Look Ma I got a Loose Tooth

Moose has been so excited to loose some teeth. He is wiggling this one away. I am not sure why he is so excited. The tooth fairy does not give a ton of money for those teeth.

He starting seeing the dentist last year. Unfortunately, 4 cavities later he still loves his dentist. Dr. Carter is awesome. With all his dental work, he has never complained once about going to see him.

I have taken care of plenty of kids after a dental procedure. (If you didn't know, I am a RN in a recovery unit (after minor and major surgery) at the Children's hospital). Kids, months old to teenagers, all needing a hospital and anesthesia to get dental work done. So when my eldest had to have the fillings done at the dentist's office, I was blown away.

We see the same dentist that I went to as a kid. I love it there. We pay out of network just to see them. My middle child is still on the fence if he likes the dentist. I personally like going to the dentist. I am so relaxed after my visit. Which is surprising, with all the work that I have had done. Too many fillings and root canals to count.




Happy Birthday to Gram!!!!

Happy Birthday Papa

Today is Papa's Birthday.......




We celebrated a day early because I work late tomorrow. We got to eat some yummy BBQ and have chocolate cake.

Oh Chrstmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Since my brother passed away 16 years ago, Christmas has been hard. After he passed away, my parents and I would go to Mexico during the Holiday to just "be together". No hassle with finding the right gift for someone, no cleaning, no cooking; just enjoying each other.

When I got married, I tried really hard to embrace the holiday spirit, but it was still lost. I went through the motions. Wishing that everyone would just "be together". Having visions of everyone at a ski resort or on the beach laughing and hanging out for a few days. No cleaning the house or dishes to be washed. I enjoy the food and company, but the gift giving is so hard.

I am lucky that all holidays are spent with both parents at ONE event. We do not have to eat 3 meals at 3 houses. Commander's family is all in the state and my parents are always involved. I am sad that I never see my parents side of the family- but the distance makes it harder to celebrate with them.

Having my own children has really helped me to see the brightness that I once felt at this time of year. The build up of the BIG day. My kids are now old enough to remember how to sing the Christmas songs. We sing a funny version of Jingle Bells.

Jingle Bells,
Batman smells,
Robin laid an egg,
Bat mobile lost a wheel
and Joker got away
Hay

Jingle Bells,
Daddy smells,
Momma laid an egg,
The van lost a wheel
and the **** (our last name) boys got away
Hay


**** Moose came up with second versus on his own. We were all driving home and he sung that. Commander and I started laughing so hard.



I thought this was a funny picture. It looks like a three headed monster.

So far this holiday season, one of my favorite things is watching Bear turning on the tree lights every morning. It's his thing. I never asked him to do it, but it's the first thing he does when he comes down the stairs. It took me a couple of mornings to realize who was turning on the lights. I often find him sitting on the chair next to the tree just looking at it. Wow, how great is that.

I still have visions of all the whole family (15+) of us getting away for a few days. But now it includes sending a letter to Santa to have him bring the kids gifts to our get away.

Gearing up for a Super Busy Weekend

Thank You for all your kinds words and hope for brighter days.

Here is a look at how we spent one our mornings during the chaos.

ZIP- Line.....

My kids love to have all the super heroes and Star Wars guys slide down a Zip line. We use various materiel for the zip line: floss, string, and stretch string fabric (very technical- I know). All characters are desired to have the ability to zip line. Some do it better than others.






It was strongly encouraged that EVERYONE get naps for the day. You would think that I would try to rest too, at least lay on the couch and veg. NOPE..... I surfed the interwebs (as Commander and I call it). I wanted to do a self portrait. Started inspired, but I quickly realized how hard it was.





Since we are all doing well; we are gearing up for a super busy weekend. Final Christmas shopping. Small gifts, but none the less, out with the masses. MAJOR grocery shopping, wrapping presents, laundry, and celebrating Papa's Birthday.

