Grooming

My daughter, Chloe, is so tender-hearted. I have written about her many times on here. When she does something wrong, it literally eats at her until she confesses. To me, this is a good thing...especially as she gets older and faces more of "life." But, it is not easy watching her experience the feelings leading to her "confession."

Recently, Mia and Chloe were working on their homework after school and I told them that if they needed any help, I could help them and when they were finished I could look over it. When they reached a math page of having to count these little dots, they both came over needing help. It was a pretty basic concept and I knew that as soon as I explained it, they would get it and go and finish the page. But, it was strange that as Mia went back to the table to finish because she understood, Chloe burst into tears saying she didn't understand. I just looked at her and asked, "Why are you so upset? Here, let me show you again." So, I did and she was being so adamant about not getting it, and I knew that this concept was not too difficult for her.

So I asked, "Chloe, are you really this upset about this math sheet or is something else going on?" and she blurted out (as tears are dripping off her sweet face onto the side table in front of her), "When I was 2, you told me not to ever play with the Gorilla Glue and when I was 3, I took it and made 3 dots on the coffee table in the playroom."

(I had to stop and let it sink in, because we went from math to Gorilla Glue in about a millisecond!)

So I asked her, "Have you been wanting to tell me about this for awhile?"

She said, "Yes and I'm sorry."

And I just had to once again scoop her into my lap and tell her that, of course, I forgave her and that she needs to NOT hold these things in. She just cried and cried and told me she wanted to show me.

OK, these 3 dots are so miniscule. They are practically under the coffee table and Gorilla Glue dries clear, so I never would have seen them.

(My mom suggested that the dots on the math worksheet probably reminded her of her "transgression"!)

That night as I went to bed, I kept thinking about the whole situation and I believe that the Holy Spirit is grooming her to accept Christ one day soon. I believe that he is showing her the feeling of conviction and she is learning from it.

I am so excited for that day when all of my girls become true believers in and followers of Jesus and ask Him to guide them in all areas of their lives.

What a beautiful day that will be...

Bugged

I am seriously bugged.

I just spent over an hour making a veggie lasagna. I thought everyone would love it. My girls love italian food such as pizza and spaghetti. I even went as far as to blend all of the veggies together (not one single veggie could be seen) so no one would say, "what is this?" as they scrape bits of pepper or onion or zucchini out of the mixture. I truly thought the kids would eat it and would enjoy it while getting some nutrients along the way.

Guess who ate it?

Me.

Oh, and Kevin, too.

The girls wouldn't even touch it.

Our policy has always been: You don't have to eat it, but you're not getting anything else. I don't cook 2 meals, just one. We just sent the girls straight to bed (I didn't feel like eating my lasagna while they stared at theirs like it might jump out and bite them.).

Tonight I was so mad...I told Kevin that I felt like forcing them to eat it. All of it...even if they barfed on the table. Then he gently reminded me what a pain it is to clean up vomit.

Good point.

All 3 of our big girls started out eating everything...all types of babyfood fruits and veggies. Then somewhere around age 2, they decided to revolt. Quinnie is right in the middle of this. She very rarely eats dinner. She isn't rude about it, but it always seems like she is pushing her untouched plate of food towards me saying, "All done, Mommy" with a smile on her face. We've decided that she is like a camel. She pretty much only eats one big meal a day. The child loves berries, though (like her sister, Chloe---who loves all types of fruit)...so, I just try to load her up on berries throughout the day. Mia on the other hand is super picky. She won't eat fruit unless it is applesauce in a cup or a smoothie. So, we have started making fruit smoothies every morning...that way all the kiddos get some fruit to start out the day.

I just wish they would eat dinner without me having to make the same old pizza, spaghetti, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, etc.

Dinner is a thorn in my side. If it were just me, alone (which I'd never wish for), I would eat cereal every night.

So, I am on a mission to figure out that daily question, "What's for dinner?"

Here comes the Sun

Sunday was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous! Spring fever has arrived in Atlanta! We took our girls to the Botanical Gardens to enjoy the day then to Park Tavern for an early dinner on their patio overlooking Piedmont Park. Here are some pics from this great "Family Day":

Mia trying to hug her sister (Chloe loves this, can't you tell?)

Miss Mary Britt enjoying the stroll through the gardens

Quinnie running

and playing (check out her "halo" of static hair from sliding down the slide)

Daddy with Mary Britton

Chloe's photo of us...lovebirds

Mia and Chloe really wanted to go ice-skating at Park Tavern, but their feet were too small for the skates. They look bummed.

It felt like we joined half of Atlanta at Piedmont Park

You know it's been a fun-filled day when this is what you see in the backseat on the way home (notice the paci is barely in her mouth!)

Happy Winter Staycation!

This has been so strange having the kids (and Kevin) out for a FULL week of snow days! Besides the dishwasher and laundry machines working overtime, it really has felt like a vacation having my whole family "stuck" at home.

