L's Words

Kids say the funniest things.

Today at soccer it was blasted hot outside, L was running her little heart out, playing with all those boys (don't girls play soccer anymore?!) and she ran to me during the water break and said "It's so hot, you can crack an egg on my back!!" - what she meant was "It's so hot you can COOK an egg on my back". I was cracking up laughing so hard. It's the cutest thing when they get the phrase wrong and to hear it in their little voices. I wished that I had my video camera to capture the moment. Blogging about it will have to suffice!

Nothing New

I just can't get the energy together to blog lately for some reason. I have things to record from our daily life but nothing seems to come out when I think of blogging. Weird for me not have something to say : -)

Wednesday was our homeschool day. I didn't feel like going to that (similar to not wanting to blog - what is up with me?!) but going was the best decision. It was great time. I get worried about L when she hangs out alone instead of interacting with the other kids but I let it go this time. I checked on her from time to time to make sure she was okay and having fun - she assured me she was. I guess I have to back off sometimes. S had a blast but again mostly played alone. What's that all about??!?

Baby J slept from 9 Tuesday night until 5 Wednesday morning - his longest continuous sleep yet. He woke up and ate and then slept until 8 o'clock. We did put him in his crib tonight for the first time, in his room. We'll see how that goes.

Wednesday I got to go out for sushi with a good friend of mine. The service was rushed but the food and company was enjoyable. I haven't seen this friend nearly enough lately and that's horrible of me. We did have a great time chatting and eating. Baby J joined us since I haven't kept up pumping. He was a bear for the first hour then fell asleep, giving me time to talk and laugh and relax some.

Thursday was spent at home, doing school and home chores. L also had soccer practice. S goes with Daddy Piper to Daddy's chiropractor appointment while Baby J and I take L to soccer. The time chatting in the van with her is irreplaceable. She had a fun time at soccer. She got another Bounce U invite - 2 birthdays there this month. She'll love that! We are experiencing some lying issue with her. I am not sure how to nip this in the bud. Timeouts and expressing my deep disappointment about how only naughty girls lie doesn't seem to be working.

Today was a fun day spent at the park with some friends, the K family and the B family. We are experiencing the most wonderful weather and being at the park was just divine. S starting asking on the way home with letter certain words start with. He is starting to get interested in things like that. Like combine starts with a "C", things like that. The morning started out with me having hives. I had to take some Benadryl (I took a kids dose for less effect and less sleepiness) and I was drowsy. I showed L how to answer the phone and how to call her dad if needed. She was a big helper during this time. She even straightened Baby J in his swing when he got all squirly. It was after the drowsiness wore off that we headed to the park : -) I got to get a massage this afternoon. Oh and how delicious was that! It was nice to be away from all the stress for an hour. But Baby J was starving when I got home and had already plowed through the milk I pumped so I had to contend with a hungry, hungry hippo for a bit. I went to Target in hopes of finding a swimsuit that contains these big ol' jugs of mine. I struck out the first time but managed to find a top that will go with some bottoms I already have. Main thing is to hide my booms and this top will work. I need to lose some weight and tighten up some flab. I remind myself that this will all come together soon enough.

Daddy Piper had work for the WHOLE week. It's been awhile since he's worked a solid week - thank you God for a week of work. Things are always better when he's working. Keeps the house on a solid routine - allowing everyone to know what comes next. We are no good on a routine when he's home, for some reason.

Okay there's a quick summary of the past few days. Hopefully I can get back on track and my daily posts. Things happen everyday and I want to capture every second of it!!

Play-Doh fun in the Sun

We had some extra gorgeous weather here today. So after running Daddy Piper's paperwork to its spot and getting some feta cheese for dinner, we set the Play-doh table up outside and enjoyed the sun. I put Baby J in his Bumbo so he could get some sunshine on that pale skin of his. He is squinting in these pics since he not used to the sun yet. L and S really enjoy Play-doh and I enjoyed it more than usual because I wasn't concerned with cleaning up all the eensy-weensy little pieces when we were done!

Another fun fact from the day: I started shooting my images in RAW format to kinda step out of my comfort level some. It sure makes a difference in the quality of my pics or I think so anyway.
Third fun fact: Baby J rolled over from back to front today for the very first time. He has been trying this for a few weeks but couldn't get that arm out of the way. Watch out world - Baby J is rolling over!!! L rolled over for months before she crawled so rolling was a mode of transportation for her. I am not ready to have 3 on the move : -)

Wonderful Weather

We had some nice weather tonight so we had dinner outside. We did this alot when S was a baby and it's fun being able to enjoy it again now that Baby J is can hang out in his Bumbo while we eat!

