Center Stage

While the kids engage in amusement upstairs (in their rooms or out in the loft) I usually play a favorite cd of mine on Julia's radio for them to listen to.

I love having music playing in the background during my day, so I assume they must too.

Today was Passion's Our Love is Loud. As Chris Tomlin was singing "Enough," I walked in to Julia and Luke having their own jam session. Now...my definition of a jam session would merely consist of...music...and maybe a radio to listen to it from, although not always since our voices seem to suffice, but that was not "enough" for our two little songbirds today. After emptying Julia's labeled toy buckets, flipping them over as to operate as their center stage, they climbed aboard, grabbed hands, and started singing and swaying in one accord.

As you can see, our little "love-overflowith" daughter is adoring her music.brother.life and must grit her teeth and squeeze her OWN ear (and not her brother's...or she'd drive him straight off stage and back to his dressing room) to calm her little passion nerves down.

Thankful Thursday

1. Friends who invite themselves over to scrap on a lonely, boring, husbandless night.

2. Friends who swing-by-to-surprise with supper straight from Panera (a steamy Asiago Roast Beef sandwich and creamy bowl of wild rice soup), and a bagel for breakfast.

3. Friends who drop off lotions, gels, and sprays so as to pamper myself at home amongst sick children...while everyone else is pampering at MOPS' Spa Day.

4. Friends who remember how much I adore (yet never allow myself) Reese's Crispy Crunchy bars.

Accumulated in One Location

"Mommy look!"
"Wooo, Juj, you got that out all by yourself?"
"Yea, 'cuz I got a cut when I was 2 years old, so now I HAD to put this on."

(Julia found her own band aid in the shoebox that holds all our band aids, but here is where one of each kind stay tucked away safely. 90 some wonderful designs.)

My friend, Moe, got me started with this obsession freshman year of college. After we both transferred out, we would mail each other our newest find to add to the collection.



Here are two of my favorite additions. Straight from Austria, thanks to a friend who remembered my love for these sticky boo-boo busters.

Meet the Coughing Caboose

I find it quite fitting to introduce the last two, the caboose, the finale of our family tonight, since the last many hours have been all about them. You see, when I returned home from the weekend they had a little cough that soon turned into a bigger cough, and tonight a hacking-can-hardly-stop type of cough. After answering all the triage nurse's questions over the phone we decided that since Mr. Marvelous is going out of town tomorrow morning on an overnight trip for work, we should probably have them seen. So, off to the Urgent Care on the most frigidly cold night of the year. My sis-in-law gratiously offered to meet me there and help out. Oh, I love that girl!


Here are the results....
Meet Norah Kae-


She has some wheezing, no temp, and clear ears. Yea! Guess she just wanted to come along for the ride. We need to watch her cough and pay attention to any temps.

Meet Hazel Renae-



She had more wheezing, a slight temp, and the start of an ear infection in one ear. Ohhh..little honey! So, they gave her a neb treatment, prescribed some meds for her ear, and sent us home with a neb machine and a prescription.


Despite the long night, a missed supper (that I was really looking forward to), frozen hands, and little to none time with the hubs, I did get quality cuddle time with our caboose.

Introducing the Electrifying Julia

Favorite things to say:
"Aaaactually"
"I changed my mind"
"But I grit my teeth because I love (him, you, her, etc.) so much"

Loves to eat:
Quaker Oatmeal Squares, kidney beans, chili, lasagna, spaghetti

Most likely found:
Swaddling her dolls, coloring at the table, reading in her tent

Some personality traits of hers:
Independent, bold, motherly

Craft Camp

...a success for all 9 of us. Thanks to fabulous friends, hilarious story tellers, bonding family members, rolling bubble baths, organic foods, sleep aids, snow plows at 1:30am, generous husbands, toilet plungers, the Revolution, reminiscent pictures, power cleaners, rubber gloves, and creative minds-we all had a fantabulous time "at the lake."

Daddy Daycare

In a few short hours it's too-daloo and off to our lake house for our 1st Annual "Craft Camp on the Lake." I've rounded up a bunch of "crafters" to retreat to a far away land of inspiration, imagination, and artistication. Ahh, I can almost hear it now...the "rum" of the sewing machine, the slash of the paper trimmer, the zing of creativity. While my scrapbook and I paint the town red, daddy will be home managing the merrymaking of our little 4under3's. I'd love to send in a tiny fly to sit on the wall and enjoy the show. Marvelous daddy knows how to throw quite the baby bash.

