{11}

I think there must be some kind of internal switch---one that goes off inside a boy around age 11 and triggers a starvation mode. Seriously, Ryan hasn't been 11 for very long, but I'll tell you, this boy can EAT.

By 11am this morning, he had eaten an overflowing bowl of cereal, four pieces of toast, two grilled cheese sandwiches, and ice cream. Last night I made chicken pot pie, and he ate half of it, then a bowl of cereal when I told him he had to save some for his dad. I am finding that I need to ramp up the quantities I make for dinner, especially the meat portions. I knew this would happen one day, but I'm afraid I was unprepared for how soon it came to be.

So...the grocery store has become my second home. I feel like I am always there. I buy groceries that I think are going to last for a specific amount of time, and then when we run out of food three days later, I realize I have sorely underestimated how much he eats.

The grocery budget is a whole other subject. And it's only going to get worse.

{another milestone}

This week, my life will drastically change once more. Me, dramatic? :) Perhaps just a little, but it is significant.

My Henry has outgrown his infant carseat--he has now exceeded the weight limit, and is no longer safe in the seat anymore. So...we ordered new carseats this past week, and they have arrived and are waiting to be installed.

Why, you might ask, is this a big deal? Well, no longer will I have the fabulous Snap 'n Go stroller, nor will it take a mere 30 seconds to click them out of the car and into the stroller. It will now require much more time and effort to buckle them in and out of a carseat, then in and out of a stroller.

Another dilemma? I was not prepared for this during the winter--and since the infant carseat has a delightfully warm fleece insert, the need for extra warm clothing has not been a necessity. It has since become a necessity, however, and I will be spending the next couple of days trying to round up something for them to brave the snow and cold with.

And if I'm honest with myself, I feel a slight tinge of sadness too. Moving out of infant seats means they are getting older, and I'm just not ready to confront that quite yet. So, we will just make a new game plan, and somehow it will all work out.

Wish me luck. Getting to gymnastics at 9am has just become slightly more challenging.

And darling little Jack...he just goes along for the ride. :)

{happy valentine's day...and some randomness}

(Picture of the week...we love Saturday mornings!)

Happy Valentine's Day! The smells of Zuppa Toscana soup are wafting through the house, and the kids are busily making homemade valentines at the kitchen table. I have the perfect view of beautiful red tulips (my FAVORITE) sitting on the kitchen island. It's just a really good day.
I woke up to the music room decorated with balloons and a valentine chain card--it's a tradition that Rick has continued since we've been married, and I love it.

Here's some other bits about our house this week:

• 5 kids, 2 adults, 2 carts, and a double stroller make for a very long caravan, and quite the scene. Our Sam's Club trip yesterday was an adventure (albeit a fun one), especially because this was our annual "stock-up on everything" trip.
  
• Yay for Survivor! This was THE best opening season show yet. We watched the premiere with our good friends who love it too, which makes it so much fun, especially when we are competing to see whose picks make it the farthest!
  
• I did a cartwheel in the middle of our family room this week. Kate has been begging me for weeks to teach her how to do one, and I have done my best to teach her how. I think it's time to sign her up for gymnastics. Anyway, she wanted me to show her how to do one, so I obliged. I think I stretched something, lol. It's been over a year since I've attempted anything like that.
  
• Jack and Henry do not like baby food. I even bought bananas, which as some of you know, is a big sacrifice on my part. I know they need more than just bottles now, but they will have nothing to do with rice cereal. I have tried mashing up our table food, and they don't like that either. More time? Different food? I just don't know.
• Henry is going to be squeezing into his shorts this summer. I bought most of their summer clothes last year, on clearance. The only problem? Henry is now moving into the size I bought. If it wasn't for my compulsion for them to match, everything would be fine. :)
  

{henry and his helmet}

Well, despite my very best efforts (really it bordered on obsessive), Henry got his helmet yesterday. After our experience with Kate, and knowing how much more common it was with twins and preemies (of which he is both), I went overboard trying to prevent it.

They slept on memory foam (they sleep a lot), were propped up on their sides, never laid on anything hard (and always more than one layer underneath), etc. Even more frustrating (in a good way), Jack is totally fine. Apparently some babies are just a lot more susceptible, and Henry was the unlucky one this time around.

