Our Brush with Fame

Check your local listings.

Set your DVRs.

The triplets and I will be on The Rachael Ray Show Wednesday (9/30).

I haven't seen the final cut, so I can't guarantee we'll have that much air time, but we watched RR today and saw Cole and I on the preview.

(The gang all ready for their outting.  They were in Pam's Rock, Paper, Scissors shirts.  A big hit with the camera crew who were trying to play RPS with the triplets!)

It's an episode with The Super Nanny, Jo Frost.  A few of us Moms got to ask Nanny Jo for advice about issues with our kids.  Our question was about Eli...our picky eater.  The boy only eats cookies and crackers.  But I was able to bring all three of the triplets.  At one point during the taping, a boy (whose issue was an inability to share) was coloring at a table when Cole came up and grabbed one of the boys' markers.

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

"MELTDOWN" is an understatement.  I'm 100% sure that James' meltdown will make the cut, so look for Cole as the cause.

(Cole LOVED Nanny Jo.  He looks really tired in this picture but he had just finished flirting with her while she was taping an interview with the producer.  After this picture was taken, Nanny Jo said "Your children are just precious."  I agree!  She mentioned how much she thought Cole looked like me, too.  We're BFFs now!)

It was such a great experience, going into NYC and meeting Nanny Jo.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  Even if our film ends up on the cutting room floor.  I was a bit nervous about bringing the babies in by myself.  But they were great.  I put their harnesses on "just in case" but then walked them from the parking garage with Cole holding my right hand and Eli holding my left.  Ava held on to my left pinky and the four of us walked so easily into the Children's Museum of Manhattan.  We were there for about 4 1/2 hours and missed the triplet's naptime completely.  By the time we left the city it was past 2:30.  The gang was asleep before we even got to the George Washington Bridge.

Can I also add that I'm a little amazed at myself?  I drove into and out of Manhattan without making a single wrong turn!

Seven - Sassy & Sweet

My baby isn't a baby anymore!

Zoe turned 7!

I won't lie and say it's gone quickly.  Some days have seemed to last forever.  But on a whole, she's a real blessing to me. 

She helps so much with the babies and has a real love of life.  She has energy that I wish I could bottle up.  Zoe loves to hang from things, climb on things, and jump on the trampoline.  She's a great story-writer and list-maker.  She has inherited her mother's addiction to pens (and stationary products, in general).

Zoe loves to read and I love that her favorite book is her Bible.  Recently, I was sitting at the island in the kitchen doing my bible study homework and Zoe quietly sat next to me reading her own bible and working on her devotional. 

Zoe's birthday lasted two weeks!

On her actual birthday, she celebrated in school: Chipwiches!  She also had to make a poster to tell her class a little about herself.  Then her classmates each write a little encouraging note that the teacher puts together for the birthday girl/boy.  A great keepsake.

Saturday (9/19) we had Zoe's Family Birthday Dinner: Spaghetti 3 Ways (without sauce, tomato sauce and alfredo sauce) and Home-made Ice Cream cake.

Then, this past weekend (9/25-26), she had her first (and last for awhile) slumber party.  Zoe invited three girls...and their American Girl Dolls...over for pizza, craft, movie, and "sleep".  Here are some highlights:

The Gang

(Molly, Karalyn, Maeve and Zoe)

The Pizza

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

The Craft (decorating tee-shirts)

Maeve didn't want to be in the picture, so Momma Barclay stood in for her!

The Movie (Kit Kittredge)

...thanks Dad for bringing the projector home and putting the movie on the wall.  SO COOL!

The Sleeping Quarters

All-in-all, it wasn't that bad.  The girls were up until a little after midnight and up around 6:30am.  They were well-behaved and got along (for the most part).  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, actually.  I'm not saying Zoe can have another sleepover this weekend...or even this year...but I haven't crossed it off the list forever!

Heisman Class of 2024

Okay...so maybe I'm getting carried away, but Ty started football this weekend and I'm a proud Momma!

Sure...it's Flag Football.  What's your point?

I was shocked when he told our football loving neighbors that he wanted to play.  I mean, we're a baseball family.  We know that College football is played on Saturday and Pro is played on Sunday, but Shane is still rooting for Troy Aikman's Cowboys.  Okay, I'm exaggerating a tad, but you get my point.  Still, in an effort to encourage our shy little guy to get out and experience things, we signed him up!

The first practice was a little rough in the beginning.  Ty didn't know anyone, so he was a bit shy...and ready to throw in the towel on his football career.  I told him he couldn't make any decisions until he COMPLETED his first practice.  Sure enough, by 10am on Saturday, he was counting the hours until Game #1 on Monday night.

He's #22 in the program, but #1 in our hearts...playing on the (Ramsey) Cowboys...in every position (that's a rule of the flag football program)...Ty "TyTy" Higby:

(That's Ty getting the hand-off from the QB)

Tonight, when we got there, he didn't even hesitate as he joined the team.  I couldn't have been more proud.  He did great and had a wonderful attitude.  I laughed a lot!  My favorite moment was after the game.  When the teams needed DIRECTIONS to shake hands.  And here I thought all that stuff came naturally...

Bringing Back an Old Friend

Shane's been desperate for a project lately.  He's finished the mudroom, the treehouse, the bike path, and the fence and is chompin' at the bit to get something else going.  But his mean wife I won't let him tear out the hallway linen closet to make the kids' bathroom bigger.  So...there he sits...twiddling his thumbs.