The Show is Over

...so one by one I'll introduce to you the cast from 4under3.


Oli played by-

(I thought I'd get used to calling them by their "stage names." I thought wrong.)

Rules! Rules! Serious Rules!

Along with the many hugs and kisses, tickle piles, and "tackle you down town buster brown" sessions that go on here, there are a few seriously-set-in-stone rules that help our 4under3 gang function as proper members of society this household.

For example,

TV-No tv until after nap. That's when we'll watch a 1/2 hour of Miss Spider and Dora and be done.

Babies-Only adults pick the babies up. You may only go into their crib to wake them when I say, and "whisper while you wake them."

Bedtime-Jammies go on after you leave the dinner table. When it's time for bed, meet at your bathroom door for your toothbrush. SIT while you brush. One drink of "Wa wa" for Luke after brushing. If you want to read some stories snuggle up in Luke's room on the pile of ball pillows and each pick out TWO books. Then you each get to rock, talk about 3 things you did awesome that day, prayers, and kisses.

Time to eat-Keep your hands to yourself. If you think you are done, ask to be excused, or in J's case, "Please, may you excuse me please?" Show your table manners so you don't have to get down before you are truely done. You must "take your one taste" of everything on your plate.

Naptime-Make sure you've given everyone, including the girls (twins), all the kisses we need and you've gotten your drink of water BEFORE you get in bed for nap otherwise you'll have to wait until you get up.

Playtime-Share so we don't have to put it away. At the end of the day, clean up together. Put toys in the bin with its picture on it. Use your nice words...your thank you's, I'm sorry's, and do you forgive me's. Remember, you love eachother!!

When rules are set in place and children knowingly follow, say hello to the non-irritable mother....who's much more fun to be around than the irritable mother. Trust me!

What Color Am I?

What's Your True Color?
My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

Well, Thank you Tickle, I'll take that!

Take this test >

Leave me a comment about what color you are.

Oh the Places You'll Go

I watch Luke throughout the day imagining what he'll be someday. With his love for...everything, I wonder which passions will stick. He's a boy's boy when it comes to his "rum ruuuuuummmming" combine and his "bassetball," and when he has to tell us of all his boy'ish things in a purposfully low octive. Yet, he has a soft side to him that we see when he's giving his baby sisters kisses or walking around with his doll dude under one arm.

Can You Tell What's Been Going On All Morning?

It's been snowing alllll morning. And, it's so pretty!**Another thing that's been going on all morning, that's not so pretty, is that Jaclyn woke at 5:30 to throw up on Mitch, then 6:30 on me, then 8:30 all over the kitchen counter and floor. It's all okay though. We've been notified, "I'm all better now Momma."

"What Were You Thinking?"

That's what I heard as I crawled into bed this morning at 1:23.

Sounds like the voice of a mother or father who's disappointed with their teenager who missed curfew, right? (Not mine, I aimed to please growing up and only remember being late once by 15 minutes.)

The voice I was hearing was the little one in my head, and it wasn't happy with me.

The voice continued, "It's not like you're 18 and in college anymore. You're a mommy, now! You won't get recoup time tomorrow morning like you did 3.2 years ago. You can't sleep in 'til noon. Good luck with that one!"

As I rolled over pulling my body pillow over my head, I thought to myself. Ok, if the girls really sleep in, I'll get 5 hours and 55 minutes of sleep. That's manageable. On the other hand, if they wake as usual, I'll get 5 hours.

Oh no! What was I thinking?

Clearly I was indulging over these pictures thinking they were way to cute to walk away from and that my friend Sarah was way fun to hang out with.

Well, the girls did rise and shine as I hoped they wouldn't. But surprisingly enough, I'm not as drowsy as I imagined I'd be.

in·dulge· (in dulj′)

Transitive verb
1. to yield to or satisfy (a desire); give oneself up to

Minutes ago I sent my Marvelous husband and our oldest two off to an overnight at grandma Net's (his mom). They'll return tomorrow after a fun filled dose of indulging of all kinds.

I'm sure they'll start with "Spot" the cat then move on to sweets and treats, grandma's jewelry drawer, and Kids Praise videos. Daddy will be indulging as well. He has some one-on-one time with Oli and will be showing him off at the Friday night Boys Basketball Game, a highlight of the week for our little hometown...population 600.

I on the other hand, will be doing a little indulging myself....
Over our youngest two.