Tales from The Higby Gang

Soccer Star

2011-10-20T13:10:00.003-04:00

It's Fall...you know what that means...all across America, kids are kicking soccer balls and parents are freezing their tails off watching! Thankfully, the Saturdays this October have had their fair share of sunshine and we've only got one kid cruisin' the field!

Don't adjust your monitor...that's the actual color of the Timbers' jerseys. I think part of their strategy is to blind the other team with sun glare!

Seriously, these jerseys make it easy to spot the team on the field! The matching socks push it right over the top. I think the strategy is working...they've only lost 1 or 2 games.

Ty absolutely loves playing. He's so sweaty when the game is over! His favorite "sports move" is pouring water over his head. Of course, when Mom fills your water bottle with Gatorade, it makes the situation a bit sticky!

I'm still hoping that I can grab a few extra of these jersey after the season...for family vacations...should make it easier to keep an eye on my kids!

Purple and Blue Challenge Run - 10/2/11

2011-10-18T18:16:00.003-04:00

I've officially gone a little crazy in the running department! A friend of mine suckered me into a Challenge Run. It was a local 5k based on the Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash races. I'm not really sure what convinced me. Maybe it was the cause. But I ran my first Challenge Run on October 2, 2011.

I got there a little bit earlier than Krystyn, so I went ahead and picked up my packet. On my way in, I noticed a map. That was when I started to panic.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

I started to wonder what I'd gotten into. Especially when the starting line looks like this...

I realize it was advertised as a "5k run with 12 obstacles", but I kinda thought we'd RUN before we saw some of those challenges. Nope! Straight into the woods and over downed trees.

First up: 3 HUGE tires. HUGE! (No that's not me.)

Then some mud...some water...some more mud...an army crawl...some more water...(you get the picture)...

At one point, we carried car tires 1/4 mile. That's right...a CAR TIRE! How do you carry a tire and run? I started the way this guy is, but after about 10 yards, it was digging into my shoulder with every bounce so I opted to wear it like a hoola-hoop. Worked great to run...but boy did my arms hurt on Monday!

We crossed the brook around 8 times. It was anywhere from a trickle of water to an actual swim under a bridge. Ever try to swim through freezing water with sneakers on? Quite a wake-up call.

Right before the finish line there was one last army crawl through mud. We were quite the sight by the time we crossed the mat!

Here's Krystyn finishing strong:

We all had water-proof GPS anklets. I sorta felt like I was on house arrest. Maybe that's what helped me run through the woods. I gotta tell you though, I'd be a horrible fugitive. I would just give up. I could never outrun anyone.

The goal of my race was to finish...finish and have fun! Mission Accomplished! I've never had more fun running...ever!

So out of 140+ runners, I finished #44 overall. I was pretty happy with a 41:48 finish and love the fact that I was in the top 10 women finishers! I definitely see more challenge runs in my future!

Apple Picking 2011

2011-10-17T16:17:00.000-04:00

What better way to start the blog back up than with some fun Apple Picking pictures...

I think we're officially back to an annual tradition of picking apples. I didn't think we'd ever be able to bring 5 kids to the orchard on our own. And honestly...we still haven't. A group of people from church all went together to a smaller size orchard (Overlook Farm) only 45 minutes away in Newburgh. We had a blast:

The place was gorgeous and the weather was beautiful.

TONS of apples were eaten.

Eli really thought EVERY apple needed to be picked!

Cole ran off with two young ladies from church. They had a great time...yes...that's him in the red...far far far away from Mom and Dad.

I'm sure he talked their ear off!

Ty looked for the highest apples he could find.

Any excuse to climb!

This picture just cracked me up! We were teaching the kids to blow those wishing thingies (yes, that's the technical term).

And yes, Zoe was there...but like Cole...was too cool to hang with Mom and Dad...

And because you say I never post pictures of myself...

(Eating the world's LARGEST Golden Delicious apple ever!)

Tiniest Teenager Around

2011-05-04T22:31:00.000-04:00

(Quick side note: I've been without a computer for almost 2 months...lots of ugly viruses...still don't have all my pictures back from the backup...so I apologize in advance for the cell phone pictures.)

Little Miss Ava has turned into quite the teenager-in-training. She may be small...

...but she doesn't let that stop her "attitude".

The other day, I was at a breaking point and completely fed up with my children's lack of listening and obeying. I admit it...I was yelling. Loudly. And at the end of my tirade, I told the kids they were to be silent the rest of the car ride. After about 5 minutes, I had gathered myself. I took a deep breath and began to apologize for the yelling.

At the very first phrase from my mouth, I heard a deep sigh from the car seat behind me...

...and, "Here we go again..." At the end of my apology, another small sigh, "That was awkward!"

She's three! What, on earth, will she be like at 13?

My Parents Are Cool

2011-02-22T13:58:00.001-05:00

My parents are cool. They're fun. They're hip. And what's even better? They're fun GRANDPARENTS!

When I was a kid, our big family trips revolved around skiing. Not downhill skiing, mind you...Cross Country Skiing. I can remember thinking it wasn't as cool as downhill. Or as hip. Or as scary! And I loved it. I can remember one trip where my Dad and I were out at the end of the day...somehow a little turned around...and on a more difficult trail than I was up for (I refuse to say it was too difficult for me...I still blame the conditions and the fact that I was tired.) The sun was going down and I was starting to think they'd have to send snowmobiles for us. I remember having to take my skis off and hike for part of it. And I remember coming around a corner and seeing a HUGE downhill. HUGE. I'm no thrill-seeker. I was not excited. And I don't remember all the details in how I got back to the lodge...but I do remember there being a good amount of tears. Still...it's a great memory and now...my parents have passed the cross-country bug on to my kids!

Monday afternoon, Grammy and Granddad took Zoe and Ty up High Point, NJ for an experiment in skiing. We weren't sure how they'd do, but with a 1/2 day ticket option, my folks were willing to give it a try. The weather was perfect: We had 6 inches of fresh snow fall on Sunday night (shocking, I know). It was cool, but not fridged. Warm enough that Zoe needed to take her hat off by the end of the afternoon.

Grammy was kind enough to provide pictures...

Zoe and Ty were sure to let us know how they were measured by this man for their rental skis: "Raise your hand...like in class...and the tip top of the ski should tickle you between your wrist and palm. Then you put your arm straight out to your sides...like a 'T'...and that's how tall your poles are. After you carry your skis outside, you step into the ski with your toes."

Granddad gave Zoe pointers on technique: "Put your weight on foot that's not in the front and push off with that leg. Then you swing your arms opposite your legs and you can use your poles to make you go even faster!"

It took Ty a little while to get his snow legs.

And when he fell...he'd get tangled...

...really tangled!

By the end of the 2 hours, the kids were exhausted...but addicted. They would've stayed longer (but probably would've needed a shot of "5 Hour Energy").

Thank you, Grammy and Granddad! They loved it! You gonna be up for taking the triplets in a few years?

Ava's Adventure

2011-01-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

I started the "Let's Play Catchup - Ava" post, but had to call a time out. There's more exciting current things happening in her life: first stitches!

First...you should know that we are in the midst of the snowiest January in NJ history. We barely make it through 24 hours without a flake falling. The kids haven't had a full week of school all month. This week, we managed 5 days...2 of them were 1/2 days!

Top the ridiculous weather off with the fact that Shane was on a business trip Tuesday and Wednesday. He was in Chicago stressing about how he was going to get home in the midst of yet another storm on Wednesday night. I, however, was home stressing about what to do with the crazy kids!

To say the kids were bouncing off the walls, would be an understatement. It was snowing...AGAIN. School had been dismissed early. They'd blown through all the DVDs they wanted to watch. Dinner was over. Dad was on his way home. I was trying to keep them up so he could see them.

Now the scene has been set...

Sure enough, Little Miss Ava was trying to keep up with her brothers while they were jumping off the play table.

Not really sure what happened, but some how, she hit the entertainment center and came crying to me in the other room. Being the loving, patient, empathetic mother that I am, I half-heartedly went to pick her up to shush her. That's when I noticed the blood...dripping from her chin!

My knees went weak. My stomach flipped. It was 730p on a snowy night and I was home alone with 5 kids ages 8 and under. "Please Lord, don't let the cut that I'm about to look at be bad. Please."

No such luck. I knew the minute I looked at it, that Ava would be going to the ER. But still, I sent a picture to my pediatric nurse friend, Sue.

She agreed. That's when I called Shane. He was still a half hour away. As soon as he walked in the door, Ava and I headed out.

I should point out here, I had to actually ASK where the ER was. I've lived in NJ for 13 years, yet still...never been to the ER.

It took us about 25 minutes to go about 7 1/2 miles. Thankfully, Ava calmed down on the ride (she had started screaming as I was putting her jacket on...thanks to Zoe recounting how "she had stitches once and they really hurt") and she even fell asleep.

Our time at the hospital was rather dull. Sue and her husband (Rob) met us there to keep us company (and hold my hand). The numbing gel didn't work and Ava needed Lidocaine...not a fun experience and one that I'd like to forget. Rob is one of Ava's favorite people and having him there really helped her. Sue is one of my favorite people and having her there while Ava was fighting to get out of the papoose really helped me!

After 4 stitches and a dose of Tylenol, we left for home around 1030p. 7 1/2 miles, remember? There were at least 4 inches of fresh snow since we got to the hospital, so I knew it was going to be a journey. I figured the highway was a better bet than the side roads and we headed out.

We were going about 10-15 miles an hour behind a tractor trailer, and I was fine with that. Then...we stopped. Completely. As in "Park".

After 20 minutes, the plow to my right got off and the car in front of me followed. So did I! Turns out, there were power lines down across the highway and it was closed about 20 feet in front of us.

We fish-tailed our way through unplowed streets to a parallel street that would bring us home. Of course, as we pulled up to that street (Franklin Turnpike) our light was red. Oh boy. How was I going to make a right onto the road from a dead stop in 5 inches of snow in my minivan? Just as I finished a quick prayer, two plows passed in front of us and cleared a path right as my light turned green. I gunned it...and followed them within a half mile from my house.

At 1145p, we pulled into the garage. My whole body was tense. It felt so good to exhale. What an adventure.

Ava slept until almost 9a Thursday morning.

And when she woke...she was smiling! Swollen...but smiling!

Let's Play Catchup - Zoe

2011-01-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

Zoe had a great summer...turned into QUITE a fish, swimming anywhere and everywhere she was given the opportunity!

Just like her brother, Zoe had a few nights away from home. She enjoyed a week in CT with Grammy for Missions Expo at their church.

Sunday night, Zoe and I met my parents halfway for the "drop off". Monday morning, Grammy and Zoe headed to the day camp. After lunch with Granddad, they embarked on a variety of afternoon activities...including (and this is my personal highlight of their time together) back-to-school shopping! That's right...I barely had to do ANY. Grammy and Zoe hit Walmart and even picked up Ty's supplies. Wednesday, Granddad headed up to camp to meet up with Ty for their adventure. So, for the rest of the week, it was just the ladies. They had a great time.

In August, we headed to Hershey Park as a family. Yes, even the "babies" (let's just say they didn't enjoy it like we thought they would). Zoe really loved it (Ty did too). The last time she was there, she was almost 4. This time, she was bigger...

...and could go on more rides. She LOVED the roller coasters!!!

Poor Shane. He had to ride over and over. Thankfully, Granddad Christgau was there and got to ride, too. I rode a few...and we left Grammy to the slow train with the triplets (she was extremely thankful). While we were there, we ran into a few of the kids' friends, including two sisters a little older than Zoe. She was psyched to get some time with them on even more "big kid" rides.

The end of summer meant 3rd grade! A move to "the other side of the school" and "the upper playground". I can't believe my baby is so big!

For her 8th birthday party, Zoe opted for a sleepover with the 3K's!

That's right: Karalyn, Kaylyn and Kaylee. It was quite a tongue-twister! A bunch of fun was had by all!

Also like Ty, Zoe played soccer (at her mother's insistence). She did A LOT of running...

...and snacking.

At some point during the summer, Zoe started getting regular phone calls from Kaylee (her cousin).

