MISSED IT!

The only photo I took today, and I missed it! Buttercup sneaked into the cat tree and was sleeping by Marisol. By the time I got the camera, Marisol became aware the kitten was there and was leaving! Oh well, I hope I get it the next time - gotta start carrying the camera with me!!

GIRLS NITE OUT!

It was Girl Scout Night at the Admirals Hockey Game. Eva wanted to take Ella, so we had a Girls Nite Out while the boys stayed home and watch the Packers (lose) in the Play-Offs. This picture was taken with my new Kindle. Not a bad picture, as long as it stays small! It was Ella's first Hockey Game and first time at the Bradly Center. She was so cute and I really enjoyed myself. We need to do this more often.

Joie de Viver

So my schedule was thrown off with Christmas Break and it was time to get it together! And on Fridays it means that I strip all the beds, put new sheets on, and wash the old ones. ummm, the only problem was I had no sheets left! So today I was washing 2 sets of sheets, pillow cases, mattress covers, and rubber sheeting times 4 (I still had sheets for our bed, whew!)!! And even with my extra large capacity washing machine, it was still several loads. So while I'm waiting for the next load, I'm folding sheets in the living room and guess who decided that attacking the sheets would be fun? yup, our own little kitten, Buttercup.  Oh, she was so stinkin' cute, it made me laugh and brightened my day. I love her "joie de viver" and hope she keeps it always.

LOVE

I couldn't decide which picture to use today as I took a couple and they all seemed post worthy. But I decided on this one because it spoke to me of Love. As soon as Eva got home from school, she picked up Buttercup and kissed her and hugged her and told her how much she missed her.  Buttercup responded by putting a paw to her face, as in, "Talk to the paw, I'm busy." And that was it. Buttercup didn't bite Eva nor scratch her, even though she had had enough. And Buttercup raced upstairs at bedtime to be with Eva. And that's what I wanted to remember - that we should keep loving, no matter how annoyed we are!

BEST FRIENDS

Eddie has been begging for a dog, I think ever since he took a breath! And I ask him why he wants a dog and he says,
     They're cute
     They do stuff with you
     They stay by you
     They keep you company
     They are your Best Friend
So here is Sophie, on the top bunk with Eddie. She doesn't sleep with anyone else - she USED to sleep with me!! But now, she sleeps with Eddie. And she sits by him when he's watching tv. Or lays on the floor with him.  Sounds like a dog to me!! Sooo, why do I need to get a dog when Sophie fulfills the need??

HELPING

Or so Marisol says! Yup, putting the last of the Christmas ornaments away and Marisol just couldn't wait to get in the box!

SWIMMING

When you have Aspergers and ADD, team sports just don't work out. Private swimming lessons have been a Godsend to us. It was the only way Eva would advance, since there was no distractions AND she had one on one attention. She has done so well, she is on the Swim Team this year! And because it's worked so well, we have also signed the triplets up for Private Swim Lessons at the Y. Here is Eva and Eddie, sharing a session since Eddie has advanced farther than Ella and Joey. Thus we have Crazy Monday (fortunately, all in one building - the Y!):
     3:00     School gets out
     3:30     Eva and Eddie have their Private Lesson; Ella and Joey do their homework
     4:00     Ella and Joey have their Private Lesson; Eddie and Eva do their homework
     4:45     Bring Ella and Joey to the Kids Camp
     5:00     Bring Eddie to the Gym for Basketball; Eva finishes her homework with enough time to go to the XArcade
     5:45     Eva gets ready for Swim Team
     6:15     Eddie is done with Basketball and I take him to Kids Camp where Dad will be picking the triplets up by 6:30 to take them home to eat dinner which I prepared earlier in the day and is waiting in the oven!
     7:15     Eva is done with Swim Team; shower and changes
     7:30     We get home and finally eat dinner; Dad takes the triplets upstairs for bed
     8:00     Eva goes to bed and I read to her 1 chapter from the book we're reading
     8:30     I collapse on the couch, lol

PATIENCE

It took me all Christmas Season, but I FINALLY got this picture of our new kitten, Buttercup, staring at the ornaments!!  And of course it was on the last day of the Christmas Holiday, Epiphany! This was Buttercup's First Christmas and she was a good kitty - she did not climb the tree, but she did play with some of the ornaments on the bottom of the tree and kept sliding my tree skirt around!! I expected more antics since I left the cat tree next to the Christmas Tree (hey, it shared the front window!), but Buttercup was a good kitty.

