Daily challenge

Everyday there is a new challenge. Today, this is what I found when I went to get the babies out of bed.
Oh yeah, he's cheerful now. This cute little rascal figured out how to unsnap all the snaps on his pajamas. Big brother showed him that last night -- thanks, Will. It looks like this cutie is waving, but Jon was so proud of himself that he is giving me a high-five (our family sign for "great job!") The days that present more challenges are the ones when the kids take clothes and diapers off each other. Those of you with kids probably realize they egg each other on -- even the little ones. You wouldn't believe how many times I tell one of the babies, "no!" and I come back to find all three little ones daring each other, in their tripletese language of squeals, grunts, and giggles, to do the things they know I don't approve. They are barely a year old, people! Quit laughing at me.

So far, that has been the worst of the day, and it wasn't even bad. Luckily I got there before he undid the diaper, which is what Maddie does when she gets the chance. That would have made me grumpy. The day has been fairly normal. Will wasn't feeling great, and he slept later than normal. I got all the kids fed breakfast, and while the little ones had a morning siesta, Will and I did art projects. This afternoon, the kids played and eventually all four were down for some quiet time and/or naps. I had a chance and called a friend I hadn't talked to since I was pregnant with Will about 5 years ago. We've not been completely out of touch, but there is something magical about catching up when you can talk back and forth and hear each other's voices. I had a blast! Tonight I am going out with my MOPS group to see a chick flick and get dessert. I am really looking forward to that, too. It's been a good day.

Will's favorite things to do right now include hide & seek and art projects. Several times in a day he asks, "Mama, can I make an art project." Last weekend we set up a desk for him to use because when we do our projects together, let's just say, "he invades my territory." Now his work is contained on his blue desk . . . and the corner of my desk . . . and all the scraps cover at least 12 square feet on the floor . . . and then he spreads more on my desk. Where does he get that trait? Spreading out like he owns the place. . . My goodness! (For those of you who don't scrap at Chasing Rainbows, when I am there I can easily take up 4 or 5 tables that are each 2'x4'. It's safe to say he probably gets it from me.)

With all of his projects while the little ones napped this week, I was able to finish up some of the layouts that have taken me awhile to complete. Some of these have been works-in-progress for several weeks because I kept getting frustrated over the details. The "Crush" layout is one that was very quick and simple, yet I love it because of the story. I copied my text from a previous blog and pasted it in a word document, changed the font, and printed it on cardstock (6 minutes, tops). Then I cut all the sentences on my Tonic trimmer (4 minutes, but I am anal about spacing). I found some photos I had already printed of Will telling me a story and cropped them (10 minutes, but only because I forgot where I had put the photos). I laid all the elements on the page, leaving room for my title, then I adhered them. All in all, I don't think it took me even half an hour. I've already printed more of my blog stories for future layouts, so they will go fast, too. Just a quick tip I read and tried: when you are photographing 4 year-olds who only frown or do a cheesy grin for the camera, have them tell a story. They forget you are taking pictures when they get excited about the story. Be prepared to be ready to move though; Will didn't sit still at all while he told his tale. These are just a few I got. I am using some of the others on another layout about a conversation with him.

Another number

Just another number. Dad reminded me this weekend that age is just a number and doesn't mean anything. Nonetheless, I chose to celebrate my third annual 29th birthday rather than my 31st. I don't know why it bugs me, it just does. We spend the weekend at my parents' and my brother and his family came, too. It was a fairly lazy weekend with the guys fishing most of the time, I napped and read, and we all ate way more than we meant to. I hadn't met my niece yet, and that was such a delight. She is such a pretty, happy, babbly baby with bright blue eyes. On Sunday afternoon, we tried taking photos of all the kids with the grandparents, and, well, that was an experience. Who was the most cooperative child? Baby Julianne, of course. I am sure if a 12 week old baby could roll her eyes and say, "What on earth IS this insanity?" she would be doing just that. It is crazy trying to get five small kids to look the same way. . .especially when there are six adults directing the show. Will had not had a nap and by the end, he was cranky and tired of posing. The triplets took turns trying to crawl away, and Julianne laid there looking at the fiasco. We did manage to get at least one that will probably hang on Gramma's fridge for awhile.

