Nine is so Fine!

I am shocked to discover it has been almost two years since I last blogged, ok, I now see I did blog last year, just never posted it!. I've now started looking at this blog as a place for memories, a place my children can one day look back on to remind them of all the things we did together.  I will, once again, commit to making an effort to update more often.

Yesterday we celebrated Molly's 9th birthday.  I know I say it often, but I can hardly believe my sweet Molly-Pops has been here 9 years, already.  What a great year she had, she played baseball for the first time last year, proudly serving as the only girl on the team! Boy, were we impressed.  Come fall we signed her up for girl's softball and she was a natural.  She played short stop right away! One of the funniest things I heard, and it is so typical Molly, was her coach, Coach Ramie Brown, describing his first encounter with Molly:

Apparently he hit the ball to Molly, while she was on shortstop, and the ball went between her legs (this was one of their first practices):

Coach: "Molly! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Molly: "Coach! What are YOU doing?!"

Coach said he had to stop, scratch his head, and think, "What AM I doing?" Laughing wholeheartedly the entire time.

This is our Molly. She is fierce, competitive, sensitive and loving.  She wears her emotions on her sleeves. Julio says, like her Mama, she can cause the barometer of the house to change, at a moments notice, just by entering the room.  She is a force to be reckoned with, but loving and sweet at the same time.

Molly's favorites this year: Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Teen Titans, Super Girl, Tacos, Softball, Gamecocks, Her best friend Hannah, Her third grade teacher Mrs. Didelot, Swimming, Horror movies, Her kindle, Country Music (she went to her first concert this year-Big and Rich), and cuddling.

In the past, Molly struggled with asthma like symptoms when she'd get a cold.  We suffered many a night with the nebulizer and dose after dose of albuteral and steroids.  Well, since visiting the allergist last year, Molly has not had to use the nebulizer since Spring of LAST year! She does take daily doses of two different allergy pills, but so far that is doing the trick.  We are all so very relieved.

I am so proud to be her Mom.  She is immensely talented, fiercely funny, and very smart. She loves wholeheartedly, feels deeply, and loves her family above all else.

Every year I watch Molly grow more independent, courageous, determined and strong. This kid is a leader, not a follower and I am so proud of her.  She is the epitome of a "strong willed" child, and while this certainly presents some challenges, it is a characteristic that should serve her quite well all her life.  Yes, she is stubborn, and demands things go her way, and this can be quite a challenge as a parent, however, this past year I saw her begin to learn to be more forgiving, and teachable, learning to say "I'm sorry, I was wrong" a little sooner and a little easier than she had in the past.  She is learning and she is simply an amazing kid and one I, again, am so very proud of.

I love you, Molly Pops, always and forever.

"Hush little "mini-me" don't say a word..." Momma will love you forever and a day.

Eight is Great!

Molly girl is eight. Eight! As the years go by our precocious, lovable Molly-Pops just grows stronger, happier, more stubborn and more sure of her self.  This child that does not lack in self confidence. She is as in love with Minnie Mouse as she's ever been, loves to be in the water swimming, likes Nerf Guns, country music (Especially Darius Rucker, Miranda Lambert, and Luke Bryan), video games and going to the movies. She enjoys cuddling with her brother, being tough yet soft, and spending time with her Mama and her family.

This year, when I asked Molly what she wanted for her birthday, her first response was, "pictures of my family" (followed by a request for a surf board). I knew this would be an easy wish to grant, so, while she and I were out birthday shopping, we stopped by Walgreens to pick up the pictures I ordered and to pick out some frames. As I placed the pictures in the frames and handed them to her she began to tear up. She actually started crying and proclaimed, "I just really love our big, crazy, family!". My heart just melted. This child that can have a thousand things go her way but pout for hours over one thing going wrong really gets the truly important things in life: family. And our family is a "big, crazy family." No question about it, we love, we argue, we laugh, we cry and everything in between, but at the heart of it all we are family.

Molly is so FULL of life. She feels every emotion, and lives every moment to the fullest! She wants to experience, learn and do as much as she possibly can. She is determined, sweet, fun, thoughtful, inquisitive, funny, forceful, powerful, and MIGHTY.

She is a child of extremes, while she LOVES her tee shirts and gym shorts, she also loves to throw on a dress, just to mix things up. She wants her hair to grow long, and hates hair "cuts" (we have to call them TRIMS), but then she gets upset when no one at school notices she had her hair CUT (because in reality she had such a minute amount TRIMMED, no one can tell!)

