallflowers simply stunned by all of the people and flashing lights. You could really see the excitement they had this year. Haley was a cow and Gracie was a pig (fitting since she is never without piggy) as they were at the stables during baby Jesus' birth. All they did was sing little Christmas carols but it was great. As per their personalities, Haley sang loud going through all of the motions while Gracie fixed her eyes upon her teacher's lips as she sang the song. You'll catch Gracie singing but it is on her terms...she's pretty stubborn like that. They had these cute little masks that Ms. Gwen and Ms. Nayla made that they would hold up to their face - cute! They've changed and grown up so much in one short year that I can't wait to see how they perform next year!

(I can't get the video to post but will try again later...stay tuned!)

Chicken Nuggets & french fries

Each day when I pick up the trio, I try and ask many questions about their day. I usually do not get much of a response, but I keep trying! One question I ask, without fail, is "what did you have for lunch today?" and EVERY day Haley responds "chicken nuggets and french fries"! It is amazing that they still want to eat that when we get home even after having it for lunch every single day! That Haley...she's a mess!

oh the days...

I took test number six last Thursday and found out this morning that I passed...yeah! So for the past few evenings, I have been able to enjoy a little bit of free time amongst the chaos that is the Christmas season. That will be coming to a quick end as books for test #7 are in route and due to arrive any day now. Then my studies will begin again but I am certainly in count down mode with only 2 to go!

Me, my mom and the trio went to visit Santa Clause last weekend; Gracie reluctantly sat first on his lap but didn't cry, only fixated her gaze upon him. Next was Sam and he too sat there nicely with no tears. Of course Haley went nuts. She would not sit on Santa's lap as, in her words, "he scare me mama!". She did agree to sit with me as I squatted next to Santa. When I asked them to tell him what they wanted for Christmas, no one answered. I asked again and Haley, through the tears bubbling up in her eyes, quickly shouted "I want baby clothes for baby" and she was done! It was so funny to hear her get out her wish in such a quick and timid manner, but she did it! Sorry, I did not have my camera and all Tootsie had was her 15 year old camera that still uses film. YES, I said film! So, we'll probably see those pics developed sometime in 2009. We did get some polaroids to capture the moment!

Haley still talks about Santa frightening her but we try to talk about how nice he is and how he loves boys and girls. I broke down and bought Dora's Christmas adventure over the weekend and they have watched it repeatedly; however, Santa is still scary. We'll see if he makes it to 706 Delaware on Christmas eve.

On Friday I went to a holiday open house at the Caddo Parish Special Services office where I was able to visit with Gracie's speech therapist. She, of course, adores that Grace Talbot and sees great potential in her. She reiterated what I already knew that Gracie is a very smart little girl and very curious and eager to learn. She does believe that she is completely capable of integrating into a normal classroom environment but she'll have to work a bit harder than the other kids to overcome her language deficit. As hard headed as she is, if she wants to succeed, she'll do it!

Sam has moved up to the next class at daycare and he is eagerly awaiting the reunion with his friends Zeke and Henry. His language development is just exploding and has lots to say all the time, just like Haley. His newest thing is to ask "what are you doin'?"...way cute! He is certainly learning how to annoy his sisters and has developed a fondness for hitting them, not so cute. He does it to get a reaction from them and it works. This is an issue I believe we will be encountering for the next several years - yikes!

Jason and I have jumped on the exercise bandwagon. We joined the gym and he has been going almost every day during lunch as one of the facilities is very near his office. We are going to run (perhaps walk some) in a team marathon with the Chaneys in March so we have some training to do. It will be fun and I'm glad it has given Jason the motivation he needs to get healthy and in better shape.

We enjoyed a fun Christmas party last Friday with our Sunday School group and look forward to some more holiday cheer this week with friends and family. It is a busy time, but times I wouldn't trade for anything!

(p.s. the photos of the trio are of bathtime when they used the bubbles to make Santa faces!)

The Twelve Days of Christmas

My mom came across the following and I thought it was rather interesting:

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song form young Catholics using code words which the children could remember.

True Love refers to Go
A partridge refers to Jesus Christ
2 turtle doves refers to the Old and New Testaments
3 french horns refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 calling birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 golden rings refers to the first five books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch" or Torah or Law, which gives the history of man's fall from grace
6 geese a-laying, which refers to the six days of creation
7 swans a-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy), the seven sacraments
8 maids a-milking refers to the eight beatitudes
9 ladies dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control)
10 lords a-leaping refers to the ten commandments
11 pipers piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles
12 drummers drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Just a little something to think about as we go about the holiday season; if you're like me, you knew the words had to mean something...the songwriter couldn't have been simply coming up with random ideas!!

