A Change of Scenery... Wildlife

On Saturday, Jerry and I decided it was time for a change of scenery so we loaded up the crew and headed off to a Wildlife Reserve about an hour away. Upon arrival we were greeted by emu's, ostrich's, lamas and many other animals.

Prior to loading up onto our trailer for the tour we fed the friendly deer and checked out the petting zoo. It really was amazing to have deer eat from your hands and Addison was in LOVE with the deer. She really is very sweet with animals and LOVES them and the deer seemed to love her. They weren't so crazy about he rest of my gang. Kaylee, Jadon and Cody were just too silly and wound-up.   Jadon really does get overly excited and just gets into silly overload mode.  I'm trying to learn how to combat his outburst of silly.  He's not being bad, just crazy silly which just doesn't work on these kinds of outings.

The tour was awesome because the animals all came up to the trailer and you could touch and feed them... zebras, camels, and big animals with horns??.  VERY COOL!!  About 1:00 we piled back into the car and headed over to the boardwalk and ate seafood outside and watched the boats go in and out.  Overall, it was a fun day, but not without it's challenges and quite exhausting to say the least.  Here are a few pictures and more to come.

Friday 52 - Week Eight "The View From Here"

(f/2.2, 1/80, ISO200...  Noiseware, MCP Touch of Light, TRA Oh-Snap low opacity, and Florabella Retro Lolli-pop 15%)

Cody had just waken from his nap and I was sitting on the floor messing with my camera... so I guess this was my view sippy cup and all....

Are You Going to Cook?

Just about every day after naps Kaylee asks me, "Mom, are you going to cook or are we going to a restaurant?"  Then I get, "Awwwhhhh, we haven't been to a restaurant in a looonnnngggg time...."

Well, goes to show I'm cooking more, but my cooking is apparently subpar to restaurant meals...  I'm still working on it.  I have to say I made a pretty rockin' meatloaf last night if I do say so myself.

For all the Mom's out there with little ones that tip toe around when the baby is sleeping...  a day will come when you can shoot off fireworks and the kids still won't want to get up.  I don't know when that day came in our home, but it's been here for a while now.  I wake the kids every morning at 7:00 (because we still nap/have quiet time 2 hours in the afternoon) and it generally takes me 10 to 20 minutes to get everyone moving.  I sing, I rub, I tickle and I tease and even sometimes carry limp bodies down to the sofa before I'm able to get everyone alert.  I alway knew a time would come when I'd have kids complaining that they don't want to wake up and one day you will have it as well.  In the meantime tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe and know it will get easier.

Yesterday afternoon I found Addison in the playroom "pretending school" and trying to teach her dog to read...

Illness Strikes Again

Well, this time it is Kaylee. She woke up a few days ago and her eyes were puffy and swollen.  I kind of thought it might be allergies. But, as the days went on she started having some nasal congestion. Night before last, she woke up several times during the night crying. Fortunately, I don't have to stay up with her very long.  I get up, hush her, and make sure she isn't running a fever and then it's back to bed.  But a couple hours later,  the routine begins again.  Last night we went through the same routine and this morning she complained about her ear hurting so off we went to the clinic (you know the one's in the grocery stores... LOVE THEM.  My Mom also needed to be seen for eyes, so it worked out well).  It was confirmed that Kaylee had an ear infection and so once again we have started another round of the pink liquid.

Ok the clinic visit details....
You know, I really hate it when I feel like the mom who doesn't have it all together. That's how I felt this morning at the clinic. First, Kaylee woke me early crying again so I was without makeup and hair sloppily up in a clippy with four babies acting like they've just been let free from the asylum. I soon realized that I failed to give them "The Speech" before we went in.   "The Speech";  You will not run around like crazy children… You will not get loud… You will act like big boys and girls… Do you understand? As a result, I felt like the out-of-control mom.  For some reason going somewhere new shoots off the adrenaline which puts their minds and bodies into silly mode.  They have to act silly, touch everything and force me to sound like this..."Jadon, come here, NOW.  Stand up.  Cody come here... Kaylee not right now I'm trying to talk to the nurse... Addison quit yelling at Cody.... Cody stand up... go sit in a chair now and don't move...  NOW...  leave the pen alone... don't open that door... SIT DOWN... Cody, sit with Mommy no down.  I can go on, but you get the idea.  Fortunately my mom was with me, so I was able to remove Cody from the situation for some disciplinary action and we quickly reined the crew back in.  Needless to say, there was another mother sitting close by with one little girl sitting so very nicely.  In my defense, I guess she was probably six or seven years old (so older than mine), but still sitting nice. I wanted to tell her don't judge me until you've wrestled 4 kids four and under.  Instead, I just tried to get control of the situation as quickly as possible.  I have taken one to pediatrician before and it's a TOTALLY different experience than taking all four.  I was soooo busy with Cody (yes, the terrible twos strike again) that I couldn't begin to deal with the triplets and am soooo thankful my Mom quickly got them interested in the "I'm thinking of an animal" game.   Most of the time, our outings go without issue but I have learned when going somewhere new it's best to give "The Speech."

On another note, the other day my mom brought over some old scarves for the kids to play with and I took this picture of Kaylee while she was playing.  She bit her tongue the other day chewing on a piece of ice and it's been hurting her so you can see was kinda messing with it in this photo.

