Gallbladder surgery, Christmas, and Outback's Epic Fail...

Hello again! So I didn't post before Christmas...boo. Anyway, I guess I should update on my surgery. My parents came over to watch the kids and Todd took me up to the hospital. I was in surgery by 7:00 am. One minute I'm joking with the nurses, then I hear the doctor walk in the room, and the next thing I know I'm in recovery with bad heartburn. I ate some ice chips, then felt well enough to come out to Todd. I was discharged, came home, and pretty much slept and lived on Lortab over the weekend. By Monday I was feeling ALOT better, and even though I had a lot of people offering help, I felt totally capable to taking care of my kids. I still was hesitant to drive because I was getting over the horrible after effects of the Lortab, so my sister-in-law was kind enough to help out with picking Chase up from school, and she even shuttled me around on Tuesday. Each day that week I felt stronger and more like myself. I didn't take Lortab after the weekend, but rediscovered the full bottle of Percocet in the medicine cabinet from my C-section with the twins. I figured out that my body was adjusting to not having an organ that was somewhat vital in digestion, so eating became tricky. Yes, I gambled on a few occasions, and paid for it. I ended up losing 11 pounds at one point, but that was after a stomach bug came through our house, and I was really dehydrated. I've put a few pounds back on, but what a jump start to weight loss at the holidays! I've definitely had to cut portions, and am still figuring things out, but I think I've got the hang of things now.

Then came Christmas, and yes, we had a great Christmas. We opened presents here and then went to my parents house and opened presents with the rest of my family. The big boys got everything they wanted, and then some! And as much as I wanted the little babies to rip into packages, they just kinda looked at me like I was nuts. I'd give them the package semi-unwrapped, and they were more interested in the paper, of course. Today I finally got the house back to "normal," if there is anything normal about my home. I knew it must have been bad if Todd said something- he could CARE LESS about what the house looks like, I'm normally the clean freak! The front rooms were basically littered with candy wrappers from their stocking suffers, and toy parts all over. So, today I made Chase pick up trash, while Gunnar and I picked up toys to take upstairs. It looks so much better, and Todd feels more relaxed. I think we may have watched one too many episodes of "Hoarders," because he was worrying about the clutter!

So after eating Christmas dinner and Christmas dinner leftovers since Saturday, we decided to eat out tonight. Todd was coming home from an all day meeting in Oklahoma City, and the big boys actually made the call for Outback Steakhouse. We have one just down the street from us, so I called it in and Todd picked it up on his way back into town. We agreed to split a meal, because we didn't feel like eating a whole meal by ourselves, and it does save money. He gets home and is like "Did you order fish or some funky salad?" And I said "No...just our usual, why?" He started pulling stuff out of the bag, and it wasn't our order. Now, this is probably the 2nd or 3rd time this has happened to us, so I called and spoke to the take-out person. She said our meal was right there, and we could come pick it up, and she wanted to know if I'd like to speak to a manager. So I said I would, and basically told the manager that this wasn't the first time we've had to deal with this, and we're fortunate not to live too far away, but I really just wanted to let her know what was going on in her take-out area. She apologized and asked if she could do anything to make things right. I told her we ordered a dessert (Cinnamon Oblivion is back for a limited time...I couldn't help myself!) and didn't know what else she could do. She told me when Todd came to pick up the meal she would give him something. So, since they made the mistake on the meal, and they were not allowed to accept food that has already left the take-out area, we got to keep the "mystery sack" as well. I unpacked our sack, then started unpacking the "mystery sack" and MAN were we excited! The unfortunate couple, who's meal we received, ordered 2 steak and lobster meals with baked potatoes and salads! SCORE! I decided to eat the lobster for dinner and Todd ate our small steak that we originally ordered. I figure I'll have steak and potato or grill up some chicken and put it on one of the salads for lunch tomorrow and Todd will have steak for dinner tomorrow night. I have a dinner date with some girlfriends- SUSHI! Holler, y'all!

Well, I really and truly hope to post again soon. Thursday, the 30th, is my 10 year anniversary with my husband, and I have a little something special I'd like to post on here. Until then, thanks again for following my blog!

