More Santa?!?!

It's been the phrase of the week...."MORE SANTA". We put up our Christmas tree roughly two weeks ago and found this musical Santa. I put him on the end table next to the tree and the couch. The kids LOVE IT!! We turn him on at least three times a day. He plays a song for about a minute and then the kids run out of the room and forget about him. Eventually they realize I have turned him off and then I hear "ALL DONE SANTA" for the next hour.

Surprisingly last year they kids didn't really touch the tree. This year has been a completely different story. I decided to vacuum this past Friday after work. I took the vacuum upstairs and came back down to find the Christmas tree ON THE FLOOR. Yes, the quads had knocked over the tree. The stand was busted so I had to go get another one when Brian got home. Nothing was broken and no one was hurt....well, maybe I should phrase that in another way. Feelings were hurt badly when they got put in time out. They all sat a good five minutes on the couch and cried. Brian decided he would be funny and tell people Parker was trying to eat the pole of the tree. This morning I found tree needles in his poop, I'm thinking not so funny now. Sensory kids definetly know how to keep you on your toes!!

We've been trying to get rid of all these germs lately in the Scott house. We've had colds, flu with quads, pneumonia, and flu again. It's just been a bad year for this. Brian and I have gotten a call from daycare on average of every two days saying someone is sick and has to be sent home. Hopefully over Christmas break we can get healthy. Although I have to make it to Christmas break first. I have three more days and I have Brian and Drew passed out on the couch with a bucket, blankets, a bathroom, and a movie. Maddox, Parker, and Emma all had it Saturday, Drew and Brian today, I hope Jack and I are not next. Praying for it to just leave the house.

My parents are coming this week for Christmas. I'm excited. Christmas, my Brother in Law's birthday, Drew's birthday and my husband works a normal job so he can actually spend time with us. Thankful for a wonderful holiday season.

I hope your Christmas is wonderful, I'm sure I won't get to post until after the holiday.

Getting Roughed Up.

To start this post let me say WHAT A WILD MONTH!

I started the month off with a cold. The kids were soon to follow with round one of meds for November. We all came through that and then came the flu. Thankfully Emma was the only one to have it. Now this week PNEUMONIA! All four boys have it. Emma is doing ok so far. She has a little cough but no fever, or loss of appetite. JUST SASSYPANTS! We arrived home from our fabulous trip to Wisconsin only to get here and have me take off to the ER with Maddox. His heart was racing and he was having a hard time breathing. He just makes me so nervous considering his history. His lungs were not crackling, but the doctor actually listened to what I was saying. He ordered a chest xray and it was confirmed. :( They started him on steroids and sent us home with meds. Brian decided to stay home with him on Monday. Only to find Drew had also become sick. He stayed home too while everyone else headed to daycare. Today I took the quads to daycare (after we of course checked temps) to arrive at work to be called home immediately. The boys all had temps and Parker and Jack were passed out in the front office. I picked up Drew and Maddox and headed back to the ER for them to confirm Drew's case and check Maddox's hydration levels. When I returned to get the rest of the squad I realized Jack and Parker too needed meds. Lets just say I'm ready for the month to end. November has been tough. I feel like I haven't been to work.

Speaking of work...I'm going back to work full time. I'm happy to be going back to help feed the squad and pay our bills, but at the same time, I feel like my kids are going to grow faster and I'm going to miss a lot of fun things. I mean, they just turned two last week. I can't believe they are two!! I'm not ready for them to grow up. It's strange how I've been really excited for Drew to do all these fun big boy things and hate to see my quads doing them. Don't get me wrong, no more babies here, I'm just shocked at how fast time has gone.

It's all quiet upstairs, I think I will join in the peace and quiet.
Good night!!!

Let's Go To School!

We did it, after a long drawn out talk and lots of thinking. Brian and I put the quads in daycare. I was going to be a stay at home mom, but honestly; I just can't mentally do it. I love my kids more than anything, but it's so hard. And after the kids visit with Dr. Escobar (the Developmental Specialist) we thought this would be the best for them socially. It will give them great learning opporunities, a chance to get out of the house and play with other kids their age, and give Brian and I a chance to work outside the house.

So far, the kids love daycare. Drop off is a bit rough, but I'm sure they don't stand at the door and scream too long. They have shown me they can independently walk from the car to the door and all the way to their room. Today when I arrived for pick up they were able to show me how they turn on the sink (which is at their level), wash their hands, dry them and throw their towel in the trash. It's only been three days and I am so proud. Their teacher is great, I'm so happy they have her.

Drew is doing great at preschool. He can write his name independently now. He's so proud of himself. While doing his homework last night he wrote all the way to letter "I" without help. Keep in mind they have only gone to letter "G". He can write some other letters of the alphabet but really only likes to do the ones he's learned in class. He's counting to 13 and then it tends to get a little hairy. :) It's really been funny; Drew has been singing a lot and I am hearing the quads starting to sing with him. Although Emma knows most of her alphabet and counts to ten on her own already.

Brian and I have just been busy with work. We have some ideas with home projects, but are most likely going to wait to tackle them until the babies are "not so messy". :) I mean, really there is not point in replacing the floors when the babies just want to break a bottle of tobasco sauce on it. That stuff stains!! Just incase you didn't already know that. We'd like to paint the kitchen, but then you have to do the counters and so on. Planning to go to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. I'm very excited. Quads turning two, turkey dinner, and my family. Can't get much better.

