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Father's Day... and more

This past weekend was a lot of fun. Gregor went surfing with friends on Saturday (his father's day fun) while the kids and I checked out a new pool with some friends. The pool was fantastic. It had a lot of shade and the people there were so nice. The surfing boys ended up getting into town right around dinner time, so they picked up a pizza and we had a late night for us just sitting by the pool, eating good pizza, and hanging with friends. It was really fantastic. Sunday, we took the kids to our favorite spot in Sugar Hollow for a little hiking, swimming in the stream, and picnic. Another great day.

Larkin has been obsessed with her "new" bike. I don't know what happened, but she has been scared of this bike for months choosing to ride her little tricycle instead. But sunday morning, she woke up and just decided it was time. Gregor was a good sport and ran her up and down the road. She was seriously adorable. Hudson is taking his big brother role very seriously by walking Brooke down to the little park. All these kids are getting so big! I love how you can see Brooke's attitude in this picture... she is a sassy-pants these days!

The past couple of days the kids have gotten wet in some form or another, and we've just had a lot of fun. I'm starting to get sad about Hudson starting Kindergarten in the fall. I can't believe he's not going to be with us for our morning activities, pool, lunches, etc... he's going to be at school!! It just seems to fast and sad right now. I'm sure I'll actually love it once I get used to the idea, but I hate to think of my first little baby getting so grown up. I can already picture him graduating high school and leaving for college... ugg I just can't think about it right now. One day at a time right!

The last picture here is of larkin in here dress that our neighbor Linda brought over for her. She LOVES it. It's fancy and she seriously wants to wear it everyday... where did this girl come from??

Are we having fun yet?

Yesterday was just one of those tough days. I woke up with my eye swollen shut with poison ivy (it's also up my neck and the side of my face as well as on my tummy and arms). I am blaming gregor for this because I think I got it from putting his poison ivy covered mountain biking clothes in the wash. I went to the doc and got some cream for it. It looks much better today, but still itchy!! So after the doctor, the kids and I were coming home from lunch and we got stuck in an elevator for the longest 6 minutes ever! I've never had to actually stand in an elevator and ring the alarm (forever) before... So not fun when it's hot and I'm barfy and the kids don't get what's happening. After that, I got home and put the kids in their beds for a nap. I fed the fish, and apparently the smell of the fish food was enough for me to immediately throw up and pee my pants simultaneously. Just a great end to the day. Today is starting out a little better. I can actually open my eye this morning, and the girls had fun playing in the rain this morning. Larkin loves any excuse to use her rain gear. What is it about rain boots that kids love?!?

Busy summer weeks

NOTE: If you are reading this on google reader you might have to click : Show original entry to see the pictures and the entire blog. I'm trying this out... if you hate it let me know and I'll change it back :)
It's been a busy busy couple of summer weeks! I had my trip to Woods Hole, MA for work. I loved it there! I could actually see us living in the NE one day. The people were really nice, the town was so cute and quaint, the water was beautiful... there are actually jobs for a coastal scientist up there (although who am I kidding... I am going to be mom for awhile longer... which takes priority over jobs these days)... my bff Katie lives close by. This is a picture of Katie and her adorable little boy Isaac... LOVED seeing you Katie! I really enjoyed it there, although I'm sure the winters would be a whole different story! I think we'll just stick to good ol' C'ville for now. My pleasure on the trip could also have been related to the fact that it was the first time I've been alone on a trip in I don't know how long... years though. I missed the kiddos, but I think it was good for Gregor to experience two full days with the kids, maybe now he'll understand why my patience fuse is gone by the end of the day.

Shortly after I got back my sister-in-law Cat and her 2 kids, Ronan (almost 2) and Isla (2 weeks), and Cat's mom came to stay with us for a night. We had such a fantastic time. The kids adored Ronan and Isla and I really enjoyed having Cat around. I wish we all lived closer so the cousins could play more... maybe one day. (hint hint... Cat and Brandon... you should move to Charlottesville... great hospital... nice people!)

I don't know why, but all these pictures look like an ad for Horizon Milk... what's going on here ???

Yesterday I tried so hard to take a photo of all the kids. WHY IS THIS SO HARD! The first one (with all the crazy kids) fully captures my experience. Larkin was being nuts, Brooke wanted off that bench, and Hudson was just being a total goofball. The next picture is honestly the best shot I got... not so good... I guess I'm going to have to try again another day.

Brooke is a walking machine these days. She finally put her steps together and is now choosing to walk everywhere. With this huge milestone under her belt now though, she seriously thinks she's three years old and wants to do everything the big kids are doing.... walk down the stairs holding the rail (she just falls face first.. scary), pick out her own snacks (oreos all day everyday), play with ALL the toys (especially the ones the other kids are playing with, unload all the drawers in all three dressers (there are clothes everywhere all the time), not wear her diapers, etc etc etc. Whenever you don't let her do something she has this super loud scream that is truly deafening! I don't remember the other kids screaming like this. She's nuts now... plowing through the pool, tripping over the curbs... she's in that exhausting stage where I feel like I have to bend over and chase after her all the time.