It was fun watching my children meet a cousin. The triplets haven't been around anyone smaller than them, and they were fascinated. When they first saw Julianne, the came over and looked, getting as close as possible, but they never touched her. Although they rushed to her side, they moved very slowly and quietly. The next day, when we took these pictures, they didn't have a problem climbing over her or sitting on her. She was just fine, and I am sure her cousins will toughen her up a bit.

Mom saved me a few clips of the For Better or For Worse comic strips that she thought I'd appreciate. She was right. It is strange to me that four blocks of sketches andword bubbles can so easily sum up my thoughts.

TGIF

I never realized that at-home moms look forward to Fridays, too, until I became one. For some reason, I figured that when I left the paycheck world I wouldn't care what day it was, but I was definitely wrong. Just like everyone else, Friday means the weekend is coming. And a weekend means, that I have one more on my team during the day than I did during the week. When Daddy is home, I get a few more moments for me. I think I need a few of those this weekend. And when Daddy is here, it evens out the teams of adults vs. kids a little more.

The week has been fairly normal. Wednesday was warm enough that I got a funny picture of Will. I looked on the patio and saw his shirt on the ground. . .then I saw the pants. . .then I got the camera. When I asked Will, who was sitting in a small bucket of water, what he was doing with his clothes off, he told me with a huge grin, "Mama, it is such a beautiful day for a swim!" A few minutes later he called for help . . .his little tush was stuck in the bucket and he couldn't get out. I decided to let him just BE outside (I was able to watch him through the window). A bit later, I peered out and saw his soaking wet Spidey underpants being used to scrub the rocking horse. I got the camera again, and took a shot out the door, but by then he figured out how to dip his underpants in the water, hold them on a stick and drip water everywhere. I am adjusting to having a little kid who likes to be a little kid -- I am sure I did similar things when I was young, but I don't remember being naked in my yard. Allen says that sounds like what he did, though, so I guess its normal. I was tickled by the situation, so I called Jennie to find out how cold it was in Kansas. Very cold. Here I was with a naked wet kiddo outside without any goose bumps -- February 20th. When the little ones were ready for a nap, he came in and I put him in the big tub in my bathroom and he bathed and played with his pirate ship for a long, long time. After he was clean and very pruney, he took a long nap.

Yesterday it rained hard all day. Rather gloomy, but a nice temperature made it bearable. I went to a Mommy Makeover seminar with my Mothers of Multiples group while Allen stayed with the kids for a long lunch break. Although I am not ready for it yet, I would love to have my tummy tucked. I am struggling with the entire thing though. I always heard that plastic surgery is addictive (like tattoos, but that is another story for another day). Once you've had something "corrected" it isn't such a stretch to do something else the next year. I don't want to fall into that. Allen says that recognizing that fact may keep me from actually falling into that trap, but I have my doubts. Although I've thought about a tuck since I saw my tummy stretch over those three precious babies, until I went to the seminar with my friends, I didn't really consider having anything else done. Since the surgeon made all the procedures seem so normal, I find myself considering other things too -- lipo out my double chin, lift the streched out milk jugs back to their original positions. And I hate that I have turned into to someone that would consider anything that might be on an episode of Nip Tuck. Can't I just be happy with the body God gave me? If I did change anything surgically, how would I be able to convince my daughter to be happy with her body when she gets to the age when she isn't -- wouldn't that make me a hypocrite? I am not ready for anything yet, but since I am always one to deeply investigate the water before I jump in, I am giving myself a head start. So there you have it. More information that I thought I'd ever share, but who cares? This blog is my journal, and someday, when I ask, "What was I thinking?" I will have it written down so I will know.

26 Things About ME (BWahahahahHAHAHAha?)

1. What is in the back seat of my car right now?
A tissue box, a Dr. Pepper can, and a body*.

2. Five people who made me smile today?
Sarah, Will, and "The Refinery." "The Refinery" counts as several people as I shake my head about the happenings here.

3. What was I doing at 8 am this morning?
Checking the e-mail.

4. What will I be doing 3 hours from now?
Most likely grocery shopping.

5. What is the last thing I said aloud?
"Bye" to Sarah on the phone.

6. What is the best ice cream flavor?
"More, please." Love that stuff.

7. What was the last thing I had to drink?
Agua media.

8. What am I wearing right now?
Jeans and a blue check buttonup shirt. COMFORTABLE SHOES.

9. What was the last thing I ate?
PB&J, black beans, sunflower seeds, apple, cheese. And ice cream.

10. Have I bought any new clothing items this week?
Not yet, but you gave my wife the idea.

11. When was the last time I ran?
Yesterday I did a little jog through the plant. No biggie.

12. What's the last sporting event I watched?
Kid-Bowl 3000 in the Playroom last night. That and Daytona.

13. Do I drink soda from a straw?
SOME THINGS ARE A LITTLE TOO PERSONAL FOR THE INTERNETS.

14. What am I doing tomorrow?
About the same. Outlook looks pretty clear.

15. What color is mywatch?
I have a very nice turqouise watch but don't wear it to work. Silver + H2S = bad.

16. What do I think of when I think of Australia?
The Philosopher's Sketch. AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA WE LOVE YOU.


