11.29.2011

He’s baaack!

Our elf, Riggins, came last night!  The kids were decked out in their new elf pajamas so we had an inkling that he might show up. 

IMG_1592He appears to be quite the thrill seeker as he bungeed from our breakfast room ceiling fan!

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The kids think he is super cool Smile 
(Don’t you just love those elf jammies?)

We celebrated Riggins’ arrival with a special North Pole breakfast that all the little elves got a kick out of.

IMG_1558Snowman Pancake, bacon scarf, m&m’s, snowflake sprinkles and marshmallows…yummm!
(thanks Pinterest!)

While they ate, I read the story about Riggins – including the ONE rule – you can’t touch him….yeah, we’ll see how that goes. 

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ALL ears!

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Eight little elf feet and 40 little elf toes!

Riggins also took it upon himself to hang the kids’ new stockings.  Ah…the stockings.  Before the kids’ first Christmas, I bought 6 DIY stocking kits with very high hopes of sewing a personalized stocking for each of us.  A bit ambitious, yes.  This year I decided if I wanted to have stockings hung before they move out, I should put those aside and purchase some.  What a relief!  And they really are SO cute!

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This is gonna be fun Winking smile

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11.04.2011

geaux tigers, beat bama!

Even our kiddos are hyped up about the big game tomorrow night!  At school today, they made purple and gold “pom poms” (according to Sloan, “shakers” according to the boys) and paraded around the school halls chanting “LSU, LSU!”  Haha!  Roots really run deep in these parts!

Enjoy!

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11.01.2011

Follow the Yellow Brick Road…

It leads to lots of sugar and candy!  So yeah…I decided to go with the ol’ tried and true characters from Wizard of Oz this year for the kids’ Halloween costumes.  I know, it’s been done many times over but I just couldn’t seem to shake the thought of the regret I would have for NOT doing it!  It such a classic and of course I believe we have the perfect cast!

Starring…

IMG_1312Sloan as Dorothy Gale

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Jagger as the Scarecrow

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Madden as the Tin Woodman

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Rocco as the Cowardly Lion

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How perfect?!?

They looked SO cute…I couldn’t get over it and I couldn’t decide who’s costume was the cutest!!!  I kept changing my mind the whole night :)

IMG_1328Daddy and his trick-or-treaters

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the good witch Winking smile

IMG_1337Interrupting trick-or-treating for a photo opp doesn’t produce big smiles from 2 year olds!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

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9.30.2011

Icey Cream, Icey Cream!

So tonight I had the great idea to bring the kids to get an after dinner ice cream.  Well, really frozen yogurt, but they didn’t know.  I just noticed this cute little shop right around the corner from our house this week and I thought the kids would love it.  It’s was a first…not ice cream, but the going out for ice cream. 

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Oh the choices!  I did choose the strawberry banana yogurt for each but they got to choose their own toppings…
Sloan – rainbow sprinkles
Roc, Mad & Jag (all the same – go figure!) – rainbow sprinkled chocolate chips

IMG_0983:)
(LtoR: J,R,M & S)

IMG_0963Yummmm!

IMG_0979Rocco.  And I love seeing Jagger just digging right in with his hand.  LOL!
(by the way, it’s a self serve shop and everyone gets the same size cup – they are only about 1/4 full for our little guys…after all, this WAS just an hour or so before bedtime!)

IMG_0990Madman, my silly nut!

IMG_0976Jagger

It was a great outing and a great family night.  I didn’t even realize until putting this post together exactly HOW normal of a night it was for us.  You see, I often tell Nick…”let’s go do something normal.”  But even when we try to do something “normal” like go to dinner with the kids, it’s just not normal.  Normal to us, sure, but not by others’ standards so we get tons of questions, comments, and stares.  In no way am I easily offended or put off by those types of things AND I do love to see the joy my kids bring to others, but it is a constant reminder of how not normal we are.  SO it just dawned on me, tonight was pretty normal!  It really was.  There was no one else in the shop except the sweet girl working.  She was nice, she didn’t ask ONE question and she didn’t stare.  Just a Friday night eating ice cream yogurt with my family.  Very nice. 

Hope you have a nice and normal weekend Winking smile

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9.05.2011

Waving my white baby wipe

Hiya!  It’s been awhile, I know.  But this weekend was definitely worth coming out from under my blogging rock I’ve been hiding under. 

If you are one of my facebook friends, you may already know that I attempted potty training this weekend.  It was sort of last week type decision.  I originally was going to introduce it (we’ve already been talking about it for a while), but then late Friday I decided it was the perfect weekend to do the 3 day potty training lock down.  I had a 3 day weekend with the labor day holiday.  We had Tropical Storm Lee to keep us inside.  And Nick was away for the LSU game in Dallas (GEAUX TIGERS!) 

I had my stickers ready, candy stocked, 4 little potties cleaned, and my notes studied.  The plan requires complete focus, dedication, patience, consistency, positive reinforcement and love.  I was ready. It also requires watching the children very closely (like the only thing you will do) to 1)learn how they communicate their need to use the potty and 2)catch the start of any accidents so you can hurry to them to the potty to finish the job.   According to the plan if followed properly, it will “click” with your child sometime by the end of day 3.  Sounds great, right? 