Busieness

We had a wonderful trip to the beach for thanksgiving and it was great to be with the family. We had a very successful photo shoot with the trio one day and I was able to capture a Christmas card pic...yeah! I'll try to post more photos later but life has just been very hectic since we returned home. Work is insane as I am now managing our processing department. I hired a new employee and she started Monday so I have been training her along with looking for another hire. We're a man down anyhow so I'm doing the work of 3 people along with this training and such. My head is spinning by the end of the day! It is enjoyable and I am grateful for the new challenge. But on top of the craziness of work is my next test so I am trying to cram for that but keep finding ways to procrastinate (like this blog!). And there is always the trio...quite the busy bunch! Gracie has been sick again this week...we just got over strep throat so I am quite bummed about this new infection. Haley named our "Elf on a Shelf" Miss Erin which I can only assume is because one of the teachers at school (not even her teacher!) is named Miss Erin! Oh well, at least she gave it a name; it took 4 months to name her baby (by the way she is baby Sally and Haley is an excellent little mommy!). Sam is a little firecracker with a personality as big as Texas. He has lots to say and about half of it is comprehendable. It put on my heels yesterday morning and did a little tap dance on our hardwood floors which was way adorable. Jason celebrated his big 25th birthday on Wednesday and the five of us went and ate Mexican to celebrate. Haley kept saying it was daddy's birthday and wanted to sing happy birthday but would clam up when we got ready to sing. I am hoping we can put up our Christmas tree and other decorations this weekend as we have no plans but for me to study.

This post is a total stream of consciousness at the moment as I have been awake for a while trying to work on review questions. Just wanted to give a quick update. More photos of our beach adventure to follow. Happy December...can't believe we have made it to the end of 2008!!!

a girls weekend

Because Jason is a wonderful husband and father, he gave me the ok to set out for Dallas yesterday morning to visit my dear friend Amy. I've know Amy since high school at Loyola and then we went to SMU together as well. Even though we parted ways after graduation, she staying in Dallas and myself off to Atlanta, we have thankfully remained dear friends. And to further strenghthen the bond, when we Jason & I moved back to Shreveport, we bought a house only a few houses down from Amy's parents! Although she does not make it home nearly as often as she should, I know that when she is home, I can make the short 2 minute walk down the street for a quick visit. In the past three years, with the birth of three children, I have not been able to talk with her as much as I would like so even 24 hours spent with her, Joe and baby Christopher was such a blessing and a wonderful way to spend my weekend. We went to Northpark and did some window shopping as I haven't been there since graduating from SMU nearly 10 years ago. Wow, the changes were mind blowing! Sweet Christopher, 4 months old, tagged along shopping and to dinner, and with very little napping, was a perfect angel. A little retreat, some girl time, and some relaxation was just what I needed. Jason survived with the trio and the house was still in one piece! The love of friends and family is such a wonderful thing and something I will be extra thankful this Thanksgiving!

Lesson learned

I learned a little something this weekend. Giant marshmallows do not make a good snacks for small children. Haley wanted a cookie and I decided a marshmallow might be a fun new treat. I headed to the next room (never a good idea) and it didn't take long for me to wonder the reasons behind the silence. Lo and behold I see Haley in the big red chair, hands, fingers, and fingernails covered by the white gooey stuff. It only took a very short 2 minutes for it to harden making the cleaning process rather difficult. However, she had enough time to wipe those sticky, white hands all over the red chair. Just adds to the character of the chair...it has seen better days!!