So as a treat to those of you dedicated enough to read through this long kind of boring blog entry... I'm going to spill the beans that I've been keeping for the last few weeks. Gregor and I are expecting our 4th... that's right... 4th baby January 18th (Hudson and Brooke's birthdays are both January 9th... so who knows... maybe 3's a charm). I'm 9 weeks pregnant! This news is as much of a shock to you as it was to us. We were done having kids. I've given away or sold all of my baby gear, baby clothes, maternity clothes... I have nothing... we purged all the baby stuff months ago. But this little nugget just wanted to be... it overcame my birth control and held in there. But the timing...We had just gotten the kids settled into their own rooms, my job was coming together and I was getting ready to sign on for a 2-3 year contract where I was ramping up my hours... we were finally feeling like we were getting to a place where we could handle it all... and then my period didn't come... and didn't come... surely I wasn't pregnant... isn't that what the Yaz birth control is for... didn't come... until one day... the doctor confirmed with a blood test that the fatigue and nausea I was feeling wasn't some weird disease... it was another baby. We were totally overwhelmed. Where are we going to put this baby, where is the extra money going to come from, where do we find the extra sanity to make it through the days... all these worries. But, I had my ultrasound last week, and I saw that little 8 week old heartbeat pounding away, and I was flooded with love for this little being in my tummy. Somehow, I know that everything is just going to sort itself out and be okay one way or another. So, it's still early, but it's all that's been on my mind recently. I have to say though, that this is the sickest I've ever been with a baby. I feel nauseated all day long... throw up at least once a day and I am so tired I swear I've fallen asleep while standing. So that's that.... the beans are officially spilled. Hudson and Larkin have figured out what's going on. There responses are so funny:

Hudson: Yay, I'm so excited! I hope it's a boy. I really want a brother. But, it's okay if it's a girl too, because all the babies I know are girls. If it's a boy can we name him Ron? And if it's a girl.. How about Suzy.

Larkin: I have a baby in my tummy too... she wants to go to subway and then wants a cupcake. (The baby in her tummy now wants all kinds of things). I don't want to share my room with the baby mom. okay.

The other day, I was feeling sick and Hud looks at me and says: "Mom, do you want me to make you a bagel... that makes you not feel barfy right" He is so Freakin' cute sometimes!

Mr. Mom

Hello readers of Kiki's Blog...this is Gregor...checking in after two days of Mr. Mommin' it with the kids. Kiki had to go out of town for a few days for business and asked if I could handle the kids. Now, I'm always looking for ways to pay off my debt to Kiki, and I had just returned with a tan from a week of "business" in California....so I agreed to take off work and stay home with the kids.

The first morning went pretty well, I dropped Hudson and Larkin off at school, took Brooke to Starbucks for my Mocha Frappuccino, then proceeded to the gym where I dropped Brooke off at the Kid's Zone for two hours. While shooting hoops and listening to my Ipod, I thought...."this isn't so bad."

(jump ahead 24 hours). I'm cursing my luck that I run out of wipes...one wipe into the worst public diarrhea I have ever experienced. Brooke, smiling from the relief she must feel, is sitting in a load too large for her pants (and shirt) and piled high on the restaurant high chair. I carry her, still strapped in the high chair, to the car. Where are the F'in wipes? Now what? I consider cutting her clothes off. I look around for a body of water. Duct tape? Anything? My wilderness survival skills aren't doing shit for me now. I grab my towel from my gym bag and wrap the little dirty monster up like a burrito. Meanwhile, Larkin is jumping around the car like a monkey, using this distraction to her advantage and trying to simultaneously misuse a pen, apply Kiki's lip balm, and release the parking brake. I yell at both kids to get in their seat. Then Hudson, sounding like the orphan from Oliver Twist, asks "Dad, why are you being so mean to us?" I say, "I'm not mad at you, I just have poop all over my hands and I want you to get in your freakin' seat!" Of course it's like 85 degrees and I'm sweating like a much fatter person. Then I start thinking...what you all have thought before...that Kiki really is an uber-mom. This is just another day in her life. I think of how grateful I am to have her and how lucky (and clean) the kids are because of her. And while I'm sitting at work checking my Facebook page, she is out here, at war with poop monsters. So yeah, I could puff out my chest and tell her it was "No problem...easy!", but instead I'm telling you all.....IT WAS HARD.

But we survived; and somewhere between the messes and tears were some really great moments and some quality Dad time. It's these moments that keep us parents going...or maybe it's the Mocha Frappuccinos......

Isla, Haircuts, and more

It's been a big week. I became an aunt again last week when Brandon and Cat welcomed baby Isla Audrey to the world!! Yay... I'm going to meet her in a couple of weeks... I can't wait. She looks adorable. Congratulations Cat!!

