Sorry for the lack of posts lately. To say it has been a crazy week would surely be an understatement. It was a week filled with emotions, illness, and stress, but I made it through in one piece, so that has to count for something. Right?

Last Saturday night, Taylor got a head injury. She had an instant hematoma. After talking to the on call doctor at her pediatrician’s office, we determined that she needed to be brought to the emergency room to make sure that there wasn’t a skull fracture or anything worse, because of the location. Keeping calm throughout this was no easy feat. The only saving grace was that Taylor was acting perfectly normal (aside from being sore) and there was no blood involved. I called my mom, who came over with my brother so they could watch the boys. Todd and I rushed Taylor to the emergency room for her first major emergency. We went to the emergency room with her once before when she was two weeks old because they suspected she had pyloric stenosis, but thankfully nothing came from that. Todd and I were beyond frazzled and quite scared when the doctor said she needed to have a CT Scan. Words like radiation, brain bleed, and skull fracture swam around in our heads. We didn’t understand how our perfect girl who was sitting up making jokes could have something so wrong internally. The words scared us, but we kept ourselves composed and did what we had to do. When Taylor was put on a gurney, she said “Hey! This sure is a comfy bed; anyone have a pillow?” She told the head of pediatrics about exactly how and why a snowflake formed when she was asked if it was still snowing outside. She told the nurses about her dog, Ranger, and how the one she had with her was pretend but the “exact same real one” was at home. She thought it was incredible that one of the techs who helped wheel her to radiology said he was her “train driver” and his name happened to be Gordon (from Thomas and Friends). She was hilarious, well-behaved, and kind the entire night. Even though she was scared, she was a trooper. She went through the CT Scan being completely still, hugging her dog. I was right there with her to hold her little feet and talk to her the entire time. I kept myself composed for almost the entire night. When I came back from radiology with her, I took a minute to go to the bathroom to have a super quick cry and text my best friends while Todd stayed with her. The doctor came in and gave her a cool magnetic doll toy for her to decorate and play with (and take home!) while we were waiting for results. I thought that was such a kind thing to do and they went above and beyond with the gift. They surely didn’t need to give her anything, but it made our girl so happy during a scary time.

When the doctor came in the room to give us the results, I literally felt weak in the knees and was sure I would fall over. I heard her say the words “All clean” and remember thinking is this real? After such a scare, to hear that she was perfectly fine was beyond amazing. I don’t know what I would have done if the results were different, but I sure am glad we didn’t have to find out. We thanked the doctor and nurses profusely, and went home where we did “cheers” with sparkling cider. I didn’t sleep at all that night, but my girl was safe and that’s all that mattered. We followed up with another doctor’s appointment where it was determined that Taylor really is just fine. I have never been more thankful in my life. When my gray hairs start poking through, I will be able to have Taylor reference this particular post.

Later in the week, Todd and I both got some kind of nasty stomach bug, thankfully a day apart. I also got a foot injury that required an urgent care visit because after 12 hours, the bleeding wouldn’t stop. Let’s just say, I’m not good with the at home pedicure razor… Knock on wood, the kids are in good health. I have bleached the house and opened the windows to air everything out. It’s been a few days now, and we are all feeling well, so I hope it remains that way.

Thank you to everyone who knew about T’s injury who reached out to me to make sure she was okay. I read her all of the comments from my personal Facebook page, and she loved the get well videos she got from a few special friends.

I have friends from different parts of my life, and I truly cherish the relationship I have with each and every one of them.  They are all so different, but the one thing my friends seem to have in common is that they are all so talented. I thought I would take a few minutes today to tell you about a few people, and highlight their amazing small businesses.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am the Queen of the Amazon, since I do the majority of my shopping through Amazon Prime, but I also love supporting small businesses.  Businesses that mean something to me. People that mean something to me.