Time for bed, this mama has been up at 5 A.M. all week and I AM TIRED!
HUGS!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Batman, Robin, Batgirl and the cast from the Wizard of Oz hit the yellow brick road to collect candy on Halloween. It was a little chilly, but so much fun to see all the costumes. The quads dressed as Tin Man (Maddox), Scarecrow (Jack), Lion (Parker) and Dorothy (Emma). Drew went as Batman, Brian dressed as Robin and I of course Batgirl. I felt a little ridiculous dressing up, but I guess it's all in good fun. It's going to be hard to top these cute costumes next year.

Brian and I decided this week we were going to enroll the kids in daycare. We decided it was going to be in their best interest socially. They went with us to tour the facility today and seemed really excited. They had puzzles, climbers, blocks, stacking toys and more. They even cleaned up after themselves. The assistant director was impressed. They were all complimented on their behavior and their cuteness! I'm definetly one proud mama. :)

I'm gearing up for birthdays and holidays. It's hard to believe my babies are going to be two in three weeks. Where has the time gone?? It is exactly two years ago today I was put in the hospital on bedrest until they were born. Brian planned a trip to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving and the quads birthday. I'm so excited. We haven't been able to spend Thanksgiving with my family in 10 years due to Brian's work schedule. I LOVE HIS NEW JOB! We got circus tickets for the kids birthdays. I'm so excited to take them to their first circus. Stacy and Nick are going with us, I know they are thrilled too. I'm not sure what Santa will bring. With the kids in daycare it really puts a strain on Santa's shopping cart. Hoping for some sweet deals, pass them along if you hear of any deals coming up. It's crazy to think I will have five kids in my Christmas tree in less than a month. I thought I yelled a lot with them pushing buttons on the tv, it's gonna be a whole lot worse. YIKES!

Time for bed,, this mama is wiped out. TOO MUCH LAUNDRY! Just kidding, too much play time today!
:)

Patching It Up.

It was a little scary, but we did it! We ventured to the pumpkin patch and let the quads run free for a bit. They loved the straw pile. It was so fluffy and bouncy it just made them giggle. Even better, we took them on the hayride out to the patch and we found a couple of GINORMOUS pumpkins to carve. I would say they easily weigh more than Drew. We bought some cider but I have waited to give it to them. Brian really likes it so I was thinking we could do it as a family. Next mission is to carve with 10 little hands wanting to help. :) I will let you know how that goes!

Brian has been out of town on business the last two weeks. It's been quite a challenge. He has two more trips coming up, I just have to hang tough a little longer. Last week wasn't bad, but this week was difficult. The quads are sick with colds, and Drew was just cranky. I'm happy to have him home for the weekend. He flies out again Monday afternoon, so if any of you would like to help out in the evenings or drop off food one night, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! He won't be home until Friday night.

Other than catching myself running in circles being a single mommy for a few weeks, things have been going well. Just keeping busy with work, doctors appts, smooching the kids. Looking forward to the holidays and birthdays but not the cold weather. Going to Wisconsin for the quads birthday and Thanksgiving. I am so excited. It is nice to think that I don't have to worry about Brian working extended hours and holidays. Loving it!! Time to run, I'm beat and would like to see my husband.
Halloween pics to come soon.

Busy Bodies.

Let me just say I LOVE MY LIFE! My kids are having the time of their life. They are playing together and idependently, climbing the jungle gym outside, talking, following directions, and of course fighting. It's so amazing to see preemies grow into normal healthy toddlers. :)

I will update you on all the happenings in the last couple of weeks. We have been a busy bunch. My parents came to Indy, my sister got married and of course we partied. The kids bopped until they dropped. So much fun! They sat well in church, ate chicken fingers and fries, showed the crowd some of their dance moves. It was an amazing day. It's too bad it took us a full week to recover from our be-bopping and hip-hoppin. Brian started his new job this week. He is loving it. He starts in class training this week in Pennsylvania. We sure are going to miss him. He will be home on the weekends, but will be in and out of town for the next 4-5 weeks. :( The kids will be able to skype with him, so we can at least see his face. We took a field trip to the zoo. There was no one there, so we got a lot of good views of the animals. The kids loved the monkies. This past weekend, Brian got his first taste of what being a normal working persons weekends really consist of. HOME IMPROVEMENT! We've done lots of around the house projects, just not on the weekend. First up....the front door. Re-caulked, painted, and power washed the patio. CHECK! Next week...the PUMPKIN PATCH. :)

Yep, time to get ready for Halloween. We have 6 of 7 costumes. The last one should be here this week. You will have to wait for pictures...I'm not ready to post what I have. Hope you all have a great week...I'm praying for my sanity. YOU SHOULD TOO!
XOXO
Sara

Total Failures.

I have to admit, Brian and I crashed and burned this past week. It started out with my alarm going off at 6am. All is going well. I get ready and leave for work. Around 8am I get a text from Brian telling me his alarm didn't go off. Sure, tell yourself that....I have watched him many times accidentally turn it off instead of hitting snooze. Needless to say, Drew missed school. On top of that we already had sick, wheezing quads who had an appointment with our pedi. Cold and flu season can't already be here. We aren't off to a very good start.

