raising 4 kids in nh

And the Winner is..

2012-02-16T09:12:00.002-05:00

I won tickets to be an audience member at Live w/Kelly's post oscar show in California.. I never try and win anything..really, I don't. And I'm not sure why I entered to win this one, but I did, and yay.. Unfortunately, plane tickets to California aren't cheap..not from NH anyway, and "winning" their already free tickets doesn't include airfare.. so, unless someone offers to fly me there, looks like I'll be missing it.. suckage. But how cool is it that I almost got to go? yea, not really cool at all.. my husband was actually pretty excited about it, but then of course reminded me of how poor we are, and that it would be irresponsible if we went (there are 2 tickets btw). I told him it would be much cheaper if my sister went with me.. you know, cause she would pay her own way..that only made him think it was more irresponsible..I'm still working on it.. we shall see!

Whalesvagina

2012-01-15T10:01:00.001-05:00

The other day my husband was trying to log onto an online account of mine, and ended up having to change the password. This is a copy of the email he sent me:

"I got you back up. had to change your password to "whalesvagina."

This is why after being together for 20 years, I still love him so.. he makes me laugh, and totally gets me, most of the time anyway! And before any of you think that he was referrring to me, with the whalesvagina comment, it's from one of our favorite movies "Anchorman" with Will Ferrell.. so settle down! ;)

The Odd's...

2012-01-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

Have I shared my twin story with you? Well, if you want to catch yourself up, you can go here, or here..

I was referred to the current issue of National Geographic because it was all about twins. I found a genetic researcher who is trying to find a genetic link to identical twins. It has always been thought that identical twins were a fluke and that only fraternal twins (when hyper ovulation occurs) was genetic and passed down from mother to daughter.
I have been searching for years to find another set of identical twins, who have also given birth to identical twins. I emailed the genetic researcher, and he quickly responded with a photo of another set of identical twins, who each had identical twins in the UK. The only difference was that they were male twins, so the mom's were not twins. As far as this researcher knows, and he knows A LOT, we are the only set of female identical twins, to have each given birth to identical twins. Not to mention, again, all of the mirror traits that my sister and I have shared...not only genetic things that are beyond our control, like her being a lefty and me being a righty, she's nearsighted, I'm farsighted. I have a widow's peak, and she can roll her r's.. which is in fact genetic (I was pretty surprised by that one!) when I try to roll my r's, I look like an idiot, and end up just spitting everywhere..it's not pretty.
We also share other mirror traits, that I don't believe have anything to do with genetics, and without sounding like a total flake, I can only just tell the facts: my sister had the most common type of id. pregnancies where her boys shared a placenta. I had the rarest id. pregnancy because my girls each had their own placenta, I was told there was a 20% chance that they were identical. However, because each of my girls were in their own sack, I had the safest type of twin pregnancy, where my sister had the riskier pregnancy because of the threat of twin to twin transfusion (which one of her boys suffered from slightly after birth, but he is totally fine). Her boys were due on Thanksgiving, mine were conceived on Thanksgiving..Her babies were all born in the fall and winter, mine were all born in the spring and summer. All of our twins were born on the 22nd day of different months.
It has this meant to be thing..ya know? it's hard to explain.. but it's exciting! We are going to participate in the study for the genetic researcher. I'm working on a pedigree (which I thought only applied to dogs..but a las, I have learned something new...not hard for a natural blonde!) I've actually discovered some pretty cool things about my fathers side. I'm not sure if I've mentioned here that my dad's family (on his mom's side) are direct descendants of Paul Revere. He's an uncle 20 or so times removed. And I'm instantly tugged to try and convince you (my one reader) that it's true..probably because anyone I ever told growing up, never believed me, which is pretty funny if you think about it..who would make up a story about being related to Paul Revere? If I wanted to be cool, I would have said Santa was my grandfather! Anyway, my great grandmothers maiden name was Revere and with things like ancestry.com, there has been a confirmed link. And the cool part is that there are a bunch of twins on that side...
I have lots to do..another website is airing our story (my sister and I did a phone interview, I'll link it when it airs..) And there's another website- a twin website, that will be featuring our story as well. This one includes homework though (they sent me a list of questions and want pictures and so on), and even with my A.D.D. meds, I'm still procrastinating and having a hard time finishing it. But if it turns out cool, I'll put a link here also. Ok, I gotta go.. my husband is cleaning the girls room, after discovering one of the girls has been hiding food in her closet. Not because she is nurturing an eating disorder, but because if her plate is clean, then she can have dessert..unfortunately, no one happened to see her disappear into her room with her plate. sneaky little bugger!

Here's a twin picture we did last fall.. this was taken by the wonderfully talented Danielle, go check out her website, she's amazing.. http://www.dmacinnesphotography.com/

Give Away..

2011-10-12T08:25:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like free stuff? I've made a bag for a new website called Betty Everything. Today we are launching a contest to win one of my bags.. a very nice, sleek messenger bag. One of my favorites.. If you want to enter, you need to go to my facebook page, Add It Up Designs, and look for the details. Good luck, here's a peek at the bag I'm giving away..

The neighbor kid...

2011-09-26T08:53:00.000-04:00

There's a kid in our neighborhood, who is 9. He's a friend of my youngest son. He's here a lot. He was here most of the summer. He's a nice kid, and my girls love him. His mom asked me at the beginning of the school year, if I would watch him a few days a week after school, and that she would pay me. I told her fine, even though the thought of having another kid to watch made me hesitate. It's nice at the end of the day to just have my own kids. However, who am I to say no? That's unfortunately not my style, a backbone is required for that, and we all know that I don't have one.
One day after school, when all hell was breaking lose because my girls were tired, and screaming at me, and because I was trying to get dinner ready, the dishes done and snacks passed out, I heard a voice behind me say "excuse me, Mrs. F?" It's the neighbor kid, who has been sitting there watching the chaos "I think you're a really good mom" My heart has melted, and I said "awhh, thank you, that's really nice" and he continues, "you do so much for everyone! My mom just gets stressed out" Then he walks away.
It was the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time. Of course that moment faded quickly, when one of the girls started screaming at me for water, or something they can certainly get for themselves, but refuse to because apparently I owe them this because I have sent them away to school for the day. I announced to everyone what our neighbor had just said. In a sort of "see, someone thinks I'm awesome, now shut the fuck up!" kind of way (without cussing of course)
Anyway, the point of this, is that despite my hesitation to watch him, I'm glad I did. I know he loves it here. His parents recently divorced, so he alternates weeks between his mom's house, and his dads. I think coming here is sort of a refuge of all the stuff at home. He has an older brother, but they don't get along.
The next morning at the bus stop, I asked him if her remembered what he had told me. He said he did. I told him that that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me, and that it totally made my day.. he said thanks, and may have blushed a bit... I think that I may have made his day!

Things that I Have Recently Broken...

2011-09-22T11:36:00.001-04:00

-the lawn Mower (not our nice new shiny riding one!)

-the chain saw (I know! what was I thinking?)

-the wheelbarrow (same day as the chainsaw!)

-my tailbone.. (long story..)

My husband is having a hard time affording my clumsiness.. sorry dude.

Swimming...

2011-09-21T08:31:00.000-04:00

We got one of those metal frame pools this summer, the ones they have at walmart. This was the best $250 bucks we ever spent! The kids LOVED it. And so did I.
For years, we've been saying we needed to get swimming lessons for the kids.. however, having 4 of them, and living on a tight budget, it just never happened. The boys can now swim. The girls are well on their way, but they wore life jackets in the pool because they couldn't stand in it. (it's 4 ft deep).

Having 7 kids here for the summer made this one of the best places to hang out! Here are the girls with their cousin..

I emptied it yesterday.. drained it right into our leech field (I'm sure that's not a problem!) It's sad to see it laying on the ground..all dirty and slimy. Summer is my favorite season, and I'm sad to see it go. I am already looking forward to setting it up next spring, it'll be up early!! It was a good summer with the pool.. I'm not sure what the kids would have done without it.. it was our "stay cation"!

2011-09-20T08:44:00.000-04:00

My dad's father passed away this summer. I had only seen him once, I can't even say that I met him because no one ever introduced him to me. I got a glimpse though, and I guess that should have been good enough. My grandfather had 3 children with my grandmother. He drank himself into a stupor regularly, and when my dad was a teenager, he left. My dad didn't see him again until he was an adult.
He lived in Alabama, until hurricane Katrina destroyed his single wide, and he was forced to move back to NH, to the 3 kids he had abandoned a couple of decades before. My aunt was his main caregiver, even though he had been absent from her life for several decades. He was one lucky son of a bitch. I'm not sure I would have given him the same respect.
When he passed away, and my father called and told me, I felt sad for what could have been, and for what wasn't. I think my dad may have felt the same way. It wasn't devastating to him, like when he lost his mother back in 1995. He made a joke about getting an extra week off of work, for bereavement. The silver lining.
My dad has not been a huge part of my life. He's unlike his father though, he didn't leave because he was a drinker, he left because he was 30 years old, with 4 kids (2 of which weren't his) and because he had met another woman. I often look back at those times.. when I was 7, and couldn't for the life of me figure out why my dad didn't want to be with us. I thought I must have done something. If only I had been a better kid.. If only I had behaved.. I understand now how these thoughts aren't rational, but to a 7 year old it was fact.
I think my dad must have felt the same way when he was a kid. Not understanding why his father loved his alcohol more than him.
I missed Father's Day this year. I usually send him a card, maybe give him a call, but this year, I did nothing. Not intentionally, I tortured myself daily about getting my shit together and at least mail him a card. But I failed. A month or so after fathers day, I was on my way to the store, and decided to stop in and see him, he only lives a few miles from my house. I was going there to ask him to borrow some money (summers are so hard with my husband not working- he teaches). Earlier in the spring we had to sink a significant amount of money into our cars, money we were saving for summer. I visited for a while, and just could not do it. I couldn't ask him for anything, and felt like I was a kid again wishing he could understand what I was feeling, without having to tell him. As I was leaving, and feeling like a total failure for not being able to do what I had gone there to do, I started crying. I told him how sorry I was that I had missed father's day. This show of emotion made him clearly uncomfortable, and confused. He told me not to worry about it, and that he had missed a lot of things too.
I am over being mad at my father for not being there like he should have been. I know he did the best he could.. some people aren't meant to be parents, like his father.. He had no role model, no one to teach him how to be a parent. I know he has regrets.. and I bet if I had gotten up the nerve, he would have given me the shirt off his back. Or at least lent it to me!

Mountain View

2011-09-14T08:38:00.000-04:00

I wish I could go to Mountain View California.. just for a couple of days.. to see my boys! They are playing in Neil Young's benefit concert for the Bridge School. All acoustic.. for 2 days. Maybe next year..

Yup.. another post!

2011-09-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

I was diagnosed with ADD last October. It was by coincidence that I made this discovery, and not to go all Dr. Phil and Oprah on ya, but it was my "Ah-ha" moment. My entire life I had wondered why I never seemed to fit in anywhere.. Why I had always had such a difficult time in school.I'm sure that I had ADD as a child too, I just managed to develop some really good coping skills over the years. Many women are diagnosed after they've had children, often times after they see signs of ADD in their own children, and start reading up on it.. it's Coming to the understanding that I wasn't actually unlearnable, but that my brain had a highly genetic neurological disorder called ADD, let me finally understand why I failed out of college...and why despite other successes in my life, I never really felt like a success. ADD is a disorder, but not necessarily a deficit. Everyone with ADD has the H part as well. The hyperactivity piece. And how this is displayed in people varies. For some people it's their inability to sit still, or control themselves physically. For other people, like myself, the hyperactivity is happening in my brain. I am a constant flutter of thoughts, and ideas. Struggling constantly to focus on one thing at a time. For me, the medication takes away the fluttering. It slows it down, and allows me to focus on one thing at a time.
After I was diagnosed with ADD, I started to see it in everyone I was close to, and yes, everyone loved being diagnosed by yours truly!
I have continued to see my therapist, she's a great guide for me as I work through the junk that comes with having ADD. When I started thinking about how my undiagnosed ADD had taken away so much potential from me, it got me super pissed, and super motivated. That was when I started sewing like crazy. The meds were helping me stay focused. and I could create, and finish projects. I got a bunch of bags, put them on facebook, and sold 50 pieces in a month. This diagnosis of ADD has left me feeling raw and exposed. Which is why I've never blogged about it before. Soon after my diagnosis, my husband went in for an evaluation as well. He's tried medication (which in my opinion, worked really well for him) But he's decided that he would rather not take anything. We are all a work in progress..In other news, my girls are doing amazing in kindergarten. They love it! Like the boys, they have completely done the opposite of what I thought they would do. They get on the bus, excited, and happy.. and once again, it was me who worried more than them. I am adjusting to the peace and quiet that comes when all your kids are in school. The best part is how clean my house stays! yay!

Kindergarten for the twins..

2011-09-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning, my girls are starting kindergarten. I'm not sure how this happened.. It literally seems like yesterday I was bringing both of them home from the hospital, and settling into the insanity of having two babies at once (along with my boys who were 3 and 6 at the time).
I have been waiting for this day for almost as long as they were born.. All four of my children in school. And now that it's here, I'm feeling all sorts of unsettled emotions..joy, sadness, anxiety, disbelief.. How is it that my babies are 5? And that my oldest son is 11! He started junior high last week..and is loving it! Thank goodness that boy adjusts well to change. My youngest son has started 3rd grade, and is loving it also.. My girls, on the other hand, are not loving it so much. There were months when my daughters refused to talk about school. The mere mention of it would send them over the edge. They are so afraid of missing me.. They remind me so much of my sister and I, when we were their age. I remember being dropped off at kindergarten, and both of us having to pulled off of my mom's legs, screaming. This was sort of what happened back in June when the girls went in for orientation.. I left the classroom, with both of them screaming for me. I could hear them in the parking lot and felt like a complete failure.. how could I not have prepared them for this? Although the only preparation for it was talking about it, which I tried.. and since enrolling twins in preschool on a teachers budget wasn't a possibility, I felt as though I had totally screwed over my own kids.
I'm over that now though.. (thanks to my wonderful therapist) I know I didn't fail them, in fact it's not a bad thing when your kids are bonded to you, right? like glue, with curly hair.. I am still going to be babysitting for my nephews, who will be 4 next month (hard to believe, I know!) I will have 3 hours, 3 days a week, with no kids in my house! holy shite. I've been in a bit of a panic though.. what now? what do I do with all my children in school? The thought of going back to an office job makes me want to hurl. Really, I would rather have another baby! I still have time to figure that out though.. right now, I'm just going to try to get through the next few weeks with all the changes going on..
Maybe I'll have time to write more on my blog.. I'm going to be sewing more.. I have gotten pretty good at it (if I do say so myself). I sold a bunch of my bags at a consignment shop in Portsmouth over the summer. My goal for now is to keep busy enough with that, so that I won't have to join the workforce- ever! I will be my own work force!
Wish my girls luck on their first day of school (and their mother too!)

