A Little Sunshine

For dinner tonight I experimented with a new recipe (from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook). It was pork chops cooked in apple juice, topped with a sauce made from cranberry sauce, orange peel, a little bit of onion, and some of the apple juice that was cooked with the pork. We also had mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas.

Gwyn asked for more.
"More what? More peas?" I asked.
"No."
"More potatoes?"
"No."
"More meat?"
"No."
"Well then what do you want?"
"More sauce."

Yesterday we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and Everett asked for bread. Mom apologized, saying that she didn't have any bread. Everett's reply: "Well then why do you have a toaster?"

Young Bard

When Everett is playing alone, he has started to pretend with a couple of toys and sing a whole story about them. When I was doing dishes the other day, he came up with a song that had to have been about fifteen minutes long.

Since I am in the Primary now, I get to observe Everett there almost every week. It was surprising for me to learn that he doesn't participate much in the singing time. He sits, listens, and observes, but rarely actually sings. He is eager to help with things other than singing, like holding a picture or doing the motions. This past Sunday I learned something about him. He thrives in the spotlight. He piped up that he knew a song. The music leader decided to let him come up and lead it. He sang every word. His whole body was animated and his face was bursting with excitement. (For Everett, singing usually involves running around and "dancing".) I LOVE to see him like that. I wish I could inspire that kind of enthusiasm for the rest of singing time, but I can see that this little boy is a performer and find myself wondering where in the world this came from.

When I was younger, I was painfully shy. I still have a lot of performance anxiety, though I have improved a good bit over the years. I hope that Everett never grows out of his exuberance and gregariousness.

One thing that he has grown out of is his blanket. The other day, he informed us that it wasn't his anymore. It was one of his sisters'. His blankies have been put away for some time. (He was so attached to his blankie that I cut it in half so I could wash half of it at a time.) This one has mainly served as a cape. I will never forget the day he wore it to the park, along with his turtle goggles. Wouldn't it be nice to never worry about things like what other people might think of you if you wore a cape and turtle goggles?

I was a cool Mom today.

I figure that I'm a cool mom about once a month or so. Usually I do boring things like dishes and laundry, so I decided that since I actually did something fun today I'd better write about it. This is "Everett"... and Everett with Everett.

Everett and I made this scary-looking sock puppet today. He chose the buttons and yarn, and helped me cut things. He wanted the hair to be as long as his, and wanted to name him "Everett". We had a puppet show after dinner, which had the girls giggling hysterically. It involved lots of eating, burping, and "excuu-u-uuse me!" Here's a picture Everett took of me... and Everett:

Today was also Lana's first weekly therapy visit at the Children's Institute. It was really more of a consultation than therapy this time, but I'm encouraged by what I've seen so far. There was a point months ago where Lana would drink about 2 oz. per feeding with a straw (and every once in a blue moon she'd drink five and almost bowl me over), but we had a major setback after which she completely refused to drink anything by straw. Today we tried a Rubbermaid container with a straw, and Lana drank about 4 oz. of her Nutren--by herself! In less than 10 minutes! Maybe it was the novelty. Maybe it was the setting. Maybe the timing. Maybe we are being blessed, and she'll do it again! She's getting sick (Gwyn sounds like she might have croup), but we'll keep praying and see how it goes. We're hoping to gradually increase what she'll drink independently (and without movie distraction) and then completely eliminate syringe feedings. It's hard to believe that I've been feeding her this way for well over a year!

At dinner, Cary was teaching the girls about "guys" and "ladies". He had Gwyn look at pictures and say "Lady" or "Guy." Cary then told her that I was a lady. She said "No! Mama." And Cary isn't a guy either. He is most irrevocably "Dada" in Gwyn's mind. I guess we should feel really special. Gwyn has also decided that she's my buddy. I ask her if she's my sweet girl and she says "No! Buddy."

It's nice that the girls are starting to communicate really well. At snack time, Maddie informed me: "Mouth hurts today." I'm proud of my little talkers.

"The Machine"

You remember "The Machine" in Princess Bride? Well, it was designed as a torture device which could suck years off of a person's life. Sometimes, when my children are all crying and screaming, this is how I feel:

I try to keep cool and respond in the best way possible, but I think that after one week of minimal screaming, not only am I getting an extra-big dose of it right now, but my sensitivity to it has increased too. I'm sure that most of our day today was actually pretty happy, but those few minutes of all-out screamfest here and there really wore me out!

Happy events today included playing house with two umbrellas on the porch and going to the park. This was the first time I took all four kids to the park by myself this year. Actually, I started to take them by myself, but my sweet neighbor spotted us and decided she'd tag along and help out. This was kind of a trial run to see how the kids would do. I held two girls' hands, and Everett held the other's as we walked to and from the park. He did a great job and everyone stuck together really well. We must have looked really cute--especially when I had the children walk quickly across the street. Everett may not have done this if my neighbor wasn't with us, but he did release Gwyn's hand about half a block from the park because he was so excited. I'll watch for that next time. All three girls are climbing ladders like little pros now. I still keep an eye on them every time though! The hardest part of our park visit today was keeping all four children in the same area, and persuading Everett to leave the park. He was very patient with us today. I'll have to take him by himself every now and then.