Tuesday comes around and it was just busy. Everyone was cranky, I had a meeting and worked late. TIME FOR BED! Wednesday I again, get up and leave for work. I receive a call at school...ITS BRIAN! Apparently he ignored me when I said "Put both our car keys on your key ring." This would make it so we each have a set for both our vehicles. He has no keys for the Acadia to take Drew to school. Luckily our neighbor was home sick from work. He graciously let Brian take Drew to school in his car and he watched the babies. I brought Drew home to find later in the afternoon that his right ear is twice the size of his left. UGH!

Thursday, woo-hoo! Friday is almost here. I worked two extra days this week for some extra cash. I was told by the pediatricians office staff to take Drew to urgent care for his ear. OK, so I call Brian and tell him he needs to take Drew in. Lets just say, sometimes it's easier said than done. We have Drew seen and he gets antibiotics. Thank goodness, it's bedtime!

Today has been a bit more relaxed. I worked, took the kids outside to play, made dinner, did dishes, and did two loads of laundry. Not to mention UPDATE THE BLOG! Ha! Lots to do this weekend. My sister Stacy gets married next weekend so I need to get it done. My parents are coming on Wednesday and it will be super busy from there on out. I'm so excited and so scared I'm gonna forget something. Time to make a list. First, maybe a snooze in my bed.

:) Sara

The Boo Boo Report.

I have to say what an eventful weekend. What started out to be fun and enjoyable quickly went south. :( We had some Oreos for snack and that's what started it. Maddox ran into the kitchen table while picking up crumbs and cut his lip open. After I got that taken care of, Emma tripped over a toy only to give herself a nice mark on her lip. As I was cleaning Jack up from snack Parker fell from his seat to the floor giving himself a concussion and a broken collar bone. We made not only one trip to the ER, but two! They did a head CT on Saturday about 2 hours after his fall due to wiggling eyes and disorientation. He cried and cuddled so much that no one realized he wasn't moving his left arm. I ended up taking him back Sunday morning to have his arm and shoulder x-rayed. We see the Orthopaedics doctor in the morning. I will keep this updated as much as possible. OH...and we aren't done there with the boo boos! I got home only to get the kids in bed and have Drew jump off the couch to bite his cheek. It bled FOREVER!! Not really, but geez it was like 10 minutes. Hopefully that will take care of boo boos for the rest of the year. I seriously have had two kids break bones in the lat four months. This being a mom to five toddlers is TOUGH.

I've been so busy kissing broken and brusied body parts that I've not had time for anything else. I'm still working on painting Drew's bedroom and swapping out clothes in closets. Just catching up on sleep and working completes the rest of my busy days.

Post more soon!
XOXO

Playtime!

It's beginning to feel like fall! We have been able to play comfortably outside. The kids have been throwing fits when it's time to come in for dinner or bath. I now know what my parents went through when I was little. My poor parents!! I have to admit, as much as I'm dreading the terrible two's, the kids being able to climb the play set and run with each other is amazing. I have the best time outside with my kids.

We finally had the chance to go to Grandma Susan and Papa Jack's new house. The kids loved it. They ran all over the house exploring new things. Little JR(Jack) found the phone. I hope he didn't call anyone long distance. Susan, I'm sorry I've changed my address so please don't forward the phone bill. Drew loved papa's new 3D tv. The shades give a whole new meaning to fashion. Emma liked the kitchen, but I'm thinking it was the brownies that were in there. She licked her plate clean like a little doggy. Parker and Maddox just loved the space to run. I believe I might have two athletes. Grandmas house was a blast, we will visit again soon.

Brian starts his new job in less than a month. We couldn't be more excited. He bought a new car to cut down on the gas expenses. It's sharp (in his words). He picked out a new Toyota Corolla S. Very sporty and gas milage friendly. He is gonna be crusing Indianapolis in style!!

Not much else happening other than cold and flu season has already hit the Scott house. Everyone but Drew is sick. The quads are cranky and there's lots of cuddling and crying going on. Daddy and I are hanging tough....lots of cold meds! Hoping to kick this bug quick.

XOXO

Bringing up the Rear!

While I was pregnant the babies were always labeled in the same order. Baby "A"-boy Maddox, Baby "B"-boy Parker, Baby "C"-boy Jack, Baby "D"-girl Emma. When they were born Emma came out third and became baby "C" and Jack became baby "D". I always have joked that Emma didn't want to be the last one out. I'm thinking now; almost two years later...that it's just the oppoiste. Thinking back to NICU days, Jack was the last one out of his incubator, last to bottle feed, usually last to be visited as he was at the last tree pod. He has been first to roll, crawl, and graduate from therapy, but I think he likes to make sure everyone is safe. He is always last in the morning for diapers and getting dressed, last for bath, and last going up and down the stairs. I guess he might fall under the saying of Ricky Bobby "If you aint first, you last!" Ha.