Ca' Ching

This morning I woke up and left the kids in the able hands of my parents so that I could be one of the 1st in line for school registration for next year. It's 1st come 1st serve, so while registration doesn't begin until 9:00, the line begins about 7:00. I was number 6 in line.

If you recall a post from a few weeks ago "Ever Feel Like Your Bleeding Money" well the bleeding continues.  The big 'ol honkin' check I handed over to the school Ca' Ching, the money we spent to fix Jerry's truck yesterday (wheel bearings or something) Ca' Ching, and the many other hits our account has taken lately... Ca' Ching....  We are fortunate that we can meet all the demands, but it slows us down when trying to meet our long term goals.

OK, WE HAD A THREE DAY WEEKEND AND I DIDN'T GET ANY PHOTOS!!!  It just didn't work out.  I got one of the kids in the tub with Cody pouring water on Addison which is below, but then I got to thinking....  This weeks theme at MCP 52 is the view from here and it got me thinking about the most beautiful view ever... the view of the triplets from my bed when they 1st came home.  It doesn't qualify for Project 52 given it wasn't taken this week, but I thought I'd journey back memory lane and share.  I laid in that bed for 3 months looking at empty bouncy seats waiting for them, so to finally see them born and in our home was amazing!!

WOW!!  They were such babies...  now they are little kids...  people tell you the time goes quickly, but you just can't comprehend how quickly until you look at baby pictures.

Friday 52 - Week Seven "Open Your Heart"

f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 200 (Saturated colors, increased contrast, added sun flare and used TRA Prettyizer at 20%)

The Good, The Bad, and The Stinky

Right now, I think the hardest part of raising four year old triplets is also having a two and a half year old. I wrote a post back when the triplets were two "Terrible Two's Not so Terrible" and I don't have horrible memories of two, but it just goes to show every child is different and Cody, while I love him more than the air I breath, is a difficult two year old.  He is old enough to understand what is expected, but he is just sooo strong willed.

I feel so sorry for him because he is either having a meltdown because he is in trouble or because the triplets don't want to play with him cause he's too young...  I can't tell you how it warms my heart when I see them all playing together.  However, one day they were playing with Cody and running away from him because he had "junk in his trunk."  They ran away yelling, "Oh NO, here comes Stinky Cody" and Cody thought it was a great game.  Unfortunately, the name and the game stuck... so when Cody chases them they all run screaming and laughing that Stinky Cody is after them.  We are trying to keep the game since they all love it, but trying to drop the name.  Cody is now a Monster that chases them.... "Oh NO, the monster is after us...."

Cody's favorite phrases:
No, I can't
No, I do it
No, I don't want to

If you ask him if he is a bad boy though he says, "No, I not a bad boy.  I's a good boy."  SOOOO CUTE!!!  I just hope I can survive this ADORABLE terrible two year old....

God makes them sooooo stinkin' cute so we don't kill 'em....

Go Red For Women

This weeks theme at I Heart Faces is RED in support of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women.  Take a moment to stop by their site and learn more... and visit I Heart Faces to see some AMAZING red photos!!











Also linking up with:

Friday 52 - Week Six "Words"

f/2.5, 1/30, ISO 1100 (Very simple edit... Florabella Lux II Vanity at 80% and a vignette)
The foundation for family...

Kaylee, Beautiful Kaylee...

It was pretty cold taking these pictures earlier in the week, but MUCH COLDER today!!!

I think we're alone now

After Jerry got home last night, I grabbed Kaylee and the two of us had some time alone. We drove around and looked for photo taking spots and talked. She sat in Cody's carseat which is one row up from hers and talked and talked and talked the whole time we were in the car. She asked what all the things on the dash board did and she talked about traffic (we got stuck for a bit in some)... Man, that girl can talk!!! We had a lovely time for about 45 minutes until it just got too dark for pics. Here is one I managed to get edited last night. I'll share more in the coming days.

Just a couple girlie pics

Loved the park pic of Kaylee so I decided to do a close up and there is also a B&W of Addison... no time to talk it up today...

Can I have some "Hubba Hubba"??

Every Sunday morning we get up and get ready for Church. Jerry and I wake at 7:00, he gets the kids up, feeds them and brushes teeth while I shower, dress and get ready. Then we switch... I dress the kids, fix hair and put on shoes while Jerry showers and get's ready.

When everyone is dressed and ready to go we then go into our bathroom and put on some "Hubba Hubba." Perfume/cologne. This is a treat for the kids and they love it. After they put it on we say... OOOHHHhhh, Hubba Hubba... you smell soooo good!!! Hence, it is now called Hubba Hubba. The girls put in on their wrists and necks and the boys put in in their hands and pat it on their faces. Too cute.

I tell ya' we look good and smell good when we walk in to give thanks and praise.

Trying some new Photoshop techniques...  so these are some of my practice pics...

OH, the tree picture below.... We found GRANDMA WILLOW!!!  If you've seen Pocahontas you'll know what I'm talking about!

Friday 52 - Week Five "Muse"

f/2.5, 1/2500, ISO 320 (Heavy contrast and selective color enhancements)

I don't know if this really fits the "Muse" Theme. All of my kids are what I love photographing best, so I could have chosen any photo of my kids, but this photo just left me with a special feeling, so I chose it.  It also fits the bill for the LEM "Trees" challenge!!