Snips and Snails

Snips and snails, and puppy-dog tails, That's what boys are made of...

Everett told me a story yesterday. I will attempt to recount it here as accurately as possible:

"Once I had a booger and I put it in my ear. Then a giant came. He wanted to have his booger back, so I gave it to him and he put it back in his nose. The end."

Here is "Super Everett" playing with Play Doh:

Can you guess where Everett went yesterday?

Hi all, guest blogger Cary here. Mandy's in full tizzy mode getting a Close To My Heat stamping party ready for tomorrow, so I'm filling in for today.

Fun times yesterday at Everett's first dental appointment. No fear, no hesitation, no biting, and no new toothbrushes (wow, what a stingy dentist...oh well...), but also no cavities! Two highlights: the chair that MOVES, and one REALLY cool picture...

Here's hoping the triplets' first dental appointment goes half as well!

Easter Eggs

Think about three two-year-olds dying Easter eggs. Any images coming to your mind? We actually had four children ages two and under dying eggs at our house on Saturday, and it actually went well! Thanks to Grandma, Uncle Jordan, and Aunt Celina, we had a lot of supervision. (I don't know if I would have tried it without them--thanks guys!) Here's a picture of most of the crew. Little Daniel, Cary, and Grandma aren't in the shot.

Celina, Maddie, Everett, Jordan, Lily, Melina, Emily, Lana, Gwyn, me, Rosie

Two of my girls were very patient and absorbed. They let their eggs sit in the dye and were intently observing the new experience.

Maddie wore a very serious expression the entire time.

And here's Gwyn. She did not want to leave the table when we were done.

Lana was a much more "hands-on" kind of girl. I had to periodically move the cup out of reach to avoid disaster.

She doesn't like most food, but apparently vinegar isn't so bad! She also cracked open an egg, tasted it, and decided she didn't like it. She then very carefully...

...put it back together!

And Everett did just fine on his own this year!

We had a really good time with everyone, and the kids played so nicely together. Here's Lily playing with Everett and Gwyn and Maddie:

Lana's Newest Trick

Today was a really fun day. My mom came over to be with the kids and help out, and Cary and I had a two-part date! We went out while the girls were napping for a little bit of rollerblading. I haven't done it in a long time, and I loved it! (I was questioning the intelligence of my choice of activity when we started, but it didn't take long before I was having fun.)

When I went to get Lana after her "nap" I was surprised to find her waiting at the door for me and wearing only her diaper (which was taped on). She had taken off her clothes, probably spent some time trying to remove her diaper. climbed out of her portable crib, placed everything that was loose in the room in the crib, and then who knows what. I'm glad she didn't get into Everett's dresser! (I probably shouldn't even write that because it will probably happen tomorrow.) She naps in Everett's room and sleeps in the girls' room at night. I found that when they were all in the same room they didn't nap, but it looks like we may need to try it again!

For Part II of our date, we went to see 10,000 BC. I really enjoyed it. We got a text message in the middle of the movie that Lana had thrown up. Aargh! I felt bad, but what could I do? We're still learning what upsets her little tummy. I just hope we get it figured out some day. (The emetologist parent in me had to look to see what she threw up--I know, TMI.)

And last but not least, we got Everett's hair to stay down today!!! Here is a picture of him with Gwyn:

How we get stinky feet, etc.

I had to explain to my normally barefoot son this week that feet will become stinky if they are left in shoes too long--especially without socks. He has been wearing his Lightning McQueen sandals every waking moment since the party Saturday. He has also sported his new hat and binoculars except at mealtimes (even at the park today under the hood of his coat). He is dressing himself now too, so he has made quite an interesting fashion statement this week!

We tried unsuccessfully to fly a kite, but the kids had a great time. Maddie and Lana especially liked the swings.

MOMs Night Out

Warning: This post actually contains information which may be useful to parents of preschoolers. If you will find this boring, you may not wish to read any further.

Since becoming a mother of four, I have joined two MOMs clubs (Mothers Of Multiples). I never thought I would do anything like that, but it's really nice to get out and have some adult conversation and relaxation once or twice a month! One group, which I attend more than the other, is really informal. We just meet for dinner once a month at different restaurants. The other group has social events too, but they also have professionals come in to speak about various subjects.

I was really interested in the topic tonight, and am excited to try out what I learned at home. We talked about handwriting, and in particular, a method called "Handwriting Without Tears" that seemed like a really good idea to me. The letters are grouped into categories that make sense. You start with letters that begin with a vertical stroke on the left side (L, F, E, M, N, etc.). In a nutshell (from what I learned tonight), the method has three basic parts.

1. Using a rectangular foam mat and wooden pieces shaped like letter strokes you demonstrate to your child how to build a letter on the mat. Then they build the letter. (At some point they will be able to build it without seeing it first.)