Before I go any further, let me just say that I consider everyday with my children a blessing.  I REALLY do.  It never gets old to me.  Sure, I may have “grrrrr…” moments at times, but I try to have a positive attitude in most situations.  Having said that, this weekend was probably in my top 5 for the most UNfun things I have ever done.  Ha!  So incredibly UNfun. 

So.  We started on Saturday.  The kids were excited.  I pumped the big boy and girl talk BIG time.   

IMG_0734Who’s ready to use the potty?!? (M,R,J,S)

IMG_0737The beginning of the day…of course they all said they needed to go  -- and of course, no one did!

I didn’t get to take many pictures once the day began, but this one was definitely worth capturing.  Rocco told me he had to poop.  So we ran to the potty and we waited.  He started to get up so I told him to put his underwear back on if he didn’t have to go.  He said “no” and went and picked up some reading material and returned to his throne!  Now, he didn’t really go, but I still thought it was funny!

IMG_0752It starts early!

Another highlight.  My mom came over to fix us lunch so I could stay focused on them.  We had the idea to go out on the front porch just to get some fresh air plus the weather, although rainy, was nice.  The boys slowly made their way off the porch and into the rain.  The fun ensued.  They absolutely LOVED it.  And to be honest, it was a much needed break for me.  There probably was more than just rain falling on the sidewalk, but eh who could tell?

IMG_0739Love those little underoos!

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IMG_0745After 20-30 minutes of this, Jagger ran onto the porch to my mom and said, “This is a fun day G.G.!”  LOL.  I’m glad it was for you buddy!

Back to the potty training.  As the day progressed, there were accidents…to be expected. I stayed positive. They kept coming. The kids were fine when I hurried them to the potty. No crying but they just didn’t go on the potty. Although extremely exhausting, I think I could have done that for 3 days until it “clicked” with each of them. But my problem started when one would creep behind the couch or in the other room and do their business and I would miss the accident all together. It would happen so fast. OR I would catch one in the act and be tending to that kid and then the other one, two or even three would start and I would miss theirs. Are you picturing this? They totally ganged up on me! I was missing so many of the accidents.  I made it half way through day 2 before I started waving my white baby wipe.

I need to regroup.  Tweak my “plan” a little.  Be more effective.  Like keeping them confined to one room and definitely having Nick on board and available to help.  Any other ideas from you potty training pros are welcomed.  We will try again, but not this weekend Winking smile

There have been lots of changes around here lately.  We’ve moved into our new home (hence my blogging break), the kids are each sleeping in their own room for the first time ever, they start a mother’s day out program this week, so maybe we hold off a little on this potty training business.  After all, no kid ever goes to kindergarten in diapers, right?  But as for Mother’s Day Out, diapers we wear!

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8.07.2011

Vacation :)

Just getting home from our one week vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama with my whole family.  We had a blast.  All 18 of us.  in one condo.  ahem.  yes, in one condo.  Please forgive me if I take a few days to unwind. 

Tonight I sorted through the almost 500 pics that I took this week (I promise to do a full vacation post soon with all the fun details), but for now here were a few of my favorites.

IMG_0146-1The day we arrived…running to the beach!
In the lead: Jagger, Rocco, Sloan then Madden

IMG_0474-1The 10 grandkids – supposed to be in birth order but Madden and Jagger pulled the ole switcheroo on us (first of many, I’m sure)
L to R:  Evan, Jude, Griffin, Rylee, Nate, Sloan, Rocco, Jagger, Madden and Gavin

IMG_0561-1Life’s a beach :)

IMG_0622-1Love this!
L to R: Jude, Gavin, Griffin, Rocco, Jagger, Rylee, Madden, Nate, Sloan & Evan

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Birds of a feather…

IMG_0706-1Those smiles melt me!

Hope your vacation was as great as ours!

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7.22.2011

Rollin’ with my Homies

The Dirty South will never be the same after the Sweet Sixteen took to the streets!

07 july 2011 298

Back Row: Jenn Suz Moni Amy Jo Sandra Charity Mari Kelly Gen

Front Row: Beth, Jenna Kami Casey Heather Jac Misty

Quad Mommas 2011 Shirts:

Front:

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Back:

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Our 3rd annual Quad mom trip was a blast and we are already planning QM 2012!

7.11.2011

2 year photo session

Only a couple months late…they were actually 2 years and 3 months old in these pictures.  My good friend Mandy at Musemeche Photography was so kind to go to the Rural Life Museum here in Baton Rouge and shoot these awesome pictures of the kids.  It was really a great place to take pictures. We just let the kids run and play and she just captured them in their natural element.  Here are some of my favorites…

(L to R: S,R,M & J)

Pictures of 40 little piggies NEVER get old to me

(L to R: J,R,S,M)

And Sloan, being the little diva she is, may have a moment from time to time which gives us the opportunity  to get pictures of just the boys together…

This particular time, she had just gotten into some ants :(
(L to R: J,R,M)

LOVE this one! (Little Miss in the mud/water?  Maybe another day)
(L to R: M, R, J)

Does this look like trouble or what? (L to R: R,J,M) As for miss, she just wasn’t into what they were conspiring!

And I LOVE these watermelon shots! Jagger wasn’t into his watermelon this day, but it still made for cute photos!

(L to R: J,M,R,S)

Num Num!

Madden. Love those baby blues!

Big Boy and his watermelon stained cheeks!

Thanks Mandy for our awesome pics! 

Have a great week!

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