THOUGHTS ON A WALL

My friend Amber has a small business that is so much fun.  She makes beautiful wooden artwork to be hung on walls, displayed at holidays, etc.  She recently went to a craft fair during the holiday season, and was widely successful.  I am so proud of her.  I have a favorite saying, which is actually part of a Tim McGraw song.  It is Always Stay Humble and Kind. Taylor and I sing the song together, and I have taught her the meaning behind it.  I really think they are good words to live by and really wanted it as a prominent piece in our house in some way.  I gave Amber the saying and asked to see what she could come up with, and she made me a gorgeous sign that is hanging up in my dining room.  Not only is the quote special to me, but the sign itself is beautiful, sturdy, and well made. Amber also posted a video on her Facebook page with a tutorial of a way to hang her signs without putting holes in your walls.  I was skeptical at first, but since I trust her immensely, I went for it, and I am happy to say that our sign is still hanging.  You will have to check it out on her Facebook page!  In addition to signs with sayings, at Thoughts on a Wall, you can find a variety of other items.  Some of my favorites include a height chart (which would be an awesome new baby / first birthday gift), Merry Mail (for displaying holiday cards), flour sack towels, and toilet paper with sayings on them. I kid you not about the toilet paper.  She is so creative, and the toilet paper gag gifts are hilarious.  You can check out her page here and see for yourself.  I can not wait to order my next item from her!

CRAFTY DUCK

Mary has always been so supportive of me and is so creative.  She has finally started to put some of that creative energy into making cute pillows and hair accessories.  Anyone who knows Taylor knows that she has a slight pony obsession.  Mary sent Taylor the cutest little pillow for her room.  It goes perfectly with all of her decor, and as Taylor says “It’s the most cozy pillow ever and the perfect size for ponies?” She sleeps with it every single night.  Mary also makes pillows with various sports themes, which I am sure will be a big hit for Super Bowl season.  If it’s not hockey, I don’t understand it, but I am sure she will be able to make pillows for all of your various team needs! Contact her on Facebook at Crafty Duck and have her make something for you!

THE YELLOW DOG SHOP

One of my childhood friends, Lauren, started this etsy shop, and I am so impressed with what she’s done.  She is passionate about dogs and is spreading awareness, as well as outfitting dogs with really cute collars!  Her shop is inspired by the Yellow Dog Project (which I personally knew nothing about before Lauren began talking about it).  This is what Lauren has to say about her business: Welcome to The Yellow Dog Shop, inspired by The Yellow Dog Project. If you are not familiar with TYDP, it is a concept that was started in 2012 to use the color yellow to indicate that a dog needs extra space (if they are shy around dogs, people, sick, in training, etc.) Since the project was started I have been actively promoting it locally, but I would like to reach communities all over the country as well. There are a number of other places you can purchase items to promote/support the project, but I noticed there was no where to buy the very basics … like a yellow ribbon! So please enjoy and spread the word. If you would like more information about TYDP, please visit their website: http://www.TheYellowDogProject.com

So many times, people just assume it is okay to pet our dog and just go for it.  While Ranger is okay with this, many other dogs are not and people need to understand and be accepting of that.  I have been teaching this to the kids and they know that they are not allowed to touch someone else’s dog unless they ask both us and the dog’s owner.  Having something identifying, like a yellow collar or ribbon, is an amazing way to share the notion that the dog needs some space.  I really hope this catches on and people spread awareness of this. Lauren has beautiful collars for all dogs; not just dogs who need extra space.  They are durable and beautiful! Check out her shop to get something special for your pup!

5 LITTLE MONKEYS

Rhonda’s page makes me so happy. I love flipping through and seeing what new things she has come up with.  She makes a lot of fun shirts for her own children’s special events (holidays, first days of school, etc.) and has even made some for my kids.  Last year, Taylor was celebrating her 100th day at school and wanted a special shirt to wear for it, and Rhonda pulled through and came up with something so cute, that both Taylor and I loved! She makes the most incredible glitter mugs, ornaments, onesies, etc.  You name it, she can figure it out!  She does everything with love, and it is evident in her work.  Check out her page 5 Little Monkeys on Facebook to see what she is all about. I really love that everything she does is so customizable so it can be one of a kind.  So often, Taylor and her friends are caught wearing the same shirt (not a big deal when you are five years old) but with Rhonda’s unique creations, that doesn’t happen!