I was feeling frustrated this week, but then I realized how incredibly lucky we are. I have had two sets of twins, both being premature--but no NICU time. They came home with me after three days, and have been healthy and happy babies. We beat the odds, and if wearing a helmet is the worst that ever happens, then we are really blessed.

And after seeing him and his cute cheeks in his helmet, I can't help thinking he is the most adorable baby ever.

{basement playroom...part 1}

After finding out we were having twins again, last year we began the adventure of finishing our basement on our own, so we could use our then playroom upstairs as the nursery. Well, it certainly has been a journey, and a huge learning experience. We still have plenty to do (finish trim, put in the ceiling, complete the bathroom, add baseboards), but we love it, and the kids love it. In a few weeks we should have furniture, a heater (it's freezing down there!), and even more completed. It has been taking up a lot of my time, but I have totally enjoyed it.

I just have to say, Rick did a great job in the basement...he has always been a talented woodworker, but knew nothing about drywall, electricity, plumbing, etc. Because I was pregnant, I couldn't help at all (other than give direction :) ), but with some help from friends and my dad, he has been able to pull it off.

I'm just relieved to have it almost complete. A playroom really is a mom's best friend. Especially when it's in the basement. :)

(5 signs that it's busy season}

I'm really not complaining. Okay, maybe a tiny bit. I'm not married to a doctor that's on call all the time, nor do I have a husband that travels more than 6 weeks a year. He works a lot of hours, but he's able to be home quite a bit too. However, come the first week of January, I might as well not have a husband until March.

He's a CPA, and an auditor for a large Fortune 50 company. These crazy 8 weeks are what we lovingly (ha, ha) refer to as busy season. Sometimes I think it would be easier if he was out-of-town for the duration--it somehow seems harder, knowing he is 10 minutes down the road, but we can't see him.

He works really hard, and granted, I would rather be in my cozy house than in his office, but some days I feel like I may not make it through alive.

So, here are some of the signs and symptoms I display during busy season:

• Dinner becomes something I can make in under 10 minutes...every single night. My kids love it though, because I'm serving all their favorites--macaroni and cheese, Ramen, grilled cheese, etc. Ryan did ask Rick the other day though, when he would start being home for dinner. Ryan was worried we would never have an actual dinner again.
  
• Bedtime gets even earlier--it is a serious countdown once we hit 4:30pm.
  
• I actually considered going to McDonald's for more than one meal this week, which is something I have never done before. For someone who hadn't really been there since high school, until just the last couple years, that's saying a lot.
  
• Clothes? Who needs clothes? Pajamas work just fine.
• I start talking to myself. I've had some great conversations too.
  

Don't worry...all these symptoms are temporary, and will disappear as soon as March 1st hits. So, if you see me wearing pajamas, flip-flops, and muttering to myself, there is no need to call anyone. I will recover and be my old self soon.

{better late than never}

I really thought I was going to make it. I set my alarm, laid out the clothes, and had a game plan. Everything was going smoothly, until the babies decided they didn't like the plan.

That was the end of that.

I'm slowly figuring out just how early I need to get up on Sunday mornings, in order to get myself and five kids ready for church by 8:30am. Without Rick.

Hopefully by March we'll be on time.

{2010 Family Theme}

We decided that each year from here on out, we would have a yearly family theme, along with a coordinating scripture and song. I really love this idea, and already we have had fun with it.

It took the good part of Sunday afternoon to come up with our 2010 family theme. We had some great suggestions, (princesses were a common idea) but we finally came up with something that we want to work on as a family, and one that even the littlest ones can grasp on to.

I love that it gives our family a specific direction, and will hopefully provide many teaching moments. It will also be our teaching guide for each Family Home Evening, which helps me plan for the year!

So, without further ado...

~CHOOSE THE RIGHT WAY~
Sweetpea Family 2010 Theme

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
-John 13:17

"Choose the right way, and be happy. I must always choose the right!"
-Primary Songbook

{I can wait}

(Please ignore the spit up on their clothes. That's what I get for taking their bibs off to take their pictures. )

When Ryan was a baby, I was always in a hurry---in a hurry for him to roll over, to eat solid foods, crawl, walk, talk...and the list goes on.

