The Domrese Family Blog

Thom

2012-01-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

Did you think I left out a few letters for "Thomas?" Interesting.

Last week I was standing outside of school waiting to pick the boys up from Kindergarten and chatting with a mom-friend when she explained that her daughter, Brooklyn (one of the boys' favorite friends in Kindergarten), had decided her name was too long and should now be Brookie or Brooke. We laughed a little and then went home.

Flash forward to Thursday when I look at all Thomas' papers that he's bringing home. They are all marked "Thom." At first I thought he was just hurrying and didn't have enough time.

Me: "Thomas, did you run out of time and not get to finish writing your name?"
Thomas: "No, my name is too long, so I just write Thom now."
Me: "Do you want me to call you Thom?"
Thomas: "No."
**Then I remembered Brooklyn and the fact that they are tablemates. Clearly those two are conspiring together. **
Me: "Thomas, what about Brooklyn?"
Thomas: HUGE HUGE HUGE grin on face. "Hers is shorter too."

Super cute!

Future Detective?

2012-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

As I was driving to my parents recently, Thomas decided to be the peanut gallery from the backseat. He asked, "Mommy why did that sign say Speed Limit 70 M-P-H?" I explained it was the speed limit meant, etc. Then he piped in again with, "What does that orange line mean on those numbers?" Aaahhhh child, that's my speed. "But why is it over the 70 mark?"

Thank you Thomas for letting me go exactly 70. I tend to do 72-74, but this time, I got to experience being passed by semi's, trucks, and probably a GeoMetro. :) However, there were no more questions from the back, so I must assume that I am driving correctly.

**That does remind me though of a few months ago when we were driving to the library. Signs were clearly marked warning that there was construction and the need to merge was imminent. I, of course, merged over. The truck way back decided not to and wanted to speed to the front. When he was not allowed to swerve in at the last second (yes, I hold grudges, the little old lady who missed the sign is one thing but the big truck barreling down on me is another), apparently the truck was unhappy. He looked at me and shouted, "IDIOT!" The boys, having never heard that word asked what it meant. I explained that people used the word "idot" when they were not smart enough to come up with a nicer word. (I use the same reasoning with the word "hate"). I also explained that when you use poor word choices when referring to other people, it generally says something about you. I said all of this while steaming of course! The boys decided it would be a good idea to follow the truck (who sped around us at the next opportunity) and make sure he knew that "idiot" was a poor choice of words. Thankfully we lost him.

Funny boys!

Snowy Day

2012-01-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

Our first real snowfall of the season. We were ready! We have now spent two days outside in the snow. It is so hard for me to get to a park, let the kids sled, and then get home without someone having to go to the potty, someone getting hurt, getting too cold, bored, etc. So, instead we make our snowhill at home. Every year it gets better and bigger. : ) The kids are having a blast!

Happy 40th Anniversary Domrese Grandparents!!!!

2012-01-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

As Dan and I hit our 10th wedding anniversary, his parents (6 months later) celebrate their 40th! What a milestone! To celebrate, the family went to Luigi's (our personal favorite restaurant).

**In true Domrese-fashion, I cleaned out the diaper bag and Dan grabbed it not realizing it was empty. Normally, no big deal. Unless you are put in a small-ish banquet room and your daughter has an amazingly stinky near blow-out. :( Dan literally RAN to Rite Aid about 4 blocks down and bought diapers and wipes, and the room rejoiced.

Here are some photos of the evening!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-27T00:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was sooooo much fun.

The hit of the morning was definitely the drum set.

Other highlights included: A Hot Wheels slot car track, Dora dolls, a magic set, aprons, shopping carts, Connect 4, ocean animal sets, and more.

After more family parties and gatherings, I can officially say we are done with Christmas.

**Side note for those that read (and here's a little hint if this particular family does)...we have ONE Christmas present left and it's for our good friends the Worthy Family. And....it promises to be awesome!

Mt. Spo.kane Tubing

2011-12-27T00:47:00.000-08:00

While family was in town, decided to do a little tubing. It was sooooo much fun (aside from the part where I hit a wall of ice and sprained my ankle).

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

Yay for Christmas! Dan and I both agree this is our favorite Christmas yet. The kids are old enough to both understand and enjoy everything. We happened to find the gifts they wanted for a price WE wanted and it all fell together wonderfully.

Here are some pictures from the beginning of this glorious season:

Our first family celebration was with my parents and both of my brothers and all our families:

All the girl cousins got dolls with little chairs and afghans:

Annual cousin in Christmas jammies picture:

Greatma made all the kids capes each with their monogrammed letter. Adorable!

Nevus Update 2011

2011-12-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

Every December we have Joshua's nevus check-up appointment. Because he's been growing out his hair we convinced him to get it shaved short (required to have better ability to see the nevus) by giving him a mohwak!

The nevus appointment went really really well. The nevus remains normal and consistent with his growth. This appointment was the first time I've ever heard the doctor say that I shouldn't remove it. The doctor's generally list the pros and cons and tell me to decide for myself. This is gut-wrenching and always leaves me stressed out, but this time he gave me a solid answer and for that, I am so thankful!

Joshua does have some swollen lymph nodes/glands in his neck and armpits which SHOULD be related to cold/flu season, but we do have a follow-up appointment with the pediatrician to confirm this. I will be relieved to just have that section closed.

We did switch to a July appointment, so we'll have a brief follow-up in July and then switch to yearly appointments in July so that we don't have to attempt the pass not only at Christmas time, but also in the dead of winter.

But overall....GREAT APPOINTMENT!!!!

**Also, while in Seattle we spent the day at the Paci.fic Sci.ence Cent.er. The kids had a blast. Here are some of our finer moments:

Ugly Sweater 2011

2011-12-27T00:12:00.000-08:00

Every year we do an ugly sweater party. As our children have grown, the participants have changed, but it's always great fun.

Here are a few great shots of all the kids and adults:

Posing

2011-12-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

A moment strikes, and what is a girl to do? Apparently a girl poses. And it only gets better.

A Moment

2011-12-27T00:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you look at your kiddo at just the right time and you get to SEE that MOMENT. It's amazing. It's the greatest gift ever. It could be learning a new skill. It could be hearing something funny. But seeing that moment is magical.

This time I happened to see Katie gazing at the tree. She was looking with such wonder that my heart melted. Her pure joy in the lights was something I'll never forget. Seeing her feel that joy was magical.

I didn't catch that particular moment, but here are some of the following moments:

Christmas Party #1

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Our first Christmas party of the season is typically Dan's military party. It is one of my favorite of our usual Christmas parties. The party is in a massive airplane hanger, Santa flies in on a KC-135, it's awesome. The kids were happy to sit on Santa's lap and for the first time, NO TEARS! Hooray! There was rock-climbing, bouncy houses, a cake walk, Bingo and more. The kids won tons and tons of prizes and presents and it was just a great gathering of people!

PLUS, we got some great Christmas pictures.

The Domrese Family 2011 in a KC-135

The kids in an engine intake:

The kids with Santa (our first Santa picture of the season):

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was once again at the Domrese. It was great! The kids played, the adults chatted, and good food was abundant. Did you think you'd get pictures of the children? Oops! We were so busy cooking and cleaning, we neglected to do that! But I DID get these pictures:

We made a "gourd"geous (Get it? Gorgeous?) turkey out of a butternut squash, some grapes, cheese, and a little pepper. The kids had a great time, and then ate it at dinner time.

I made mini-sugar-free apple pies. They turned out really cute!

My Two Favorite Katie's

2011-11-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

We took a day off of school and went down to Endicott (where I use to teach). I've taken the kids down a few times each year since I've quit teaching. I love the people there, I love to see my old students, the environment, it's just a lot of fun.

The kids enjoyed eating lunch with the big kids, recess, buddy reading time, and just playing in the classroom. I enjoyed chatting with my friends!

Our Katie was named after my good friend Katie. My friend Katie is an amazing person. I've never met anyone like her. She is so positive, so compassionate and caring, and just an all-around great person. And it seems she and my Katie are a good match. :) My Katie does not go to people easily, but can go to Katie easily. Maybe it's the name? Either way, I love to take pictures often so that Katie grows up and knows the person she is named after.

The First Snow of the Season

2011-11-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

It snowed! Hey, maybe it was only a couple inches, but it snowed! Enough to put the kids in snow clothes and send them outside. By themselves, can you believe it? I've never had kids old enough to send outside without them getting stuck, falling on their face, etc. Of course, pictures were necessary, so I had to bundle up and head out as well.

The Greatma Wall of Fun

2011-11-30T09:14:00.000-08:00

We love playing at greatma's house. We go out there once a week to play, visit, and have fun. I love that the kids are so close to her. Not often do you really get to know your great-grandma, and really spend time with her.

On this particular day, the kids needed some fresh air and decided to play outside. They were climnbing and jumping off the wall (not abnormal but super cute). Here's the best pictures I got.

The Wobbly Tooth

2011-11-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

We went to the dentist in July, upon checking Thomas' teeth he announced that Thomas would be short a couple teeth the next time we visited.

On November 5th, we were sitting at Luigi's having a family dinner when it happened! Thomas bit into a piece of bread and out that tooth came! At first he was excited, then a little scared at the aspect of losing a body part then excited again!

The tooth fairy had not anticipated this happening (maybe the tooth fairy was in denial?) so she was unprepared. We had decided that each child would get a $2 bill for each tooth. Grandma Dolly would give the kids $2 bills for Easter and Christmas. It was something special she did. We thought this might be a fun way to carry on grandma Dolly's tradition and memory through the generations.

