Outside We Dine, Rain or Shine

Mealtime is not my favorite time of day. It has not always been this way. But now meal time means thinking of a meal, cooking that meal, refilling my freshly emptied sink with dirty dishes, messing up the entire kitchen that I just finished cleaning from the last meal, and tripping over three children who suddenly remembered they are starving. But the WORST part of mealtime is the eating of the meal. Experienced moms, when do children learn how to eat without splattering their entire meal on anything within a ten foot radius??

 During the summer we eat every meal possible on the deck, or out on the grass. The grass makes a great no clean up drop cloth. So unless a tornado is in sight, we eat outside. Yesterday, I had just gotten the kids settled on the deck with their lunch, when it started to drizzle. I didn't move a muscle (hoping the kids wouldn't notice?) Yeah right. Sophia quickly gathered her plate and headed for the door. Jazlyn screamed, ran to my side and shrieked in my ear in horror, "Mom! It's RAINING! We need to go inside! Ahhhh!"

I calmly assured her that it is ok to eat in the rain. This nearly sent her into hysterics. She begged and pleaded me to go inside. She just wanted to save her mom from the killer rain drizzle. I asked her if she thought I would melt? No. What then? You will get WET. Horror of horrors. That's about the time that the rain stopped, and we finished our lunch on the deck. Win.

**Note: They did NOT have butter sandwiches for lunch.

My Four Monkeys

I am back!

Our life with a new baby has been a little more crazy than usual, but I finally feel pretty well adjusted to our new dynamic.

I have tried to capture as much of it on film as possible. Here are some of my favorites from over the past month...

Gino, 3 days old

Soph chillin' with Ruby

My sister, Anna, moved in with us for the summer to help out with the kids, and keep me company!

Sophia completed her first year of AWANA Cubbies!

She finished her first Cubbies book and got a book award! (So proud!)

Preparing to pray?

For the first two weeks, Gino took his baths in the bathroom sink.
Now he has graduated to the kitchen sink.

Sleeping like a man... in his skivvies.

First bottle. Two weeks old.

Love the tenderness of this one. Special, quiet moments.

Mother's Day with my mom.
The sunglasses are hiding the hideous pink eye I woke up with that morning.

A daily (hourly?) sight. She loves to help Mama burp the baby.

My four monkeys...

Take two.

Take three.

Give up.

The End.

Merry Christmas!

Ignorance is Bliss

Accomplishing anything at my house automatically involves crying. If I am making dinner, there is at least one child crying at my feet that they are staaaarving. If I am folding laundry, there is at least one child crying as they topple over my piles of folded clothes. If I am washing a floor, there is at least one child crying after slipping on the floor. You get the picture.

People have often told me that they "just don't know how I handle all the chaos so well." I always nod my head and politely thank them. But I'm going to let you all in on a little secret:

I have not learned to handle it really well, I have learned to ignore it really well.

BEEEEEEACH

Yesterday was blazin hot, so I brought the kids on an impulsive trip to the beach (as in, they were already strapped in the car to go to Wal-Mart, and I decided the beach was a better idea. Luckily I always keep our beach bag packed, so I just had to grab it and go.)

Their reaction to being at the beach

Literally the second we plopped our stuff down and laid out the towel, the lifeguards called everyone out of the water for a 15 minute "safety break." So we played in the sand.

Though she can't say it yet, I know she meant "You are the best mom, ever."

Diggin

Into the water!!!

They had soooooooo much fun splashing, running, falling, scooping, digging, pouring, screaming, and laughing.

This is what makes it all worth while...

(cuz believe me, 3 babies and 1 mama at the beach on a busy day is not loads of fun for the Mama)
Even Brodes kicked back and relaxed on the beach

May Daze

Since it has been almost a MONTH since I posted, I guess I'll fill you in on our May.

Mr. Brodes is getting very big and strong. He LOVES tummy time, and sleeps like a baby at night!

Oh! Look what else he learned this month! (He's not supposed to learn this yet!) But he is an old pro at it now.

Cheeeeze

BIG CHEEEEEZE

Popcicles are a special summer treat that the girls rarely get.

No, I can't stop to smile at you Mom. I have a popcicle.

Fountain tail! This is how my mom did my hair in every childhood picture I have ever seen :) I can see why.

It's adorable!

Sophia soaking up the sun. You can pretty much find us out in the front yard any time of the day. We all adore the sunshine. And the kiddie pool.

Family walk! Brody's first time in the stroller!