2. This part is called "wet-dry-try". You write the letter on a small chalkboard. Your child takes a damp piece of paper towel or sponge and wipes the letter clean, following the strokes you made three times. They then do the same with a dry paper towel. This is something that will encourage "muscle memory".


3. You demonstrate how to write the letter with pencil on paper. They then write the letter.

I'm sure this is a watered-down version, but you can visit the website in the link above if you're interested. When I asked the speaker how much the kit costs, she said that she usually recommends that parents buy foam sheets from Wal-Mart or a craft store and cut out pieces to make their own kit. The pieces are listed in the products section of the website.

I've discovered that Everett is a bit of a perfectionist in some ways. (I wonder where he got that.) When he tries to write letters and they're not "just right" he wants to erase them. He gets frustrated or loses attention rather quickly despite my encouraging words, so I'm hoping this will make it easier and more interesting for him. We're not putting a lot of pressure on him, but I'd like him to learn and enjoy it too!

This is one of the things we were working on before I heard about the HWT method. (I would have shown the "E" page, but Everett erased all of his "E's" and my elephant looked rather gimpy.)

Party Time!

On Saturday we finally celebrated the girls' birthday. Everett and I had a lot of fun preparing the cake and decorations, and at the party he said, "This is the best birthday ever!" I'm glad he had so much fun on the girls' special day.

We made tissue paper flowers for our decorations and as favors.

I put three little bears on the cake, since the girls have been little bears all winter in the coats I made for them.

Lana, Gwyn, and Maddie had a great time. Grandma and Grandpa were there, our neighbor Amy, my Uncle Dale and Aunt Mary Jo, and Uncle Jordan and his wonderful family. The girls loved having the special attention and were just thrilled with all their gifts. Grandma had the wonderful idea of helping Everett make bead bracelets for the girls, so he was really excited to give his gifts. And he got gifts as well! Check out these new shoes:

Ka-chow!

Grandma Campbell made adorable shirts for the girls.

They got a new set of books and some sweet cards from their cousin Grace and her family. ;) They have enjoyed dressing up in their new hats too.

Maddie

Gwyn

Maddie and Lana (We'll post a better picture of Lana later.)

For now, here's one from today:

Putting the books away

I was cleaning the den the other day, and handed Everett some books to put away. He said, "I'll read them." I looked out to see this:

He read all three books to Maddie and Gwyn. (He isn't reading yet, but he knows these books pretty well.) It's nice to freeze these moments on camera. I guess I should probably photograph some frowns and pouts too, but these are the things I savor.

Thinking Warm Thoughts

Today was cold and snowy, and beautifully sunny! If we didn't look outside it felt like summer in our house. I'm looking forward to some warmer weather and more outside playtime, so I thought I'd post these pictures.

Everett, summer 2005

Lana, Maddie, Everett, Gwyn, and Grandma, Summer 2007

I also found these of the children when they were about 5 months old:

So what resemblances do you see?

Everett and Testimony

My mom comes over most Fridays to spend some time with the kids, help with baths, etc. This past Friday she was headed to visit Celina and the kids afterwards, and we decided that Everett could go with her. He was SO EXCITED!!!

It had been alternating between rain and sleet most of the day, and the skies were clear when they left, but not the roads. As the temperature dropped, the roads became really icy. At one point, mom pressed the brake and nothing happened. She prayed out loud that Heavenly Father would help her to be able to stop the car. They were able to stop and get the car off the road. Everett then prayed out loud: "Heavenly Father, I love you! Thank you for helping us." Mom decided to sit and wait until the roads were salted. Almost immediately afterwards, another vehicle passed them and crashed. Emergency crews arrived on the scene, including police, ambulance, tow truck, and a fire truck to block off the road.

Mom called Celina to tell her what had happened. They weren't very far away, so Celina was considering coming to get them. As she was sitting in her driveway praying as to whether or not she should venture out, a truck spun out of control on her street, and crashed into her neighbor's fence! (She said she really didn't need the answer to be that dramatic.)

They never made it to Uncle Jordan and Aunt Celina's house, so Everett was a little disappointed, but he got to be with his Grandma and made it home safely. He's such a sweetheart. I was thinking about him when he was away and realized what a good little helper he has become, and how he animates our house! (The animation isn't always positive, but is mostly a good kind.) He gets his sisters involved in lots of fun activities. He does a great job cleaning up the toys, and gets the girls down out of their booster seats for me 3-4 times a day. He will help with almost anything without complaint.

It is especially sweet to see how his testimony is growing.

Random Snapshots

Ahhh...toy rotation! I should start doing this regularly, maybe even daily! We had a sweet, happy, peaceful morning together today. This is our playroom. The kids from left to right are Lana, Gwyn, Everett, and Maddie. In case you're wondering, Maddie's outfit was chosen by her father.

Everett and Gwyn were good buddies. They were crawling
around the house in two lavender tubs, playing ball, etc.

Lana was really cute and she ate spaghetti with alfredo sauce!

Lana's hair is long enough now that I have to put it up every day to keep it out of

her face. When I'm fixing it, Maddie always wants me to do hers too. All I can

manage for Maddie is a tiny little ponytail right on top of her head.