Just last week Thomas lost another tooth! While brushing his teeth! Down the drain it went. Luckily I had somewhat prepared him for the possibility that he might swallow his tooth, so this was not a huge surprise. Again, super excited. And this time the tooth fairy was more prepared!

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-30T09:03:00.000-08:00

What a crazy crazy Halloween! The kids are getting to an age where it's really enjoyable, even *gasp* fun! The boys were both ninjas and the girls were a lion and a monkey. No great pictures of just them, it got too crazy and I forgot. Oops!

Trick or treating at grandma Patti and grandpa Bob's house the night before:

We visited grandma Patti at work and trick or treated through her office:

On Halloween, continued our traditions. We visited greatma when she was at dinner:

We trick-or-treated at grandma Alice's and then had dinner with her:

We then went to the South Hill and really enjoyed walking up and down about 5 blocks with the children. Their buckets were full, Molly was near asleep, we left on a high note with NO CRYING CHILDREN! It's a new era for the Domrese family!

Tennis

2011-11-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

The boys have started tennis lessons. A good friend told us about them, and we thought it would be fun. It is! The boys have really seemed to enjoy it. It's in a group with other children their age, and we sit up above in the viewing area and watch. It's so much fun to watch them learn new things!

Pumpkin Carving (Party)

2011-10-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is our second year participating in the "Ressa Annual Pumpkin Carving Party." We learned several key elements our rookie year and thus made changes this year.

Pre-carving the pumpkins (a time-saving measure no doubt). The girls don't really remember cleaning out pumpkins, so this was quite fun. Turns out not a single one of my children wants to touch the insides. And if you force their hand to see them squirm? It's sad. So sad. But the experience has been completed. All children have cleaned out the insides of their pumpkins.

Next we learned to keep it simple. No elaborate decorations or templates. The boys drew faces that we carved out, the girls just plain drew on their pumpkins. It was the best ever!

After the carving of the pumpkins came all fun and games. The children participated in a seed spitting contest and then the adult men decided to challenge each other. Quite humorous. And proud to say that Dan tied with another friend's hubby. Then came the bobbing for apples. Also fun to watch. All in all, a great party with great friends.

I know I will look back at this time of our lives fondly. Honestly? It's exhausting and sometimes very challenging. But nights like tonight really show that it's a great moment in our lives. And we must be doing something right to be surrounded by such great people.

Twins Halloween Party

2011-10-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

To practice with our Halloween costumes and really get into the Halloween spirit, we went to the twins club Halloween Party. The kids had so much fun!

Katie and Molly are wearing the boys' old costumes from previous years, the boys are ninjas.

Bicycle! Bicycle!

2011-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Because of the glorious fall weather, we have been able to ride our bicycles to and from work. The first day Joshua rode in the bike trailer with the girls. The rest of the time he has ridden his own bike. It is just under 2 miles to school (and we take a few detours to be safer) so the boys are riding nearly 5 miles a day (and I'm getting nearly 10!). It's been so much fun! The girls have given up naptime so if I'm lucky they fall asleep and get a quick nap in the bike trailer on the way home. It's really a win-win!

Happy 6th Birthday Thomas & Joshua

2011-10-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? My babies are six years old? *sniff*

I couldn't be prouder of those boys.

The celebrations kicked off with a family birthday party. Joshua asked for the theme of "cheetah." I maneuvered this into a jungle theme and went with it. It was lots of fun. Not my favorite cake (at all) but the kids had a great time.

The cake:

The boys blowing out candles:

The boys in front of the animals that were on the wall. Super cute!

Their actual birthday was celebrated with some friends at Wonderland Golf. The kids had a great time and did some mini-golf and go-carts. Thomas decided the theme would be "ninja."

Thomas and Dan riding the go-cart behind us.

It's Fair Time!

2011-09-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a generous cousin, we got some tickets to the fair and were able to go today! It was so much fun! We started with the tractor pull (last year Thomas won!). It's free, the kids love it, and we do too! Joshua made it 16 feet in the first round. Thomas went through to the next round.

I'm not sure how Thomas won again, but he did. (It was very close between him and an 8-year old). I tell myself Thomas won because prior to the show starting the 8-year old was climbing all over the tractors and such and actually messed one up, while I had to convince Thomas not to get in the area despite what other kids were doing. Like I tell the kids, "Good things happen to good people."

So, in the final round, Thomas paired up against Ziggy and won! Woo hoo!

Afterwards we did the rides. We had enough tickets given to us for each kid to do two rides. The girls have never been big enough for rides, so I was unsure as to how they would do. We chose the little cars and they LOVED it! They couldn't stop smiling and went around again! (No picture of the boys as I was with the girls. Thankfully though, because Dan said the carnival guy had to get the roller coaster started by pushing it several times, which makes me nervous).

We did the annual picture of the kids at the fair and we were done!

What a day, what a day! Sunday School, Bike Race, Family Fun Day (at the Y), and the fair! Wowza! We are all exhausted!

Bike Races Round 1

2011-09-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

We got a flier in the boys' backpacks about some bike races happening today. So after Sunday School we headed right on up. Upon seeing the environment and other kids, the girls decided they wanted to do it too. And they did. It was a great experience. They all enjoyed themselves immensely. Thomas did take a spill (envision me running across a field with baby on hip) but was quickly placed back on bike (by me) and assessed later (hey if he's not crying he's good, right?).

Here is the highlight reel:

Weddings Weddings Weddings

2011-09-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently September is weddings month. We have had two weekends in a row of weddings. So busy!

The first wedding was Dan's work friend Sarah. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding at sunset. We got a sitter(and by sitter, I mean Grandma Patti) for the children, but this is me with the boys before we left.

The next wedding was Dan's cousin. Family weddings are always a good time. The boys were really excited to dress up. Here's Joshua before going on the dance floor.

Here's Katie taking a break from dancing.

And at weddings you always have to run into someone you know, so here is Joshua dance with his teacher's assistant from last years dance. Joshua and Miss Kylie.

Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Larry

Thomas and the groom (Thomas was so excited that they were wearing the same attire but different colors)

Where was Molly you wonder? Molly is an animal on the dance floor and does not stop for pictures. All pictures of her are blurry! :)

Sweet Katie

2011-09-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Have I blogged about Katie's troubles before? I hope so. Here's a brief synopsis.

In April, Katie fell off a very small slide and injured her tailbone. As in cracked/fractured/bruised it. She has been in pain ever since. It's also causing issues with bowel movements. We've tried many medicines and interventions to no avail. The chiropractor has been a saving grace and is doing great things for Katie. Unfortunately, our insurance is not big fans of that. (Thanks Grou.p Hea.lth). So, we are working more intensely on solving the problem instead of just treating it.

The first step was a barium enema (look it up if you must, it's not pleasant). This required Katie to be conciously sedated. The hope was to see if there were any blockages, anything out of place, and to watch the colon work to see if there was any damage. It was very stressful from a mama's point of view. Katie was a real trooper. No food for over 12 hours, an environment that was rather scary (no matter how great a kid's hospital is, it's still scary), and a rather traumatizing experience). She was awesome. I carried her in the hallways (after sedated), they never removed her from my arms (I placed her on the table for the procedure and then snuggled by her head. She never even cried (aside from some bandage removal when removing the tubes). They said she was the best patient this young they'd ever seen. That's my girl!

This is Katie after the procedure.

Prepare yourself for TMI and stop reading if necessary: She did great. When released we were told she would lose a lot of the liquid that they had put into her and that they had gotten most of it out. When we left Katie was a limp noodle, still unable to hold her head up, still unable to stand. About 10 feet out of the office she started crying and pulling into fetal position. I heard the bubbles in her tummy and knew we were in trouble. Those bubbles quickly spilled out of every part of her diaper on to the floor. Nothing I could do. I couldn't put her down, she couldn't support herself. Couldn't clean her (or the floor up). I just stood there. Then a lady saw me and grabbed a nurse. Together we changed her and got her settled again. She still lost more fluid and some of the after affects are taking a toll on her body so we're not out of the woods yet for this procedure even, but I am hoping for the results next week.

If this shows nothing (as it appears) then we move on to an MRI. More concious sedation. Ugh. Wish me luck.

Hiking Take Two

2011-09-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Second verse, same as the first?

Not so much!

We decided to try hiking again so we could meet up with daddy and let him be a part of the awesomeness that is hiking. We started off on a humdinger of a note. Thomas decided to pee on a tree, but instead of one we were walking by went deeper into the trees and invaded some bee/wasp/hornets home. He got away with one sting/bite on his hand, but it was a doozy! 5 days later and we are still dosing with benadryl to keep the swelling down.

Picnic dinner on a rock

Hiking Take One

2011-09-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

I took the kids hiking a couple weeks ago. It was soooo much fun! The kids did great. Molly and Thomas love hiking and their enthusiasm is contagious. Except to Katie and Joshua. Those two like to hike, but like lots of breaks and would prefer tons of observation time instead of straight hiking. We had to really work to balance the two hiking-styles, but we had a really great time. Next time we are taking daddy too!

The kids on top of a rock (with a view of Spok.ane in the background)

Cheesy girls

Joshua and Katie- Hiking Buddies

Kindergarten..Say What?

2011-09-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's truly hard to believe. The boys are in Kindergarten. This post is a bit delayed on purpose. In our school district, you can choice out of your area school into another school IF they have room. We are in a school that has in the past produced lower test scores and one I did not feel was necessarily appropriate for the children.