And the craziness has begun....

Yeah, I know, I'm a horrible blogger. I haven't posted in ages, but I have been busy. The twins are keeping me busy, and the week before Thanksgiving we had our first Pink eye outbreak. Both twins had it, and I think I might have had it as well (I took drops just to be on the safe side.) On Monday the 22nd, we started to figure out what we needed to pack for our upcoming trip to Arizona. That's right, I was to take 4 kids on an airplane the day before Thanksgiving, with all of the new TSA craziness. So on the 23rd, I had a horrible case of what I like to call the "F-its." Got lots to do? Forget it, do something else. Have a deadline you need to meet? Forget it, wait until the last minute and do it. I managed to pack the big boys, and Todd got his bag packed. I was so darn tired, all I wanted to do was make my list of things to do for the following day and go to bed. And that's just what I did-big mistake on my part. The next morning started early, and I began doing laundry that still needed to be done for packing the babies and myself and started laying out things that could be packed. I'm also one of those people who like to clean their house before going on vacation, so you can come home to a nice, clean home and it's one less thing to do when you get home. So, like a maniac, I began to vacuum, clean bathrooms, pick up toys...and I didn't eat (this part needs comes into play later.) I called and asked my mom to come over so I could shower and get packed, and my dad came by to take us to the airport, and my sister dropped by as well. I was ready by the time Todd got home, but I was also freaking out. My mom, dad, and sister watched a "Mommy Dearest" moment. Sure, I wasn't wearing red lipstick, no Bon Amie powder cleaner was being thrown, and nothing was mentioned about wire hangers, but I hadn't had anything to eat and I was yelling at the kids to get their backpacks and was so nervous about forgetting things. I was convinced to eat something, and then we were on our way to the airport.

As we were getting out of the Suburban, I ran into a patient from the office I used to work at, and she was so sweet. We checked in, went upstairs to go through security, and we high-fived afterward because it was SO easy! We couldn't have asked for things to go better. We made it up to our gate, and I had time to change the babies diapers before we were boarded. The big boys were so excited to get on the plane, and even though we expected the worst, we really got the best! They all did so well, and we weren't that annoying "crying baby" on the airplane. And it was actually kind of funny walking through the airport, because I've often said that having twins is like being a celebrity because we're always being stared at or talked about when we're right there. Walking around the airports and getting on the planes, I was actually taken aback by the people smiling and "ooohing" and "ahhhing." Even the most grizzly looking biker guys with scowls on their faces lit up with smiles when we strolled by. So we made it to the Phoenix airport without a hitch, and then this is where the "fun" begins.

The babies started having diarrhea diapers, and it only got worse...as did their horrible diaper rash. And they couldn't sleep, either because the pack-n-plays were too low and they felt like they were falling, or because we tried to sleep them apart for the first time, but we had to have them sleep in the bed with Todd and I, and I was already nervous, so this just added to my anxious attitude. Thanksgiving was fine, and the boys were having a great time with their cousins, but I was still anxious about the babies and I know was little "crazed" at times. I finally felt more comfortable with the sleeping situation when we went to Wal-Mart and got a crib. But their diarrhea wasn't getting better, and the diaper rashes were getting worse. On top of that, Chase was starting to get sick. So I called Dr. Gordon on Saturday morning, who called in some prescriptions for Chase and gave me some advice for the babies. And yes, meshed in with all of my worries and sick children, we had a lot of fun playing cards and eating delicious meals together as an entire family for the first time in 8 years. We also took family pictures, so when I get those I hope to post them on here!

We left for home on Sunday, and once again everyone was perfect for the flights. We arrived home around 7:30pm, ate, gave baths, and got the kids to bed. And the routine went back to normal the following week, except for one thing: the diarrhea and diaper rash hasn't gone away. So here it is, 2 weeks later, and it is finally getting better. We weren't sure if it's been a stomach virus or if it's just from teething, but every day it's getting better.