Wishing there was a pill

I think that there should be a rule about children getting sick between the hours of 10pm-6am. Not sure how it would be enforced. But I definitely have a strong opinion about this. Maybe science could help to invent a pill to take while pregnant to prevent children form getting sick in the middle of the night.

It has been a LONG couple of days. Shaggy (Sharkbait's new nickname) started vomiting about 10pm, and didn't stop until 4:30am or so. The next day he was a bit whiny, but not bad. Than Moose had a belly ache right before dinner. He started to vomit from about 6pm- 2:30am.

Sleep has been sparse. Laundry has been overwhelming.

It is amazing that a 25lb child can produce about 6 loads of laundry.
16 towels, 11 wash clothes
3 large blankets, 2 crib sheets
3 PJ's, 3 larger Baby blankets

And that a 50 lb child can produce 2 loads of laundry.
2 large blankets, 3 towels
1 set of sheets

But the trade off in laundry is that the older child is definitely more verbal about how rotten he feels. When I come up from my sleep deprivation, I need to write a letter to someone letting them know they need to invent this pill for the next generation.

Tonight is the test to see if the third will be up all night. I really hope that he is somehow safe from all the misery. My hands are raw from washing them so much.

It's how cold outside?

It was a lovely weekend morning when the kids asked to go outside to shovel and have a snow ball fight. It had snowed that night and fresh snow is the best. Having nothing better to do, I said why not.

20 minutes later, after finding all the gear and getting everyone bundled up, we headed out. While we were getting ready, our neighbor surprised us by snow blowing our drive way off. (I was so thankful, we hand shoveled his and our driveway last week at 5am when he was out of town). That was one less thing to do, now we could just go out and have fun.

This is Bear doing a snow angle and asking me to pick him up after wards.



Moose desperately wants to have a snowball fight. But the snow is not wet enough to pack into a ball.




After about 5 minutes, maybe 10, the tears started. "I wanna go inside", "it's too cold". Don't get me wrong, I did not insist that Bear stay outside. We said that he could go inside, but no, he refused to go inside without us. The others wanted to stay outside, so that's where we were gonna stay. Than more tears and whining.

It was contagious. Everyone started to whine about the cold. Yeah, it was cold, and when the majority said let's go inside, we herded everyone in.



Once inside we looked at the thermometer to see -4 degrees. I let my babies go outside to play in the snow when it was -4 degrees. What in the .......

Fun for $9.99

Now really, how much fun can a family of five have for $9.99.

My girlfriend said that Costco/Sam's has a great Gingerbread house kit for $9.99. She said it was easy and fun. The kit comes with everything for this price, pre-made walls, icing in a pouch, candy and cardboard matte.

We happened to shopping and I saw the little jewel. I knew it was gonna snow and it would be great to have something fun to do. It was cool to see how excited everyone was to get started.



The only issue we had was all the little hands wanting to TASTE the icing. But really, who can resist eating a little icing while you work. I think it turned out well for my family's first Gingerbread House.

Shopping Trip

So my three monsters and I venture to the mall for some shopping and to meet friends for lunch. While at one stores I got a lot of looks. Some of them were of negative nature. I tried to Shhh them and ask of them to act proper. But really, I am out numbered. Really though, they act alright, they are just LOUD.

So while I was standing in line, Bear was hugging (well laying on) Shag in the stroller. I thought that they looked cute and snapped a couple of quick pictures. Not the best but I am happy that they want to hug and laugh with each other.

After I paid and was trying to weave the stroller and 2 kids out the store. Someone stopped me and said that my boys were all so cute. What a nice thing to say to a woman with 3 boys. I hear of people saying that to babies and all little girls, but never three LOUD boys.

It made my day brighter......

Guy Guy Guy..... Guy Guy Guy...

Sharkabit comes running around the corner and is screaming Guy Guy Guy.... He has a look of panic. I am kind of laughing at him and realize that he wants me to follow him.

Anyways I follow him around the corner, he kneels down and starts saying Guy Guy Guy again. This time pointing.



You have to look really close to see the headless Lego down in there.