Our first couple choices fell through due to the classes filling up. We finally decided on our current school (not to be posted here for safety reasons). BUT....it also became full. So, we had to wait 2 full WEEKS to see what the final numbers are and if our spot was safe. I am happy to say that our space is SAFE! Yay! So, the boys are now officially Kindergarteners!

On the first day, we took apple (cookies) for the teacher.

The best picture I could get of the boys in line at school. :)

Rocky Hill Park

2011-09-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Lyle used to live at Rocky Hill Park. In fact, his house is all there. Granted it's not inhabitable, but we can still see the place he grew up before it became a park. It's pretty awesome.

We met at the park with the Domre.se family La.bor Day weekend and it was the perfect place! Here are some favorite snapshots!

The kids

The kids and great grandma Alice

Let's Go Swimming, Swimming at the Pool...

2011-08-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Another awesome night at the Y.M.C.A!

The kids love it there! I can finally leave the girls in childcare and exercise and then pick them up and take them all swimming. I took my camera for the first part (the shallow water) and then had to tuck it away so I could swim with the kids in the deep water.

The kids all wear lifejackets in the deep water unless we are intentionally practicing swimming or some sort of skill with them (we are just too outnumbered!). Here are the highlights of this visit.

1) Katie discovered that if I let go of her, her lifejacket would immediately float her on her back. She found this hilarious and asked me to do it over and over again, to which I obliged. Every single time she went to her back she let out this shriek and laugh in total delight. Adorable. Apparently the lifeguard did not think so, as she shushed Katie several times. I did not respond except to keep letting Katie do it. (Sorry people, do not have fun, this is a pool after all..serious business). :)

2) Joshua wanted to practice swimming (he's very early stages but does great). He swims a lot like his mama. We do the drowning motion, but we actually move forward while doing it. It's quite funny actually. So I stood about 5 feet away from the edge, he would push off, swim to me, turn around and swim back .The lifeguard (a different one) came over and asked Joshua to wear his lifejacket again. I explained that I understood his fear (Joshua really does thrash around but his head stays above water), but that I was right there and how else was he going to get better at swimming. The lifeguard seemed a little more at ease knowing that I was indeed watching him.

CANNONBALL!!!!!

2011-08-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

We are finally to an age where the river is becoming just plain fun. Don't get me wrong, the girls are still difficult, require much supervision, and have a short attention span.

But the boys, are LOVING IT! This summer along, Joshua learned to swim without a life jacket, Thomas perfected his skills on the kayak, and most recently they learned how to CANNONBALL! ;)

Joshua doing a cannonball.

Thomas does a cannonball.

RFP with MIH

2011-08-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I made some of my best friends while at college. Our close friends had a baby, Maliya. She was my best friend. We did everything together (in fact her dad was a groomsman in our wedding, her mom a bridesmaid, and she, at the tender age of nearly 3, was a flowergirl).

Somehow, the years passed and now she's going into junior high and I have four kids of my own. And yet, we remain as close as we can. Last week we went to Riverfront Park together. The boys adore her. The girls even adore her (rare for the girls to adore anyone). We stayed as long as possible and had a great time.

I miss my moments with her as she is growing up. I love that we still get to spend time together. And I love the though time has passed, she still holds that special place in my heart.

Maliya, Thomas and Katie in the strawberry ride.

Thomas and Joshua ride in the spinning strawberries:

Maliya and Katie:

Thanks Maliya, for spending the day with us! We loved every minute!

Walking the Centennial Trail

2011-08-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

One of our new favorite places to go is the Centennial Trail. The kids love to ride their bikes on the trail and we stop and have a picnic and climb trees and feed ducks. It's great fun!

Thomas found a grasshopper:

The boys climbed a tree:

We went with our neighbors. Try getting all 9 kids (ages 7 and under) to look at the camera? Impossible!

But in the end, the ducks were happy. The kids were worn out. And I'm pretty sure the adults were exhausted! :)

In the Water, On the Bike, Over Terrain...It's Wunderwoman!

2011-08-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

So, I did a triathlon. The Wunderwoman Triathlon in case you were wondering about the title. I'm super proud. I trained for months. Was most nervous about my swim, where I did the best I've ever done. And most confident about my biking (where I felt I struggled more than I should have). I was surrounded by some great friends and tons of family and we did it together. I even got to finish the race with my friend of over 10 years, Kim! Will I do it again? Only time will tell. I really wonder if it's like childbirth where over time the horribleness starts to fade and you only remember the good stuff. :)

My friend Jamie and I at the end.

The Masked Kids

2011-08-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

The kids went to a birthday party with the theme superhero. They had an absolute blast! We had to leave early to take daddy to his birthday dinner at Re.d Rob.in. The kids wore their superhero masks through most of dinner.

Happy Birthday Daddy

2011-08-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dan's birthday was the beginning of August. We celebrated with my family one day and with his family the next. The theme this year was football (the boys chose). :)

Every year we make a banner for daddy on his birthday. The footballs contain statements about daddy, including: "Daddy goes to work."- Molly. "I like to play soccer with daddy." - Thomas. "Daddy read me stories." - Katie. "Daddy is good at rough-housing." -Joshua

The Seahawk cake. I really wish I had had more time to actually decorate the cake. But alas, the girls chose not to nap so I didn't get to do the details. Sad. :(

The inside of the cake.

Cousins-ish

2011-08-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Dan's family is super-duper close. All the cousins remain close, even into adulthood. So, we essentially just call the kids all cousins, even though they are something like 2nd cousins, or something like that.

Here's a picture of the cousins on the stairs at the river. Three sets of twins! Super fun!

Then, another cousin visited. Here's another cousin picture on the stairs. And then a picture of some of the group jumping off the dock into the water together.

Left to right: Misa (au pair), Antonia (9), Nicolai (6), Joshua (5)

Summer Faves

2011-08-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random summer faves thus far:

Seattle to Portland (STP) 2011

2011-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Every year Dan and his dad, uncle and cousin all take part in a bicycle event called STP. They ride their bikes 200+ miles from Seattle to Portland in one day. It's too much at this point for me to take all kids to Seattle and travel to Portland, so we skipped the actual race route and met up in Portland for the race finish. So much fun! We were able to stop at parks and beaches along the way and the kids stayed in a hotel for the first time in their memory.

Hot tubs, bikes, and summer, oh my!

2011-08-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

A favorite activity is always to go to grandma and grandpa's and ride bikes in the cul de sac and play in the hot tub. The children have become little fish and this summer Josh learned to ride without training wheels. And it's great cousin time too! Here are some favorites!

Sunny Days, Chasing the Clouds Away...

2011-08-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Beautiful summer days mean beautiful summer memories. We love to spend out days out on the river with Dan's family. The kids are gettting old enough that it's ALMOST easily do-able! Here are some favorite river pictures.

Happy (belated) 4th of July from the Domrese Family

2011-08-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Vacation 2011

2011-06-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

What a vacation! We went with the Worthy Family (the girls' godparents for those of you that don't know) and had a blast! We had cabins right next to each other. The kids ran and played. There are so many pictures, I'll try to pick the best.

There was an old out of use gas station that the kids loved. They had freedom to ride their bikes (no cars allowed on campground) back and forth and had an absolute blast.

There were hermit crabs to be found. The kids were collecting bucketfuls and spent hours each day finding them. Thomas had an enormous collection of seashells that we had to dwindle down at the end of our stay.

We played baseball. And by played baseball, I mean that Thomas hit me with the ball leaving a huge welt on my arm. Yes, I was taking pictures instead of playing outfield. But, in my defense, I had warned them that I am a horrible baseball player. (Here is my favorite picture, Jake- age 3- hitting the ball)

We had Smores and campfires. Molly found out that she loves Kyle.

The trip ended with some beautiful sunsets...

Thanks Worthy family! We had a fabulous time!

Boys Triathlon

2011-06-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

The boys participated in a kid triathlon this month. It was such a blast to be a part of! They swam 20 meters (ours wearing life jackets), biked 1 mile, then ran 1/4 mile. They did it with some good friends Kyle and Claire.

Here's a picture of the four participants beforehand:

Then, it was craziness and I got very few pictures. The boys were suppose to be in the second heat, but Joshua heard that whistle and leapt off the edge and into the pool. He swam amazingly considering he was being pulled under by the kid beside him (no lanes, so it was kind of a free for all). Thomas waited and went in the second heat as planned. Thomas passed Joshua on the biking and I ran the 1/4 mile with him around the track. Thus, there are no more pictures. :) But it was a great experience and we can't wait to do it again!

Dance Recital 2011

2011-06-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Joshua's first dance recital. It was a very surreal moment...

It was a big realization for me while sitting there. This was the moment. We are "those parents." The kid up on stage? That was OUR kid! We both sat in awe as Joshua danced the best he's ever danced. We both wiped tears from our eyes and just watched him as our hearts swelled and our faces beamed. We are so proud of that kid. Here are a few pictures. The pictures of him dancing on stage are from the dress rehearsal (no cameras allowed at the actual performance). The rest of them are from tonight after the recital.

At dress rehearsal:

With great-grandma Alice:

Thomas & Joshua:

The family pic:

Joshua and his teacher Julie:

Father of the Year 2011

2011-06-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time, Dan was awarded the Spo.kane In.dians Father of the Year award and go to throw out the first pitch.

This year, he won the Superdad of the Year award from an online twins group that I am a part of. He won a $25 gift card to Be.st Bu.y.