How To Hookwink Someone into Touching Your 3rd Nipple...

2011-04-22T21:59:00.000-04:00

Oh, let me explain.. I went to see my doctor yesterday for a "suspicious mole" that I found on my abdomen, right at the top of my rib cage, under my right breast (or skin bags, which is the best description for them at this point) I worried about this mole.. for a few days in fact. I knew it had been there my whole life, but recently, it was becoming easily irritated, and looked different.
I have been seeing my doctor for 16 years. She has twins, like myself, and she is one of those doctor's that never makes you feel rushed, and always remember intimate details without having to check her notes. She's genuine, and I just love her. So, when I showed up in her office with my mole, I felt completely at ease in her hands. She had me lay back on the table, and had a look at the cause of visit. Immediately, she told me that it wasn't cancerous. Instantly, I felt relieved. For a second anyway.. here's how the rest of the visit went: the dialogue is key..

Dr. L (giggling) "you have to look at this, can you see it?"
Me: (trying to contort myself and see under my boob) "um, yea, what? is it a skin tag or something?"
Dr. L (still giggling) "no, really look at it.. what does it look like"
Me: (getting confused..) "um, really, no idea.."
Dr. L "no, can you see how it's sort of rigid, and shaped like another part of your body?"
Me (finally "getting it") "no shit!"
Dr. L: (straight out howling) "It's a 3rd nipple!!!!!"

Of course it is.
So, this 3rd nipple of mine (which surprisingly my husband did not find sexy at all) is about 2 mm wide, and seriously looks like a mole.. to the naked eye.

So, back to the title of the post.. how do you hoodwink someone into touching your 3rd nipple? I was pretty surprised at how easy it was. First, I showed my friend (let's call her Hillary Peacock) my suspicious mole. I said "isn't that weird?" she says "yea, what is that?" I say, "touch it, it's weird" of course she touches it (she's one of my best friends, and I am totally exploiting her trust in me.. I know, it's genius!) "That IS weird! what is that?" "IT'S MY 3RD NIPPLE!!!"
It was fun.

Christmas with the Nielsons.. sort of.

2010-12-17T18:50:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I sent away one of my favorite handmade bags.. in hopes that Stephanie Nielson, and her husband Christian would review it on their blog the nie nie diaglogues (which btw is a nationally read blog.. this woman was on Oprah for crying outloud!!) All week they have been showcasing some of their favorite homemade gifts that readers all over the country had sent in. They recieved hundreds of gifts, and couldn't put all of them on their blog..
My cute little bag did not get a review, but at the end of her final post today, there was a list of other "cool, creative, homemade" sites (let's call them honorable mentions..) and my little store at etsy was on it! I was beyond excited! I was mostly flattered because all week as I checked her blog, and saw all of the beautiful creations being sent in, I thought for sure, that I was out of my league, and my cute little bag, was not worth a nod, or a mention, never mind a link to my store!
It made my day.. quite possibly my month!!

Add It Up Designs..

2010-11-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

So much has been happening with me.. and I don't have the time, or the words to go into it.. but it's all good.. changes in a positive way, that I'm really happy with.
I'm taking the plunge and starting an on line store with some of my stuff.. I'm building inventory, so at this point, I only have 2 things on there.. that will change soon though.. I hope to be able to sit down and write about what's up with me..but for now, I'm just going to be busy sewing away..
http://www.etsy.com/shop/additupdesigns?ref=pr_profile

I Love Him..

2010-09-18T20:50:00.001-04:00

That's all..
I know I have a lot of updating to do.. but I got this picture tonight, and I thought I would share... not only does this handsome man love me, despite everything, he also has made my dreams come true, in so many ways, but he's also given me the cutest litter a bitch could hope for! ;)

Storyland, Lyme, and a Stroke..

2010-09-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

It has been one hell of a week..let me tell you! I'll start at the beginning.. last Thursday morning my mom called me from her apartment downstairs saying that she needed to go to the E.R. because the left side of her face was numb. Thankfully, my sister was here and was able to bring her (otherwise, I would have had to call an ambulance because as big as my loser cruiser is, it still won't fit 7 kids in it).
It wasn't long that I got a call from my mom who had been told that she had had a stroke. jeezus. They were confident that it was a small one, but still, a stroke none the less.
She was put into the progressive care unit, a step down from the intensive care unit and closely monitored. I went to see her later that day, and while I was at work, I started to get an intense pain in my left arm. It lasted all night, but was gone by the morning.. My mom was put into a "normal" room, and was improving. She suffered some weakness on her left side, but was quickly regaining her strength.
The next night, I started having the left arm pain again, only this time, it was more intense. I've always had a high tolerance for pain, but this was unlike anything I had experienced before. I was getting worried at this point.. but then I woke up on Saturday morning, and again the pain was gone. We had been planning an over night trip with the kids to Storyland for our last summer hoorah. I wasn't comfortable leaving while my mother was still in the hospital, but she insisted that we keep our plans, and the kids would have been devestated.
So, off we went early Saturday morning to the funnest place on Earth (or at least the funnest place in Northern NH for kids 10 and under..) It was a beautiful day, and we all had a really fun time. I got a call from my sister around noon, letting me know that my mom was going to be discharged that day, and that she was feeling much better. My older sister would spend the night with her, in case she needed anything. This was a huge relief, and I enjoyed the rest of the day with my family.
We checked into our "suite" later that afternoon. The kids were in awe of where we were staying (and really, for the money, it was awesome) We had a seperate bedroom for my husband and I, a murphy bed in the living room, a pullout couch, balcony, and a full kitchen. It was great. They also had a heated pool, and a hot tub. The boys couldn't wait to go swimming, so we started the long task of getting 4 kids ready for the pool. While changing in the bathroom, I noticed a red mark on my back, near my shoulder blade. A bullseye. It all clicked. The pain in my arm for the past two nights..it was lyme disease.
For the second time that day, I felt relief. While I wasn't psyched at all about lyme disease, at least I knew it wasn't something to do with my heart, or a pinched nerve in my neck. I googled everything I could about it, before I was dragged down to the pool by my family.
It wasn't until later, while we were at dinner, that the pain in my arm came back, and I started getting the chills. Since I had gotten out of the pool, I couldn't warm up. I had a fever. Later that night, I emailed blogless (who is also a nurse) and asked her advice..she called me and said I should be fine, but that I needed to see a doctor soon. I planned on heading to the E.R. when I got home the next day.
So, to sum it all up.. my mom is doing better, but she's tired. I'm on the mend, but I think it's going to be a while until I'm back to myself. I must have gotten the tick bite a few weeks ago. I remember thinking that I had gotten a mosquito bite, and when I went to scratch it one day, something came off (quite painfully too) Then I kept telling myself that I needed to check on that.. but like most things that don't concern my kids or what I'm doing at that percise moment, it slipped my mind. That should teach me!
In other non sickness related news, my boys started school yesterday. Second and Fifth grade.. my youngest son didn't want to go.. he was nervous.. what if he couldn't do 2nd grade math?? But he came home and had had an "awesome" first day.. and his teacher was soooo nice! Yay for that.. My oldest son couldn't wait to get back and see all of his friends.. he was also very excited because his teacher this year is our next door neighbor, and she's great! They're both off to a good start!!

2010-08-21T22:36:00.000-04:00

Almost a month later, and I'm posting.. good for me!
The Gin Blossoms show was fun. They are going to need a lot of help though for any sort of comeback. My husband's band had as many people there for them, as the Gin Blossoms did.
It's been a busy month.. and I can't believe that my kids are going back to school a week from Monday. Like every school year, I'm excited for them to get back, but along with that, comes the sincere truth, that I will miss having them home with me all day. I'll miss our lazy summer schedule..nothing to get up for besides my sister and her kids. But sleeping in til almost 8 in the morning has been a huge treat.
What else, what else?? Oh, my girls are FINALLY sleeping in their own room!! Seriously..they are 4, and I know that a huge reason they were still sleeping with me, was because of me. I couldn't help it though. It was just easier, and honestly, I miss them a bit. They were totally trained to sleep in my bed in the sense that they didn't move, not one bit. We each had our own space, and no one deviated from the invisible line in my modest queen sized bed. I miss them pinching my hands (which has left irreversible scar tissue on both my hands) and I miss waking up with them snuggling next to me.. but on the bright side, I have more time to myself, and at some point, I'm hoping my husband might join me in our bed.. Yes, that's right... he's still sleeping on the couch! Apparently, he has gotten so accustomed to the soft feel of our couch, that he can't tolerate the stiff feel of our mattress.. Nice.. but really, I'm enjoying being able to stretch out!!
In other news, I got tickets to another Mumford and Son's show.. they're going to the House of Blues in November, and I can't wait.. I'm still totally hooked, and have successfully hooked my sister and a couple of my best friends.. Most of them will be going to the show too.. It should be a lot of fun..
So, I guess I'm going to head to bed.. although, right now that's where I'm blogging.. Everyone else is asleep.. and I'm watching an HGTV repeat.. lame.. Later!!

Hey Jealousy..

2010-07-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

Remember the Gin Blossoms?? Sort of a big deal back in the 90's sometime.. well, apparently they're planning a come back. Normally, I wouldn't care, they really weren't my thing, but tomorrow night, my husbands band is opening up for them at the Blue Ocean Music Hall. I can't wait!
Here's hoping they have a great show!

20 years..

2010-07-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

My memories of high school are blurry, to say the least. I made lifetime friends there, and unknowingly drooled over my husband to be from afar.
My 20th high school reunion was held over the fourth of July weekend. Unfortunately, I was away with my family at our annual camping trip. I shouldn't say unfortunately. I should say "fortunately, I was busy!"
I went to my 10 year reunion, and really, the only reason I went was because I wanted any asshole that I went to high school with, to see that I had turned out just fine, and in fact had married one of the hottest soccer players 2 years ahead of our class..and had reproduced with him. Suck it bitches.
Our 20th was a 3 day event, starting out with a day at the beach, followed by a night at a local dive bar, and closing with a family cookout at a local park.. the best place to take your family when you're all hungover!
It was a few days before people posted pictures on facebook, and seriously, I couldn't have been happier with the fact that I was busy. I won't say that high school was the worst time in my life, it wasn't. I will say though, that there were people, girls in particular, that I would still to this day love to punch straight in the face. There is peace though, when I look at those pictures and see that some are fatter, and some look like dudes.. karma sucks huh?

Father's Day..

2010-06-20T14:51:00.000-04:00

Today is Father's Day, and my husband has chosen to spend his day with his band, recording another cd. I would have serious opposition to this if it were not Father's Day..but since it is, he can have the day the way he wants it. So be it if it's away from his family..can't say I blame him, my idea of a perfect Mother's Day would be far away from the duties of mother hood, and hanging with my besties.. hope he's having fun.
I sent my own father a card in the mail. I'm gearing up to give him a call at some point, but I haven't found the time yet today. My sister actually stopped in yesterday and hand delivered a card and gave him a plant she had initially bought for her own house. He was happy with the pop in, and glad to see his grandchildren. As well as his daughter. My sister and I have joked over the years that finding a father's day card for a dad that was mostly absent our entire lives is difficult. You can't really get the one that says you were always there for me, because he wasn't. And you don't want to get the one about him sitting on his ass with the t.v. remote because who knows if that is what he does.. I certainly don't. Those geniuses that create cards really need to have a section for "I guess you did the best you could, but even that still sucked". I always get the one that says "thanks for what you do" period. And if he can figure out what he's done, then yay! Card problem solved. I wish I didn't have "daddy issues", but I do.. we all have our shit I guess..
So, in other news.. non related to dads.. it is finally summer vacation. My boys had their last day on Thursday, and on Friday my mom, older sister, nephew and I took all the kids to the beach. They loved it of course, and it was a really good time. I'm only mildly dreading what I'm going to do with these kids the rest of the summer..my 7 year old is already bored out of his mind, and it's only just begun. My oldest son is content watching video's on his ipod, and the girls are basically just beating the shit out of each other. It's going to be a long summer!
We're going camping on the 4th with my husbands family, I can't wait for that. Two weeks after that, I'm camping with my girlfriends, now that I really can't wait for! No kids, husbands.. does that sound like heaven or what?
Anyway, I've got some kids to deal with, and my husbands favorite dinner to cook.. oh, and if you get a second you should check out the review his band got.. for fathers day I framed the article.. He loved it!

Single Mom..

2010-05-29T23:41:00.000-04:00

My husband went camping this weekend with a couple of friends.. and I am a single mother of 4 til he gets home on Monday.. I don't mind though, I'm glad that he's getting a weekend to fish, and canoe and just get the hell out of here!
I'll be having my own weekend in July, so the guilt about leaving him alone with our four kids is so not an issue.. He went with a childhood friend, and someone he only just met. They are going to be on the Saco River, a place which brings back really old, and really good memories for me. 20 years ago, after I graduated high school, I went there, with my best high school friends, who are in fact the same best friends I have now.
I'm jealous, and wish I could have been included.. but alas, someone has to watch the kids, and so here I am.. tomorrow, my sister is coming over for a sleepover with all her kids. We are all very excited. It's not often that I get to hang out with my twin for more than 10 minutes while she's dropping off her kids during the week..
And the weather has been beautiful, my sister doesn't know it yet, but she's going to be helping me mulch tomorrow.. that is after we get the mulch.. hope everyone has a great weekend!!

The Deets..

