One of Facebook’s redeeming qualities is that it has the On This Day feature. I love having it remind me of what we were doing on a particular day in years prior. This particular memory was a beautiful reminder to us about what matters. Since I did not have this blog at this point last year, I figured I would share it here today. Be a source of good in the world. Let those you love know it. Be kind to a stranger. You never know when they need it most. Also, it doesn’t even have to involve money; you don’t need to buy someone a meal. A smile goes a long way. Happy New Year. Please be safe!

December 31, 2015:

Tonight, Todd and I took the kids out to dinner. There was an older couple next to us with their adult daughter. The daughter clearly had developmental disabilities and was occasionally yelling out or getting overly excited, as this was her way of expression. The mother, looking embarrassed, tried to calm her down each time. I went to the manager and told them about this family and said that my family wanted to anonymously pay for their meal. He was so happy to hear this, and helped me make that happen. He thanked me profusely and told me that his niece had developmental disabilities as well and this warms his heart because he knows how tough things are for his sister who raises her. I told him that we wanted them to enjoy their meal thoroughly and know that their daughter wasn’t a burden or an annoyance. When it was time to bring their bill, the manager explained the whole situation to them and the couple was flabbergasted. They said they couldn’t believe that someone would do that for them and that they couldn’t accept it. The manager told them that all was said and done and that they had a note for them on the top of their receipt. I had written “You have a beautiful family. Happy New Year!” Watching from the next table, we couldn’t help but notice the tears in their eyes and the look of disbelief on their faces. They walked away happily, hugging their adult daughter and comforting her. The manager and their waiter both separately came to us again to tell us what an impact we had made and how happy we made these people.

This is not intended as a brag, but as a challenge to simply be a good human. This world is a crazy, scary place. Respect each other and always let your loved ones know how much they mean to you. Happy New Year, friends. Stay safe and choose love.

While Taylor and I were playing in her room tonight, I happened to see marks all over her beautiful bookshelf. All over. I asked what it was and she informed me that she drew all over it with pen and colored pencil. She cried, apologized for it, and cleaned her mess (only we can’t get the pen part out at all). Any tips for that would be awesome. A while later, she called me in her room and told me she wrote me a note, which allegedly says:

Dear Mom,

I’m sorry I drew all over my bookshelf. I’m so sorry I did it. I know it’s not nice and I won’t do it again. Also, I probably won’t draw on the walls and ceiling because I won’t be able to reach up that high.

Love, Taylor

The boys must realize that a new year is right around the corner, so they are putting a lot of effort into making sure they end the year with a bang. I heard giggles coming from the boys room at nap time; the kind of giggles that make the hair on your neck stand up. I knew they were up to something. When I walked in, it looked like it had snowed in their room. The “snow” was everywhere. I wish I had grabbed a picture of that. Anyway, I asked the boys what all the mess was from, and they held up a {un}stuffed bunny that was mostly decapitated. They looked up at me with their sweet blue eyes and said “Mommy, this bunny is sick!” They posed for a picture in front of some of the fuzz, and thought they were hilarious. After hearing me reprimand them and tell them that the bunny was now going away and they lost tv time, they changed their tune. I love how you can see the expression change from one picture to another. As I was making them clean up the carnage, I noticed something small and shiny poking out from one of the beds. It was a paper clip with fuzz on the end of it. I’m assuming this was their weapon of choice, although I can not for the life of me figure out how or where they got a paper clip from. When I asked about it, Joseph said “Mom, that’s a tool for Jacksie’s workshop. You give it back to us please?” Workshop? They have a workshop in there? I confiscated their baby shiv and conducted a full bed check. I didn’t find too much contraband other than some pieces of broken plastic and some string. I wonder what their plans were for those items. Maybe it’s not such a coincidence that they are wearing black and white stripes today…

Christmas is near! Thankfully, Santa has been all (well, mostly) wrapped and ready to go for a while now! He is ready to have the entire rest of the year off. Since I’ve been his number one helper, that means I get at least some time off too, right? I am so excited to see the kids’ faces when they come out of their rooms on Christmas morning. They will be adorably dressed in the coordinating Snoopy pajamas that their elf, Rocky brought them this morning. Funny story about that: Rocky left pajamas and a note for the kids this morning. Taylor ran into the boys room to tell them about the Snoopy pajamas, and Jackson’s response was “Aw crap! Really?” I’m not sure what caught him off guard (or where the language came from) because he loves Snoopy.

