Guinea Pigs

So we finally caved. After months of pining for a pet, we got Riley, not one but two guinea pigs. After questioning our animal loving nurse friend about all the important stuff to know about guinea pigs we felt confident in our pet handling capabilities. Because, after all we have managed to keep the triplets alive for the past 3 years and prevent them from killing each other over the past 6 months of WWF going down in our neck of the woods.
As it turns out, Miss Ericka has the perfect guinea pig for us at PetSmart (the name is important here) and we may take her home free of charge (adopt) after she is discharged from the pet hospital. "Roxy" as Riley has named her, had a rough start in life. She was the runt, had a tough time growing, and at one point lost all of her fur. (* If after reading this portion of the blog and are doubting our choice, just wait, there is more). Riley and I made several trips out to visit Roxy prior to bringing her home and fell head over heals in love with her. Roxy had been held and loved frequently in the hospital and was used to be held. She even purred for Riley boy.
Fast forward to last week just prior to Easter, Roxy was being discharged and we were clear to come and pick her up. We had already purchased and put together (with Papa's help) her top of the line guinea pig hutch, food, hay, bedding, igloo, holding pad, treats, water bottle, food dish, hay ball  . . . .
We were prepared!. And yes, so on to guinea pig #2. Guinea pigs are social animals. We did not want our Roxy girl to be lonely when we were out running to and fro with doctors appointments, OT, PT, school, Friendship Builders, Language Builders, Leaps N Bounds, etc. So we were determined to find Roxy a sister friend (we DO NOT need baby guinea pig breeding going on). PetSmart was out of girl guinea pigs at this time and the PetCo down the street had one female left. "Will you please hold it for us until tomorrow?" "No. We cannot hold 'pocket pets' . It is not our policy. But, I think she will still be here tomorrow . . ." Freakin liar.
Onwards and upwards we drive to Irvine PetCo where according to their directions we get lost 3 times before our arrival. Riley at this point is quite concerned that we are buying a pet from PetCo because they are not "smart". Clever little man. Anyways, here we find two very darling and very skittish little girl guinea pigs. I fall in love with the brown one with the white nose and one white foot who squeaks and squeals like a pig. Riley instead chooses the white and brown one to be his Olivia (* name chosen after a classmate :)). We purchase Olivia and head back down to PetSmart to introduce her to Roxy. Ericka helps acclimate the two guineas while Riley and I fill out Roxy's adoption paperwork (very official). It is Ericka who notes Olivia's extra toe! Yea, two special guinea pigs have found the perfect family. Onward home to introduce them briefly to the triplets and then whisk them into Riley's room until they have settled down. A week of bliss follows as the girls adjust to being home with us. Daily holding and loving with Riley and Michaela. Little treats here and there- oranges, carrots, broccoli. We are in love.
Monday, I worked. Grammie Girl says that something is not quite right with our Roxy girl. Her feet are cold and she is super easy to pick up- no running around and trying to escape. Knowing Grammie can sometimes be an alarmist, I assure her that I will check on her. Roxy and I settle down to watch a show on the couch. Her breathing seems labored, but shows no other symptoms of illness- no runny nose, crusty eyes, sneezing. She wants me to hold her close and tries to nestle against my neck. Damn. I start calling after hours vets. Casey looks at me as if I have lost my mind. It will be $73 for an urgent care visit with a vet that does not specialize in guinea pigs. Casey looks at me point blank and says, "I know that look. You are going to drop a $1,000 on trying to save this thing. Promise me you will be sensible." Fine. My mom and I drive Roxy to the vet at 11:30 PM.
The vet on call is fabulous. He tells me everything they can do for her and yet breaks it down to reality. We agree to start her on antibiotics and discuss in depth on how to rig an isolette as we are lucky enough to own a home oxygen blender (thank you Austin and thank you Dr. Lana :)). $100 later, Roxy is no longer a "free" guinea pig and is the proud owner of antibiotics that are prescribed in her name to Roxy/Rodent (perspective).  I am confident that I can at least tell Riley how hard we tried to save our Roxy Girl. Morning comes and Roxy is still alive. I struggle with telling Riley but decide that I had better do it before school, just in case, and so if anything he can again know that I tried. He is concerned but takes it rather well. Stating that he feels the medicine will help save her. I then explain that medicine does not always work, but I am hoping (for his sake and for mine) that she will be ok.
After school Riley rushes out of class and inquires about his Roxy. He is happy to hear that she is still alive but devastated when I tell her that she is in fact dying. He holds her quietly in his lap with the oxygen held up to her nose (because she turned blue when I tried to force feed her the vet stuff) and sobs. I join him. Papa comes and digs a hole for her in the garden. Roxy has a lovely (Catholic) burial service joined by Grammie Girl, Mommy, Riley, the triplets, and Riley's new ABA therapy aids (it's their 1st day here- joy). Horrible.
The next morning Riley is sad and Michaela is sobbing. She wants Roxy and she wants her "NOW!". Austin attempts to comfort her as only a three year old boy can: "She is in the hole Mitch and you can't go you are too big!" Hell. So now our attention is poured out onto Olivia. Checking her frequently for signs of infection, etc.
We need to get a second guinea pig for her so she is not lonely . . . (Yes, I did think about a 5150 for myself, truly. But my psych hold is in all honestly my house.) So I call PetCo. My favorite little brown guinea pig, Olivia's sister, is still available. Given my sob story they agree to hold her. Pippi "Squeak" Longstocking is ours. Mitchy, Riley, and I pick her up and rig a second cage to isolate her until we are sure that Olivia is well (1 week). Story not over.
Two days into having Pippi holed up in Riley's room, Grammie Girl and I are convinced that something is not right. Round 2. I rush her back to PetCo where I am assured that she is quite fine and that her nose is brownish in color like her feet and she is not "dusky". I am a freak.
Tonight Oliva and Pippi have been reunited. I am hopeful that they will last at least a year until Casey agrees to a dog . . . it could happen AND pigs could fly . . .

