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.

Horrible Rotten Day

Today was just one of those horrible, rotten days you just want to forget. A's sick and miserable, G's sick and miserable, C is on the mend and bored to death and S is mad because we've missed her last day of swimming lessons. Somehow though in the midst of all this (as I can say looking back because in the moment was sheer misery) they are still amazing and have their moments of fun and creativity. So I thought being grateful is thinking about and reflecting on my day (other than the vomiting and lots of pooping going on). It included S pulling C around on a leash (kitty C), a bucket full of ice and soap-four kids- and a whole assortment of stirring devices making some soupy concoction with chef S at the helm.

The poop patrol on the lookout for doggie doo in the backyard which A insists for some reason unbeknownst to me must be picked up IMMEDIATELY regardless of what I am doing.

The care and concern for your sister or brother. When I go in to find G (even though he is clearly sick too) sneaking in to check on A hugging her and asking her if she's okay.

Sick kids sleeping in bathtubs.

But the BEST of all and today really stuck out in my mind was the 20 minutes or so we all spent together in the backyard this evening. A sitting in my lap, C and S working the soccer ball and W tyring to teach G to throw the baseball overhanded instead of the underhanded pitch he was insisting on (along with sound effects of woosh or swish). I don't know what it was about tonight but it was just special being all together as a family in the backyard playing.

On another note I don't remember from childhood was the locust chirping all day long. The kids actually think they are talking to them and it's so funny to listen to the kids ask them "questions" just to get a "sbuzz" in return.

Life is GOOD. God is good and maybe it's time I start recording to remember and start living in the MOMENT instead of worrying and anxiety about what's next. Guess we will see.......

Greatful Journal

Apparently I am the world's worst journaler (if that's even a word). Today I was cleaning out the closet when I came across a "grateful" journal I had kept about ten years ago. I remember picking out that journal what seemed like years ago and remembering how I would forever write down everyday a little piece of my history. I think I made it all of 10 or so days before life once again became too busy to write, but oh how I enjoyed looking back at a snippet of that time in my life.

Today my life is vastly different. For starters I am ten years older. To wish away youth is such a foolish thing that as you age you would give almost anything to get it back. But the biggest change is that I am a MOM. It still seems so surreal to me that I am the adult with the husband, kids, dog and beautiful house. When did I grow up and start having to deal with adult situations? The thing I miss most about being young is not worrying about what lies ahead. Now that I'm a bit older I constantly worry about what the future holds for our family, the health and well being of the kids, Walter and myself. With that comes ANXIETY about what's ahead-something that is a bit new for me. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't trade where I am now for anything in the world but I could do without the anxiousness I feel, the questions I have-am I a good mother? am I am good partner/wife? Those things seem to weigh heavily on me as I try to balance time for everyone in the process of trying to reconnect to who I really am. I've lost sight at times of just living in the moment rather than the day to day grind and worrying about the future. Today was one of those days I don't want to loose in that day to day existence so instead I've picked up the pen yet again to see where it will lead me. Maybe just today, tomorrow, next week or not again for years but once again I've found a snippet of time to record so another 10 years from now I can see how far our family has come.

We're Back!

Okay so it has only taken me almost a year to get back on our blogger account! After changing email accounts and then addresses along with a little sleep deprivation in there somewhere and not being able to recover passwords we are now back on line. I won't even begin to promise regular updates because there is just nothing like 3 three year olds and a 5 year old to make you super crazy busy and well just a little plain crazy too! Hoping soon to update with some pictures as the past year has pretty much flown by and well our "babies" are no longer babies!

Hot, Hot, Hotter

Well finally found a minute to update everyone on how things are going here in Texas. Hot doesn't even began to describe the temperature here lately. We were spoiled rotten for two years in LA by almost year round perfect weather and we miss it! We miss our "Happy Hour" as it was loving coined by our friend Karlton. We spent most afternoons outside running around in the front yard and hanging out with our great neighbors. Now most afternoons are spent lounging around inside where there is airconditioning. The kids are going stir crazy and so is there momma! Fall can't come soon enough!