CPCU

During my 6 month sabatical from work after I had Sam (i.e. I couldn't get the trio into daycare!), I was somehow encouraged by my boss to pursue the designation of Chatered Property & Casualty Underwriter. As I am a relatively easy pushover for educational opportunities, I agreed, and over a year later I am 3 tests away from becoming official! When I tell people I go home after work, feed, bathe and put to bed threee babies then study, they are usually curious as to what sort of exciting material I am reading to elicit such dedication. Why commercial insurance of course!!
More than 65,000 people have earned the CPCU professional designation. The program focuses on the legal, financial, and operational aspects of risk management and insurance, as well as on financial services. It also reflects the current business environment and provides a broad understanding of property-casualty insurance. There are 8 courses covering the topics above and I am able to test every 3 months. So, I order my materials, study, review, test and upon passing, I order the books for the next round. I have passed five and I'm scheduled to take number six on December 12th. As I jumped on the insurance train relatively late, I have had some catching up to do and these tests have afforded me the opportunity to learn the lingo, learn the coverages, and have a better understanding of what it is I do day in and day out. It has been a challenge but I have the end in sight and I know all of the studying and stressing will be worth it in the end. I must extend much thanks to my patient husband who allows me to take time each evening to read and who tolerates my tense (ok bitchy)attitude that arises about a week before each test. Of couse, I could have not reached this point without each ounce of strenghth given to me by the best teacher of all time, Jesus Christ. I have felt his supportive hands upon my shoulders throughout this entire process and I thank him for leading and directing my professional path.

the small things

It is the small things that seem to make a day brighter:
Everyone waking up happy & ready to start the day
Easy walk into daycare - no whinning, crying, fit throwing
Hot cup of coffee on a cool fall morning
Making a proposal at work and having change implemented
Easy pickup from daycare - little whinning, crying, fit throwing (a candy incentive helps!)
Three small children enjoying their dinner (despite green beans being thrown here there and everywhere by the boy)
Squeals of excitement when daddy comes home
Squeals of excitement to see Puppy
Hearing "mama" shouted with delight
Hugs & kisses
The girls walking straight to bed and laying down after brushing their teeth
A quick & yummy meal prepared by my husband
Warm covers and a warm body to snuggle with =)

Puppy

Puppy is official a keeper! I took him to get his first round of puppy shots on Monday and he charmed the vet! He thinks puppy is about 12 weeks old but really couldn't tell me what various different breeds run through him. The trio has such a good time with him and puppy is so patient with them. We picked him up yesterday on the way to my parents' house for dinner and you should have heard the squeals of glee when I put him in the car!! Even Haley, who is not a dog person, is becoming much more comfortable around him. She'll pet him but doesn't have quite as much interaction as the other two. I think this little mut, whose name is puppy, will be a great little addition to our already nutty family!

Halloween festivities and more

We had a great Halloween in the Greer family. After staying up late Thursday night baking cupcakes for school (3 kids, 3 classes, 3 sets of cupcakes!) and a cake for church's Trunk or Treat cake walk, I was way exhausted, but the show must go on!
We started out at the First Baptist parking lot for our first annual Trunk or Treat. Haley was a little frightened by the masks and scary costumes so she spend most of the time in Jason's arms. When daddy was holding Haley, Gracie wanted daddy to hold her as well, so he had his hands full while Sam and I went trunk to trunk. Actually Sam found his favorite candy at Joe the Plumber's car (aka John Henson!) so I had to drag him away from there to greet other people. We had fun playing with Zeke & Anna Grace, the puppy and the princess.
We couldn't stop there! Next was the Graf's annual Halloween shindig which just gets better and better each year! This year, Haley was actually excited to get into the bounce house. She jumped for a little while but realized it wasn't quite as fun jumping in the dark. It was nice to see friends and their children that we don't get to visit with very often. Thank goodness All Hallows Eve fell on a Friday because we were able to celebrate later since we could sleep in on Saturday.
Another bonus for Jason not working on the weekends, is that he gets to play golf. It was a great day for swinging the clubs and it is a good outlet for him, as long as he doesn't play too often!!! Late that afternoon, we had a fun gathering at the Chaney's house to celebrate Candace's dad's life upon the anniversary of his death. It was uplifting to see her mom surrounded by her & Mr. Dent's friends and hear a few stories of an obviously wonderful man. After everyone left, the trio, Zeke and AG took a Saturday night bath together and proceeded to have a naked dance party. I think the parents were laughing through tears as the five of them jumped up and down screaming, singing and acting just plain silly. Anna Grace said it was the best time she had had in her entire life and I just might have to agree!!

Pumpkin Shine on Line

Despite a rough, I mean VERY rough, start to the morning, we were able to enjoy an absolutely wonderful evening at the Pumpkin Shine on Line with fun friends. The trio was content as long as they were not confined to the wagon or stroller!