He keeps looking between me and the vent. He wants me to get into the vent and fish out this guy. (Gross~ look how dirty it is down there) I realize that the vent in the kitchen dining area is disgusting. Maybe I should take this opportunity to clean it.

At only 20 months old you think I would be concerned that he is playing with Legos and that I am not watching him like a hawk. But he has been playing with them for months. I know it will only takes one to choke on.

After I fished it out of the vent and cleaned it. He seemed to happy to have the headless Lego guy back.

Send Reinforcements

It's one thing for me to be up all night because I had insomnia. But it's is another to be up all night with a sick child. Yesterday Bear screamed for an hour about a sour ear. Took him to the doctor = ear infection. Scream for another hour or so after we got home. Screamed enough that Sharkbait was crying too, I think either sympathy crying or scared that Bear was crying so much.

We medicated Bear to go to sleep- Tylenol and ear drops for pain. All is well for a couple hours. Than right after our heads hit the pillow around 11pm, the screams began. Bear has a history of night terror. Just random screaming in the night, and unsure of what he needs or the ability to tell us. But these were screams of pain. Oh, it went on for so long. Finally bringing him back to our bed, so we all could get some sleep.

You would think on a KING size bed that two adults and a 30lb child could sleep just fine. Well as it turns out the person that weighs the least took up 50% of the bed. Finally at 5am I took him back to his own bed. Only to be awoken by my eldest at 6am that he was ready to get up.

The picture is from a Halloween flash light. Not a bad toy for .50 cents. Too bad it only lasted for a couple of weeks.

Theme Thursday: Togetherness

I had imaged a sweet picture of my husband and I~ but than quickly realized that from the holiday there is not a single family picture or picture of us. Maybe next time.

This was the first snow and the boys were so excited to shovel. I wonder how many years this excitement will last. I know in a few years that they will not be so excited when I saw you need to go shovel the driveway and sidewalk. They will probably be asking for money to complete the job.

Togetherness in the SNOW.......



It was kind f fun outside with them. It was still warm enough to be outside for a awhile. We had a small snowball fight and talked with some neighbors. Bear figured out how the make a snowball on his own. Moose is still learning. Sharkbait was so cute just walking around. He reminded me of the little boy in the movie Christmas Story all bundled up with his arms sticking straight out.

Stacy has some really great things to say about a special visitor.

Breakfast of Champions

Thought that I would win best mom of the world with CAKE for breakfast.



It went over alright, mainly the frosting just got eaten.

We had left over cake from my grandmother's 90th birthday. It was a very delicious cake that my mom had made. I was very proud of her for making her mother-in-law this cake. She has not baked since the early 90's.

These are my favorite moments in life to just be with the people that you love.

Play Dough

Trying to be think of things that will keep my three monkeys busy during the Holiday. We leave today and I am trying to anticipate some activity's to keep them occupied. When I first got this recipe, I thought that it could not be this easy. Than I made it. It defiantly makes me hungry for Pumpkin Pie.




If you are interested here's the recipe. Easy peasy....... All three boys helped. I figured who cares, who puts there fingers in it and licks, they are going to play with it. I know I am no Pioneer Woman when taking pictures of food- but thought I would share.

Pumpkin Pie Play Dough
5 1/2 cups flour
2 cups salt
8 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 cup oil
1 (1 1/12 ounces) container pumpkin pie spice
Orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red)
4 cups water

Mix all of the ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat until all lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth. Store in an air tight container.



Happy Thanksgiving to ya'all.

Alone Time

It is such a different world, now that the two older boys are in school half the day. Sharkbait and I get so much done. I don't mind running errands with one child. I usually do all the shopping with all three boys in tow.

There is a lot of whining, deal making and general sense of blahhh. I try to have one of the older boys walk, one in the cart for as long as possible and Sharkbait in the front. Someone is always trying to move places. It takes about a third more time than it should when I have all three with me.

So today I am happy that it will be him and me for a few hours this am. Hopefully all the shopping will get done. That way, when the older two join us, we can be force to recon with at the park in stead of at Costco.



Sometimes on the weekends when there is a lot that needs to get done, Commander and I split the kids up. That is nice to be alone with Moose or Bear and really get to talk to them while we are out.

One of our boys talks and talks when he is alone with us. It is funny and exhausting at the same time. I hope that when he is in college he will want to call home and talk, but I have a feeling that his talking will be directed elsewhere.

Third time is a CHARM

At the 6 year old well check he goofed around during the exam, than 4 months later the school nurse sends a report home about poor vision.

Still not believing it.




Yes the results are true. The little man has some really poor vision is his right eye. He needs some pretty heavy strength prescription on that side. Of course do we carry vision insurance right now- well of course not.



It warmed my heart how happy he was to get his first glasses. One of his really good friends has glasses. He proudly stated that he would be the FIRST one is his class to have glasses. I have been wearing my glasses more to help promote the usage.



While in the first 18 hours of owning the glasses, they already have a scratch in them. The vision center said they have Kid Warranty that would replace the lenses. I think I will wait for a bigger, badder scratch around day 5.

Theme Thursday: Thankful

About every 6 weeks, Commander and I play Poker with a group of 3-4 other couples. We have been playing for about 3 years now. We rotate who host the poker party, and everyone brings a dish to share as well as BYOB.

Whenever there is a new couple, one of them always wins. Big Money too. It is nice to see others win. But we are the only couple who has to dish out money for a babysitter to have a fun night together. Really who cares, we get adult conversation that is not filled with interruptions or whining.



Right now I am thankful for the friends in my life. I would say I have a couple of really close friends that have been with me for years. Some have moved away and staying current on things is tough, but there is still a bond. I think that friendship is work and when it fits, it is easy and fulfilling work.

Like most of us, our friends have seen us at our lowest points in life. They seem to console us with our aches and celebrate with our joys. I am always wishing for more time for friendship or money to physically see them.

Stacy inspired this day to be thankful. And really, I have a lot to thankful for. Loving family and friends, healthy kids, nice neighborhood, stable job and hobbies that are inspiring me to be better in life.

Family Friends

I took photos of the one of my best friends and her family. Actually we took each others photos this day. I was so nervous. I did not want to screw anything up. So many things were running through my mind. Was I gonna use the right aperture, shutter speed or ISO. Was I gonna get the composition right. She encouraged me to use my flash~ but of course my battery was out. Bummer....

Our families have been friends for longer than either of us have been a family. We meet in college. We reconnected right as we were having our first children. I still think of the day we were hanging out at the pool; the night I gave birth to Moose. It feels like yesterday.

Anyways, I think they turned out alright.













I am using her photos that she took of my family for our Christmas Cards. Now if only I get her to move near me so that we could see each other more than once every couple of months.

No sleepin' around here

My kids have forever gotten up with the sun. Like if there is day light, they might miss something amazing happening.

I have tried to get them to tell time and keep them in their rooms till the clock reads 7:00am, no luck there.

I have tried to bribe them about making them breakfast in bed, no luck there.

We constantly remind them that is it the weekend and no need to get up early. If we keep them up late at night, it takes a couple of days for them to need to catch up on sleep. So than when I am trying to get ready for school, they are sleeping in till 7:00am. The bus picks up at 7:20 or I take them to school at 7:40am.



Along with no sleep, I have three little boys that all have low grade fevers. A variety of coughs, general grumpiness and runny noses. I am pullin out all the stops. Big glass of Orange Juice in the morning, Chicken Noodle Soup at lunch and even a new DS Game to keep them still long enough to rest. Why is it when I am sick, I want to curl up on the couch. Not my monsters; they are still going strong.

You Say it's Your Birthday.....

The boys think that every birthday needs to have a party. It's hard to explain to them that when you get older, you mainly just celebrate with your family and really close friends. Even after talking with them, they asked.... So when is the PARTY????

I am off to make her favorite Dessert: German Chocolate Cake.....