And this week has been kind of crazy for me, because I'm having surgery to remove my gallbladder on Friday, and I'll admit I'm scared. I've never been in the hospital unless it was related to pregnancy, let alone have an organ removed. I've been trying to get all of my Christmas shopping done (and it is DONE as of today! WHOOHOO! Thanks to Catherine and Kim!) and get things in order here at home. And I'm overwhelmed, and when I get overwhelmed, I shut down. So I have to clean up the house tomorrow, and Todd won't get home until late, and then I will go in for surgery at 6 am on Friday morning. I have no idea how the recovery will go, but I'm hoping for the best.

So that was my big update. Maybe I'll get a chance to post again before Christmas! Much love to you all!

UPDATES GALLORE!

Hello to all of my faithful followers....all 8 of you! It feels like an eternity since I posted, so I have LOTS to update you on!

Chase- my big boy is reading, which is awesome, but he just seems so much older now that he can do it. But I'm also having to fight him on doing his homework as soon as he gets home from school, and I grill him everyday when he gets in the car to figure out how many "cubes" he has in class. He has a great teacher this year, and he really enjoys all of the things he's learning. We just got the first report card of the year, and he did really well...except for the "self motivation" category, which doesn't surprise me. We're working on that.

Gunnar- the world's best 4 year old babysitter. He is a huge help to me with the babies, I don't know that I could do it without him. He entertains them so I can shower, and feeds them fruit puffies while I fix them their lunch. At first, when he came home from Daycare to stay with me full time, I was ready to ship him back. We constantly butted heads, and I felt like I was always scolding him. Fortunately for both of us, I discovered he is a child who likes a lot of individual attention and figured out his reward system (he enjoys toys and candy, just in case you were wondering.) We still have our daily debates on what he's going to eat for lunch, or how much of it he'll eat, but things are good. The babies just adore him, and he does a great job at being a big brother to them. Just the other day he wanted to create a "Fred Jones" type trap (ya know, Fred from "Scooby Doo" always had a trap) to keep Mason trapped in the hall so he couldn't crawl anywhere. I don't know what we'll do when he goes to full day Pre-K next year, I think we'll all be sad.

Parker&Mason- oh my GOSH! This has to be the biggest update! Since I last posted (I think) both babies learned to crawl. First, Mason learned to crawl backwards, then 2 weeks later Parker did it. Next, Mason started to crawl forward, and 2 weeks later Parker did it. Then, Mason got a tooth and I didn't even know it! And Parker is on track to have his first tooth, or a pair of them, in 2 weeks. Yesterday Parker was bitten by Mason- apparently he tried to pull a Mike Tyson and bit Parker on the ear! It seems like they hit 7 months and all kinds of stuff started to happen, and now they're 8 months old and every day is a new journey! We've had to put up gates around the open areas in the family room, and it's amazing to seem them work together to try and move the gate. They rush the same spot and start to pull up on it, or push it. OH! They pull up now, too! Couches, chairs, people, you name it they'll pull up on it. Their older brothers both started walking at 10 months old, so we'll see if they are on par with the older boys...who knows, they may start earlier than that!

All I know is they will be 9 months on Thanksgiving day and 10 months on Christmas day and I'm SO excited for the holidays this year. I've usually had little, sleepy lumps on those holidays- Gunnar and Chase were Summer and Fall babies, so they were still pretty small around the holidays. This year will be so much fun to have babies who will sit through a meal and sit up to eat, mobile babies crawling around and actually trying to open presents for their first Christmas! Man, I can't wait to pull out the tree and decorate!

