Just breathe....

Okay moms, I know you have all been there at one point or another. You know, the moment where you realize you are in a bad mood and you are trying your best not to take it out on the kids. well, it never fails that in that moment, they do something like this..... Our Friday started out like most others, a trip to the YMCA in the morning and then back home to get ready for lunch. Normally, I leave the boys upstairs while I get lunch ready. this has to happen because as soon as they see the food come out of the fridge, they FREAK out, as in I can't calm them down enough to get lunch actually fixed. Well, I am making lunch and I hear this noise coming from upstairs. It sounds like a plastic bag rustling and crinkling. Since I don't keep plastic anywhere the boys can get to it, I am trying to figure this one out. So I come up the stairs and find.....something that I should have taken a picture of but couldn't make myself do it. I see Anthony with the bag from the brand new BJs-size bag of Cheerios and he is shaking it madly and just cackling. There are literally Cheerios about 1 inch deep spanning a space about 2 feet by 6 feet on the floor. It is all I can do to not kill someone. Remember, I am already in a bad mood and working hard to be extra cautious with my temper. Chase, in all his innocence, looks at me and says, "I wasn't sure what to do Mommy." With that, I tell him it is okay and go for the triplets, who by the way are now stomping on the Cheerios like Lucy in the grape smashing episode of "I Love Lucy". I literally start grabbing babies and tossing them into the dog crate. And when I say tossing, I literally mean tossing. It is a good thing there is a nice cushy pillow in it. As I lock the doors on the crate they all start wailing. So what do I do? Grab a handful of said Cheerios and toss them in the with boys. Chase offers to help me clean up, which means he moves to the middle of the mess to start collecting Cheerios, which also means that he is crushing them as he does so. I very calmly ask him to move outside the mess and show him how I am going to gather the Cheerios. He does so and proceeds to help me clean them up. In the end, I didn't lose my temper or scream and yell like I wanted. I just cleaned up the mess and went about the rest of my day. Oh, but I didn't take a picture. I'm still not sure I am ready to see all the humor in the event!

Trying to be better

I promised myself after Chase's birthday blog entry that I would try to be better about writing in the blog. Even if it is only a few sentences that captures something one of the boys said or did, I want to try and get it down. Well today there were 2 moments I wanted to capture.

1. Driving to the YMCA this morning, the boys were all watching Winnie the Pooh. Chase says to me, "Mom, how old is Pooh?" I responded by answering honestly, "I'm not sure. How old do you want him to be?" Chase: "I think he is 2. Christopher Robin's teacher is 14. (pause) and Christopher Robin is 8." Me: "Okay bud, sounds like a plan to me."

2. This afternoon after a particularly fussy time period, I had finally gotten both Chase, Jack and Anthony calm. We were all on the couch watching a little Mickey Mouse when Graham enters the scene. He decided he needed a hug from Jack. So he climbs on top of me and proceeds to hug Jack, who instantly starts crying. Well, turns out Graham wanted to hug him but used it to hide the fact that he was stealing Jack's pacifier at the same time.    Oh brother!

4 Years and Counting

My dear Chase,

How it is even possible that you are 4 years old already? And in true Chase fashion, already asking when you are going to be 5! We celebrated with a Lightning McQueen party and you got more gifts than you needed but boy did you have fun! 

This year was Cars, Cars and more Cars for you!

You were "Bad to the Bone" as you waved to your friends at your party

 

The year has gone by with so many memorable moments and I keep saying that I have to write them down before I forget but then time gets away from me. Although I won’t be as well-documented in written form, I can make you this promise, you will always be well-documented in my heart and mind. You are a part of me and time will never change that fact.

What have you been doing over the last year? Growing, learning and loving are the best ways for me to simplify for you. You have not only grown up physically, but your mind has expanded in ways that leave your Dad and I speechless, literally. Whether it be when you recap your day at preschool with exact detail or remember something that happened 6 months ago, your vocabulary and language skills impress us beyond belief. The fact that you even use the words in their correct context is even more amazing to us. Take for example, the day you boys were playing with Daddy and you told Jack to run to the right and you ran to the left so Daddy wouldn’t catch you. You looked at me and said, “Mom, I used Jack as a distraction so Daddy couldn’t catch me.” Seriously, what 4 year old talks about using siblings as a distraction?! You learned to write your name in preschool this year but still aren’t sure if you prefer to write with your right or your left hand. More to come in the future on this one I guess! You are starting to sound out words by looking at the letters and practicing how they sound. You will “read” books to your brothers (if they slow down long enough to let you that is). You have learned to sing and dance and say the blessing before every meal for us. (AhMan is how you pronounce Amen, melts my heart every time!)

Daddy and his boys (G,J,A,C)

Before bed when Bise came to spend the night with us (G,A,J,B,C)

You have become an amazing boy and I am literally told by everyone you come in contact with how good you are. They all still comment on your manners and how well you listen and follow directions. That makes me almost as proud as anything else you could ever accomplish.