I've started another project! Brian cleaned out the garage this week in hopes to find our missing baby gate parts and the paint that is in our living room. Somehow Drew got the impression that it was ok to scale the wall to fling himself over the back of the couch. :) Now I have walls that look "decorated" and disgusting. I don't think he found either of those items. So we moved onto painting Drew's room. He's obsessed with green and wanted a green room. I dredded it! So we've come to a compromise of 3 green walls and 3 brown walls to make it look like a baseball diamond to go with his bedding. I finished the brown today and so far so good. He did pick a vibrant green so we will see! I'm a little nervous.

I hate change, and always get nervous. I will post some pictures when it's done. I have to work the next three days so wont get to it until Wednesday or Thursday. Enjoy the beginning of the week.
XOXO
Sara

Our First....

day of Preschool for Drew was great. He colored a green raccoon and stayed in the lines for the most part. It's sooooo cute. He said he met lots of friends, had snack, and did calendar. I'm sure they were busy as can be. We woke up pretty early and the quads were not too happy about it. Surprisingly we got no argument from Drew. The squad most defintely showed their cranky side this evening from that early wake up call. The can all sleep in tomorrow while I head off to work.

YUP, mama is back to work. Week two of the school year and all is drama! I thought once or twice in high school you out grow drama, but man it never ends!! It wasn't as tough to get back into the routine as I thought it would be. Maybe because I worked a little through the summer. Looking forward to a fun school year.

This past weekend we took the kids to the St. Vincent Annual NICU Reunion. Since we are NICU graduates we thought we would go and visit the quads very "FIRST" best friends. Our NICU nurses were the best. Amber, Karrie, Karla, and Jen you girls are amazing for watching over our sweet babies while they were there, and taking care of Brian and I when we had ups and downs. We were able to see our high risk OB while we were there along with many of our multiples friends and some of our other quad family friends. It's amazing how normal we looked and felt seeing families who are just like us!

Other firsts this week are jumping off the couch, climbing up on the fireplace, saying "love you" and the squad singing "Elmo's World" from tv. LOVE MY LIFE!!!

<3 Sara

Our First State Fair Trip

After last week we needed an escape. Brian thought it would be fun to go to the Indiana State Fair. So after nap we loaded up and headed to the fair. It was so much fun and so educational. We saw cows and mooed at them for a few minutes, saw the arts and crafts building and goofed off in there. We rode some rides and played a few games. Drew went on his first roller coaster and loved it! He threw some darts and popped a balloon to win a frog. The quads loved the fair and all the people. They are quite people watchers. They were able to experience a root beer float and see a rainbow.

Rewinding to continue from my last post about me. I have talked with my PCP and gotten great news. It's not a tumor! It's ureathral diverticulitis. Most of the time it requires surgery, but they feel that it's small enough I don't need it removed. I'm so relieved. Now isn't really a good time of the year to take time out for surgery! Now, let me tell you all about the doctor who first diagnosed me. He called last Tuesday within an hour of my CT scan and said I had a tumor. Two days went by and I thought I would call my good friend Kim. I told her and she did some digging. So I went on Monday for my follow up with Dr. Dumb. First I arrive to find his nurse didn't put me on the schedule. The nurse and his secretary question me about how I feel and what I had heard. What happened to patient confidentiality?? I get called back and wait. I told Dr. dumb what I thought it was. He recalled nothing of what he told me on the phone, and then admitted he didn't see the diverticulitis in the scan. He flipped through some papers and said well I guess the radiologist picked up on it and I just missed it. So I immediately grabbed my purse and left. At this point I had enough information to make an informed decision. DON'T GO BACK! My PCP said I should be feeling better soon, and I already do.

Hoping for a fabulous finish to the week, it's back to work for me on Monday.
Sara

Kids Say the Wildest Things.

I have the cutest kids. So what if I'm a bit biased, I'm the mommy and I can be. :) It's been a wild week, to say the least. Drew is spending the week with my parents in Wisconsin. He's having a blast. He will come home tomorrow to help throw Stacy and Nick their wedding shower. The quads have had some quality Mommy and Daddy time this week. That doesn't mean it's been smooth sailing. I was headed to get the laundry from the basement and I told them "Mommy is going to go bang her head on the wall". Immediately I got the response from them "BYE-BYE!" Not only did they yell, they waved. Hahaha. We've also finger painted, gone to Dairy Queen and eaten cookie dough this week. Overall, I'd say it was a fun and successful week!

Brian and I finished the basement. YIPEE! It looks great, and the kids love it. I took them down to play for a bit yesterday. They have discovered things sort of echo and sound twice as loud. I'm just glad I still have my hearing. We got a bit loud. We haven't finished all the toddler beds yet. Jack is still doing great in his. I think Parker might be getting the idea. I've seen him lay on Jack's bed a few times. Maddox is too interested in stuffed animals in their room. He likes to move them from place to place. Emma has discovered jumping on the bed. That girl is gonna be a wild one! Boys look out...Daddy is prepared. (Note to Brian: BE READY!)

I will post more on this later, but some of you know I've been a little under the weather lately. I had some tests done and came back showing something very unexpected. My urologist called to tell me I have a tumor growing on my ovary. I have some follow up appointments in the next two weeks, and currently feeling quite devastated and depressed. I know I was told a few details, but being in shock at that moment, I couldn't tell what those details were. I ask that you don't give your medical opinion, but just show support for me and my family. Again, I don't have many details as I totally shut down after I heard those words. I will keep you posted on how things are going and how I'm feeling.