There are days when it seems like everything is out of control and today was one of those days. Sam is going through his fit throwing phase. He'll fall to the ground in tears, roll around and act just generally unpleasant. If I try to pick him up to soothe him or remove him from this situation, I usually get gently hit which is totally unacceptable. Sunday morning we were loading up to go to church and he tried hitting me as I put him in the car seat and as soon as I finished buckling him up, he blew me a kiss! How can I get or stay mad?! He's 20 months old and totally knows what buttons to push to make me melt. I am going to have to depend on Jason to keep him disciplined and to help me work on disciplining him as well.


When Sam falls out crying, Gracie tries to mimic him so even though she is not upset, she'll fake cry which is just as unnerving as Sam's hollering. Or she'll choose just that high tense moment to make her own demands and when she wants something, she does not comprehend "wait". I feel like I am constantly telling someone to wait, so-and-so needs something or I'm helping so-and-so with something at that moment.


To top off our Monday morning, Haley went to bed way too late last night, woke up sleepy and with a horrific diaper rash. She just didn't feel well, so there was nothing but whining (albeit understandable). I ended up picking her up from school at 11:00 due to a low grade fever.


Since Jason has to leave for work at 7:00 am and I have to get everyone out of the door by myself, I wanted to cry after everyone else cried through the Monday morning routine. Needless to say, I walked into work late, tense, angry and just plain pissed off if I'm being completely honest! I was already so exhausted and my day had barely begun. However, before I walked out of the house, I grabbed my Bible hoping to claim a few quiet moments at work. As I ate my vanilla cinnamon oatmeal on a cool, October morning I proceeded to read several verses regarding patience and began to pray and feel better, moment by moment. Then I turned on our local KLove station and sang out loud and erased the remaining pieces of frustration! I love when our heavenly Father reminds me to turn to Him...He makes our lives soooo much better!!!

some oldies but goodies

My flash drive has been at work for months, but I finally brought it home and enjoyed browsing through some old photos. It is amazing how much my babies have changed over the weeks, months and years!

Nam boy

Nam boy is Sam's name in Gracie speak. She has a hard time with "s" and we have no clue where the boy part came into play, but he may not be stuck with the moniker "Sam boy"; no matter what you call him, he's such a stinker and just thinking about him brings a smile to my face! We named him after my grandfather, Samuel (Sambo), as he has been such an outstanding son, brother, father, grandfather and now great grandfather in his life. We pray that some part of his characteristics are passed down to our little Sam. So not only is he special in our eyes, but my grandmother, especially, thinks that Sam Greer is best baby boy born since my 15 year old cousin Russell!

Jason and I certainly could not have imagined that 14 months and one day after the girls were released from the hospital that we would be back at the hospital with the same team of doctors and much of the same nursing staffing, celebrating the birth of our baby boy. I had a c section one month before his due date to save me from the trauma of labor, but as a result, Sam had to spend the first 6 days in the NICU. Since we became very familiar with that place during the girls 4 month tenure, it felt comfortable despite my unhappiness of not having the opportunity of being wheeled out of the hospital, precious newborn in my arms. Oh well, I'm over it now, thank goodness! Once he came home, life in our family became even more hectic but in such a good way!

Sam is all boy...curious, rotten, at times rough, and at other times so gentle and loving. Tonight as I carried him to his room for bed, he put his arms around my shoulders, laid his head down and gave me the biggest hug. Talk about a heart melter! My mom calls him a true mama's boy and I don't mind one bit! Despite his obvious favor for me (ok, maybe exaggerating!), Jason is already discussing where he'll go to college and play football. On this one we slightly disagree because I think he'd make a better baseball player and he is not allowed to go to Auburn because it is entirely too far away!! I guess we better get through elementary school first, but his daddy is excited to share his passion for sports with the boy.

There are too many stories to tell of Sam's antics but part of the reason for this blog is to have the opportunity to share those stories as they come along (which is daily it seems like). Anyway, H & G have had their time to shine in cyber world and tonight was Sam's turn. How I love that baby boy!!