WAR

If you don't believe me, take a look at Eddie's face! Joey's throwing the cards, Ella's tattling on Joey and telling him he's not suppose to do that. Joey is not listening and doing what he wants to do. And Eddie's getting mad at Joey for throwing the cards and at Ella for tattling! Then I came in, to see what all the fuss was about and saw the OTHER mess they had made and let's just say, the outcome was not pretty!! And that is a pretty typical day in our house when Eddie's home!

PRACTICING...

... to be a teenager!

• Forgot to make bed, check!
• Messy room, check!
• Music posters on her wall, check!
• Doing homework in her room because of the "pests", check!
• Listening to her own music, check!
• Listening to music AND doing homework, check!
• Eating a snack because she was STARVING!!, check!
• While she's doing homework, check! 
• Oh, and the mood swings, check!

sigh, where did the time go? It seems like yesterday, she was toddling about the house. Now she's blossoming into a young woman. Ready or not, here it comes!

SADNESS

 Winter Break is over and my kids went back to school this morning. The triplets were so excited to see their friends, I only got one of them in the picture, barely! And now I sit in a quiet house with nothing but housework (yuck!) to keep me occupied. Gone are the days of cuddling on the couch, watching tv or reading books. No more playing in the backyard, on the swings or in the sandbox or chalk on the sidewalk. Or going to the library for Story Time, then McDonald's for a Happy Meal. Where did the time go? Some days, I so miss those days!

On the other hand, here is my oldest who didn't want to go to school today and was just sobbing in the car. This year has been a tough one for her as she hasn't clicked with the teacher for the first time in her school career.  This teacher has set the bar pretty high and for the first time, Eva's not making it. For the first time, Eva has to learn how to be an advocate for herself and not wait for Mom to step in.  That if she doesn't understand something, to ask for it to be re-explained. To ask questions, like "How would you like this?" "What do I need?" "When do I do this?" It's so much harder for her, since she has Asperger's and ADD, so while other kids will see and interpret what needs to be done, Eva has to be told, step by step, what needs to be done/what the expectation is. And she's had that in other teachers, but not this year. So I told Eva that instead of crying, she needs to step up and assert herself.  To believe that she is smart enough, capable enough, to get the job done. She just needs a few more directions to get there. And that's ok, there is nothing wrong with that.  But it still breaks my heart to see her not like school this year. Everybody said 4th grade was tough and they weren't kidding! I just wish I could wrap my arms around her and make it all go away.

SILENCE

Silence is golden. Unless you have children. Then you start to wonder what's going on. What mayhem is brewing. Thus is where my thoughts went this morning while I'm on the computer. The Christmas Tree was blocking my view of the couch, so I didn't see the triplets there. I'm just cruising through the list of free books on Amazon today when I realized, there wasn't a sound! In a house with 4 children, the only time there is silence is (a) when they are in bed (b) at school or (c) up to no good. So in a panic I pushed myself away from the computer, only to see this - my three little howler monkeys being Good!! They were READING!!  I guess I'll have to change my list now, huh?

ANTICIPATION

Yup, that's what it's all about when you're 6.  Here's dad (+Gerald Grogan), putting together Joey's Rocket Ship he got for Christmas (complete with astronauts AND aliens!) and the boys just couldn't wait for it to be finished.

And here are all 4 kids, trying to play with Ella's Polly Pocket Hotel (snagged that baby on an Amazon one day sale for $15 and free 2 day shipping - booyah!)  Ella's been staring at that box and asking everyday for Daddy to open it.

And today was the magical day that toys got put together and kids could dream big dreams.