2010-05-16T10:10:00.001-04:00

What's better than getting to see your favorite band in a small venue? How about getting to meet them before the show? That's right.. I made a total ass out of myself, but got to meet my current obsession, and they were so sweet, and so nice to me. They have yet to make it big, so they can sit in a restaurant, and not worry about crazy fans bothering them..well, at least they could until they met me last night!
My husband and I were waiting in line to get in the club, when he nudged me and pointed in the other direction. Twenty feet away was the lead singer. About 2 seconds later, I was apologizing for bothering him, and telling him how much I loved their music..how great it was..yada yada.. He was flattered, and thanked me, then I went on my way, back to line..completely out of my mind with excitement. About 2 minutes later, my husband nudged me again, and there in the restaurant above the club (where we had just finished eating) was the rest of the band. Son of a bitch. You couldn't have stopped me if you tried.. I'm sure they were horrified by this girl gushing about how much she loved them.. but they were so sweet, and someday I hope to recall the 5 minute conversation in it's entirety (it's currently floating around in my head with the rest of the events of last night..) Seriously, it was amazing.. I never thought I would have met them..
The show was great, but would have been better if there weren't so many people there.. it actually would have been WAY better if they had done a private show for me.. and of course my husband!

Ten..

2010-05-11T10:47:00.000-04:00

My oldest son turned 10 last week. 10. How did that happen?
My youngest will be 7 this week.. I'm pretty sure I can account for his 7 years with all the whining and complaining.. but even still, 7! wow..
We had a birthday party for the boys this past weekend, and as usual, it rained. That was ok though, we still had a great time, and the boys were shown a lot of love from our wonderful friends and family. My oldest son got an ipod touch (and yes, he's probably too young for it, but he's responsible enough that I trust him to take good care of it) My youngest son got a guitar, amazingly that was what he wanted, even after his brother got his ipod. The little one was lucky enough though to get enough cash and gift cards to purchase his own ipod, even though my husband and I were not totally into it, and know that he's hardly responsible enough for the cheap walmart guitar we got him, but you know, it was his money, and we weren't up for the fight (good parenting huh? whatever..)
In other news, the addition is done. Except for a few things that my husband is in charge of finishing (our shower for one, he'll be tiling that at some point) But we love it. It came out so good, and our new bedroom is just beautiful.
This Friday night is our big night out! I can't wait.. we got a room in Boston, and we'll be seeing Mumford and Son's at the Middle East.. I can't wait!! My friends are so sick of my obession with this band, they are going to be even more sick of it when I am back from seeing them live... My husband told me that I am ruining this band for him with my non stop listening of their one and only cd. So, I've burned it onto my son's ipod and now listen to it in the privacy of my own ears.. there. suck. it. up. baby.

Here's a few pics..

Tired..

2010-04-25T22:19:00.001-04:00

I wrote this back in January, and came across it in my draft folder. I guess why I'm posting it is because I so don't feel like this anymore.. the sun has been shining, and we're moving into the part of the year that I love the most..spring and summer..so bare this in mind as you read..

Someone recently asked me what my plans were for the week. My answer? "to get through it"
This is how overwhelmingly tired I am with my life right now. Not tired of it, but tired because of it. Having 5 kids in my care, for 3 days a week, in the middle of a cold winter, is making me a tad cranky. Not to mention what it's doing to the kids. My girls are at the center of the storm (so to speak) by their incredibly demanding behaviors, which for whatever reason, I haven't been able to get a handle on. It makes me feel like a horrible mother, and a terrible caregiver. I realize I'm having a pity party for myself, but the beauty of the blog is for me to say whatever I want.. so there..
I know my sister is going to read this, and feel bad. I don't want her to. I love her kids! With all my heart. I love my kids as well.. but man, there are days when I long for the boring single life I once had over a decade ago. And don't say it, I wouldn't change a thing! I really wouldn't.. It is what it is.. and even though it's sucking right now, I know eventually the skies will turn blue, and the sun will shine.. and god dammit, these kids are going to get the hell outside and stop trying to kill me slowly with all the whining!

I Just Farted in My Mouth...

2010-04-25T22:05:00.001-04:00

This is a new declaration that my girls are constantly making. For some reason, they couldn't seem to remember the word burp. They now know it, but it doesn't get quite the laugh like this statement does.
Today, they were at the computer watching Miranda Cosgrove video's on youtube (totally appropriate for a couple of 3 year olds right?) when I walked by and got a wiff of somebody's business. I asked them who pooped. They both denied anything foul in their diaper, and then the oldest twin chimed in "That was just my burp"

oh, and on a side note, if anyone out there is wondering why they are both in diapers (because one of them had almost mastered the potty) It's because a couple of weeks ago, they both got sick, with vomit and the dreaded diarrhea, and the poor little girl who was almost trained, got freaked out by all of the shit coming out of her, and refused to put on underwear after that.. it's a work in progress..

2010-04-18T19:52:00.000-04:00

My poor pathetic blog.. really, I should just give it up.. I used to be able to blog at work, but for over a year now blogger.com has been blocked. It leaves me no time at all to sit and fill in the blanks.
Lots going on.. mainly construction wise. We are almost done! Today my husband and I brought our bed upstairs, and tonight I will spend my first night in it. Unfortunately, my girls room is not ready for them to start sleeping in, so they will spend at least tonight with me. I say at least tonight, and know it will probably be a week or two.. I'm hopeful though..
In other more interesting news, my youngest son was in a play this week. The 3 Piggy Opera. My oldest son was in it as well when he was in first grade 3 years ago.. It was great. I was so proud of him. It's hard to believe that the same little boy who in pre school wouldn't look at anyone in the eye because he was so shy, stood on stage, pretending to strum a guitar, in front of 100 people. The same little boy whose teacher told me this past week at the parent teacher conference, that he is excelling beyond her expectations. She also told me that he's a model student, he's kind and considerate, and very well behaved. After confirming that we were in fact speaking about the same kid, I felt so proud of him, and very relieved. This boys greatest pleasure is making the rest of his family want to punch him straight in the face. Thankfully, he has more self control in school than he does at home.

Anyway, I'm writing as the kids watch America's Funniest Home Video's.. it's almost over, and since my husband has band practice tonight, it's all me for the dreaded bedtime routine.. Here's a pic of my cutie pie after the play..

Puke..

2010-04-01T11:11:00.000-04:00

We got more rain here the other night. Lots of it. Thankfully, we had already ripped up the carpet in our basement, so we only had to wet vac the concrete.. My husband I were up all night, taking turns napping to try and keep up with the water. We did it, but man, yesterday was a nightmare. After hauling about 300 gallons of water outside, my back was killing me, and the times where I layed down to sleep I couldn't because it was so loud with the wet vacs going..
Last night, I came home from work shortly after 7, so excited about going to bed. Of course nothing ever happens the way you want it to, or expect it to. I wasn't even in the driveway, and I can see my older son in the window waving me in.. It was only after I walked in the door that I could smell the puke, and see my husband in a state of total disbelief. My youngest daughter started puking shortly after I left, and my youngest son started right before I got home. He was on the toilet covered in his own poo and vomit with the shower running for him.
My oldest daughter was in bed with me and her twin sister and abruptly sat up and vomitted all over me, and the bed. Three out of four, puking. Another sleepless night. My oldest is the only one who hasn't come down with it. Before he left for school today, he made me take his tempature, just to be sure that he wasn't running a fever (even though he felt totally fine). My husband stayed up with my younger son, who got it the worst, but seems to be totally fine today, in fact he's gone to Home Depot with our contractor. Hopefully it will be a puke and crap free trip! At least for my contractor's sake.. but it's not like he didn't know what the kid had been through..you can't step into my house and not be almost knocked over by the smell of puke. I'm currently on my 3rd load of laundry.. I woke up this morning, and had no towels. Not one. We also have the guys who are going to be staining our house here taping up the windows. It's going to be a puke sauna once the sun hits it! Nice..
Anyway, I'm off to get some more laundry done, and try to ignore the stomach pains I've been feeling for the past couple of hours..I'm sure it's just having to smell all this stink, and not the actual stomach bug. I never get sick. I don't.. and if I do..I'm pretty much totally screwed.. hopefully my husband won't get it either..nothing worse than a man with the flu (or at least my man!)

Half Trained.. Staple Guns.. and a Stranger..

2010-03-24T14:38:00.000-04:00

It's official! I have a potty trained girl! Well, except for the pooping (we all know that comes a bit later) One of my girls is going like a champ..she's totally aware when she has to go, and lets me know the instant she needs to. Last night was the first night that I let her wear her underwear to bed, and she woke up dry! yay!! I'm guessing the pooping is on it's way..the last time she went in a diaper, and the time before that, she had an accident in her underwear, when we had company over. She was walking around with a little tail, and was not pleased one bit.
It's only half a victory though, considering her sister has yet to even tinkle the slighest bit on the potty. I guess that when my sister and I were potty training, I was 6 months behind..That's ok though..she promises me that she'll do it on Tuesday..(even when it is Tuesday, she promises to go NEXT Tuesday) and if I only have to change half the diapers that I've been changing for the past 3 years, then I'm good with that!
I have been struggling with keeping my 2 year old twin nephews in their cribs at naptime this week. I'm out of duct tape, and forgot to get some at the store (it was working pretty well on the crib tents that they have practically destroyed). Today was a shining moment, one where the light bulb in my dim little head shone so brightly.. I borrowed my contractor's staple gun and have successfully (and safely) contained them in the cribs, and they are snoozing away!
My youngest son is home sick today.. he's got a bit of a cough, and couldn't imagine having to go to school with it. He hasn't missed much since his elbow surgery in September, so I let him stay. This was very upsetting to my older son. How unfair that he had to go to school, and his little brother got to enjoy the chaos of a house filled with children. I reminded him of what he refers to our house when I'm babysitting.. He calls it simply "madness" Yes, it is. And he quickly got over it and got his butt on the bus.
I also got a lovely email today from a father of 4 who found my blog after doing a search on having 4 kids. I guess we have many similarities (as far as the insanity of it all goes). It truly made my day. He said he laughed outloud, more than he could count, and that my stories were well written and refreshing.. oh, and that I'm a total smoking hot babe! (well, maybe I just threw that last part in..but for future emailers, it wouldn't hurt to include that as well.. oh, I keed..I keed) I just love a good pat on the back! Even from a total stranger! So, dude, thank you..

Corn Blasting.. it's as ugly as it sounds!

2010-03-22T09:47:00.000-04:00

Last week we had these guys come out and corn blast our house. I couldn't imagine what exactly they were going to be doing, until they came by and gave us a demo. It's like sand blasting, except they use ground up fine grains of corn, and spray it on the house.
It's amazing how quickly the stain comes off. What's not so amazing, is the amount of a corn like substance that ended up in our house. I was told I could put plastic up over the walls, and that would help, but honestly, I didn't think much of it. Duh. Big duh.
By the time they were blasting the front of my house, I smartened up and ask the guy for some plastic. My kids rooms were covered in corn dust. I spent most of Friday vaccuming the walls, and everything else in there. It was gross. I still have to finish the girls room because I spent the weekend doing other things.. like seeing my husbands band on Saturday night (something I haven't done in a very long time) and spent Sunday recovering.. I'm too old to be out til 2 am.. and apparently not smart enough to know this.. whatever, I made my annual appearance at his gig, and next time he has one, I'll stay at home..

So, I'm spending my Monday cleaning up more corn. Which is literally still seeping in through the walls.. The guy doing the blasting is really nice.. but the gear he dressed up in had us all laughing, and we dubbed him the corn trooper.. Here he is..

Can you see the corn dust on the deck? yea, this is what ended up in my house as well.. creeping through the logs.. ugh.. They're coming back Friday to stain it.. I wish we could keep the natural color, but giving the fact that we live in New England, it would be more expensive to maintain..whatev's..it's going to look wonderful! as soon as I get all this frickin corn out of my house!

Leprechauns..

2010-03-18T11:15:00.000-04:00

So my youngest son is in first grade, and part of being in first grade is getting to build a leprechaun trap and trying to catch one of these 2 inch beings. We knew about this project for 3 years (since my oldest son had to build one too when he was 6). Of course it didn't get built til the day before (what I like to call college drop out style) but it did come out fabulous! Course my youngest had very little to do with it (yes, I totally helped with this project because getting this one to do anything is like pulling teeth, and I'm so over that..)
The only problem with his trap was that it was too inviting to leprechauns, and they are sneaky little shits, and would most likely only visit it if there was sign on it specifically telling them not to. Whatever.. apparently they liked his trap so much, that while the kids were at recess, his trap almost caught one, but only ended up fetching one of their green little sparkly hats. He was elated.

And unlike last time with my oldest son, I pretended to believe that leprechauns were real and perpetuate another lie (you know, like Santa, the tooth fairy....nothing wrong with adding one more tall tale to the mix, right?)

Here's his trap.. see the pot of gold?? What dumb little leprechaun wouldn't want to check that out??

Mumford and Sons..

2010-03-17T10:39:00.002-04:00

Mumford and Sons.. Little Lion Man

My husband and I are going to see this band in May at the Middle East in Boston. I can not wait! It has been so long since I've seen a show. And even longer that I've found a band that I would sacrifice a nights sleep to see..

You know it's going to be a great day when...

2010-03-12T10:37:00.000-05:00

-you are awoken by the sound of the smoke detector (again) at 6 am, which only throws all of your kids into a panic. We have yet to figure out what the problem is with the smoke alarm..but basically, we're teaching our kids to cover their ears when it goes off..never mind running out of the house, stop, drop and roll..nope, just cover those ears!

-you're in the middle of a power crap, and your wonderful carpenter who has shown up at 7 am, starts using one of his really loud saws and wakes up your already skittish 3 year old twins, who come flying up the stairs crying "I scared Mommy, I scared" So much for the power crap.

-when your first grader comes to you 10 minutes before the bus is due, and shows you 2 more sheets of homework that he didn't complete. Even though the night before he said he had nothing (totally more my fault than his.. I know he's only 6)

-reassuring the boys that yes, EVERYTHING is in their backpack, and then realizing moments after the bus has gotten them, that I forgot 2 very important things for my older son, and had to drag the girls to the school to drop it off..

-when you wake up and find that the 30 pound raccoon that lives under our shed (with the skunk) has torn into another garbage bag on the deck, because someone forgot to put it in the bin.. and yes, that someone would be me because I pretty much do everything around here.. and sometimes I just suck.