Here's my essay:

Involved. Loving. Playful. Amazing. Those are the words I use to describe my husband as a father. When the first set of twins arrived Dan was incredible. He could change a diaper just in time to change another. He could thaw breastmilk in record time and get it to the perfect temperature. Listening to him sing to the boys was adorable.

Then, the second set arrived. Somehow, he seamlessly moved into a father of four, (at the time, four kids three and under.) He could deal with newborns, while entertaining the toddlers. I frequently wondered where he hid his cape.

Now, the boys are 5 1/2 and the girls are 2; he has only changed a bit. The wrestling is a bit crazier with four children. The songs are a bit louder. But, he can still change diapers in a wink. He can still calm a crying baby at 2 AM.

Even when deployed or gone for training, he managed to pull the super-dad card. If gone for a longer period of time, we'd 'Skype' before bed and he would read the children a story. When at his civilian job, he will meet me at the doctor's office in an instant; knowing to come just by the sound of my voice.

Loving. (That he loves me.) (Daddy kiss ME!) Playful. (That he rough houses with me.) Fun. (He sleds with me and it is so fun.) Cool. (He wears sunglasses and looks cool.) These are the words (phrases) the children use to describe daddy. I love that they see him in such a positive light. They live for the moment he walks through that door. I should someday look under his jacket, to see where he hides his cape.

Happy Father's Day to the Superdad of the Year! :) Love you honey!

Summer Days!!!!!

2011-06-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day! It was a child-led morning. That means we were doing water balloons at 8:45 AM. The kids loved it! Then we did a bath. While the boys waited and cleaned up their playroom, this accidentally occurred.

Yup, our first broken window. Total accident. Oh well.

We then prepared to go to daddy's Guard Picnic out at Cl.ear La.ke. The packing part is insane. It takes a lot of stuff to get 6 people to the lake for a day. Everything I did, Katie followed me around and undid. Finally we were ready.

It was a glorious day. Beautiful weather (mid-80's), clear skies, and lots of shade!

We found a great spot, got food, the kids played on the play structure (only a stones throw away from our spot, so we could sit and watch all four of them), and had a great time!

The kids decided they wanted to swim (See the boys in the blue hats? They swam WAY OUT!)

Then we went on our first paddle-boating experience.( I will leave out the part where I wait in line for 15 minutes, call the family over when it's our turn, only to realize that Molly has pooped in her swimsuit and it's leaking all over me and I then have to run all the way back to diaper bag and change her and book it back to boat. Forget that part, it really was a great experience). Thomas, daddy, and Katie paddled. Molly, Joshua, and mommy enjoyed the scenery. It was beautiful!

Then we watched the boat races. And by boat races I mean boats made of only cardboard and duct tape. Dan's cousin Tony was in one of the boats, and his squadron had a boat as well. There was lots of cheering! While we watched, Thomas played volleyball on the sand volleyball court (he had been waiting all day for the little kids turn and LOVED IT!)

The day ended at home with some ice cream after a dinner of pot roast (which I started in the crockpot this morning), green beans, and rolls. YUM!

What a great start to summer!!!!!

Big Changes

2011-06-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

The Domrese household has been full of big changes.

We had a timeframe that nursing was acceptable for this house (not that we judge any other style, it's just what we felt we were comfortable with). We had decided that by 2-years old, we should be near weaning. Well...the girls' birthday came and went and we were still nursing. I scaled back as much as I could but those darlings just weren't ready. Well, in the past two weeks, the girls hit some developmental jumps and they showed signs of being ready (and mama was ready too!). The girls and I sat one night and nursed and snuggled and had that "last moment." Nursing was a special bonding time for us and it's something I was sad to say good-bye to (even though I am thrilled to be free!). :)

After the last nursing session (on a Friday), Dan took all nighttime duties (since they didn't sleep through the night). Well, I can happily say that here we are and the girls are weaned and rarely ask to nurse (and if they do, they really just want a snuggle or some personal attention). AND, the biggest news in the Domrese house.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! (SORRY FOR SIDEWAYS PICTURES)

The boys slept through the night the moment we weaned. The girls were essentially the same. It took them about a week, but everyone sleeps through the night. EVEN ME! It's amazing! I haven't slept through the night in over 3 years. Wow.

So, now I have big kids. The baby stage is officially over. The toddler stage is almost over. On we go to the next stage. I'm excited. I'm sad. It's a great place to be.

Katie's Tailbone

2011-06-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

How did I NOT post this??????

In early April Katie went down our little slide and landed on her tailbone. This sent her into 90 minutes of unconsolable crying. She couldn't get up off the ground and collapsed at the attempt. It was scary but after 90 minutes she slowly became herself again.

The next day she was playing with Thomas and fell on it again. Then followed 3 hours of crying and the inability to get up off the ground. I called her pediatrician. They said she likely broke/fractured her tailbone and that there was nothing to do but let it heal slowly. They asked if I wanted to xray it. I asked if treatment would change with xray results and the answer was no.

I then began to look at alternative treatments. Katie was in a lot of pain, crying all the time and grabbing her backside and screaming in pain. I called a chiropractor and since it was already Friday afternoon and the girls were napping, we scheduled a Monday appt. Katie woke up at 4:30 PM crying and upset and unconsolable. I called back the chiropractor to see if there was any chance of getting her in pronto. They agreed and squeezed her in.

This was a new experience for me. I've never been to a chiropractor. The entire experience was rather uncomfortable. I was not convinced that the outcome was going to be acceptable or even genuine.

He did some testing (again not real comfortable) and then treated her. My theory was that if it didn't work- at least I tried. But if it did work then I had done something right. He tapped on her and she screamed in pain. We took breaks, I held her, she did as well as anyone could expect. Big crocodile tears down her cheeks.

He finished, she sat up, looked at me and said, "I better! Mama, I better!" The girl smiled and was ready to go. Can't argue with that! She was still tender for a few weeks, but I can't deny that he really helped her. Still not an experience I'm entirely comfortable with, but something that was successful nonetheless.

One Step Behind

2011-05-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Ever have those days where you are one step behind? You just can't seem to catch up? That was me today. I feel like I started of so strong, but....

It ended like this...

I walked into the bedroom where the kids were preparing for "movie night." I realized Thomas' bark-filled shoes were IN my bed. I started clearing off the sheets while having him pick up as much as possible. As soon as my sheets are off Molly dumps an entire bag of Chex Mix on my now sheet-less bed. :( While I'm picking that up and vaccuuming, one of the girls' takes off her diaper and pees on the floor, Thomas sneaks some balloons for future water-ballooning, and my entire night is off! It's like I'm one step behind absolutely everything!

It started like this...

It's Pediatric Friday, meaning since it's Friday, a trip to the pediatrician is in order. I planned ahead (staying ahead of the game) and got all kids dressed and hair done. I called at 8 AM and got an 8:45 appt. Thomas was red-cheeked and since Fifths Disease is going around preschool I needed to confirm his case so I could tell the pregnant people we'd been around. Turns out that was the last time today I'd be ahead of the game.

Thomas does NOT have Fifths Disease. In fact, he has a massive double ear infection. The doctor was in awe. He said that he would have not even checked his ears but randomly did so today. Thomas has an extremely high pain threshold. The doctor said he should have been crying in pain. Poor guy! But since he was doing well enough I dosed him and dropped the boys off at preschool.

The morning was rather pleasant as the girls and I filled prescriptions and went to the park. After preschool a group of friends decided to eat at a park and let the kids play. I decided to splurge and grab McD's and hit the park knowing that naptime was coming quick. We made it 10 minutes before Joshua needed a restroom (which are still locked at the park) and we were forced to rush home. Awesome.

Naptime was actually awesome since the boys let me fall asleep on the couch while they played computer. A little slice of heaven in this crazy day.

Here's where it all started to fall apart...

My grandma called saying that my mom had lost her phone on vacation in Nevada and she couldn't find her. Knowing mom was likely fine, but wanted to sooth grandma, my brother and I started searching for her, several states away. Meanwhile my brother stopped by my parents house only to see that the garage door and all doors leading in were open. After everything was solved and put together, mom was contacted, etc. I went on with my afternoon.

And then the entire bedroom scene took place. Augh!

Eventually (and I mean hours later) the kids are now all in bed asleep and I can start to catch up so that maybe tomorrow I'll be ahead again!

Hand-Me-Downs

2011-05-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

The girls were so excited today to wear the boys' old coats. I saved as much as I could from the boys to re-use with the girls. They are now at the age where it's really exciting. This is the best picture I have of them weraing the same coats...

The boys (March 2007- 2 1/2 years old

The girls (2 years old, May 2011)

Warm Weather and Park Playdates

2011-05-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Warm weather has finally arrived (for now). And while it's rather finicky, we'll take it! Here are some pictures of our most recent park adventures...

We do NOT attempt this on Fridays! :)

Waiting In Line

2011-05-14T20:51:00.001-07:00

Waiting in line at the drive-thru at the bank, I turn around and see this....

She cracks me up!

Re.d Rob.in

2011-05-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today was a CRAZY day! We started by getting our 1/4 cow from one of mommy's best friends! Some visiting, then off to soccer. Soccer was fun (both boys are now playing). Then off to lunch with mommy's friend. So much fun! We love Re.d Rob.in.

From lunch we ran home and dropped off girls and daddy. The boys and mommy went to a preschool friend's birthday party. Sadly I did not take any pictures, except this....LOVE YOU ANNA!!!

We ran home from said birthday party and loaded the family up for the next birthday party. The boys had a blast playing with friends. The girls had a blast swinging...so proud they can both swing high now!