XOXOXO
Sara

Squad Happenings

I know I've sort of fallen off the blog wagon....but here's to climbing back on!!

Recent happenings in the Scott house include everyone being able to climb and of course learn to jump on the couch. Jack has even managed to teach himself to sommersault off the couch. He's got good form! Brian has completed one toddler bed (which I've not been brave enough to try out yet). We have cleaned up the basement and started to put furniture and toys where they belong. It's looking great. The bathroom is in working order down there so I don't have to worry about Drew anymore. I discovered this morning I have two lions and a zebra in my house. Jack and Parker make good lions. Maddox likes the zebra. They are really catching on to their animal noises. Parker graduated from Physical Therapy this week. He is going to start Occupational Therapy again for his fine motor skills and sensory issues.

This past weekend Brian kept all five kids by himself while I went to Wisconsin. My mom and I threw a wedding shower for my sister Stacy and her fiance Nick. It was fun, but a very busy weekend. Stacy had her first dress fitting. She is going to look amazing. I can't wait!! They got wonderful gifts from their shower, and we were all able to spend some time with our family and friends we don't see very often. Brian and the kids I think were happy to see me when I got home, but from what I've heard they had a great weekend bach-ing it with Daddy!

We've been practicing for preschool with Drew. It's been tough. He just refuses to go to sleep before 11pm. I've been waking him before 9:30 every morning, and he doesn't' nap. Today I woke him at 8am. Hopefully it will start to move bed time up. :( I'm nervous about our bed/waking routine once school starts. He's gonna do great in school. He's a smart little cutie. Going uniform shopping and to pick up his school supplies tomorrow. He's so excited. I'm hoping to find a good time to go, as I have to take the whole squad. It just happens to be at lunch and runs through nap. :( Oh well, I can't win all the battles right?

Hope your day goes well, stay cool!

Dance Party USA

I used to watch that show on MTV. Did you?? Man, that was a long time ago. I know we are all starting to feel a bit old! I bought a kids music CD from Target about two or three weeks ago. My kids love it. It's made by Parents Magazine and has a ton of favorites on there. It not only wears the kids out, but lets them run around the house and yell and have fun without getting on my nerves. I'm so glad all five of the kids got my dance moves. :) They all have been doing Ring Around the Rosey for a few months now. This song is also on the CD. While eating lunch today I heard Jack singing. Yes, you guessed it. He was singing Ring Around the Rosey and I heard him sing "A$$es all down". LOL! I love when my days bring moments like this. It's the best!!

I also wanted to update on Parker. I've known for a few months that he was tongue tied. He was not chewing food properly, sucking food out of his cheeks, he was choking sometimes, and couldn't move his tongue to reach all areas of his mouth. I took him to be evaluated by an ENT and he agreed. He thought it was best to sedate Parker because he's one tough dude. It took three of us to hold him just to evaluate his mouth. We were in and out of the surgery center in no time. Just under two hours! He's been a little cranky but not too bad. I'm hoping he will regain full oral function without therapy. I'll give him a few days to explore on his own with it before I get people involved.

The basement is almost done. Painting is finished, the floor is done, and Brian is working on base boards! It's looking great. I can't wait to start cleaning and putting it back together. I mean with toys and furniture. :) I'm headed to nap, Brian is taking the afternoon shift. WAHOOO!

Down on the Farm!

Maybe a field trip to the farm is needed. The kids have learned the words to Old MacDonald and are now starting to associate their sounds to animal names. Emma loves the cow, Parker was balking like a chicken yesterday, Maddox likes the horse and told his OT neigh last week, and Jack likes the duck. Although he doesn't say quack he signs it. Everyone loves the dog and has just this week started barking at BINGO the song.

For those of you who read my Facebook post last night, you know it was a bad day yesterday. It started out with having to wake Drew at 7am. He's not an early riser, loves to sleep in. We headed to his allergy appt which went fine and came back home. I hadn't slept well and was cranky, Drew was tired and cranky, and then Brian got upset thinking I wasn't being a good parent. It always seems to be the case when it comes to punishing Drew. Anyways, Brian left for work and Jack ran head first into the fireplace and cut his head open. Don't worry, nothing major, while I was taking care of him Emma dove head first off the end table and landed on her face. Drew didn't want to listen and Parker and Maddox, who knows what they did all day. I was in such a fog. I was glad to hit the sack last night.

Today has been much better, I got Emma's dress in the mail today for my sisters wedding. Super adorable on her. Everyone is in a better mood and Aunt Stacy is coming over after work. Yippee! Time to get a move on the laundry, going to fold it before I get chatty Cathy (Emma) out of bed. I can hear her talking now.

Pass the Puffs!

I'm so glad I share well with others! This week I have shared a blizzard from DQ, M&M's, and my bowl of Cocoa Puffs with the kids. I really do try to give my kids everything, even my food. It's a good thing they are super cute. :)

I took the afternoon off to swim with Drew today. It was a blast. It felt so good to cool off too. Brian was nice enough to get up with the kids this morning and let me sleep in. BLISS!! I hurried to finish laundry and cleaning bathrooms so I could just hang this afternoon. I intend on finishing the first paint color in the basement later tonight. That is after the squad goes to bed. We had a minor detour in the fixing the house plan. Don't get me wrong, our house is in great shape...we are still working on the basement and the backyard a little. We had a minor leak in the master bath. Nothing major, just a cracked toilet tank that needed to be replaced. Brian spent two nights working on that as he needed to work during the day. Making Drew monies!! Haha.

