New Recipe!

Hey!!! Check it out! I finally updated my recipe box. This is an awesome recipe for chocolate cookies I made up after stealing tips from various family members. Definitely a keeper!

Anyone seen Poltergeist lately?

So I figured once he had touched 90% of the jello castle I had made, I might as well let him have the whole thing. Because, honestly, who wants to eat something a 3 year old boy has touched, breathed on, sneezed on, and licked? In the background, you can see my various (abet unsuccessful) attempts at getting him to eat that day. The only thing he wanted to eat was jello, and when he was done eating it, he wanted to smash it. We'll just call it sensory play, right? What a happy boy!

My little Cookie Monster

You have to love a girl who knows how to appreciate her cookie! Or, at least knows how to keep her siblings from stealing it.

Can you get the WHOLE cookie in your mouth, Clara?

YES, I CAN!

Bi-Zi Farms Field Trip

So, James' preschool picked the RAINIEST day ever for a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Luckily, my mom could watch the girls, so it was just James and Mommy, and 100 billion other kids at the farm. We had a very fun, very WET day! James loved the tractors and feeding the goats. I normally don't add all the outtake photos in my collages, but I thought it was so funny how determined James was to NOT to look at the camera. What can I say, I have a 3 going on 13 year old!

Are we having fun yet?

Summary of photos (counter clockwise):

Kate crying because she didn't get her way.

Clara on a table causing mischief; her favorite place to be.

James crying because he wants to ride in the stroller, girls happy/indifferent.

James happy because he gets to ride, girls unhappy and kicking brother.

Ok, so this week I get an A++++++ for effort. I had a childhood friend, Zina, visiting her sister up in northern Washington. She invited me up to visit, and I just couldn't pass it up. I entreated my mother to come along as a helper and we made the trek. It really went pretty well, except for the 40 minutes of screaming from my girls at my aunt's house before they fell asleep. And the moment Zina opened the door and Kate greeted her by throwing up all over the carpet. James screaming and wailing at the ice cream store because he wanted mommy's "big" ice cream. Oh, and then we stopped at Jack-in-the-box to let the kids stretch as eat dinner on the way home. While I'm trying to order: James is pushing the stack of highchairs into random people's tables, Kate is running barefoot around the restaurant, Clara is on the table dumping my purse out on the floor, which Kate later dumping a FULL glass of water onto. My mom placated James by pushing Kate around the restaurant in a highchair, putting her in "time out" in random locations--his favorite? He wanted to put her in the toilet.
I'm pretty sure in the midst of all of this I got a chance to visit with my friends, see some gorgeous scenery, and do something other than sit around the house all day long.

Am I a glutton for punishment??

So, I try again. Justin went up the the cabin to go hunting this weekend. For various reasons, he was going to be by himself, so I decided to take the kids up and keep him company. Any of you with kids know how much work it is to pack for vacations with kids. But I made it! The kids and I got up there during daylight hours with enough time for a trip to the lake. I was totally prepared for the rainy weather any everything. Kids were in bed by 7. I got some solo time to read and eat brownies before Justin got there.

Everything seemed okay.

I should have been warned.

It never goes this simple.

About 12 midnight James starts talking in his sleep about being cold. We can't seem to warm him up. We move him in the bed next to me. Next thing I know, in the dark, I hear gagging sounds. NOT GOOD. James throws up ALL OVER HIMSELF. 3 times. Needless to say, when Kate threw up a bit the next day, and I wasn't feeling so hot, I bailed. The kids and I came home the next day at 10 am. All that work for nothing. But hey, I get an A++ for effort, right??

There are MANY, MANY, MANY moments when I am over whelmed by the thought that I will have another baby to add to the mix in 5 months. That EVERY LAST THING I DO FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS WILL BE PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTING. I dream about the day when I can get out of the house and go back to school or go to work or go anywhere but crazy. It's not the cleaning up after kids that I mind--it's the cleaning up the SAME &%$@# THING 4 TIMES IN 6 MINUTES while one kid slips in it and cracks her head and other one tracks it into the living room before I can get it cleaned up that I mind. It's not how hard it is to do anything with 3 kids, it's how hard it is, and then it doesn't work that gets to me. Really, I dream about going back to work, and getting to hire someone else to change diapers, and clean up messes and argue with nonsensical 3 year and 16 month olds. I would love going to school just so I can sit down for more that 15 minutes straight.

I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW!