sensational Saturday and Sunday

It was such a wonderful feeling Saturday morning waking up knowing that Jason didn't have to go to work!!! Besides the fun of having him around, he had to hang out with Sam while me and the girls went to two birthday parties. The first was our lovely little friend Anna Grace's Fancy Nancy party! Her mama went all out! The girls weren't real sure about their tutus and tiaras at first but they warmed up to their outfit and had a great time. After cupcakes, cookies and several hersey kisses, there was no napping to be had before heading out to our next shindig. This party was for Haley's BFF at school, Peyton. Peyton immediately took to the girls when they started at Noel. She would walk them around and tend to them like baby dolls. She and Haley remain extra close as they are still in the same class and Gracie is in the other room, but they all have a great time together. Peyton's mommy was so excited to see us because she said Peyton had been talking for days about Haley & Gracie coming to her party! It was at a new indoor inflatable jump house in Bossier and in the past, the girls have been reluctant to jump. But, wow...this was a new days. They jumped and slid down the biggest slides...some that frightened me a little! We had a great time. Come 4:00, with a day full of fun behind us and no naps, I just knew they would crash when we got home. No such luck! After lots of screaming and tears, Haley watched tv in the den and Gracie finally dozed off in our bed but not for long. Surely, they would be ready for bed. Again, false assumptions. Somehow, my sweet little girls who used to go to bed so early and so easily have turned into little demon children that are now scared of the dark, must have at least 3 books read to them and still holler loud enought to be heard down the street. Haley has even spent several nights falling asleep on the floor in front of the door. Anyway, I hope this stages passes. They finally quieted down about 10 minutes into the LSU game so Jason and I were able to enjoy the steak and chicken fajita dinner he made for me. It is great having my own personal chef!!

Not to forget about Sam, he went with daddy to get a much needed haircut. He was given very explicit instructions on how the haircut should look upon completetion with major threats made if they butchered my baby's hair! Everything went great and Sam can now see without his hair in his eyes. After that outing the boys had a little lunch at Chick Fil A. While the girls rested post party #2, we played outside and snapped a few shots of the new do!

Sunday was just as enjoyable as we got to enjoy more family time. Jason was able to mow the lawn, sweep off the roof and clean out the cutters.

We continue to be so thankful for the blessings God has given us and providing Jason with the job that enables him to be home with us. It was a wonderful week and we look forward to many more.

Oh as a p.s., looks like we're getting closer and closer to keeping puppy...he is getting very comfortable and doesn't even mind when Sam and Gracie pull is ears, his tale and anything else they can get their hands on!

Affirming, Attentive and connected

Finally, after two days of feeling utterly horrible, I am on the rebound and as such my schedule today was chalk full. In the midst of sorting through all my work emails and trying to figure what had been done, what needed to be done and what couldn't be done, I was trying desperately to get this found puppy of mine placed in a loving home. How depressing - every no kill shelter I tried was full. My options are waining. Not too much time to focus on that; I had to move onto my next task at church. I'm on the nominating committee and I had the simple task of calling two people to ask them to serve on a committee. Between work, a sick child and a sick me, I just got around to it yesterday and I had to report back my findings this evening. Two strikes, no return phone calls and that committee has a void for now. Wow, I can't get a puppy into a loving home and I can't get members to serve on a committee. What a way to begin my week (the prior two days don't count!). So, I wasn't real upbeat about going to my bible study session on parenting, especially after my complete lack of patience the past few days, but since I now have a husband who works 8-5, he was there so I went along. Tonight's focus was on how we as parents need to affirm our children, be attentive and stay connected. I definitely scored an "F" for my performance of late. Of course, I had to avoid the trio for two days so I didn't pass along my contagious bacterial infection, but I still need to keep those things in mind on a day to day basis. What really struck me was how we get caught up in the business of life and the things we "need" to do and the places we "need" to go. I am too tired to think of the words to elaborate, but now that I am feeling better I am going to recommit myself being the mama who is affirming, attentive and connected to my trio's little lives. They're growing up so fast!

mommies shouldn't get sick

I had been feeling a bit off the past few days but last night I didn't sleep a wink, tossing & turning with body aches and an upset tummy. Since it was Jason't first day at work, he couldn't take the trio to school but thankfully I have a great mom who came over and got them out the door. After a lenghthy doctor's appointment where I was tested for strep and the flu, it was determined I have a bacterial infection and I got a very painful shot and some medicine. The doctor told me it was contagious and to avoid my children so they wouldn't contract it. So my super mom picked up my children after school, brought them home and fed them until daddy could get home for bathtime and bedtime. I am feeling much better and the darvacet has really helped with the body aches and pains! I am looking forward to a much better night's sleep here shortly. I couldn't have made it through the day without my mom helping me...thank you!!!!!!!!

a big weekend

Our weekend started off with bells, whistles and the angels singing!! Jason finally got the phone call we have essentially been waiting for for 5 years. He is now officially a food sales rep for Ben E Keith food distributors!!!!! Beginning tomorrow at 8:00 am, he will be working pretty stable hours of 8-5 Monday through Friday. Praise God, praise God, praise God. This blessing is a true testimony of the power of prayer, faith and perseverance. We could not be more thankful and more thrilled at this new endeavor in our lives.