Halloween-OK, so I have to start with our trip to the pumpkin patch: our babies were so good, we didn't even take them out of the stroller to take pictures with the pumpkins...we kinda forgot because they were so quiet! We all had fun, got lots of pumpkins, and decided we'd carve them during the week for the Riverside Ward Halloween party on Friday night. Gunnar wanted Mickey Mouse and Chase wanted Boba Fet, and my wonderful Todd carved some amazing pumpkins. The Ward party had a pumpkin carving contest and the annual Chili cook-off. I've entered in the past and haven't won, but I thought I'd do it again. So I had a crazy Friday getting ready for everything. I waited until the last minute to get the babies costumes, so we went to Toys R Us, and everything was 50% off. It was the first time I've taken the babies out without their car carriers, so we had to use the double stroller, and I was nervous about that, but we managed to get costumes, candy, wipes, and a toy for a birthday party so it all worked out. Then, we went to the store, which was crazy because I pushed the double stroller and pulled Gunnar in a shopping cart full of groceries behind me. So I start to throw my Chili together while the babies are crying, and ready to eat lunch, and Gunnar was so good to help take care of them so I could get the meat cooked. I got the babies fed and finished up the Chili and let it cook for the next 4 1/2 hours. It was a mad rush to get the Chili, costumes, kids, candy, trunk-or-treat car decorations and everything else loaded into the Suburban. But we made it on time, I entered the Chili and pumpkins in their respective contests, and we sat down to enjoy the food. A while later we heard that Todd had won 2nd place in the pumpkin carving contest, and yours truly took home 1st place in the Chili cook-off! When I picked up my Croc-pot, not a drop of Chili was left. Good thing I had some left in my pot at home! It was better the next day, so maybe I'll cook it ahead of time next year and defend my win!

Hope all is well with you, thanks for taking time to read my "update."

boy, oh boys....

This week the babies will be 7 1/2 months old, and I can't believe it! They've grown so quickly, and matured so much from the petite little guys they were when they were first born! Well, this past weekend was the "Frick Family & Friends" Camp-out. Todd took the big boys down on late Thursday afternoon and they returned yesterday. They came home smelly, dirty, and hungry. Even though there were a few minor injuries, both boys had a great time. I think the babies and I had a pretty enjoyable weekend as well. We spent most of the time with my mom, just running errands and getting stuff done. We even went up to Chouteau to get more chicken pot pies from Nettie Ann's bakery, and made a quick stop into Amish Furniture, and they were SO GOOD for us! I've been very blessed with these little guys.

So I mentioned that the boys went camping, and they came home a bit smelly- as well as all of their laundry. Even the clothes they didn't wear, so I've been doing load after load of laundry to get things ready for the rest of the week. This morning I put Mason in the Bumbo chair and had Parker in one of the bouncy seats while I went to fold up some laundry and change loads from the washer to the dryer. I was gone maybe 5 minutes tops, and when I came back in the room Mason was on the floor crawling and smiling at me. Gunnar denied helping him get out of the chair, so I can only assume Mason escaped from the Bumbo chair so he could practice his crawling! I asked my mom if we were somehow related to Harry Houdini- I've never had a baby escape like that before! I tell Todd all the time "I don't remember the older boys doing this...." or "do you remember the big boys ever doing that?" He constantly has to remind me that the big boys were in daycare for several years apiece, and may not have had the same full time interaction like these babies do.

I feel like I have forgotten so much about the big boys being babies, hence I am always asking Todd if he remembers things about them. Then it occurred to me one day: I barely spent any time with the big boys during the week, of course I don't remember things about them, I wasn't around them but for maybe 4 hours of the day! I would get them up and ready, drop them off at daycare, work 8 hours, then take them home, feed them, bathe them, and put them to bed. And some days I only saw them when I dropped them off in the morning because I had school until 11 o'clock at night. I missed so many "firsts" with the big boys, and while I don't regret working, I do regret not being around for them in their most formative years. I've been able to see every single thing Parker and Mason do, and I love it! These little angels are so loving and affectionate, we practically give kisses all day long (in fact, my lips have been chapped on several occasions because of those days filled with kisses!) and I wonder if Chase or Gunnar were like that with their daycare workers. The big boys learned to crawl and walk when I wasn't around, and I've been able to work so much with the twins that I feel an enormous sense of well being just knowing that I was their first word-"mama." Well, enough of the guilt of a working mother for now....need to run and pick up Chase. Later.

Catching up...

WOW, has it really been that long since I posted something on here? Well, let me just catch you up on what's been going on with us!