So, when a day starts like this..I have little hope for the rest of it. I am however hopeful that the work on our house is going to be done in a few weeks, and we can get our lives back to normal a bit..

2010-03-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

The girls have been finding Christmas gifts that we had packed away in their closet..for a rainy day.. or for a new distraction.
Yesterday it was a beautiful day, but after being outside for hours, they needed a distraction inside..so that they might not pull each others hair out (which by the way is so hard to take care of, their hair that is..it's a rats nest as you can see.. I've completely given up on getting it to look cute or managed..)

Anyway, here they are with some glitter glue, purple hearts and alphabet stickers... A much easier craft to play with than the paper doll book we found over the weekend.. that was a toy required a lot of mom's help.. the distraction only works if it distracts them from me! right?

40..

2010-03-08T10:42:00.000-05:00

My husband turned 40 yesterday. Unlike his 30th birthday, there was no big party. I had initially decided after he refused to let me have a New Years Eve party, that I would plan a big surprise party for his 40th (just to spite him really) But then life got busy... with the construction... and just having 4 kids.. so I did nothing. The kids and I planned a little surprise for him. Well, it was more the boys and I, and the girls just acted really excited.
We all got up yesterday morning, showered and had baths, all the while he had no idea what we were doing, or where we were going. Of course it didn't take him long to figure it out once we got in the car..but he acted surprised for the kids when we got there, and even more surprised when my youngest son informed him that they had an ALL YOU COULD EAT buffet! We took him to one of his favorite restaurants where they have a wonderful brunch..and all the bacon you can eat! The biggest reason my youngest son was so happy!
We are usually the last thing anyone wants to see in a restaurant. A family with 4 small kids.. even more so when you enter the lobby with your party of 6 and your young daugther that you are holding hurls all over you.. She ended up being fine, and we both cleaned up in the bathroom and met the family at the table just as my husband was telling our waitress that he wasn't sure if we'd be staying. We did stay, and the upchucking little girl ate her heart out.. Kids are weird.
So, I spent the rest of my day feeling bad that I hadn't planned some really big party for my husband.. I did make him his favorite strawberry birthday cake (yum) and then listened to the daughter that had puked earlier in the day cry because she didn't want just a piece of cake, but she wanted ALL of the cake. She actually cried herself to sleep about it. Can you imagine?
I do plan on taking him away somewhere in a month or two.. just us for the night.. Life will fit it in eventually.. anyway, Happy 40th to my sassy, handsome man! I love you!!

Babies..

2010-03-05T22:13:00.001-05:00

A good friend of mine from work came over to visit me today. She's a new mom. She had her first baby 9 weeks ago. It was so nice to see her, and her cutie pie. This baby, by the way, is probably the best baby EVER (not including a couple of my kids, and all the rest of my friends and relatives children who are shining stars and compare to no one - just so no one gets jealous! ;)
Anyhoo, I so enjoyed holding this teeny tiny baby.. First, she's adorable (duh) second, she has these eyelashes, that really, are to die for! Usually the boys get the eyelashes, all thick and long (maybe that's Gods apology for the prostate exam, I dunno). But this little girls eyelashes were perfect. They looked primped and curled, and curved up slighty to her eyelid. I think it's safe to say I could have eaten her right up. I told her I might.
For a second, well, a millisecond, I wanted another one. Then one of my kids bitchslapped the other, which in turn bitchslapped me back to reality. It's nice how life works that way.
Let me explain the picture below, because it's cute, and I'm feeling cute tonight (maybe it's the 12 pounds I've lost not eating everything in sight, including adorable teeny little babies.. I dunno)
When out shopping for my friends baby shower, I picked up two cute outfits to go with the stunning quilt I had already made (that's right) It was only when I got home, that I realized I had bought two of the SAME outfits. You know I was born a blond.. Anyway, I kept the extra outfit and packed it away for someone else who would eventually get knocked up.
I had this outfit, for 6 months! On the hanger, tucked away.. waiting. Surprisingly, no one got knocked up, and my daughter found it in the closet, and just HAD to try it on. Just a simple two piece outfit, that on a 3 month old would look very sweet, with a polka dot top, and cute little stretchy pants. But on a 3/12 year old, she got a cute belly shirt and some Daisy Dukes. It just so happened, that when the before mentioned adorable wad of baby showed up, her mom had packed the same outfit I had given her in the diaper bag (and yes, I think she probably had the outfit with her because she knew I had given it to her, she's just a very thoughtful person like that! I love this girl!!)

We couldn't resist the photo op (or I couldn't..) and I snapped away.. Here's one of my babies, with her's..munch munch!!

Construction..

2010-03-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Our house is under construction, with the new in law apartment. It's coming along great. One of the perks of having a friend do the work for you is having some adult conversation during the day. My contractor can talk.. and he would.. all day! But I love it.. he's really fun to hang out with and have around. Occasionally his wife comes by to help him out, and she too is a friend, and someone fun to hang out with.. I'll miss them both when they're done!

Potty Training..

2010-03-04T15:24:00.000-05:00

I thought girls were easier to train.. Maybe they would be if there was only one of them, but with 2, it just seems to be an impossible task that I don't have the time for. They want to wear underwear, and sometimes I will let them. But they NEVER make it to the potty. They always just start screaming that they've peed. It's frustrating to say the least. They are 3 1/2, are definitely almost there, but not quite. I'm not going to sweat it, it'll happen someday.. I just wish it was sooner than later..

Looking Smart..

2010-02-12T08:21:00.000-05:00

I made an appoinment to get my eyes tested. I've never had an eye exam before, but earlier this week, I tried on a coworkers glasses, and couldn't believe how much better I could see. My twin sister wears glasses, but she is nearsighted. I think I'm farsighted. I have no problem seeing things far away, but up close is difficult. It's fitting too that I would be the opposite of her (we are mirror twins after all!)
I'm actually excited about getting some glasses.. I've secretly always wanted them..I guess I'm looking forward to looking smart! I'll be sure to post a pic if in fact I do need some specs! Happy Friday!

Another Exciting Saturday Night..

2010-02-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday night. My husband has gone out with some friends, and I am home. With our kids, and my niece (my sister and her husband are off for the night to NY, and my mom is at their home with her boys)
Currently, 5 kids are in my boys room, watching a movie, and playing their ninendo's. I'm watching HGTV.. Candace Olson's Divine Design. I never would have thought that this would be what I considered a perfect night, but it is.. well almost perfect, I would love to have my husband's company, but it's early, and I don't suspect he'll be too late.
When on Earth, did I get so grown up?? So content with a quiet evening at home watching home improvement shows? I did get more than one thing accomplished tonight, including coloring my hair the fabulous shade "ginger ale" and having a long hot shower.. it's the small things..
Today I dragged my husband, and the five kids to Target. And when I say I dragged my husband, it's quite literal. He was content staying home (duh) but I insisted that he join me. The boys have had some money they wanted to spend, and have been begging me for weeks to bring them to Target to spend it. It actually came to the point, that when my husband reluctantly joined us in the car after everyone was in, I told him to go back inside.. I didn't want a grumpy gus ruining our fun. Of course he refused, and insisted that if he did in fact go back inside, he would pay for it the rest of the weekend. He really doesn't get it. I don't roll like that. But I guess he thinks I do.. whatever.
Anyway, this is the excitement that is my life. I can hear giggling from the other room (and I love it!) My niece is having the time of her life with her cousins. I love that they are growing up together.. I love that they are having so much fun doing something so small like just hanging out with each other.. For about an hour earlier, they were all crawling around on their hands and knees, pretending to be dogs. Sure, it was annoying (imagine a pack of dogs in your house, barking as loud as they could) but I did nothing to stop it. I quietly colored my hair, had a long hot shower (with the door open of course) and just reveled in their bliss..

Twins in the News.. yea right.

2010-02-05T19:29:00.000-05:00

So, my twin story has been published.. well, sort of. Here I am thinking that the fact my identical twin sister and I, who have both given birth to identical twins ourselves, are in fact very special.
Well, I guess we are only special enough to get a letter from me to the editor asking about other id twins having their own id twins. Not even a mention of all the other cool facts that are involved here: Like how my sister and I are mirror twins (identical twins who are mirror images of each other, she's a lefty, had braces, wears glasses) Had boys.. That both our twins were born on the 22nd day of a month.. that her twins were due on Thanksgiving, while mine were conceived on the same holiday.. And that genetically, having identical twins is a fluke. It hasn't been linked to genetics.
But whatever. It's pretty cool anyway to see our twin pic in an actual magazine.. too bad I didn't know it has been in there since December, even though the editor of the magazine asked me if she could run the story, I should have wondered when she didn't respond to me if she would let me know when it was coming out.. whatev's.. Here's the link... http://www.epaperflip.com/aglaia/viewer.aspx?docid=94f462df6e014e8788df30bf3e23a3b2&page=8&#

New Years, a little late..

2010-01-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

Two weeks into the new year, and I have a post! We quietly rang in the new year playing games with the kids. We played pictureka, uno, and yahtzee. I won most of the games! And I'm pretty sure my family was as happy as I was about my winning streak, I am ridiculously competitive (even with the little ones) so no one wanted to see mommy lose!
The kids have had their first week back at school.. which has been great, and much needed.. I have managed to get almost everything put away from the holidays (with the exception of some collectible Rudolph house's of my husbands) and my house is in it's usual state of "as clean as I can get it."
I started doing the south beach diet this week.. Nothing like hopping on the scale after a few months and seeing it way higher than I thought it would be. It's rough not having sugar, and it's made me tired as hell.. but I've lost 4.5 lbs in the first 5 days. I'm just trudging along, and hoping to get some more energy soon.
My girls have been asserting themselves in our household lately. A lot. I don't know if they are struggling to find their place, or to see how far they can push me, but most nights when my husband comes home, I'm almost in tears. They are 3 1/2.. old enough I would assume, to be a bit more decisive, and a bit less dramatic. Is it just girls? Or just my girls?? They have moments when they are just the most adorable little creatures, saying the cutest things. Then in the same breath, they are screaming at the top of their lungs, insisting that I wait on their every need! Needless to say, I am longing for the days ahead, hopefully free of being bullied.. we shall see!

Thank God that's Over!!

2009-12-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

I love the holidays, I really do. But once Christmas day has passed, I am ready to clean up the house, and make it look like Christmas was never here. Luckily, no one cares that I feel this way, thus enabling me to just pull it all down and pack it up til next year.. I actually waited 3 days this year to get it put away (but only because I was in an ugly, after Christmas funk- much like my husband was..) But I woke up this morning, had a meeting with our builder, found out that he's starting work tomorrow and had to clean out some clutter in the lower level, and just went nuts from there. It feels good in here.. I can breath again.
The kids had a great Christmas, and got a ton of stuff.. one of the main reasons I felt the need to purge. The girls finally got into it this year..after each gift, my oldest twin would come up to me and say "just one more mama" it was cute. They have had endless hours of fun with their new toys. All which are doll, or princess related. It's funny to have girls in the house, especially such girly ones. Being a recovering tom boy, it's hard to understand the love for everything pink, and glittery. But I love it anyway.
Well, I'm currently cooking dinner (noodles..) I did enough cooking over the past week that I can get away with something simple..and something that won't make any one of them cry. I'm heading back to work in a few as well.. I miss it.. mommy needs a break!

This and That..

2009-12-21T13:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished my Christmas shopping this morning.. as least I think I have.. I'm sure I'll remember something and have to run out again, but the bulk is bought, and wrapped.. Now I'm trying to nail down the menu for Christmas Eve.. and will have to eventually do some more shopping for that.
My boys are beyond excited. It's been a countdown for the past month.. they are good counters let me tell you! My girls (who are 3 1/2) pretty much haven't grasped the concept. They are far too busy bossing me around, and clawing each others eyes out. It's heart warming, really.
The plans for my mothers in law apartment are pretty much a go. We should hopefully see some work started within the next couple of weeks. I know she's looking forward to having more space than our playroom, and I'm looking forward to a new master suite.. we've never had our own bathroom before!! I will be banning my boys from using it, that is unless the little one gets better aim and can hit the bowl rather than the floor, or the radiator (that's leaving a wonderful smell in my bathroom!!)
We were invited yesterday to our neighbors house for their annual cookie decorating party. It was a lot of fun. They are really nice people. The girls pretty much lost their shit when their very cute, little dog, got too close. I ended up bringing them home and asking my mom to watch them.. she didn't mind, and again we reaped the benefits of having her living with us..
Anyway, I have a ton of stuff that I should be doing, rather than blogging.. I would kill for a good nap, but that is exactly what I would have to do to get one. Kill. So, instead I'll do my dishes, and my laundry and get more bricks for the fire.. and then decorate a gingerbread house when the boys get home, make dinner, go to work, get home from work, get the kids ready for bed.. and eventually pass out. Sounds good, huh?

Fabric Buttons..

2009-12-17T12:04:00.001-05:00

Something new for the holidays.. plenty of my family will be getting one of these pretty little fabric buttons.. to either put on a coat, a purse, shirt.. whatever.. My niece has her very own, which she was thirlled to get.. her only concern was whether or not her mom knew how to use a safety pin! haha.. she may not be the most domestic of people, but I'm pretty sure she can swing pinning it on!

2009-12-15T08:57:00.000-05:00

The kids can barely wait.. Santa is coming, even if I've threatened them within an inch of their lives. He'll still be popping down the chimney in less than 10 days.. much to the concern of my younger kids about the space issue (how will he fit down our small chimney? and what if we forget to let the fire go out??) Poor dubs.. I'm not nearly as ready as I would like to be.. I started out with a bang, then flopped hard! That's ok though, like every year, I'll be ready.. dammit!
My youngest son (who has been cast free for almost 3 weeks) has grown new hair on his arm. Really, dark, long hair. It's weird, and kind of gross. I found out it's from having the cast on for so long, and the hair folicles growing to help with the irritation of the cast. My husband wondered if he should put a cast on his head, and grow some hair up there.. Not sure it would have the same effect.. of course he's not going bald either, just receeding a bit. But I've assured him that I will still love him when his hair is only growing out of his ears..
These pics were taken with our new camera (an early gift to my husband and I, from my husband and I) I've wanted a good camera for a long time (so I can take pictures of my kids toes..) and yay, now I have one! I have some reading to do, and lots of practice, but so far I'm loving it! Merry Christmas!!!

