Catching Up...

First, thanks to everyone for your kind words, support, and Facebook 'likes' on the new venture. Your support has made stepping out of my photography closet much easier.  Now, this blog can truly focus on documenting life with my kids (with photos of course).

In trying to keep up with two blogs... I realized I had failed to post some pictures of the kids on this blog, so I'm playing a little catch up.

Oh, I also want to note (for when they are twenty)... that their Mom fixed pork tenderloin with raspberry chipolte sauce, potatoes au gratin, caesar pasta salad, and mozzarella garlic bread for dinner the other night and that meal was called "yucky."  Fortunately, their Dad thought otherwise and scarfed most of it down.  Someday, they will be in college eating Ramen Noodles and wishing for Mom's cooking... I hope....

Gearing Up for Halloween...

Oh my goodness... the stores are stocked with the Halloween stuff and even Christmas YIKES!!! So the kids have been asking a lot about what they are going to be this year...

In 2010, we sported Wizard Of Oz costumes. Fortunately, there was no fighting over who was going to be Dorothy because Addison wanted to be the witch. Dear hubby wore the Heart of the Tin Man to make sure he was represented (the witch is holding it below)

In 2009, we were our own little zoo... Oh my...

And in 2008, I had two lady bugs, a bumble bee and our new little flower.

I've always put so much thought into the costumes and have always sported a theme... so this year???? Believe it or not, Mom is going to relinquish control and let them choose their own costumes... so who knows. Even I don't know what they will be yet!!!

I Heart Faces - A Touch Of Sun

For those of you who follow my blog, you know this little beauty doesn't belong to me, but I thought this photo taken last night was just too cute not to use in this week's challenge.  I love her look... she's looks like she's hot with her suitcase in the sun waiting for something to happen...  There is a story behind this photo which I will be sharing soon....

Ramblings...

Aaaaawwwww, husband is upstairs watching football, the kids are in bed and I am enjoying a moment of quiet.

Now that school has started and I've taken on the project of redecorating our living room, I've been busier than usual and really really extra tired lately.  As I've mentioned in earlier posts I have Hashimoto Disease and can have off days, but I've really had some rough days recently.  I had an appointment to check my thyroid levels last week and all was good, so I've just been trying to get some extra rest.  Jerry has been feeling extra tired lately as well, so maybe it's something in the water?

As mentioned, I'm redecorating the living room and have been stressed beyond words.  My Mom & brother got all the decorating talent really and they enjoy it.  Me... I can kinda pull a room together but I don't enjoy it... furniture isn't returnable... so this has me totally stressed out.  I finally committed to my 1st purchase and bought a dark leather studded sectional...  It's huge but is the best seating option for a family of six with grandparents and friends over all the time.  Now, I have to start decorating around it YUCK.  I much rather take pictures!!

Ok, I said pictures so it's time to share.

In a previous post I told you Kaylee saw a jellyfish on the beach and picked it up.  It didn't sting her but FREAKED her out.  Seeing her freak out in turn FREAKED Cody out.  He was afraid of everything for a while after that.  I love this picture of Cody with my Mom.  1st, he's showing off a little crack which I think is adorable, but he was afraid of the seaweed, so my Mom was showing him the seaweed doesn't hurt.  She put a "baby" seaweed on her leg.  You can see in his face he still isn't convinced.

Black & White Wednesday

Live Life my Sweet Babies

Are You Ready for Some Football?

My husband loves football and he has given up virtually all football since the triplets were born. He still records the OU football games and watches them after the kids go to bed, but he understands and embraces the fact that the kids/family come 1st and never complains.

So when he came home last week and said a friend of his daughter works with her high schools' football team and has to attend all the games, he told me he got the details and thought it would be fun for us to attend.  Fun???  I have to say I jokingly gave him a hard time and thought he had over romanticized the idea, but how could I refuse when he gives so much to us daily.

The game was about 45 minutes from the house and I had fears of us on the road after dark, I was afraid of the crowds with 4 little ones, and I was afraid of steep bleachers, but my fears were unwarranted.  The drive still scared me a bit, but since we were on the visitor side the crowds weren't bad and the bleachers weren't too steep.

What shocked me was the kids attention span.  I thought we'd leave no later than half time... but we stayed the entire game, not getting home until 11:00 at night.  The latest the kids have EVER been up since birth.  They had a BLAST and even I enjoyed it... watching the teenagers and flash forwarding in my mind (YIKES) and chatting with Loretta.  The home team had a blow up tiger that the football players ran through and it "breathed smoke."  Cody still talks about that tiger today.