17. Would I consider plastic surgery?
I'd consider it for YOU. PHREOW.

18. What is my birthstone?
I looked it up on Google and it said granite. Or cheese.

19. Any plans today?
Yes, thank you. Also you're not my type.

20. How many states have I lived in?
Three - New Mexico (not the country), Oregon, Texas, Kansas. Wait that's four.

21. Ever go to college?
Twice.

22. Biggest annoyances in my life right now?
Significant lack of Spore and Rock Band.

23. Favorite pair of shoes I wear all the time?
I'd like to replace this woman question with the equivalent man version - my favorite pair of underwear are the set with the chili peppers that I wear when I a...

24. Do I use the word 'hello' daily?
Is that illegal now?

25. How old will I be turning on your next birthday?
Unless you have the same birthday I do, I won't turn anything.

26. How did I get some of my scars?
Opening a gate (barbed wire, WICKED scar), various sharp implements, falling on glass... the usual.


So there you go. Twenty-six things about me. That pretty much sum up my life. Yep. Right there. All there is to me.


*-it's an insect body. Freak.

My list

My day is full of list -- To do lists, grocery lists, phone lists, and my closest friends tease me about my lists. Its what I do when I can't think straight -- make a step by step list of what to do. I was surfing blogs this morning avoiding my lists and found one that I altered a little and answered. A list about me:

26 Things You Might Not Know About Me
1. What is in the back seat of my car right now? Hmmm. Several (no make that LOTS) of Will's preschool worksheets and paintings, a bunch of lonely baby socks where I can't reach them without taking the seats out, four car seats, the triplets' circus train wagon, an ice scraper for when I go to Kansas, a 1993 road atlas, baby wipes, lots of diapers and extra clothes for the kids.
2. Five people who made me smile today? Allen, Will, Ben, Jon & Maddie
3. What was I doing at 8 am this morning? Changing baby diapers
4. What will I be doing 3 hours from now? Picking Will up from preschool
5. What is the last thing I said aloud? Night-night
6. What is the best ice cream flavor? Daiqueri ice from Baskin Robbins
7. What was the last thing I had to drink? Coffee
8. What am I wearing right now?Levi's and a cute brown sweater with a pretty trim
9. What was the last thing I ate? A slim-fast strawberry cheesecake bar for breakfast
10. Have I bought any new clothing items this week? Not yet, but I like that idea.
11. When was the last time I ran? Define "ran". . . does chasing babies count? I ran an errand Saturday.
12. What's the last sporting event I watched? The Super Bowl.
13. Do I drink soda from a straw? I prefer to, but not always.
14. What am I doing tomorrow? Feeding kids, dressing kids, changing kids, repeat several times, laundry, cooking soup, laundry, email, maybe scrapping.
15. What color is mywatch? I have a green one, but I haven't worn it in at least 18 months.
16. What do I think of when I think of Australia? Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef sounds divine.
17. Would I consider plastic surgery? Absolutely, but I can't believe I'd say that. I am meeting a doctor this week to talk about tucking my triplet tummy.
18. What is my birthstone? Amethyst
19. Any plans today? Survive then go to bed early.
20. How many states have I lived in? Three - Pennsylvania, Texas, Kansas
21. Ever go to college? I graduated from Texas Tech.
22. Biggest annoyances in my life right now? Diaper pails, cat litter, and the dog tracking mud through the house.
23. Favorite pair of shoes I wear all the time? My brown leather Naturalizers that I wore everywhere everyday until Santa got me the pair of Crocs that I wear at home now.
24. Do I use the word 'hello' daily? Yes - I love saying it to the babies because then they hold a hand up to an ear like they are talking on the phone. I also answer the phone that way.
25. How old will I be turning on your next birthday? Yikes - 31 this weekend, but I prefer to call it my 3rd annual celebration of my 29th birthday.
26. How did I get some of my scars? Fell into a table corner as a baby (forehead), got hit with a car door (corner of my eye), chicken pox (nose -- although I can easily convince you my nose was pierced), appendectomy, c-section.

