Happy First Day of Spring!!

 

From my little freshly-hatched chick!

Just because.

 

Alternatively titled: We are sorry if our kids try to jump on YOUR couch, but YOU try being cooped up with them inside all day and see what happens!

 

 

 

Green

 

Please tell me that you wore green on Sunday for St. Patrick’s Day?

I was shocked and appalled- shocked and appalled I tell you!- at how many people didn’t!

And here I was feeling bad for not making a breakfast that was green-colored!

Joseph was initially…concerned…about the whole pinching-thing. (“Who pinches you if you don’t where green?” “EVERYBODY can pinch you?” “How hard are the pinches??!!”) 

He reported to me after church that, although many people were not wearing green, he thought that he probably SHOULDN’T pinch people in church.

Sadly, I had to stay home and skip church.

I have actually been home much of the past several weeks,

because I am STILL SICK!! (or sick again?  Who’s to say?)

But I did manage to whip up the ol’ corned beef number, along with some Irish soda bread, and high tail it to a party at some friends house!

And I actually made the soda bread again tonight, because yummmmmm…

 

and also because diets are off when you’re sick.

I’m off to find someone to feel sorry for me!

because I am pretty sure Brian stopped looooong ago.

(right sweetsie?  cough! cough!  Aren’t I still pitiful?)

Well, that was unexpected.

 

Here we are- Friday again!- and a week after I posted last.

A week of sicknesses and great gnashing of teeth.

I will spare everyone the details, but let’s just sum it up by saying that my house and I have now fallen into that black-hole-of-chaos  I mentioned being on the brink of.

 

 

Buuuut, I think we are all on the upswing!  And some pretty sweet things happened this week too.

Like everyone napping, and Joseph climbing into my bed after he woke up and falling BACK to sleep, and then Samuel coming into my bed and the three of us falling back to sleep all over again.! A mama sandwiched by needy, loving little boys.

Or Joseph waiting anxiously while the Target cashier counted out all of his hard-earned quarters/nickels/dimes to see if he had $10.99 for a Star Wars mask.  Oh, his expression!  And the relief when she said, “You have the perfect amount!”  It hurts my heart.

 

And when the boys were playing in the backyard, and Joseph said, “Isaac!  Lets learn about shapes!” holding a piece of sidewalk chalk, and Isaac responded, “No thanks!  I riding my bike with this worm on the back!”  (he did, indeed, have a worm on the back of his seat).  Doesn’t that (and the picture at the top of this post) just sum up the two of them so perfectly?!

Also, today, they were in the backyard again (I shut them out there sometimes) and I saw them pass by the sliding door, Joseph muttering, “We just need to find something SHARP…”

 

Couple that with a box of Samoas that Brian brought me (he was also sick and was feeling bad for being..well…useless.), and the week doesn’t look so bad on this end of it!

 

While I shovel my way out of the mess this weekend, here are some videos to keep you company!

 

They aren’t that thrilling, but- frankly- they are all I’ve got!

 

 

This first one is a bit long.  Okay, reaaaally long.  But, a pretty accurate example of an evening around here- and some peeks around my playroom. 

You might want to jump to 5 minutes in, where things pick up. 

As a bonus you will get to see Isaac throw a quick temper tantrum- something I don’t usually video tape or take pictures of (why would I want to remember it?!)- but it happened spontaneously, so here you go!

And, lastly, poor little sick Samuel.  It is really quite pitiful, but be comforted to hear that he is mostly better and has been held/kissed/coddled all.week.long.

Happy Friday!!

 

Just in case you aren’t my facebook friend, I didn’t want you to miss out on the awesomeness that is this picture!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!! I have a sister coming into town, a lunch out with my parents/siblings, and TWO dates!! Woot!  Woot!

Now if Isaac would just feel a bit better so that he doesn’t ruin our plans!…I mean so that he doesn’t have to feel sick of course!

xoxo

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Three or Four?

 

Note:  Before reading this post, I would like to state that no, I am not pregnant!  Carry on.

This is probably the most frequent question I have gotten since Samuel’s birth:

“Are you going to have any more?”,

sometimes partnered with its more personal cousin “Going to try for that girl?”

Which, of course we wouldn’t hope for a one gender over another!

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JUST KIDDING!  I have three boys and don’t find poop-humor amusing so…yes, I’d like a girl!

(Do I need to add that of course we would love another boy?  And be thrilled?  Please tell me we’re past that!)

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Ever since I can remember, I have been saying that I wanted three or four children.