Listening to them talk about life for hours at a time (okay, more like half hours) was quite humorous. They'd talk about Webkinz, swimming, you name it! I have a feeling Zoe's going to be needing the "unlimited" plan if and when she ever gets a cell phone!

Over Thanksgiving, we discovered Zoe's future occupation: TEACHER! Aunt Roo (a.k.a. Shane's sister Bethany) is a teacher in Baltimore and let Zoe grade a few of her student's tests. Zoe was a natural!

Zoe ended 2010 with a slam (chuckle chuckle). Probably not a highlight for her, but definitely one for me, was the loss of her door! Yes, the rule in our house is "You slam it, you lose it!"

By the way, our doors are solid wood and not exactly light. So Zoe, next time you slam your door, could you do it when DAD is home so I don't have to lift and carry that thing!

Let's Play Catchup - Ty

2011-01-12T22:19:00.002-05:00

Ty's turn!

Just like Eli, Ty enjoyed the lake this summer. I'm not really sure how much time he spent in the actual WATER, but he sure worked on his baseball throwing skills with his best bud, Jack.

On the sad side, his "other" best friend (and neighbor), Sam, moved to Texas. It was a sad, sad day. We'll really miss the Steffe's. I can't wait for my first visit to Texas. Oh wait...we were talking about Ty...

The definite highlight of the summer was Ty's trip to Northern Frontier with Granddad.

PopPop also went, with Ty's cousin, Noah. It was three nights in a cabin with a ton of fun in the day...

...slingshots...

...air rifles (?)...

...ropes courses...

...and "rock" climbing.

From the moment he got back, Ty was planning for a return trip in the summer of 2011!

The big surprise of Ty's summer was that Mom and Dad finally caved and got Ty the kids a much coveted Wii. The timing was perfect. It rained for 4 days the moment they turned it on. The next morning, Ty came down from his room all hunched over with his arms hanging low. He was complaining that his arms were "broken". I don't think he made the connection.

September brought first grade...ALL DAY...EVERY day!!!

(Note the snake on his backpack...he purposely picked this pack out to freak out his snake-hating Dad!)

It also brought S-O-C-C-E-R! I'm not sure what Ty liked more, the game or the Gatorade.

Ty's a really low-key kid. He's a true joy and most days, he's a laugh-a-minute. He has a bunch of great friends, but if given the choice, he'd choose a play date with Jack at a moment's notice.

Jack's mom always sends me a top quote from their time together. Here are a few:

"Ty, how did you become such a picky eater?" "I get it from my Dad's side!"

"My mom calls me 'snail' because I have a hard shell" (Oh Ty...I don't think so...)

Let's Play Catchup - Eli

2011-01-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

So what have we been up to (since I totally blew off the blog the second half of 2010)?

Let's start with Eli. No particular reason. But the poor kid NEVER goes first.

He had a great time at the lake this summer. He loved the sand and put up with the water.

He turned 3 and missed the majority of his party. While running into the house to go to the bathroom, he missed a step into the back porch and face planted onto a blue-stone step. There was blood everywhere and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to have his 2 front teeth when I opened his mouth. Thankfully, his teeth were fine. A chunk of his gum was missing and he tore his upper lip frenulum (there's your anatomy lesson of the day, enjoy). He was a great patient and never complained. It looked horrendous, but the dentist assured me it'd be fine after a few days. Sure enough...aside from a small scar along his gum line...he's good!

In September, he started preschool two days a week. He had to be football carried into class a few times during the first weeks, but now, he jumps right out of the car and runs right in.

The fall also brought out the clown in Eli. He's a complete ham!

Aside from the typical 3yo's obsession with trains...

...Eli has become a laundry addict. No. Seriously. He can't get enough. And heaven forbid I tell him that I don't have time to do laundry. We're talking COMPLETE meltdown. He's actually pretty good. The problem is really mine...I can't keep up! Eli collects everyone's hampers, separates lights/darks/whites...

...loads the washer and waits ~~not-so~~ patiently for me to put in the soap, then pushes all necessary buttons...

...when the "wet one" is done, he takes everything out and puts it in the "dry one"...

...even empties my lint catcher thingy...

...pushes the necessary buttons and waits. Then, when it's done...he empties the dryer...

...and brings it all back to my room! Now if I could just get him to fold it and put it away!

2011 Resolution

2011-01-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

Last year, a bunch of ~~my friends~~ the blogs I follow challenged themselves by taking a picture everyday in 2010. I'm not sure where the "resolution" came from, but I enjoyed looking at their life through their camera lens. And have decided to try it myself this year. I think it'll be a good way to get more familiar with my DSLR camera (which I currently use as if it's a "Point-and-Shoot") and will hopefully help me get back to blogging without the pressure of having to write more than a sentence or two. I can't promise that the pictures will be POSTED every day, but they will be TAKEN each day.

I'm not going to post all the pictures here. Although, if there's a funny story that goes along with the picture, there might just be a post about it. My 365 blog is over HERE. I'll try and figure out a way to make a link on the side of this blog permanently, but I'm not so great with the tech stuff, so it may take awhile.

June...In Nutshell

2010-10-07T10:31:00.000-04:00

It's October? Seriously? How'd that happen? I put on a fleece this morning. In my mind, I'm still wearing shorts and tank tops. Yet I just filled out a form with my preferences for Parent/Teacher Conferences for the end of the 1st quarter of school. I guess I should snap out of this dream world and face reality...it's Fall. I'm a slacker. There aren't enough hours in the day to do all that I want to. I'm behind. And not just on my blog. Ugh. I don't like reality. Can't we live happily-ever-after in my little land of make-believe?
Okay...so what happened in June?

Well...like I said before...I spent a lot...no, really...A LOT of time cleaning up not-so-fun stuff!

Ava took a little while catching on. She earned the nickname "The Camel" after day 2. She'd not go to the bathroom until I put a pullup on for bed. Any accidents she had, it was because her bladder literally gave out. And she'd be horrified that it had!

Eli was a quick study. He figured out that he got a treat every time he went potty. So...he'd let just enough out on the potty to earn a treat...eat it...then head back to his potty to earn another Swedish fish! (Hey, if I'm going to have candy in the house, it's going to be something I LOVE...so I can treat myself, too!)

Cole...well...like everything with Cole...potty training became a battle of wills. He was defiant. He'd "perform" if he wanted to...but ONLY if he wanted to. Otherwise, he was perfectly happy watching me clean up after him while he got a fresh pair of underwear.

But June wasn't ONLY about potty-training.

(This is Zoe's buddy Kaylyn...she won't be back to ECES next year, but they'll stay friends, I'm sure of it!)

Zoe wrapped up 2nd grade...complete with a "Violin Chapel" to show us all how much she'd learned and improved. I have a confession here. The entire violin class (2nd, 3rd & 4th grade students) played a piece together at the end that brought me to tears. No, I didn't get it on video, but if I find a parent that taped it, I'm posting it. It was AMAZING. Instead, you'll have to listen to his...just the 2nd grade beginner class...

Ty completed Kindergarten. He LOVED his year with Mrs. Johnston...and she loved having him!

But the most shocking part of our June was Shane's departure from SONY. Yes, after 16 years, he's no longer polishing up on his Japanese. He wasn't looking for a new job, but Samsung came looking for him. So there were a few days that we had Dad at home while we kicked off our summer. It was a fun few days...for a few days. But ummm...how do I say this nicely? Well...I learned that Shane will NEVER have a job that he works solely at home. At least not while I'm a SAHM. Too much chaos for me.

Just like last year, we wrapped up June with a trip up to CT for Summer Bible Club and Camp Granddad. Highlights will have to wait for my next post.

In the meantime, here are a few other random fun shots and clips from the month...

Trouble with a Capital "C"!

2010-09-14T14:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know I owe you a ton and a half of posts. I will. I promise. I'll sum up June, July and August and HOPEFULLY not have to review all of September.

In the meantime...yesterday HAS to be posted about!

See this cutie?

He looks so sweet and innocent, right? Wrong!

I was upstairs making beds and Ava came up saying, "Cole in trouble. Cole be naughty." When she brought me downstairs, I made a disturbing, yet not so shocking discovery...

And there, right next to this beautiful work of art was it's creator.

He's not exactly sly! By the time I cleaned him up (after all...he had preschool today...I couldn't send him looking like "Pierre") he'd moved on to another disaster so I moved on to putting sheets on Ty's bed. You'll never guess who I found in Ty's room...Cole! He was playing Lego's on Ty's bed...and he'd had an "accident". Seriously. So...I cleaned up Cole...and his mess...and waited to put sheets on the now wet (but newly scrubbed) mattress.

Determined to get SOMETHING done before nap time (theirs, not mine, unfortunately), I went downstairs to empty the dishwasher. There were Eli & Ava playing nicely in the Family Room. When they saw me come into the kitchen, I was greeted warmly with another, "Cole in trouble. Cole be naughty" from Ava. Great. "Where is he, Ava?"

"Outside!"

I kid you not, the boy had unlocked and opened the front door and was riding his tricycle on the driveway. Underwear only. Quite a sight. But seriously, what am I supposed to do with this boy? HOW am I going to contain him?

Memorial Day Weekend Update #1 - Hunter Mountain

2010-06-04T17:42:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's been almost a week since Memorial Day...but we've been busy...

I promise I'm keeping really good notes on any progress. The potty-training post will come...eventually!

For now, I return you to our original programming..Memorial Day Weekend...

Nothing kicks the summer off better than a good old fashion road trip, right? When we were invited up to my Aunt and Uncle's "Country House" in Hunter, NY for the day Saturday, we couldn't wait. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement...I was slightly worried...but was still excited...honest!

We loaded up and were on the road ~~at the crack of dawn~~ by 10:30. In just under 2 hours, we were on one of the most beautiful roads in the Northeast...Route 23...heading up the mountain. It was breath-taking...view and Shane's driving! Seriously, he was so busy pointing out rivers, mountains and waterfalls to the kids that he wasn't even watching the double yellow line. This is about the point that I really wished I'd insisted on driving!

We arrived safely and hit the ground running. Actually, it was more like...tip-toeing. They shyly (is that a word) explored the house and walked around the yard while the rest of us got lunch set up. Zoe had barely swallowed her last bite and she was off with (my cousin) Louise to the river. Sure enough, children started following...

Helen and Cole just checkin' things out

Ava and "Ma Puh-dool"

Shane couldn't collect rocks fast enough for Cole to throw. At least he was polite and would give one to Helen, too, "One you...One me..."

Eli liked helping Aunt Georgia keep track of any wildlife that was collected (i.e. Minnows)

You'll never guess who was the first to fall in...I won't say his name, but it starts with a T and ends with a Y.

Cole and Uncle Tim checking out the view down river

Ava scooped water like it was her job.

Louise and Zoe

Eli

Ava

Cole

Grammy and Granddad

After everyone was sufficiently wet, it was back up to the house for some DRY relaxing time.

Some gardened...

Uncle Steven

Some played baseball...

Some read on the porch...

Helen and Ava learned all about the crazy adventures of Curious George

And some drew next year's fashion lines...

After dinner, there was another trip down to the river for the crazy kids and the crazy cousins (i.e. those over 3 y.o. and under 30 y.o.).

By 730p, we were back on the road, headed home. What a success the day was. Even without naps, the triplets were pleasant and well-behaved. We had minimal meltdowns and no real temper tantrums. No more than 10 miles down the road, all "babies" were sleeping and it didn't take long for Zoe and Ty to follow suit.

It was a great time with family...the way all holiday weekends should start! Thanks so much for your hospitality, Aunt Georgia and Uncle Steven. A big shout out to Louise and Helen, too. Without you guys, Zoe and Ty would have been begging for fun parents, or Shane and I would be recovering from hypothermia.

Patriotic Chapel...Again!

2010-05-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

Every year, each grade level is responsible for one "special" chapel at Eastern Christian Elementary School. This year, the 2nd Grade (Zoe's class) did Thanksgiving Chapel. When Zoe was in Kindergarten, it was Christmas Chapel (holy cow, have I really been blogging that long?) and First Grade was Patriotic Chapel. Every year, the chapels shuffle up.