Blah blah blah

This is my BLAH day. For no good reason, I am lacking motivation to get anything done. I slept late, it poured rain and thundered all day, the babies cried a lot. I did get to the grocery store for a few things, and I got a package of class samples sent to the scrapbook store, but that is all I accomplished. Scrambled eggs were a lot of effort for dinner. Tomorrow should be better, but it is still supposed to be stormy.

Crush

This is the compilation of at least two conversations about girlfriends with Will. I remember some of my childhood sweeties being treated the same way. . .

Ella is my girlfriend.

How many girlfriends do you have?

Lots.

They are your friends that are girls, right?

Well, yeah, but a girl friend is a girl I like a LOT.

Oh really?

Yup.

Is Taylor or Lilly your girlfriend, too?

Nope. Just Ella.

What do you do with a girlfriend?

I don't know.

Do you talk to her?

No. I never talk to Ella.

Do you play?

Yeah. I guess I hit her on the head.

I thought you liked her.

Yeah. A LOT. (eyebrows high, very
serious face when he says "lot" in his deep voice)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since Daddy always checks the blog, I thought I post this one for him here. Nope - not an easy picture to make, and now I need to go pick up all the torn pieces of red construction paper. Happy Valentines Day to the rest of you, too!

What a Guy!

When I signed Will up for preschool, I filled out lots of forms -- emergency contact forms, medical forms, and forms with other various info. On one form, it specifically asked if there was anything in particular teachers should or should not do with the child. I couldn't think of any special treatment Will required, but I did write down that I didn't want the adults doting on the triplets if they happened to be around. I wanted preschool to be Will's . . . somewhere he didn't have to compete with our babies for attention. Somewhere he was special because he was Will, not because he had triplets.

Last June I took all 4 kids to Lowe's. I pushed the babies in a double stroller and Will walked with me. As we walked around people started noticing that there were 3 babies and started oohing and aahing over the babies. "How old are they?" I'd answer "He is 3, the others are 7 months." I always start with Will, because usually people don't notice him & I don't want him to think that I forget. It breaks my heart, but usually he seems okay with it. The only time he has ever mentioned it was that day. When we got in the car Will asked "Mama? I was in your tummy, too, wasn't I?" "Yes, babe, you were.""Why does everyone love the babies and not me?" Wow. Here it is NINE months later and I remember every bit of how hurt I felt for him & I still get teary. I didn't have a good answer and I still don't. I just do my best to make sure he gets his share of love when I can control it.

So back to today. . . Will told me that other moms go to the class parties and he asked if I would come to the Valentine party. I told him I could but I'd have the kids with me. He still wanted me there. So I loaded up the triplets in the circus train and went in. I was able to park them with milk and graham crackers away from the other kids. I sat near Will and he chatted with his friends. It warmed my heart to hear this. . .
"Brandon, did you see haw pretty my sister is? Isn't she a cutie?" (I don't think he was setting up future romances, just pointing out his cute babies.)
"Taylor, I have triplets today. You can look, but don't touch them."
"Ella, come see my babies"
"Joshua, look! That's my brother Ben. He laughs if you make funny faces. Wanna see?"
"Jaxen, come here. I have two brothers and one sister."
"Lilly and Ben, we have THREE babies! Aren't they sweet?"

I think he pointed them out to every kid in his class. It was a challenge keeping the other kids from touching the wagon or getting too close, but Will made sure his friends kept to themselves. All that trouble to make sure I don't point out that they are triplets, and he goes and does that. I am so happy that he is so proud to be thier brother. It definitely warms my heart.

Vichyssoise Recipe

Leeks were the veggie this week and I made a tasty soup. I started by reading lots of different recipes for vichyssoise, then I just made up my own recipe based on those. This was very yummy and not much trouble. The proper French pronunciation is "vee shee swahzz".