If I was back at work I would be dreaming about the moments I was missing with my kids. When James gives his sisters hugs and kisses and offers them toys, when Kate does a head stand and then looks up to make sure you clap for her, when Clara offers to share her sucking thumb with you. I know there are so many rewards and blessings right now from being home with my kids. I know I dreamed of these days for years when I couldn't have the family I wanted. It's all a great blessing in disguise as a tornado right? I just have to weather the storm.

Where's my poncho?

20 week preggie pics

On the left is me now, 20 weeks pregnant with baby #4. On the right is me 20 weeks pregnant with the twins--not counting the 10 extra pounds I had when I started this pregnancy!

Halloween 2009 costumes Done!

Here's James in his Halloween costume. He LOVES it!! I had to find something with wings so he wouldn't try to steal his sister's fairy wings. He is so adorable it in. I actually got a smile for the camera!!!

Just some cute pictures!

Ok, so after a day like today I need some reminders that really my kids can be adorable. Today I decided to try out story time at the library. Hum. Kate was in the storyteller's chair and out the backdoor twice, Clara was face down on the floor (not idea why), and James was spinning around and screaming. That was the first 5 minutes. When I looked up and realized more kids and adults were watching my trio than the story teller, I decided we needed to make a quick exit. Gotta make a mom feel great when you not only have the worst, but the first, second, and third worst kids at story time!! ;) To their credit, they actually LOVE reading and spend quite a bit of time everyday reading/fighting over books. So, here are some cute photos to remind me of how sweet they are.

Clara playing hide-and-seek in the cabinets.

I don't remember why, but James decided all three of them needed to be in timeout.

I don't think the girls get the idea of time out.

Here my mom is, doing the tedious work I have ignored because I wanted to be sewing fairy princess costumes, not making new covers for couches . . . She got a few helpers along the way!

3 Little Monkeys

What's wrong with this video??? What's wrong is that it was taken at 8:10 at night. 30 minutes PAST bedtime! Way too much energy for this momma!

twins garden fairy costumes

I Love Having LITTLE GIRLS!!! I have had so much fun making the girls' Halloween costumes this year. Kate especially likes wearing the tutu and wings. Clara's not so sure about the headband. The real problem is keeping James out of the costumes. I've decided to make him a bumble bee for Halloween so he can have his own set of wings and I'll make a yellow and black tutu for him to wear.

Garden Fairy Clara

Garden Fairy Kate
Garden Gnome James

15 week belly shot

For Ashley: So I never really posted about this surprise baby #4. We are so excited for this little boy, and more than a little overwhelmed. Because of a very specific revelation I had in the temple last spring, we knew that another baby would be coming our way sooner than we had originally planned. However, we didn't know it was going to be QUITE so soon. Never-the-less, little boy Jochim is on his way! Here are my 15 week belly shots. Next month I'll do a side-by-side comparision with my twin pregnancy belly shots, but for right now there's not a ton of difference. :)

Sometimes there IS a way to make everyone happy

Ok, so after an afternoon of intense biting, pushing, pulling, squashing, and wailing over the red car, the kids found a way for everyone to be happy and to share in a way. Ahhhh, remember the moment Jessica, it may be a long time until another one like comes along. ;)

Cedar Creek Grist Mill

Here are some pics from our outing to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill. An absolutely beautiful place for a picnic. We watched them grind flour and corn and then enjoyed a walk up the creek.

R.I.P. snake-worm friend

Some relationships burn slow and steady over decades. Some blaze hot and intense for an afternoon. Such was the dear friendship between James and snake-worm friend. For an afternoon James treated his snake-worm with the kindest, best attention a friend could hope for; he fed it dirt, gave it rides in the wheelbarrow, laid it down for a nap on a brick bed and lay down with it, he made it a sofa for it to sit on, a petted it . . . basically loved it as no worm has been loved before.
Alas, friendships between a 3 year old and a worm are not meant to last. Snake-worm has been laid to rest--in several pieces--next to last week's best friend--ladybug, who was also laid to rest in several pieces. A moment of silence for snake worm . . .

Summary of my life right now . . .

And I still had 5 bottles I didn't get it. ;)

Florence, Oregon

Here are some pics from our Athay family trip to florence, Oregon last week. We had a great time at the beach. We totally recommend the adventure sand dune tours in the bus size dune buggy. Aweome! We stopped by the Newport Aquarium on the way down and all the kids loved seeing the fish. Kate couldn't stop pointing at them!