This is Ty's first year having a chapel responsibility as a class. And guess what the Kindergarten was dealt...Patriotic Chapel! Not to worry, they were much different than Zoe's Memorial Day interpretation last year. Yesterday was his big day...

Ty was VERY excited, to say the least. He could barely sleep the night before.

The kids each were dressed to represent an aspect of our culture. Ty was an American Indian.

Mrs. Johnston (Ty's teacher) and Mrs. Boonstra (the aide)

These brave women did an excellent job...~~keeping the 20 crazy Kindergartners from poking each other's eyes out with the flags~~...helping the kids learn and perform. Ty was nervous, I could tell. The hands in the pockets was a dead giveaway!

We all were proud of our kids. Even Zoe said Ty did a good job!

Thank you, Mrs. Johnston!

Eli...The Goof Ball

2010-05-24T13:57:00.000-04:00

In the past...I've been told I'm hard on Eli on my blog. Apparently, I post a lot of pictures of him crying. I looked back through about a years worth of posts, but couldn't find many. Still, this weekend I found myself giggling at him a lot so I thought I'd show you why...

First...there's this crazy hat.

He wears it all the time...around the house...and even in his crib.

And anytime I take out the camera...all I hear is "cheeeeeeeeeese!"

But what really kills me is his love for leaf blowers. This isn't a toy leaf blower. And if it's EVER brought out...he claims it. And until that battery dies...there's NO sharing it.

If you listen closely, you can hear Eli's answer when I ask him "Whatcha doin'?" He says, "Messy..."

13.1 miles is STILL a long way

2010-05-09T22:02:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I'm not the fastest learner. Remember last year when I ran the NJ Half Marathon? I remember being proud that I finished. I remember sleeping well that night. I remember being sore the next day. I remember saying to Shannon, "Hey...let's do this again next year!" What I DIDN'T remember was the complete and utter pain of actually running for over 2 hours.

Last year, I didn't feel "ready". This year, I did. And technically, I was. I was in much better shape. I'd run more consistently. I'd run with faster times. I'd lost some weight. I was ready. But not for 85 degrees! What a difference the weather makes. There were people dropping left and right. I'd love to know the official tally, but it felt like I saw at least one person down every mile from the 5 mile marker on. My mom will be the first to tell you that I "don't do well with heat". I've been know to...how can I say this nicely..."faint with style". So I started taking the water stations pretty seriously around mile 6 and even walked through a few toward the end to make sure I drank a full cup of water. When I rounded the corner onto the boardwalk to finish my last 2 miles, I saw a woman stumble and fall into the arms of her running partner. She went down like a sack of potatoes. That's when my goal became "just finish". I really wanted to be able to call my mom and say "I didn't faint. I finished on my own 2 feet. I didn't need an ambulance." Especially since this same weekend last year, the husband of a friend of hers collapsed during a 10k and eventually died a few months later. And finish, I did!

I think the number I'm most proud of is my finishing percentile. I was in the 24th percentile! Sure, my pace was slower than I'd hoped. And my finish time was slower than last year, but I finished before 75% of the other women. Before 75% of the women in my age group!

This year, our friend Marisa joined us (and Shannon's husband, Dave, bailed! Wimp! You better come back next year!)

Cool Shannon, Marisa & Me on Saturday afternoon...all smiles before Race Day

And we stayed right on the boardwalk. Right at the host hotel. What a view. From our balcony, we cheered on Marathon runners the rest of the day too.

We kept the traditional dinner at Rooney's, too. Who needs pasta when you've got fresh seafood? Sure, some people would say we'd do better with some carb-loading, but it's just not as tasty as Rooney's!

Marisa's family came down Sunday to cheer us on. They let us know that they'd be around the 9 mile mark and knowing that, kept me going! There was NO WAY I was going to be walking when they saw me! Thanks for making the trip down, guys. You were such an encouragement. I can't wait until my gang's old enough to cheer us on.

All-in-all, it was a good experience. Sure, mile #s 6, 7, and 8, I contemplated just stopping. Not walking. Just stopping. But then I realized, I still had to get back to the hotel somehow. Any way I cut it, I'd have to walk, run, or crawl...so I might as well keep running.

I'm so proud of Marisa for finishing her first "Half", too. I know you're still in denial, but give it a few weeks, you'll agree to run it again. It's kinda like childbirth. You forget all about the misery when you start longing for that fuzzy and warm feeling that a baby (or in this case, a strong finish) will give you!

Where's Shannon, you ask? Well...she ignored us when we said we'd meet her at the finish line...and she went back to the hotel for a shower.

Ready for 2011, girls? May 1st...Shannon and I are in! Who's gonna join us????

Abma's Farm

2010-04-16T17:10:00.002-04:00

I love love love Abma's Chicken Salad. And I've been craving it like nobody's business this week. No...I'm not pregnant...just want me some Chicken Salad. I don't like Chicken Salad. At all. Unless it's Abma's!
But here's the thing. How does a skittish mother of triplets (plus 2) "run into" a farm store to pick up some chicken salad? Well...she doesn't! Especially when there's a petting zoo right there.

Finally, the urge got to be more than I could handle! So yesterday, I did it. I bit the bullet and took the triplets to Abma's Farm to get some Chicken Salad and see the animals.

What was I thinking? How was I going to keep track of them? How was I going to keep them from grabbing everything off the shelves in the market? Was I suffering from temporary insanity? How was this going to work?

Who cares...I have to start getting out with the gang if I have any hope of not losing my mind!

Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and the kids ran right up to the animals and started yelling out each name...

..."Buuuuh-kneeeee"...

..."Tuuuur-keeeeey"...

...and that's where the fun ended for Eli! I snapped this picture right before the turkey snapped at him! There were cries, tears and screams...and not all from Eli! Nearby moms were horrified. I was calm...sorta. I quickly dropped the camera and ran to check Eli over...he was fine...the turkey didn't get him...at all. When the coast was clear...I laughed. Only Eli would be so enthusiastic that it would cause a turkey...at a children's petting zoo...to snap at him!

Thankfully, the trauma with the turkey didn't end our trip to Abma's. Eli forced me to carry him for a whopping 60 seconds, then joined Cole and Ava as they continued around the zoo looking at the sheep, pigs, ponies, goats, etc. At the fence for each animal, the kids squatted down and talked to the animal like it was a little baby...

"Hi wittle piggy...hi...hi pig..."

They stared at the baby chicks for QUITE a long time. I think they were drawn to them since there were so many "babies". Maybe they didn't feel quite so strange being triplets since the chicks were like thirty-lets.

On the way out of the petting zoo (can I just mention that every time I go to type "zoo", I type "zoe". I should've thought a little harder before naming her!), the triplets indulged my request to pose in the face holes of animals. No...I was not successful in getting all three to look at me for a picture. I wasn't even successful in getting their face in the shot. They would look out the hole and then look down to see the animal. I don't think they quite got the concept. But Cole did get something...his head slightly stuck in the hole. Oh the joy of having a GSM (Good Size Melon).

After being "good shoppers with hands in their pockets", the triplets were rewarded with home-made donuts! And Mommy was rewarded with Chicken Salad!

Yes, Mom, I brought wipes AND antibacteria wash to use on their hands before they ate the donuts!

World's Best Waterboys

2010-04-12T22:31:00.000-04:00

So technically, they weren't both BOYS and they didn't have WATER, but they were still perfect!

I'm running the NJ Half-Marathon again this year. Saturday, I was supposed to run 12 miles, according to my training schedule. Since I haven't done my "long training runs" for the past 2 weekends, thanks to Bethany's Wedding and Easter, I was pretty skeptical that I'd get very far. Planning for the worst, I decided I'd piece together 2 of my running routes (for a total of 11 miles), bringing me right past our street after 5 miles.

The first 5 miles felt pretty good. Even still, I wasn't looking forward to going back out on another "loop". Until I turned the corner and saw this...

Obviously, I don't run with my camera, this is a re-creation!

You can only imagine how much my spirit was lifted. I might have even teared up a little! I stopped for a few seconds, drank some of the Gatorade and headed back out.

I only wish the kids had found a way to wait for me at mile 8.5. Right after the pretty substantial hill I had completely forgotten about.

Easter Recap

2010-04-10T22:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter (a week late)!

I'm not really sure how Easter showed up so fast. Actually...I do know...Spring Break...Wedding...Easter. BOOM! It's crazy, really. I keep thinking that life will slow down, but it's not. It will though, right?

So anyway...Easter...it was great! We went up to CT to be with my parents. Left on Saturday evening and came home Sunday night. Whirl-wind trip. But so worth it.

Before we left, I let the kids dye eggs: My least favorite tradition of the holiday. Know what makes coloring eggs much less stressful? Let them color the eggs OUTSIDE! The weather was great, so I had them bring the stuff out to the driveway. I gave them each 1/2 the eggs. Then I went inside. Ta Dah! I couldn't care less about the eggs...or the mess!

Sunday morning we all headed to church in our "Easter Finest". Cole and Eli even wore the Tuxes from Lindsay's wedding. Hey, if a 2 1/2 year old can't wear a tux on Easter Sunday, when CAN he wear it?

Cole was NOT cooperative! He had NO intention of letting me take a picture of him. Grammy tried. STILL not successful.

After church, a great lunch (thanks Mom!), and a nap for the triplets, we ventured back outside for a good old-fashioned egg hunt! The triplet's first. Oh boy. Eli wasn't thrilled with the idea. Two words: Melt Down. Look at my attempt at a "Pre-Hunt Picture"...could Eli look any less excited? Not to worry, he quickly caught on to the fun to be had by hunting for "More egg!"

After the hunt was over, the consuming began. There were multiple times that my parents asked when we were going to cut them off. Ummmm...well...I hadn't actually planned on cutting them off...

My favorite moment...Eli convincing Ava to share her jelly beans...(sorry about all the shadows, I'm still "perfecting" my SLR camera skills)

Lessons learned:

Don't expect a Family Easter Picture for at least another 3 years.
Less candy in each egg.
Set the candy-eating expectations BEFORE the hunt begins.
Oh...and count the eggs BEFORE you start hiding them.
Always pack tar and home-improvement clothes...you never know when your husband will be fixing a leak on the roof of your parents' home.

Not My Calling!

2010-04-01T16:59:00.001-04:00

I've known for a VERY long time that my calling is NOT to be a teacher. Even though I was one of those girls who "played school" growing up, I knew I could never be a real teacher. After a few years as a Mom, I know Im not called to home-school, either. Don't worry, I'm not going to bad-mouth home-schooling. I just know that there's NO WAY I could be Zoe's teacher. I can barely be her homework monitor.

So here's verification #542 that I'll never be a teacher: The American Museum of Natural History

I ~~experienced temporary insanity when I~~ volunteered to chaperone Zoe's Second Grade class trip. Not only was I slightly bus-sick by the time we got back to school, I was flat out exhausted AND I had a headache (possibly because I didn't get my full dose of morning coffee, but let's just blame the crazy kids, okay!?!?!)

Here are all the kids that I was put in charge of...

Seriously!?!?! You want me to control ALL these kids?

(Zoe and her buddy Kaylyn)

I mean, there's so many of them!

Thankfully, I teamed up with other ~~crazy volunteers~~ Moms and we found strength in numbers.

(Krystyn and Sue)

The girls had a one-track-mind...

...they wanted Dum Dum!

(Kaylyn, Zoe, Molly, and Maeve)

And by the end of the day, they were pretty sick of my pictures. So they started posing pretty creatively.

These ladies need medals.

(Kaylyn, Miss Hulsebos, Zoe, and Mrs. Baitzel)

They do this everyday...JOYFULLY! There isn't enough money in the world for me to volunteer for this gig! Thank you for teaching our kids. Thank you for loving MY kid. You make school so much fun for Zoe. She loves learning...thanks to you. And I love that she's ~~out of the house all day~~ learning!

She CAN'T be married...isn't she still 10?

2010-03-30T22:35:00.001-04:00

"Our" little Bethany is married!