Happy 3rd birthday Jake!

We are now home and ready for bed! We're all exhausted. But what a great Saturday!!!!!

We Love Our Great-Grandmas

2011-05-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

We 'heart' our great- grandma's! We just don't get to see them often enough!

This week we met up with great-grandma Alice. How we love her! The kids just talk and talk about grandma Alice, and I love that they love her!

Genetics Once Again

2011-05-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Gentically speaking, my kids are easy to pair up....

That means that Joshua's pair is Dan. Looks how much they look alike! Thomas' pair is Molly. And Katie's pair is me. We all have a pair. Those easy traits aside, there are some other genetic traits that the kids all have too. Joshua and Katie can both pop their jaws in and out of joint just like Auntie Kim. Thomas is super mole-y, just like the Domrese side of the family. What did they get from my side? We found out a little bit today!

I took Joshua into a pediatric Opthamologist. After the golf-club incident his eye would randomly swell and droop, like this...

The eye exam itself was rather interesting. They did lots of fun stuff with letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. Josh kind of enjoyed himself. The dialating of the eye was definitely his least favorite. I decided to attempt the appointment myself as my mom and Dan both had a meeting. I'm not sure how I thought I'd get through the 2 hours, but I was sure I could do it. 5 minutes into the appointment, I knew I was wrong. After Thomas expressed interest in attending school and separating from brother I frantically started searching for someone to come get him and take him to school. Thankfully, preschool mom pal Michelle picked him up and I was down one kiddo. My mom walked in (she should've been wearing a cape) and saved my hide. The girls were very crabby, cried a lot, and hated life in general. But with two adults instead of one, it was at least manageable.

Joshua did a great job and got his eyes dialated and was amazing. He went to school and had a great day.

The results? Joshua may have temporary nerve damage due to the golf club incident. He will be reevaluated in 3 months.

The genetic marker of the day? Joshua is color-blind. At least with red/green. I have wondered since he was very young, but it's so hard to test kids that young. But because dad is color-blind I've known it was a possibility. They'll test Thomas in August as he has a 50/50 chance too.

Guess my kids got some Richards-genes after all!

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!!!

The baskets (total cost- $4)

The Easter Egg Hunt:

The annual bunny ear picture:

2011 (Boys 5 1/2, Girls 2)

2010 (Boys 4 1/2, Girls 1)

Pediatrician Friday

2011-04-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Instead of "Word.less Wed.nesday" or "Flas.hback Fri.day" I should do "Pediatrician Friday!" (I put the periods in so that anyone searching for those words won't come up with my blog...FYI).

Thomas woke up this morning holding his ear and crying that it hurt. This from the boy that never complained once when we discovered he had pneumonia (we only found out b/c Joshua had pneumonia and they randomly checked Thomas too), the boy that had strep and when asked told us his throat didn't hurt at all. A seriously high pain threshhold. So I knew. Pediatrician Friday is here! It's like we have a standing appointment, they don't even ask any questions, I just let them know we are coming in. :)

Luckily it's just that, an ear infection. I'll spare you the details, but what they pulled out of his ear would have hurt an adult. There were some serious issues going on deep in there. But, now we're on meds and life is good.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! We get bored sometimes! And the nurses just laugh at me as I pull out the spray bottle, comb, and hair ties so I can do the girls' hair during the appointment since we hauled tushie to get there and get to preschool just a tad bit late! Hey, at least everyone was dressed, right?!

AND, this was the first appointment where Thomas did 90% of the talking. I answered the family questions (like yes, we've all had colds, no- he hasn't had a temp, etc). Thomas answered all of the standard, where does it hurt, when did it start, etc. This is huge! I love it!

The Girls' Actual Birthday

2011-04-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

So as not to let the day pass without a little fanfare, we still celebrated the girls' bday on the 21st, even though daddy is out of town. Some great friends gave us a dollhouse with all the accessories around Christmas. But, we had already found a used kitchen set so we saved it for their birthday! Instead of spending money on new gifts, I let the boys sort through the accessories and they hand-picked what to give the girls. I also found a used bicycle and pulled out the boys' old bike and put the training wheels on both for the girls to ride. They woke up and were so happy. In fact, all the kids were super happy. We had a great great day! I can't believe they are actually two now! Happy birthday girls (4/21/11).

Two Years Old Tear

2011-04-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

My babies are two years old! What happened? Actually, I am totally loving it. They are at a great great age. So much fun...for the most part.

And oh! How they've changed!

Newborn

1 Year

2 Year

Katie continues to be a spit-fire. That girl keeps me on my toes. If she's happy, she's hilarious. If she's not happy? Look out world! She continues to hate her carseat and screams bloody murder for hours on end if in it. It's enough that the windows have to be opened and surrounding cars look at us like we're torturing her. She loves gum, Elmo, daddy, and baseball. She's still the shy twin. Holds on to mommy more tightly, has a harder time separating. BUT, she'll sleep through the night about 70% of the time. I'll take it!

Molly is a hoot. She is a ham! An outside girl at heart, she will spend hours playing outside and beg not to have to come in. She love fruit snacks, Elmo, daddy, and 'nuggling.' She tells knock knock jokes and cracks me up. While she separates easier and loves to chat with other people, nothing is better than when she runs back to me and wraps her arms around my neck for a big hug.

I can't believe they are growing up. My last babies. I'll keep them babies as long as I can. Except for the sleeping through the night part...that can happen anytime now!

I Did It...Until "It" Happened...

2011-04-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

I did it! Maybe not entirely successfully, but I did it!

The boys' friend had a birthday party at the Y swimming pool. It was either do it alone with all four children, or not go at all. I decided to at least try. The first part is easy, aside from clinging, whiny little girls. The boys had a blast! The swimming part was more tricky. Changing them all into swimsuits. Finding that Joshua grabbed swimming trucks three sizes too big that fall off after a single step. Awesome. Dragging all four children and mommy in her fatty swimsuit through the Y looking for a clothespin...awesome. Finally, we arrive in the pool. I'm informed that all four children must stay together. This is near impossible. The girls can only touch in the wading pool area and are otherwise miserable. The boys have no intention of staying in the wading area with the babies. Thank goodness for our good friend Beth that agreed (to the lifeguards chagrin) to watch the boys with her kids while she was over there. Then "it" happened. I have a previous post about "it" in the bathtub. I have NEVER experienced "it" in the pool. I saw the look on Molly's face, picked her up and "it" all squished up her backside. In an effort not to have to evacuate the whole pool, I quickly (and quietly) grabbed a towel and wrapped her up. Then I had to run back to the pool to grab Katie who was happily playing and not happy to be disturbed.

Needless to say, after dressing myself and the girls, we grabbed the boys, everyone dressed and we headed home. The kids are exhausted, so is mommy. And while I can say I successfully completed the majority of this birthday party....somehow it doesn't feel like a total success. It was more of an icky success. :)

Spring Soccer

2011-04-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Both Thomas and Joshua decided they wanted to try soccer this season. We broke our own "one sport per season" rule for Joshua (he's already in dance) to let him have a little variety and some experience in something else. You can totally tell a difference between how they play. At first they were both rather slow and painful to watch (to be honest). But once they go the hang of it, I was really proud! Joshua was really running after the ball (after he twirled a few circles and fell down) and Thomas scored a few goals! It's just plain fun to watch. And that's what it's about, right?! Fun!

Happy 2nd Birthday Party Girls!

2011-04-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

While Katie and Molly don't officially turn two until next week, this was the best day to celebrate, and celebrate we did. We partied hard on base and enjoyed a very fun spot. Our family and some close friends played with us and it was probably the easiest party we've ever done. Some pizza, some cake, some presents. Life is good. Thanks for all who came!

Portraits- Boys: 5 1/2 Years Old, Girls: 2 Years Old

2011-04-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

This session went pretty much as I expected it.

Molly was the biggest ham you've ever met.

Katie was shy and timid and didn't want to take pictures at all. Notice the candy in her hand for the majority of the pictures. It took massive bribery to get her up there, but once she got going, she did really well!

Thomas is easy as long as you get a genuine smile. He tends to get cheesy....fast. :)

Joshua is easy and loves to pose. Although he gets to giggly and goofy and has to get back on track.

In pairs they were great and fairly easy. All four of them together remains difficult but is getting easier and easier.

Riverfront Park

2011-04-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to spend some quality time as a family and packed lunches and went to use our season passes at Riverfront Park. The boys are pretty much old enough to go on everything. The girls? It's ridiculous (to me). Things were different and easier with the boys, but they've set new height limits. The girls cannot ride the little airplanes or the tiny train. But they CAN ride the roller coaster and the spider. Awesome. I cannot take them on this little boat (not on water, just pretend boat that swings back and forth) because they must each have an adult. Spectacular. Needless to say, I'm a little peeved. I'll have to have help to go to the park this summer because the girls want to do the rides and all the rides require that I have two adults. Hrmph!

But today was great, because alas, we had two adults! Katie LOVES the roller coaster. Molly does not. Molly LOVES the strawberry spin ride. Both girls are big fans of the carousel. We will spend many hours at the carousel this summer!

Here are some highlights:

Thomas and Molly in the spinning strawberry

Katie, Joshua, and Dan ride the roller coaster

Daddy and Katie ride the little swinging boat

The always awesome carousel...

The View From Here

2011-04-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Beautiful isn't it?