This weekend, he couldn't take it anymore.  He dug through the basement closet and the next thing I knew...there was a happy man out at his workbench with tools in hand!

Within 20 minutes, the proud hunter returned from his prowl with his catch father emerged from the garage with (drum-roll please...)

Zoe's Busy Box!

Back when Zoe was the one driving us crazy with her energy two-ish, Shane set out to build her a "busy box".  You know the type: Switches, knobs, dials, etc.  But then he got the idea to make each button DO something.  So Zoe's "box" became an appliance.  One switch was even connected to the local Christian Radio Station.  The lights lit up cut-outs that spelled out her name.  Typical Shane project: above and beyond expectations!

(Zoe at 18m with her Busy Box...please ignore my overalls!)

When this new and exciting toy made it's way into the Family Room, the triplets swarmed to it like moths to a flame! They LOVE it.  And why not?  There's enough to do for everyone.  At one point (before I could turn my camera on) Cole had his feet in empty compartment...sitting on the door (I'm pretty sure he bent the hinges a little bit.)
 

My only complaint is the extra "white noise" of the radio.  Last night, after cleaning up all the toys and vacuuming the entire downstairs (I just added that in for my own ego boost) I sat down on the couch to watch a little Football/Baseball combo and I couldn't hear the announcers.  I had to keep turning up the volume.  About 10 minutes later, I realized the radio from the busy box was still on!

She's a Party Girl!

This weekend, it was Zoe that had the crazy busy social calendar: 2 Birthday Parties, a Birthday lunch, and "Ramsey Day".

The highlight from my view, was DEFINITELY the ice-skating party on Friday night. I haven't laughed that hard in a looooooooooooooooong time. I'll let the pictures do the majority of the talking, but I just have to say how proud I was of her. No matter how many times, or how hard Zoe fell, she got up with a smile (all but one time). She didn't let fear or uncertainty lead her. She just went for it. She started off slow...holding on to the side, but after one trip around and a few "pointers" from mom, she was gliding along in no time. She taught me a lot that night. Her confidence and excitement to learn encouraged me to stretch myself a little at times, too! The pay off's worth it!

Video from the beginning of the ice time (bobbles, recovers, bobbles, recovers..):

And by the end of the party:

1 down...179 to go...

Summer's officially over.  Last night, I set my alarm clock before shutting my eyes and drifting off to sleep.  The only problem?  I'm a little out of practice in the alarm-setting department and I didn't pay attention to the little light in the corner that said I was setting the alarm for PM!  Oops.  No problem, God's in control.  He woke me up at 6:12.  Plenty of time to get a head-start on the morning's activities before the kiddos woke-up.

Sure enough, of all days, Zoe chose THIS MORNING to sleep until 7:30.  Good thing the outfits were laid out the night before.

Got to school with a few minutes to spare.  When the bell rang, Zoe was off like a bullet.  Totally didn't even give me a hug.  Gone.  Off to 2nd grade.  Not even a "See ya, Mom!"

I suppose Ty's drop off could have gone worse.  For awhile there, I really thought he was going to miss out on the first day of school.  I thought, for sure, he was going to be getting in the car and coming home with me, rather than sitting with his buddies in Mrs. Johnston's class.  But alas...he made it into the classroom and all was right in the Kindergarten world.

(For those curious about the bears: the kindergartners were all asked to bring their favorite bear to school each day the first week.  The teacher had all sorts of "Bear Activities" planned and I think it was also supposed to bring them comfort and security.  Maybe Ty would've done better with his Nintendo DS or his baseball mit...especially considering we had to come up with a name for his bear the night before the first day!)

Let's backup a little...Ty was very hyper during breakfast (Zoe too).  He calmed down a little when he got in the car.  On the ride to school...he grew increasingly more quiet.  Before he got out of the car, he said, "my belly feels funny!"  Oh boy.  Still, we were good.  When the bell rang, all blood flow was cut off in my hand by his death-grip.  But...he was at least walking toward his "line".  Once he was in that line, Ty realized he hadn't said goodbye or given a hug to Daddy.  I turned around...thinking Shane was right behind me...and discovered I was wrong.  "I'll go find him, Ty."  As soon as I said it, I knew Ty hadn't heard me.  But before I could repeat myself, a mother had stepped between Ty and I and now he couldn't see me either...or hear me...and the panic set in: No Mom...No Dad...immediate tears!  Even though I got to him within 30 seconds, the dam (yes, Corey, I fixed the spelling...thanks for pointing out my accidental potty mouth) had broken and there was no going back.

I tried calming him and joking with him.  Others tried too.  But he wasn't about to walk into that school without me.  So...I joined the line of kindergartners (21 of them, to be exact) and marched into the building with Ty.  As a side note: the girls in the class needed me to boost their numbers.  There couldn't have been more than 5 of them amongst all those boys!  Yikes, Mrs. Johnston is going to need some SERIOUS prayer this year!  When we got to the class, the aide took Ty's hand...he gave me one last hug and then was swept off to Kindergarten land...content...and tear-free.

Exactly 3 1/2 hours later, I was waiting there to bring my big boy home.  We survived.  Now we just have to do that 179 more times.  Hopefully, the process will get a little easier.

I'm still not sure Zoe even knows that I got out of the car this morning.