7 months later . . . The Shays Are Busier Than Ever!

Sorry friends. It has been awhile. I have been meaning to update the blog- really and truly, but life got in the way! In the past 7 months we have gone on vacation to San Fransisco- a road trip to celebrate the wedding of a favorite uncle; been in the hospital 3 x with T&As (tonsil and adenoids removed) for Caden and Riley and just because he couldn't breathe for Austin- discharged on Thanksgiving. Michaela has managed to potty train herself and we are currently working on the little boys. Riley has started kindergarten and the triplets have started  preschool, two days a week for three hours. In addition, Riley has started karate; Austin attends Friendship Builders and Language Builders (both 2 day a week programs;) and Caden attends Leaps and Bounds once a week. All boys attend Beach Kids Therapy Center for occupational therapy and physical therapy. Michaela would like to sign up for a gymnastics class, Austin would like a ballet class,  and Caden would like guitar lessons. Casey is working 5 days a week and I am working 2 (vacation days :)). My mom is here most days, particularly the days that I am working. I love when other people complain they are busy, it makes me laugh! I would love to post the hours of operation around here, including the drive time, but would hate to get robbed (as if we had anything to steal other than toys :))! Not complaining, just saying.
As my New Year's Resolution I will attempt to keep this blog updated (esp. more frequently than 7 months time). The kids are growing and thriving. They are beyond funny (and they know it).

QUOTES-
Riley- Upon overhearing the conversation about the Stagecoach tipping at Knott's Berry Farm (while we were there, of course) . . .
Grammie:"Did anybody D-I-E?" (spelling it out). Riley: "You mean DIE, Grammie?" Damn, you forget how quickly kids learn to spell and read these days! Here is to learning how to spell backwards!

Riley describing how wet people got on Big Foot Rapids: " . . . And this lady got so wet you could like, see where her boob holders were!"

Austin: "Hi, beauty. Shake your bootie."
Austin: "I am a beautiful princess, you (mommy) are my king."