The quads are doing great. Learning a ton of new words. I taught them how to shake their booty this week. It's great. They shake it well! We've been learning Pat-A-Cake and Old MacDonald. They've known Wheels on the Bus for a while now. My squad is so much fun. Emma right now is coloring....attempting circles. I can hear her say "sikle". The boys are still napping. Thank goodness, those boys had a rough morning. Boys are a little brutal. Parker had two time outs for biting today. Maddox and Jack were just victims and spent the morning in tears. Oh boy...now Emma is walking around with Drew's stuffed snake making hissing sounds. Super cute, as much as I hate snakes.

Drew is wonderful. He loves to swim, play Wii, and play with the babies. He starts preschool in 7 weeks. He have to pick up his school uniforms and supplies in two weeks. He will be spending a week with Grandma in Wisconsin in a few weeks too. He's ready for Aunt Stacy and Uncle Nick's wedding in October. He askes me all the time if we get to go to their party (reception) today. Haha. We are gearing up to be in "wedding" mode as we have showers and dress/tux fittings coming up.

Hope you're staying cool in the heat!
XOXO

Inside, Outside, Upside Down!

My little peeps have been worn out!! Grandma and Papa came to Indy and we played until we dropped. Inside, outside, and upside down. We swam, played on the swing set, ran the halls of the house and jumped on the couch. My squad is always tired when grandma and papa have to leave. Although I wonder how grandma and papa are feeling when they leave here.

The babies slept through the fireworks as we set them off in the backyard. Brian and I decided we weren't ready to take the kids out to a fireworks show yet. Too many kids to wrestle in too big of a crowd. Maybe next year.

Work on the basement has slowed a little. It's been so nice outside and the kids had been sick we just haven't had time. Brian only has the bathroom and base boards left to finish. I need to finish painting around the ceiling and the floor along with two other walls which will be a different color. I can't wait for it to be put back together.

I'm tired and headed to bed...playdate tomorrow and Friday. YUP...that's two this week. Hope the kids are resting well, play time begins at 9:30!

Can you find me??

We made it back from our second trip in one week. We took the kids to Kentucky to visit Brian's family. Drew was so excited to spend a day with cousin Brady in the pool and playing outside. It was great to catch up with Lauren and Casey who are about to welcome Bailey Grace into the family. We spent part of the day on Saturday with Brian's aunts, uncles, and cousins. It rained most of the day, but my kids didn't mind. They played in the mudd and ran like crazy. Baths were definitely needed after our outing.

I'm glad we have kids who travel well in the car. I have to admit, staying in a hotel is not ideal with my kids who love to run. House keeping was quite surprised when they entered our room to clean. We were able to take some toys with us to play but still leaves issues with space and sharing. We plan to enjoy the rest of daddy's vacation resting at home.

Other than our recent travels around the Midwest I've had to make a trip to the ENT with Parker. He has a tongue tie and will have it clipped next week. He's had some feeding issues with it and is starting to have articulation problems. The ENT is optimistic he will immediately regain full function and everything will be normal. Boy, do I hope he's right. I'm a nervous wreck. Being in the speech field myself, I know too much and over analyze too much. Maybe this career path was a bad choice??? We also will make it to see the Pedi this week for our 18 month check ups. Hoping all goes well. We left Thursday with Maddox having an ear infection and came home with Emma and Parker running fevers and very cranky.

Well it's late and we are all exhausted....as usual. Everyone sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!

Run Forrest Run!

We've been on the go lately. Lowes, Chase Bank, Target, Wisconsin, zoo, and many resturants. I've been blessed with well behaved children. Can you believe I took all five to Steak n Shake all by myself? I didn't even panic!! We had no food throwing, no screaming, and lots of fries. There may even have been two grilled cheese sandwiches and a few chicken strips in there somewhere.

We took a day trip to the zoo with Daddy. It was wonderful. Drew raced a cheetah. He was so upset he lost. That only lasted a day or two, then we decided a trip to grandma's was in need. We left Friday afternoon and surprised Papa for Father's Day. Aunt Stacy came too. It was fun. We visited family and swam with friends.

I figured since I've been on the go for a week or two now I should keep going. Kind of like Forrest Gump. I took Parker to the ENT today for a suspected tongue tie. Unfortunately he is and will have surgery to release it in two weeks. It's a small procedure but he is a fighter and the doctor thought it's best to put him under for it. We've also been to the park for family pictures. I've gotten a small sneak peak, so far they look fabulous. I can't wait to see the rest. Tomorrow we are headed to Kentucky for the weekend. My summer is filling up fast...No wonder I don't go anywhere in the winter. I'm trying to catch up from all the summer running I do. :)

Have a great weekend, I'm not posting until we return!!
XOXO

It's a Snotty World!