Taylor came home from school last week with a list of things she apparently asked Santa for. Two of them were do-able, and things she was already getting. The number one item, however, was a bike and it is all she’s been talking about. Let’s just say our thanks to Amazon prime for this one. I’m pretty sure we will have one super excited, albeit, spoiled girl come Christmas morning. Thankfully, Daddy put on his elf hat and assembled that bike with holiday cheer.

We visited Todd and my dad at work today, and had a lot of fun! The kids loved visiting everyone and even got some gifts from one of Todd’s coworkers / a friend of mine. They thought it was awesome that Christina helped Santa give them early presents! They also got a Minion toy from another coworker. I guess they took pity on my poor, deprived kids when they saw a picture of the three kids playing with two minion toys and a banana the other day. Now they each have a talking minion, and though my house is ever-filled with fart noises and silly minion voices, it’s equally filled with laughter from my children, and that’s not bad at all. We have so many people who love on our kids, and it’s so wonderful.

This year, one of the guys in the company dressed up as Santa. He is such a sweet guy, and has the Santa body type, so he was quite believable. The kids saw him from afar and couldn’t wait to get near him. As soon as Santa made it upstairs, all three kids (led by Jackson), raced up to him. They grabbed his legs and squealed with excitement. They had little chants of “Santa! Santa!” and could barely get the words out about how they were ready for him to come to our house. They also quickly told him that they were being good (lies), and that they know Rocky the Elf is going back to the North Pole soon. It was honestly such a sweet, innocent moment to see them in.

Later in the day, we saw Santa loading a plate full of food. The kids were watching him intently. As he walked by us, Taylor said “Wow, Santa! That sure is a lot of food! Why do you need so much food?!” Santa made some adorable excuse about needing to feed the reindeer and headed over to his desk to eat. Taylor, never missing a beat, apparently watched him eat because she came up to me and said “Umm Mom? It sure doesn’t look like he’s sharing any with those reindeer.” Man, this kid makes me laugh.

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe holiday. Enjoy!

The kids have been keeping us entertained beyond belief. Things they have experienced in Christmases past are completely new experiences to them this year, and it is so much fun to see!

Taylor had a holiday show at school. I decided to throw a little bit of mascara on that day (I don’t normally wear much makeup) and Jospeh came into the bathroom as I was putting it on. He looked at me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was putting on makeup, and he burst out in tears. Between sobs he said “I don’t want Mommy’s eyes to hurt!” Poor thing thought it would hurt me. He may be a maniac sometimes, but he has such a sweet heart. Taylor did so well at the show. It was so much fun to see her interacting with all of her friends. She is obsessed with her new dress, which she will probably wear for the rest of the month! She not only loves that Snoopy and Woodstock are on it, but she loves that it’s a “spinning dress.” She’s spent lots of time spinning in circles, making the skirt of the dress spin up around her.

As I’ve said before, Taylor has many funny one liners. Even when she isn’t trying to be funny and is being completely serious, the funny shines through. It’s always great when Todd gets to hear her best lines in person. The other night, we were discussing what to have for dinner. Taylor yelled from the other room “Mom, can we have the kind of macaroni that looks like your bra?” For reference, she was asking for shell pasta. Todd and I laughed so much at that one. I’m so glad he was home to hear it.