Mitch: "I don't feel well. My heart feels funny." Mommy: "You want me to check your heart?" Mitch:"NO. Not you! Dr. Wilkinson. The doctor, not the nurse!"

Mitch: "Laura (nanny), I DON'T love you. I love Mommy, I love Grammie, but I DON'T love you!" Caden tilting his head and looking at Laura, reaches out grabs her face and says, "Iiiii love you, stupid!"

A lady commented to Grammie while she had the kids out to lunch at McDonald's, "she is so cute." Mitchy turns and glares at the woman, "I am not cute!" Well, she might have been before she opened her mouth :)

*The preschool teacher (with the patience of a saint) is convinced that Michaela will not have any self-esteem or peer pressure issues when she is in high school. Yep, I believe it. God Bless all of her minions though.

At the beach in reference to a 10-12 year old chubby little girl- Caden: "She's got a belly!"

Caden (at 4 o'clock in the morning): "I want to go to Reynold's house today." Mommy: "Reynold's has to work today. How about tomorrow?" Caden: "I want to eat cereal at Reynold's and play the computer, and go up and down the stairs, but NOT in the bedrooms and play the piano. I want to see Tuxy. I need my bathing suit and go in the water." Mommy: "Where is your "off " button?"

 

 

Michaela Boo-Boo

Yo Gabba Gabba

"I don't like it!"

"I wove this!"

Riley and his cousin, "Baby Sawyer." 

 

It's ALL true . . . sad, but true

So, it's been awhile, but don't worry we've been keeping tabs on all things Shay to keep you entertained. As a matter of a fact, so much has happened that I will first present it to you in outline form- so if you fancy, you could skip ahead should you so desire. There is a lot to report, so much so that I will probably have writer's cramp to go along with my broken finger (thanks to the new "fire door"- we clearly needed a door such as this BTW- you'll see!)

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want to . . .
     OUTLINE
I. Kitchen Remodel
II. Move to apartment
     a. van vs. pole
     b. vomit escapades . . . and poop and pee
     c. CT scan
     d. security deposit refund?
III. Homecoming
     a. kitchen remodel from HELL, ie. oven doesn't fit, etc.
     b. backyard makeover (or under)
     c. trailer
     d. fire department
     e. broken finger