After a few months of cleaning boogers out of noses and no improvement from Drew's nose Brian and I made the decision to have him tested for allergies. It was a rough test and Drew was a trooper. Test results came back positive for a few things. It turns out Drew is allergic to cats, maple, hickory, elm, and oak trees, along with grass and pigweed. I was completely wasn't shocked. I got rid of our cat almost a year ago and Drew never had any symptoms. We didn't have many trees around our old house, but in our new neighborhood they are everywhere. We have a huge yard so that makes total sense when Brian cuts the grass. At least now we are on a trial run of some new meds. The doctor sees Drew again in four weeks to see how he's responding to the meds. Hopefully we won't be picking and wiping boogers forever.

In fun news, we've continued our hot summer playing in the pool and sandbox. I let the kids run in the spinkler last night in their clothes. Parker of course loved it. Emma was a little unsure. She would run through it then head to the sandbox and play for a few then back to the sprinkler. Maddox and Jack are going to need a few more runs through the water. They have warmed up to the pool and swimming idea, but that took almost two weeks. Brian is on vacation in two weeks so the fun will continue more then as we take a road trip!

Looking forward to a playdate tomorrow with a good friend from high school and her kids. It's going to be fun. :)

Projects Around the House.

As some of you know we've had many projects going on all at once. We had basement flooding about two or three months ago which prompted these projects. We ended up having to rip out the endtire basement (which wast completely finished) and have it dried out. Brian decided to put it back together himself. It's been a slow job, but he's doing a wonderful job. It's about 3/4 done! He's hoping to have it done in the next two weeks. :)

We also decided it was time to ditch the rotten deck that came off our patio doors. We are enjoying our new poured concrete patio; which will be stamped and stained in the next couple of weeks. We got some new patio furniture and a new pool for the kids. Maddox and Jack don't care too much for the pool, but Emma and Parker along with Drew are like swimming fish!

I've also decided it was time to start getting rid of the hideous flat paint in our house. I started Emmas room a few weeks ago with some left over paint from the old house. It was light purple....a paint tinting error by Sherwin Williams. I painted three of her bedroom walls purple and left one wall the color it was before. I ended up getting the same color in a satin and painted the wall in that. I then put the same green in the kids bathroom. It's alien green! Like the ailiens in Toy Story....as the decor in there is Toy Story!! I also painted the master bedroom. It too is a color we had in our old house. So I've just painted three rooms and bought new curtains and a rod for the price of $25! SA-WEET! I'm thinking the basement will be next, as Brian gets it put back together. I have some ideas...this is gonna take a minute as it's a big space, and I have to paint base boards.

So far we are enjoying summer break. No big trips yet. Maybe a road trip to Grandma and Papa's in Wisconsin in the near future. Just planning on relaxing in the backyard for the summer.

XOXO
Sara

Summer is Just Begining!

Well, it's been a minute since I've posted!

Drew got his cast...green of course! He is in that for three weeks. I have been busy with some projects around the house. I've painted, finished Emma's room, cleaned part of the garage and played outside. Hoping to finish the basement, take the kids pictures in the park, and finsih cleaning the garage soon.

We spent this past weekend outsi

de. We let the kids play in the pool to cool off. Emma and Parker loved it. They are going to be fish just like Drew. Maddox and Jack cried. I'm sure they will learn to love it too, we've just been a bit under the weather in our house. Grandma Susan and Papa Jack came to visit this weekend too. It's always good to have family over. Hope you all had a wonderful time with your family and friends this weekend and stay cool in the summer heat.

XOXO

Rough Week....It's Only Monday!

After all the rain I wondered what it would feel like to be back outside. I found it to be a nightmare!

The rain ended and our patio was finished. We got some new patio furniture on Saturday. My sister kept the kiddos for a sleepover and Brian and I went out. We ate at Olive Garden came home and started to assemble some new furniture. Sunday I picked up my cranky kiddos and came home. But not before Drew could face plant into the floor giving himself a bloody nose at my sisters. That was just the beginning!

Brian came home from work and started to cut the grass. Drew helped then decided he would play on the swing set while I put the quads in bed. I went outside to help put the rest of the patio furniture together that we hadn't finished the evening before. I turned to see Drew hanging by one hand on the monkey bars. He fell before I could get to him, landing on his wrist. He cried for quite a while and we decided it was best to take him for x-rays. Finally around 11 P.M. the doctor came and told me he had a buckle fracture. He is currently in a sugar splint. The swelling in his arm was still too much for a cast at that time. He will see the orthopaedic doctor in the morning for a cast. He will have to wear that for 4-6 weeks. Most defintely not how I wanted to start summer break. This means no swimming, short bathtime, no wii, and limited swing set activity. :( At least it's not something that required surgery. We are glad he's ok.

Looking forward to lots of summer evenings outside with the kids and relaxing on the patio.

Busy Bodies!!

The busy bodies continue!! I love hearing those little running feet through the house. We've been so busy I haven't even vacuumed. That's against my OCD code.

Brian and started the week with work and VIRTUS training for Drew's school. It was very informative. We can now spot sexual predators a mile away. It was a requirement for us if we are going to volunteer in his school or go on field trips with him. Tuesday was PT day for Maddox and Parker and work. Wednesday was more work and multiples meeting so I took the kids to that with me. Today we had plastic surgeon for Emma and the boys had a playdate. On top of all that I've tried to play and keep up with everyday house chores. Tomorrow it's off to see farm animals at school. It should be fun. It's going to be nice weather.