Adjusting an Almost 2-Year Old

2011-04-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

The adventure began earlier this week. Katie went down the slide and landed on her bottom. Mind you the slide is maybe 2 feet at most off the ground and she landed in grass. But, she couldn't get up.The poor girl would try and then just break down in a heap on the ground. It took me 90 minutes to calm her and get her in a state of something less than hysteria. I had put Dan on stand-by at work, but decided since it was 5:00, the peds office would be closed and I was NOT doing another ER visit. She seemed to recover and do fine.

Fast forward to Friday. Thomas and Katie are playing something (arguing?) and she falls flat on her bottom. The girl comes unglued. She crawls around for a good while. She tries to stand but falls to the floor crying before even getting to her feet. After an hour of crying, I call the pediatrician with the knowledge that she likely broke/bruised her tailbone, but there was probably nothing they could do for it.

A call from the pediatrician confirms my thoughts. She likely broke/fractured her tailbone, but there is nothing they can do. We can do an xray, but it will change nothing. I opt out of the xray and trauma of that adventure and look for other options.

We went to a park and Katie appeared to manage alright, but you could see her sluggishly climb the stairs really putting one leg above the other. Her run was also a little off as her legs were coming together oddly. Putting her in her carseat has always been a nightmare, but now she arches her back and screams that it hurts her tush. She is hysterical and clearly in pain the entire car ride.

At a friends recommendation I call a chiropractor that does a lot with children. I am hesistant. This is an unfamiliar realm for me (and not a very comfortable one, particularly with my children). The whole experience is not all I wanted it to be, but I went along with it, knowing it would either do no harm (hopefully) or give her some relief. He does his work and she cries in pain (or fear?). It was a little hard for me.

BUT...afterwards she said she felt better. That was at least a step forward. I put her in her carseat without the slightest fight. In fact, she giggled the entire way home. We get home and she is a whole new child. Happy. Smiling. Playing. Not that she doesn't normally do those things, but she's so clingy and can switch to unhappy in a heartbeat.

We saw only happy Katie tonight. It was such a treat. I pray that this is due to the adustment done today and that she will continue to be this happy Katie. I've missed her so. And so I become a somewhat hesitant believer. If it wasn't so expensive I'd have the whole family adjusted! :)

23-Months

2011-04-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick photo post. I'll do a more lengthy post in a month when they turn two, but for now, here's a peek at the girls at 23-months.

The Newest Obsession

2011-04-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Our newest obsession may surprise you. It's helmets. Katie and Molly just got their first helmets, so the obsession is easy. The boys generally wear their helmets outside because they ride their bikes and forget to take them off. I find it all very comforting. Everything is better with a helmet, right?

Katie riding her new scooter and wearing her new helmet. Who says we have to give them their birthday presents ON their birthday? :)

Molly wearing her new helmet and riding the scooter, although she lost interest fast, so this is the only pic I could get!

Thomas wearing his helmet at the park (he had ridden his bike there and just left it on). Where did my little baby boy go???

Katie pulling Molly home from the park. Katie pulled the wagon the entire way and refused any help! What a big girl! Molly could have cared less and enjoyed her Chex Mix and chocolate milk the entire way home. :)

Good Friends

2011-03-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today we had a playdate with some friends from mama's childhood days. I've known both Nicole and Jenn since middle school (so we were what, 12-13???) That means we've been friends for about 20 years. They both live about 20 minutes away (opposite ways mind you), so we met in the middle and had a playdate today. The kids are pretty spread out, Thomas and Joshua are the oldest at 5 1/2, Savannah is 2 1/2, Katie and Molly are nearly 2, and Emerson and Mallory (more twins!) are 9 months.

We had so much fun though. The kids played and played and had a great time. We adults were able to sit and chat and visit. Oh, I can't wait for our next playdate!

Cougars and Seahawks

2011-03-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dan was given a Seahawks blanket a couple years ago (Christmas 2009) as a gift. Molly immediately became enthralled with it. It has since become her blanket.

Now, the blanket is tattered and torn, but she absolutely loves it. I recently found them at BB&B and decided to wait until it was necessary. Tonight it became necessary. Her blanket got some of a nap-time blow-out and it would be impossible to wash by bedtime. So, to the store we went.

She was so happy when we got home.

What I failed to realize was the Katie thought she had one too. Meltdown occurs. Poor kid! So, off to the store Dan went with his coupon for another blanket. There weren't many choices. It was a) Chicago Bears- the second best choice, b) Cougs, c) Gonaga- a horrid bright red color, d) Nascar. So WSU won out.

Katie is sooooo happy.

Something About Kmart

2011-03-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

What is it about Kmart? I might never know.

When the boys were newborns we randomly stopped at Kmart. It was the worst shopping experience ever. From the moment we stepped into the store, Joshua was freaking out. As a newborn. Totally freaking out. Dan eventually left with him and sat in the car.

Repeat one year later. Imagine a one year old freaking out in a shopping cart. Hysterical beyond belief. Another failed shopping venture.

Since then I have not stepped foot inside of Kmart with that kid. Something about that store he cannot handle.

Recently we passed the store and he wanted to go in. I declined stating we'd go another time. Today was the perfect opportunity. We had an errand to run and Kmart became the place to go. Again, years later, from the second we stepped into the store Joshua was losing it.

He never was able to verbalize why he was losing it. I nearly walked out of the store several times. I was never once able to rationalize with him or talk with him. He was just a mess in the basket of the cart, screaming, crying, and carrying on. The minute we walked out of the store he was totally fine.

I'm telling you, there is just something about Kmart. We will not be entering that store with that particular child until I am ready to deal with that exeperience again. It might be several years.

Spelling

2011-03-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that we never spell words in front of the kids. We find it easier to either a) just say the word and let them learn to deal with disappointment, or b) use a synonym they don't know. For example, instead of asking if we should go swimming at the Y, I usually ask if we should visit the aquatic center.

Tonight I randomly asked Dan if we should go to the p-a-r-k. Dan said no. The boys sat there trying to sound out the word I spelled and Molly ran up to me, "I go park. I go! I go! I go park! Now!" Oops. No more spelling. The girl was upset the rest of the night.

We did run to the store and when we got home she played outside in the puddle. Katie promptly ran inside, took off her pants, put on shoes, and ran back outside to join us. Some quality time outside.

Uncle Adam

2011-03-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you how blessed we are to have Uncle Adam? We are lucky! I am lucky to have him as a brother and the boys are lucky to have him as an uncle. (Of course we love all our aunts and uncles, but based on yesterday's events, a big shout out is in order!) Uncle Adam can take a shaking traumatized Joshua and get him to a calmer happier mental place. Going to the ER is a scary event for a mama, but I take A LOT of comfort in knowing that my brother will take the best care of my son. He is in the best hands possible.

2010 Hospital Visit with Uncle Adam-

2011 Hospital Visit with Uncle Adam-

Thank you big brother! I couldn't be more grateful to be able to call you brother.

Happy St. Patrick's Day????

2011-03-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Every year I write this, and then I encounter something else....stitches.

Let's revisit last year.

2010-After the St. Patrick's Day parade, Joshua falls in the car and we imediately head to the ER. Joshua endures his first round of stitches.

Fast forward to 2011. The day is already harsh. I start off with a procedure at the doctor's office that leaves me feeling a lot less than capable of proceding with this day. I dig through it and prepare for our annual St. Patrick's Day dinner with friends. The kids finish rest time and head outside. I call Dan home to help as I'm just feeling under the weather and needing some backup. I am less than 5 feet away and I hear the thud. That sound. I look and see Joshua crumpled on the ground grabbing his bleeding face and Thomas above hiim with a horrified face and a golf club in hand. It takes me three micro-seconds to know that we are headed to the ER. I see our neighbors chatting across the street and immediately call for help. Thank goodness Randy is amazing and he leaps over two fences and holds a towel to Joshua's face while I load the kids in the car. Then I load Joshua.

We speed (at a lazy 20 mph...thank you Spokane drivers) to Deaconess with a call to my brother Adam who works in the ER. Adam is so fantastic. Joshua is clearly traumatized and really upset. Adam took Joshua and talked with him and settled him down while I dealt with the other traumatized and upset children. Luckily, because I had already called Dan home and then redirected him to the hospital, he was right behind me.

Again, luckily, Adam took us right back to a room where a plastic surgeon happened to have an extra 30 minutes that she could do Joshua's stitches. I cannot say enough about Dr. Morimoto. If you are going to have work/stitches/whatever done, go to her, she's amazing! Joshua has 8 stitches, 3 deep ones and 5 above the skin.

Here is Joshua immediately after stitches. And may I say, my boy is amazing. He didn't cry during stitches. He let her know if it hurt and wasn't fond of the numbing, but was a real awesome dude. Ice cream in his future FOR SURE!

After stitches we waited for a bit and saw the doctor to discuss facial xrays and head trauma. Joshua is amazing and it appears he was hit just perfectly (if that's possible) and no presumable damage was done. We'll definitely keep an eye on him but he looks to have escaped with just stitches and a huge face! We were then released to go home.

Here is Joshua a few hours after the incident:

It's going to look really great tomorrow.

After we got home, our friends managed to make it over for our really late dinner. Thank you Worthy Family! We were thankful for the distraction and the ability to talk and focus on friendship instead of the events of the day.

I have to tell you how thankful I am to so many people. Adam really came through as my big brother and it made what could have been a terrible, scary experience for both Joshua and me, into a situation where we knew Josh was well taken care of and comfortable. I am thankful for Randy who jumped two fences and provided Joshua with the initial comfort and calmed him as much as possible while I loaded the car with the other kids. I am thankful for the friends who came over for dinner and gave us some reprieve.