New Sewing Machine..

2009-12-08T07:29:00.000-05:00

I got a new sewing machine over the weekend. My old one died.. which I was quite happy that it finally did. It's amazing how much better, and how much easier my sewing has become with a new machine. I also got a sweet deal.. this bag is for my nephew's girlfriend..who btw, does not read my blog (at least not that I'm aware of) Anyway, I hope she likes it..
I'm also thinking of opening an etsy shop in the spring.. maybe. The thing about doing that means I'm really putting myself out there. I'm not sure if I want to do that. Rejection is not something I'm good with..

2009-12-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

We have been busy here getting ready for the holidays.. Our elf on the shelf has returned, and once again my memory is put to the test. It would seem a simple task to remember something that you have to do every night (moving the elf to a new hiding place) but surprisingly, I've already forgotten once. I'm determined to do better though..

I've also been busy making gifts.. my mother in law has asked me to make my sister in law a new bag.. paid of course. Which I've already finished. I love the new bag. I've also almost mastered making wallets. My last one had a zipper. It's a big deal for me... to put a zipper on.. and no, I'm sure when I turned into my grandmother, maybe a few years ago.. I also learned how to make these cute little fabric flowers, thanks to miss crafty pants and her tutorial. Here's how it turned out..

So Lame..

2009-11-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

Every time I sit down to write on this blog, I feel incredibly lame for how little I post. Time is just something I have very little of these days..
Not much exciting has been happening either, I guess. Which leads my pathetic little blog to sit and collect virtual dust.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving, at my in laws. I made a ton of pumpkin and chocolate whoppie pies and some butternut squash. I spent the rest of my day listening to my youngest son begging me for a mohawk (which he now has). Giving in is just much easier than the whining, and really, it's just hair, and unfortunately, it fits him to a tee.
I got to see a beloved cousin of mine last week. I hadn't seen him since my wedding eleven years ago. He's been in the peace corp for the past 10 years, and has married, and had a baby girl this past April. It was as if no time had passed, and like the best of friendships, we picked up right where we left off. He was like a brother to me growing up (the brother I would have preferred over the loser I got stuck with). He's coming back in a year with his wife, and baby, and I can't wait to meet them both.
Last weekend my sister went to New York for her sister in laws wedding, and I had her boys. From Friday, to Monday. Naturally, it went way better than I thought, and despite the exhaustion that comes with having 6 kids in your house, I was happy to have done it. The boys were great, and even my husband had fun with all the chaos, and on the last morning, before he left for work, he went in to get them up, and say good bye.. it was sweet.
Big news with my girls.. They are finally off the bottle! I know.. they are almost 3 and a half, and should have been off of the bottle years ago, but it was their crutch. Their blankie, binky, whatever. It was something I dreaded for months and months, but knew I had to do it. On Thanksgiving morning, after much discussion over the previous week, we wrapped up their bottles in pretty Christmas paper, and gave them to their little baby cousin.. someone who really needed bottles, unlike themselves who were clearly too old for them.. They have not had a drop of milk since (they hate the taste of milk out of a cup.. weird I know..) but are instead drinking lots of water, and eating more food than I thought they were capable of eating. There were a few meltdowns, but only for one day. Of course it was easy. It's always easy once you've just done it. I was thrilled today while at the grocery store only buying 2 gallons of milk, instead of 4. (our normal consumption for milk was about 5 gallons a milk.. cha-ching!) Now we're going to really focus on the potty training.. can't wait to save money on diapering two kids!!! yee-ha!
Yesterday I spent the day making my house look like a winter wonderland.. It looks so perty (if I do say so myself). With this being our first Christmas in our new house, I had so much fun decorating.. I even gave up some control of the tree this year, and let the kids put whatever they wanted on it. And then later, moved a bunch of their shit to the back of the tree.. no one noticed, and Mommy was happy. What's more important than that??
Well, this is getting long.. and as I type, I am trying to ignore the noise coming from my sons' bedroom (sleepover with two of their friends). One of them is named Jimmy. He's a nice kid, and his first time at our house. Every time I hear this kids name, I can't help but think of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine dates a guy who constantly refers to himself in the 3rd person.. "Jimmy likes Elaine" "Jimmy thinks Elaine is really cute" (meanwhile she thinks he's talking about another guy that she thinks is cute) Anyway, it amuses my husband and I to no end..so when Jimmy wanted ketchup with his fries tonight, I couldn't help saying "Jimmy wants some ketchup. Jimmy likes ketchup" I'm a dork, I know.. Anyway, I'm sure to have more to blog about after seeing my most favorite homosexual tomorrow.. It's never dull with that one!

Getting Ready..

2009-11-17T09:28:00.000-05:00

I've already started my Christmas shopping, in fact, I've already started wrapping presents. This year is much different than last year. We were in the middle of trying to sell our house, and pinching every penny. I didn't have the time or the desire to get ready for the holidays. It feels so good to be on a more relaxed schedule. I'm taking my time, and trying to enjoy it all.. This past weekend we put up Christmas lights.. I know. It's early for that. But we only lite them for a bit, and we'll wait til after Thanksgiving to keep them lite and get the rest of the decorations up... the lights do look pretty though..

I also started making some new tree ornaments, and I've had so much fun doing it.. when did I turn into such a dork?? Not sure..

I'm also gearing up for having my 2 year old twin nephews stay with us this weekend. My sister, brother in law and niece are heading to NY for my brother in law's sister's wedding. I hope they have a great time.. my sister is going to meet someone famous there.. this couples son is going to be the ring bearer, and my niece is going to be the flower girl. I told her to get LOTS of pictures with the husband of the famous couple.. the wife of this duo is filming a movie, and won't be there.. but the husband will, and him and his wife had twins this past summer, so they'll have plenty to talk about!!

Anyway, here's a pic of the ornaments I've been making..

Say Cheese!!

2009-11-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

Today I went back to Sears, for more pictures..
My husband moaned a bit two weeks ago, about the "twin pic" my sister and I had done, because we hadn't had a family picture done since my 9 year old was 18 months.. I guess we were due.. but really, knowing my husband, I thought he would never want a family pic, and never bothered asking.. But after his complaining about the twin pic, I scheduled a family pic, and today was the day. Of course he tried to get me to cancel (it was raining.. and why, we just might melt) But I'm glad we went.. the girls smiled this time, and finally, we have a picture of the whole big ass family!!
I also must add, that the last professional picture we had done of the kids, my youngest (who was 3 at the time) had a huge scab on his forehead, from stiches he got after falling down the stairs. It was only fitting that the next professional pic we had done, he was wearing a cast.. He could have taken it off (because at this moment it's only held together with velcro) But why would we do that. It is afterall, a snapshot of US. And what would we be, if he wasn't battered or scarred in some way??

Anyway, here are a few of the shots we got..

Party in the Back...

2009-11-11T12:39:00.001-05:00

Someday I will convince one of my kids to sport the classic mullet... til then, I'll just post pics of them in a gnarly mullet wig..

Another Twin Pic..

2009-11-03T09:27:00.000-05:00

My sister and I brought our twins to the mall this past weekend, for an updated twin pic. It had been about 18 months since the last one, and the only difference was the fact that the kids were a little bigger. Even though we had decided that we wouldn't get an iced coffee in the mall after the picture, we did. And just like last year, we got a few stares, but unlike last year, my sister's boys weren't in a stroller, and were totally mobile, and totally hard to contain. They did have a ton of fun in the middle of the mall at a ramp. Three sets of twins hanging out in the middle of the mall.. good times. Not everyone that noticed us, noticed that my sister and I were twins too, but they sure noticed the two younger sets. It was pretty funny. My sister wants to go to Twinsburg Ohio at some point for their twin weekend.. I'm pretty much all set with that. Sure, I'm all on board with the coolness of the whole twin thing, but spending an entire weekend with a bunch of over the top twinners seems less than appealing. Anyway, here's a copy of the pic we had done.. it's a little grainy, but you get the point..

Happy Halloween..

2009-10-30T15:24:00.001-04:00

This will be our first halloween in our new neighborhood. Normally, we go to my brother in law's neighborhood in a different town because walking with 4 kids in our old neighborhood would have been dangerous, no sidewalks, lots of traffic.. I can't wait. Blogless is coming, with her brood, and my sister too.. My above mentioned brother in law is coming too with his family.

The girls aren't going to be these flower garden gnomes. Turns out they didn't like them after they begged for them in the store. Can you tell by the smug, pissed off look?

So, instead, they are going to be the same thing they were last year. Thankfully they are low on the growth charts, and the outfits still fit. Fickle little girls!

2009-10-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

My son had a field trip the other day, and the teachers asked us to pack them a snack in a labeled brown bag. This was the only brown bag I had.. how lucky were we that it was already labeled! ;)

Back to Boston...

2009-10-23T12:02:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I took my son to get the pins taken out of his elbow. Another trip into Boston, and thankfully a trip home that did not take me 3 hours. I think I may have mastered leaving the city!!

My poor poor little boy.. can I say, he was so brave.. and so very good. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have a broken elbow, held together with pins, and a huge cast.. nor can I imagine having the cast removed, having it xrayed and then having 2 large pins taken out with a pair of pliers. yes, pliers. He was however, a trooper, much like I expected. They didn't let him leave without the cast though, so he got a new one. Which means we are going back down again in a couple of weeks to finally have it gone for good. Oh, and btw, I won't be joining him on this trip, my husband is taking him. Really.

On the way home yesterday, my son told me that it didn't hurt when they took out the pins. It just tickled. When I asked him if that was why he screamed, he said yes. Cutie..

To Give.. Or Not To Give..

2009-10-21T09:50:00.000-04:00

I got some beautiful Amy Butler fabric squares in the mail the other day (yes, the mailman loves me and just brings me random beautiful things..) um, yea, I "won" it on ebay.. so I made a bag.. It's really cute (or at least I think so..) I showed my sister the bag this morning, and she asked me who it was for.. Well, ME of course.. and then I got to thinking.. the holidays are rapidly (and sadly) approaching..so I could give it to someone.. or I could just bask in it's beauty and call it my own.. what to do, what to do... anyway, here's a pic....

Did I mention it's reversible??

New Curtains..

2009-10-14T14:14:00.000-04:00

My fabulous fabric arrived yesterday, and it was all I could do not to lock up the kids in their rooms and just sew away.. I did however, find the time between tantrums and hair pulling to cut the fabric and get it hemmed, and now they are hanging beautifully in my living room.. My husband came home last night and saw them hanging on the rods (all pinned up) and decided he didn't like them. I am convinced though that they will grow on him.. they are afterall beautiful, and handcrafted by yours truly.. Oh how I have missed being creative.. I say this everytime I sew, and then my crazy life spins me in a different direction. Anyway, here they are.. let me know what you think.. I could use a "hell yeah"!!

Corn Maze '09

2009-10-11T22:48:00.000-04:00

I had to work this Saturday. I gotta say, I hate it. It's stupid, and I can't agree with what I'm doing there.. People come with their lab slips, see me, where I enter them into the computer, and then they wait..again. I'm working in the lab part of the hospital, and I'm registering patients. I got there 10 minutes before my shift, to log onto my computer and get myself all set, but unfortunately, I couldn't remember the passcode for the employee entrance and had to file in with the rest of the schmoo's waiting to have their blood drawn. Which only made their wait a minute or two longer than had I gotten my shit together before they arrived.
Anyway, after my long stupid ass shift, of four hours, I came home to a very untidy house, and wanted to just go back to bed, and forget that this day had even started. Despite the phone call I had made on my one free second three hours into my stupid ass shift, asking if anything was needed at home before I got there.. Just milk.. not diapers, and milk, just milk. (I won't discuss too much about coming home to find the girls in pull ups because, yes in fact, we could have used some diapers..) so anyhoo, I had told my husband that I wanted to do something. I didn't just want to sit at home on our Saturday, and do nothing. Little did I know, that when I got home, I was going to have a huge back ache. One that I hadn't had since I was in my 20's, and in far better shape. A couple of tylenol later, I was feeling 100 times better and we set out, for some good old fashioned fun.

We went to a neighboring town, to a corn maze.. A huge maze, made of corn, in the shape of a skunk. This will be the 3rd year, we have gone, and the toughest one yet. I don't know if my husband's sense of direction was just not as polished as it usually is, but it took us longer than normal to get through, and we back tracked more than we ever did.. It was fun though, and despite a melt down from our 9 year old because we didn't buy him a 9 dollar stuffed skunk and only got him a pumpkin (which we carved today) everyone enjoyed the craze of the maze.. We finished off with a yummy Mexican meal, and a great visit with the in laws.. Life is good.. even if it starts with a crappy day of work.. at least it ended with fun family shin digs! Here's a pic or two..

2009-10-09T08:27:00.000-04:00

I'm waiting for some fabric to be delivered so that I can make some new curtains for my living room. It took me hours on line to find the right material. I searched, and searched, and searched some more. I even tried a couple of local fabric stores, but found nothing that was affordable, or to my liking. My husband, the artiste, insisted that he "approve" whatever I finally decided on. There are days where I wish I had a man who didn't care about the decor of our home, but alas, I don't.

I finally found a beautiful fabric, one that we both agreed upon, and after measuring, I ordered up a bunch, and eagerly awaited the shipping confirmation. Of course the only email I got was one saying that they didn't have enough to ship to me, but would eventually. Oh that was so not good enough. I wanted to spend my weekend blissfully sewing away, so I got back on line and picked another fabric. Another beautiful one.. at least I thought it was. Unfortunately for my hubbers, it didn't pass his approval when I showed him later. I told him that I had ordered it anyway, but I don't think he believed me. Well, he will when he comes home one day with the gorgeous new curtains that I'll be making with this:

The Spazz Family..