We visited the plastic surgeon today for another follow up for Emma's cranial surgery last July. She looks great. Only a few concerns. Neurologically she is doing wonderful. No concerns there. Her eyebrow bones have not held up like they were hoping. During surgery they pulled the bones out and up. They are planning on correcting the bones when she is six. Until then, they want to give her skull a few years to completely heal. Her head will continue to smooth out in the next few years; it's quite bumpy right now. The other concern was with her vision. Her eyes wonder just a tad. If you watch very closely you can see it, I hadn't noticed it until 2 weeks ago. It's so slight in both eyes that he isn't too concerned. We will be seeing the opthamologist in another month. Both eyes adjust very quickly when she looks at something that they think it will correct itself. Will keep you updated on that.

Hoping for nice weather for everyone, it's time for Grey's and bed. This mama is TIRED!

On Like Donkey Kong!

So we've been busy this past week! They kids have been wrestling like crazy. Brian even joined the action. They all love it. It's the best to hear them all laughing and getting a little roughed up. Such good exercise and bad social skills!! Haha, I should start saving bail money now for the teen and college years.

Brian and I spent two days at the West Baden Resort and Spa in French Lick, Indiana this past week. He won an award through work so we spent Wednesday in a couples massage, napping, dinning, at the awards ceremony and the casino. Brian tried out the blackjack table. He didn't do too bad! I think he really liked it. I won a little on the slots. I have to say it was a late night....we haven't been out that late in long time. I'm thinking since Drew was a few months old...that's like three years!! Thursday we woke up early and came home. Such a bad habbit when you have kids.

Today I took the squad to the zoo. Yes, just me. All by myself. No help. Usually people don't seem to bug me with their comments; however, today some guy had the guts to tell me I brought the zoo to the zoo. I replied to his comment with "Your mom forgot to leave you in your cage."
A lady who was also standing there gauking at me applauded and told me how beautiful my children were. It made me feel much better.

A lot of people ask "How do you do it?" There's really not much to it. Everyone gets everything at the same time. Diapers, lunch, snack, sippy, etc. If I didn't do it this way, I'd be doing the same task all day. Yes, I'm busy but you learn to adjust. I don't sit while the babies are awake. We play, do laundry, go on walks, do dishes, they help with a lot. The squad loves to sweep, mop, and vacuum. They play together most of the time so I am able to do other things like scrub bathrooms and pay bills. Most of the time during nap I play Wii with Drew. It's his one on one time. I've always been a firm believer in getting the kids out and about for a change of pace and to let them experience life outside of our house(except during rsv season). I think it also allows them to learn how to act in public. Sometimes it's tough with Drew when his listening ears malfunction but we've been pretty successful with all the places we've been. I will admit it's a lot of work, but well worth it!

This has been quite the post. I better save some for the next time.
XOXO
Sara

A Work in Progress.

The basement is almost half finished and the patio will be poured this week! It's been a bit hard...we can't play in the basement and we can't play in the backyard. :( We have been taking walks and my sister Stacy and I took the kids on a long bike ride a few days ago. They love biking. Thank goodness. Brian and I love riding, although we've been so busy lately it's been hard to find time.

We've had to make multiple calls to "Nama" as Emma calls her. All five kids love to talk on my phone. It's great! Nama is pretty good at telling who is who while she's talking. I love that the kids have a well rounded vocabulary for 17 months old (14 adjusted). Brian was cracking up at Emma this past week. She was babbling and at the end of her sentence was "Emma". She obviously was telling him something about her or that she wanted something!

Can you believe there are only 3 weeks until summer break? I feel like the weather isn't warm enough for summer break yet. I'm super excited and scared at the same time. What if we don't get to play outside much? I want to get out of the house but yet I feel like there is so much to do here. Here I go again, freaking out!!

Well, time to go find some work to do....I always have work!
Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mommies!
<3

Daddy Put Me to Work!

Our spa getaway is approaching. I need it mentally, but Brian needs it phisically. Poor guy! He's cut the grass, worked on the basement, ripped out our rotted deck, and worked full time at work. No breaks allowed in this house. He's had some help at least. Drew has been a great supervisor in all of Brian's late evening projects. Drew loves to help. He drove the tractor with Brian while they cut the grass. While Brian trimmed the yard, Drew counted branches on a fruit tree in our yard. Last night while Brian ripped out the deck Drew made sure the wood pile for the bonfire got bigger and that his swing set was still in great climbing condition. Drew slept well last night!!

Maddox, Parker, Emma and Jack are doing well. They've learned how to throw themselves to the ground and have a humungous temper tantrum. Parker's biting phase seems to have ended. Jack has learned to kick a soccer ball around the house. Maddox is talking up a storm. He told me last "boo-boo". He had fallen and gotten a boo-boo. Emma must think she's getting a cell phone soon. She likes to take my phone and say namma (grandma). She and grandma have some good conversations. She's such a girl.

Drew is doing great. We ordered his school supplies for preschool this coming fall. He got to pick out his own green backpack. It was nice, I spent less on the ordering website than I would've at the store and it already had everything he needed. If your school has a code to log in with I highly recommend it. It's www.schooltoolbox.com

We will post pics of our projects in progress in another post. I want to wait for before and after pictures.
Hugs!