Thank you friends. I can tell you that next St. Patrick's Day the children will be wearing helmets!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011 (Thomas & Joshua- 5 1/2, Katie & Molly- 23 months)

Last year- (T&J- 4 1/2, M&K- 11 months)

Those Moments

2011-03-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

There are some moments when being a mom is hard.

Then there are other moments when being a mom is just the neatest thing ever.

Katie woke up different today. It was easy for me to see. She wasn't physically different, but everything else about her had changed. Katie has been known as our screamer. She screams. All the time. Loudly. Screechingly. It's really hard to listen to all day long. Then today, she figured out how to talk. All the sudden she figured out how to form words with her mouth. She followed Dan around all morning talking to him and asking him questions. "What you do daddy? What you do? Go work now daddy? Go work? Me too? Pease?" It was hilarious.

Molly, always the talker, is just a big girl. She likes "pretties" in her hair. And she likes dresses.

Thomas, my infomercial kid, has the memory of an elephant. He came out of the bathroom with this statement upon seeing that I had purchased new toothpaste: "Mom, you know the Colgate Total you have in the bathroom? It keeps germs away for 12 hours! And if you use the other toothpaste that you use to get, the germs will come back. So, good choice on the Colgate Total."

Joshua, has just been the best big brother lately. He is the main reason the girls talk so much. I'm telling you! And it's not just because Joshua talks nonstop. And by nonstop I mean he breathes maybe twice a minute and he doesn't stop talking for either of those breaths. He will sit with the girls and have them repeat words after him. He will play with them, help them,and love them.

Today was "Doughnuts with dad" day at preschool. Here is a picture of daddy and boys before they left for the event.

These are the moments.I want to remember these moments. Even the car one. I'll look back and laugh at that one too, right?

Too Cute

2011-03-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Who can resist this little face?

Dr. Seuss Storytime

2011-03-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

We've discovered that there are storytimes at Auntie's Bookstore. Since the boys are rightly jealous of the girls' weekly attendance at the library storytime, this is a good way to have some quality time. This week the theme was Dr. Seuss. Our favorite story reader, Auntie Violet, dressed up in her Dr. Seuss garb. The girls dressed up for the occasion as well. It's an hour long storytime, so it's a little bit hard for the girls, but the boys do great! And really seem to enjoy it!

After said storytime (in an unusually busy day) we met Auntie Kim (Ba) and Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Larry for lunch. (Daddy was at Guard this weekend). Look at my cute bunch!

Then Thomas and Joshua got some "big kid" time and went to a free Kid's concert with the grandparents and Auntie.

Phew! What a day! Thanks to everyone who helped!

Chuck E Cheese

2011-03-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

Chuck E Cheese. Most parents say it with dread. A groan in their voice, a roll of the eyes. We say it with glee. We love Chuck E Cheese (in moderation)! It's an enclosed environment. They are occupied with games and therefore stay out of trouble. And everyone is worn out in the end. We love it! Plus, we like playing the games too!

It's a popular jaunt for birthday parties the last couple years so I've developed a little bit of a method to the madness. 1) I have a couple games that I can quickly amass several hundred tickets from. This means we generally experience CEC with about 400 tickets. 2) I use coupons. We don't generally buy food there because we are there for a birthday party. But we'll buy a drink and I'll use several coupons for free tokens with a purchase. 3) When we check out and use our tickets, I allow each child 1-2 picks and then get a voucher for the rest. That way we just build up our stash of tickets for something good instead of some junk I have to throw away at the earliest opportunity.

We finally saved up 2400 tickets tonight and got the one thing we've been waiting to get..

A CEC pinata, pre-filled with tickets (which I will be trying to snag out of there if possible) and candy. Sweet! The boys are so excited to have friends over to do a pinata!

Twinkle Twinkle Little STAR!

2011-03-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

You know those small moments? Those moments that really shake your world? Those moments that you see through the eyes of a child and see that joy.

It happened last night. We took a late night walk to FROYO (frozen yogurt). The girls in the wagon, the boys in the jogger. As we were walking back I could hear Molly singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and staring into the sky. I stopped walking, knelt down beside her and sang with her. Then I attempted to show her that those twinkling lights in the sky were indeed stars. Real stars. There was a pause and then a huge moment where that connection took place. You could see it. Her furrowed thoughtful brow turned to a total expression of awe. Magical people. It was magical.

"Star! Star!" Then we sang again. Then she pointed, "Star! Star!"

I didn't even want to start walking again. I wanted to sit in that little spot on the side of the road and look at the stars with her all night long. Those moments, those special moments, they mean everything. And with all four of them they are happening all the time right now. I'm so thankful.

Joshua the Hero

2011-03-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

Our weekly trip to McDonald's was a bit more stressful this week. We go once a week with grandpa Bob (and usually grandma Patti). It's routine. But on this particular day, the play area was a zoo. If I was by myself, I would've walked right back out and found somewhere else. But with extra hands and the knowledge that the kids are really comfortable there, we continued to a table and set out to enjoy lunch. My lunch is stopped by the screaming of a child easily identified as Molly. I start to search for her screams. I find her up in a hexagonal part of the structure. She is attempting to get to the slide but blocked by two big(ger) boys. What happens next makes my jaw drop. They surround her and push her back into a corner and begin screaming in her face. She struggles, trying to get away, whilst my blood pressure soars. I attempt to yell at Molly to use her words, I tell her to move, I tell her to let those naughty little boys know she doesn't like it. My passive-aggressive attempt to get those little boys' parents involved fails.

Plan B. I call over Joshua. I point out Molly. I instruct him to get to her as soon as possible. And to save her from these mean boys. He hauls butt up the structure and gets to her in no time (with mass food in mouth as I have interrupted his lunch). I tell him to tell those boys she doesn't like it (they won't let him get to her). No go. I then tell him to shove his way in, grab her, and drag her back through the tubes with him. The good little boy that Joshua is, follows my instructions to the very last word. He shoves his way in, and literally drags her through the netting and tubes to a place where I can help. Those naughty little boys though, follow him and continue to yell in Molly's face as she's drug through the structure to safety.

I then lose my cool and begin telling (loudly) those little boys that a) she doesn't like it, b) they better stop and c) I will come up there myself if they do not stop. Luckily I must've scared them (and I should because my fangs were out!) and they backed off.

But my heart was racing and I was about to go off my rocker. I never did discover who the parents were. I packed up fairly quickly and left out of frustration and knowing that I might really lose my cool if it were to happen again.

But I cannot tell you how proud I was of unconfrontational Joshua. He really stepped up to the plate. To be fair, both boys will save/protect/help their sisters when asked or when needed. But this was a time where there wasn't a lot of explaining, he listened and helped. Thank you Joshua.

Puddle Jumping

2011-03-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

Thomas had skate class tonight. It worked out that Dan was able to take Thomas and really focus on him while I stayed home with the other three. We took the opportunity to go for a puddle jumping walk. It was dark outside so we just took a quick jaunt around the block. The kids had a blast!

Yoga

2011-03-02T22:52:00.000-08:00

We've recently reintroduced yoga to the household. And I don't mean for the adults. Right before bedtime Joshua will ask for it. And he usually has a partner. It's soooooo cute!

Halloween in March

2011-03-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

The littler personalities are shining through right now. So much fun! The girls decided that instead of coats they wanted to wear Halloween costume tops to the boys' speech class. It was ADORABLE! The last picture has that darn foggy spot. Augh! It was raining! The girls were actually crying because our neighbor was moving the van and they thought instead he was stealing the van. Good times. :)

Yes, I realize Molly is wearing two different shoes. It's just the way she rolls. :)

Broken Rules

2011-02-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

Seems we have broken a lot of rules in the last year. Broken bones. Stitches. And now the worst of all...puking. You have to be kidding me. We have a steadfast rule of no puking in this household. And if you have to puke, do it once in the toilet or bathtub and be done. Apparently these rules were not made clear enough.

Molly woke us up at 4:00 AM. When I pulled her out of her crib, I realized she was wet. Thankfully it was dark so I couldn't see anything and move straight into sympathy puking. As soon as I took a second, I realized the smell in the room was unlike that of a wet diaper. Instantly Dan was called and I vacated the area. Molly was a mess. The chunks were in her hair. So, at 4 AM we took a shower. She cried.

After redressing and changing sheets we were good to go. Molly wanted to "nuggle" (snuggle) and Katie went back to bed. While snuggling Molly gave the sign (saying "yucky") and heaved a few times into a blanket. After that she seemed to be better off.

Dan took the boys to Sunday School and I stayed home with both girls who were running fevers. Molly came over and grabbed her neck and immediately puked all over the slipcover on the couch. After she was cleaned up and the couch was taken care of we did a little more snuggling. She then again grabbed her neck and said, "yucky" and puked all over my Sunday paper. At that point I called Dan and put him on stand-by to return home.

After a bath and some new pajamas, the girls were good to go again. We managed the rest of the day without puke. I cannot believe I survived it without puking myself. A miracle. Or a sign I'm getting older. Either way I'd like to call this the end of the rule breaking. From now on we are a rule-following family.

**Sorry no pictures to accompany this post. I was too busy cleaning up puke and washing loads and loads of laundry. Plus, you don't want those pictures to be taken!