Gunnar turned 4 on the 27th. I can't believe my baby is growing up! Seems like just yesterday I was experiencing the craziest of labor circumstances to bring that big baby into the world! He really reveled in the fact that he was so special all day long. Birthdays are kinda my thing, and I think I've passed it on to him too! So, the next day I turned the biggie: 30. For several years now I have realized that birthdays are like any other day, and it's more true now that I have 4 kids. I was still changing diapers, cleaning up my house, etc. However, I did prepare the older ones by making them call me "birthday girl" and making them sing to me. I even made the babies sing to me, which they just thought was so funny. We went out to dinner that night as a family, which we've never done before, then I went to hunt for a new pair of shoes at the mall. No one carried the type I wanted, so I debated over the color for a day and ordered a pair. I hated the color I got, so I'm stuck between ordering a dark red or a dark purple. I swear, the older I get the more discerning I become (I like that word better than "indecisive" or "picky"), and my post purchase dissonance becomes worse. I can make decisions at work or at home in a snap, have no problem making decisions regarding the clothes my kids wear, but when it comes to me?? Forget about it....


We had a joint birthday party at my parents house this past Saturday, and for the first time since Gunnar was born I asked for two individual cakes. I felt turning 30 was a big enough occasion to warrant my own cake, and I was absolutely thrilled with how Gunnar's cupcakes and my cake turned out! Gunnar got a ton of "Star Wars" toys, since those are about the only thing he plays with, and I will enjoy the goodies I received as well! Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes to us both, we really appreciate it! Hopefully I'll be able to get in another post or two by the weekend, until then, thanks for reading!

HEAR ME OUT!!!!

Do you ever have days when you feel like you're never heard? I feel like I experience this every single day at my house. "Chase, will you let the dogs out?" And after asking 3 more times and being told "why do I have to do everything!" the task is finally completed. Now Gunnar is actually worse. He asks for payment before he does a task. "I'll let the dogs out if you give me candy?" When I tell him "no" this is what I hear- "Fine, then I'm not going to buy you a car when you get older," or "then I'm not going to give you kisses anymore!" Lately it's been "fine, then I'm not going to give you a birthday present!" I tell him that it works both ways...then he changes his tune, because he wants toys for his birthday.

Sorry there haven't been any posts in a while, this week has been a real crippler! The days seem to be super long, and the nights are too short. For some reason the babies have been getting up A LOT more than usual. I can't tell if they are teething, or have allergies, or if my milk just isn't sustaining them at night anymore. What I do know is that the little amount of sleep my husband and I receive is crappy, and I just feel like the day drags on and on. Tonight, however, the big boys are going to sleep over at my mom and sister's houses and we're hopeful that we'll get a better night's rest tonight. Well, I've got a baby screaming at me for milk, I'll post (hopefully) again tomorrow!

The Letter

So as I'm driving everyone home from picking Chase up from school I decided to get the mail. I received 3 items- Gunnar's Toys 'R Us birthday card, our mortgage payment, and a letter with "OWNER" written in black Sharpie on the envelope. My heart and stomach simultaneously sunk. I've been fearful all week, dreading the day that the man who's dog I had run over on Tuesday night was going to seek revenge. I thought "this is him telling me he's going to sue, a bill from the vet, or just a letter to tell me what a horrible person I am for running over his dog." I could get out of the car as I pulled into the garage, I had to read it immediately. Below is word for word the letter I received:

Ms:

Tuesday night you were involved in an accident with our dog and unfortunately it was fatal. I do not know if this is appropriate but wanted to tell you that I was 100% at fault; saw it coming but just froze. I should have never had the dog "off leash", even late at night. It was a foolish and immature decision on my part that I have to live with. For the past few day, we have just been in a fog and I don't have the courage to face you without distress thinking of the incident....Once again, you were not at fault in any way; I am truly sorry that you were ever made part of this situation. Please take this little note for what it is- an apology to you. I learned a big lesson for myself that my actions can hurt other as well. Please forgive me from the bottom of my heart.

JM

OK, there it is. It's like this man either read my blog or read my mind. I've been sick over this all week, fearing the worst, and I get a letter from this man apologizing to ME for running over his pet. I was moved to tears, and still shake when I read it. I always think the worst of people, so for me to get this note...it just really restored faith in humanity. In an age where people are so quick to sue or become completely unhinged because they thought they were not in the "wrong," I was surprised to find there are still decent people in the world who take accountability for their actions.