2009-10-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

It would appear, this is what we are recently.. here are the examples..
I'll go first.. yesterday in an attempt to try and get a brood of Jamaicians from calling me repeatedly (with the wrong number) and calling me all sorts of lovely names, I called the phone company and had my number changed. Two minutes after the lovely woman had cancelled my number, she told me that there were ways we could avoid getting these calls. Ok, so I decided to keep our number, but it was too late since she had already cancelled it. I would have to wait til it was switched, call back and try to get our old number back. So, for at least today, I have a new number, that no one has, and no one ever will. Hopefully no one breaks anything at school today!
Over the weekend, my youngest son, casted from his left shoulder to his wrist, knocked himself in the head with the very hard plaster cast. Leaving a huge lump on his head in the same exact spot where he had gotten the last lump 2 months ago that left him with a concussion. Fortunately for the spazz family, he was fine, and only required a bit of ice and a firm talking to about trying to slow down a bit. This boy is the king of the spazz family.
Yesterday morning, as my kids were leaving for the bus, I noticed that my oldest son had put his pants on backwards. I'm not sure how he didn't notice that.. with two pockets in front and a zipper panel running down his ass.. but thankfully the queen spazz did notice and got him switched around just in time for the bus. And as far as my husband, I've been trying to come up with his spazz moment of the week.. but lucky for him, I couldn't think of one.. he did have a close call when he bought a wood stove on craigslist and didn't do any measuring beforehand, and thought briefly it might not fit. That would have been an expensive spazz moment, but it worked out fine.. I'm sure I'll have at least a few more before the week is out.. we always do!

Why Boston Sucks..

2009-10-03T22:46:00.000-04:00

I took my youngest son, and his brother down to Boston on Friday to have some xrays taken, and to have his arm recast. I'm going to blow through this part, because really, this is more about me, than him.. so there. He's doing great, I saw the pins sticking out of his arm, and yes, it was gross.. but he did a tremendous job, and was very brave. I only took my oldest son because he had never been to the city, and quite frankly, the tears he had going before the bus came pulled at my heart strings long enough for me to tell him he could join us on what was promised to be a pretty lame trip to the city.
Ok, I'm past the stuff that isn't about me.. Now let me explain why I could never live in the city, and why I would never want to.. First of all, the people. God, there are a lot of them. My oldest son wanted to know why there were so many people. Why are they all walking? Public transit is something we have VERY VERY little of here in NH.. which is what I explained. But why oh why are people so rude in the city?? Not sure I could answer that question.. but I tried.. For example after we were done with all my youngest had to have done, my oldest wanted a tour of the hospital. First of all, while it's a great hospital, there are 10 floors, and I wasn't about to tour all of them, in fact, I wanted to end this day and commence the dreaded journey home. However, my oldest was quite insistent that he at least more than just the second floor so fine, I dragged them both down to the basement, to the cafe. They picked out some unhealthy snack, and we got in line to pay. It was going smoothly, until some serious douche bag decided to cut the line. Right in front of my oldest son, who had no idea what to do, and begged me to do nothing.. which I did. She was an employee of the hospital, and I figured she must have an important surgery or meeting to attend. Unfortunately, she was only in a rush to grab a table by herself and eat her waffle fries. Son of a bitch. My son again begged me not to say anything as we waited for the elevator right by her table.Yea, like I would have said boo. I was quite surprised by my son's fear of confrontation.. I've never confronted anything!! good lord.
So we make our way to the loser cruiser, parked on the 5th floor of the parking garage, pay about an arm and a leg to get out, and then proceed to get very very lost. ugh.. It did not help that my phone rang during a very crucial decision making point in our trip (outbound to downtown, which really makes no sense what so ever!) from my husband to see how things turned out. Just great, I tell him, and then pretty much hang up on him, as I know I am about to get really lost!
Which of course I do.. In what should have taken an hour.. took almost 3. I never should have seen downtown Newton, or Waltham. But I did.. All the while, my oldest son is in the back seat griping about how this is the worst day of his life, and my youngest is complaining about how he REALLY HAS TO PEE , but of course won't pee in the burger king cup to his right.. ugh ugh ugh..
Finally, after almost 3 hours, I made it home. Not until I told my oldest son that next time (and yes, there is a next time, in about 3 weeks when my youngest will have the pins removed) that he can stay home, and stopping on I-95 in some mad traffic, so that my youngest could stick his little wee out of the loser cruiser door to relieve himself.. I have already asked my husband to get the day off the next time we have to go.. of course he said no.. and of course he's going to have to change his mind, or I'll be grabbing a pair of needle nose pliers and pulling those damn pins out myself!

Back to School..

2009-09-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

After a VERY long week off from school, my youngest son returned this morning. He was worried about going back, how was he going to open his lunch box and have a snack? Or how was he going to play on the playground? I reassured him that his teachers would help, and that his friends must miss him so much, and really, going back was going to be fun.
I drove the boys in, and what a reception my little guy got! It was wonderful. One of his classmates made him a card, and everyone else came running up to him with all sorts of questions, mainly wondering if he felt better, and if it hurt. It was very sweet. I talked with his teachers, who both gave me a hug (feeling my pain as well..)
He could have gone back yesterday, but the thought of that made his elbow hurt (quote, unquote). But last night, after a very trying day with him, we both decided that today would be the day. We're scheduled to go back down to Boston on Friday and have more xrays and most likely a new cast put on, depending on how well it's still fitting after the swelling from surgery has subsided. I'm looking forward to putting this all behind us. It's been a draining experience. It's also been a wonderful bonding experience for me and my son as well. We've had so much time with just him and I that I've gotten to see a sign of him that I rarely see. A smart, funny adorable little boy, who thrives from just one on one attention. Instead of the whiney upset little boy who just wants to be noticed.. It's made me realize that I need to spend more time with all of my children on a one on one basis.. If I can find the time.. oy. Ok, well, now I'm off to muddle through the rest of my day! later!

Childrens Hospital..

2009-09-26T11:28:00.000-04:00

Our day in Boston started out rather bumpy, when my youngest son fell down the stairs in the dark of 5:30 a.m. Nice.
It quickly proceeded downhill when we arrived at Children's Hospital and were told that he was definitely going to need surgery, and that it would most likely be around dinner time as they were swamped with cases. Nice again.
We were then "set up" in a waiting area (the only ones in this waiting area thank God). We were given movies and a goody bag full of paper, pens, markers, slimy goo and a bunch of other things to try and keep my son's attention away from the fact that he was starving but couldn't eat a thing.
It was roughly two hours later that we were told by the surgeon that there was a rumor going around that they were going to open up another O.R. and get my son in there for surgery. Yay! The day was finally looking up..I couldn't believe I was actually looking forward to my own kid having surgery. It put things in perspective. It was clear that he needed the surgery, and now the only obstacle was waiting, and having to listen to my son whine about how hungry he was. Food is one of his favorite things, and it was torture with holding it from him.
We were brought up to the O.R. waiting area at about 10:30. We were elated. Even my son was in great spirits. The wonderful thing about Children's (well one of the wonderful things because honestly, there are plenty) is that the people there are incredibly friendly, and are a huge source of knowledge. It's also like an assembly line and they have it down to a science.
I was allowed to go back to the OR with him, and be there until he was out. They gave him some gas which knocked him out, then the IV. No pain.. yay! Roughly two hours later the doctor came out and told us the surgery went great. There was no tear in the cartlidge surrounding the bone, which meant they didn't have to embed the pins and remove them surgically a month later. Rather they put the pins in and can take them out in the office with no pain, and no surgery. He got it all casted in his favorite camoflague design and we met him in recovery. The nurse gave him some morphine after he woke up because clearly he was in a lot of pain. He napped for about an hour and roughly 45 minutes later we were on our way home.
I am so happy that he is on the mend. He slept great last night, but woke up this morning in quite a bit of pain. The pain medicine worked great and right now he is waiting for me to finish up on the computer so that he can go back on line. If all goes well, he could go back to school on Monday. I'm hoping it does, I know he misses his teacher and his classmates. We have to go back down in a week for another xray, and maybe a new cast, depending on how well this one continues to fit after the swelling subsides.. Here are a couple of pics.. before and after surgery...

Boston Here We Come!!

2009-09-24T16:36:00.000-04:00

I brought my son to see the orthopedic doctor today. I thought we would get his arm in a real cast, and be on our way. Hah! It only goes to show me, yet again, that you can rarely get what you expect.
We're bringing him to Children's Hospital in Boston tomorrow. The doctor is afraid that there might be cartilidge damage, or a sort of break that would require surgery, with pins.. Thankfully my little boys 6 year old brain wasn't paying much attention at the conversation that the good doctor and I were having. If he had, he would have been pushing us out of the way, looking for the nearest exit.. They'll be putting him under and doing some sort of fluroscopic imaging to check the blood flow to his elbow.. If he does require surgery, they'll do it then.. we were told to expect to have a long day, and not get home til tomorrow night sometime..
We have to be there at 7:15, A.M.!! Which means we'll be leaving at the ass crack of dawn.. and the kid can't eat, or drink! This is not going to make his "hollow leg" very happy, but hopefully we can bribe him with enough toys and junk food later that he'll suffer through the ordeal leaving us fairly unscathed..
I will surely update as soon as I can.. Wish us luck!

A note to my previous post..

2009-09-22T14:34:00.000-04:00

I wanted to add that my son has the best teachers, and the most thoughtful staff at his school. His teacher was absent yesterday when he got hurt, but she just called me to find out how he was doing. His classmates are making him a get well card.. that just made his day!
Last night, after I got home from the ER with him, the school nurse, also known as Nurse Judy called me to find out how he was. I thought that was very sweet, and above and beyond what she needed to do.
And one last note, on my son.. He's sort of a pain in the ass kind of patient. Yes, he's a trooper, but he's also like the guy you give a bell to and say "ring it when you need something.." Only it's my mom's cell phone, and he's been calling me from my room (where he is camped out) about every 5 minutes.. "I'm thirsty" or "I'm bored" or "I'm just calling to say I love you" ugh.. needless to say, my mom got her phone back, and now he's relying on his lungs to call for me, which coincidentially works just as well as her cell phone.. sigh..

Supporting Our Local Hospital.. it's what we do!

2009-09-22T11:02:00.000-04:00

Nothing gets you out of the house faster than a call from the school informing you that one of your kids is hurt. Yesterday afternoon, I got that call.. again I might add.. This time the nurse was telling me that my oldest son had fallen in gym and hurt his arm. She thought it might be broken. Great.
Less than 10 minutes later, the girls and I arrived at the school and head for Nurse Judy's office. Much to my suprise, I find my youngest son, not my oldest son, laying on the couch in the nurses office. It's really not all that surprising though as my youngest son has had more trips to the ER than my whole family combined. And I guess when you have as many kids as I do, someone is bound to confuse them. Anyway, the poor little kid immediately starts bawling when he sees me. I can tell he's been trying to be as brave as he can be, but once momma is there, the flood gates are opened. At this point I see his elbow, and it is freakishly swollen, and clearly this is not going to be the day I anticipated where the girls and I chill at the house enjoying a day off from babysitting. Nurse Judy helps me get everyone to the car and I start making phone calls.
Long story short... his elbow is broken. Yes, his elbow.. who breaks their elbow?? Apparently he does.. After spending 4 hours in the ER, having about 12 different xrays, and shuffling kids around with the help of my mom and mother in law, the doctor put a cast on him, gave him a sling, and a perscription for codeine. He slept like a rock last night (thank you pain killers..) and we are meeting with an orthopedic doctor on Thursday.. They will most likely put a new cast on him, and restrict him to limited activity.. no soccer this season.. no riding his bike, and hours upon hours of boredom is what he can look forward to. This will surely enhance my favorite season of the year! Can you sense the sarcasm here??
Anyway, I'm thinking of getting this kid a bubble.. and maybe never letting him out of it.. I'm also thinking of starting a bank account specifically for the copays to the ER.. it would be smart of me to think ahead, don't ya think??

Kenaleen Garvey

2009-09-14T15:22:00.000-04:00

I have no idea who this woman is, but it would appear that when we changed our phone service from vonage to comcast a couple of months back, we got her old number.
I would have thought that we could have kept our old number (one I sorely miss.. I know how stupid that sounds, but I really really miss my old number..) However, my husband was told we couldn't keep it, and were forced to get the lame ass number that once belonged to a Miss Kenaleen Garvey.
You would think that when she got her new number, or died or whatever happened to her, that maybe it would have been conveyed to other parties trying to reach her. Sadly, this is not the case. I get more phone calls during the day for her, than I do for myself. And these are not happy phone calls that Miss Garvey (or Gravy as she has been called on more than one occasion) is recieving. Creditors.. oh the lovely creditor. They are always suspicious, and most often call back when I tell them they have the wrong number.. weird that they don't believe me huh?
In a vain effort today, I called comcast, and begged to get my old phone number back. Unfortunately, vonage owns the phone number, and they couldn't do that for me. They did offer to give me another number, but the thought of having to send out huge emails to all my friends and family with yet another number seemed like a waste of time. I guess I'll just have to keep taking calls for Kenaleen, and hope that one day they'll believe me when I say I have no idea who she is!

Good Intentions..

2009-09-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

I wake up everyday with the best of intentions. Like this morning, it's my day off from babysitting, so I knew I had to do a few things that I could only do on my day off. First being a trip to the D.M.V. to renew my very expired drivers license, and the only reason I was doing this was because on Friday I made arrangements to switch my car insurance, and found out that my license had expired back in my birthday month of June.. yes, I knew this, but time is something I have very little of, and the thought of standing in line at the D.M.V. with my 2 three year olds sounded less than inviting.
I did however, manage to get there this morning, fill out my paper work and wait in line with the girls who anxiously chewed on their sweatshirts as the heat of people starring at them wondering if in fact they were twins drove them over the edge. Forty five minutes or so later we got my temporary i.d. (they will mail me the new one in 60 days or so..) and headed to the girls favorite store.. Walmart.. got what we needed and headed home.
I found 7 missed calls on my phone, all from my older sister, with one voicemail instructing me to call her back asap. Assuming someone had died, I called her back only to find that she was craving chinese food and wanted me to come meet her for lunch. I turned her down, only because my intentions for the rest of the day did not include a chinese buffet, but rather laundry, dishes, and scrubbing my black kitchen cabinets (they are dust magnets let me tell you!)
15 minutes or so later, my sister showed up, and insisted we go to lunch with her.. Her treat. Fine. Like I can turn down free chinese food! So, the girls and I went to lunch, they were of course on their best behavior, and despite one of them spilling their entire glass of water on herself, and myself, we ate away, and headed back home.
So, now with my belly all full of chinese food, and much to do, I am blogging. I should be cleaning.. I should be doing a lot. But after blogging, I'm guessing I might curl up with my girls on the couch and have a nice snuggle and read some stories.. Like the road to hell, my life is most often paved with good intentions.. and a hundred distractions!