In other random news... All the kids got haircuts. Larkin got 7 inches cut off of her mane, and Brooke got some serious bangs. Apparently, all her hair grows forward... who knew!... so she'll have issues with hair in her face forever.

Hummm... what else. Not too much to report. Brooke is still choosing to crawl. If you say "walk" she'll stand up and take a few steps then clap for herself and go back to crawling.

The kids have their last week of school coming up, and then it's fun summer times.

I think that's about it for now...

not so finger lickin'

I don't know if it's the crazy marketing campain or what, but I've been dying to try KFC's new grilled chicken. It looks good in this picture right! I haven't had KFC in probably 5 years... actually 5 years exactly because the last time I had it was when I went through a week long KFC biscuit craving when I was pregnant with Hud. Anyhow, Gregor doesn't really like chicken for one, and he really doesn't like KFC chicken. So, with him out of town the kids and I decided to try it out. And.... let's just say I think that will be my last trip to KFC for awhile. My chicken was small, shrivelly, and cold. They cook it with the skin on and everything... and it's still really greasy. With all that fat I felt like I was eating, I might as well get the extra crispy which tastes WAY better than this funky chicken. I left there feeling like I had grease oozing from my pours and vowing to take a shower (and wash my purse which I had to put on the floor... yes, the whole experience was just really gross... the food, the place ... all around yuck factor). What was funny is that when we got back in the car the kids said "Wow mom, that was the best place EVER... can we go there EVERY day" Ummmm... No kids, we can't. If we do go back there (and it will be the drive-thru) I'm sticking with the extra crispy.

Stinky Feet

What do I do about Hudson's stinky feet!! I got Hud these shoes from stride rite that he LOVES... he doesn't have to wear socks with them (a good thing because he has an extreme case of sock-o-phobia) and they are more like a sneaker than crocks... all around the perfect thing for him. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, they make his feet smell so bad! Seriously bad... like I can tell when he takes his shoes off in the car because the smell just about knocks me out, which is not a good thing when I'm driving. We usually just put down the windows and are the car out when his shoes were off, but today it was pouring rain and we had to suffer for 20 minutes on the way home. I can't convey how seriously bad this smell is. So, what do I do? Trash the shoes? I can't, he loves them! Wash them? The shoes don't stink away from his feet.... I'm at a loss... any suggestions??

Happy Mother's Day

Tomorrow is mother's day.... yay moms everywhere. This mother's day Gregor is going to be in California (deciding whether or not we want to move back there and doing a little side work), and I am going to be with my three crazy kids hopefully at a local fair (maybe I'll even with the cake walk this year). Gregor and the kids decided to give me a special early mother's day yesterday morning. They made be breakfast and gave me the cutest cards. Gregor gave me a great card reminding that there is no need to have a career crisis right now (which has been causing me angst for the last couple of weeks) because I'm doing exactly what I want to do right now, which is hanging with the kiddos. The kids got me one of those recordable cards with their cute little voices on it wishing me a Happy Mother's Day (and happy birthday which made me laugh). I hope those little voices will stay on there forever. Gregor also got me this special necklace with the kids' initials on the charms. Hudson's teacher, Miss Erin, makes jewelry on the side and is amazing. You can see her stuff here. I'm loving Gregor's taste in jewels right now... way to go honey :) On top of all that, I have a gift certificate for a massage next week... oh yeah... LOVE it ALL! Thanks for making me feel special (even if you are out of town) Gregor and kids.

I love the way Larkin's attitude just pours through this picture!

Love for the Cleaning Lady

Bonnie... oh Bonnie... how much I love you.
Bonnie cleans our house every two weeks. It started when my mom was here right before Brooke was born and she realized that perhaps I needed a little housework help... could it have been the cruddy toilet or the funky sheets that gave me away. With so many kids and so many side jobs, something had to give and it was usually housework. I love you mom, for telling me it's okay to have someone help! Seriously, those are my happiest days. I walk in the house on Bonnie Days as we call them and for a few moments everything just feels right. The floors are shining, the toys are put away, the oven sparkles, the sheets are changed, and there is a calm to the house that permeates through the entire family. We can't afford Bonnie, but somehow, no matter how tight money is, we find that $70 to pay Bonnie. It's my mental health money. It seriously helps keep me sane. I will not go grocery shopping to pay for her. I love you Bonnie. I know I should be able to do it all, but sometimes you just have to ask for help before you lose it.
Now, having Bonnie does present some funny moments. When the kids walk into their rooms after I've actually cleaned them and made the bed myself they'll look at me and say, "Hey mom, when did Bonnie come?" If they lose a toy or can't find something, they blame Bonnie, even when it's obviously not her. I can't wait until the kids can start having chores then maybe I won't have to pay for the help... which brings up another thought... do you pay an allowance for chores?? I think I believe that chores should just be part of being a part of the family not something for money. Allowance and money can be given for above and beyond duties. Hummm who knows. I guess I have a little time to think about it.
For now.... We love you bonnie!