Volcano Lesson

We had a volcano lesson today. We focused on the letter "V" for S and then the workings of a volcano for L. I think I may enjoy doing unit studies with the kids in the future. It was fun to do one thing but teach about it on different levels. Baby J hung out in his Bumbo while all the action was taking place. I think we went through a half gallon of vinegar and almost a whole box of baking soda making the volcano erupt over and over again!

L's drawing of a volcano.

J, L & S laughing over the volcano erupting!

My cuties posing in front of our homemade volcano.

We got locked out of the house after our volcano lesson. It was so bizarre. We were out back and had the door open and somehow the screen door locked itself. It is one of those hook things so I cannot for the life of me figure out how it happened (our resident ghost?). Then to top it off, the front door has a security screen door and it was locked and we have no key outside for that one. Thankfully the garage door was open so I could use the spare key to open the door to the house. It was kinda scary for few minutes since Daddy Piper is working about 2 hours from home. Guess I need to put a key outside for the security door!

Kids Update

L was holding Baby J after bathtime. She is such a wonderful big sister and a nice helper for Mommy!

L was out front while Daddy was mowing the side yard. I caught her resting in between helping Daddy mow.

S was picking up the backyard getting it ready to mow. I found him posing with these cute glasses on. He is a stinker these days when it comes to pictures. He is always running and hiding from me when he sees me coming towards him with a camera!

This morning Baby J fell asleep while playing with his Baby Einstein toy.

Isn't being a mommy to these 3 babies the biggest blessing in the whole world!

Life

As I sit here and update my blog on the comings and goings of the last few days, I hear Daddy Piper singing to our youngest. What is it about a man holding a baby, singing to him, that makes me go all gooey inside? I do love my husband thoroughly and more with each day when I see him with our babies : -)

Ok now onto an update. Daddy Piper's work has slowed down drastically thanks to this blasted economy. He does have work tomorrow so Thank God for that! It's with a different contractor but it should work out okay. I am just thankful that he has work for the first time in 2 weeks. Yesterday we spent the day hanging out at home doing home stuff, like playing outside and getting housework done (got my whole to-do list done by 11 - WOOHOO!). I caught up with an old friend via Facebook last night. That was fun. I am planning 2 trips this spring. One with the kids to head to see our whole gang of friends and kids in MO and the other trip is without kids, with my sis to Vegas in May. Both trips may end up being in May since I didn't book my MO tickets soon enough to get a good deal. I can't wait for either trip. They'll both be fun for different reason. My 2 other girlfriends have 6 kids between them, making 9 kids total when we get together. And 5 years ago - there were NO kids. Guess we've all been a little busy : -)

The weather was supposed to turn ugly for today but fortunately it didn't. I woke up not feeling so hot. The rest of the family has been fighting a cold and I got some of it today. Daddy Piper took over kid duty while I rested. It was amazing to sleep and not feel the least bit guilty! I am feeling some better now so hopefully it will just get better from here.

A few days ago we set up the bunkbeds again. They were just side by side but the kids wanted the beds put back together. S now sleeps on top. L is still too scared to sleep up there. They wanted the beds put back together so there was room for Baby J in their room. I told them he was still too little for that but in a couple years he could be in there too : -)

I have started exercising again. I am trying not to be obsessive about my extra weight. I know I did a disservice to my milk with S, cutting so much fat out and comprising his growing because of it. I won't do that again but I really need to do something about this extra 10 pounds. I feel gross. Hopefully exercising will help. I want to look good for my upcoming trips : -)

Happy Valentine's Day!

We started the day out with pink pancakes and pink hot cocoa. L & S enjoyed my efforts at making the day special, I think so anyway. Then later, we left Baby J alone for the first time along with L and S for a Date!! We set out to see Grand Terino but it was sold out. Guess alot of other people had the movie date idea too : -) We ended up seeing Paul Blart Mall Cop. It was a cute, funny movie. We enjoyed our time together alone. The kids did wonderful with my mother. A nice Valentine's indeed!

Brothers

I am sure the years will bring many more pictures of these 2 brothers together. Here are two that I want to remember:The boys are watching a Backyardigans while S enjoys his lunch. Baby J can't even see the TV since the tray is blocking it but he is loving laying by his brother!

My boys enjoying their lunch together.

Baby J and his big ol' brown eyes.