She had a great year, full of lots of new experiences. She went to Disney World with her Dad and then we spent a week where we visited the State House, the State Museum, some family, Bee City and Isle of Palms.  She completed her first Dolphin Run where she came in 5th among the girls! We discovered, via her new allergist, that her only allergy is to dust mites so hopefully we will finally be able to get her respiratory issues under control. She also spent the entire Summer at our neighborhood pool where she kept all the life guards in check, got an amazing tan and just had a ball!

 Molly can make those around her feel what she is feeling, her emotions are as contagious as a common cold. Julio has often described Molly as the child who can make the world laugh and a minute later can make the world cry. She is truly a force of nature, she commands attention and those around her freely and willingly give it to her.  When she was under a year old, I can remember she had just discovered this little snack for toddlers called "Puffs". Her Dad and I would put her in her high chair, place some puffs in front of her and when they were gone she would SCREAM this ear piercing shrill until she was given more. We both said we did not care what she wanted, just give it to her to stop that screaming as we laughed and poured more puffs. I remember saying, we will one day look back on this and regret it! To this day she has a way of either getting what she wants, every time, or making you feel REALLY badly she didn't!

I am so thankful God chose me to be Molly's Mom. She keeps me on my toes, that's for sure, but I am so very proud of this dynamic little girl. She makes my heart so full and so happy.  Happy 8th Birthday to my "Mighty Molly" our lives and our family would NOT be the same without you!

Molly's 5th Birthday

Clearly I have not blogged in quite awhile. Wonder if anyone is even still out there...hello? Hellooooooo...

A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. she can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves yet just when you open your mouth she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot.
-- Alan Beck

I try to post on the kids' birthdays. I missed a few, but am trying to get back on track. Tomorrow, January 19th my sweet Molly turns 5. I can hardly believe it has already been 5 years, and yet I find it difficult to remember my life before she came scratching and clawing (quite literally, actually, but I won't share that part of the story) her way into the world. 


Molly is, in a nutshell, my firecracker. She is all energy, all heart and meets each day with a vivaciousness and vigor that is exhausting to watch at times!  She lives each moment of each day to the absolute fullest.  Her enthusiasm for life is as contagious as her tears when something upsets her, she can make you laugh with her as easily as she can make you cry with her.


This year I watched Molly become a little girl, not so much a baby girl. She will tell you her favorite colors are pink and purple, she enjoys Barbie dolls, Disney Princesses, Paper Dolls, Polly Pockets and playing Mommy to her Cabbage Patch baby "Emily".   Abby enjoyed a few of these things but was never very "girlie-girlie", Molly, on the other hand seems to be finding great joy in all things "Pinkalicious".

It is so much fun to watch Molly mother her baby dolls.  She has asked me to show her the proper way to hold the bottle, change the baby's diapers and swaddle her.  I treasure these moments with my sweet girl.  At the same time that she seems to be embracing her "girlie" side she is still my strong, amazingly brave girl.  This past month she scaled a 35 foot climbing wall as a crowd grew to watch in amazement.  There is nothing this girl can't do, I am convinced, and the best part? So is she.


Molly seems to slowly be outgrowing the breathing issues.  We have only had a couple of episodes the past few months, but when it flares up I am right there to calm her, cuddle her, love her.  I try to embrace the middle of the night treatments as I know our moments when everyone else is asleep and it's just the two of us are going to become more and more rare.

Since Julio works night shift four nights a week and since the kids are only with me every other week, I let them rotate nights in my bed.  I don't let them do it all the time, but it is so very special to me to cuddle with them and listen to them breathe as they drift off to sleep.  I find myself staring at them and sneaking kisses on their cheeks as they softly slumber.


So here I sit, another birthday in the books. Time sure does fly, but I have learned to embrace and appreciate every single moment with the kids. 

What I wanted most for my daughter was that she be able to 

soar confidently in her own sky, whatever that may be.

-- Helen Claes

Mother's Intuition?

Is it mother's intuition or just coincidence?  


This morning I took Molly and Zach and dropped them off at their daycare.  I have had them the past 7 days and this afternoon their Dad will pick them up and he will have them the next 7 days.  We just started this new, simplified schedule last week, for the past year we have shared custody but the most I'd go without seeing the kids is 3 days, now it will be seven.  I have gone seven days without seeing them before, just not that often.  We decided to give this schedule a try for many reasons, less transition days, more consistency, etc.  I do think it will be a good thing.  