The count down to school is on. Miss S will be going 5 half days a week and she is "sort of" excited she tells me. She still asks about all her old friends at LCUMCC. We are hoping she will make some new friends soon. Lots of kids her age in the neighborhood all too waiting for cooler weather finally get to come out and play. The triplets too are looking forward to school. We have talked about it a lot and now each day G asks Shool today?? Too cute. They are talking more and more and it is so exciting, of course some days the non stop talking is overwhelming :)

We are all doing well. Walter is finally getting settled in at work and we are getting settled in here at home. We are getting the chance to catch up with family and old school friends and that has been great. Now if we can only cool off the weather :)

Here are a few pictures to share....
The kids at an indoor park

Out on the boat



More of the kids...




Joy gets a girls weekend away with some old friends

All Moved In, Sort of

Hi to everyone from Texas! We are finally moved in (if you don't count the several boxes hiding in the garage). We are also finally back on the internet. It took forever for us to get connected here so hence the month long delay in updating.

The kids are going great. Our flight from LA was uneventful which is an amazing thing to say with triplets +one. Our only snag was in security when G decided that he was not really into taking his shoes off before going through the security line. I think he thought they were going to take his shoes forever or something, but other than that not much to report.

The rain clouds have finally lifted. It rained every single day for the first two weeks we were here. The kids loved it the first couple days since rain is not something you see everyday in Los Angeles. In fact in the two years we lived there we really only saw it rain a handful of times, but that fascination quickly wore off since they realized they couldn't go out in the rain all the time. The plus side is I have never seen Dallas this green at the end of July. Usually by now everything is dried up and brown and there have been several days of 100+ temps. Now admittedly we are wimps after spending time in California because low 90's is hot, but the kids don't seem to notice.

The kids also love the "new house" which is what they are still calling it. Having stairs to run up and down has been super exciting for them and a little room to spread out has been nice. The backyard though leaves much to be desired. It is really small compared to our yard in California, but we are adjusting.

S is finally starting to take a liking to Texas although that was debatable up until recently. For days she cried that she hated it here and wanted her old house and her old friends. She is like her momma...she hates change! She misses playing outside and looking for critters. Unfortunately she is learning lots of Texas critters bite. She still loves bugs but now asks me if they will bite or sting her before she tries to capture one. She is ready to go back to school since the kids don't start until late August again here, but she is still saying she doesn't want to go to a new school. So we will see how that one goes.

We have really enjoyed having the grandparents close by and the kids are being spoiled rotten, but we miss California too. Hopefully later in the week I can update with some pictures of some of new adventures in the big state of Texas!

Crazy Busy

Things have been crazy busy around here. We are winding down our "extended vacation" here in Los Angeles and we are starting to say our goodbyes. We are having lots of "lasts" lately. Last play dates, last therapy sessions, last family gatherings with the extended family (for a while at least) and reality is starting to set in and it's hard! LA is the only home the triplets have ever really known and all their "firsts" happened here which makes it all the harder to leave. We have been really blessed to make lots of great friends in our time here and of course that always makes it really hard too.



On the flip side though we are so blessed that we are getting the opportunity to move back home to where we grew up. Our kids will grow up knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and that's something we are so excited about (even though we could do without the heat and mosquitoes!:)

I am guessing with the move happening this week and being out of pocket for a the next few weeks it will be a while before we will be able to update so signing off for now. Hoping to update everyone on our moving adventure soon. To our Texas friends and family we are anxious to come home and we will see y'all soon and to our LA friends and family we are already planning on how we will get back for a visit :)

More Babies!

We are now the proud parents of another set of triplets (2 boys and a girl). How might you ask? Well it all started when Shrek had triplets and in return our triplets needed some triplets. Confusing hun? Well here is a picture of our two sets of triplets :)

Our triplets with their Shrek triplets.

G's New Highlights

Not that things haven't been exciting around here. The problem is it's been way too exciting. Never a minute to even sit down and post. Think of what a tornado would do if it whipped around your house and that's what we have going on times 4. The kids are off to school and I am off to work picking up the pieces of what's left of our house after the kids go spinning through it. A new, bigger house can't come soon enough. It's going to have a playroom for sure so I can shut the door on clutter. Right now my living room looks like a scene from a toy store.

Before I go one quick picture of why life in our house is never dull.

So what do you all think of G's new look. Should we keep the highlights C so lovingly painted on her brothers head? I'll try to post a few more pictures of the little tornadoes if I get everything done today.