Ouch!

2009-09-12T20:05:00.000-04:00

My poor little nephew.. 22 months old, and he spent his day today in an emergency room on Long Island. Being the curious little boy he is, he thought he would see what would happen if he tried touching a decorative plate display on his grandma's wall.. turns out, it got him 6o stiches!! yes, 60.. thankfully, they had a plastic surgeon stitch him up, and he's going to be just fine. It breaks my heart to see this picture (and yes, grosses me out a bit too..) He just can not help but explore everything around him, with no fear.. no understanding yet of consequences.
I hear he was a trooper, and despite the severe laceration he got, he still managed to smile, and revel in the attention..

13

2009-09-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

Thirteen used to be my favorite number.. since 7th grade, when it was the number of the cutest soccer player in the school.
Since the day I met the medium, it's now a number I dread.. He mentioned something of significance with the number 13. He didn't know what significance it held, but I didn't get the impression that it was something that would affect my life in a positive way.
Every month, on the 13th day, I hold my breath. I don't relax until everyone is tucked into bed and safe and sound... there have been nights when my husband has been out at a show, and I can't close my eyes til I hear the door open at 2 a.m. (ah, the life of a rock star!)
When my youngest son got his concussion, it was the 5th day of the 8th month.. 8 and 5 equal 13..he was also born on the 13th.. These were the thoughts running through my head as I drove him to the ER. Maybe that was the 13th the medium was talking about.. I don't know.. I wish I never knew..

Two Sets of Twins can be a BITCH!

2009-09-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

At this very moment, I am outside on my front porch (I just love wi-fi). I have my sister's kids today, and they are all currently hanging with my girls on the other side of the porch.. having a snack.. It has been a nightmare of a morning, like they usually are. All the twins have been trying to bite the other ones, or push them to the ground, or just randomly smack them in the mouth. I really can't wait til they have enough respect for each other to try not to kill them. Would that require respect, or just a simple sense of humanity? I'm not sure.. whatever it is, it's exhausting.
I talked to my good friend blogless this morning, who's twins are 3 months old today. I'm so happy for her, that she is reaching that point in which her own twins are going to become easier (in one sense). I will never forget the day that I realized my own set of twins were hitting that mark.. the point in their lives when both my husband and I thought that maybe we could handle this.. I will also never forget the time my sister called me to tell me that she was having twins.. and the complete dread that I felt thinking, "crap, I said I would watch the second" meaning that I would also have to watch the third. I was pretty much just recovering from the infancy of my own twins, and the thought of being such an intirgal part of my own's twins twins did nothing to help me get out of bed in the morning.. Yet, here I am.. a month shy of the boys turning 2, and I think about what a breeze their infancy was. They were the BEST babies ever! Truly, they were.. but toddlers? Jeesh, there's another story.. I love them. With all my heart. They are afterall genetically half mine (hehe) but they are also exhausting, brutal, and totally full of BOY! I know that someday they aren't going to be so hard.. and that I will finally sit back and say to myself (and not my husband this time) "wow, I think I can do this.." but until then, wish me luck.. cause most days I'm not sure if I can do it...

That Was Easy...

2009-09-07T19:50:00.000-04:00

It's the easy button, and it has taken over our home.. Staples stupid ass easy button.. My sister was here yesterday and her almost 2 year old twin gets a kick out of it, so she brought it. Unfortunately, she forgot it.. and my girls have not stopped pressing that stupid ass button. I even tried taking out the batteries, and they figured out how to put them back in. Tomorrow my sister is coming to drop off her children, and she will no doubt be leaving with that easy button. There is nothing easy about it. It's annoying, and has got to go!

Suck it Fall!

2009-09-07T18:26:00.000-04:00

I'm about to bathe all the kids.. even the 9 year old still likes baths..
He's been sick this past weekend. Fever, headache, nausea.. Naturally, my husband was on line looking up the swine flu and h1n1 symptoms.. I encouraged him to call our pediatrician's, but slowly he settled down and now my son is feeling much better.
It was chilly today.. sort of. Not chilly where we needed a sweater, but chilly that at dinnertime we had closed all the window's. Fall bums me out. Big time. It's hard saying goodbye to the nice summer weather, when we know that the fall takes us into the long, cold, dark months of winter. Every year, I try to think of it differently, and I believe every year I blog about how much this time of year pisses me off, but I always keep the same shitty attitude.. One day I'll snap out of it.. and one day I'll be dead, which is probably when I won't give a crap about the winter in New England.
Anyway, in other equally depressing news, I packed up our pop up camper today. It's been sitting in our driveway all summer, waiting to be taken out.. but alas it sat there, and only set foot on a campground once this summer.. More important than how many times we took it out, was how many times we slept out there..which might sound lame, but the kids loved it. We had many a night sitting around our chiminea, watching dvd's, eating popcorn.. We made memories this summer, despite not leaving our yard.
My mom is still living with us. We've been talking to contractors and are going to be building her an apartment over our garage. It's perfect really. She'll have her own seperate space, and will still be close by.. the girls are head over heels with their Oma.. If they aren't under my foot, then they are up her ass. She claims not to mind..
Anyway, I've got 4 kids to clean and one twin who is currently at my feet yelling something about the wonder pets.. and trying to hit her sister at the same time.. nighty night!

Fantasy Football...

2009-09-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

The time of the year that I dread is upon us again.. Football season. Along with the dreaded fall, comes the most uncomprehendable sport on the planet. I'm not sure what it is about this sport that I can't put my finger on, but for the life of me, I can not figure it out. It seriously can not be that difficult, I mean, the men playing this sport aren't exactly rocket scientists.
Every year I try to get my husband to explain it to me. Usually during a big game,where my questions are only annoying and his small amount of patience in explaining the sport to me (again) is waining.
Along with the beginning of the football season, comes with it, fantasy football. Another thing I just don't get. My husband is in two leagues, which leaves him on the computer all weekend, and in front of the t.v. for games I wish he would read about in the news, on line or whatever.
One year he won. This put some money in the bank, which is always nice. However, for the amount of money it takes to play in these fantasies, and the time spent getting his line up ready, is hardly worth it.
Today he is at the first draft. Later this week, he'll do the second. I'm home with the kids, like I always am.. I told him that I wanted to go out tonight.. his solution? We'd get take out from one of our favorite restaurants. There must be a game on.. Can't wait til February, when the bowls of all bowls is done, and so is the fantasy season.. maybe then I can get my husband back.. at least until opening day at Fenway!

The Vintage Pearl..

2009-09-01T19:49:00.001-04:00

I want something from this little shop.. a neckalace with all my kids names.. how cute would that be?? I showed my husband what I wanted.. I'm sure I'll be getting it in the next few weeks.. but only because I'm buying it!

First Day..

2009-09-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

My boys had their first day of school yesterday. I'm still trying to figure out how they got so grown up already. 1st and 4th grade.. where has the time gone? They came home yesterday, excited, and exhausted (at least the youngest one) He complained about the dinner he asked me to make for him (his favorite dish, plain noodles and italian sausage cooked on the grill..) Apparently, it wasn't what he "really" wanted.. It's going to be an adjustment going full days, and getting to bed early enough so that he's not totally wiped by days end.
Only two more years, and my girls will be joining them at school.. I have mixed emotions on that.. clearly, I'm going to have do something different with my days.. babysitting will have run it's course by then.. and I may be back in the work force (at normal hours) with the rest of the population.. but we shall see.. for now, I'm just trying to enjoy my last couple of years at home with the kiddo's.. if I haven't lost all of my hair or jumped from the roof by then!

2009-08-25T13:09:00.002-04:00

The boys start 1st and 4th grade next week.. I can't believe it.. The summer has flown by. And like every summer's end, I start getting butterflies in my stomach.. full of worry and concern about the upcoming school year. Of course it's more about me, than the kids (of course!). I can't help but get taken back to my own childhood and the dread of going back to school. Then I have to remind myself that my kids actually LOVE school, and can't wait to get back there.. So whatever butterflies I get, I keep them to myself, and get just as excited as the boys do..

My youngest son is going to have the same teacher his brother had in first grade. Someone I really really liked (despite one of my first impressions of her.) And my oldest son is having a newer teacher, who was an aide in his first grade classroom. Someone else who I'm sure remembers our family well.. He also has his two best friends in his class again this year. I love that the school does that, I love how they foster good friendships and aren't afraid to let the kids be together year after year.

We still have shopping to do, haircuts to get.. but with 5 days left, we've got all the time in the world! Now it's time to get the kids out to the sprinkler, to try and soak in some last summer fun...

Eighty

2009-08-22T19:17:00.003-04:00

This was taken at my father in laws 80th birthday party.
It was a great time.. the entire family (except for one of our nephews in the military) was there. 80 is a big deal!
My father in law has had some health problems recently. He's been on dialysis for the past month or so.. and both his kidney's have failed. It's been a sad and stressful time for my husbands family.
I've known this man for almost 20 years. In some respects, he's been more of a father to me, than my own. I certainly see him more.
It was a great way to pay tribute to the man who so many love.

Still Potty Training..

2009-08-21T11:45:00.003-04:00

My girls (who just turned 3) are not ready for the potty.. or I'm not ready to commit to teaching them how.. I'm a firm believer that kids will do it when they're ready.. and when their mother is ready, because right now, having a minimum of 7 kids here most days, does not afford me the time needed to teach 2 little girls the in's and out's of potty training..
My concern at this point, is training my 6 year old how to pee IN the toilet, and not ON it. I can't tell you how many times I have sat down to do my business, only to realize that I have just sat my ass on a very wet, nasty toilet seat. You would think I would have learned after about the bazillionith time, but most days I'm in a mad rush to finish up and get back to the insanity occurring outside the bathroom door.
Anyway, if he doesn't stop doing it, I've decided that I'm going to make him sit down and pee. Maybe right after he's soaked the seat.. let's see how he likes that!

Sass-A-Frass..

2009-08-21T10:12:00.001-04:00

She actually asked me to take a picture of her like this.. boy, I'm in trouble!

BFF's...

2009-08-21T10:07:00.003-04:00

Isn't it funny that people actually ask me if they are sisters? It's amazing how they can be so nice to each other, and yet so evil. This was taken on a particularly nice day when they were each other's best friend... cuties...

Black and Blue..

2009-08-21T10:03:00.002-04:00

Can you see the yellowish/blue tone over his eye? The remnants of his concussion.. He's doing fine. In fact you would have never known that this boy had been in such miserable shape the day after it happened.. I'm contemplating putting a permanent helmet on him. I could do that right?

What Happens When Daddy's Left In Charge...

2009-08-21T09:56:00.003-04:00

Ok, so this could have totally happened while I was alone with her, but it didn't! He was "only on the computer for a minute.." when she decided that green was a good color for her!

Good Behavior Has it's Rewards..

2009-08-15T21:22:00.000-04:00

The other day my family and I were at a local restaurant. Most times when we show up somewhere to eat, I can almost hear the fellow diners sigh, seeing me, my husband and our four young children arriving to most definitely ruin their dining experience.

This doesn't bother me one bit. I totally understand, and would most likely react in the same way. However, these people don't know that my kids are really, really well behaved in a restaurant setting. More so than any other place we've taken them. I think partially because they are naturally introverted, shy children, and perhaps the thought of some stranger commenting on their bad behavior would be just too much for them.

On this particular day, as we were getting ready to leave, an older woman came over to our table and quietly handed each of my kids a dollar. The man she was dining with thought they deserved some of their own money, for being so good. He was legally blind, and could barely see my kids, but commented on how quiet and well behaved they were.

It's times like these that I sit back and look at these wonderful little creatures, and wonder where the hell they came from!! And how on Earth, did I deserve them?? ;)

My Pulse has Finally Returned to Normal..

2009-08-06T19:58:00.001-04:00

As I type, my 6 year old is on the couch, asleep.. recovering.

This morning, when he was playing in my bedroom downstairs with his cousin and twin sisters, he jumped off my bed, hit my ceiling fan and fell to the floor.

Of course I didn't witness any of this because I am the wonderful parent I am, and was upstairs taking care of the rest of the household of children.

When I heard the crying, I went downstairs and found my mom was in my room already and my son was on the floor, grabbing his ankle, screaming out of control. I thought he had broken it. It wasn't until I got closer to him, that I saw the huge welt on his left forehead.

It only took moments for me to realize that this was no normal bump, and that the screams I was hearing were none that I had ever heard before. These were serious cries.. the ones that tell you in the pit of your mother gut, that something is not right.

He wasn't responding to me, and only continued to cry. I ended up having to carry him upstairs, and lay him on the couch, where he stopped crying and instantly started to fall asleep. After a phone call to the local Emergency Room, my husband carried him to the car, my mom stayed with the rest of the kids, and I drove as fast as I could..

Upon arriving to the hospital and after checking in, he started vomiting. Naturally I thought he had some sort of bleed in his brain, and that we were going to be airlifting him to a neurological hospital in Boston.

I was soon put to ease when the triage nurse told me that his vitals were all great, and that most likely it was just a concussion. Thank God. The mind of a mother in distress is a dark place.

The ER doctor thought it was best if they gave him an i.v. to administor meds to help him with the nausea, and to get a cat scan to rule out any sort of serious issue, like a bleed. I was more than willing to have any testing done. My husband was a wreck, more so than me, which is the way our relationship runs. He freaks out, and I calm him down. I knew at that moment, when I was holding his hand and they were strapping his arm to a board putting in the i.v. (while my husband stepped out of the room) that I would have my breakdown later.

The cat scan thankfully came back negative, and my son was a trooper through the entire ordeal. The dr. wanted to keep him there for a while to make sure his vomitting stopped.. eventually it did, and we were discharged with instructions to wake him every 2 hours for the next 24.

This will be his 4th visit to the ER for head related injuries (the other 3 were for stitches) The concussion has been the most serious. I'm going to try to sleep tonight, and not worry about him.. although how can I? My husband is going to stay with him, and wake him and find out if he still knows who we are.. and to make sure he's still breathing..

update: This post took me almost two days to write.. my son is doing great. At this point, one would never know that yesterday he was so sick.. in fact, as I type right now, he's playing with my wireless mouse, and pretty much driving me up a wall.. welcome back buddy! I missed you!