We got our first real snow of the season overnight (about 4 inches). The kids could barely contain themselves when they saw it and couldn’t wait to go outside and play. Of course, as I’m sure all parents can relate, it took us just as long to dress three kids as the time they actually spent outside. They could barely move when they were all dressed up. The snow suit waddle is probably one of my favorite things about winter! They made snow angels, had a snowball fight, and “helped” shovel the driveway. At one point, Taylor jumped into a big snow pile and screamed “Ow! My nuts!” Todd and I looked at each other and were wondering if we really heard her correctly, when she repeated it again. I’m sure she heard that from a friend at school because they boys don’t say that expression…yet. Still, it was hilarious to hear out of her sweet little mouth. She now knows it isn’t something she should be saying, but Todd and I are still laughing about it.

Last night, all three kids slept through the night. Granted, the boys didn’t fall asleep until 10pm, but it was still fabulous. It felt like the first time we had newborns sleeping through the night! At least one of the three usually wakes up at least once for a bathroom break, milk, playtime, etc. in the middle of the night. Usually, it’s more than one. Since they all did such a great job, their elf, Rocky, brought them a gingerbread house this morning. We assembled it tonight, which was kind of a joke. The thing did not stay together, no matter how much icing we put on it! We gave up trying to decorate a fully assembled house and instead decorated sections at a time. They had so much fun decorating, and even more fun eating the candy and pieces of broken house. I don’t expect them to fall asleep before 10 tonight either, but at least they had a good time. I love making new holiday memories with them as they get older.

Last night, the kids were all playing in the boys’ room. They love playing in there with the baby gate up, as I’m emptying the dishwasher, cooking, etc. They beg me to “let” them play in there each afternoon, and I go along with it, pretending I am allowing them something special. In reality, it’s a wonderful opportunity to have them all caged. I mean, contained. They enjoy playing with each other so much, and it is really fun to watch them interact with each other as they make up crazy games. Naturally, they fight at times. Last night, there were screams, toys hitting the wall, and lots of crying. I went in numerous times and reminded them that if they wanted to play together, they had to share and take turns. I left the room and the fighting amplified. Again, I went in and refereed the round and told them that if I had to come back in again they’d all be getting a time out. Taylor looked at me, put her hands on her tiny little hips and said “Well Mom, you don’t actually have enough timeout spots for all of us you know.” Instead of laughing at her or smacking those hands right off her hips (both scenarios played out in my mind), I gave her the Mom-Stare, complete with raised eyes. I’m pretty sure moms are taught how to do that before we leave the hospital with our newborns. It must be part of the package. Anyway, I looked at her and dared her to try me. Sure enough, as soon as I turned around, they all jumped on the game they were fighting over. Hair was pulled, shirt collars were twisted, faces were smothered. I immediately returned, hoisted all three small people over the gate and informed them of where to sit. Taylor cried and threw an absolute tantrum until she realized that I wasn’t giving in, and that they each needed to sit there for five minutes in silence until I would release them from the three time out spots they didn’t know existed.

Todd came in from walking the dog and could barely contain his laughter. The kids apologized to each other, hugged it out like they were on a Monday night sitcom, and went about their night…happily.

According to our holiday decorations, we only have 14 more days until Santa comes. To me, that means 14 more days of finding acceptable spots for that darn Elf on the Shelf! Admittedly, we have all been having fun with him. Seeing the kids’ excitement over a creepy Elf with a glass-eyed stare gets me every time. I am looking forward to having my life back, in the sense that I don’t have to jump out of bed at midnight saying “Crap. The elf!” I will do a post of his favorite hiding places and most favored activities soon. I’m also not going to miss the fact that these hooligans blame Rocky for anything that happens around the house. A dresser drawer was emptied out – Rocky did it. All of the bags of cookies are missing from the snack cabinet – Rocky did it. The house smells like poop from what is clearly a dirty diaper – Rocky did it. They are enjoying the magic of the elf and the lack of accountability on their part.