Baby J inherited his mama's brown eyes. L has blue eyes, S has green eyes and J has brown eyes. Genetics is the weirdest thing. How my 3 can all have different eyes is bizarre! I do wish J's were not brown like mine - I think my brown eyes are ugly but somehow they look wonderful on him : -)

Zoo again

Today was another trip to the zoo. It was a chaotic morning. We finally got out of here 10 minutes later than I wanted. I hate being late - I am never late - never, never, never! Okay have a third baby and I am late to almost everything. Walked out of the house late only to find I had a low, low tire that needed fixing before heading 45 minutes to the zoo. I ran by "the tire shop" to get it fixed. They were johnny on the spot fixing the tire. I went to pay only to realize they don't take Visa or Mastercard (WHAT?!). They did agree to let me go if I sent Daddy Piper down later to settle up my tab : -) Then I noticed I was low on gas. Quick stop at the gas station and we were on our way. We ended up being about 45 minutes later arriving at the zoo than I wanted but we still beat the K family there : -)

Baby J is still super fussy from the vaccines/cold thing he is fighting. Things got unbelievably crazy within seconds of getting to the zoo. J was fussy, L wanted to sit in the stroller and S just gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. I was ready to toss in the towel and head home before even getting into the entrance of the zoo! Thankfully Mama K helped out a ton and made me feel okay about her doing so much work with my older 2. We haven't had too many crazy, stressful days out with 3 yet but today was definitely one of them. I am just grateful for 2 kids that listen wonderfully over and over like they did today. We brought our lunch and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the beautiful weather. Some peacocks were stalking us and S from the K family was not happy about this development. She was truly frightened by these peacocks. We rode the carousal shortly after and headed home. S was asleep before we hit the first of 2 major freeways we take to get home. L stayed awake and we talked and shared some laughs from day. I do enjoy her being up front with me!

This afternoon/evening was fun. I was trying to watch the Sex and the City movie and some cool music came up and I looked out in the playroom to watch L jamming out to the music. She caught me watching her and we laughed together while she ran and jumped in my arms. I got to talk to my sis for a bit after she got off work tonight. I do enjoy the feeling of our conversations. I really treasure her and have missed her these past few years. Then tonight after baths, we watched some Madagascar 2 together. The kids enjoyed the music at the end. They were bopping and dancing around the living room with their to-die-for giggles. I LOVE hearing them giggle and laugh together.

Daddy Piper doesn't have work again tomorrow but he did get some promising calls so hopefully things will be back on track next week. Financially things suck but family wise, I am the luckiest woman in the whole wide world!

Valentine's Party

Our homeschool group had a Valentine's Party today. It was exactly what the kids would have experienced if they attended school. All the kids had such a wonderful time. We made Valentines for everyone ahead of time and holder things. All the kids passed out out their Valentine's, we sang songs and read a book along with a pin the arrow on the heart game and a cute little craft. It lasted about 2 hours and everyone had a ball. It is fun to experience this kind of stuff with my kids. I really enjoy the homeschooling so far. The ability to be there for my kids - priceless!

The economy sucks. Daddy Piper's work has not only been slow but none at all lately. I really regret not taking the job that came along in Oct. Regret is my middle name these days. I wish I could just quit worrying about the money or lack there of and just enjoy the daily fun things with my kids.

One thing that was awesome was taking a bath all together tonight. The kids love to hop in with me when I am relaxing in the bath. I treasure the moments together like this. It was fun laughing and talking with them. L is learning to spell things so we spent the time spelling things together. S was pouring water out and I was catching it in a cup and making the waterfall even longer. Time are tough financially but rich with family. I started this out so stressed about things and now am crying thinking how truly lucky I am.

Baby J's 4 month Check

Today was Baby J's 4 month checkup. He weighed in at 14 pounds 12 ounces & was 24 inches long. He did great for the dr until the vaccine time came. I feel so bad when any of my babies have to get those vaccines. We have such a hard time deciding on the whole vaccine issue. Baby J has been miserable every since he got those damn shots. He was so unbelievelably fussy tonight. I have questioned my vaccine decision every minute since he got the shots.

Super Saturday

Today has been a wonderful day. I am so blessed to have spent the day with my immediate family and some extended family.