     The kitchen remodel began as a dream ever since we moved in. The "old" kitchen with it's original (but bigger) cabinets was full of mold and falling apart around us, literally. Shelves were propped up with 2x4s and lined with linoleum to give us more of a barrier against the oldy moldy plywood.  Some cabinets weren't even used as they were crumbling from the inside out. So this was our excuse to take out a home equity line to remodel what clearly was a "health hazard". Interviewed a couple different contractors and off we went.
     Prior to the demolition of the old kitchen, it was decided that the Shay's would need to relocate based on the fact that the children (mostly Caden and Austy) could not tolerate anything that might aggravate their airways (* yes, they are special and they know it). After hemming and hawing and Casey calculating and recalculating (done with a great deal of complaining in regards to the extra expense), we decided to rent an apartment instead of an extended stay hotel (mas dinero). We signed a month to month lease for a 1 month period of time at Laguna Serrano in LN. We had stayed there prior to purchasing this house and actually found out about the triplets during our 1st round in the apartments there. Good times. The difference this time? Aside from the THREE obvious things (ie. Austy, Mitchy, and Caden being full fledged children and not just fetuses would be one),  but also the size and location of the apartment. We were forced to rent a 3 bedroom based on the number of people residing in the apartment (more money!) and there was only one available (upstairs unit- God love the people below us- it wasn't our 1st choice I swear).
     Moving in was relatively painless (we cheated and rented a refrigerator so the company would have to carry the unit up and down the stairs). We also saved ourselves the hassle of moving tons of furniture and just brought mattresses, a few chairs, futon, the kids' table, clothes, and toys. Oh, and a microwave of course- cooking in-style. Casey forbade any crafting item that could be used to deface the property as the $500 security deposit rested heavily upon his heart. We kept those items in the garage just in case we needed to get crafty, but alas managed to survive without having to break through the tape on the box. I did however manage to break the front end off  of my van (1/2 way only :)) by running into/ side driving into a plastic (stupid, plastic) pole while arguing with Austin in the back seat about which Alvin and the Chipmunks song he wanted to listen to. All I wanted him to do was shut . .., um PLEASE, BE QUIET and GO TO SLEEP! But alas, no. Pole 1st, song 2nd, drive 3rd, sleep- dead last.
     Back to the security deposit . . . Our kids are pukers. Well, Austy is for sure and Mitchy and Riley can sympathy puke with the best of them, so yeah that statement is just about right. Our kids are pukers. First week in, Austin in the kitchen. All over. Riley hearing the excitement (Casey on duty, bemoaning the puke) comes running and sliding. Two pukey kids. Riley: "AGGHHHHHH. Mommy what do I do?  (gag, gag) What do I do?" Casey: "Why would you do that Riley? Why would you run through the vomit? Why weren't you looking . . . .?" Me: "Riley, honey. It's gonna be okay. Lets just take off your jammies and get you into the shower right here, quick. See problem solved." Casey: "There goes the security deposit . . ." Oh, for heaven's sake. Everybody barfs, everybody poops, etc. Life goes on. All in all we checked out with a few "accidents" to speak of and a couple ( + a few )broken blinds, not too shabby for triplets and 5 year old :)
     By far the worst part about the apartment though was the stairs. We did our best to make sure that the doors were locked at all times and that the kids held onto the rail and/or us going up and down each and every time. One raining morning though, Mitchy slipped and fell approx. 4 stairs. By the grace of God and her (very overworked) guardian angel, Michaela ended up sliding backward on her head, shoulder, and back, vs her head and face, etc. She was pretty shaken up and promptly threw up. I kept a close eye on her throughout the day and even though she was a little off (quiet for once) she fared pretty well. We even managed a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific with Erin and her mom "Reynold's". The next morning though, Mitchy was throwing up again and off we went to the ER.
     A couple hours and a cat scan (CT) of the brain later, Michaela was cleared of any fractures or brain bleeds. Dx: Concussion. The best part (aside from the fact that there were no bleeds, etc) was the CT scan itself. We (Mitchy and I) enjoyed a ride on the gurney to radiology. "It's okay Michaela. It's like Disneyland." Michaela-"Where are the rollerposters?"  In CT neither my mom nor myself could convince Michaela to lie still, but Christian could. Oh, you betcha. "Michaela, princess, could you please just put your pretty little head right here and I'll be really fast. Oh. and when your are done princess you can have ice cream and what ever you want, but we really need you to lay still for the camera. Can you do that princess?" "Ok." And for that Christian got upgraded (by Mitchy) from radiology tech to doctor."Doctor fixed my head with the camera. He fixed my noggin. It's all better." Oh, my darling girl how I love you. Forget age 16, we're locking you up at 10 sister.