So, I too saw that 5 Minutes for Mom was having a fun with food photo contest. This is Moose at our Annual Family Valentine's Day Dinner with our usual Lobster and Steak Special. If you have time, stop by and see all the fun photos of messy kids with food.

Home

Stacy introduced the theme today for home. Boy, was I baffled. Do I post something about how I need to sweep up the kitchen daily since we no longer have a dog. How the dining room table is a mountain of clothes on laundry weekend.

After pondering this for some time. I thought about how much I really liked my home. It feels comfortable to me. Sure there are things that I would change. Crown molding in the entire house. Dark stained hardwood floors throughout. Change the Master Bath Shower. When we moved here about 5 years ago, I really wanted to buy a home built in the 1900's and fix it up. I know it would have been A LOT of work~ still I drive buy those homes and wonder.

But when I walk through my door- it feels good.



I know the picture is not a room or object in my home. I took pictures around my home and they just felt awkward. Like none of it flowed. But this feels like what I live.

Boring Old Me

Cara tagged me for 6 random facts about me. Wow, who new that it would be hard for me to talk about me.

Every night after all the kids are tucked in bed I have two pieces of dark chocolate. I don't have a favorite type of chocolate, but my personal jar of candy is always full of a variety.

I shower at the YMCA at least 3 times a week. My excuse is that the boys are in Child Watch and no one is banging at the door or getting into the things they shouldn't be.

I have the best of both worlds: Stay at Home Mom and Working Mother. I only work twice a week~ but wish my boss would let me go to only once a week. And my mom watches all my boys while I work. I am very grateful that she is able to do this for our family.

I am a Pediatric Nurse at a Children's Hospital. Currently, I work in the recovery area. Where kids come right after surgery. The only thing I don't like about my job is the drive. It takes about an hour drive time each way.

I love movies. Before Commander and I had a family, we watched a lot of movies together. I know that someday we will be able to watch movies as a family. Right now only one of the three boys can sit long enough.

My friends joke that we live the 1950's. Our family eats dinner at about 5pm every night. Yes that's right, dinner is ready to eat at 5pm. Even Commander has dinner ready of the kids at about 5:30pm when I work.


That was way harder than I thought it would be. Like most of us, the pictures we take are mainly of our families and our surroundings, never catching us in the moment with them. I was happy after downloading some pictures this summer to find this good shot of my middle son and I.




Have a lovely Week......

Hot Cocoa

One of my favorite things about the cold weather. The excuse to drink more hot cocoa. When my insomnia strikes I normally have a cup in the middle of the night. But I feel like I can have a couple of cups any time during the day.
This one of his first experiences with hot cocoa. I swear the cup is as big as his head. I think he liked it by all the smiles and signing to me that he wanted more.

Lost......

I have been Feeling Lost...... for the last couple of days. My mind wandering to the what if's in life. Not sure if I need change or just to find peace in my surrounding.



But thankful that Commander found old photos on the hard drive. We thought that we accidentally deleted Bear's 4 year old birthday pictures and some of Sharkbait when he was little. I was recently catching up on scrap booking and was sad that I was missing this important event in his life.

Custume Glory

We carved our pumpkins on Halloween Eve. The evening started off good. Each of the older boys had an idea of how they wanted their pumpkins to look. The grandparents came over to share in the fun. The pictures were drawn on the pumpkins and the carving began.

Next thing I know Bear grabs the knife over my hand and his index finger is bleeding away...... I held pressure on it for some time. Got band-aides and tried to put the flap of skin back down. Bear seemed fine~ so we finished the evening with decorating our pumpkins.

The next day we met Commander for lunch, we thought that we would check out the finger. OH NO..... The flap of skin is wide open and swollen. It is hours before the BIG event.

So off to the Children's Hospital Urgent Care we go. They cleaned it out- put a reinforced dressing on it and splint and away we went. Bear called it his personal gun(only a boy would think of that). I am so happy that he saw the glass half full.



Did you notice the Michel Jackson glove on the mini Darth Vader Bobble Head?