This week, the boys were surprisingly well behaved. They did strip completely nude the few times we ventured to let them sleep without having their pajamas taped up, but even that wasn’t too bad this time. At nap time the other day, I knew the kids were beyond exhausted and figured they’d fall asleep quickly. I was half right. Jospeh fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Knowing Joseph was passed out, I was a little surprised to hear truck sounds, complete with backup beeps and everything. I peeked in the monitor and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Jackson was driving a toy truck over his sleeping brother’s face. Right over his face. I went into their bedroom and snapped a quick picture, but Jackson ran away when he heard me coming, leaving the truck behind. He sure was proud of himself though.

The next day at nap time, the dog went missing. I carried Ranger upstairs (he can’t jump over the foot-piece on our downstairs baby gate to get up). I knew he was upstairs and I knew the boys were playing in their room as I put away laundry and got lunch ready. I found it odd that Ranger wasn’t begging for food as I was prepping, so I went to look for him. Calling his name repeatedly did not result in him appearing, so I asked the boys if they knew where he was. They giggled and Jackson said “Yes! We put Ranger outside now!” My heart sank and I ran down the stairs to the front door, which was still closed and locked. I went downstairs, and Ranger was sleeping at the bottom of the stairs. Apparently, when I was in the bedrooms putting away laundry, the boys opened the upstairs gate and told Ranger to go down, and then closed it back up. Little demons. They love him dearly, but they also love being devious.

Friday was an interesting day at school pickup. Jackson lost his jeans completely in the parking lot – twice. They just fell around his ankles as we were walking. The kids all thought it was hilarious, and people were beeping horns and shouting in the parking lot as I tried to steer three kids over to a safe area to pull up his pants. A woman was yelling “He lost his britches! He lost his britches!” Thankfully, he’s not old enough to be embarrassed by all of that, yet. Joseph was running to the building to find his sister. He was so excited to see her. Just as I said “No running; slow down!” he tripped and fell head first, smacking his little forehead into the brick building. My heart stopped and as I went to scoop him up, he ran right into the building and to Taylor’s classroom. This kid is indestructible. He has a small bruise on his head, but nothing else. He never even cried.

As soon as we got home Friday afternoon, I was helping all of the kids hop out of the car. I went to kiss the top of Taylor’s head and noticed her scalp was full of little white specs. Fan-friggin-tastic. I immediately considered how I was going to attempt to keep the head lice from spreading throughout the entire house. I was thinking of my friends who just went through this and had to use the nasty, expensive shampoo that burned your child’s scalp. I was panicking. I picked through her hair a little more and realized that this must be some exotic form of lice because they were shimmering. How is it that lice looked so pretty, when they were such nasty little creatures? As I examined some more, I realized some of the larger pieces had shape to them. I asked Taylor if she happened to play with pretend snow at school, and she happily explained to me that her music teacher was throwing it over their heads as they danced around. It was a much better alternative.

We had a pretty fun weekend which consisted of baking cookies, choosing and decorating a Christmas tree, looking at Christmas lights, watching movies, etc. The tree Taylor chose this year was smaller in comparison to prior years, but that was just fine with us. Less to clean. Less to potentially pick up off the ground after the boys eventually tip it over. As I was buckling everyone into their car seats on the way home, I asked the kids if they were happy and excited about the tree they chose. Jackson looked at me and said “That’s not a tree, Mommy; that’s a Christmas bush!” I guess we know his true feelings on the tree.

Anyone who knows me (or even those who simply follow this blog) knows that I love to take pictures. I am in the moment with my kids and interact with them all day long, but I have gotten really good at quickly snapping out my iPhone to get a picture of them in crazy, silly, or simply sweet situations. They actually walk around with their play phones saying “Smile! Say cheese!” since they are so used to it.  When the boys were younger, I would tell Todd some of the crazy things the boys had done that day, and he would shake his head in disbelief and say that would have been funny to see. From then on, I always tried to take a quick picture of whatever these kids are up to, as long as I am sure they are safe, first.  Please enjoy the first installment (I am sure they will give me more material) of Reasons Why my Toddler Is Crying. Enjoy!