Well, things have changed. I want my boys to meet their milestones, but I'm not in a rush for that to happen. Right now, I'm in what I call the "twin honeymoon phase". It's the time from when they sleep through the night, until they become mobile.

For example:

• I can actually take a shower and not worry about locking them in the bathroom with me, or waiting until they are napping.
  
• My regular routine during the day has continued pretty much as normal (adding in feedings, putting down for naps, etc.), while they look on from their Bumbos, swings, or blankets.
• No baby gates, or worrying about life-threatening falls down the stairs. Or conspiracies to help each over or under the gate.
  
• Feeding time is easy--4 bottles a day, plus a little rice cereal with bananas added in.
• When I put them down, they stay there!
• They are still in infant seats, hooray! Once they make the transition into toddler seats, my life changes. No more keeping them asleep as we run errands, or go to church. It's a whole new ballgame getting 2 babies that can't walk in and out of the car, into stores, or into the house by myself. However, Henry is quickly approaching the limits for his car seat, so I'm praying we just make it at least until March. I can't even imagine church with two girlies, and two babies that need to be held the whole time.
  

Plus, I love having babies. That age between 5 and 9 months is one of my favorites...lots of smiles, happiness, and chubbiness. It's also the time that goes the fastest, and it always seems that before I know it, they have turned 1, and become toddlers. (Which I love too, btw, but the baby stage is much more elusive.)

I am savoring every moment. I am enjoying each and every day, and even when it's hard, and I'm tired (and maybe haven't showered for a day or two or three), I am trying to remember that time will pass, and then I will wish it back again.

So, I can wait.

JACK:




HENRY:

{tobogganing}

Living in a cold place has a few perks, thankfully. Just a mile or two from our house is the city forest, and it's one of our favorite places. During the winter you can enjoy a toboggan run, sledding hill, and cross country trails.

Yesterday some good friends came over to watch our babies, while Rick and I took the oldest three to go tobogganing. It was SO fun.

The toboggan we were using (thanks guys!)was super long, and easily fit all five of us with room to spare. It also was REALLY fast, which we loved, because our goal was to make it to the very end of the track before stopping. We made it, too! Miss Kate is our resident daredevil, and loves to sit in the very front as the driver. In fact, when Rick took them last week, she sat in the driver position all by herself, since Rick couldn't hold her and Emma at the same time. People were even taking pictures, and commenting on our crazy girl. I wonder where she gets it from. :)





What a perfect day!

{nativity 2009}

Well, this is definitely the most serious Nativity we have had thus far. I was surprised we had so little drama! We needed to do two different takes--one with Emma as Mary, and one with Kate as Mary. They also each wanted a turn as the angel with the fancy halo made out of tinsel. With Henry as the shepherd, Jack as baby Jesus, Ryan as Joseph, and Rick as the donkey, it was perfect!

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!

{tradition}

Tradition is one of my favorite words, and probably my favorite Christmas word. It's cozy. It feels homemade. Just hearing it evokes so many memories and emotion, that sometimes I can actually smell certain smells. It's what the holidays are composed of, it's what makes them special. We all have them, sometimes whether we know it or not.
There are some traditions I have always done, always wanted to do, and have planned to every detail. There are others that we have stumbled upon, and my children will remind me of them, saying things like, "Are we going to make cookies again this year while we decorate the tree? We always do that."
My children's memories will be founded in the traditions we have--it will be what they remember of their time at home, and my wish is that the word tradition will conjure up all the wonderful times that we've had, and that they will think of home, and how much we love them.
So today I'm going to make a list of our favorite holiday traditions, and I would love to hear some of your favorites as well!