6 small potatoes, wash, peel & dice
1/2 medium onion, sliced very thin
3 large leeks, discard tough outer leaves and dark green tops, slice lengthwise the white & light green parts
4 tbsp. butter
8 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup dry instant rice cereal for babies (I used this to thicken it a little bit)
2 cups cream
kosher salt & pepper


Melt the butter in the bottom of a big soup pot, the sweat the onions in it. After they are mostly clear, add the leeks. Sweat the leeks with the onions for about 3 minutes or until they are softened, then add the diced potatoes. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the broth and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the veggies are all very soft. Puree soup in a blender and pour it all back into the pot. Stir in the cream. I tasted and added a little more salt and pepper. I also added a little bit of the rice cereal because I wanted the soup thicker. This soup is great served hot or cold, but traditionally, it is served cold.

Enjoy!! What veggie will be next? Any ideas?

ALLEN'S AT THE HELM (and babies' eyes are fine)

Sarah made the unfortunate mistake of leaving me in the house all alone with her blog. So here I am to post the update and scoop her!

The visit to the opthamologist went quite smoothly. We got to the office a little early and waited.

And waited.

The babies were all quite charming - we had long conversations with another couple and their 3 year-old daughter while the babies roamed around and brought smiles to the olderfolken in the room. Sarah and I were (MORE HER THAN ME) nervous about the eye dilations after the Jon&Kate episode, but our nurse was very rapid and they used a spray to get the chemical in their eye. No tears were had (OTHER THAN AS A REACTION TO THE BURNING SENSATION BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED).

More waiting.

Then we move back into the exam room.

And wait.

The Doctor came in and was good with the kids - and for the most part they were good for him. He had neat toys to check their vision tracking and made lots of squeaks and sqwaks and squalls that kept the kids attention away from the HUGE LIGHT SHINING IN THEIR FACE. Jon won "Patient of the Day" award for his patience and Maddie won the "Fuzzy Coconut of the Day" award tho' we're sure we heard a louder kid next door. MAYBE NEXT TIME ACADEMY.

The final diagnosis - all eyes perfectly healthy and no need for glasses (YET - YOU BABIES HAVE GENETICS AGAINST YOU. FIGHT THE POWER).

And then we came home, had lunch, and got the kids down for NAPS. Three tired babies made for quite a day. They did very well having missed both a morning nap, and their usual earlier lunch. Sippies full of milk made up for it. All in all - a good time! Let's not do it again!

No jackets needed (it's FEBRUARY!!)

(Nope, not my photo, just a picture of how pretty this park is.) What an absolutely GORGEOUS weekend!! I am still getting used to the fact that it is warm here in winter. When I lived in the Panhandle the winds alone made for bitter winters. When we moved to Kansas we got the wind and snow. Here -- wow, it is balmy. This weekend we had temps in the lower 70s. Saturday, Allen and Will did yard work while I worked on the kids' room inside. We are still finding boxes to unpack, but my biggest unending obstacle is the clothes that all four continually out grow. With Will in 3s and 4s, but the babies in clothes from 6-18 months, it is so hard to keep up with whether the clean laundry goes in drawers, closets, or storage. I am sure in a few months, when the littles ones are in similar sizes, life will be a tad bit easier. We'll see.

Sunday we went to a park after lunch and spent the afternoon there. Allen wore shorts, t-shirt and sandals, and the rest of us were in pants and short-sleeves. No jacket required. The park we went to is in a forest with miles of paved walking/running/skating/bike trails. It was wonderful to see it in full use. There were hundreds of people enjoying the day on the trails, but in the open fields we could watch people reading under trees, playing fetch with dogs, playing soccer, tossing frisbees, throwing footballs, and kids just running because there was space to do so. The playground was covered with kids reminding me of ants at a picnic -- scurrying around chaotically, but with a definite mission. Will enjoyed the playground, but he seemed more fascinated in the walking, or rather the stopping. We constantly heard, "Hey, come look! Wait up! Don't leave me!" I was frustrated a little because I am not good at stopping and going at his pace when the little ones are with us. They often get fussy if the wagon isn't in motion. I need to work on this -- he will love science so much more if I stop and look and talk about the leaves, seed pods, spiders, and squirrels that he likes to investigate. After walking and playing at the park, we all just found a soft patch of green grass to sit and play in. Ben, Maddie, and Jon enjoyed the softness on their toes, and Will hunted for sticks. Allen and I just basked in the sunshine, watching our kiddos, and counting our blessings. We took them all the grocery store and then rushed home for and early dinner, bath and bedtime. We somehow made it through the afternoon without naps, but they all went to bed early without much trouble.