     One month passes. Finally time to move home into our new kitchen. Yea, right? Nope. It's not done. Even with an extra week built into the schedule, still not done. Problem- the oven doesn't fit, the cabinets are too small, etc. I wish I knew why, except for the obvious- they measured wrong and despite Casey having presented the guys with the appliance measurements PRIOR to them building the cabinets- the oven remains un-installed in the middle of the kitchen. Good times. More microwave meals, cereal, and McDonald's - the kids are suffering :)- yeah right! Add yet another week onto the schedule, more bickering with the contractor and the cabinet maker an attempt to slide the cabinetry over and shave down the granite- fail. Next, shave the cabinets down (8 of them, which= 16 precise cuts) in an attempt to make the oven fit. It's a go, barely.
     I am so not amused. I can however say that I am among the majority of people who "LOVE" contractors after working with them in my home and being told what I want. Really? How bout I tell you what I want and because we are paying for it, as a contractor/cabinet maker, you do it regardless of what google says about the size of plates! (Apparently all cabinets (except our old bigger ones) are 11 inches on the inside which is "standard" unless you specify otherwise and  I quote "the standard dinner dish according to GOOGLE is 9 inches.") Wow. Good to know. Please don't come to the ER and tell me you think you are having a heart attack and gee . . .those symptoms aren't on my Google list of signs and symptoms of a heart attack- please have a seat in the waiting room . . . ) Come on!!! (I know, I know. I don't work in the ER, I work with kids only for a reason!)  Maybe, you should ask the customer before you assume things. Alas, my dead aunt's dishes don't fit and even though they were ugly and it would be cheaper to buy new dishes vs reinstall cabinets, I am a little bitter. Oh, and because of the island placement, we can only load the oven from the side. They were worried about moving it further down as it would "float" a bit out into the dining room and it wouldn't look right. Yeah, so how is loading the oven from the side any righter? (If you do, please keep it to yourself!) Needless to say the kitchen is done. I have a few more things to put away, but all the extra people milling about are gone! Finally.
     While the kitchen was undergoing its beautification process, my Uncle George was hard at work painting the interior and dismantling the backyard. There was a large brick and concrete patio off to the side that posed a hazard to the kids and really needed to go. It is now gone and a large (LARGE) patch of dirt/mud exists in its place. Add in a falling apart sandbox, trampoline, swing set, plastic climbing toy, merry-go-round, and playhouse- you have my yard in a nutshell (oh- and lots of chalk drawings, pieces of chalk, socks, discarded clothes  . . .) MESS. It is of course a work in progress :) Add in the trailer that is in the driveway (utilized and abandoned in the move to and from the apartment) and you have WT. Yep, I know God doesn't make trash. But we are WT to the nth degree (we do for the record have all our teeth, though many of mine aren't exactly "real").
     And now for the icing on the cake . . . the fire department. They didn't just come for a social call. Nope. We called 911 within 48 hours of moving back home because something was burning. It smelled so bad that we were convinced there was a fire in the attic. During the course of the remodel they had done a lot of rewiring to get everything up to code, so it must be that right? We didn't find anything amiss in the kitchen, the oven had yet to be installed, smoke was noted to be coming from the attic vents . . . Everyone out. 911. 4 fire trucks and 2 ambulances (just in case?) arrived within minutes. 1st round of guys go into the house, 2nd group around the back. The first group reappears after apparently doing a quick sweep of the house and put on their oxygen tanks. Firemen are now on the roof with chain saws, half the neighborhood is outside observing the melee, my children and I are on "Grandma Carol next door" neighbor's front yard, and my husband- why my husband would be across the street checking out the neighbor's kitchen remodel. Yep. Anyways, back to the roof where they are about to cut a hole when a fireman walks out of the garage with Caden's nebulizer with a plastic playdough knife stuck (now melted) in the vent. The whole unit is hot, melted, and no longer functional. "MICHAELA!" (She had that knife in her hand the whole morning asking for playdough!) "I am sorry, Mommy. I can't mean for that teeny tiny fire to happen!" So, according to the firemen, aside from the nebulizer, the dryer vent was clogged and both would have potentially started a fire had we not been home to "catch it". I was so embarrassed (*remember how I described my current housing situation- WT + hoarding buried alive). The firemen, especially the younger ones with kids were most gracious, while the older ones just shook their heads. Oh, man. We promptly went out to the bakery and purchased cookies to take to four different fire stations  . . .
  Which ultimately brings me to the conclusion of this lengthy update. The fire door that was installed in the garage to get the kitchen up to code bit me. My right index finger is now a beautiful shade of Barney purple and is currently the most favorite digit of the children's to mistakenly grab. Go figure. Life is good. My next vacation day is Saturday- 12 hour shift, baby!

