Crayons+Dryer=Big Mess

So late last night I was going to throw in the last load of laundry into the dryer before bed when I realized we had BIG problems. I was unloading the dryer and found a big blue spot on a random sock. No panic yet as thinking maybe someone marked on it by accident but I started to get a bit more alarmed as I pulled out one of S's dresses covered in blue and green. I started to hyperventilate wondering what on earth had happened and then I saw IT. A big red crayon melted to the side of the dryer. Not noting any red at this point on clothes had me worried. The more clothes I pulled out the more colors started to emerge on the mostly light very heavily loaded load of laundry. Blue socks, green spots on shirts, and red spots on more shorts, dress shirts and slacks. Seriously at this point it was midnight and I was ready to snatch the kids out of bed and demand who on earth put crayons in their pockets before I washed their clothes! So I sat in tears cleaning out the swirly colors melted in the dryer and then surveying the rest of the clothes. I was beyond upset. We had just gone to the lovely cash only system to pay down some of W's school loans and I knew there was no replacing any of this stuff for a long while. Not to mention my favorite shorts were in there. So I got to googling thinking there was no way anything was going to take all this mess out. Some had mentioned WD-40 on the spots but I had used that before and it left an awful smell on the clothes (still think their secret ingredient is fish oil) and I had lots and lots of clothes with lots and lots of spots. Anyway I came across nothing short of a miracle. Life is good again and most of the clothes appear to be saved (not to mention whichever kid decided to load up their pockets with what appeared to be an entire box of crayons). Going to send the clothes through another round with the miracle potion before I dry just in case. So if you ever find yourself sitting alone in the laundry room in tears with clothes covered in crayon or god only knows what else give this a try. How on earth did we live without google?
Big old mess crayon remover recipe
-2 capfuls of highly concentrated laundry detergent any kind
-1 cup Oxyclean powder
-1/2 cup Borax (found near the bleach in the laundry isle)
-1 cup shout (I used spray and wash)
-1 cup vinegar
Mix it all together in the washer and then throw clothes in hottest water you have. I let it sit for about 2 hours turning it on to cycle every 30 minutes or so then washed on the longest cycle possible.
After all is said and done it looks like I have completely saved 80% of the clothes. Thinking one more round of the miracle concoction and it may be even better. Seriously on some things you can't see a bit of crayon and my whites are whiter than they have ever been.

So off to start another round of laundry and definitely checking all the pockets first and now I know why you should never mix your clothes with the kids clothes!

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The Art of the Stall

So getting the kids to bed started well over an hour ago and I think they might be asleep. Think being the operative word because there is no way I am going back up there again. The night time ritual started out easily enough. Kisses to S and she was off to bed with Dad to read her a few books. Then came A, G, and C. "Mommy kiss me", "Mom why do dogs toot?", "Why is there a crack in the light?", "What are we doing tomorrow?", "When is my birthday?", "When I was a baby I cried, right?", "Where do the flies go when it gets dark?", and I could go on and on and on about the one million random questions being shot off rapid fire by the three little stallers with mouths that just will not close! Getting them to bed seems to have taken a downhill turn as of late. It's like they save up every random question they have ever had for bedtime and simultaneously they start shouting them out to me. Did I mention they all speak at the same time? So as I sit here writing I can hear them mumbling on the monitor. Yes we still have a monitor for those late night pee pee calls and the ability to monitor their conversations. Yes I know they will probably need therapy some day for all the spying there momma does, but for now I am sticking with they outnumber me and I need all the intel I can get. So as I am about to end this post I hear "Be quiet when you open the door". Guess I am heading back upstairs after all and rethinking the fact that they all still share a bedroom. It's beginning to look like they have perfected the art of the stall!

T-Ball

Today started out with a bang and the triplets first T-Ball game. Let's just say A is our most athletic and loved every minute of it, G is super shy and wanted nothing to do with all the shouting Dodgers fans attempting to cheer him on and well little Miss C threw her glove down, hat off and walked off the field if that's any indication of how the game went. I of course thought this was all so adorable because I was delirous from the heat at our 11:00 game. Had it been any other day I am guessing their antics would not have been so adorable, but heat does funny things to a mind. Anyway after this first game I have concluded things can either only get better or only get worse. Such wisdom I know. The game was crazy, the kids were crazy and a field full of 4 year olds who have never played ball was crazy BUT they sure looked good crazy and really isn't that what it's all about?

Little Man at Bat
C who appears to be a helmet with legs
A up to Bat. She hit a great one!
How C really feels about T-Ball
G my handsome little Dodger

Simon Says...

The words "Simon says JUMP" sound deceivingly harmless, but knowing those words are coming from a child probably perched high atop a table somewhere should not be ignored. Today is the day I have decided for my sanity to start blogging again so once I go see who the jumper is I can go on about my business for at least another minute before stopping to avert another inevitable disaster in the making...

Well as I entered the living room the two little gals look at me and say there's no Simon here as they climb down from perches high atop the table as if nothing was ever going on at all. So of course dialogue ensues with mommy emphatically stating if there's no Simon there's no jumping off tables. Enough said for now and they go off to play "Cats". So right now I am listening to C yell at G to come here kitty, kitty in a not so nice voice. Gotta love the imagination of 4 year olds because the imaginary world is so much better than the real one most days! Unfortunately though it sounds like I wouldn't want to be a kitty today cause C is on a warpath about one of her kitties drinking from her cup, yikes!

So anyway back to the original reason I am here again. I have decided our family history is something to be recorded. It may be of no interest to others but to me it is a fascinating journey and some days I need to be able to look back and reflect on how I got here and even when things are beyond insanity how truly BLESSED I am. The kids will also most surely need to see and be reminded someday when I am old and senile (or when they are teenagers, whichever comes first) that they most definitely had a part in this road map of stretchmarks that grace my body, the gray hairs that weren't always there, and the brain cells I have lost somewhere along the way. They will also need to see that their momma loved them very much and that she wouldn't trade a stretch mark or gray hair for anything in the world!

I have also fully come to accept the fact that I really stink at keeping up with journaling and blogging and don't always have the best grammar in the world, but when I do get a minute to sit down and record things I will try to do it. Saying out loud there is no chance in hell I will be regular with writing, posting, pictures or updating is most definitely a fact and I am finally okay with that. So anyway once again we will see where it goes. I think if you can blog backwards that's what I am gonna do at least until there is another Simon says game going on in the other room. I want to get some of my fondest and not so fond memories down on paper before I forget them and they become fuzzy. So if you have any favorite memories of our kids or family let me know and I will try to elaborate on them.