2009-07-31T21:31:00.002-04:00

I talked to my husband tonight.. He's now moved onto selling pizza.. and I guess it's a lot of work.. There are a ton of bands, but unfortunately he's not hearing much because the 3 stages are competing with each other.. bummer. I miss him.
Today was insane. I only had my kids, which on a normal day would be a breeze, but the 6 year old didn't get his 10 hours last night, and spent a good part of today crying.. which makes me tense, which makes the rest of them tense too.. I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow.. praying for it really!
Still loving the laptop. man, what did I do without it? There are, I've discovered, a few drawbacks to having one.. first, when I used to go downstairs to get on the computer, most times I was alone.. in the quiet seldom used playroom.. it was a sanctuary.. second, the boys are so excited about our new computer, that they are fighting with me and each other for time on it. It's annoying.. but as I type here alone, on my quite comfy couch, long after the kids have gone to bed, I am loving it again..
I will hopefully have more time for my poor, lame little blog.. and be able to update my facebook status with more ease (you can see here that I've got my priorities in order!!) So here's to my husband returning safely.. my laptop surviving the greasy hands of my boys, and that my middle son (aka Jan Brady) gets his 10 hours tonight!

To the Graduate..

2009-07-31T12:32:00.000-04:00

I found this post that I never finished.. there are so many like them on my blog.. time is just not my friend these days!

My youngest son graduated from Kindergarten today.. this is a letter to him....

Dear sweetie
I saw you at school today. I watched from a distance, in a crowded room as you joined your classmates and sang to all the parents. I watched how nervous you were at first, and then how you settled into it.
I remembered the day you were born. How tired your dad and I were after a long night of labor with you. You were a vision of cuteness, with your blond hair, and your daddy's nose. Shortly after you were born, your big brother came in to meet you. This was one of the happiest moments of my life.. completing our family (or so I thought.. yes, twin girls were a surprise to say the least!)
I watched you today, such a big boy with all your friends surrounding you, and I wondered where the past 6 years of my life had gone, of your life.. how did you get so grown up already?
It reminded me of how quickly time passes.. and how I wish I could just freeze it, and remain here for a bit longer.. a place where life seems less complicated.. where all my kids still think I rock, and where kissing your mom goodbye is still ok.
Of course I know that can't happen, so I focus on the future and wonder what kind of wonderful things you are going to accomplish.. and what kind of trouble you are going to get into (cause I know there is going to be some trouble that you will get into!) And I look forward to it..I hope that you challenge everything in life, the way you have challenged me. Always asking why, and always striving for more.. You are truly special that way! I love you buddy!!

We Got a Cat!!!!

2009-07-30T19:48:00.002-04:00

And my mother came with it!
Last week my mom moved in with us. She's going to be here on a temporary basis, for a few months. I was apprehensive at first, who wouldn't be? But it's going really well so far. She's been a huge help to us with the kids, and they are completely psyched that she's here.. and her cat is going over pretty well too.. only one of the girls has an issue with it, but she's slowly getting over it and not screaming nearly as loud when she sees it.
In other news, I finally got a laptop! I am soooo happy not to have my old piece o'shit p.c. in the lower level of my house, requiring me to drag down all the kids when I wanted to check my email, or do a little blogging.. At this precise moment, I'm sitting on the floor in my bedroom, while the girls yak to each other, trying to fall asleep (oh yea, they aren't sleeping in their own beds yet! yet.. jesus they're 3!!) Small steps people!
My husband left this morning to work a concession stand at the All Points West Music Festival in New Jersey.. He'll be home in 4 days, and will have hopefully made some decent money. He called me tonight to inform me that his duty will be making, and selling coffee.. Poor schmuck. Let's try and remember the last time he made coffee, and how that turned out.. Oh I wish I could be there for that!!
I do miss him already though, much to my surprise. (I'm always surprised when I miss him, usually he's too busy making me crazy) Well, I gotta go.. my girls are far too intrigued with my new "t.v." to actually go to sleep.. it's been a long day.. but thankfully it's almost over!

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Girls..

2009-07-22T11:29:00.005-04:00

Every year, on this day, I am taken back to the night my girls were born.. I think about how excited I was when my doctor told me at 36 weeks, that I was 3cm. dilated and my c-section would be within the next hour. How happy I was that the pregnancy with my twins would soon be over. I had no idea what was in store for me in the next several months. At that point, I could only focus on not being pregnant anymore.
It's been a long, wonderful, exhausting 3 years and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It was a beautiful thing this morning, to see my younger twin wish her sister a Happy Birthday.. and to see them open up their presents.
I'm thankful that I get to see them grow up like my sister and I grew up.. as best friends.. even if there is an occasional knock down dirty cat fight, or a time when they can't stand each other, I know those moments are fleeting, and that no matter what, they will always have each other..

Camping..

2009-07-18T09:14:00.007-04:00

Camping on the fourth was fun.. a lot of work, and while the rain didn't come down in buckets all weekend, it certainly could have been warmer.. But who am I to complain. The kids had a great time with all of their cousins and friends. The girls wanted to go home pretty much the same day we got there, but eventually settled in. No one lacerated anything (yay!) And there were no bear sitings like last year.. Here's a couple of pics..

The bigger kids putting on a play..

The girls with their cousins..

July 1st

2009-07-01T21:20:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day of July, and sadly, we had warmer days in May. The tan I once had is gone, and the garden I was once so proud of is limp and choking on all the rain. It's truly depressing. We are heading north for our annual camping trip in 2 days, and I had better see some better weather, or I am going to lose my shit.
Last weekend we did get a full 12 hour reprieve from the dreary weather, and just enough time to open up our pop up and camp in the backyard, after all it was National Camp Out in Your Backyard Day, and who are we to miss a National holiday.. in case you've never heard of this, I hadn't either, it was my husband who told me about it, and I had to google it because I really didn't believe him. We had fun anyway, and it was a good chance to open up the camper and make sure that we didn't have a family of mice residing in it.. unlike my sister who opened her pop up to find dead baby mice and holes in the canvas.. nice.
Anyway, enough about the rain, and the mice.. I am truly excited about getting a vacation! My sister is on vacation next week which means no babysitting for me! Yay!! I love her children, but man, are they exhausting! Her boys, who are 20 months old are on the go non stop, and in to EVERYTHING!! One of them got his finger stuck in the pantry door, which has caused him to get a staph infection, and lose the nail on his middle finger.. the other one fell out of my camper the other day, and they both are constantly racing to my kitchen table to try and swing on the chandelier. Sounds like a joke, but it's not!
I had them today, and I have them tomorrow.. time for me to get some sleep.. I also have to pack 4 kids for a 3 night camping trip, and hope that maybe my lovely husband will pitch in at some point.. yea right.. I'll see monkey's fly out of my ass before that happens!!

The Uppity Up of What's Been Up..

2009-06-25T21:21:00.003-04:00

Again my blog is feeling the neglect of the life I am currently leading. I can't tell you how insane it has been.. well, maybe I can..
First of all, I have to mention that my dear friend blogless had her twin babies a week ago yesterday. Finally! She was only 2 days early, and for twins, that is just one total pisser. Well, it's actually really good and her babies were nice healthy weights (about 15 pounds combined- god help her!) but to have to waddle around in discomfort for close to 40 weeks with two babies just made my skin crawl a bit. Every time I saw her, or talked to her, it was painful.. for me. Yes, it's all about me! It brought me back to my own twin pregnancy in which I couldn't wait for the 35th week when I knew I could at least have them locally, and know they would be ok. Blogless is truly my hero.. I think I complained for her more than she ever did for herself!! I have yet to meet her babies, but I am planning on going up to her house this weekend and washing a floor, or scrubbing a toilet, or just holding some babies.. whatever she needs.. she was a huge help to me when my own girls were born, and it's the least I can do..
In other news.. school is over. yee friggin ha! I can't tell you how excited I am not to have to deal with the morning rush of feeding, clothing, packing lunches, brushing teeth.. and getting the boys to the bus on time. And of course remembering to be there when they get off the bus as well.. we all know how good I am at that! Now it's just me and the kiddo's in p.j.'s until whenever the hell we want.. which could be all day, and we are all ok with that!
There have been so many things I have wanted to blog about in the past couple of weeks.. the last day of kindergarten for my youngest son, having to explain my period to my oldest son (yea, that was fun), the recent illness my father in law is facing, but I find the issue is time.. And the lack of it.. If I'm not changing a diaper, or folding laundry, doing the dishes or dust busting some cracker crumbs off the couch, then I'm asleep.. there really is some bloggable shit going on, but I am too tired to stay up and write it down..
One day I'll get to it.. as for now, I'm heading to bed.. my most favorite place!

Tagged..

2009-06-11T09:31:00.009-04:00

Thanks to McPolack for the tag.. I always feel so popular when I'm "it"

What is your current obsession?
My yard, and getting it perty..

What do you hate that most everyone else seems to love?
Rachel Ray..

What are you wearing today?
capris, black shirt stained with white paint

What’s for dinner?
I haven't thought that far ahead yet..

What would you eat for your last meal?
scallops wrapped in bacon, more bacon, and a huge steak w/bernaise sauce.. and then I would hope to hold my bowels during my death.. that would be one nasty ass shit!

What’s the last thing you bought?
switch plates with purple butterflies on them.

What are you listening to right now?
5 children building a fort with two pack and plays..

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
She's funny, creative and can do some wicked yoga moves!

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
I just moved into this one, and since this doesn't promise to move you as well, I would have to say right here. And besides, I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my new house, and LOVE IT!

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
back to bed.. lame, but I'm beat!

Which language do you want to learn?
I'd love to polish up my Spanish..

What’s your favourite quote?
I only know one, and have since I was 16.. "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination" by James Dean..

What is your favourite colour?
green

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
a black gap hoodie that I've had far too long.

What is your dream job?
Mike Rowe's personal assistant (the guy from Dirty Jobs)

Describe your personal style?
non exsistent

What’s your favourite tree?
river birch

What are you going to do after this?
give 5 kids their mid morning snack.. fold some laundry, and try to keep everyone from biting each other (and me!)

What’s your favourite fruit?
bananas

What inspires you?
my friends.. my kids..

Who was the last person you kissed?
my youngest son

What are you currently reading?
corduroy..

Go to your bookshelf, take down the first book with a red spine you see, turn to page 26 and type out the first line:
My books are still packed away.. the only books on any shelf are all easy readers.. and golden books..

What delighted you the most today?
getting a birthday card in the mail..

By what criteria do you judge a person?
Their shoes.

The rules:

1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.

2. Tag eight other people.
Well, since I don't even know 8 people that are current with their blogs, I tag my sister, and a busy mom of 5. Have fun ladies!! ;) And since you both have twins, I really don't expect you to do it.. but at the very least I have hopefully made you feel special! And popular! ;)

Bone Marrow Registry..

2009-06-10T09:25:00.003-04:00

I have always wanted to sign up for the bone marrow registry, and for whatever reason, I never did.. Until yesterday.
They are letting you join the registry, free of charge, until June 22nd. Everyone should join. It's fast, and easy, and free!! (usually it's $50 for the swab kit, not a high price to pay to help save a life) Here's the site..

3 Yards..

2009-06-09T23:14:00.000-04:00

It doesn't sound like it's that much.. really. 3 yards to someone who fancies sewing, sounds like enough for a couple of bags, or a curtain..
So why wouldn't 3 yards of mulch sound like a lot?? Why wouldn't it sound like the perfect amount??

Because yards in outside terms are very different than yards in real life (as I like to call the inside).

If only I had had my camera waiting, to capture the look on my poor husbands face as he pulled in from work last week to see our driveway pretty much covered in mulch. He left for work thinking that I was just going to call around for prices.. He didn't know that I would in fact be having some delivered the same day. I thought it was a great deal, and they could deliver it the same day. And since I'm the type of person who would like things finished yesterday, I thought this was fair.

I am currently thinking about either making a ton of flower beds in my yard, or putting it on Craigslist. I haven't made up my mind. I'm pretty sure he has an idea of where I could put it..

3 sets of twins..

2009-06-04T21:50:00.005-04:00

My life is not easy.. taking care of my own set of twins, still at the tender age of 2, my sister's twins who are the at the rambunctious age of 19 months, and my sister's daughter, who is at the wonderful know it all age of 4.
I don't want to pat myself on the back (well, not too hard anyway) but damn! I'm a busy friggin woman.. or just legally insane.. or both.
I took some pictures the other day, of the insanity.. My niece came to the house wearing a beautiful dress, and a doll that was wearing the same exact one. Cute, yet oddly creepy.
But she was a twin that day too.. So, I tried getting a couple of pictures of ALL the twins.. This was the best I could do as one of the boys couldn't bear being out of my arms for more than a moment..

Pissa...

2009-06-03T21:41:00.003-04:00

My 6 year old is learning so much. He's got most of his letters down pretty well. It would appear that Z's are a bitch.
This would be a cheese and pepperoni pizza.. almost!

It's On Sister!

2009-06-03T10:05:00.001-04:00

I finally decided what to do with the spider. I've named it Mr. Big, cause it's fucking BIG. I brought it to work with me last night, and left it in a cabinet at my sister's desk. She's now informed me that she left it somewhere for me. Great. I can't imagine where she's hiding it, but it is so on. Hahaha.. (evil laughter).

The Hee-Bee's..

2009-06-01T10:39:00.003-04:00

I don't mind most things. But spiders.. no thanks. It's bad enough that since we have moved into our new house, I have had to dispose of several. But this one here, this takes the cake. I found it while cleaning the girls bedroom the other day. At first glance, I thought it was one of those fake spider rings that kids get for Halloween.. unfortunately, it was quite real. I'm not sure exactly what type of spider it is, but I am pretty sure it's harmless. That doesn't mean that I want to live with it either. Time to call the orkin man..

Who's Who part duex..

2009-05-24T22:06:00.009-04:00

Ok, so my sister has somewhat challenged me in telling apart our twins. I am a pro, as she knows. But she has asked me to post some pics of my girls, so that maybe she can tell them apart.. I'm digging into my archives folks.. Good luck sistah friend! Oh, and btw, if anyone can tell me who's who in the second pic, then I'll be your best friend, cause really, I have NO IDEA!!