However, this morning after I got back in my car from dropping my babies off, I cried. The ugly, sobbing kind of crying.  We had a an amazing week together and I just wanted to hold my babies.  I found my reaction a bit out of the ordinary.  I always miss them, but rarely do I cry like that anymore.  I came home and cried on Julio's shoulder for a bit, fixed my makeup and went about my day.  The entire time with this nagging feeling that I just couldn't pin point.


Then it came.  About 12:00 daycare called and said Molly just didn't seem to be feeling good.  They took her temperature and it was 100 degrees, not enough for her to go home, but they wanted to let me know.  I decided to go get her.  She has a stomach bug.  She is now sound asleep in her bed and I know what was bothering me.  I think, somehow, perhaps subconsciously I realized something wasn't quite right.


The reason I think perhaps it is a mother's intuition is because the same thing used to happen when Abby was little.  Her Dad and I were still married, so I didn't have the anxiety of being separated for any length of time.  However, there were some days when I'd drop her off and then I'd be sad and just wasn't able to stop thinking about her all day.  Inevitably it was on these days that her school would call because she was under the weather.  Every single time.  She, like Molly today, would have been showing no outward signs or symptoms of being sick, yet obviously something was brewing just under the surface.

So, you decide, mother's intuition, coincidence or maybe a little of both?

An Ending and A New Beginning

“When two people decide to get a divorce, it isn't a sign that they "don't understand" one another, but a sign that they have, at last, begun to.” -Helen Rowland

Today I finalized my divorce to the man I married 10 years ago.  It was a fairly anti climatic ending to one of the hardest years of my life.  We walked into the court room, answered a few questions and bam with the slam of a gavel I was no longer married.  Ed and I spent the morning waiting for our turn in court talking about the kids, laughing about things Abby had done when she was little, talking about Carolina football and baseball, and just trying to keep our nerves at bay.  To the casual observer we probably looked more like two friends catching up than two people about to finalize their divorce.

I guess that really sums up Ed and me.  We were always good friends.  It was the whole marriage part we weren't so good at, we didn't make each other happy as husband and wife.  It took us a while to finally come to grips with that, but luckily, I believe we did soon enough that we didn't grow to hate each other. We have three beautiful kids together and we share 50/50 custody so we have to get along.  We both decided the kids are the most important and we will do whatever it takes to ensure their happiness and health.  

Ed is a great Dad, he loves his kids and would do anything for them. For this I am eternally grateful.  These babies know they are very loved, secure and safe. That is all I could ever ask for.  They are all thriving, Abby came home with straight A's today for the third quarter in a row, Molly and Zach are learning more every day and having a ball at their church preschool.  I look forward and relish in every moment I spend with them.  For this reason alone I could never regret my marriage to Ed.  It is because of him I have Abby, Molly and Zach.  It is because of him I am a Mom. No matter how painful this past year has been, no matter how many tears I shed, how many sleepless nights I suffered, I would not change a thing, it was all worth it for these three children.

My Little Engineer

Molly and Abby had their four year old and eight year old check ups today. Julio's Mom, Cookie, and I took the girls in together. Everything went well, from Molly reading the eye chart for the first time, to her first hearing test to her first "pee in the cup" test. I was super proud of her. The girls are very healthy, but were due for their annual finger sticks and shots.  Abby had to get 2 shots, a Hepatitis A and the first dose of a flu shot.  Molly, on the other had had to get 4. *Sigh*


Now, Molly was ready, or as ready as she could be, as I am a big fan of preparing a kid.  Last night I told her she would likely have to get a few shots, but that we would, of course, go for milk shakes afterwards.  Now she wasn't too happy about it, but she did not pout too badly and pretty much just laughed and played with her sister throughout the appointment. That is until our doctor left the room to go get the nurses and the shots.  


Molly kept playing, but suddenly, Cookie and I noticed she had placed the chair behind the door, had slid a trash can behind the door, and was looking at the table to see if she could move it behind the door. She was barricading the nurses out so they couldn't come in and give her the shots! We all laughed so hard. This is a very clever four year old who has obviously watched one too many "Tom and Jerry" episodes. When I told her to put everything back, she looked for other options and promptly took a clip board and propped it against the door along with the rolling chair.  OK, so that probably wasn't going to do the trick, but it made her feel better, at least until the door opened.