Love, my goodness how you love. You get your feelings hurt when other people are sad, you comfort your friends when they are upset and console your brothers when they cry. Just this morning, Graham was crying and you pulled him into your lap on the couch and rubbed his back while he sat with you. In a matter of seconds, he was calm and resting his head on your shoulder. Again, while it isn’t captured on film, I took my own mental photo and stored it away for the time when you have him in a headlock and are the reason why he is crying!

You are excited beyond words that you now have Grandma, Mom-mom, Pop-Pop, Uncle Matt, Aunt Jen, Bise and Meredith all living here in Raleigh (which you remind me of daily). And the fact that more family lives in NORTH Carolina (emphasis on the North when you say it) makes you giggle. You loved spending time with Aunt Lindsey, Olivia, Addison and Allye but were sad that Uncle Nate had to work. Yet, you understood what that meant and kept saying that we would see him soon.

On your new Lightning McQueen bike with Pop-Pop, Mom-mom and Grandma in the background

You are swimming with new confidence after finishing your swim lessons and getting your own puddle jumper and will now go under water and ‘dive’ for treasure on your own. You make friends wherever you go and are constantly on the go. Busy just doesn’t describe your movements on a regular basis.

Miss Katy and you kicking like crazy. She was AWESOME!

You still let me hold you everyone once and a while and while you may be getting bigger and heavier, you still let me carry you to bed at night (if I ask to). I can’t imagine life without you and am grateful for everything you have given me and taught me. You remind me daily of how special and precious life can be and I try not to take these moments for granted. I love you more than I can ever express and love being your mom. Please don’t grow up too soon, I still want my little boy around.

On the day you were born

On the day you turned 4

Smiles

So the last week has given me enough smiles for a lifetime. It started when Jason and I went to Orlando for an early anniversary adult-only vacation. His cousin Liz and her ‘crew’ offered to keep the boys for us and we took advantage of it. Jason had a conference for work that started on Sunday night so I tagged along and we went down a couple of days early. We had tons of great food, 2 rounds of golf and lots of pool and sun time. I have to admit that I missed the kids, but not as much as I thought I would. I did NOT miss the daily grind. It was nice to not have to think about breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and all the stuff in between for just a few days. I got to eat a hot meal SLOWLY and actually enjoy eating it without constant background jabber. I came home on Monday while Jason stayed on and finished out his conference. Jason talked to Chase twice a day and not once did he ask about me or to talk to me! Go figure. However, when I returned he was just as excited as the triplets. And let me just say that was another reason to smile. Those boys went CRAZY when I came up the stairs. I literally just laid on the floor and let them crawl all over me. Think puppies in a box with a new toy – got the image? Now, change the puppies to 16 month olds and the new toy to me. It was awesome and made me smile for hours!

Then on Tuesday Chase went to swim lessons where he made great strides and is gaining so much confidence in the water. Hooray – but am I really ready for that? And then I got another chance to smile when my new kitchen countertops were installed on Wednesday morning. We are almost done with the kitchen update (no more mid-1980s for me!). Then we met my mom and grandparents at the mall for lunch and playtime (no running water or usable kitchen counters remember? Perfect excuse to eat out.) More smiles watching the boys at the play area in the mall and then literally lunging into my grandparents arms while they watched. Then, to top it all off, we went to the pool late in the afternoon and out for pizza for dinner. (More smiles all around). Jason got home from a day trip to DC a little after 9:00 pm and all the kids were asleep and I wasn’t far behind.

All in all, this week has been a good reminder of all that is good, no scratch that, GREAT in my life. Sometimes, I think I just need to remember that. Especially in the moments where I am going crazy and want to go hide in a corner.

Hopefully I will get some new pictures up soon but we have been so busy that I haven’t stopped to take any!

Lather, Rinse, Repeat (thanks Denise!)

I have to give credit to the blog entry title to my friend Denise. We were talking at the Y the other morning about how the daily grind and routine of life sometimes wears us down and she said, I feel like all I do is lather, rinse, repeat. The statement and the sentiment fit my life perfectly so it inspired me to do a blog entry. Why? Because Monday through Friday it seems like we do the same thing. Get up, eat breakfast, play, go to the YMCA, come home, play, eat lunch, take a nap (triplets only), play, eat a snack, play, eat dinner, take a bath, play, sleep, get up and repeat. The good news is that because we go to the YMCA so often, the novelty of the triplets is starting to wear off so we can just ‘be normal’ when we go there and not be stared at like zoo exhibits. Every so often, we add something new to the mix. We had Nana here for a quick overnight visit last weekend, my grandparents officially moved to town and then we finished with visitors from out of state!

It began last weekend when Nane stopped by for an overnight stop on her way back home from Wilmington. Of course, when Nana comes, we get to do new and exciting things, like get out the roller coaster toy that Chase got for Christmas a few years ago. 

What is this?

Only bad things can happen here...

Then my grandparents finally moved into the apartment here in Raleigh. They had been staying with my mom in town until their furniture arrived from Florida. The boys and I  got to spend Memorial Day with them at the pool and what a good time we had while Jason played golf in Myrtle Beach for the weekend.

Chase being silly

Ta-Da!

Happy Memorial Day 2012! In honor of all those who fight for our freedom...