No way!

I can still picture the semi-awkward little 10-year old that put her hair in Princess Leah buns with mismatched scrunchies! She used to watch me do whatever it was I was doing. Her most famous line: "I like watching you put on makeup...my sister doesn't wear NEARLY that much..."

Sure enough, on Saturday, March 27th, Bethany Joy Higby became Bethany Joy Davis. She married a great guy. We love him so much. And after a great weekend getting to know them, we love his family, too!

Zoe was a Junior Bridesmaid. Friday night at the rehearsal, she discovered that she had to walk back up the aisle with a groomsman. I've never seen her face so red as she sheepishly kept from making eye contact with anyone.

Our niece, Kaylee, was also a Junior Bridesmaid (she is the daughter of Shane's late sister, Stacey). She slept over Friday night after the rehearsal and dinner, so the girls could get their hair done together in the morning. Oh boy. I definitely think we have some divas-in-training.

Once every curl was pinned in place, we went to my in-laws for pictures with the Bride and the other Bridesmaids. It was quite a crazy morning...but everything came together and we all made it to the church...ON TIME!

Despite his insistence that he should be the one to walk Bethany down the aisle since he claims he co-parented her, Shane had to settle for walking his mom to her seat.

Zoe did a great job...first one down the aisle...all smiles! She didn't hesitate and even walked slowly.

Kaylee did great too.

Micah did great as the "ring boy". He carefully avoided each rose pedal as he walked down the aisle. All the while saying, "ooooh...I like this...I like this..."

Zoe and her "escort"

I still giggle when I think about Phil's 10 groomsmen. They looked like a security force up there. I told Bethany not to be discouraged. I'm sure they weren't there to make sure Phil followed through...they were to "fend off" any sad ex-boyfriends.

The ceremony was beautiful and so was Bethany.

We all had a blast at the reception, but I think the kids had the most fun. Ty and Zoe took full advantage of the open access to soda. I think Ty had about 4 cokes and Zoe innumerable Shirley Temple's.

That's Ty in the middle of (nephews) Sam and Noah

Noah (another nephew) spent the entire reception "break dancing"...or so he called it. I'm not sure WHAT it was, but it sure was entertaining.

We purposely left the triplets home with a sitter, and in hind-sight are SO GLAD we did, yet still, Zoe found a 19-month old to fawn over.

Amazingly, I didn't manage to get a single picture of myself. Sorry. Just know that I looked good, if I do say so myself. No, really. I was in a dress! And heels!!!!

The way Spring Break SHOULD look...

2010-03-24T21:54:00.001-04:00

Days 1 and 2 of Spring Break were rainy and cold. So, this morning, when we woke up to sunshine, I knew the kids were spending some serious time outdoors. The only problem? Sun does not necessarily equal warmth. Not to worry...I would not be discouraged.

There WOULD be energy released OUTSIDE the four walls of our home. I could not take another day of the kids destroying the house all day.

Here are a few shots I took with my "big" camera. I really wish I knew how to use it to it's fullest, but I guess the best way to improve that is to use it more, right? So I grabbed it and brought it out with us today...

The wind made Ava's hair look even crazier...

Okay...don't hyper-ventilate...but I let Zoe and Ty try the SLR. Not to worry, I made sure the strap was around their neck and I was never more than an quick step away (I guess I thought I could catch it on the bounce!?!?!)

The "winner" of the best pictures taken was Ty! Definitely. Here are his best shots...

The triplets love going fast in their Choo Choo Wagon!

...This is Ty's BEST shot! Look at those faces!

March Madness

2010-03-23T21:53:00.000-04:00

We're not really a sports-crazy house...yet. With 3 sons, I'd imagine we will be someday. But we're not...yet. We're a Baseball family.

I mean, I enjoy other sports...College Hoops, College Football, and an occassional NFL game. I've even been working on branching out and trying to enjoy Hockey (don't shoot me...it's just hard to follow.) But that's me. Not Shane. And not...yet...the kids.

Anyway, I try to teach the kids about sports other than Baseball (although Shane thinks there ARE no other sports). Ty even played Flag Football this year. So when the opportunity came up to go to a professional basketball game with the big kids, I took it. Neither of them have been to a game. Not even a college game...or ANY basketball game, for that matter.

Apparently, the Nets aren't all that great. We wouldn't know. We gladly accepted the vouchers for 4 tickets to the game last night. I guess the idea is that they were "stadium filler" seats because we just had to show up and turn in the vouchers for "the best tickets available". Hmmmm...

Since we didn't have a babysitter, I was elected the "chaperone" on this trip. Gave me an opportunity to be "the fun parent" for a change.

We made it to the IZOD Center without incident and got our tickets with plenty of time to spare.

I may have been generous when I said that the Nets aren't all that great. Check out our seats...

About 15 minutes into the game, I turned to see Ty in tears. I had no idea what happened. After asking every question I could think of, the horn blew to say the commercial break was over. That's when I noticed the look on his face...he had NO IDEA what that noise was! That's what was scaring him. Once I explained it, we got a good laugh. Zoe asked what we were laughing about, so I told her. She, then, asked when the game was going to start. Seriously? Not the sharpest tools in the shed!

The game started great. The Nets were holding of Miami. With every basket, Ty would put down his pretzel and clap like crazy. Such a fan!

One of the highlights of the night came after the 1st quarter when the NETSational Seniors performed. That's right...grandma's and grandpa's hip hop dancing. I kid you not!

The kids loved using the noise-makers and even asked for a picture with the mascot!

With a quarter of the game still left, Ty asked if he could, "just not root for the Nets."

The bonus of the game? Zoe and Ty slept in this morning until 9am.

Caught...Red Handed...sort of...

2010-03-21T12:00:00.002-04:00

I just downloaded some pictures from my camera and found 74 pictures. Hmmmm. Interesting. I thought I took 4! I wonder who got ahold of my camera...

Let's see...they were in the family room...

...and then the dining room...

...that appears to be a pink bag hanging from a chair...along with the little case from my bag for my pens (yes, I'm a pen addict, but that's a whole nother post!)

...and they're ON the chair...

...confirmation of the pink bag...

...hmmm...who's lips are those???

...confusion...

Yup...this confirms it...

Cole "The Bear" Higby!

I MIGHT have a little bit of OCD

2010-03-19T22:00:00.001-04:00

When the babies were born, I "color-coded" their "accessories". Blankets, pacifiers, bibs...Cole got Blue, Eli got Green and Ava had Pink.

It started as an easy way to know who's was who's. Find a blanket...who's is it? Pick up a bottle...who dropped it? Even their baby books are Blue, Green and Pink.

Last night at dinner, we noticed my obsession may have become a compulsion...

I mean...I didn't even INTEND to dress them in those colors!!!!

Zoe, The Gymnast

2010-03-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

Ever since Zoe learned to walk at 9 months, we've ~~been frustrated~~ laughed at her never-ending energy level. She walked for 1 day...started running the next. She hasn't sat still since. "Sit in your seat" is said about 10 times a meal. Since Preschool, her teachers have mentioned her inability to "sit still". Our challenge has always been trying to harness that energy.

When She was 3, we tried dance. She loved it. She was "OK" at it. The recital killed us.

At 4, we decided to try gymnastics and swimming at the Y. "Swim and Gym". 45 minutes of gymnastics followed by a half hour of swimming. BINGO! She loved both activities and was BEAT by bedtime. Unfortunately, she outgrew it pretty quickly. The gymnastics wasn't quite challenging enough for her.

This year, Zoe is at US Gymnastics in Mahwah. She's definitely challenged and definitely enjoying it.

This past weekend, Zoe had her Gymfest. It's not quite a recital, but it's a chance for parents to watch their gymnast in action. WAY LESS PAINFUL than the dance recital. It was actually fun...and it only lasted just over an hour!

Zoe and her "coach" Miss Jackie

The 1st rotation brought Zoe's group to the Balance Beam. One of her favorites.

Stuck the landing...

Small Trampoline

Uneven Bars

Her favorite is definitely Trampoline

She LOVES flipping into the foam pit!

She even got a trophy and certificate.

Mommy Update

2010-03-06T12:30:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much for all the encouragement, everybody! Even though I turned off the comment feature, a bunch of you found ways to send me notes...thanks! My "Aunt" even sent me flowers. I feel so loved. Thanks.

Over the past few weeks, I've really tried to do "something" each day. We've had a playdate at the house, been to the gym's Tot-Drop twice (double bonus since babies get to play and Mommy gets to workout), Shoprite twice (don't get too excited, it was a "pick up one thing" type of trip...I'm not ~~stupid~~ brave enough for a major shopping trip), and we've even made it to Bible Study two weeks in a row! Not to mention, we survived the snow storm of the season causing 2 consecutive snow days right before the weekend!

It's getting a little easier the more the babies are "used" to the rules. The hand-holding in the parking lot hasn't been too bad. Ava only gave me a mild fight going into the Tot Drop the first time. Diapers have cooperated...and so has the weather (sort of). I'm still not heading out with the gang in the rain...and I'm still not thinking about potty-training. There are bound to be more bad days coming...but for now, I'm focused on the good days and positive milestones: The laundry's even caught up this week!

Family Dinner

2010-03-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

My least favorite part of being responsible for dinner every night is planning it. Somedays, I feel like a short-order cook: the triplets get their finger-food dinner, the "big kids" get something that I know they'll eat, and Shane and I get a real meal. A few months ago, I stopped making Zoe and Ty their own meal. They could eat was I made for Shane...or they could go to bed hungry. And then a few weeks ago, in an effort to make my life a little bit easier, I decided to stop making the babies their own meal. I make sure there are parts of the meal that they SHOULD be able to eat: Applesauce, noodles, something. But that's it. I'm done running a diner!

We reached another milestone this week: We all ate AT the table!

We took off the trays and pushed the boosters up to the table. They loved it! The quote of the night came from Shane. We all held hands to pray before the meal (not something the triplets are used to...they fold their hands). As soon as the hands were held, Shane looked around and said, "I think I'm gonna cry..." Immediately, Zoe cracked up and has been making fun of him ever since.

Surprisingly, no bowl were thrown...of course, no pork chops were eaten either. But hey, clean up was easier. No trays to wash!

Too much of a good thing?

2010-02-26T22:08:00.000-05:00

I love the snow.

Usually.

In moderation.

But this is ridiculous!

School was cancelled Thursday before a single snowflake fell on Wednesday night. I'm glad it was, though. It was slippery and messy and WINDY! 5 kids and one mom trapped in the house by snow all day makes for a long day. Know what makes it longer? Adding a 2nd snow day! Yup, Thursday night, we got the call...no school on Friday, either! Oh boy! But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Back to Thursday...

Even though it was still snowing, I finally went out and shovelled the driveway around 2p. There was easily 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and I wanted to clear it before it became a foot! I lifted one shovel-full and went back inside to get my mp3 player...I was going to be out there for awhile! It was like shovelling a 6 inch deep Slurpee from 7-Eleven! And before everyone asks: No, Shane wasn't home...he was at work. But even if he was home...I'd shovel...especially that heavy stuff...he has 2 herniated discs! There was no way I was letting him lift that stuff and undo all the improvement in his back over the last few months. By the time I reached the end of the driveway, where I started was already covered in an inch of icy slush. I was slipping and sliding in my Uggs all over the place. At one point, a was hit on the head by what I thought was a snowball. I jumped up and looked around, thinking I must not have heard Shane come home. It was just falling snow from the tree...that perfectly landed on the top of my head!

Shane got home around 5:30p. It took him over an hour to drive what usually takes 12 minutes. It didn't take long for him and the big kids to head out back and begin work on the "sledding hill". By 8p, Zoe was inside watching the Olympics with me. "The Boys" didn't make it in until after 8:30p. They were busy working on a fort/tunnel. Thankfully, we made it through the night with our power. With heavy snow and lots of winds, the lights flickered a few times. Zoe and I quickly lit a few candles and gathered all the flashlights...just in case. She was quite worried that a tree would fall...or the electricity would go out...and ended up sleeping on the couch in our room...with a flashlight under her pillow!

It snowed all through the night...and all morning...and all afternoon...and even as I type this...it's SNOWING!

It took a loooooooooooooooooooooong time shovel today. By 9a there was almost a foot on the ground. And made it about 1/4 of the way up the driveway and quit. Went back out with the whole gang about an hour later and finished another 1/2. Came in...made lunch...watched some Curling...went back out to finish. If it wasn't for our neighbor...I'd still be out there. He came over with his snow blower and worked the "plowed snow". Thank you, Paul!!!!

We had a blast out in the snow together...but it's STILL coming down...and I'm a bit tired of it. Seriously. Enough is enough.

Ty on top of the tunnel/fort Shane made for ~~himself~~ the kids.

About to send the girls down the sledding hill.

Stuck in the bushes. Don't ask...I have no idea what Cole was thinking.

I was ATTEMPTING a picture of Ava stuck in the snow up to her hips...but she refused and just sat...so she wouldn't sink.

Eli carried around this broom most of his time outside.

She just sat there...content...for quite some time.

The "steamroller" lived up to his name and just rolled around in the snow for almost an hour.

Is there anyway that I can get rid of all this snow by March? That's next week. I'm really ready for Spring and having all this "white stuff" around as a reminder of Winter is NOT HELPING ME!

Happy 6th Birthday, Ty (13 days late)

2010-02-22T13:43:00.001-05:00

"My little guy" turned 6 last Tuesday. Actually, the one before that...the 9th. I'm a little behind on things...

I DID manage to get Number 6 donuts to his class on time...

He's quite a joy, our Ty. I wouldn't trade him in for anything. Sure, he's a picky eater...and he moves REALLY slow. But he is always making us laugh and is super friendly and loving. He has such a tender heart and makes sure everyone feels welcome and comfortable. He may be shy, but will try new things (like football) as long as you don't leave him on his own until he's ready. He's very smart (sometimes I think he could be a little TOO smart). But what I love the most about him is his love for Jesus.

A Snapshot of Ty (in his words):

Favorite Color - Red...no wait...Orange...orange, orange, orange (I beg to differ on this one. It's DEFINITELY Red, at the moment)
Favorite Sport - Baseball (Yankees, of course)
Favorite Number - 7
What do you want to be when you grow up - A baseball player
And if you can't be a baseball player - Let me think...I would...be a coach
Do you like school - Yes...kind of
What's your favorite subject - What's a subject? Science. I like to do science
If you could change your name, what would you change it to - Jack
What's your favorite thing to do after school - Stay and Play

And for those of you that want to see Ty through the years, and are really looking to kill some time, Shane started a tradition this year of making "birthday movies" with of video clips and pictures set to the child's favorite songs. It's WAY too long and too big of a file for me to post it. So...just ask Shane...I'm sure he'd schedule a viewing for you.

The Celebration...
This year, to celebrate, Ty asked for a "NY Yankees" party. But a few weeks before the invitations went out, he started worrying about his friends that are Mets fans. So, we focused more on the baseball aspect and kept the Yankee paraphanilia to a minimum. Still...there are 15 boys in his class. 15. Yikes. Surely, since his party was during president's weekend...and before winter break...some of them would be unable to make it...right? Wrong. Only one. And the class that has had major strep throat issues was perfectly healthy by party time. 14 Kindergarten boys. In my house. For 2 hours. I called in reinforcements (Thanks Deborah!) and sent Shane to his parents with the triplets.

I think we did okay: 1 fall down the stairs, 1 fat lip, 1 bloody nose, a couple of bumped heads, a few tears and only 1 timeout! No one was seriously hurt. I was just exhausted!

(Craft time...decorating Pennants)

(Marble Baseball)

(Mayhem in the basement)

(Cupcakes!)

(Pinata - even the Mets fans liked it...they got to HIT a Yankee jersey!)

(Some of the gang)

(Blowing out candles)

The next day, we had a joint Mom/Ty Family Birthday Dinner. And Ty got his "big" gift...

A new (to him) bike!

(I love Craigslist...thanks for driving 2 hours round trip, Shane!)

MIA on purpose (sorta)

2010-02-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

Where have the blog posts been? Simple: Stuck in my head! Most of them sound really good when I'm thinking of them. Then I usually fall asleep and when morning comes, so does reality...three 2 1/2 year-olds, piles of laundry, trips to and from school, and of course...a house to clean. So there sits my laptop. On a desk. In the office. Getting dusty. And lately, by the time the house is quiet and kids are in bed, I'm beat. There's no brain-power left. So I leave my cute, red, much-loved, laptop in it's place and I twiddle around on my iPhone while I watch TV and fight off sleep. It's not until I'm awoken in the middle of the night by one of my children that the thoughts (usually complaints and aggravations) for a post form in my head and help me fall back to sleep...until the next child wakes up crying. See the cycle forming?

The last few days, my fellow 2 to 2 1/2-year old triplet moms have been emailing about potty-training. Ugh! Seriously. The thought scares the daylights out of me. A few of the moms (with triplets younger than mine) have already potty-trained their gangs. They were giving advice to one of the moms that's about to start (or is thinking about starting). One was telling a "disaster accident story". Another mom (I know this is getting confusing, but hang with me...there is a point coming) wrote an email in response to the story and honestly stated that she was a "wuss" and would be putting off the potty-training. I quickly chimed in that I'd join her club. Her honesty was refreshing. It got me thinking...

Maybe that's what I need: a completely honest blog post!

Ready?

Buckle up...keep the comments to yourself (I'll be turning them off)...and read on, if you dare...

I'm struggling! Big time! The novelty of having three little ones has worn off (if it was ever really there) and I'm having a hard time. The house isn't getting clean. The laundry isn't getting done. The meals are getting less and less healthy. The patience is shorter and shorter. I leave the house with the "babies" less and less. I find excuses not to go out. It's so much work. It barely feels worth it.

I hear all the other moms talk about taking their triplets to the Zoo...or the park...or on walks...and I marvel. How do they do it? I can barely get my three from the car into the church for bible study 200 yards away without breaking into a sweat. I keep thinking it'll get easier with time...but it's not. We've been going (not so regularly) since September and it's still a fight to get them to hold hands...mine or each other's. I'd never venture down the street with them. How, on earth, would I keep track of them at a park?

Maybe I depended on Lindsay too much in the beginning. Maybe I got used to having 2 extra hands. Maybe it got easier to just leave them home.

Well...now I don't have that extra help. It's time to buck up. It's time to make a choice. (This is where this mega-depressing post has the promise to become a little more positive.) It's time to come to grips with the fact that I have three 2 1/2 year-olds. I'm not babysitting. Their parents aren't coming to get them. They're mine. This is life! This is MY life. Stuff's not going to be easy. There's not going to be a whole lot of time left in the day. There's not going to be a lot of energy left. But that's the way it's going to be...for awhile. It may get easier...it may not...but I can't keep the triplets in the house forever. I can't keep them in diapers until high school either (although I'm still not sold on potty-training in the next month or two).

But I CAN make a few changes. I CAN take the triplets to the gym and bring them to "Tot Drop". I CAN venture out with them to BJs or Walmart or (dare I say) Target. I CAN bundle them up and romp around in the snow with them for a little bit...even if it takes 30 minutes to get them in their snow-gear. I CAN do things with three little ones. It's just going to take patience (Lord, this is where I'm going to need Your help) and a willingness to fail (again Lord, help me out here).

Change isn't going to happen overnight. And there's NO WAY there will be an "outing" each day. But we're going to start with...pardon the intentional pun...baby steps.

I'll focus on Charles Swindoll's famous attitude quote:
“I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”

I think a big part of keeping my attitude positive is blogging at the day's end. I need to get down the positive (and negative) points of my day. I need to vent frustrating stories...and laugh about the funny (even if it wasn't funny until hindsight). So it may not always be pretty. It may not always be funny. But it'll ALWAYS be honest!

Thanks for listening. This has DEFINITELY helped.

Report Cards

2010-02-03T17:06:00.000-05:00

If you're anything like me, "Report Cards" weren't exactly a highlight of the school year, back in the day. It wasn't that I was afraid of the grades. I was a pretty average student. I knew I'd get the, "if you'd apply yourself a little, your grades would improve" speach, but that's alright. I was ready for it. What worried me were the comments. You know, the added little jabs the teacher to got put in: Talks too much in class, Tends to distract others, Has difficulty sitting still, etc. Those always seem to get my parents more upset than the actual grades.

Thankfully, Zoe and Ty don't actually GET grades, yet. Just "checks" to indicate where they are on a certain process. Ty, for example:

No, he's not perfect...he does have some areas to work on. This is my favorite segment...where the teacher points out that Ty's priority is NOT staying in the lines:

Wanna know what cracked me up even more?

"Prints name with appropriate upper and lowercase letters". Really? There are 2...T and y. Can you imagine if he'd gotten a check in the "With 4 or more errors". But what cracks me up is that the teacher has pointed out that he does a nice job with his "y". So Ty, we might need to work on your "T" so we get that compliment next report card!
Then there's the behavior stuff. The stuff that I struggled with as a student (and still do, if the kids were to fill out a Report Card for me). They're given "grades" 1-5. Ty, our resident "Teacher's Pet" did great...with a few exceptions...

That's right...he's slow and unorganized! Not news to me. I tell him all the time, "If you go any slower, you'll be in reverse!" Dad likes to say, "Ty...I'm growin' a beard over here!"

Zoe did great too.

But can we please note where she excels...

That's right: ORGANIZATION! Maybe somehow, we can combine her with Ty. Any ideas?

It's not REALLY Goodbye!

2010-01-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today's a tough day. Definitely not a day I've circled on my calendar (there's actually a big sad face on it!) It's a day I've been ignoring (possibly denying). It's the day Lindsay moves to South Africa.

She's been with us since the week the triplets were born. She instantly became a part of our family.

I've said it before...I have no idea how I would have survived that first year without her. Even now, Lindsay keeps me sane. She has became more than "just" our nanny...she's my friend! She's taught me so much: how to enjoy running, how to follow your dreams...even when others think you're nuts, and how to not let the fact that "there are three of them" keep you from taking an adventure.

A few weeks ago, we watched her marry a wonderful guy. A guy that my kids (and us too) have also grown to love.

So before she heads off on her 18 hour flight to a land I can't even imagine, I want her to know...she's loved. Incredibly loved. And she'll be missed...something fierce!

Thank you, Lindsay. For all you are. For all you've done. For all you're GOING to do. Thank you for being part of our lives and letting us be part of yours. We'll definitely see you on Skype...

Dancing with the Stars

2010-01-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before how much my kids love music. Not just the little ones, but the big ones, too (even the 37-year old). I really wish I could remember that when we're having a very bad whining day. But somehow, it seems to slip my mind...I'd much rather pull all my hair out cleaning up after the tornado children.

Sorry...I've gotten off point...

I finally captured Cole (and Eli) "enjoying" The Fresh Beat Band. "Fresh Beat" takes top billing at our house. Right behind them, following in a very close 2nd is The Imagination Movers.

(This is the first time I've edited a video...very proud of my nerdy self!)

Through Other Eyes

2010-01-27T16:00:00.001-05:00

Have you ever downloaded pictures from your camera only to discover shots you don't recognize? Apparently, Ty and Zoe had some fun with my camera the other day...

I don't think I want to know...

CLEARLY a picture of a book is important...

He smiles for anyone!

Cole wanted a close up of his eye, clearly!

I guess he gets his cheesy smile from his Dad!

There was even a video...

Tiiiiiiiiiiimber...

2010-01-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?

Hmmm...

I don't know.

But I can tell you that if I tree falls in a backyard onto a trampoline, and there are 2 adults and 3 toddlers inside the house (close enough to hear it)...it DOES make a sound.

We didn't know what the sound was at the time. It sorta sounded like branches brushing up against the roof. I mean, it was a crazy, windy, rainy day yesterday. There were a lot of strange noises outside.

At bedtime, Ty prayed that the trampoline would be fixed by spring so he could "jump when it's warm outside". I just prayed it wouldn't be too hard for Shane to chop up. Ironically, he'd just had the tree guy out for an estimate on removing some other trees. So now, technically, we get 7 trees for the price of 6! Well...there is the price of fixing the trampoline...

I'm Definitely Getting Old

2010-01-25T23:11:00.000-05:00

Remember back when Lindsay got married (maybe it only SEEMS like thousands of years ago to me). Anyway, Shane brought Zoe and Ty tubing while I was at the rehersal with the triplets. We'd talked about bringing them for awhile, so I was pretty excited to hear all about it. I made sure to give Shane the camera before he left along with explicit instructions on documenting all the fun! Here's what I got (don't blink):

Did I mention it was 18 degrees?

This is the line. Apparently, only one tow-rope was working (hence the vouchers for a free tubing session.)

I'm guessing this is post-tubing...hot chocolate, maybe?

Apparently, the cold weather made it tough to take the camera out of a jacket pocket and even more difficult to push the shutter button.

As you can see from those pictures, I COMPLETELY knew what to expect when I took Zoe and Ty to use the vouchers on Friday. They had the day off school because it was the end of the quarter, and the school gives the teachers the day to work on report cards. It wasn't too crowded (since most normal schools were in session). It wasn't too cold. I had NO idea what I was getting into!

Myles with his mom, Tracy Catherine!

Thankfully, we ran into 2 really good friends of the kids: Maeve and Myles. We grabbed our tubes and headed for the "tow rope". What exactly is a tow rope? No idea. I'd only been in a ski lift...when I was SKIING! I didn't know the whole tubing process...

For those of you curious: it's a rope that the tube hooks on to and pulls you up the hill...

It was actually quite relaxing. I think they could get a lot more Moms and Dads to participate if they served hot drinks on the ride up the hill!

When I got to the top, I asked for the slow lane...the guy giggled! Apparently, there was no "slow lane". That's when I noticed that there were rubber mats down at the bottom of the hill to slow the tubes down and help them stop. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I suddenly had no desire to lay down on this inflated tube and hurl my ___lb. body at uncontrollable speeds down a hill and HOPE those (multiple) rubber mats would stop me before I ran into the orange construction fence. I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too old for this. But one look to my left reminded me that my 5 year old was staring...waiting for me to go.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

I screamed and (nervously) laughed the entire way down. I also dragged the tip of my boots to slow me down. Yes, I'm a scaredy cat! Still...I was flying! I never was a fan of physics: the bigger you are...the faster you go. Why didn't I start my diet earlier? Let's just say there are NO pictures of me on a tube. Despite the fact that I ~~was forced to go~~ excitedly went down multiple times!

Here's some video of Ty and Zoe...

Unfortunately, about half way through the session, I could tell Ty didn't feel well. He just didn't look right. We went inside by the fire and played some games on my phone.

It didn't work. He was sad. There were tears. He wanted to go home. Thankfully, Tracy offered to keep Zoe with her and drop her off after the session ended. Ty's day, however, ended cozy in my bed...

Crazy House

2010-01-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

I am no longer in denial:
THIS IS A CRAZY HOUSE!

I mean, sure, there was Wednesday night when I went upstairs to get 3 pairs of PJs and came downstairs to find sugar all over the kitchen and mudroom. From what I could piece together (didn't know I was a CSI, did you!?!?), during the 5 minutes I was gone, Cole had pushed a toy up to the counter, climbed up and taken the sugar bowl down from the cabinet and handed it to Eli and Ava. They proceeded to feed each other and "sand paint" on the floor...over and over and over. But that's "normal"...right?

Is it normal for a 2 year old to bundle up inside?

There is also Ty's insistance that he needed to "splunge" the toilet this afternoon. "Splunge?", I asked. "Splunge...it won't flush..." "Don't do ANYTHING to the toilet...the handle's broken...don't do ANYTHING!"

I'm thinking Zoe's homework pencil choice wasn't normal either...

And the triplet's silence during homework time was definitely NOT normal, today. Apparently, they didn't want to play in the Family Room anymore. They thought the Mudroom would be a better place to hang out.

(I took a video...but can't figure out why it won't post...hmmm...so I'm not a techie...shoot me!)

Do You Have a Favorite?

2010-01-11T09:20:00.001-05:00

I get asked that a lot. I'm not sure why. Is it because I have 5 kids? Like mothers with only 3 kids can spread their love evenly, but since I have five...that's impossible?

Usually I answer, "Sure...and everyday it changes!"

Yes kids, 10 years from now when you're reading this...I do have a favorite! And somedays...it's you!

Let's take today, for example...it was an EASY CHOICE! Today's winner: Eli. And not just because he was pathetic last night and cuddled with me while we watched the end of the Cardinals/Packers game (which was a great game, by the way.)

It's really just a process of elimination:

Ava...had me up 5 times last night between 1-2:30am and even ended up sleeping on my chest by 4am.
Cole...even though he gave me a run for my money at bedtime last night, he was still eligible for favorship until he started growling at 5a this morning.
Zoe...she lost eligibility when she climbed in my bed last night around 1:30 and forced Shane to take over 50% of my sleeping space. Even when I put her in the sleeping bag on the floor at 2:30, she still managed to somehow return to my bed by 4a. So this morning, when she woke up with a scowl on her face bossing everyone around and griping about everything, those didn't count against her, since, she really didn't stand a chance today anyway.
Then there's Ty...he was co-favorite with Eli until about 7:30a this morning when he stopped listening and started moving in reverse. It was probably the fact that he let Cole dump out his tylenol cold all over the table and chairs 10 minutes after I'd handed the medicine to Ty and said "take this now so the babies don't reach it". (You should know...the triplets LOVE medicine. If I give tylenol to one, I have to have "fake" medicine to give the other two or there are MAJOR meltdowns.)

So Eli wins! He slept through the night. Woke up with a smile on his face. Didn't pitch a fit that he didn't want all of his breakfast. Didn't throw any breakfast on the floor. Let me change his diaper the first time I asked. Gave me hugs. So...as of 9a this morning, Eli's my favorite!

Going to the Chapel...

2010-01-07T21:24:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Lindsay and Ferdi!

On one hand, we were so happy.
On the other, we were so sad.
Sunday (1/3/10), our nanny, became Mrs. Ferdinand Groenewald.

She looked absolutely beautiful. The church was gorgeous. The bride and groom were happy. The wedding was meaningful. The reception was...well...filling!

All five kids were involved in the day. (Wait, doesn't that mean all 7 of us were?) What a day! The rehersal on Saturday didn't go so well. The babies did a great job sitting through the first half of the morning waiting for their turn to walk down the aisle. But by the time the processional practice started, all the shy-ness was LONG gone and I was chasing 3 crazy 2-year olds around the back of the church trying to get them to line up. Maybe I should have worn workout clothes cuz I was sweating like I was running a 10k. (Ironic side note: Shane was freezing with the big kids up at Campgaw...tubing!) Then, disaster struck. Cole shut Eli's finger in a door and it was all downhill from there. I put him down next to Ava and Cole and gave them all a slight shove forward. A little harder. Okay, now I was pushing. And they were digging in their heals. Ava clung to my leg. Cole flopped on the floor. Eli giggled and did the same! Ugh! The slight sweating was now a full on shower! I scooped up all three into a modified football hold and wisked them into the Bride's Room. By now the stubborn children had turned into screaming children and I was blocking the door trying to keep them from disrupting the rest of the practice. "MY DEE DEE! MY DEE DEE!", was all I could decifer from Ava. Apparently, she wasn't sure she wanted Lindsay (Dee Dee) to get married...and she was sure she didn't want her getting married WITHOUT her. The more I reflect on the debacle at the end of the aisle, the more I realize Ava started crying because the boys wouldn't walk with her! I called my mom on the way home and encouraged her and Dad to start praying...and fasting...and maybe even getting the prayer chain involved because we needed a miracle if any of these kids were going to perform on Sunday!

Thankfully, Sunday went better...slightly.

Ava and I headed to the Bride's house to get dressed and have pictures taken.

Shane and our second sitter, Becca (who only comes occasionally now that she has a stinkin' "real" job) got the other four kids ready and to the church.

Go time!

Only 2/3 made it down. Cole panicked about 1/4 of the way down the aisle when he saw all the people. He couldn't care less that Nana was only a few more feet in front of him sitting in an aisle seat (that's where Ava's first stop was after dumping the entire basket of rose pedals at the beginning of the walk). And Cole definitely didn't think the walk all the way down to Dad was worth the measly fruit snacks we attempted to bribe him with! He ran back to my legs and was done. Eli walked down slowly...until he spotted Daddy...then he ran! Ava moved on from Nana and started hopping behind Eli. Then she tripped...and decided it was easier to crawl.

I was amazed at how still Zoe and Ty sat during the ceremony. Zoe especially. Both followed along in the program, but they differed in they're "favorite parts": Zoe, of course, loved the kiss. Ty said it was, "yuck and gross and I didn't even look!" At one point, Shane leaned over to Ty and said, "Doesn't Lindsay look pretty?" and Ty quickly responded, "...and Ferdi looks good too!"

After Linds and Ferdi were pronounced Husband and Wife, Zoe and Ty did great handing out the bubbles. They took their job very seriously. I loved that Ty intentionally made eye contact with each person he handed the bubbles to. I was very proud of both of them.

Pictures went well. We even attempted a family shot. The big group shot required a few more Fruit Snack bribes, but seemed to work well. I had to keep some of the groomsmen from stealing the kids' snacks.

(yes, I'm bribing with snacks)

Then it was off to the reception. Yes, we took the whole gang to the "party". Eli discovered a love of soda. And Ava discovered her skirt moved when she wiggled her hips. Since it was a school night (the first in almost 2 weeks), Becca took "the gang" home after the bridal party was introduced (the triplets were labeled, "the tallest ones in the party"). Everyone was sad to see them go...and the gang was sad they couldn't stay. But they fell asleep the minute their heads hit their pillows and slept...and slept...and slept. So did Mommy!

(Way Overdue) Christmas Recap

2009-12-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it: I've been ignoring the blog.

Why, you ask? 2 words: Christmas.

Yes, I know that's one word, but if I say the other one, you won't let me explain this one!

So first...CHRISTMAS...
Christmas time was crazy this year. I'm not sure why. At first, I thought it was because I didn't get started until late. Sure, that had something to do with it. But I didn't bake that much. And Shane did a good chunk of the shopping this year. We didn't send out cards (maybe we'll shoot for Valentine's Day Cards...but don't hold your breath). The only other reason I can think of is trying to get everything settled for Lindsay's wedding too.

We had the usual family events: Sam's party (my nephew asked a few years ago if they could host a Christmas party a week or two before Christmas...tradition's stuck) and then Christmas Eve here. Nothing too fancy, just appetizer type food after church. Kids all leave in their PJs.

Christmas morning was great. The kids all had their new matching PJs (tradition).

We thought we would brave everyone unwrapping presents together. The "babies" didn't get it. So...they went back behind the gate and one-at-a-time, joined us. Before we knew it...CHAOS!

(Next year should be QUITE interesting.)

Following tradition...we headed over to Shane's parents for the rest of the afternoon and then up to CT for some time with my parents.

One of the highlights from our time in CT was building a snowman...out of the smallest patch of snow the triplets could find. Somehow, we forgot jackets for them. So we layered them up with whatever we could grab and sent them out.

Ava patiently patted snow onto the ~~strangest looking snowman I've ever seen~~ the snowman for a long time. Even Cole and Eli got into it.

Almost a month later, my mom sent a picture of their creation...a little thin...but still standing!

Thankfully, it wasn't until the last day that Cole discovered he could climb into the drysink in the sunroom-converted-to-a-playroom.

We went with it and attempted (unsuccessfully) to get a picture of the three.

Which leads me to the second reason I've been a blog-slacker...

I got an iPhone for Christmas.

What? You couldn't read that? Oh well. =)

Yes, I'm addicted.

No, I'm not giving up blogging.

Yes, I think the new-ness has worn off and I've started showing my laptop some love again.

Three Elves on a Shelf

2009-12-16T17:44:00.000-05:00

(I realize this doesn't appear to be the safest of activities, but rest assured, parental supervision was right there for these pictures and immediately afterward, removed elves from this shelf!)

I suppose this is why one purchases an "Elf on the Shelf" with a pre-painted smile. Apparently, our littlest Elf has some job satisfaction issues.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like...

2009-12-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS!

I'm not sure why, but I got a slow start to feeling the Christmas cheer this year. Maybe it's the three two-year old, busy-bodies that are constantly getting into things and trying my last ounce of patience these days. Or maybe it's the fact that Thanksgiving was "late this year". (Is that even true? I hear people throw that excuse around and, honestly, I haven't a clue what it means, but I'm looking for any and every reason why I have procrastinated.) Or maybe it's because we skipped the traditional "day-after-Thanksgiving-Mom-and-Amy-put-the-Christmas-decorations-up" activity in lieu of a trip to the Children's Museum. Whatever the reason, it took awhile for me to jump-start my jolly this season.

Saturday, the tree went up. Shane and the big kids got all bundled up, grabbed the ax, headed up north to the forest, searched for hours, chopped down the perfect tree, tied it to the horses and trecked back to civilization. Or...they drove up to Home Depot and bought it sight unseen. Yes, the tree was already bundled and they didn't care. They picked it up, paid the $30, tied it to the roof and headed home...5 minutes away. Sunday was nice and rainy, perfect for putting ornaments on the tree. Shane made a fire and got all comfortable...until I informed him that decorating the tree was a FAMILY event...not a Mommy and me thing. Despite a few attempts to escape, everyone (above the age of 2) participated.

Another holiday favorite is Gingerbread Houses. Zoe and Ty managed not eat all the candy and actually saved some to decorate their houses. Check it off the list: Done!

No...haven't started the baking yet. I planned on making my cookie list on Monday. So, I pulled out the recipe box and grabbed a pen and paper. About 2 minutes later, I was distracted by someone or something and stepped away...for a second or two. When I came back, the entire contents of my recipe box (which, by the way, contains recipes written by my Granny) were covering the floor of the kitchen and family room. Entire. Box. So...I haven't exactly made the list yet, I'm still trying to FIND the cookie recipes.

We did start a new tradition this year. To some of you, it may not be so new: The Elf on the Shelf!

The kids love looking for "Jingle" every morning. I tried to push for "Ferdi" as a name (that's our Nanny's fiance's name) but Ty thought I was making fun of him. So we settled on "Jingle". The only problem is...the kids don't believe in Santa. So the novelty of Jingle telling Santa who's behaving and who's not...not working so well!

Only 9 more shopping days to go, Ladies and Gentlemen. I better get going...

A Glutton for Punishment

2009-12-09T09:32:00.001-05:00

Saturdays, I love 'em! They're my "sleeping in days". Technically, Shane and I "take turns". But I'm sure if you ask him, it's not really "turns" as much as "Amy sleeps in". Po-tay-toes/Po-taah-toes. Even when he does "get up"...he sleeps on the couch. Anyway...that's not the point. The point is: Saturdays are great! ESPECIALLY in the winter. What's better then staying all cozy under the down comforter for a little bit longer...undisturbed? Nothing!

So why did I decide to do the Franklin Lakes Reindeer Run on Saturday? I'm a glutton for punishment, apparently!

Last year, Cool Shannon* and I ran it to kick off our prep for the Half Marathon in May. This year, we're just another year dumber and thought it would be fun.

* For those who are not aware of the orgin of Cool Shannon's name...I'll explain another time. She's a friend of mine.

Since neither of us were exactly "gung ho" to run it this year, we didn't register online...we decided to go early on Saturday and register at the door. It was 34 degrees and cloudy when we left.

Pre-race...doesn't Cool Shannon (L) already look cold?

That's her daughter Emily (R) we dragged her along too!

After getting our numbers and shoe chips, we went to Starbuck's...breakfast of champions, my friends!

My goal wasn't really to "race" as much as it was to FINISH. About a month ago, I rolled my ankle pretty bad while I was out on a run. Not. Fun. I've never (that I can remember) been in that much pain from an injury. I sat on the side of the road for 15 minutes and begged God not to let me pass out. So, here we are, about a month later, and it's still not 100%. All braced up, my goal was to 1) finish, 2) not re-injure my ankle, and 3) not run slower than 10 minute miles.

Mission accomplished!

I came in at 29:27. About 9:30/mile. Without hurting myself! Woo Hoo!

LOVE these girls (L to R: Kayla, Emily and Erin...all of which are 12-14)! They have so much energy and are fun to run with. They all finished in about 27+. Way to go, girls!

Even afterwards...Cool Shannon still looks cold!

Who's up for the run next year???

Keeping me on my toes

2009-12-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

Eli sure knows how to keep me on my toes...

...and keep Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser in business!

This is part of what I found when I came down from getting dressed yesterday morning. I was seriously out of the room for all of 5 minutes. Eli pushed a chair up to the counter, climbed up, and found my sharpies on the top shelf of the upper cabinets. He then proceeded to draw a mural in the mudroom. I calmly grabbed my Magic Eraser and scrubbed the marks off the hardwood floor, the tile, the cabinets, and the server. I attempted to clean the wainscoting in the hall, but it didn't come off right away and I didn't feel like getting frustrated...so I left it. I suppose it's nothing a fresh coat of paint won't cover.

Children's Museum

2009-11-28T06:57:00.000-05:00

It's not news anymore (since I'm posting this in January 2010 and we went way back in November 2009), but I thought you might like a little taste of our time at the Children's Museum of NJ.

It was the day after Thanksgiving...usually reserved for leaf raking, soup making and Christmas decorations. For some reason, maybe the new, ultra-powerful leaf-blower that Shane "had to have", the yard was leaf-free before the sun went down. As a matter of fact, it was cleared by lunch...before my mom and I got to the Christmas stuff. Rather than relax, read the paper, or nap, we decided to pack up the whole gang and head out to the museum.

We got there with only an hour and a half to enjoy it (they were closing early for some reason), but a good time was had by all:

Shane had a good time admiring the exhibits too:

But by far, the biggest hit for Ava was the sand...

...she found it everywhere and played in it FOREVER...

I'm not sure we'll be going back, $10/kid is a bit much for the experience. But it wore the gang out, that's what's important. Also note: all the children were bathed and "disinfected" upon the return home. Shane even went as far as washing down the kids' hands and faces before we drove out of the parking lot!

Thanksgiving Knights

2009-11-27T19:46:00.000-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. Good food. Good family. Good football. Great traditions!

We've hosted Thanksgiving for over 10 years, now. It started way back in the townhouse when Mom and Dad lived in Illinois and would come east for the weekend. Then we had our house, and "kids", and the guest list grew...and grew. This year, we had 10 adults, 8 kids, and a dog. Not bad considering 5 of those kids were mine!

Along the lines of tradition, Mom and Dad (Christgau) came down on Wednesday to help "prepare" for the day. Zoe and I hung the "Thanksgiving Poster" for guests to write what their thankful for. And Granddad took Zoe and Ty into Manhattan to visit his brother and sister and their families on Thanksgiving morning. (That's always a huge hit with the kids. They love the city and think they're so cool when they get to walk around and see the big buildings.)

(I love that the posters are getting less and less "doodley". Sure, there are still 5 and 7 year olds that draw a few Spidermans and "Crazy Guys", but still...)

Nana and PopPop Higby had a special surprise for the big grand-boys this year. PopPop had been working on swords for the boys for QUITE some time. The boys were very excited. But he and Nana added to the gift when they presented the swords to the boys on Thanksgiving.

First, Sam, Ty and Noah had to line up and stand still while they were given some helmets.

Then, PopPop began to read...

Be it known that on this day, Thanksgiving Day, November 26th in the year of our LORD Two Thousand and Nine that Sirs Samuel Michael Higby, Noah David Higby and Ty Douglas Higby are Knighted as Defenders of the Faith in the Kingdom of God under the Lordship of our LORD Jesus Christ, given great power through the life of the Holy Spirit within them.

Take these helmets, which represent the salvation which our LORD God has provided for us through His one and only Son, and these shields of faith by with which you are able to extinguish every sort of trick the enemy of our souls will hurl at you...

...and these swords, which represent the living Word of God. Use them wisely, to protect yourselves and the ones you love.

Be strong in your LORD, and in His mighty power. Stand your ground. Stand firm with the armor and weapon the LORD gave. Be strong and very courages. Be careful to obey all the law the LORD your God has given you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Word of God depart from your mouth: think abou it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything it tells you. Then you wil be prosperous and successful. Be strong and courageous. Don not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. He will never leave you or turn is back on you.

Sammy, Noah and Ty - you are hereby entrusted as defenders of our faith on this most happy day of Two Thousand and Nine.

The boys LOVED their Knighthood. I wish I had video'ed the knight-hood. Ty gasped and "ooooh'ed" and "aaaaaaaaaah'ed". His smile was bigger than I'd seen in quite some time (if ever). He thought this was the best thing...ever! We didn't see the boys most of the day. The treehouse became Zoe's castle and they spent the afternoon defending her from innumerable dragons and "bad guys".

Thanksgiving Chapel

2009-11-25T09:05:00.001-05:00

Despite all the efforts of the flu and strep throat, the 2nd graders at ECES were able to pull off enough practice time to put together a wonderful Thanksgiving Chapel on Tuesday. For awhile there, we thought it was going to be a "review" chapel to be held AFTER Thanksgiving, since a good chunk of each of the classes were out sick. But tradition won and the school and parents were entertained with a great presentation of the Thanksgiving story.

Little Miss Zoe did a great job with her line...

"It is November 9, 1620 when the Pilgrims land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts."
Hmmmm...interesting...I always thought they landed at Plymouth Rock...

Thank you, Miss Hulsebos! You did a great job on your first chapel! Thanks for helping our kids do their best.

NICU Reunion 2009

2009-11-23T21:35:00.000-05:00

Has it really been a month since we went to the NICU reunion?

Apparently.

It was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back on October 25th!

That's not because it wasn't fun!

Once a year, The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, where the triplets were born, has a reunion for any of the babies that had to stay there. Last year, was our first year attending. It was fun, but our gang was a bit young and couldn't fully enjoy it. PLUS, our main nurse, Cathy, wasn't there.

This year, the "babies" were so into it!

Tattoos...

(Eli wasn't a big fan...)

Snacks (and even their first ever CapriSuns)...

and Pumpkin Coloring...

Halloween Costumes were optional. And it was so fun to see some of the "sets". These were my favorites:

In case you can't read their cartoon bubbles, they say: "I'm a Mac..." and "I'm a PC..." So creative! We, however, went subtle with the Rock, Paper, Scissors shirts (thanks Pam!)

And of course...before we left...we got to see Nurse Cathy!

She remembered each triplet...and knew their names. We laughed about how she pegged their personalities from the start! It was so good to spend some time with her and letting her know how well the babies have done.

A ~~good~~ great time was had by all!

Football Season's Over

2009-11-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

I know...technically it's not. The Superbowl's not until February 7, 2010, but the Ramsey (Flag Football) Cowboys are done. Ty loved playing. He started off pretty shy and wouldn't let me leave, but by the end of the season, he was jumping out of the car and running up to the field leaving me in the dust.

The highlight of the season was the final Monday Night Game under the lights up at the "big boy's field" (MacFarren Field). The whole family went...even the babies. And Aunt Roo was in from MD, so she and PopPop came too. Each player was announced over the PA System and they ran on the field as the Monday Night Football Theme Song played in the background. To top off a great night, Ty scored his first (and only) touchdown! I was a bit worried that the Refs would throw a flag on the "excessive celebration". One of his teammates actually picked him up...then they all took turns spiking the ball!

Trophy Day was supposed to be Halloween, but with all the rain, they postponed a week to November 7th.

Thank you so much, to the coaches. They were great with the boys: Stern, yet fun. They made sure each of the boys carried the ball at least once each game. The made a huge committment and really sacrificed to show up every Saturday at 8:30a (even after a late night at the Bruce concert) and again on Monday nights meant a lot. So thanks Coach Mike, Coach Kevin and Coach Doug for a great season and a great introduction to "town sports".

Our Little Violinist

2009-11-17T18:03:00.004-05:00

We're a pretty musical family...in that we like to LISTEN to music. Sure, Shane plays the drums, but is that really MUSIC?

When I was little, I played the piano. I can remember practicing...although I don't remember dreading it...and I don't remember when I stopped...or why (I'm sure my mom would say that's "selective memory" and she'd be more than happy to fill in those details, though.)

This year, Zoe's school offers optional violin to her grade level. I was slightly shocked when she said she wanted to participate. Really? Violin? I told her she had to ask her father. His response was, "if you like hearing 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee', then sure!" She laughed and laughed...and signed up. Even when the teacher called and said there'd be a chance that Zoe would miss her lunch recess every Wednesday so she could have class, Zoe was still gung-ho. Mrs. Clark's only request is that kids stick with the violin for the whole year.

Confession time: In Junior High and High School, I played the clarinet. And I'll let you in on a little known secret: I was a Bando! Yup...Did Marching Band for 2 years. But seriously, it was a bit too hard core for me (we practiced after school 2-3 times a week, competed on the weekends, went away for a week in the summer and even practiced in the freezing cold...outside...at night...for hours on end). And since I liked having a life (and the ability to feel my fingers) I remember quitting. Yes, QUITTING! Don't tell my kids...they aren't allowed to quit anything. Ever. But Zoe assured me that she was "committed".

Thankfully, 2nd grade violin isn't quite as hard-core as Marching Band. Zoe is required to practice a minimum of 4x/week @ 10 min/practice. I can handle that. The first week Zoe had her violin, She practiced everyday. And the only thing she had to do was practice the proper way to take it out of the case, the proper way to hold it, and the parts of the violin. So for 10 minutes every day, Zoe would take the violin out, "feet together, unzip, violin foot back, statue of violin, deep breath in, come in for a landing".

By week 3, they were practicing rhythms and "Mississippi Hot Dog" got very annoying...very quickly.

Now, 8 weeks in, I'm proud to say, She can successfully play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...sort of.

Last week, while watching the CMA's, I quick ran upstairs and grabbed Zoe to watch The Zac Brown Band play "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". (I'm aware this song isn't the greatest and has some questionable lyrics and even a swear word...I muted it...she was too dumbfounded by the speed at which the boy played to actually listen to the song).

She REALLY likes her violin.

A Weekend Away

2009-11-16T16:58:00.000-05:00

An entire weekend away...Friday afternoon until early Sunday evening. By myself. Well. Not exactly...there were about 40 other crazy scrapbookers there.

Yes, I went away to scrapbook for the weekend. I know, I know. To many of you, that seems bizarre...maybe even boring. But not to me. Aside from the fact that I was kid-free for over 48 hours, I got my own bed!

The next question you all are going to ask, I'm sure, is "who had the kids?" Why, their other parent, of course: Shane! He managed just fine. His mom came and helped Saturday during bathtime...which is crazy even with 2 adults...but other than that, it was just him...and Zoe (come on...we all know she thought she was in charge). Aside from some crayon on the walls and a few unmade beds, the house looked great when I got home. Shane even made it to church with all 5 kids! About 15 minutes before service started, I got a text that said, "On my way to church". No sooner had I written back that I was impressed, than I got another text, "And now we're on our way home to get the diaper bag!" At least we know that Super Dad isn't perfect!

I'd post pictures of the weekend, but I didn't bring my camera. Okay, that's a lie. I did. But I didn't wear makeup most of the weekend, so I don't want to post pictures of me!

Instead...here are a few of my favorite pages. Don't get too hung up on how young Zoe looks in the pictures. I'm behind. FAR behind! As in "2nd-grader-Zoe-just-started-preschool-in-her-book" behind.

I had some fun being creative in how I cut pictures...

I even got creative with an exacto!

Please ignore the 1974 picture of a little girl with a bowl cut and her Dad next her with a matching one. That's DEFINITELY not me...don't even ask if it is!

Some close-ups of my exacto work...

And my ALL TIME favorite idea of the weekend...my S'mores title!

See...I told you Zoe made it to pre-school before the weekend ended:

Cole's Latest Hobby

2009-11-11T14:25:00.001-05:00

Who said, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall?" Can I change it up a little and say, "The bigger they are, the more challenging they are"?

Cole was the biggest (triplet) from the start at 5.3 lbs. :

(That's him in the middle)

And it's not that shocking that he's STILL the biggest:

He is the worst sleeper and he wakes up loud! He can be a bully and a steam-roller...throwing his weight around to get the toy he wants. He spends the most time in "time out" for climbing and touching "no-no's". He's also the most emotional...such a big baby! Tell him "no" and the boo-boo lip comes out.

But, by far, the most annoying habit of Cole's is his new hobby at bedtime...

Yup! He takes off his PJs, removes his diaper, and wets his crib. Say it with me, "FUUUUUUUN for Mommy!" I mean, I'm not doing anything all day, I'd love to change crib sheets everyday!

Well...I best-ed him...

Hee hee hee...backwards pajamas!

Captain Obvious...but not really

2009-11-10T16:13:00.000-05:00

Eli loves to point things out. Most the time, he's pointing out a person who's entering a room, exiting a room, or is just sitting in a room. Sometimes, he's like Lassie, in that he notices a gate is open and screams, "Oh no! Mom! Wook! Gay oh-pen!"

This morning, it was the cereal box.

Pointing to the Quaker man, "Pop Pop...Daddy...Pop Pop dare!"

I think it's a slight stretch, but okay.

Then, Eli pointed at the mom and son at the bottom of the box..."Daddy...Daddy...wook...Mommy Ty Ty!"

Why, yes, Eli. That woman is the spitting image of me: Young, thin, energetic, beautiful and happy!

Merry Early Christmas to Me!

2009-11-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

It's beautiful.

I love it (and the color.)

(No...those are not all my kids...only 5 of them. Wow! I have 5 kids? That's over 1/2 the Higby Grandkids. CRAZY!)

Unless you're name is etched in the corner, you're not allowed to touch it. EVER!

Especially when you consider what happens when little 2-year old fingers DO get their hands on my computer.

Since we're such an eco-friendly household, I decided to recycle my laptop...by giving it to Zoe...since she asked.

Notice what she's "working on" on the screen?
I think maybe I need a new hobby...

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T12:33:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's been forever and a day since I've posted last. I thought the computer replacement process was going to go faster than it has. I was wrong! So do you see that box up at the top that says "I'm busy catching up on old posts"? Keep an eye on it, because I'm going to be "back-dating" old stuff as I get to it.

In the meantime, I thought you'd like to see how we spent out Saturday. Not that we "Celebrate" Halloween, cuz I don't really like to think of it that way. We "Do" Halloween: we have fun dressing up...seeing neighbors...getting candy...giving candy...crashing from our sugar highs. You get the point. But in the Higby Household, you won't see Witches or Gobblins. No ghosts, draculas, mummies, or scary stuff. I'll spare you all the in-depth reasoning. In a nutshell: "We're focusing on the fun, or we're not participating!"

Not really sure what happened to the month of October, but all of a sudden, it was Halloween! Seriously. Ty flipped an flopped on what he wanted to be: Star Wars, Bakugan, Super Mario, Transformer, and back to Star Wars. When I went to get him a costume, I took some pictures and texted them to Lindsay (the soon-to-be-leaving-us Nanny...that's another post for another time...but it's for a happy reason.) When he saw the costumes, Ty picked the Transformer...Optimus Prime.

He called himself "Octopus Prime" for awhile. His reasoning was that one of the other transformers was "Bumble Bee" so why wouldn't he be an animal, too!?! Makes sense...I suppose.

Zoe was another last minute change. She told me she wanted to be a candy corn. Really? Why? How was I going to do that? But then Shane came home from his Japan business trip with a Kimono. Aha! A Geisha it was! (Sidenote: Shane also brought home a matching Kimono for Ava...I'll post pictures soon!)

Originally, the Triplets were going to be pigs and I was going to decorate their wagons in brick, stick & hay. But I couldn't find a pig costume I liked. And Lindsay came home from Orlando with "Thing" t-shirts for the babies. So, we honored Dr. Suess...

Thursday afternoon, the triplets, Ty and I went to Shane's work to show off our outfits. Zoe had Gymnastics, so she'll have to wait until next year to join the fun. As you can imagine, the gang made QUITE an impression.

Saturday morning, our church had a Family Fun Fest. The rain held off long enough for us to enjoy a hayride, some face painting, lots of yummy food, tons of games and a great time in the bounce house. There was even a pinata and prizes. A time was had by all.

After a much needed nap (I so wish I could've taken one too), we ventured out in the neighborhood. By the time we hit the street, the misting started. We made it home before the real rain hit, but it sure put a damper on the fun of seeing everyone else come by. A definite highlight was a visit from Mackenzie (our neighbor temporarily displaced by the fire). The babies were in bed, but Zoe and Ty got to give her a hug and show off their outfits. Next year, it'll be nice to have them back!

I was so thankful for the "Fall Back" extra hour we got Saturday night. Between the crazy busy day, all the sugar, and then the delayed start of the Yankee game, I definitely needed some extra sleep!

I'll be MIA for a wee bit longer

2009-10-11T18:39:00.000-04:00

So I've been MIA. Mainly because Shane was gone for a week and by the time the kids were in bed...I was BEAT!

But now, even though he's home, I'll be MIA for a wee bit longer.

Friday morning, I came downstairs after my shower to discover Cole and Eli putting my laptop back up on the counter. Yup. BACK up on the counter. The good news is that it's not a complete loss. The bad news is that the monitor is shattered.

So...hopefully...this week, I'll get a new computer and be back on the blog-roll! I hope so, because my scrapbooking weekend is fast approaching and I have some serious picture organizing/ordering to do!

Until then...Sit back and enjoy the baseball playoffs. I sure am! Especially since the Red Sox got swept today (sorry Helen!)

Our Brush with Fame

2009-09-29T14:22:00.000-04:00

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

2009-09-28T20:28:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-21T21:43:00.000-04:00

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

2009-09-15T18:20:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-09-13T18:07:00.005-04:00

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...

2009-09-01T21:25:00.001-04:00

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.

Ava Day

2009-08-29T14:28:00.002-04:00

Last...but certainly not least...Miss Ava! You loved that NICU, Ava. Stayed there a total of 25 days. Finally, we got to take you home on August 29th. Our family was complete!

Then...

4.5 lbs.

Now...

21 lbs.

A Glimpse of Ava...

Our Diva
The Peanut
A Feather-weight

Don't let her size fool you: She can easily out-eat her brothers! Of course, that's when she's not chewing on her cozy. Most kids carry their blankets or snuggle with their dolls. Ava likes to stuff the face of her cozy into her mouth. Yum, right?

Another nickname that has stuck is "Shay Shay". We're convinced Ava speaks Chinese. At least it sounds like it to us. After a few episodes of Ni Hao, Kai-Lan on Noggin, Ava repeated "Xie Xie" ("Shay-Shay"...Chinese for "Thank You"). I'm sure she talks...but just can't be heard above the noise of her siblings. She responds to anything you ask. She even throws away dirty diapers and puts dirty clothes in the laundry basket. She points out any body part you ask her to...most recently learning "elbow". It's really fun to ask her where Cole or Eli's belly is...especially when they're wearing onesies. She doesn't stop until she SEES that belly button!

It's taken 2 years, but Miss Ava is finally sporting some hair that Mommy and Lindsay can put a crazy ponytail in.

Her most famous move is the "Jump and Sit". I haven't successfully gotten it on video. She jumps up and down and then lands flat in the sitting position...feet out in front of her. OUCH! I promise to work on getting it on video to post.

Ava LOVES the outdoors. But this girlie-girl's prissi-ness stops at the backdoor. She's all about the rocks, mud, mulch, and mess outside.

Favorite Words:
Well. I'm not really sure...
"Cole"
"Ty Ty"
"...ish come la bah it wah no boh..."