For the record Abby didn't shed a tear and Molly didn't when they pricked her finger, however the four shots in her two legs upset her quite severely.  I just melt when I see those big tears falling from those big blue eyes.  She really tried to not cry, but it was just a little too much to bear.  I haven't had the heart to tell her we have to go back in a month for her and Abby to get a second dose of the flu vaccine. I won't, either, until the night before, most likely.


Anyway, I just had to share what my future engineer was up to today in the doctor's office.  Quite clever trying to barricade the nurses out.  I don't think she had gotten far enough in the plan to discover we had to leave, eventually! I guess maybe the plan needed a little work! 

A Child's Prayer

This weekend we celebrated Molly's 4th birthday. This was the first year we invited her friends, as in all honesty, this is the first year she's really had many friends since she only just started daycare in August.  I knew it would be a lot of work (not to mention a bit expensive), cleaning house, organizing decorations, food, etc, and boy was it. It was also a lot of fun. The joy in Molly's eyes as her friends began to arrive, as they played "Just Dance" on the Wii, enjoyed cake and ice cream and, of course, the gifts was priceless.


By the time everyone left last night to say I was exhausted would be an understatement. My muscles were sore (most likely from the yard work I did the day before in preparation for the party) and my body was completely worn out. I was ready for bed at 7:00!  However, tonight at bed time Molly showed her appreciation in such a special way that it brought tears to my eyes.


I went and curled up on the bed with all 4 kids and read some books. One of them, "What Happens When I Pray" is a great book that discusses prayer on a child's level. When we were finished with the book I said a prayer and the kids decided they also would like to pray. When it was Molly's turn her prayer was very simple, "Dear God, Thank you so much for my Mom. She is the best Mom ever and I love her so, so, so very much. Thank you for her. Amen."


I just cried. Abby even leaned over and hugged me then hugged Molly. I placed my hands on Molly's sweet little face, looked her in the eyes and simply said, "Thank you". Wow. I was so incredibly moved. What a great end to the weekend and an amazing reminder to me that though it may be hard work, the time spent with our kids is so special and dear to them. It wasn't the decorations or the clean house that meant the most to Molly, it was the time we all spent together.  I have learned in the past 6 months to make every moment with the kids count.  It has definitely been a mutually beneficial experience. I look forward to continuing to make those memories and make that precious time together count.  I thank God every day for the amazing kids he has blessed me and trusted me with..  

Happy 4th Birthday Molly-Pops!

Today my sweet, sweet Molly, or "Molly-Pops" as we like to call her, is four years old. Wow. Time has flown, yet it seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital anxiously awaiting her arrival.  So many words can be used to describe my baby girl: dynamic, larger than life, strong, funny, smart, athletic, girlie, and loving. 

Molly is a child of extremes. When she was a baby, all buckled and secure in her car seat, nothing made her happier than when I would swing her car seat back and forth. By swing, I mean a 180 degree angle, back and forth, rapidly. She like to be rocked as well, but rocked quickly, not gently. She was climbing my chest of drawers and to the tops of my counters by 2, could hang upside down on the swing set by 2 and has yet to slow down.  She is athletic and extremely strong. 


Today Molly is with her Dad. I did go up to her school to take special pink cupcakes with pink icing and sugared pearl sprinkles. She jumped into my arms as I walked in the room. I was able to hang out with her for about 30 minutes. I read to her class and held her the entire time. It was really hard being away from her today, but I am concentrating on her special party we have planned for Saturday.  This will be her first party with friends, not just family invited. I am planning on hot dogs, smores and a pinata! I really am not sure who is more excited, Molly or me. 

Molly has a laugh and a smile that starts at her toes and spreads through her body to the top of her head. When she laughs you can't help but laugh with her. You will do anything to keep her laughing and smiling because when she is sad she can break your heart.  I have been through many heartbreaking moments with Molly, a lot of these coming when she was sick. Molly and I have spent many long nights together as she struggled to breathe. Molly suffers from asthma like symptoms when she gets a bad cold. For the past several years I have feared the change in seasons in the Fall and Spring, as this was when her episodes flared up. Last Spring was especially difficult and Molly and I spent several nights rushing to the emergency room, once even being transported to the Children's Hospital via ambulance. These were all very scary, truly terrifying events for me. It is awful to see your child struggling to breathe and not be able to do anything about it. I had to learn how to be calm in order to calm her. As difficult as these nights were for us, I am so glad I was able to be there with her. Every breath I helped her take, every tear I wiped from her eyes just helped us grow closer. I am hopeful that Molly is starting to out grow these episodes. Abby was about this age when she outgrew them and Molly had a much smoother fall season and so far it has been months since we have had to use the nebulizer.  