The girls have been eating up their serious one-on-one time with their main man...Daddy. He is SO fun...we have a giant hill across the street from our house at the church/preschool and he has been creating different sled runs, each called Killer Hill #1, #2, etc...

I, on the other hand, have spent most of my time inside with Miss Mary Britton, since she's not too hot on sledding at 5 months old.

I did go on a few Killer Hill rides with Kev and Quinnie, though. The run went down the church/preschool hill, across the snow/ice covered street down our front yard through the gate down our backyard, barely missing our pond in the back and crashing into the back fence. Afterwards, Kevin asked Quinn what I sounded like and she screamed like a little girl. I did say it was Killer Hill, right?

Yes, I screamed like a little girl.

I love looking out the window and seeing Kevin creating sled races and fun activities for our girls (and their little neighborhood friends).

I don't know if our girls realize (yet) what an amazing father they have...but I sure do.

Some of our week's highlights:

Kevin and his "big" girls ready to go outside for Day 1 of the snow & ice (notice Quinnlan's hodgepodge of an outfit!)

Heading down part 1 of Killer Hill

Chloe

Loves for Daddy

Mia

Snow Angel Quinn (the night before she laid in bed saying, "Tomorrow, I'm going to make snow angels and my lambie is going to make snow angels and my paci is going to make snow angels...")

making snowballs

My ambitious snowman makers

Quinnlan

Why is it so HARD to get a good shot of 3 kids!?!

Did I mention that my BABY turned 5 months old on January 10th?

twins and BFFs---Chloe & Mia

the final result of all the hard work

A Gingerbread Village...really...

Kevin might be the most fun dad on the planet. He is always cooking up fun things to do with his gaggle of girlies.

(For instance, tonight he spent a half hour having a tea party with Quinnie and her new tea set from Santa.)

A few weeks ago, Kevin decided that he wanted to build not a gingerbread house, but a gingerbread village with our girls. I quickly told him that this was "his thing"...because if it was up to me, I'd go to Target and buy the boxed kit. He agreed and started making plans. He asked the girls to draw up some blueprints:

Then they began making the gingerbread pieces---walls, roofs, etc. Everyone was very "helpful" in this part of the process (smile):

we had to strip Quinn down to her diaper for this kind of job!

some of the walls

"Is it ready yet?"

look what we found in Day 4 of our Advent calendar box---a little gift from Quinnlan---gingerbread dough

A few days later, I got Quinnlan the Destroyer out of the house so Daddy, Mia and Chloe could start the assembling and decorating...wow...pictures can only describe the mess/chaos/fun that was had by all:

I am in love with this fabulous father, and they sure are too!

Can I do this???

Not alone.

That is the answer that keeps coming to me as I pray each day for

energy

patience

stamina

grace

with my job as a stay-at-home-mom to these 4 precious girls that God has entrusted to our care.

Wow. What a HUGE responsibility that is!

I have been feeling overwhelmed lately with the thought of raising 4 girls. I guess it's not just the thought of raising 4 girls...pretty much anyone can do that. But I want to raise them WELL. (or at least raise them without them having to see a therapist as a grown-up)

Sometimes, I look around me and see 2 six year olds playing easily together either inside or outside...sometimes they are arguing or fighting and I have to step in, but overall they are pretty independent.

If you think they look cute above...here is what they look like many times a day (fighting over something silly)!

I tend to think...how great is that? They can go outside alone and play. I can shower or (if I've had a rough night with Mary Britton) take a nap and I can trust them to watch a movie and not get into any trouble. But then I begin to think...oh no...they are getting older and as they get older, there comes more pressures from outside the home. Pressure to be more like the kids they may be around at school that may have families that don't have the same values as our family. Then I begin to wish that they could just stay little and let us be their main influence...not their friends, not TV. But, then I just have to continue to pray for that hedge of protection from Jesus to surround them and shelter them.

Then I look and see a 2 year old that is the center of attention right now in our home. You can not miss her...she makes sure of that! We call it "The Quinnlan Show."

Her older sisters think she hung the moon (and she feels the same way). They play with her and they laugh at her and they also coax her into doing things she probably shouldn't do...just because it's funny that she is FEARLESS. She's the one that is exhausting me at this time in my life.

Then there's Miss Mary Britton.

The 12 week old baby girl that just goes with the flow. When I was pregnant with her, I prayed that God would give us a baby that was laid back and could just fit into our family seamlessly and that is exactly what He did. She naps a LOT in her carseat and I feel really guilty about that. But, I cannot just be homebound like I was with the twins. There is too much to get done in the day. She has begun to laugh and smile more which incredibly brightens my day, so I feel like she is actually thankful for all those sleepless nights I am enduring. (They are getting better, though they can be sporadic.)

My guilt lies in the things that I did with the twins that I have not done as much with Quinn (reading as many books, playing pretend as much, etc.) or Mary Britton (I think she'd be thrilled to just sleep in a crib every once in awhile!). I don't know if a mother's guilt ever goes away. Isn't the mother the one that people always talk to their therapists about???