I started the day by running to get our fruits and veggies from the co-op. The basket was wonderful this week!! We got a ton of stuff for $15. After that quick trip, it was back home to grab the fam and head to soccer pics and game for L. We got there a bit late (thanks Daddy Piper!) so L and I took off for the spot where the pics where last week - no one was there! They were up front right where we walked by : -) Daddy Piper unloaded the boys and we met them on the playground. It turned out to be a windier day then I anticipated so Daddy Piper headed back home to get coats. The kids played on the playground until it was time for L's game to start. The game was okay - L's team got out played every time they turned around. L isn't the most athletic (I think she gets that from me - okay I KNOW she gets it from me!) so she isn't the most athletic but she has so much fun out there. It is fun to watch her play! S did a great job hanging out on the sidelines. He even took part in cheering her on. I can't wait for his soccer to start so he can be the focus of the attention sometimes too. The game was over and the parent that was supposed to bring snacks forgot and this just devastated L. We had to run to Target and get a b-day card so I promised Icee's and popcorn. Thankfully that dried her tears pretty quickly. After spending $60 on 4 things at Target, it was time to head home to get ready for our afternoon adventure.

Riding the wagon down to my aunt's house.

We loaded the wagon up with all our chitlens and headed down the road to my aunt's house. My grandmother will celebrate her 80th birthday on Tuesday so we attended a family reunion of sorts to celebrate with her this afternoon. I dreaded it all week long but it turned out okay. I am just not close to most of my extended family for some reason. The party was fine though. Fortunately my sister came down for it. I love seeing my sister. It was nice to hang out with her. The kids had fun playing (with each other and another little girl my sis's MIL babysits). We headed home about 2 for naps. My sister came down shortly after to hang out for awhile before heading home. My sister pretty much raised me from birth on. I love her so much. We haven't been as close lately due to what I don't know other than just not enough time but things are so much better now. So her and I are planning a trip to Vegas for my 30th and her 40th this year. Daddy Piper seems okay with it. Even if he's not okay with my trip to MO in April : -) Anyway my sis headed home about 4. S woke up from his nap (crabby as usual - can that kid ever wake up happy?!). We loaded all 3 in the van and went out into an empty field to fly kites for awhile. HOW FUN! It was a bit chilly but in the end, it was nice family time! Now as I type this, I hear Daddy putting a puzzle together with S and L trying to butt in with her 2 cents!!!!!

Daddy and S flying the Elmo kite.

L is helping S with his kite.

The kite got away from me and Daddy Piper chased it down.

He almost has it...

He caught it!!L flying a kite all by herself.

p.s. S can now undress himself and go potty standing up!!!

Homeschool pics

We took family pics for our homeschool group on Sunday. Here they are!

I had a true MNO tonight with NO kids - not even Baby J!! I pumped some milk and left all 3 home with Daddy Piper. I felt super guilty leaving them with him since he had been at work all day but it worked out just fine : -)

Baby J is 4 months old!

Oh my goodness where oh where has 4 months gone?!? Baby J is such a wonderful, sweet little baby boy. I can't imagine our life without this precious addition. He is happy almost all the time. He is very accustomed to tons of noise. He does not like to be alone for very long. And he is just not a cuddler whatsoever :-( He reminds me of his big sister in the fact that he is so chunky. I just love me a chunky baby. It does my heart good to see him thriving on his mama's milk! I get so down on myself when I look in the mirror and see my baby weight not coming off very quickly but then I remember I got lazy and didn't take him to do his 4 months pics at a studio. I just can't get the energy together to load them up and repeat this experience again. They turned out fairly well. I am getting better at Photoshop so that is helping the final product.

Baby J Gets Cereal!

Baby J started his eating career with some rice cereal tonight. He LOVED it! Here are some pics:

Super Sunday

We woke up early to meet our homeschool group to take one large group shot, family pictures and then individual kid pictures. We hope to do a yearbook on an annual basis. This will be the first year for our group. It was the first time Daddy Piper has joined in on an event. The other dads, except one other, are very involved in our group. I was happy Daddy Piper joined in today. Our group has really grown into a family of sorts. I did encourage a quick exit though after the pics were taken. I knew Daddy Piper had a ton to do today. I shouldn't have rushed us out of there though - would have been nice to hang out for a bit longer.

Next up for the day was a trip to Home Depot. We ran into our neighbor who is a firefighter and arranged a tour for our homeschool group. It was a nice trip to the Depot, as S calls it : -) After that was lunch at Quiznos. Funny story about that: Daddy Piper thought he had lost his sunglasses (he NEVER does this - same pair he's had for years). We looked ALL over for his glasses. Even drove back over Home Depot to see if they were in the cart. They were in Baby J's carseat the whole time :- )

This evening was spent watching the Super Bowl and playing outside with the kids with their new sand buckets and shovels. Oh and I got both kids registered for spring soccer. S is so excited about being able to play a sport. I am excited about the 2 practices and 2 games a week - NOT!

p.s. Daddy Piper has work for Monday - WOOHOO!