I could go on and on about this child, about her love for her older sisters, her amazing closeness to her baby brother, her intelligence, etc, but what Mom couldn't about her kids?? Today, Molly is four. I am so proud to be her Mother. She is an amazing little girl that amazes me more every single day. I cherish every moment with her (as I do with all my kids) and so look forward to watching her grow and become an amazing person.

The Year of Thomas and Peace

Apparently this Christmas will forever been known as the year of Thomas the Train and Peace signs. If there is anything with Thomas the train on it that we don't own at this point I would be very surprised. We have Thomas books, Thomas DVD's, Thomas underwear, Thomas shirts, Thomas pants, Thomas pajamas, a Thomas jacket, 3 different Thomas trains, a Thomas train table, a Thomas pillow, the list goes on...Zach is a full fledged Thomas fanatic.

Then there is my funky style, peace sign loving, Abby. If it has a peace sign on it she loves it. She has definitely developed her own sense of style: a little funky but very girlie. She wears a mixture of several different bracelet styles on each wrist, loves to layer a short sleeve, peace sign tee shirt over a long one, and of course, the jeans must have peace signs on them. She is currently pining away for a fancy pair of sneakers that are pink, glittery and has what else but peace signs all over them.  If you look closely you will be able to see peace signs on the pink jammies she has on in the picture to the right!

Then there is Molly. Molly has fallen in love with the Care Bears.  Bethanie can be credited with introducing Molly to the Bears. She arrived on the scene with 3 in tow and ever since Molly as secretly, and no so secretly, coveted them.  The look on her face when she opened her Bedtime Bear from Nana was priceless. She was completely surprised and totally smitten.  Her collection includes a computer game, a movie and several coloring books. She has already added Sunshine Bear to her wish list for her birthday, which is in 3 weeks.  This is a very bright child. As soon as Christmas was over she quickly remember her birthday is coming up quickly and began to put in her requests!

Sweet Bethanie has found hours of enjoyment with Polly Pockets. I really knew she would. She loves to play with Barbies and I had a feeling she would love these as well. Nana gave her a Polly Pocket doll house that she has provided her with endless entertainment.  I hope to be able to continue to add to her Polly collection, as it really is right up her ally. Bethanie is, of all the girls, our most "girlie", from the way she plays to the dainty way she walks. She is our princess.

Seems these children are starting to find their individual identities. It is a pleasure to watch them discover the things that make them happy. It is also quite enjoyable to watch how different they all are and for them to learn to embrace those differences, as we do.

Still Here!

Hi everyone! I know, I know, you probably don't even remember me! I miss my writing and you guys! It has been a crazy few months, but I believe things are finally settling down to a solid routine. I am feeling more at ease and happy with the transition with the kids, things are going great with Julio and Bethanie and I really couldn't be happier.

Abby is doing really great in school, Molly and Zach have adapted to daycare and are doing so well, Bethanie is even becoming her own person. The blossoming in all the kids that has already occurred this year is astounding.

I am going to try and get back to writing on a more regular basis and I hope you guys will all come back! I look forward to reading your updates and checking back in with all of you!

Changes

I have to say, August was not one of my best months. I am quite happy to see that little bugger go. We went through a lot of changes in August. Ed and I decided to put Molly and Zach in daycare when school started back. Now, Molly is 3 and Zach is 2 and neither have spent a single day in daycare since they were born.  Ed stayed home with them. Abby also had to go into after school care since Ed decided to go back to work. I guess, divorce kinda puts a kink in the best laid plans! Anyway, it's been a rough couple of weeks.

Abby, of course, is doing great. I actually got a call from her teacher the other day expressing what an amazing job she is doing. She is still in a single gender classroom and that girl is just thriving. She didn't like after school care at first, but now loves it. Her homework is done by the time we pick her up and she is ready to just relax and play. Abby is my solid girl, just no worries there.

Zach has adjusted quite well to day care. He and Molly are going to a large Baptist church care here in town and I am quite pleased with the level of care. I pack their lunches each day, something I've never done, but I have gotten into a pretty good routine with it, I do believe.