* New post of kids bestest sayings coming soon . . . they are growing like weeds and are quite hilarious! Ie. Riley has "decided that he is going to marry Leela and when he gives her a ring and then she starts to get fat, he will say 'Leela, what has happened?'. . . and she will say she has a baby!"
Mommy- "Wow Riley. I think it is time to say our prayers now . . ."

The Wrecking Crew

Fire, Fire, Fire

And, despite all the drama- BEAUTIFUL :)

"Stinky Poopy"- Caden

The asylum is functioning on pure insanity. We have never been busier or crazier (. . . unless you can remember when we first brought the triplets home 80 days after their birth on apnea monitors and a Q3 hour feeding schedule.) I for one do not remember too much about that time frame, so for my sake fast forward two years to now. It's nuts. Note I have not had time to blog in over a month (*Austin spent a week at the hospital with a respiratory virus that required oxygen. Same week, my brother broke his back bodyboarding). Crazy. Having THREE 2 year olds is like living in a WWF wrestling ring. When you add the 5 year old to the mix it is anybody's game. Some days Riley can be a big help and others, well, like having yet another 2 year old. Timeout is a joke, but required. I am a broken record stuck on the chord, "Hitting is not ok. If you hit, you will sit." They get it- "no bullies" they will say, and yet the minute they get backed into a corner, a blankie gets jacked, a snack gets stollen, the gloves are off! Sometimes the adults want to cry and at other times cheer (ie. when Caden lunged and nailed both Mitch and Austin on the head after they ganged up on him ;)), but most of the time we just yearn for PEACE. "For the love of God, can't we all just get along?"- don't remember who said it, but in all honestly the answer is "NO! We cannot." Besides, if they did, I would have anything to write about :).

Riley: Continues to work on transitioning to general education pre-school. He loves it (most days)! Kindergarten sign ups are coming up next week and I can hardly believe that he will be 6 in August. He loves all things trains, Hotwheels, computers, and is looking forward to signing up for Karate and swim lessons this summer.
RY: "Mom, when I grow up and drive a train then I will make a lot of money. Then we can go on a date and eat things and then get me a surprise." Wow, Ry. Sounds like my idea of a good time, honey.
RY:"Mom, quick. You gotta get a picture of this for facebook. They're (the triplets) are cracking me up!"

Austin: The biggest of the small ones. The wimpy-est. The most snuggly. An inch taller and 5lbs. + heavier than the other two. Austin is just discovering that he truely is bigger than "Mitchy" and Caden. He likes to bump into them just to demonstrate his knowledge on the subject! Our fashionista boy loves purses, shoes, and the colors orange and pink. (Big melt down over his assigned name tag written in blue.) Once thought to be delayed in speech, Austin has now learned how to vocalize quite a bit and boy, is he LOUD.
Austy B: "Mom. Mom. What Caden doin? What Caden doin?"- translation- Austin is tattling.
Austy B: "Where's Mitchy?"- he loves her to pieces
His favorite toy is currently the "baccumm". He prefers the real one to the toy vaccumms and is convinced that the real one is "out of batteries" because it doesn't turn on.  He also has a trash can fettish. Missing shoes, keys, and phone (now found-phone) all attributed to this fettish. Riley and Austin get along swimmingly (because, lets be honest, they are 2 of a kind). Austin is the only one of the trio that gets personal invites onto Riley's side of the tracks.


