This Is How We Do Costco

When I go to Costco, this is how I do it.

I get two carts and I put two in one and three in the other. Sometimes I'll let one walk. This is a pain because they all want to walk so we have to take turns.  I push one cart and pull the other one. I put all the groceries on the bottom of one of the carts, if possible. When I'm there I am running through the store before the kids start melting down. This in a way is good because there usually isn't time for me to browse their fabulous book section. At check out I pile all the kids in one cart and bring it with me and send the other one through for the food. After we check out and load the groceries in the car we have to go back to eat. This is the kids favorite part. They love sitting outside and eating.

The End Of Julian

Here are the last of the pictures, finally, from our Julian camping trip. It was supposed to rain on Sunday but it held off until the evening. It poured that night and the wind was so loud! We got up Monday morning, packed up and left. It was way too cold and wet to stay. I was a little sad because we didn't get to visit the little town of Julian. I guess we will have to go back one of these days.


The kids got a treat after their naps if they ate their lunch. Michael didn't eat his lunch so he was really sad.

Annie eating my ice cream. She took it over and shared with everyone.

Anthony and Jaileigh

It was so sad!

Jaileigh enjoying her ring pop.

Annie was in heaven.

Michael finally ate and got his ring pop too.

Anthony grinning from ear to ear.

Playing in the dirt again. Michael loved the dirt, just like Annie!

Michael

Jaileigh

Anthony

Michael going for a ride down the hill.

All done with the hat!

No More Shots!!!!!!

Michael doesn't have to have anymore allergy shots!!! Whooo hoooooo!!

This is his most recent allergy testing done by our NEW doctor! No allergies!!!

1/19/2012

Annie and I Went On A Date

Annie sometimes is on a different nap schedule than the other babies. On days that she naps twice she goes down around 10:30 or 11 then again around 4 or 4:30. On one nap days, everyone goes down for naps at 1:00 after lunch. Two nap days are nice, Annie and I usually get to spend a lot more one on one time together. She does a great job of self entertaining when the other kids are awake but if she is the only one up she wants to be by my side at all times. Sometimes she goes in the kids room and tries to wake them up. She loves being surrounded by her siblings.


While we were camping she somehow got on her 2 nap schedule. While the kids were having their nap, she and I went a did a load of laundry and played at the park. It was really fun to just play with her. She was so happy and just grinned and giggled the whole time.

This play toy age requirements were 5-12. The steps were just a little wider spaced, it had a climbing wall and a climbing rope ladder but that was really all the differences I noticed.

Annie going up the stairs all alone. She is so independent!

Come on mom!

She also goes down the slides all alone.

Video of 2011 at OneTrueMedia.com

Enjoy our year in review.

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Babies Don't Keep

I am going to stir a few waters here and go against a widely spread posting that did not settle too easily with me. It was called  Don't Carpe Diem.  I have attached the link if you would like to read it. The author gets offended when people tell her to enjoy every minute with her children because in the blink of an eye they will be grown. She is offended by this for some reason. I am sure the article was written, tongue in cheek, but I was still disturbed. The fact that I am an optimist may have caused this to not settle well.

Having quadruplets and then another right away makes me want to savor each moment even more. All of my babies won't be babies, all at once, if that makes sense. They aren't spread out so that I get the extra years or months in between each to savor the moments.  So, I try to savor every single moment, good and bad. I try to make every second count and I try to remember and document as much as possible {which is why I have such a crazy obnoxious blog}.  Also, why I let my kids crawl in bed with me whenever they want, stay at home with them, kiss them, hug them, overprotect them, smother them. Maybe why I am more patient than I should be when disciplining.

Please don't think that my life is all roses and peaches. Life is what we make of it though. You can choose how to respond to certain situations, a smile or a scream. When your child is throwing the eggs on the floor or the garbage down the toilet, you have a choice. They WILL all be far and distant memories one of these days, so just smile and help them clean it up {after taking a picture}.

My aunt had a discussion about this very subject on her facebook and I was so relieved to find that I was not the only one who did NOT like the carpe diem article. From this discussion I found this link to someones blog called Babies Don't Keep. I found this to be a much better post! Loved it! So thank you Jenny and Under the Bamboo Tree for making me not feel so alone.

I really did not want to sound preachy but I did need to vent. I apologize if I offended any of you, that was not my intention at all. I was merely stating that there are always two sides to every story and this was my side. Now after a few weeks of stewing about this I think I can sleep well.

Oh and . . . . CARPE DIEM!

Julian Once Again

Continuing on with our Julian vacation.

The resort was very family friendly. They had a kids clubhouse with all kinds of activities to do, a giant jumper, this little playhouse Annie is in, and a great park. They kids had a blast here.

An old antique wagon.

Jaileigh, Jake, Annie, Michael and Anthony

Anthony swinging.

Jake

Jaileigh

Michael

Annie going down the slide.

Jake walking the line.

Michael pushing Annie. Poor Annie's face got so red in the cold air.

Walking home up the hill.

Anthony, Jake, Jaileigh, and Michael {hidden by Jake}, Daddy

Annie was very tired.

Picnic time.

Anthony, Jake, Michael and Jaileigh

MLK Holiday In Julian, CA

For months now we have been getting propaganda in the mail to attend a RV resort time-share presentation. In return we were to get 20 nights free camping and a notebook computer. We finally decided to try it. We had to stay at their resort for 3 nights and attend the presentation on the 2nd day {for free}. This was the perfect weekend to do it. After Mike got home from work, we loaded the RV and headed out.

By the time we got there it was dark, I still let the kids out to help daddy set up. The drive took us a little over two hours so they needed to stretch their legs.  It was freezing about 40 degrees and a little windy. They didn't even care.

The next morning having a little chat over milk.

Michael, Annie, Jaileigh, Anthony

and here's the Jakester!

As soon as I would let them they went outside to play. We brought all of their bikes and scooters. Annie doesn't have a bike so she uses this little toy that Anthony is riding. It turned out to be the fought over toy this trip. There was a little hill behind the RV that they would ride it down.

They dumped all the toys out of the toy bucket and carried them up to the top of the hill.

Jake, Jaileigh, Annie

Michael running down the hill.

Annie with her baseball bat in the middle of the toy pile.

Jaileigh moving dirt with her shovel.

Michael

Anthony

Annie having issues with her hat.

Jaileigh

Anthony was mad at Jaileigh because she wasn't sharing so he told her he was going to ride her bike. It's funny how they fight.

Jake and Michael

Hey Pigpen!!!

This girl was ROLLING in the dirt. She loves it. I was a little worried the red dirt wouldn't come out of her pants but it did after 2 washes.

Jaileigh in the midst of a tantrum. She thinks every turn is her turn and she doesn't have to share. Oh little one, so much to learn!

Michael riding down the hill. Jaileigh rode down this hill on her boke and crashed into a bush. That was enough for everyone not to want to try it, everyone but Jake. He had to try it too. He almost ran into the back of the RV. I think he tried it on his bike and on his scooter.

That's it for now. I will try to get more up later tonight. Hope you enjoyed!