The boys, Jason and I ventured over to their new place on Sunday to visit and have some lunch. They are in a great little area that has some shopping and restaurants in walking distance! With perfect weather, we packed up the wagon and walked to have some lunch. After lunch, Jason, Chase and Pop-pop (my grandfather) walked across the street to the hardware store while the triplets, Mom-mom (my grandmother) and I finished our lunch and started back to their apartment. Chase is SO excited that they live so close. He literally ran down the driveway to share the news with a neighbor when we got home. It will be great having them so close and being able to drive there for lunch or just a visit whenever we need a “fix”.

We always have a little time for being silly and using our toys in new and exciting ways. Here we decide that the bucket that normally holds all our balls should hold us. So we dumped the toys and had a seat ourselves.

Jack being silly with his shakers from the Bouchards (thanks guys!)

Graham in the bucket while Anthony decides to join him

Anthony thinks he should 'steer' Graham in the right direction

 

Then, my aunt and uncle (Pat and Rick) came to visit from California. Chase spent some time in California in the summer of 2010 when I was pregnant with the triplets so he remembered who they were and boy, what a time he had! Uncle Rick is the perfect playmate for an almost 4 year old boy and Aunt Pat became the star in the eyes of Anthony who would literally dive out of my arms into hers! Needless to say, the 3 days were spent with lots of laughs and memories being made. My two cousins (their daughters) and my brother and I are plotting for a beach trip next summer with ALL the relatives. Look out coast of North Carolina…here we come! 

Aunt Pat and Anthony (with a cookie in his mouth)

Jack gives Grandma a little love

Uncle Rick showing Jack some pictures of his cousins Samantha, Ethan and Finn

Anthony wants to see them too!

Graham, Jack and Anthony rocking to Elmo

Table for 10 please - and yes, we need 3 high chairs to go with that

Jack, Uncle Rick, Graham, Chase, Aunt Pat and Anthony - June 2012

After eating a fantastic dinner and saying our good-byes to my aunt and uncle, we headed home to get the boys cleaned up and in bed. These days the triplets are in bed, usually asleep, by 8:00 pm and Chase is reading books with us and watching a little TV before his bedtime of 9:00 pm. Last night was just a little different though and one for the books. After we put the triplets to bed, Jason and I decided to let Chase go outside and ride his bike (aka big wheel) in the cul-de-sac. The weather was perfect and we could tell that he wasn’t quite ready for bed so we got our lawn chairs, a cold beer and headed to the driveway. While Jason and I sat and enjoyed some adult time to visit, Chase rode in circles. And then it happened……he saw his first lighting bug.

From there, the game was on. I explained to him how when I was little, I would run around Mom-mom and Pop-pop’s yard with Uncle Matt and we could catch lightning bugs in our hands, watch them light up and then let them go. He had a new mission. He ran and clapped, ran and clapped and ran and clapped with no success. I decided to help him out a little and catch one to show him how to do it. So I got up, found a lightning bug close to him and had him follow me while I tried to catch it. After I caught it, we transferred it to his hand so he could practice letting it go. (Sidebar, I wasn’t quite ready to explain to him that we also would catch them, wait for them to light up and then remove the lights to make rings – he’ll figure that out on his own!). From there, he would find a bug, track it and try very hard to catch it. This game amused him for the longest time and Jason and I just laughed watching the intensity of his movements. While he never successfully caught one on his own, he kept trying and I can see this being something we have to do often! Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening! Of course, this morning, it was back to lather, rinse and repeat!

Mother's Day 2012

As I was thinking about how to explain Mother’s Day, I was struck by how my ideal seems to have changed over the last year. It didn’t help my attitude that poor Anthony woke up sick (literally) and spent the better part of the day feeling miserable and that the weather was pretty crummy by the time we tried to get outside. However, it was those factors that made me realize that every day really is Mother’s Day.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have loved to sit around and read trashy novels on the couch and eat bon-bons but that isn’t life. At least not for this mom! Instead, I am caretaker, fixer of all things that break (both living and plastic), cleaner of the house and all that it contains and the one who is supposed to know where everything is and how we are going to get everything done.

For me, this is my new reality. For me, I enjoy it – for the most part. Don’t get me wrong, I get tired of the monotony and routine of daily life but it sure does help all of us to have one. The irony is that spending Mother’s Day doing what I normally do reminded me that being a mom isn’t glamorous or fancy. It is what it is – life. As I sat there rocking Anthony and trying to console him while listening to Chase play with Jack and Graham, I was reminded that being a mom isn’t supposed to be glamorous or fancy. Being a mom means being the one who knows how to soothe a sick child and still manage to fix lunch and do the laundry. For me, being a mom is life and I celebrate it in little ways every day, not just on the one that Hallmark says we should. Of course, I don’t object to my husband being reminded to do something a little special for me! I hope everyone out there who plays a ‘mother’ role had an amazing day – whether you were celebrating surrounded by people or in an intimate setting.

Happy Mother’s Day 2012!

Chase plays golf

Chase made his first trip to the driving range this past weekend.  He's hit the plastic balls around the back yard a lot, but this was his first real golf experience.  He had such a blast and actually showed signs of some good swings.  Click here to see the video.  It's priceless.