*Making donuts and hot chocolate on the day of the first big snowfall.
*Cutting down our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and going out for ice cream or hot chocolate afterward.
*Decorating our tree on Sunday, while making and decorating sugar cookies.
*Being involved in the annual Nativity Exhibit and Concert the first week in December, then attending the concert and walking around to see all the amazing nativities.
*A girls' day to see the Nutcracker and have lunch.
*Reading a Christmas story every night in December.
*Reading aloud Dickens' A Christmas Carol as a family.
*Opening a box from our advent calendar each morning--the weekdays hold candy, and the weekends include enjoying family activities...driving around to see lights, singing Christmas carols, watching our favorite Christmas movies while eating popcorn, and more.
*Deciding with Rick the gift we will make for our kids, then working together to get them done in time!
*Making yummy Christmas treats, then driving around together to deliver them to friends and neighbors.
*Visiting the Santa House, so the kids can sit on Santa's lap and see the reindeer.
*The Wade Family Annual Nativity play on Christmas Eve...by far one of our favorites. Rick is always the donkey, I'm the narrator and cameraman, Ryan is Joseph, and all the other parts are up for grabs. This year we have two potentials for baby Jesus...
*Making gingerbread houses.
*Seeing friends and family as much as we can!
*Rick and I wrapping all the gifts together on Christmas Eve, while watching movies. (Yes, we purposely save all of our wrapping until then!)
*Checking out the stockings first thing Christmas morning, then eating breakfast, followed by opening presents. We open them one-by-one, starting with the youngest and working our way up.
*Staying in our pajamas all day Christmas Day, then getting dressed and going to see a movie in the afternoon. (There have been years we haven't been able to see a movie, due to small babies, but we love it, and do it whenever we can!)

The only problem is, the month seems to fly by, and Christmas is here before I know it. I wish time would slow down a little during December--I want it to last a little longer!

Merry Christmas!

{tis the season...}

Even after a major fudge failure, major sewing machine issues, and an over-packed project schedule in direct proportion to my homemade gift excitement, I still think I will have everything done in time for Christmas.

Do I love the craziness? Yes, I do!

{snow day}

Well, it worked. Flushing ice cubes down the toilet, putting a spoon under your pillow, and wearing your pajamas backwards must really make a difference in determining a snow day! It definitely made a believer out of Ryan, that's for sure, because he followed all these steps to a "t".

We woke up to our first big snow of the year this morning, and it was beautiful. I just love that cozy feeling of staying inside, curling up to read a book or watch a movie, and enjoying the winter wonderland outside the window. It's also wonderful not to have to follow a schedule, get anyone on the bus, or have to leave the house at all!

The girls wanted to go outside first thing this morning, so I got them all bundled up and out they went! They tromped all around the backyard, wanting to make footsteps in every part of the yard. They slid down the slide into a pile of snow, and jumped on the snow-covered trampoline.



When they came in, we had homemade hot chocolate and chocolate chip muffins...yum!


We then spent the day just playing, and enjoying each other. It was a really, really great day.

{LOVE this kid!}

So yesterday I was sweeping the floor, and Ryan was standing at the island talking to me about school, etc. He stopped for a minute and then asked..

Ryan: Mom, do you still have baby weight you're trying to lose?

big pause here...not sure what's coming next.

Me: Um, yes I do.

Ryan: Well, it doesn't look like that to me. You just look normal.

I'll take normal!

He is also amazing with his sisters and brothers. His teacher took me aside aside a month or so ago, and told me how much he loves talking about them at school. He writes stories about them, and always wants to bring them in to show all his friends. It really is very cute.

I just have to brag on him for minute more. He is SUCH a huge help to me at home, and I have to say I think it's quite incredible that he can watch take care of his siblings so efficiently. Over the past year he has put girls to bed, fed babies, made dinner and fed the girls, and helped them get their breakfast in the morning. Through my whole pregnancy when I couldn't do much, then after the babies were new and I was still somewhat limited, I really had to count on him a lot, and he did it...with no complaints.

It has been so fun having him get older. Now he gets to stay up later than the four little ones, and we watch movies, eat popcorn, play games, and do lots of other things together. He loves to run errands with me, and he actually makes grocery shopping fun.

I am so grateful for this boy...he was definitely meant to be the older brother, and I have a strong feeling he is one of the reasons that our children came in the timing they did. I love you, Ryanboy!!

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Ryan and Kate.


Ryan, consoling Kate when she was sick.


Classic tale of Ryan, helping his sisters:


This one just cracks me up! It's a classic brother/sister picture.


This is Jack or Henry...I can't tell, but I think you can see in Ryan's face how much he loves this baby!


This was taken just today, as I was teaching piano lessons.


He wanted to carry a baby, while Rick cut down the tree.


We love you, Ryanboy!