So Sir, if you did somehow read this blog, and by chance are reading it again, I am sorry for what occurred. It was tragic, and I doubt either of us will quit thinking about it anytime soon. You asked me for forgiveness; I prayed that Tuesday night that you would forgive me, and that your family would be blessed should you be grieving the loss of your beloved pet. Once again, I am deeply sorry for your loss.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....

I went to my first Mother's of Multiples meeting last night, and it was pretty fun! As a large group we met to discuss women's libido issues. The doctor who gave this presentation was really funny, and had a lot of interesting information. He had a little questionnaire to determine whether or not someone had hypo active sexual dysfunction disorder- "hypo" being a lack of as opposed to "hyper" being a lot of something. Anyway, I thought to myself "nope, this doesn't affect me," then I suddenly started answering "yes" to most of the questions. Long story short, apparently I have it, but with good reasons. I'm so tired and just want to sleep at the end of the day, and Todd feels the same way. The Doctor said that most oral contraceptives can be really bad for your libido and he actually suggested women try other methods of birth control. He basically said "get off of birth control" to find out what's wrong with your body, and this one woman was like "Really? Because I'm a little shell-shocked from having twins, I'll use birth control for the rest of my life!" Then we split up into smaller groups where I met 2 other first timers who had twin boys as well. It was so great to talk to other women who knew exactly where I was coming from and it was neat to hear their stories about their experiences with twins. I'm looking forward to next month's meeting!

So then I came home, and if you read my FaceBook post, I hit a dog. Strike that, I ran over it with my Suburban. The worst part was hearing the dog yelping in pain. I just stood there as this man picked up his dog and I said "did I hit your dog? Is there someone I can call for you?" He just told me "no," picked up the dog and ran. I ran into the house and told Todd (who was dealing with our crying twins). I was still in shock that I never even got a chance to tell the man how sorry I was. What I should have said is what a jackass he was for breaking a city law and not walking that dog on a leash! I mean, I'm a pet parent, and I would NEVER EVER let my dog walk without a leash. I called a member from our Homeowners Association and she told me she'd seen this guy walking the dog without a leash, that in fact, he was training him to walk without a leash. Really? Why did she not tell this guy she would report him if he did it again? The worst part was how she said "well, I would have let them pass, you should have let him pass by." Well, woulda-shoulda-coulda, lady! She was defending this guy and it kinda made me mad! Even a member of the HOA was OK with this guy breaking the law, and going against everything the HOA harps about in every single handout they send around. It's people like that who really make me mad, because they think that they're the exception to the rules, and that they're above them somehow. And I'm just sure that this man will confront me at some point. GRRRR! It makes me so angry! Angry because this all could have been prevented had this little dog been on a leash, and I wouldn't feel so bad because I could have possibly killed this man's dog. I mean, I was up most of the night with feelings of guilt. I just felt sick to my stomach, and I think the babies and Todd must have felt my emotions radiating off of me too, because the babies kept waking up and Todd said he kept jerking awake as well.

Oh well, today is almost done, and then tomorrow will come and I will hopefully begin moving on mentally. Now I'll be super paranoid anytime I'm out in my neighborhood driving or even walking in the streets. This just adds fuel to my fire for wanting to fix up the house, sell, and get out of "old people-ville." Anyone know where I can move to that I won't have to deal with issues like this?

Frumpville or Glamourton?

Today the "man clan" and I loaded up and went to the park for a playgroup. It actually started 45 minutes before we made it there, but when you have to nurse twins you find you are rarely on time for anything. I always wanted to be apart of a playgroup, but when I worked they never had them on my day off. The big boys enjoyed playing with their friends, and running around, and it was good to see my girlfriends. My husband teases me for becoming a bit of a hermit since I've had kids, so it's always nice to get out with some of the other mothers from church that I enjoy seeing and talking with.