I don't know that this will become a weekly outing for us, but I have a feeling that wasn't our last game.

For my Brother

This is my brother and nephew... yea, pretty cute huh???   I took this on vacation at a local "market." Yea, you think this little guy loves his Daddy or what????

Love you both... give that little man some kisses from his Auntie Tracy!!!

Rapunzel... Don't Cut Your Hair!!!

While on vacation, my sister-in-law gave the girls their 1st official haircuts.  When they were little I would trim their bangs, but now their hair is all one length and MEGA LONG!!!  So, is it short now????

Not a chance...  I have a couple inches at most tucked away in remembrance bags, but they are now free of the broken ends.  It's funny because when I told them they were going to get their hair cut they were SUPER excited and asked about it daily prior to the vacation.  But when the time came, they both got very quiet and unsure of the process.

My sister-in-law is a highly sought after stylist and it was a privilege for me to have her give her nieces their 1st haircut.  Thanks Kerri!!  Love you girl!!  I'm not sure she will ever want to give them haircuts again though.  She had Me (Mom), Grandma, and Great Grandma... hovering over her cringing with every snip.  No pressure. HA!!

The next day, Kerri french braided their hair and I put flower bows in the braid... it was their "Rapunzel" hairstyle.

Got Homework?

Got Homework? We do!!!

Today we completed a homework assignment for the triplets.  Of course, we also did one for Cody so he didn't feel left out (made a photo copy for him).  The assignment entailed decorating a silhouette (looked like a gingerbread man) to represent you.  We could use all kinds of craft materials and the goal was to focus on self awareness.  After a trip to Walmart for a few supplies we headed over to my parents house to complete the task.  My Mom is queen of all things crafty and has supplies galore.

I have to say I am overwhelmingly proud of my kids.  The imaginations never cease to amaze me.  We used photos for their faces, yarn for hair, and cut clothes out of construction paper.  Each child got to pick the color of their clothes and cut them out and paste them on.  Then they got to decorate their pictures.  The girls added buttons, ribbons, and gems while the boys (Jadon to be more specific) added buttons and a belt.  Jadon had some flag stickers so he put them on the page and drew lines to his hands (they were the sticks to hold the flags).  The girls had flower stickers and put them in their hands.  They used gems for earrings (although their ears are not pierced) and Addison put a sticker hat on her picture.  They are amazing!!!

Overall, the task was FUN but hectic.  Most mothers got to do this project one-on-one with their munchkin.   Doing a task like this with four is messy, loud, and crazy busy... but with my Mom's help... we got it done in Rock Star Fashion!!!

So proud of you kiddos!!!...  Ok, I broke down and took pictures of their projects... this blog is their diary after all.

Kaylee

Addison

Jadon

Cody

Blah, Blah, Blah..... oh, and the 1st day of school

Goodness, I've let too much time pass and now vacation seems like a distant memory and not current enough for blogging. All in all, we had a fantastic time with friends and family and we look forward to next year.

What also seems like a distant memory and it's only been a week was the 1st day of school.  This year we decided to switch from Tues/Thurs to M/W/F.  The kids go Mon and Wed from 9 to 1 and Friday from 9 to noon.  So, Friday is now officially grocery store day.  By the time I get the groceries, get home, put them up and get the kids lunches ready (I'm making lunch sacks they can eat in the car on the way home Fridays), it's about time to pick them up.  I'm looking forward to another morning a week to get stuff done or just rest.

The kids had no problem transitioning back to school.  They are all pretty outgoing and love school so the 1st day went pretty well.  Cody unfortunately spent some time in 'time out' his 1st day.  He now gets to play on the big kid playground, but was told to stay off the HOT slides.  He didn't want to listen, so he was timed out.  Fortunately, he didn't have any issues the next day.  He also mentioned his new friends were mean.... not sure what that was about and it hasn't come up since.  Cody actually plays really well with other kids (despite some fighting with his siblings), but he is one of the youngest in his class and some of the other kids seem MUCH older.... so maybe that played into it????  I am optimistic this was all a one time thing and all will go well.

Ok, while the beach blogging is over... the photos I'm afraid are not....

Date Night

Ahhhhh... it's Friday.... and I have a date.  Yes, husband and I are going to a MOVIE tonight and dinner.... yea, I'm so excited.  I can't remember hardly the last time we watched a movie in a theater, so I'm really looking forward to the escape into a cool dark theater and wrapping my brain around a movie plot.

Oh my, dear husband is home early...  gotta go, so I leave you with a few pictures of the Beach Boys.