CAT CHASE DOG STUDIO

Cat Chase Dog Studio is run by my friend Lindsey.  She makes gorgeous works of art from mostly colored pencils and pens; I’ve even seen seriously impressive things she’s done with sidewalk chalk. I can not adequately express how talented she is and how beautifully intricate her work is.  I have trouble making stick figures with faces when the kids ask me to draw something, but Lindsey makes vibrant paintings and drawings…and she makes it look effortless.  Everything she creates is simply gorgeous.  The Christmas card she and her husband (and furry babies) sent us is the only one we still have on display because it is so beautiful. Her work conditions may be hampered by a curious cat or two, but that doesn’t stop her.  If you would like to see more of her work, you can check her out on Instagram @catchasedogstudio.  She can also be reached via email at catchasedogstudio@gmail.com. I am surely going to have Lindsey make a picture of our boy, Ranger at some point.  How gorgeous would his little face look on canvas?

Just a while ago, I looked at the monitor and saw a small boy with his pants down. I heard the demonic giggles, and ran into the room to tell him to redress himself. I found Jospeh, with his cannoli in his hand, pulled out over his pull-up. He was standing on the back of his bed and starting to pee on his brother’s head.

That’s all I’ve got for today. Isn’t that enough?

I thought 2016 was a crazy year, but the first few days of 2017 have been rough! These boys are going through some crazy anti-sleep phase and it is exhausting me to no end and making my patience super thin. All of us have been off schedule since Taylor was on a winter break from school. Throw in the holiday excitement and we have a disaster. They actually ripped pages out of their books and ate them during the night. They now have no books again. Just when I think they are capable of earning things back… Yesterday morning, I sent Taylor to the boys’ room to open their door and wake them up. She loves greeting them each morning. They quite obviously heard me ask her this. I happened to see them (through the monitor) get out of bed, lock their door, and crawl back into bed with the covers over their heads. I had to unlock the door and force them out of bed; they weren’t getting to sleep in after an awful night of destruction and keeping us awake! Last night, I figured it had to be better. They quickly passed out at nap time and I woke them back up about 45 mins – an hour in. They still need a nap, otherwise they are in bed by six but up at midnight. It’s pretty crappy however you look at it. Anyway, last night, they moved their little end table across the floor multiple times. They gouged the hardwood floor and made me wish I had a bottle of rum. I removed the end table from their room, but they continued to run around and play for hours. They finally fell asleep around 10:30 and I thought all was well in the world until I heard piercing screams. I walked in the room to see Joseph walking in a circle, with his right leg dragging behind him. He was screaming as if in pain. As he was doing his peg-leg circle walk, he fell over and yelled that his “leg was gone and hurt.” I immediately knew that it had fallen asleep and was uncomfortable. I massaged his little leg until he felt better, but he woke up his siblings in the process. By the time I got everyone back down, it was close to midnight. Our buddy Joseph woke all of us up again at 5am, with a bloody nose.

Taylor went back to school today, after a nice long break. She was so excited to use her new backpack (an awesome Christmas gift from my parents)! While I was helping pack all of her stuff up and asking her if she was excited to start back at school, she said “Yeah! I am. I’m going to my new school now, right?” I asked her what she meant and she said “Well, it’s time for kindergarten. Kindergarten starts now, right?” My sweet girl thought she was off to kindergarten today, and she was perfectly fine with it! I hope she has the same spirit and good attitude come September.

The kids got our old / refurbished iPads from Santa this year. It was a favorite gift of theirs. They get a limited, supervised amount of time every day and play educational apps (with the occasional Minion farting game, because, minions…) We have found a huge love for ABCMouse.com (it is so fun and educational) and we are thoroughly enjoying our trial. We found a Groupon deal, that a coworker alerted Todd about, and we haven’t looked back. Last night, the kids were all nicely playing so I snuck to the next room to empty the dishwasher. I came back into the room and Taylor was playing nicely, Jackson was doing a lesson in Spanish, and Jospeh was literally hacking into the neighbor’s wireless. These kids will rule the world one day.

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.