Skating 2011

2011-02-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Thomas is really enjoying ice skating lessons. Cuncle Johnnie (cousin/uncle) works at the rink and Thomas is so excited to be on the ice with him every week! Slowly but surely Thomas is making progress. He impresses me every week. He is so determined to be a good skater, even though it's surprisingly difficult and trying for him. This week was exceptionally difficult as we went to a Jump&Bounce birthday party beforehand. So he ran and jumped for a full hour and went right into skating. The poor kid fell one last time after an hour on the ice and just could not pull himself up. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. He finally got off the ice and said, "Mama, I am exhausted!"

Oh Snowy Day!

2011-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

Lately we have been spoiled with some beautiful weather. The reality check was given last night. Snow. About 10 inches. So grateful I went grocery shopping a couple days ago and am pretty stocked up. We did however get in snowsuits and head outside to enjoy this weather. Did I say enjoy? I meant enjoy the snow once we got outside.

Getting four children in proper attire and out the door in a reasonable amount of time using only nice words is sometimes (always) a challenge. The boys are pretty good but still need help zipping their jackets and getting gloves tucked in. The girls, however, are always a challenge.

And, the snow is so deep they can hardly walk without falling. The Domrese rule (apparently) is to run into the yard as far as you can and faceplant so that mommy has to run in her regular shoes, sans socks, and save the poor child. Katie wins the award for this in 2011. Molly loves the snow. Molly loves to be outside. And the boys are just plain happy to be moving!

Pizza Playdate

2011-02-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

Today we met up with some old friends and had a pizza playdate. We toured the pizza facility and then ate the pizza the kids made. The boys (and girls) had a blast.

We started by spreading sauce.

Then, while the pizza were in the oven, the kids got to explore the walk-in cooler. This was by far my favorite part of the day. We all went in the cooler (the girls were so excited) and the owner asked if we wanted the lights off. He then commented that the group was a little young for something that could be scary. As we were exiting the cooler the boys commented that they were letting the "younger kids go out" so they could stay with the lights off. How funny! They were the oldest in the group, but it was funny they felt the need to do something the "older kids" would do. :)

The kids then helped make dough and then got to play with the dough. The boys loved this. (We took the dough home, let it rise, and are going to use it to make homeade pizzas for dinner!).

After the dough, we sat down, had drinks and pizza. So much fun! Molly

Molly decided to DIG IN! Do you see she's wearing her hair in a pony-tail? She insisted! Her first one ever!

Thanks for the invite Kelly. We had so much fun and it was so great to see you guys again!

Happy Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

I felt like this: AWFUL! I explained to the doctor that I felt like "poop." I had the first headache (what I would classify to be a migraine) in about 10 years. We Richards' don't get headaches. The nausea, etc that followed was awful. To the point where midway through the morning I had all shoes accounted for and wondered if I had sent Thomas to school shoeless (I hadn't). Luckily the headache subsided. My bloodwork came back normal and if I'm good for a couple days I get to move on with life. Because of some other unlisted symptoms, if I'm still feeling "poopy" in a few days I get to have a brain scan.

I did manage to get our Valentine's Day pictures though! When the kids were little (I'll have to add pictures later), I would put them on my quilt from grandma with hearts as a tradition. They are on this quilt, there are just too many big kids now!

Ice Skating Class

2011-02-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Thomas is taking an ice skating class and is loving it. So far he's done two drop-in classes and next week starts his weekly lessons. He is actually doing really well! It's so fun to watch. I was expecting him to get frustrated, but he doesn't. His hopes is that he will then move into hockey. I'm not really a hockey/football mom so we'll see where we go from here!

Tom

2011-02-06T23:05:00.000-08:00

Joshua has started calling Thomas "Tom" about 50% of the time. It's a new development. Super cute. Mostly when they are playing and it's just between them. I've never heard him say it with other people around (only when Dan and I are in another room or the background). It's adorable. Their relationship is adorable. Watching them grow together is one of the neatest things I've ever witnessed.

A Warm Weather Day

2011-02-06T22:55:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a glorious day of warm weather. Sunshine. High 40's. Glorious. We went outside at 10:00 AM and didn't come in until naptime at 2:00 PM with the exception of running in to grab lunch. The kids had an absolute blast. I pulled out all the outside toys from the shed and while they played, I worked on adding some garden space. Yeah!!! Look at these kids! Aren't they adorable?

The boys dressed themselves and matched themselves. They were so proud. Here they are being paleontologists on a dinosaur hunt.

We pulled out the "baby strollers." Molly is quite the mommy lately. And is was bright, so she required sunglasses.

Katie also required shades, but only so she could look older. Seriously, how old is she?

Everybody Sing it Y-M-C-A!!!!

2011-02-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

We love the YMCA! It's a great family outing on night's when the kids have too much energy. Plus, the boys are training for a triathalon, so this is a great place to practice swimming! In the past, the visit to the Y has been too much for our family. With the girls crawling or barely walking, changing in a family changing room, or even splitting up the kids, was too stressful. The fear of germs, cracked heads, and lost children, was just too much. Now that the girls are older, it's soooooo much easier! And all the kids LOVE it! Look at the faces of glee! (On a side note- There WOULD be pictures of the boys, but they immediately run off and play on the play structure and not only does my camera not take great pictures from far away in low-lighting, but they SPLASH me!!!!!). :)

Memories

2011-01-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

Because it is my favorite story (now) I looked back in my blog to relive it. How did I not blog this? Maybe it was before I started blogging? Anyway, there is no way I should ever forget this story, so I want to make sure it's written down.

The boys must've been about 2 1/2 maybe 3 years old. They were "suppose" to be napping. Instead I heard the giggling. You know that giggling? The giggly that means not only are they up to something, but you are too late. This instinct proved correct. I opened the door to see them standing on top of their dresser peeing into the fan to make it spray everywhere. Every mom has two choices at this point. A) Walk in and immediately begin the consequence process and stop the action, B) Walk away...just walk away. I chose B. It was too late, I did not want to wear any of that pee, so I walked away. When it got quiet again I went in.

We did discuss the consequences and decisions made that naptime. But wait, it gets better.

Part of their punishment was that they had to wipe down their entire room. Seriously, it was covered in pee! They each got a soapy bucket and a wet cloth. They proceeded to walk around the room, "Is this your pee or my pee?" "Nope, that's your pee." They conversed over the areas they were cleaning and whose pee it actually was.

I had to keep myself from giggling....a little.

Girls Can Play Baseball Too!

2011-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

With the warm-ish weather (as in around 38 degrees), we are loving playing outside. Really, I think any time you can see the grass and walk on it without soaking your shoes, it's a day to be outside. The kids are loving it. The girls in particular are very excited about t-ball. They hold the bat wrong, they have no idea what the game is about, and they love every single moment of it. They take turns putting the ball on the tee for the other person and then running away giggling (after multiple lectures from mommy on why we don't stand behind the batter). It's so much fun to watch! Here are some pictures of the girls and their baseball "skills."

Books

2011-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

How do we instill the love for books into a child that will carry them for life?

I have such great memories of reading as a kid. One of my favorite memories is with my dad. He was my principal in a small school for the first 7 years of my schooling. A perk (to me) was this special access to a storage room. Dad would let me go into this dusy room full of years and years of outdated textbooks and let me pick books to bring home. It was like entering a magical world! Now this must've been the late 80's (I was just a few years older than the boys...WOW!). So that means the outdated books were from the 60's, maybe 70's. I remember reading a book (and struggling to read it) about how to teach special education students in PE. Ha! My favorite books to get were social studies books or those big books used for reading curriculum with all the stories and then questions at the end. I always felt so special and I'm sure it's a part of what made me want to be a teacher and gave me a passion for life-long reading.

I always wonder how we instill that in our children. Molly and Katie are at that perfect age where they love reading. Love being read to. We read "The Foot Book" over and over and over. Books are fascinating.The boys love books as well, but are beginning to show real preference. They like to look at books about Star Wars, or have us read Magic Treehouse books to them. But, they are right in between independent reading on their own and us reading to them.

We had a moment in the public library today (we LOVE the library). We were walking through all the adult fiction books and into the non-fiction section (where the Star Wars books are located). They were kind of in awe at all the books. I stopped, pulled one out and said, "You can check this out." They didn't believe me. I walked around randomly pointing to several books. I said, "You can check out any book in this library. All these books are open to you. Even if you can't read them." They were totally stoked. I have to find a science section because I think they'll be in heaven for weeks and weeks. It was a great moment.

It made me realize that I need to find and take advantage of those moments where they love reading and help instill that further. I don't want learning to read to be a process of dread. I want excitement. Love! Joy! I think we're on the right path, and I hope that they learn to love reading and books as much as I do.

On the list of things to do?
*Introduce them to the used book store
*Family Reading Time (reading or browsing, everyone has a book, or 10)
*Learning how to read! And for the girls? Learning more letters! (More on that another post)

Geocaching, Attempt #1

2011-01-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

With the lack of snow and beautiful sunshine, we decided today was the perfect day for a hike and/or geocaching. We'd never done the geocaching before but we thought it would be a fun addition. Upon entering the state park we realized that it might be more treacherous than we initially thought. Deciding to power through it, Dan went up the icy hill first. With babies on our back it proved to be too challenging and after Dan took a fall with Katie on his back, we turned around and skidded (sat on our haunches and slid) down the hill back to the starting spot. Failure! After a quick picnic lunch the boys decided to go exploring. Best idea of the day! They ran and played. We found some non-icy trails, Katie ran and played. Molly enjoyed more time in the backpacks. We found rocks, deer poop, deer tracks, and Thomas even found some "fossils." Here are a few pictures of our adventure!