So here starts another week. I was watching re-runs of Jon & Kate plus 8 last night, and they were talking about how awful the visit to the eye doctor was with their sextuplets (yes, thats 6 -- the 8 includes the older twins, too). Well, they went on to describe how painful it was for them, as parents, to watch the kids being "tortured" with eye drops, and they seemed to go on and on. Tomorrow, we take the triplets to the eye doc, and I hope it isn't that bad. I was at the hospital with the babies when the docs there checked their eyes, and I had to leave the room. It isn't supposed to be painful, but anything coming at your eyeball is uncomfortable, so they scream. Since the babies were premies and on oxygen, there is a chance of retinal problems or crossed-eyes. That's why we're going for a check-up. Today, I will spend a long time filling out three sets of medical forms. You know the kind where EVERYTHING is the same for all three except the names. Arg! I love it when the offices say "Fill out one and we'll copy it, then you can write in their names. . . "

Conversation with a Four-Year Old

Momma, I am going to make you a giraffe because you are my friend.
Will, tell me what "friend" means.
A friend is a buddy. . . .Yeah, a buddy. . . . Momma, do you know what a buddy is? A buddy is someone you love and you want to take good care of.
(heart melting at the simplicity and accuracy of his definition)
Who is Figaro?
Did they play Mozart music on Little Einsteins? (referring to Mozart's opera -- Marriage of Figaro, because I have no idea where he got the name but it seems like a Little Einstein lesson.)
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
The cat in the Pinocchio book.
Oh, I forgot about that one.

Hail to the Kaisers

Wow! Was the storm inside or out last night? The chaos of the noise pounding the roof and windows, the squeals of excitement and trepidation from four children, the barking of the dog, the scurrying of the cats. . . it definitely felt like an inside storm and I was exhausted. I went out and got a big hailstone and showed Will -- he thought the hail was pretty neat.


It has been a busy few days. We went to the in-laws for the Super Bowl since Allen HAD to see the game on a big screen, high-def TV. I wasn't even sure why he had to watch it. Everyone knew the Patriots would win, right? I finally watched the last two minutes of the game. I heard it was a good one, but I know the last few minutes were pretty exciting when the Giants upset the game. I am glad I only had five bucks on the game. But while the family watched the game, I got a little scrapbooking done. I completed one layout, but it was fun.


We got home Monday morning, and I've been scurrying to get things back to normal. Whatever does that mean, anyway?? Here are a few of the layouts I have completed recently.

New Month Resolutions

February's Resolutions:

1. Get back to FLYing with FlyLady

2. Scrap often

3. Celebrate the everyday things

I decided to focus on just a little at a time instead of doing all my new year's resolutions at once. That way, I can develop habits without being overwhelmed by 20 new things at once. January was my month of making healthier food choices. So far I've lost 4 pounds by snacking and dining healthier & drinking more water. For February, I am trying to get back to FLYing with FlyLady. The FlyLady site defines her as one who weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor. Before we left Kansas the FlyLady routine is what kept our house from being completely embarrassing. I did have once that I remember when I had family coming, but the babies had just come home. My friend Vicki came and saved the day by helping me scrub the place clean (thanks so much!) Well, I kept it clean & now I need to rescue this new house from myself. Actually it isn't that bad, but I've become complacent about some of the boxes around here that still haven't been unpacked. And the kids' rooms need to be decorated so they look more like children's rooms instead of like storage rooms. So, here we go . . . .

Scrap often . . . January's goal was to unpack & organize my scrap supplies. Once I got that accomplished, I was back to having my stress relief. When my scanner gets reset or my camera battery is recharged, I'll post my latest creations. Whee! Last night I got a layout done and I was so pumped up that it took a long time to come off the rush enough to sleep. I love that feeling - to me it is addictive.

And to celebrate the everyday. . .

Here are the babies at snack time. It is dangerous to interfere when they are drinking their milk. Wouldn't this make a cute ad for Nuby sippy cups? If someone puts down a cup and it isn't empty, it definitely gets nabbed by someone else. Here Jon has taken Ben's cup.
Maddie isn't thrilled that the cup is empty.
Ben doesn't care.
This morning, Ben and Jon team up to move the chair a few feet from the table. "That should cause Mom some grief when she seats us for lunch."
Will enjoys telling jokes now. They seem to be like this: "How do you eat a light bulb?", "I don't know, Will, you tell me." "With watermelon! Hahaha!"

Ummm. . . ok?

Have a funny day!