Molly, on the other hand, has struggled.  Today was the first time that she did not cry prior to being dropped off or while being dropped off. At first she came home crying, went to bed crying, woke up crying...there were a lot of tears. I was calling the school each day to make sure she was OK, which she always was. This week, however, it cooled off enough for her to be able to go out on the playground. This has made her world right side up once again. That child loves to be outside. I have received some wonderfully, kind notes from her teachers each day as well. 

So the daycare/school transition seems to finally be smoothing out.

Now the next transition. This one is the hardest for me, though I know after much thought and discussion with many people that it is the right thing to do. Since Ed is no longer keeping the kids during the day we have decided to share custody. Apparently more and more divorced parents are going to this system. On top of that more and more family court judges are ruling in favor of shared custody. Obviously it was Ed's idea. I will admit that, I just assumed he would see them every other weekend and maybe an evening during the week.  When he first approached me with this I was blown away. But, I am the type of person to react first and then once I calm down discuss it with as many people as will listen, I usually can look at things rationally.

This is the best of both worlds for the kids. As Ed said, why do I have anymore right to them than he does? He is the one that stayed home the past few years, he made sacrifices just as I did. Also? He is very close with the kids and I support that. So, I will have them for a few days, then he will, and we will rotate it such we each have them every other weekend and no longer than 3 days without seeing them. It works out to them being with each parent 50% of the time. At first I worried about the kids feeling they were constantly shuffled. I think we can avoid this. Part of our deal with trying this is the understanding it will only work if we are on good terms. Let me tell you, Ed and I have not gotten along so well since long before we split up.

We both want what is best for our kids. They come first. Part of what is best for the kids is seeing that their parents are friendly. This does make things easier, especially when the kids are as young as ours are, it just makes it smoother for them.  Does it break my heart to pack up half of their clothes? You bet ya. It is tearing me apart on the inside. However, I also know that having 3 young kids is very hard. Patience wears thin. I promise you I am spending more time with my kids now, physically, than ever before. When they are here at my house I am tuned into them. This is part of the reason I haven't been blogging as much, from the time they get home until the time they go to bed they pretty much have all my attention. I am fresher, I am nicer, and I am much more fun for them to be around because I make the most of every single minute with them.

How many times, have we all put something before our time with our kids, or fussed at them a little more because we took for granted there was always tomorrow to try again. Well for me, every second now counts and I make sure I am completely present with them. This arrangement is already working in the best interest of my kids. 

You know, I've always heard the old saying, "to have a child is to forever have your heart walking around outside of your body". I never realized how true that was until I learned I have to let go a little in order to get a lot back in the long run. My kids are amazing, happy, well rounded, joyful children. I will do everything I possibly can to continue fostering their growth and to make sure they never doubt how very much they are loved and that I will always be here to offer them a "soft place to land".

First Day of School 2010

The kids all started school today. Abby in 2nd grade, Bethanie in Kindegarten, Molly in 3 year old preschool and Zach in 2 year old class. Whew! What a morning! But it was a great day for all! I told Julio from now on we are taking the first day of school as a vacation/mental health day, heck, after all it takes to get them ready these days, we deserve it!


Here are a few pics of the happy bunch:

Here's hoping for a happy and successful school year! And a regular routine...I am soooo ready for it!

Babies Don't Keep

The cross stitch on the left was made by my Mom and given to me when my first child, Abigail, was born. When Molly came around, Mom made her a beautiful blanket with the alphabet cross stitched around the edges, but I still transferred this particular print to her nursery as well. Then came my 3rd, my baby boy, Zach. I also hung this print in his room.


It reads:

Babies Don't Keep

Cleaning and scrubbing

can wait 'til tomorrow.

For babies grow up,

we've learned to our

sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs,

Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby

and

babies don't keep.

It seems benign enough. We all read it and think, "oh that is so true" and then we go back to sweeping, washing dishes, mopping, folding clothes and shooing our kids to "go play" while we clean. At least I know I am incredibly guilty of doing just that. I suppose my Mom knew this when she took her time and made me that particular cross stitch.

I always feel things have to be "just so" before I will sit down and relax. I think if I can just put a load in the wash, fold that other load "really quickly" then I will sit down and rock my babies. Oh, but wait, let me just dust that end table it won't take long, and take the trash out THEN I can sit...oh but, I can throw a load of dishes in the dishwasher while I am doing that...and then...