Oh the sickness

I am so behind on all the happenings in our little corner of the universe. Can you hear me knocking on wood before what I am about to say?? I think we are all well. It has been two miserable weeks of sickness in some form or the other in our house. We've had sleepless nights, ear infections, sinus infections, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, and breathing treatments. No one was spared although Walter, S and I faired much better than the triplets. We are still not sure what everyone had but so glad whatever IT was is gone. At least for the time being. Let me tell you that chasing around 3 two year olds with a crazy fish looking mask and telling them to breath in the "smoke" is no easy chore. Especially when G is screaming NO FISHY! I now have a few more honorable gray hairs to add to the ever brooding patch of them on my head. Who knows before too long I might get tempted to cover up these crazy hairs and end up a blond or redhead. Of course that would require time to myself to get that done and time seems to be in short supply lately.

On another note we are now in the process of getting estimates for the big move come June. Southwestern wants it all done now even though it still seems so far away. I am praying that somehow we will be able to swing having the moving company pack us, because as it is now I can't even fathom it. I honestly can't clean up this 1000 sq ft. house so not sure how I could possible pack it. Oh well guess we will see. Although on another note we did celebrate the less than 100 day mark two days ago. Today we are down to 98 if anyone is keeping count. Not that we are or anything.

Well must hush. Waiting for the plumber. That in and of itself is a whole other story. Let's just say a house with 6 people needs more than ONE bathroom.

A Day at the Beach

I'm so not good at updating our blog. Oh well such is the life of one with 4 children 4 and under. All 4 little lovelies are off to preschool today so I have a few minutes to spare for a change (actually there's laundry to be done, dishes to be washed, rooms to be cleaned, etc...but I am ignoring that inner urge to go clean up for the time being).

Well we have been couped up in this tiny house for weeks with unseasonably cold weather for So. Cal and unseasonably snotty, sick and down right mean kids. Not to mention a momma who hasn't gotten enough "beauty sleep" as darling little S calls it. So by this weekend I had had enough. No more inside and we were off for some fresh air! Well luckily the weather cooperated and so did the kids. We spent Sunday at a beach near Malibu called Zuma beach and had a fabulous time. There were tears when G decided that sand was to throw in A, C & S's eyes, A hated the feeling of the freezing cold water on her toes, C decided naked was more fun than being clothed (she spilled her drink down her clothes and got to wander around in her bloomers) and S couldn't fine one single sand crab while we were there. But on a high note they spent a good part of the day terrorizing poor seagulls, chasing each other in circles and down right wearing themselves out. Once again we got a taste of the beautiful California coast and gorgeous weather. Things we are going to miss when we decend on Dallas in the 100 degree temps come July, but the thing we will have come July is family closer by to share these wonderful kids with. In fact Walt and I are planning on sharing them so much with the grandparents we may sneak back to California for a weekend to enjoy it with just the two of us.

On a sidebar we met a couple this weekend at the beach who we got the chance to chat with. We are always hesitant when approached because we generally get the OH MY GOSH ARE THEY TRIPLETS? and How on Earth did that happen questions (usually followed by other strange, weird and downright crazy comments), but we got the Is this all you are going to have question? I am so tired of hearing that one, but the dad jumped in to explain that they had 7 kids and their youngest was a junior in college. Both he and his wife went on to say what a blessing each of their children were to them and that we were so lucky to have these kids. The dad even said the saddest day of his life was when their last one went off to college. Walter and I walked away once again reminded of the enormous blessing God gave us when intrusting us with these children. There were many days that I prayed on hands and knees to be blessed with a child. Little did I know what God had in store for us and with each day regardless of our struggles we are reminded how truly blessed we are. On a sidenote we both commented on how young they looked to have 7 kids. So we decided having lots of kids must keep you young. We are hoping our 4 will do the trick :)

Happy Birthday Dad!

Well I still don't know what gave me the bright idea to do a birthday gift for Walter from the kids. My heart was in the right place but the practicality of organizing 4 toddlers and paint was not well thought out. Problem 1 is I decided to do this gift the day of Walter's birthday. Problem 2 I decided to do this 30 minutes before we were to have company and last but not least Problem 3 I decided I could handle all four painting at the same time. I was so not prepared! What transpired is to distressing to go into detail but A will be pooing pink paint for a while, my camera will never look the same (mulicolored hues now decorate it's exterior), and to top it off who knew Lakeshore made paint that wasn't washable! Needless to say the "art" turned out cute, but the kids well that's another story and as for me I need a drink!