So to celebrate the good news, we went out to dinner Friday night with my parents which lead us to the next adventure in our weekend. As we were leaving the restaurant, we had to cut through the back way to get to our car. As we went merrily about our way, the cutest little puppy emerged, out of no where. We said hello and continued towards our car. The puppy followed. We tried giving him some of our leftovers, but he was more interested in going with us. The parking lot was packed and he is so tiny so I could not in good conscious leave him there. We ran by the grocery and picked up some puppy food on our way home. We gave him a good flea bath, introduced him to the trio and the little stinker ended up sleeping in our bed. Let's keep in mind that Haley is pretty scared of dogs. She has had a few bad experiences with Lily and the smallest of dogs freaks her out. She was a little hesitant Saturday morning but by the night she wasn't screaming every time he would chase after her. Sam and Gracie, especially Gracie, have really enjoyed life with a small pup. They are pretty rough on him, but he doesn't seem to mind. Jason and I tossed around keeping him, but the responsibility of a little animal is simply more than we can handle right now at this stage in our lives. When we can have more time to devote to training a puppy, it is good to know the kids will like it. So tomorrow morning, it will be with great sadness that I call our local no kill shelter to come get "puppy". We've only had him for a few short days but he has already carved out a little place in our hearts.

In the midst of the madness, we took the trio to the Revel on Saturday morning as it was the last day of the outdoor festival and we had not been. I thought they would have great fun in the mini "Brookshires" shopping for groceries. Sam loved devilishly pushing the little cart around even as he ran all over anyone in his path. Then he collided with his sister, fell down, scrapped his knee and then he was done with that. Lots of little people there so we moved over to the sand boxes. They got a real kick out of that and I enjoyed watching them play peacefully until Sam started eating the sand and pouring it down his shirt. So, onto the next activity. They wanted no part of the "triage" area. Gracie promptly took her little hospital cap and threw it back at the lady...so nice. She really just wanted to roam about which was fine for a short period of time. Then it was time to eat and back into the strollers we went. You would have thought we cut off Gracie's last arm with the way she acted. Screamed and hollered. Made our way to the food area so there was a brief calm as we chowed down on hot dogs, grilled cheese and muffaletta pizzas. Back into the strollers and then came the mother of all melt downs! I am so glad a very loud gospel choir was singing as we left because the girls were wailing!!! Anyway, it was fun, but way more work than I had wanted to endure on a Saturday. At least they took good naps.

Then there is Sunday morning. We were already moving a bit slow and missed Sunday School but we managed to get ready for church. We were dressed, ready and about to walk out the door when I heard Jason gasp from the playroom. Apparently puppy, who is not potty trained, had decided to poop on the playroom floor...not a place I thought to check. Well, Sam did and Sam smeared it all over his precious blue and white checked longall! Not only was it disgusting but we then had to clean up Sam and the ensuing mess in the playroom. I did not walk into the church service with a joyful heart!! I was over it a short time later, but wow...not how I wanted to start off my day!! Life with children is never dull! I can look back at the crazy weekend and laugh but in the moment I loose my patience and find no humor in the situations. I continue to pray for patience each and every moment of each and every day!

'tis the season...

for illnesses! Gracie had a low grade fever late Friday afternoon but with a little help from our friend tylenol, she was fine until today. The call came in around 11:00 am that she was running a low fever again. That coupled with some red dots on her face meant we would be rendez vous ing with Dr. K. this afternoon. Jason picked her up from school and by the time I got home a few hours later, she was running around the house and did not have fever. Alas, we had the doctor's appointment already so we went ahead. She didn't have fever (weighed in at a heavy 20.7 pounds) but her blood count was high and her lymph nodes were swollen. Bring on the strep test! Well, it was, of course, positive. She received a shot and antibiotics and should be feeling much better in the morning. Our next concerns are Haley & Sam...pray the God of healing lets this pass over them. Since we have a high deductible health insurance plan, this illness for one just set us back over $200; I certainly don't want to multiple that by two!!! Not to mention I'm not sure I can take two more of my babies having that shot. I know it is good for them to help fight the sickness, but it is so sad to see them cry out in pain like that!
C'est la vie...life with a trio!

twins...