Great...

I was talking to Kevin about all of this last night and he made a good point. I think I will not feel as on-edge and paper-thin when I begin to feel rested. I'm just waiting for that...what a dream...

On that note, I'd better go to bed...who knows what the night (and Mary Britton) will hold this night?

The end of Summer brings lots of new things!

~Last day of summer---playing in the hot tub that Kevin filled with cool water~

Monday, August 9 began a jam-packed week for our family.

My girls' 1st day of kindergarten was that day. I have had mixed feelings about this. I know they are both over-prepared for starting "big kid school" (they just completed 2 years of Pre-K because of their late summer birthday).

But, still...these are MY BABIES!

My FIRSTBORN children!

Well, our best laid plans don't always work the way we want them to...Sunday night, Chloe begins to run a 102 fever. This is so typical for our academic history. She is what I (lovingly) call my Nervous Nellie when it comes to new experiences. So, we go to bed and pray that it is a self-induced "stress fever"---is that even a medical diagnosis?

No such luck. She woke up in the middle of the night after the Motrin had worn off with a 102.7 fever.

No 1st day of school for Miss Chloe.

I was especially bummed about this being that I did not want her to miss all of the introductions to kindergarten and her new classroom and teacher and the rules, etc. But, what can you do? Nothing.

So, Mia, Kevin and I headed off to Laurel Ridge Elementary School the next morning hand in hand. Mia was very excited. She received a new bookbag from the Birthday Fairy (we were in the middle of Birthday Week) and new super sparkly school shoes from her Uncle Ryan and his fiance, Monica for her birthday (check out the difference in my twins' styles just by taking a look at the choice in shoes. Chloe actually wanted all white, but couldn't find any, so she went with the ones that had the smallest amount of lavender on them. I just had to laugh.)

We have been looking forward to our girls starting school at Laurel Ridge for awhile now. It is a small little neighborhood school (reminds me so much of the school I attended for elementary school) that is practically across the street from our house. Over the years I have loved seeing familiar neighbor faces walking their children to and from school each day and waving to the wonderful crossing guard---this woman is seriously enthusiastic about her job.

SO, this was our, I mean, Mia's big day. When we get inside, we walk her to her classroom and it is empty except for her teacher. We didn't realize that if it is before 7:45am, the kids go to the cafeteria and wait for their teacher to come and get them to walk to class. Leaving her in an empty room made me feel sick. Mia, on the other hand, hugged and kissed us and waved goodbye and went to the seat with her name on it and had a seat with a smile on her face---Kevin said she probably loved being the only one in there---more attention for just her!

I thought I was doing well until we walked away from the class and I LOST IT in the hallway. Here I am, 10 months pregnant, a little hormonal, planning for the birth of our child THE NEXT DAY and I have just left my precious daughter in the hands of virtual strangers for 6 1/2 hours. I boo-hooed the whole way home. I guess this happens to us kindergarten newbies.

But once I got home, I went into final nesting mode to prepare for our next adventure---having this baby. It was surreal to answer people's question, "So, when are you due?" with "we're having the c-section tomorrow". For so long, August 10th has seemed like an eternity away (as all moms can probably relate to that waiting game) and now it was almost here.

Well, Mia had a wonderful first day. Kevin happened to be home between appointments to go with me to pick her up and she was bubbling over the whole walk home telling us every detail. I was so happy to hear all about it.

Unfortunately, Chloe did not get to join her sister until Thursday because of the fever, but it was a good day for her too, even if she had a hard time admitting it. (Kevin brought them up to the hospital to see me and the baby since she was now fever-free for 24 hours.) She says she doesn't like school, but I think it is mainly that she doesn't like being away from Mommy and "home". But, like we've told her, school is your job for the next few years and you can choose to be positive about it or not...but staying home is not an option. Sorry, kiddo :)

In celebration of Birthday Week, here are a few pics from the triple birthday party we had for all of our August birthdays (yes, all 4 kids have August birthdays!):

Quinnie loved all of the jumpies!

She also loves her cousin, Mae (they could be twins!)

Waiting for the birthday cupcakes---my 3 birthday girls!

Sisters---being silly

The fam---Quinnlan was NOT happy that we interrupted her jumping time for this pic

Summer Fun...so far!

Summer in Atlanta can be stifling, but so far, we have done our best to keep cool...

With my internal thermostat being completely off, I haven't had much desire to head out in the heat of the day. And my girls have been very patient with me (maybe they don't know what they are missing at their age?).

We went to the Decatur Beach Party again this year. It is always great to eat street food, listen to fun music, and play in the sand with friends (they cover E. Ponce de Leon Ave. with sand for about 1/2 a block and rope it off). Quinnie loved it, especially.

And Mia and Chloe still LOVE filling up the ol' plastic baby pool and playing in it...even if most of the playing entails using it as ammo for their water guns on each other and their unsuspecting sister: