The babies are giggling!

One of the most amazing things as a parent is watching your children learn to do everything!  I mean everything.  These little people know very little when they enter the world and they have to learn how to do it all from the beginning.  It has truly amazed me over the last 3 years as I have watched all of my children during their learning processes.

Right now Mallory and Cale are giggling out loud!  They started this late last week that I noticed and at first it really caught me off guard, I just can't believe that they are doing this already.  They have been "talking" to us for a few weeks but that giggle out loud is something that can make all of the days worries go away!  As I have said before if I could bottle giggles and sell them I would be a millionaire, right now I don't care about the money as much as I care about capturing the carefree sounds of my children.  The last couple of days have been rough for a number of reasons but this morning I watched as Maggie giggled at Mallory and Mallory giggled back at her. It was truly what has kept me going through my work day today.  It was the first time the sisters really interacted with each other and thinking about it now makes me cry.  I can't wait to see what kinds of trouble these two will cause and I can't wait to listen to their giggle matches!

Caden and Maggie are still learning so much as well.  Right now we are very confused on the difference of a few things, him/her, up/down, on/off, and how many 2 really is.  We are constantly working on this but some times it is just fun to let it go and some times they fight your correction as they think they are right in how they say it.  These two really amaze me and I am so proud that my 34 weekers don't seem to have any delays at all.

Right now this mom is ready to go home, hold some babies and just giggle! 

I am thrilled it is Thursday and can't wait for the weekend.

I am my mother's daughter!

So we have been working hard on getting this basement finished in the last couple of weeks and last night was no different.  I went downstairs at 6:30 to do the second coat to the play room, which my daughter Maggie chose RED for, but after only 2.5 walls I was out of paint!  So instead of heading back to Lowe's I started on the dreaded "Old Gold".  I was only planning on getting 3 big walls done but as I started I knew that I was going to keep painting until I was finished with the Old Gold in one coat. 

I had two nice visits from Caden and Maggie, "What you doing mommy?" "Hello" "You painting my room?" "You coming downstairs to lay down with me?" (this one broke my heart because I wanted to get this done and she really means upstairs but we are confused with up and down as well as him and her right now) "I get my shoes and help you" (now that would have been a chore! almost 3 year olds painting)
They sat on the steps and chatted with me for about 10 minutes and I enjoyed every minute of their visit.  Plus it gave daddy a break because I could hear that they weren't being the best behaved kids.

After their visit I knew it was at least 9:00 because Matthew took them up to put them to bed.  But I was making progress so I  kept going.  I got to painting towards the top of the stairs and realized how quiet the house was, I had no idea what time it was though but I was almost there, one coat of Old Gold down, so keep on going.  About 15 minutes later I had finally finished the stairs which was a PAIN and was cleaning up.  I was greeted by, "you are insane" as Matthew finally came down to find me and saw how much I had finished!  So needless to say I promptly said, "I am my mother's daughter" because that is the same attitude and work ethic my mom would take, do it until it is done! 

I am so thankful my mom has taught me so many things in life.  I am very thankful for the work ethic she instilled in me at an early age and I am proud to keep it going with my kids, or at least I hope to keep it going.  And when I finally climbed into the shower at 10:56 PM I felt accomplished and one step closer to this finished basement we have been planning for so long!   And yes very much so I am my mother's daughter, not only by looks but by how we do things and I see that more and more each day but I am proud that I do them the same as her because I think she is great.

SO THANK YOU MOM!  YOU ARE THE BEST AND I AM LUCKY TO BE YOUR DAUGHTER!

BUT I have to tell you I am also glad I am almost finished painting with "old gold" because this IU grad cannot stand to see PURDE GOLD anymore.  Which will only make Matthew happy because that means I probably won't visit the basement much!

And we have paint on the walls!

So we finally started finishing the basement back in May, this is something that we have wanted to do since we moved in but were saving money over the last couple of years to do so.  I am excited to say that we FINALLY have paint on the walls!  Thanks to Memaw Jo for coming over to early today I got the rest of the primer up and the RED of our gold and red basement is on the walls!  I am already sore but extremely pumped to get this thing finished as I sit here now in the living room Matthew has rearranged once again and we have two big screens in here.

But that is how much I love him, I don't even mind and we are enjoying our family Sundays together watching TV.
Also we finally got the babies room finished, well mostly finished, as our friend Miss Judy came and did her magic once again.

So those are two shots from the little twins room.  We love it and think is finishes it off just right! 

Miss Judy did such wonderful work the first time around we had to ask her back.  And since this is our memory book here is a picture of the older twins room.

Well my friends, this mom is thankful that daddy is home, sore and ready to enjoy another Miller Lite while watching football.  Here's to a good week and the hopes that we get the rest of the paint on the walls!

What an amazing day!

It was a long one but an amazing one!
Race for the Cure, ConAgra Foods Family Picnic, and a movie with my babies!

We started out the day very early but off to be apart of a great cause at Race for the Cure.  Our lives are blessed with so many amazing woman who have beat this thing we call breast cancer that I thought it was important to get back out and support the cause.  Of course all 4 kids came along and Memaw Donna, we had a great time, are proud to be a part of Team Supergirl and made it in an hour and 17 minutes.  I didn't think we did too bad as we pushed a stroller each up and down those hills.
So for those who and beat it we love you and are thrilled you are here to share in our lives.  For those who are now our angels, thank you for touching our lives and you will never be forgotten.  And here is a great little thought for all:  our donation and walk today may not have been a lot but every little bit helps as some day I believe we will one day see a cure for this disease and I will know I did a little bit to help!

We continued our day at the ConAgra family picnic and I think we all had a ball!  Thank you to all of my co-workers who worked so hard to pull this together.  All 4 of the kids, memaw Donna and I had a great time.  I am lucky to have a great family to work with especially since I spend more time with you all than I do my actual family.  You all make it fun and it was great to see all of your families.  And to Krista, Michele, Matt and Jesse, thank you for all of your help and patience!

Lastly, I ended the evening with a movie with all of the babies.  We curled up on the couch, ate our popcorn, watched UP (which has a wonderful story behind it), and everyone was sleeping by 9:30 (mommy's favorite part)!  I must say I love days that end with a tub full of dirt and everyone sleeping soundly after much quality time together.   As I was laying down with Maggie, I told her that I was proud of her for being such a good girl today and that I was a very lucky person to be her mommy and her reply, "I know thanks" and off to sleep she went.

A big shout out to Memaw Donna for spending the day with us once again (and our wonderful fall display), we love you and hope we entertained you a little bit.  To daddy, we hope you had a good time on your golf trip but hope you come along for the fun with us next time!

Good night to all and I hope your day was a little bit amazing too!

My babies are 3 months old today!

As I drove into work today I realized we made it through week one of the return to work.  And as bitter sweet as it is my babies are 3 months old today.  Technically they were 13 weeks yesterday but you mom's know we count weeks until they are a year then move to months so I thought it fitting to celebrate all of the milestones of the week!

Cale and Mallory 3 months old!

I never in a million years would have imagined having two sets of twins.  Really we wanted to see if just one baby was easy but I would not change what we have for the world.  We have one of the most unique families and when I think back to all of the struggles, tears, money and pain to get this family I know that it all happened the way it has for a reason and that is was worth it a million times over! 

Last night I got to sit and enjoy my babies, Caden and Maggie were having a sleepover with Memaw Jo and Papaw Frank so it was just Cale, Mallory and I watching the season premiere of Grey's!  This brought back a lot of memories of me sitting there watching Grey's with the other two and it is a blessing to be able to do it again with two more kids!  Mallory is a fabulous TV buddy by the way.  You just have to look at her and she smiles and appears to follow the stories well!

We have had a long and hard week.  I truly think a 4 day work week would be much better but I doubt Uncle Gary would agree with me so I will do what I have to do.  The amazing people I work with made this transition back so much better than I imagined.  The amazing grandparents watching my babies made this transition back so much better than I imagined.  The amazing 2 almost 3 year olds I have stepping up and behaving wonderfully made this transition back so much better than I imagined.  Our amazing parents support made this transition back so much better than I imagined.  My wonderful facebook friends support made this transition back so much better than I imagined.  And last but not least my amazing husband picking up 4 kids twice this week made this transition back so much better than I imagined. So I think you get the point.  We made it through this week with a lot of help and guidance and planning.  I won't say that it will always be easy and as you know I will constantly live with mommy guilt but we did it one week down and the rest of our lives to go. 

I should be working right now but needed to take a break and reflect on my week and get my head organized so a quick break I did take to just remember:

I am one lucky gal to have been able to be with these amazing little people everyday for the first 12 weeks of their life.  I will always cherish our days and memories together but now we have to start a new chapter in the book and so far so good! 

So thank you all who made this week a better than expected one!

Happy 3 month Birthday to my babies!

And just so we don't forget how little you were here is one more!

Sometimes we want to escape and sometimes we say What a Ride!

This morning as we were preparing for the day I had to stop and laugh at my son.  He was sleeping with his hands straight up in the air as if he was on a roller coaster.  At one point he was even smiling in his sleep.

This is fitting too as we just returned from our trip to Kings Island, I hope this is a sign that I will have at least one of my four children who like rollercoasters as much as I do!

Then as I went to upload the photo from this morning I found this one of the same son from just a few days earlier...



I think he is trying to escape this crazy this crazy house! 

Either way I know that this one has a sense of adventure and humor!

So this got me believeing that we have already taught him some great lessons in life.  That no matter what comes our way in life even if we may want to escape we try to always have fun and finish the day thinking, "Man What a Great Ride!"

Thank you Cale Joseph for a GREAT start to your mommy's day!

The Guilt That a Mother Carries

In my short 3 years of being a mom there is one thing I have learned for sure, the guilt of a mom may never go away! 
As a mom I carry a lot of guilt. 
Am I spending enough time with my kids?
Why didn't I hold one of the twins before the other?
Why did that baby get to eat first when they are both crying?
Will that one who didn't get picked up first remember I picked up their sibling before them? 
The older twins were at daycare for longer than I would like but I couldn't get out of work.
I forgot to send a toy for show n' tell. 
I didn't get to put them to bed. 
I missed their trip on Thomas.

And well I think you get the picture, I can't do it all and I am not perfect.  I cannot be everywhere at once.  Our house will never be perfectly clean and put together.  But I can promise you this, my children will know they are loved, they will know how to respect people, they will love each other and take care of each other.  No I can't do it all but I can teach them a few important lessons that I will hope carry over into many things in their lives.  I know as a mom that balance is important but for tonight I cannot get over the fact that my babies aren't even 3 and the amount of guilt I have felt is enormous.  I am not sure that whatever I do will ever be enough.  One will never know but at some point you have to know you have done all you can and trust that it is the right thing for you and your family.

I may not be the perfect wife, mother, sister or daughter but I try and I try hard.  I work hard and we play hard.  I try to make sure that those who are important in my life know they are important to me and that I would do anything to help them.

Most of the time when I am super stressed and overcome with guilt I remember one thing as I pray, God will never give me more than I can handle, while it may feel like he has given me more than I can carry there is always a lesson or reason for what I have been given and I take these challenges and lessons head on with gratefulness.

So this is a working mom who can't do it all (even if I was a stay at home mom, I can't do it all) none of us can.  We do what we need to do for our families and ourselves and we try our best.  That is all you can ask of any mother. 

For my family, I am not perfect but know that I love you and would do anything for you. 

Being a mom and a wife is the hardest but yet most amazing and rewarding job I will ever have and I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

 Caden, Maggie, Mallory and Cale mommy loves you and hopes that one day you will know exactly how hard I have tried to do it all!

Ice cream, apple pie, jeans and a few cries!

That my friends are the things that got me through my first day back to work after 12 amazing weeks home with my babies!
I am lucky enough to work with some amazing people who helped me get through this day.  Everyone was there to welcome me back, we get to wear jeans to work this week as a fundraiser for Susan G. Komen and we had apple pie and ice cream to celebrate some great things among my co-workers: a birthday, a finalized citizenship, a new employee and they say my return. 
Those wonderful things tied in with a few tears is how I did it!  It is behind us and even though tomorrow will be a little easier it will still be hard as these little people are so amazing and I miss our morning coffee, GMA and 2 mile walks everyday.  However, I once again realize that my 45 minute commute each way is a blessing in that with every mile I can clear my head and have some quite mommy time to gear up for whatever may come my way either at work or at home.  Adult conversation is also a blessing but smiles and spit bubbles are too!  So this is a thankful and tired mom writing tonight to say in the words of Maggie, "we did it!"  we made it through day one of my return to work.

I left to smiles and kisses from all 4 of my kids!

 And because it is the start of our new routine for them too here is my photo from 2 1/2 years ago with Caden and Maggie on my return to work day. 

We made it then and I know we will make it now but I still miss them like crazy!

Maggie and Caden with Mommy in 2008 on my return to work then!

 I am one lucky gal to have these 4 children in my life and that make everything I do worth it. 

Selling groceries is definitely easier than raising two sets of twins!

What a day but as Maggie would say "we did it!"

What a long and amazing day it has been.  We started off the day at Kings Island with Memaw Donna for P&G Dividend day. 
This was a great trip to take with Memaw and I have lots and lots of memories from these days as a kid and to experience it through the eyes of your children is another amazing experience I never thought I would get to do.   Everything truly looks different when you experience it with your children and view it through their eyes!

So this was the babies first trip to KI and their first dividend day.  This was Caden and Maggie's third trip to KI and second dividend day.  We did it all (well all you can do with 12 week old babies and 2 year old toddlers), rode rides, ate blue ice cream, got our dividend day buttons and memaw's samples and just had a ball.  Lots of questions on whether everyone was twins and how they are and how do you do it but we didn't mind because it was fun! 
I think memaw may still be dizzy from the 4 trips in a row on the merry go round with Maggie! 
Everyone was well behaved for the most part and mommy even got to ride the Diamondback by herself.   It was a great rollercoaster but something about being a mom of 4 when you do things like that you want to be sure you make it back for all of your kids!

Just when you thought you were pulling in for the night to wind down we get a call from Matthew, all I get is I wrecked the bus, WHAT?  but we are okay.
So yes Matthew wrecked the bus, the brakes went out, but he did a great job on making sure that everyone was safe and he turned what could have been a horrible situation into a bad situation.  Needless to say we will not be taking the Bengal Bus to the game tomorrow but I am glad that everyone is okay and hope there will be other rides on the Bengal Bus some other day. 

So I have truly been enjoying my last days home with my babies!  I have one more day and it is a day for Matthew and I to enjoy then it is back to the working world.  I hope we can make it!  I will for sure be looking forward to more great days like today, minus the bus wreck! 

Thank you Memaw Donna for being part of our amazing day.  We love you and we made it through this long and crazy day! 

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

That is how my mom started out a phone call yesterday afternoon.  Which was scary because she was picking up the older two from school so that could mean anything.

Well the good news first...
Caden went on the potty which is wonderful and he was awarded with lots of blue stickers, his favorite color, and we are very proud of this.  It hasn't happened much and we aren't really pushing it but I truly believe he may be the easier of the two to potty train at this point!

And the bad news...
That sweet little boy who was so good and went potty also pulled the fire alarm at school!  OOPS.  Now I have never told him not to pull those, as we don't really have them in our house to teach that, but I am not sure why he did it.  He is not the child to do something like that, if anything I could imagine Maggie doing it but not Caden.  Luckily the school was able to cancel the alarm and only one firefighter showed up.  I am sure that the entire class got a lesson on not pulling the alarm and I know that Caden will not do it again.  Or so we hope.  He apologized a ton, which is his new thing when he does something wrong, and after talking to him I know he knows better than to do it again. 

So all in all - it was a good day with a little lesson learned - don't pull the fire alarm!

Just look at this sweet little helper, I don't know how he could ever do anything wrong! :)

Well My Bike is Officially Gone!

Yes folks, it's the end of an era, as Matthew reminded me it was a short lived era and only had 627 miles on it but still it was an era.  It was a time when I thought we would never have chlidren and while I enjoyed my time on the bike I wouldn't trade it for my 4 kids. 

It may have been short lived but I did tear up when they rode it away, that was my first bike!

I have some good memories riding but I have no pictures of me riding it, I believe my Aunt Rosemary does and I am going to work to track it down for my scrapbook.  This is one of the few pictures I do have of my bike.

One of my best memories was being out on a Thursday riding with all of our friends, we were waiting at the light to turn down Front Street to head to the Lounge, I got stuck in a little hole in the road and couldn't make the light (rookie rider thing).  I was going to be by myself, which was scary, but nope our friend Jughead waited for me.  Thank goodness he waited.  I was freaked out as I had not ridden by myself but was so glad so see that big man sitting there making sure this scared lady on her bike made it through the light with everyone else. 
Sadly, Jughead was in an accident on a poker run one Saturday in June of 2007 and died.  He was a big man who lived life and had a ball and I will forever be thankful to him for waiting for me.

Our riding days seem like a life time ago, yes we still have Matthew's bike but with 4 kids we don't get out that often but it will continue to be something that he and I can do together just from now on I will be on the back of his bike instead of riding my own.  Before 4 kids we rode at least 2 days a week and always on Thursday nights.  Those were some great times.  We got to visit Sturgis, which was amazing, and we made some of the greatest friends.  I miss those days I do as they were carefree and you never knew where the ride would take you but I love my kids and I am glad to spend my days with them now.  Some day when they are grown and don't want to hang with mom and dad we will be back out there and carefree to the day. 

So Susan (and Roger too) enjoy the bike, I sure did even if it was short lived!

Your Great Grandparents are just that GREAT!

Well kids I have to apologize in advance, I had the hopes of scanning in some fabulous photos of your great grandparents but because I can't get the scanner to work and have no idea what I did with the CD for it those photos will have to wait.  However, being that we are celebrating Grandparents this week I wanted to make sure to share with you a little bit about these great folks who produced amazing grandparents for you.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Horstman - Mary Ann and John, they met when Grandpa lived with Grandma's mom while he worked on a bridge near St. Leon, Grandma wasn't living at home but her sisters were and they knew he would be a great catch for their older sister.  So they were married on November 24, 1938.  They built a house in St. Leon that Memaw Donna and Papaw Chris now live in and had 9 children, 8 of which are still living.  Little Johnny died at a young age but you have met all the other children and we are lucky enough to see them at the holidays and for big family occasions.
Grandpa was born on February 20,1907 and Grandma was 10 years younger born August 19, 1917.  They had an amazing life together and were such a joy as Grandparents.  Your Aunt Erica and I used to stay with them on occasion and we always played Rummy with grandma, listened to the Reds on 700 WLW and had ham sandwiches for lunch.  I remember "helping" to make grape jelly (oh I miss that jelly), applesauce and corn for the winter.  Plus the cookies, oh the cookies, I am thankful your Memaw knows how to make those and hope to learn myself.  Those are some of my best memories as a little girl, spending time with them.  We always went to their house for holidays and got to see all of our cousins, aunts and uncles. Still to this day we get together there on the holidays and they are great gatherings that I hope continue forever as I can't imagine not having them.  Sadly Grandpa departed this world on January 14, 2000 and Grandma on March 18, 2002, the year daddy and I were married.  Grandma never made it to our wedding but I know she was there.  We have a ring that you girls can hopefully wear on your wedding day that I think all of us girls have worn since she passed.  It is beautiful and really makes you realize that she really is there with you.   I miss them a ton and they would have loved seeing you grow and truly enjoyed the fun you bring to our lives!

Great Grandma and Grandpa Ramey - Mary and Robert.  Great Grandma Ramey is a twin so when I first told her I was having twins she was thrilled, the second time she couldn't believe it but loves every moment of it.  They lived in Aurora and were married on June 14, 1947, they have 3 kids, your grandpa Jerry, Uncle Butch and Aunt Janice.
I don't know a whole lot about Grandpa and he was in a nursing home for all of my life but I remember going there to visit him and seeing him smile when we would walk into the room.  Unfortunately he passed away when I was young on June 24, 1987, which is Cale and Mallory's birthday. 
Great Grandma moved in with her twin sister, Great Aunt Marie, they live in Lawrenceburg in a crooked house and have a beautiful yard.  They both love shopping for you and enjoy our visits.  We are lucky to have them in our lives and they love you all very much.  Neither of them ever forget to send a card for all occasions and Grandma always went on vacation with us when we were little.  There are so many great memories of those trips that I will cherish forever. 

Granny Cool and Great Grandpa McCool - Papaw Casey's parents.  These two amazing people were married on November 28, 1942, which is Caden and Maggie's birthday!  They went on to have a HUGE family of 11 children, all of their names start with the letter "C" and they are each amazing people who love you all.  This big family fit right in with what mommy was used to, holiday gathering and being close to cousins.  You are loved by all of the cousins and their kids and you especially enjoy Connor, Drew, Brady, Spencer and Mason as they are the ones you get to see the most. 
I never got to meet Grandpa McCool - Milton, was born on June 24th yes Cale and Mallory's birthday and sadly as he passed away on February 19, 1986, when daddy was in 4th grade.  I hear he was an amazing person who called daddy "Matt the Brat". Your papaw Casey looks just like him and we are thrilled that we could produce the first McCool great grand children to carry on the name, no pressure boys! 
Granny Cool - L'Jeanne but don't call her that, just Jeanne please was an absolute blast to be around was born on July 25th, which is ironically the 6 month mark to Christmas a season she loved.  She loved shopping and went every Sunday with your aunts, she started Christmas shopping the day after Christmas, she sent her Christmas cards out to arrive the day after Thanksgiving and she never missed a birthday! She was thrilled that we had two sets of twins, as she always wanted to have twins and she really wanted Cale and Mallory's names to sound alike but I hope that she is happy with the girls and boys sounding alike as daddy and I couldn't agree on anything else.  Sadly, granny passed on March 11, 2010, I am sorry she didn't get to meet you Mallory and Cale, but she would of loved you and you would have loved her. 
The McCools are an amazing family that I am blessed to be a part of and I know you all will enjoy being a part of for your entire life.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Potter - Lois and Don, Memaw Jo's mom and dad.  These two people have done a lot in their lives.  They were married September 23, 1955 and had two children, memaw and her brother Bill, he lives in AZ with his family but we see them every once in a while.   Grandma had a passion for sewing and worked at Aurora Casket Company.  Grandpa worked for Schneley and for a while lived in Louisville working and commuting home each weekend.  They came from Pennsylvania but lived in Lawernceburg for most of Memaw's life. 
Unfortunately Grandma had fought cancer and had a stroke, which changed her life.  This was all right before I met her but she was still an amazing person and full of life.  She was still sewing and I know she would have sewn tons for you all.  I really miss that she can't be here to see you, sadly she passed away on August 8, 2007 right before I had Caden and Maggie.  Daddy talks about all the times he spent at their house, eating ice cream and watching Dukes of Hazard and I know he has many fabulous memories of Great Grandma that we will forever cherish.
Big Papaw, as Caden started calling him, is still here and visits you almost everyday.  He has helped us a ton with house projects and is always up for trips and outings with us.  He is retired now but still enjoys golfing, he golfs a lot!  Daddy always guilt him into taking him and Adam to the race track and will do the same for you all anytime I am sure.  He lights up when you run to him and you make his day.  You definitely love Big Papaw and we are very blessed he is here to be such a big part of your lives.

Now we aren't done yet.  As we have to mention Great Grandma Jeanette and Papaw Nick, Papaw Chris's mom and dad. 
Great Grandma Jeanette is just thrilled to brag to all of her friends about the two sets of twins.  She lives in Rising Sun in a retirement community and is very active.  She enjoys visiting with you all and never forgets your birthdays or holidays. 
Papaw Nick likes to tease you, Caden you will forever be called "little Matt" and he and Barbie are always up for visiting with you all! 

Well my kiddos, this one is long but these great people who have made a mark on your lives and they deserve it!  I promise one day I will figure out this scanner and upload some more photos.  I hope my stories are accurate.  And no I didn't put on pictures with only the boys on purpose I can't find the ones I wanted with the rest of you but I will keep looking.
I hope my stories are accurate.  I will rely on your great aunts to help me out with any errors as I am sure there are some but I thought it was important for you to at least know a little bit about each of them. 

As always my children, keep us smiling and thank you for making the world a better place by being in it!

I have 4 kids you know?

That is a phrase that came about on 4th of July and that I just used in the upcoming delivery of our beverage center for the basement, Man am I losing it today or what!

As we sat at Memaw Connie and Papa Eddie's on the 4th of July for our family picnic, Matthew was getting upset that he wasn't being asked to do things such as golf or play softball, the excuse for not asking him was "well you have 4 kids I wasn't sure you would be able to do it." And I believe it was his own brother who started this all.
All day long, whatever I asked Matt to do he said, "no, I have 4 kids you know" but that doesn't work when I needed his help in parenting one of those four kids!  This was his first comment no matter what anyone said and it has stuck since.

So our expression (excuse) "I have 4 kids you know" was born and to this day it is used a lot and makes me laugh almost every time!  I am sure this will continue to be our motto for the "6 Cools", we stole that from a family member too, but all that really means is that we are blessed 4 times over with a family larger than we could ever image having!

The babies bonding with Cousins Whitney and Alex! Can you guess who is who?

But today when I used this phrase I wasn't using it as a joke I was pissed, I mean really pissed about this delivery thing. 
So the delivery company calls to says that they are delivering my dishwasher tomorrow, which I was told would be here today, and I throw out to this lady that I have to have my dishwasher today as I have 4 kids and making adjustments to our schedule and not having a dishwasher is very inconvenient!  Turns out that lady is trying to deliver the beverage center for the basement and not in fact our dishwasher, which is still on track to deliver between the hours of 2 and 6 today!

Now I am laughing at this phrase coming out to a stranger, I have apologized to the lady who called and I am realizing that today I am having a very hard time with this going back to work thing! 

I am one emotional mess with a whole lot going on but I can't stop being a mom and wife now I have 4 kids you know!

P.S.  I wouldn't trade those 4 kids for the world, I love you all and feel lucky to be their mom!

Alex has Mallory and Whitney has Cale - or at least I think so!

I am Thankful!

I am thankful for a lot of things in my life, most of all my family and my 4 happy and healthy kids! 

Tonight there are a few other simple things to be thankful for:

I am very thankful that Aunt Haley, Uncle Adam and cousin Natalie for letting the oldest two come over and Natalie for letting them play with her so I could meet up with some fellow mom of twins friends.  Yes this was a meeting but just being with these amazing women and venting mom frustrations and challenges is such a blessing.   
This mom needed some grounding tonight that it is okay that I can't do it all for all of my kids all of the time and that it is okay that my oldest kids, who are almost 3, aren't potty trained yet. 

Maggie knows how to go on the potty and does great all day at school but when we get home she refuses to go for me.  I know she is doing it because it is something she can control and hold over my head.  I can't help but to think she is really mad at me for a number of reasons but tonight I am thankful that she gave me a hug, it has been a while since I got one from her without asking and her hanging on me was wonderful.

I know we will figure out this potty training thing, everyone tells me she will do it when she wants and that she won't go to kindergarten in a diaper but I still worry.  Next week will be tough and the next month will be hard as we work towards a new routine but that hug from my Maggie tonight was a wonderful reassurance that she does love me and that no matter how the return to work goes we will figure it all out. 

This is one of my very favorite pictures of Maggie and I.  I just love that big smile on that little face!

Lastly, I am thankful that this last week of maternity leave is going so well.  We are getting lots accomplished and are getting great news on a few things that have been pending for a long time!  Next week still won't be easy but it will definitely be easier when the home "to do" list has lots of items checked off! 

Now I am off to bed, busy day head tomorrow as our new dishwasher is arriving - I can't wait to do the first load, the babies and I have some wonderful friends coming to visit and I have to go to Lowe's, in my attempt to check items off the to do list I cut through the extension cord while trimming the bushes, oops so I am not perfect .

And we call her Pickles...

This morning - on the last of the Monday mornings home with my babies - Mallory, Cale and I took a walk.  I have come to cherish these moments as it is a great way to clear my head, organize my thoughts, prepare for what I need to do today and get some great exercise.  Most mornings the babies are asleep by lap 2 but not this morning, Miss Mallory stayed awake for most of our entire 2.5 miles and I enjoyed my company!

Miss Mallory on our morning walk

So my third child of the four I thank you for our morning together.  She was born at 5lbs 13oz and arrived two minutes before her twin.  They say her legs were up by her ears when she was born thus the photo below.  We worried that her hips would be effected but after an ultrasound at 3 weeks old we learned she is perfectly fine!  You were a tiny little blessing but you have quickly grown and are getting chubby cheeks and thighs that are great to love on.  You were quickly claimed by your bigger sister as "My Mallory" - although when Maggie says your name it comes out like Melanory - a combination of Melanie and Mallory.  You look a lot like your older sister, but lord help us if you act like her I may need an 18 year vacation!

And how did you get the nickname Pickles?  Well that is daddy's doing.  For some reason he started calling you that and your brother and sister have made sure that it sticks!  When Caden is looking at a picture of our family he will name everyone and when he gets to you it isn't Mallory it is always Pickles.  You don't seem to mind the name now as you always smile when anyone says it.  But if you hate the nickname when you are older, if it stays that long, you need to yell at daddy he is totally responsible! 

Mallory Lynne, thank you for the joy you have brought us thus far in your 11 1/2 weeks of being here.   You are amazing little girl and we love you more than anything.  I cannot wait to see how you grow and who you will become, whatever it is I am sure you will be great.  Thank you for keeping me company on our walk, I will truly miss those mornings when I head back to work next week but Mommy has to go and you will be in great hands at Memaw Connie and Papaw Eddie's house. 

My baby girl, no matter what comes your way in life don't lose your smile, it is contagious and the world is a better place with you smiling in it!

We love you Mallory Lynne!

Happy Grandparents Day to all of our Amazing Grandparents!

Today we want to make sure we say Happy Grandparents Day to all of our grandparents who love us, support us and make our lives possible.

You are all blessed with the most amazing grandparents who are there for you whenever you need them.

Memaw Donna and Papaw Chris - they have provided us with a great place to create many memories at their house and they welcome us at anytime, well as long as we call first!  They have taken you on boat rides, went to Hilton Head on vacation with you, gone to the Reds games with you, taken you to dance, hosted many sleepovers and most importantly love you unconditionally.

 

Memaw Jo and Papaw Frank - they are always just minutes away when we need them in a pinch to pick you up.  Papaw Frank always has cars to give you, they host many sleepovers and are crazy enough to keep all 4 of you at once.  Caden you can make grandma laugh with just a look for your crazy face.  They are the best at hosting final four parties and hosted Caden and Maggie's first birthday party.  Most importantly they love you unconditionally.

Now as I was searching for photos of all of your grandparents I realize there is no picture of Papaw Frank.  There are simply none to be had - we will resolve that as soon as possible!

Papaw Casey - I blame him for creating a race car monster but he is great about taking you to the races and I am sure Cale will be right along in a few years, as Caden would say "when he gets bigger".  He is here to come and get you rowdy, usually right before bedtime or nap time.  He is always up for a play date at the park and most importantly he loves you unconditionally.

Papaw Eddie and Memaw Connie - now they aren't really your grandparents by the true definition of being your parent's parent but they are a HUGE part of your lives and they love you just as much as your other grandparents.  They are wonderful enough to let us come and play on the swing set, they watched Caden and Maggie for the first 18 months of their lives and they are so crazy enough they are going to watch Cale and Mallory now.  We tried to call them Aunt and Uncle but that was quickly voted down so now they are Memaw and Papaw and we could be happier.  Most importantly they love you unconditionally

So my babies these are the grandparents of your lives, we will visit great grandparents on another day but know that they are there too and love you just as much as anyone else. 

I did not mention Grandpa Ramey for a reason and one day when you get bigger I will tell you the story of him.  I am truly sorry he couldn't choose to be a part of your lives but know that you are loved 100 times over by all the other grandparents in your lives and they more than make up for him not being a part of your lives.

And in case you didn't catch the theme you are very loved unconditionally so keep being who you are, making them all laugh and providing the joy in their lives to make each day a little better.  And to Cale and Mallory, I promise from this day forward we will get some more photos of you with your grandparents as we have been slacking but we will not anymore we need those memories captured!

Happy Grandparents Day!

Never forget 9-11-01

I will never forget 9-11-01 nor did I ever imagine I would live through something my children will learn about in their history books.

I was working as a sales rep at Kraft Foods.  Matt was working for Morgan Stanley as a financial planner. 
I had a normal day that started in the stores about 7:30 am, Matt was on his way to Chicago for some training. 
The first plane hit the tower, the news coverage began and my day ended.  I called Matt, he had landed in Chicago and was on the train to downtown and knew nothing about what was going on.  This was hard because about a month and a half earlier he was there - working for two weeks on the 43rd floor of the World Trade Center and he had co-workers who were there at that moment. 

It was all just a shock.  Could something like this really be happening?  A plane into the World Trade Center, now the Pentagon really?  I couldn't stand being on the road anymore not being able to see the TV coverage so I headed into the office for a bit.  At the office everyone was like me, in a daze, not wanting to do anything but go home.  So home I went. 
Luckily Matt and his co-workers were able to get a car and started the drive home.  I watched the coverage for a while but then needed a break so I mowed our yard.   I know a strange thing to do but I needed to do something normal for I remember visiting Matt there and so many things were going thru my head...
What about the two ladies I saw each day getting off the elevator for lunch?  What about the ladies who waited on me when I shopped at The Children's Place below the towers?  Did they make it out?  Were there any school tours going on at that point because there were while I was there visiting Matthew? 
Was my college roommate Heather okay?  Would New York and the United States ever recover from this tragedy?  How are those families going to cope without their moms, dads, brothers, sisters and friends?

As the stories of the heroes began to come out over the next couple of weeks I have never been more amazed at how America pulled together in her time of need.

Matthew and I had the chance to go back last October to see for ourselves that yes New York is recovering.  I can't explain it but people seem nicer, they have slowed down a bit and it definitely looks weird without those two massive towers in the skyline.

At Ground Zero working on the reflection pools that will become the memorial

We went to ground zero.  It was eerie, and there were tears in my eyes as all of those questions of that day came back to my mind.  I realized that my kids will be able to share a piece of history with their classes on day, we kept Matt's badge from his 2 weeks there, I have a letter he mailed me from there, and I have the directions he wrote me on how to take the subway from the hotel to the World Trade Center.

Some of the firefighters who were there and worked the disaster the day of and for many days after.  We met them while having some drinks!

I will never know what became of those folks who I saw for the 3 days that I visited Matthew there but I can tell you that I am proud to be an American and I a very grateful for all of those who have continue to provide for my freedom and who gave their lives for our freedom.
  

We am grateful to Matt and Hien for getting married in Connecticut and giving us an excuse to get back to NYC to visit Ground Zero, enjoy our anniversary and to experience the city again.

That was a day that the world stood still and I hope that we never have to experience another day like that my children's lifetime. 

The fire station outside of our hotel and their remembrance of the day

:I will never forget!

A Friday night change of plans!

I have to share that I had an amazing Friday night change of plans. 
My original plans were to pick the kids up from daycare, get some dinner for them and then head out to find some work clothes for myself.  Well that all changed and it was definitely something I am glad I did not miss.

We have been finishing the basement since before I had the babies and in the last couple of weeks Matt and Grandpa Potter have been working hard on getting the dry wall hung.  My uncle David has been helping us out on the finishing of the dry wall and showed up this afternoon to do some more work.  So knowing that I couldn't leave when we REALLY need to get this basement done I was upstairs with all four kids while Matthew and my uncle David were hard at work downstairs.

Here is what I was able to witness and be a part of:

• Maggie having a dance party!  She watches a show called the Fresh Beat Band on Nick Jr. and dances around the living room.  Of course we had to wear the blue dress to do so.
• Caden playing the drums - this was loud but he had a great time.
• Many smiles from Mallory and Cale.
• Caden and Maggie practicing their sharing skills with the drums and saying to each other "now it is your turn".  I was so proud to see this as we have not exactly been seeing the best sharing skills with each other or other children.
• Maggie reading me a book - an amazing story about Thomas but what really caught me off guard was how she would look at the picture then tell the story, complete with "then one day..."  I almost cried.
• Reading Halloween stories to my older children.  I haven't been able to have a lot of time with them since the babies were born so to be asked to sit down for storytime and read to them was the AMAZING change of plans I never saw coming. 

My Maggie has my passion for reading books and I love it. 

I was all set to head out and be depressed about trying on clothes, instead I got to eat pizza, watch the Redlegs, witness some sharing skills in action and most of all spend quality time with my kids.  Notice I haven't mentioned the hard parts of crying babies or mean 2 year olds - the good times definitely outweigh the hard times!
That my friends is what I will call a quality Friday night change of plans! 

He's my baby, my helper and was our surprise!

Each morning the babies and I come downstairs to start our day.  My start of the day includes grabbing my coffee, turning on GMA and catching up on email, facebook and my favorite blogs then planning our day.  What I love most about these mornings is that Cale is usually awake and always by my side.  These are truly mornings I will miss when I join the working world again here shortly.

So who is my little helper man?

He is my baby, the youngest of the 4 - by 2 minutes - and the one who was a surprise. 
Yes he is a blessing but he was a big surprise.  And here is how we found out about our Cale...
Mid - December I was out on a Friday afternoon finishing up some Christmas shopping, I knew I was pregnant but at the time we had one healthy heart beat and didn't expect anything else.  While shopping I began to have some complications with the baby and I thought for sure it would end in a miscarriage.  However, after a quick trip to the doctor we soon found out that we were definitely still pregnant and now there were 2 healthy heartbeats.  Now you ladies will understand that it is very difficult to sit up during an exam but I have tried twice in my life - the first time they told us we were pregnant with twins and once more when Dr. Scheiber told me that I was not having a miscarriage but was in fact pregnant with twins, again.  Talk about shock. On the drive to the doctor I had prepared myself for the worst and then when we heard the news I felt joy and relief and then when reality set in I felt immediately overwhelmed.  4 kids under 3 really how would we do it? 
Well after a night on bed rest and some chats with your Grandma Donna - who reminded me I said I always wanted 4 kids and Grandma Mary Jo - who said she will be there to help us - I relaxed and started to enjoy the fact that I was going to have a very unusual family - two sets of twins and all under 3 for that matter!

Cale is an amazing little man who came into this world at 6lbs. 9oz - the largest of my 4 babies - and he will forever be mommy's baby.  He will sit by me while I organize photos or coupons, he loves to sit and watch the world, he will lay on the bed and help fold the laundry, he is soaking it all in and providing smiles and cooing all along.

When your brother Caden met you at a day old - he said "that's baby me!" and at first we did think you looked like Caden but now you are growing, changing and becoming your own person for sure.

We were torn between a few names for you but I am glad that daddy picked Cale - it fits you, it truly does.  I am thrilled with the joy you have brought our lives in your short 11 weeks in this world and cannot wait to see you grow.  Your brother has lots of plans for you when you get bigger, he can't wait to take you to the races, play cars with you and to teach you how to play ball and I can't wait to see the brother bonding continue. 
Don't worry Maggie loves you too, she is just a little more quiet about it, but she spends many hours by your side and loving that you are smiling at her.  She calls you Pit Stop - we have been watching a lot of Cars lately!
Mallory loves you too and enjoys being your big sister. She always finds a way to reach out to you when you are beside each other and laughs when you cry - she enjoys your pain which is what siblings do.  Don't worry you laugh when she cries too!

Cale Joseph you are an amazing little man, and I can say that I have never had a better surprise in my life.  Don't grow up too fast, after all you are my last baby and that is something I want to hold onto forever.  Keep us smiling and keep the taking in the world. It is big and vast but I know you will leave your mark on it in a great way.

I love the change of seasons!

As I sit here on crispy morning deciding if the babies and I will take a walk I realize I really do love the change of seasons especially to fall.  Our family has been blessed many times during the fall so I have to say it is one of my favorite seasons!
First here are the 10 things I love the most about fall:
1.  Matthew and I were married in the fall - October 12th - so each new fall means another anniversary and that we made it thru another great year together!
2.  Caden and Maggie's birthday is in the fall - we didn't expect it to be but when they entered the world 6 weeks early they made it into the fall. They are some of our best work and we are very blessed to have them in our lives.

3.  Matt's birthday is in the fall - so thank you Mary Jo and Casey for bringing a child into the world who became my best friend.

4.  Sweatshirts and jeans - nothing better than a cool night outside in your favorite sweat shirt and jeans!
5.  The leaves are changing and make for some beautiful drives through our little area of the country

6.  My drives to Bloomington at this time of year.  Those leaves changing make for my favorite spot on route 46 that I discovered after driving back and forth to Bloomington for school - right outside of Brown County Park with a little red barn the hills, trees and beautiful leaves go on forever - I wish I had a picture to share with you but I don't and I know a few of you know my exact spot

7.  FOOTBALL - college, professional, high school and even pee wee - prior to kids Matt and I used to plant ourselves at BW3's for a whole day of watching football.  Now we may get to catch a few games on Saturday and we do get to go to all of the Bengals home games - thanks to the amazing in laws I have who watch our children! And of course we watch all of young cousins who are playing in all age groups.

My season ticket seat pals celebrating at the game!

8.  Thanksgiving - one of the best holidays because there are no gifts involved.  Just great food and quality time with those you love
9.  Pumpkins and mums - I love fall displays of both

The fall display at Memaw Donna and Papaw Chris's house.  A scarecrow for each of them and each grandkid - they need 2 more this year.  Halloween 2009 - Elmo and Cookie Monster

10.  Halloween - I was never a huge fan of Halloween until my kids came along.  Now it is a challenge to find a great costumes and a blast to see them trick or treating!

Their first Halloween Pebbles and Bam Bam!

  Now here are just a few things about any change of season that I don't like:

1. The transition of clothes for the kids - I never know what to dress them in for school as I don't know if it will stay cool or get hot that day when we dress them in the morning.
2. The transition of closets - this is painful with 4 kids and takes a lot of time.  It leads to mounds of laundry as I pull out bins from the older twins for the babies.  As well as cleaning out the older twins closet to see what they need for the next season.   



One of the mounds of laundry that awaits me!

3. The transition of sizes in the closets means my kids are growing up. When I put away their clothes that are too small I quickly realize how fast they are growing and that they will never be that size again.  It is even harder this time around as I realize we will never have little babies in those clothes again. 
4. Putting away all of the laundry - I HATE THIS step and never get it all done at once.  However, I am a little strange in that I like to do the laundry, I like to see how quick I can get through a bottle of detergent!  And now that I have some very cute laundry helpers it is a little easier



The babies buried within our folded laundry

5. This season of change means I am that much closer to going back to work :( I miss my co-workers but I am really going to miss my days with the kids.  I am very blessed to have been given these weeks with them and I will cherish them forever!

So even with the negatives (they really aren't that bad) I welcome season of change - we will enjoy fall as a family and I can't wait for all of the memories that are about to be created with our adventures. 
Be sure to check back and make sure that the laundry monster hasn't eaten me!

It could have been my Maggie

My heart is breaking this morning for the family that lost their 3 year old son in a hit and run yesterday.  I cannot imagine, and hope to never imagine, the pain of losing a child much less watching it happen.  No one should judge the parenting skills of that mother, she was doing the best she could to load her children and they were simply being a 2 and 3 year old.  I know how difficult it can be to load multiple children into the car and I am just thankful that my children are all safe - all 4 of them.  So the lesson for today is to love your children and make sure they know that you love them.  Give them an extra kiss and a hug today.  Take some time to sit down and learn what they did today or just to hold them a minute longer as you never know when they could be gone.

That child could have been my Maggie - why?  She got out of the house on Monday night when the rest of us were upstairs finishing bath time and was in the back yard - which by the way is near a street and one where she could have easily been hit as there are parked cars that would hide her tiny body.  I am thankful that the kids from next door were out (they are however, what drew her outside) and that her older brother (by one minute) was tattling on her and that her punishment made her understand why she can't go outside by herself.  I have never been so worried and mad at her as I was that night but I am so thankful she was standing in the middle of our yard.  And yes we will be taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. 

All of my children are special in different ways and here are only a few about My Maggie...

Maggie arrived one minute behind Caden weighing in at 4lbs. 7oz. and was the tiniest thing I had ever seen but right away she showed her personality and said Hello world!

Many, many times she would be mistaken for a boy, even when I dressed her in head to toe pink, but without hair people thought she was a boy.  She didn't know or care and was always smiles.
                                     

Once on the go, Maggie was always exploring new adventures of life - NEVER sitting still for long.

However, she is always available for cuddles and smiles - this is one of my favorite photos with Maggie

                                     

She was the first to walk and the first to talk.  She was always asking "what's that" and when the phone rang  "who is it".  She is always laughing and if I could bottle up her laughter I would.  My Maggie loves to have fun and we love having fun with her.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think she has fun in life.

She loves costumes and surprises us with what she will wear next.  You just never know what she will find to put on for her next adventure.

                                        

  

Most of all Maggie is a cheerleader to all - you do something and she cheers you on, even if it is the smallest accomplishment in the world, to her everything is a big deal "You did it!" is her cheer!

As shown here she is cheering on her cousin Natalie for catching the bouquet.

So to my independent, fearless, stubborn and adventure loving child I hope you have learned a lesson and be reassured that Mommy will do her part to make sure you can't get out of the house by yourself anymore!  No matter what you do in life Maggie Lynne please don't ever stop dancing, exploring or laughing we love you and the joy you bring into the world.

And to all of those out there who are judging that mom and criticising her for what happened, please stop and just pray for this family as they have to bury a child that brought laughter and love into their lives. 

You never know it could have happened to you.