So my friend, Marche, and I are standing around talking while our kids are playing and I noticed a woman pushing around a huge stroller with two little twins inside. I asked her how old her twins were and the "twin talk" naturally started flowing. We discussed birth weights, feeding schedules, and such. Her fraternal twin girls were only 7 weeks old, and she said she had 2 other daughters and a son. Her oldest looked to be maybe 5 or 6, and here is where the envy started to sink in. 5 kids and this woman DID NOT look like she gave birth...EVER! She was thin, cute, wore makeup, and admitted that she and her husband still have a date night every week. Does that really happen when you have 5 kids? You look amazing, and have an amazing life? As I drove home, I felt a little sheepish. I mean, I'm not a "girly" girl. Never have been, doubtful that I ever will be, but looking at her made me feel...so blah about myself. I mean, I practically live in Frump-ville, where mothers like me do not wear makeup everyday, might be lucky to get a daily shower, and we wear comfortable cotton attire and running shoes. She must have been from that neighboring city, Glamourton, where the mothers wear cute, "dry clean only" outfits and high heels to do chores, or run errands.

I digressed a bit from my train of thought...anyway, my point was it's OK to be who you are. I am a mother who lives in t-shirts (unattractive nursing t-shirts at that!) and shorts. Soon when it's cold, I'll live in long sleeved t-shirts and jeans. So what if that mom of 5 is amazing? Good for her if she can find the time for herself; I'm still working on finding time for me. I do have an ultimate goal of losing weight and dressing nicer when the occasion allows. I believe there are seasons to life, and this is my season to be a stay at home mom with boys who could care less about what I'm wearing around the house. They just want me to watch them cross the monkey bars, or feed them when the need arises, and I'm happy to oblige.

HOLY MOTHER OF MULTIPLES, BATMAN!

So, it looks like Monday night is now "multiples" night on TLC. A new show about a couple in Texas with quints called "Quints by Surprise" premiered, along with another "Kate +8" show. We started watching "Jon and Kate +8" when it first began and were sad to see their marriage crumble on national TV. However, I think the Gosselins should get back together now- Kate has turned into the skanky girl of Jon's dreams! HELLO! Have you seen how she's dressing? Her tops are more revealing than anything she wore on "Dancing with the Stars." As a parent of multiples I know the divorce rates are pretty high, and I totally know why. New babies+ parents with little to no sleep+ financial stress= divorce. We get pretty gripey when we haven't had a lot of sleep, and we only have twins! I cannot imagine how parents of higher order multiples get through their days. My little guys are pretty easy, and pretty amazing. They wake up so happy and smiling- I don't remember the older boys being so happy all the time. Yes, my little identical angels. And even though they're identical, I don't think they look alike. Then I see pictures of them, like the one I posted, and think "hmmmm, I'm wrong, aren't I?" I always wanted twins, and never thought I would have them. I've been fascinated with multiples since I was about 4 years old. I've read articles, books, watched TV specials...before having twins, I felt pretty knowledgeable about multiples. Now that I'm getting a first hand experience, I realize all of those things I chose to educate myself with were great tools to prepare myself for a life with twins. Yes, I am a mother of multiples. That's probably easier for me to say out loud than admitting that I have 4 sons!

And thanks to everyone who posted comments and became followers of the blog! It was a little success and I appreciate you all!

My favorite time of night...

So here I am...something I swore I would never do: I began a blog. I decided to create a blog after talking with some of my friends from FaceBook, who are actually people I see, not just people I used to know. After hearing "I love reading your updates," more times than I can shake a stick at, I decided to make my life more official. I have decided to document my family's life a little more thoroughly. There are so many stories about my boys that I never get a chance to share, so this will be the place for some of my more extended stories about them.

And yes, this is my favorite time of night. My boys are all asleep, and I get to spend some "quality time" with my husband in front of the television. We have our routine of sorts- We get the older boys to bed, we get the babies to bed, then we watch TV and talk. I know, it sounds pretty lame, but that's us, and I love it. It's quiet, and I get to spend time alone with my best friend in the whole world. He means more to me than I can ever express, and I'm lucky to have him, and I tell him that whenever I can. Ya know what he tells me in return? "Yeah, you are."

So that's the first post. Leave some comments, ask some questions, I'd love to have some feedback. I'll be sure to post more pictures on here as well.