Brian and agreed early on; three or four.

So, for me, Samuel was a given.  There was a third one coming down the pike. (pipe?  anyone know?)

I just always felt like someone was missing.

And here he is!  Samuel!!

We have three!

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And ooooooh, my honeys, let me tell you about three!

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I know several people who are pregnant with their third child so, for them, I would like to say: It’s…nice!  Skip to the end!

 

 

 

For all the rest of you, (who have one or two and like to laugh at peoples’ stupidity at having more, or those of you who have 4+ and think I am a big whiny baby) lean in closer….

 

 

THREE CHILDREN IS CRAZY!

GAAAAAAAH!!!! SAAAAAVE MEEE!!!

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Okay, it’s not that bad, in fact, I would have to say that it has been my easiest transition so far!

(with my 0-1 kid transition being the hardest…akin with getting hit by a logging truck after being awake for an entire week…I imagine)

Also, this is a particularly hard stage: having all three at home, and all three aged 5 and under.

 

But this.is. intense!

My brain is constantly buzzing!

 

I have THREE heinies that I am responsible for wiping!!! Oops!  I mean FOUR heinies!  See, I even forgot to count my own heiny!!

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Samuel: I have to keep alive,

Isaac: I have to keep from killing Samuel or himself, or breaking everything breakable in our house.

and Joseph: I have to encourage, and comfort, challenge, and listen to endless star wars/superhero/the meaning of life/math equation trivia!

(Seriously, yesterday I was in the middle of doing lunch dishes, Isaac was screaming about something, the baby was crying because he was tired, and Joseph casually walks in and asks, “Mama?  Whats 20+20+10+5?”)

 

I feel as though I am a pie being sliced into smaller and smaller slices while I turn around in circles wiping things!!

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Three is…full.

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So, I take a deep breath and hustle my brood out the door to go on adventures… like Costco on a Tuesday!

I say, “Get your shoes on please!  Shoes on!  SHOES ON!!!” a million times and zip up two big boy coats.

Off go Joseph and Isaac to the mini van, Joseph shouting “I WIN!”  and Isaac screaming at the unfairness of it all.

I wrap the baby in a blanket (I’m already holding him, since I hold him all day) and pull on his hat.

 

I flip off the lights,

grab my purse,

and

inadvertently turn back

 

trying to find…

 

the one who is still missing.

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(four.)

 

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(Heaven help me.)

 

 

On Valentine’s Day

 

 

Isaac and I made a delicious big batch of from-scratch pancakes.  Dyed perfectly pink with food coloring, and cut into heart shapes!

Which Joseph refused to eat!

I forced him to take a few bites (“They taste the same!  It is just color!  The taste is INVISIBLE!!”) until I saw that he was actually gagging (“No they don’t, Mama!  I don’t like pancakes that are PINK!! Only brownish!”).  So, he had cereal instead.

I didn’t get the boys anything.  Eeek!  I know!!  But, come on, people!  We juuuust had Christmas and then Isaac’s birthday and then a cousin’s Valentine’s Day party last weekend, and we are (I am) holiday-ed out!

Joseph asked lots of Valentine’s Day favors.  Like, “Can we skip a nap because its Valentine’s Day?”  “Can I skip swimming lessons because its Valentine’s Day?”  “Can I have Cocoa Krispies for a snack because its Valentine’s Day?”

(No, no, and yes, in case you are wondering.  I’m not a monster!  And he LOVES swimming so that one doesn’t really count!)

My inlaws brought dessert and came over for dinner, which may seem odd to anyone who has no kids and views Valentine’s Day dinner as romantic?  But, let me tell you, I think I got to gaze into Brian’s eyes more since they were there to help watch the boys for throwing food/putting things in Samuel’s mouth –type incidents.

 

Also, Bonus!! My mother-in-law brought boxes of chocolates for my poor little deprived dears!!

 

Our air-popper that we bought each other came in the mail too!  And we popped up a nice fluffy batch!  Which Isaac mostly ate, because we are on this diet, and popcorn without butter is probably one of the saddest things in the world.

And then, we put the boys to bath-teeth-bed,

snuggled up on the couch to watch a show,

and I fell asleep and was super grumpy when Brian woke me up to move to the bed!

The next morning, Joseph said in a dream kind of voice, “Oh!  I wish it was Valentine’s Day EVERY DAY!”

And I thought, well, around here…it kind of is.

(except we are back to brown pancakes)

 

The End.

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PS:  The Valentines that the **boys made for their cousins.

 

**I made