Here is one difficulty with twins...keeping them equal, yet separate. I felt a little guilty for blogging about Haley the other day but not mentioning anything about Gracie. Yet, I didn't feel that same guilt for not writing any little ditty about Sam. Why is that?

The girls, while looking remarkable similar to many (not me), are quite different. The amazing thing is, it has been that way since they're short time in my belly. Around 17 weeks pregnancy I had to go see a maternal and fetal specialist due to the high risk nature of having twins. At that point it was just routine. But what did we see? Twin A, aka Haley, with her little bottom shoved into her sister's face! Twin A was the mover and shaker in the womb while Twin B moved around on her own terms. Keep in mind I really didn't feel a whole lot, but once I was on hospital bed rest, I had a sonogram every 4 hours, so I was able to witness their behavior in lieu of feeling it. When they were born, Haley was the one half way through the birth canal while Gracie was so far into my rib cage, it took some major cutting and digging to drag her out.

All this to say, they are different. Each one has her own special attribute and her own little personality. I love them equally and separately. I want them to be the closest of sisters, but I want them to also grow into their own woman.

Monday morning for sure...

I don't oversleep. For starters, my internal hard drive is pretty solidly programmed to wake up around 6:15 am. As a backup, I have Lily our dog. Without fail, each morning, she is scratching at the door at 6:30 am for her breakfast. Other backup include Sam who awakes between 6:30-6:45. Last but not least, we have the girls, as a fail safe, waking up at 7:00 am. So, what in the world happened this morning (by the way, I do have an actual alarm clock)?! Lily, Sam, Haley & Gracie all slept later than they slept all weekend and I forgot to set the alarm clock. When I cracked my eyes and saw daylight, I knew we were in trouble. I glanced hard at the clock as I can't really see it without my glasses and there it read 7:20! We're out the door and off to start our day at 7:30 each morning. What a way to start the week! As I hit the floor running, all I could think about was how this was not a good sign of things to come. Remarkably though, it was a great day! There were no major melt downs when I dropped everyone off at school. I was sporting a new dress and new shoes that I bought over the weekend in celebration of my 31st birthday. The temperature at our office remained a pleasant 74 degrees and I wasn't forced to wear my fleece and turn on my heater. I only had one irritating work related phone call. There was no major melt downs when I picked everyone up from school. Jason was home when we arrived back home and had dinner prepared for the trio. My grandparents' maid came over and cleaned so the house was neat and tidy. Sweet Michelle came by the house and picked up Dela our foster dog to take her to her vet husband's clinic to find a permanent home. I was pleasantly reminded of the babysitter Jason had planned so we could go out to dinner and celebrate my birthday again. We had a terrific dinner at Superior. Now, best of all, its peaceful in our house, the Saints are playing MNF and I'm getting ready to go to bed.

Lesson learned...just because the morning did not start out as I had planned, the day was blessed and turned out better than I could have planned.

maiden voyage

So I've been considering hoping on the blogging bandwagon for a while, but my dear friend Candace convinced me to take the plunge. So many funny, irritating, maddening, and heartwarming events occur in our little home on Delaware street that I thought friends and family, near and far, would like to hear. When my patience is not being tested, I'm usually quite amused by the things twin three year old girls and their almost two year old brother will do and say!
Where to start?! How 'bout a heartwarming moment in the car on the way home from church today. Whenever we get into the car, mine or Jason's, Haley insists on listening to Bible songs, which we all enjoy. In my car, we've had one cd in for months so I'm not too surprised when she sings along...our favorite is This Little Light of Mine. We all hold up our "lights" and sing (if you can call it singing) at the top of our lungs. Well, since Jason's car is new, we've just acquired a new "bible songs" cd for days when we take that ride. The songs on this cd are little more complicated and we just don't listen to them as often as the ones in mama's car. So I was a little taken a back when Haley began singing the words "everybody outta know, everybody outta know, everybody outta know who Jesus is" in such a sweet, angelic little voice. We turned the music down slightly just to hear her sing. As she sang, her brother and sister rocked in the car seats and enjoyed the musical entertainment.
So, that's it; there's my first blog. I don't possess a great gift of gab, so I probably won't have too much to say besides what is going on in the world around us; I probably won't be able to philosophize or spark any lively debate, but should be entertaining none the less! Enjoy!