Playground Rant . . .

Ok, I just need to get this off my chest.
There are certain rules for the playground. Obviously, SOME PEOPLE just don't know them, or they choose to ignore them. If you have your 3 year old in the baby swings, and there are regular swings open, it would be kind to move your 3 YEAR OLD to the big swing so the lady with 2 babies could use one of the baby swings. I mean, for cryin' out loud--I put BOTH girls in one swing, so really I don't take up more than my share of play equipment.

If for some reason your 3 YEAR OLD (who was physically capable of riding their trike to the playground) can't go in the big swing, then take your 5 minute turn in the baby swing and then let someone else go--you know, someone like the lady with twins giving you the evil eye as she tries to take both babies down the slide because she can't send one down ahead and she can't leave one behind.
I mean really. Don't people know what playground etiquette is?

OMSI . . .A.K.A. . . .The Germ Factory

Well, 2 weeks ago we met my cousins Kristy (+kiddos), Natalie, Aunt Karen, & Grandma Athay at Omsi. I was pondering getting a membership thinking it would be a fun excape in a few months when the winter doldrums hit. After 3 kids w/ 3 colds= OMSI membership not happening this year. Maybe when my girls are old enough to not put EVERY LAST THING in their mouths. Ah, well. It was fun while it lasted. Until I caught an 8 year old pushing Clara over--HARD. What's the most dangerous animal in the wild???? A mad momma bear. Let's just saying I did some yelling at that kid and then made him take me to his mom. It took me awhile to calm down. NOBODY PUSHES MY BABY AROUND! ;) We all survived.

I became one of "those" moms

Ok, so this is just a little note I had to record for myself. Today I realized that I had become one of "those" moms. You know, the kind that only allow their kids to play with one toy at a time, and must put it back before they can get another one out; the kind who's kids wear bibs until they're 5 (kate gosselyn--How do you get a 5 year old to wear a bib? my 14 month old won't); the kind that have white furniture--and it's still white . . . You know a "clean house mom". Having grown up in a family that revered creative messiness . . .to the EXTREME. Only those of you who remember my mother's car as the "jelly mobile"--the texture of the seats when you sat down--will really understand what I mean by extreme. But, in my adulthood, I have come to realize that I am much more at home in order. I understand the idea of putting away toys as you play, having concrete curbing, and white couches (as long as they're slip covers that can be bleached!) But still, I inadvertently put myself in the creative-messy category out of habit.

But today, I realized I had become a "clean house" mom. I hadn't allowed my kids to play downstairs in weeks simply because I couldn't STAND the thought of having to pick up the toys. Understand, downstairs is the place where the IKEA bins filled with itsy-bitsy toys are kept--AND, James' favorite activity it to sit in the middle and dump EVERY SINGLE BIN OUT. So, without realizing it, I had moved the kids upstairs to play everyday. Now, I'm not really a clean house mom. I barely do enough to keep the status quo. But I aspire to be a clean house mom. Maybe we should just call this whole avoidance of mess a survival mechanism by a desperate mom.

Our little family get-away

So, once again I loaded the photos in reverse order. Oops!

Here's a little synopsis of our family get-away to the cabin. Although it was a bit hot when we first got there, it weather turned out beautifully, and we enjoyed hiking, swimming, playing games, and all sorts of outdoor fun.

Kate--For the Love of Oreos!

At our secret spot on the Lewis River. We should have know that if you take a 3 year old near water, they WILL get in. Shoulda' just put him in a swimsuit at the beginning!
Clara is testing out the rocks. So far they all taste like . . .rocks.

Kate finds the perfect perch.

The Ape Caves. So how do you do a 42 degree hike in the dark with 3 kids under three? Simple, you drive 20 minutes, take 20 minutes to prep up, walk in for 10 minutes and walk back out. The rule is simple, if 2 out of 3 are crying it's time to go. ;) Or, if your feet are on fire.

James and mommy checking out the trail of 2 forests--or the lava tubes. James was very upset we couldn't go hide in the tube. Justin was back at the car with a sleeping Kate, so it just wasn't going to work. I don't think Clara would have liked me crawling down a dark lava tube while she was on my back. ;)

Sunday morning chocolate milks with Daddy

Swimming at the lake with mommy. Thanks to whoever left the cute floaties at the cabin for us to use!

Hiking Big Creek Falls trail with daddy.