Happy Birthday Honey!

Silence is Deafening not Golden

I knew the day would come when I would be all alone in the house. I just can't believe it has already happened. The kids started preschool 2 days a week on Tuesday and I honestly don't know what to do with myself! Scary I know. I find myself wondering around with nothing to do. Okay I really have plenty to do...just not the motivation to do it. The silence in here is almost too much. I guess after 2 solid years with very little time away from the kids your ears get accustomed to always hearing someone talking, crying, screaming or laughing, but for now all I hear is Gretta snoring. Didn't even know until today the dog snored. Pretty sad! Well I have promised myself to attempt to get something done today so the computer is going off and I am going to do something. That being said I may stare at the walls, but it's something :)

"A" needs glasses

Well it all started a few weeks ago when we noticed A was starting to cross one of her eyes out of the blue. After a week of worry and trying to get into see a pediatric ophthalmologist we are now wearing a patch for 6 hours a day and glasses full time. Apparently A's vision is terrible and she began crossing her right eye (the one with the worst vision) in an attempt to focus. This crossing if not treated could have caused her to completely lose vision in that eye. Scary stuff. We are now patching the "lazy" eye in a attempt to keep it from crossing on a more permanent basis. She has been a real trooper and never once complained about the patch or the glasses for that matter. We had no idea that things were as bad as they were and she is truly now seeing the world for the first time. The "lazy" or crazy eye as we call it is getting better each day and she is loving her glasses. I on the other hand don't really like seeing my sweet little girl wearing glasses, but know that is what's best for her. I think in part is they make her look so grown up and I am not ready to part with my "baby". I keep getting visions of her shipping off to Harvard at any moment :)

She has made the change with amazing grace and takes each day completely in stride. I wish I could say the same for me. I think I am coming around though as to see her without glasses only after 3 days she looks strange to me without them. They day she got them was like she was really seeing me for the first time. As I strapped her into her car seat she sat and stroked my face and tugged at my hair. She has done this a million times before, but this time it was different. We got home and she sat outside just staring at the trees and grass like she had never seen them before. The real biggy for me was that she began to pick up pebbles and sticks to put in her little car. Something we had seen G and C do a million times, but this was a first for A. Makes me wonder if this is the first time she had seen them. It was a bittersweet moment for me.

Each day continues to bring new challenges and joys. We will have both C and G screened in the next month since the poor vision A has can be hereditary and due to prematurity. So it makes the other two more at risk. We are hoping they will be free of any big vision issues. We know that G has astigmatism (where the eye isn't perfectly round) and he is more at risk for glasses later on. So guess we will find out soon. What is so strange to both Walter and I is that we literally had no idea about her vision. Kids have such an amazing ability to compensate in areas where they are lacking and we are so thankful we finally caught it when we did.

Happy Birthday Babies!

Where did this year go? Where did those 3 lb babies I gave birth to go? They have been replaced by running, laughing, crazy 25 pound plus toddlers. I am sad they are growing up, but at the same time in constant awe of just how far we have come! It honestly seems like yesterday (and in the same breath I can say it feels like a million years ago) that I was staring at babies so tiny in their litte incubators at the hospital wondering how on earth they would ever be big enough or healthy enough to come home and now I am staring down the noses of healthy, happy little kids who don't look like they ever spent a single day in the hospital. We are so Blessed! It is with great joy that we celebrated their 2nd birthday (January 30th). Each year we wonder how on earth we could love these little guys anymore, yet each year we do. We look forward to watching them grow and become the little people God has made them to be. Can't get anymore exciting than that.

Hand in Hand

These are the days I know that I am undoubtably blessed!

Laundry, Laundry, Laundry

Honestly does the laundry ever end? I thought it was bad in the baby days of spit up, but it seems to be getting more and more ridiculous! I guess the kids clothes are getting bigger (unfortunately mine too) and taking up more room in the washer. It also doesn't help that S changes her clothes about 4 times a day. If this is what I have to look forward to with A and C I am done for! Is there such a thing as a professional laundry maid? If so where do I find her and how much does she charge cause I want one! Oh well off to do another load.