Well, you get the picture. Before you know it, they are growing up and no longer wish to be rocked. You have no idea how many times I have recited the above poem as I was vacuuming, dusting or folding laundry. Last night, however, an amazing thing happened.

Last night, I fed and bathed the kids then I cuddled with them in the girl's room as we watched "Annie" (Zach's current most favorite movie) for a little while. We all sang, "Tomorrow" and laughed at how we would never make it as a singing group. I held on to Molly, Zach and Abby and just enjoyed my babies. Then I scooped Zach up and rocked him in the silence of his room. I sang, "You are My Sunshine" (by request, another fave), "Mockingbird", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Rock a Bye Baby" and "Jesus Loves Me" as he dozed in my arms. I put him gently in his crib and went to check on Molly.  I found she had crawled in her bed and fallen asleep without any directions from me.  

It made me think, perhaps these crazy evenings I have with my 3 are really just cries for cuddles. I had a wonderful evening with my babies and was more relaxed and content than I had been in some time. My heart was full. Apparently so was theirs. So I suppose perhaps Mom was right along, those babies just don't keep, but that dust? Yeah, it will still be there tomorrow.

A Haircut Incident

So apparently Molly and Bethanie are pretty slick. Unbeknown to Julio and I they managed to secure a pair of scissors and cut their hair. Now we are not sure if they cut each others or their own. We just know that cut their hair. I know, I know, all little girls do it. I know, I know, it shouldn't be a very big deal, overall. In the grand scheme of things I guess it really isn't, however, as you probably know if you have read my blog at all, hair is kind of a touchy subject around here. I think it is fortunate for us that Abby was not home during this incident as I have worked very hard to make sure she understands hair just doesn't matter. 

Here is Molly before:

and here is Molly after:

Yes, there is a common theme of food on her face! What can you do, she is only 3!

Basically she scalped her bangs...she has a tiny bit on her left side, but that is all that was left. I suppose, looking back, it could have been much, much worse.

I don't have any after pictures to show you of Bethanie, but she really got the better end of the deal, if that's possible. She cut a bit of hers in the back, luckily she did not cut the front. We have a hard enough time getting that to grow as it is.

I suppose this is just the first of many fun times ahead for our family! 

What a Weekend!

Want to see how our first weekend blended together went? All 8 of us? Then check us out over here:

http://sosfamilysos.blogspot.com/

This is where we will post a lot more pictures and details of our time together. For those of you that MIGHT be interested! 

Our Toy Story 3 Adventure

The fourth of July weekend the kids and I had nothing planned on Saturday so I decided to brave 3 kids and the movies. Molly and Zach had never been to the movies before so I decided Toy Story 3 would be a good first experience that would, hopefully, keep their attention. Now Molly is a little over 3 1/2 so I didn't anticipate any issues out of her but I wasn't too sure about Zach, who just turned 2.

I got online and checked ticket prices for my favorite theater and it was going to cost me over $35 for me and the 3 kids! So I checked another theater in the area (though not nearly as nice, still OK) and it was only $12 total for the matinée! Wow, is that a difference or what? So I ordered our tickets online, assuming it would sell out, and off we went.


I did not tell the kids where we were going (I love surprises, though I am hard to surprise I find it quite easy to pull one over on others!). We arrived at the theater and the kids were so excited! I was right, it had sold out, but I was safe since I already had my tickets.  I emptied out my life savings and bought the popcorn laced with gold and the sodas in the platinum cups (What? They aren't gold and platinum? I really just paid waaaaaay too much for them? C'mon, seriously?).  They were very happy and of course the popcorn was almost gone before the movie even began.


The kids did great. Zach was a little fidgety for a bit, but actually slept in my arms the last 30 minutes of the movie. Molly leaned over at one point and whispered, "that's a really, really, really BIG t.v.!" But the rest of the time she cuddled up with Abby and watched the movie.


I really enjoyed this flick. It has been a long time since I've been to the movies. I really just love the escape. The couple of hours of sitting in a (fairly) quiet, dark movie theater just focusing on the movie. I am hoping perhaps Julio and I can find where they are hiding babysitters these days and venture out to an adult movie at some point soon. It's been far too long. I also look forward to taking the kids to movies more often, especially since I've discovered this fairly (with out the popcorn and drinks) reasonably priced theater.


Oh, and I only shed a few tears, actually. I had heard it was a bit of a tear jerker at the end, not too bad...I didn't think. All in all a really cute flick, but hey, it's Pixar, what do you expect?!