Michaela: Mitchy, Mitch, Kayla, Curly Sue, Sissy LaLa (her fav). My darling crazy girl who insists she is actually a man. Yep, man. Showed her a beautiful Easter dress the other day and she told me "Uncle Timmy might like it." Not like her wearing it, but as a frock for himself. God love her. Took a fam field trip to Goldenspoon, Mitchy went "swimming" in the movie theater fountain. Running, climbing, jumping, streaking= Mitch. She may be a "man" but she does like to shop. She doesn't even mind going to the grocery store and through a gigantic fit this afternoon because I didn't stop a Trader Joes as she requested (driving from the back seat of course). We get a lot of good laughs out of this girl and boy does she like to deliver.
Picking berries that all have been told are "poison", Michaela takes a handful and says "Hey Austin, want some poison?"
Mitchy: "I cannot like it."
Mitchy: "Austin MICHAEL Shay!"
Mitchy: Upon leaving mass after Michaela was quite loud and had to be moved to the "cry room" half way through . . . I made the comment to Casey- "What was that?!" Mitchy replied, "I listened to Jesus. I was quiet." Really? What did I miss?!
Mitchy: With a blanket wrapped over her head and around her body, "I'm being Jesus."
Mitchy: With a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, "I'm being Mother Goose!"
Side note. Kayla had her first dental appointment today. She stayed absolutely still and let the dentist do his thing. Dr. Shannon couldn't believe it. "Not your typical two year old patient." My response, "God's gift to me" in referrence to Riley's dental office history. Laughter and a nod.

Caden: Our true miracle man. Caden is quite the character. You cannot trust this little imp an inch. He elops. Likes to run down the driveway over the neighbors house next door and pound on their garage door, laughing like a maniac. Problem- Joe and Joe don't like kids. "Joe and Joe crabby."- Caden. In their defense, I get it. No quiet at our house. Caden is now the proud owner of both glasses and AFOs (aka Forrest Gump braces). He prefers the glasses in the case, but has learned to tolerate them to get more time on the "pad" (ipad). Att: APPLE- Caden is your biggest little fan! So smart. My little 2 pounder so grown up, so smart, so silly. Caden loves to sing and often changes the words to encorporate "potty talk", something his big brother Riley has taught him, that reduces them both into mad fits of giggles. "The Farmer in the Dell" is a fabulous song, but is now "The Farmer Takes a Poop." Funny yes, but appropriate, not so much. The PT and OT therapists, the teachers, all hide their smiles by biting their lips, but the tears in their eyes speak volumes. This little imp is quite the charmer. He can do no wrong. I am so screwed. On that note- pray for me. I get a vacation day at work tomorrow!
Caden: "Stinky poopy."
Caden: " I want chippies."
Caden: "Call grammie."
Caden:  . . . where are your glasses, "in the case."

Random Funnies
Michaela wets through her diaper into the shopping cart full of Easter supplies at the 99 cent store= time to go! Shopping with two carts- one full, one empty. Go figure.

Caden goes pee pee on the potty for the second time. Bladder empty (1/2 in the potty, 1/2 on my foot), he says "I need some more (pee)". Gotta give him props though, Austy B is afraid of heights and won't sit on the potty to save his life.

Will have to post pics later, super late and kids will be in our bed soon!

" . . . and here I thought it was going to get easier!"

Yep that would be the neighbor's take. "I thought it was going to get easier for you . . ." Yea, not so much. As you can clearly see it's been over 2 months since I last posted. Easier? Not by a friggin long shot! Over the past 2 nights, I've probably averaged about 4 hours of sleep total. No joke. The kids run all day long and stop long enough to sleep a few hours before demanding "Barney" or "Blue's Clues" at 3:00 am. "Nope. Sorry. Barney is sleeping." "On-Demand." Really?! On-Demand. You are killing me smalls (x3). At least when Riley wakes up in the middle of the night, he climbs into bed and goes to sleep. And yes, before you ask if I have tried, to um, medicate them? Yep. I so did. And no,  it so didn't work. Caden, God love him, is freakin wired. He was dx with asthma last week and is on a high dose steroid regime (today last day, yea team). He has been insane or "crazy" as he tells me. Running around, eating bowls upon bowls of "cereal with milk", singing nursery rhymes at the top of his lungs (also at 3:00 am), and sleeping in 10 minute segments. To add insult to injury? He has followers. His siblings think his antics are so hilarious, they are more than game to join in.
So what is life like in the 2012?! Busy and busier. We have PT on Monday (Caden), Mommy-n-Me (trio), OT/PT (Austy and Caden) on Tuesdays, OT (Riley) on Wednesdays, OT/PT (Austy and Caden) on Thursdays, OT (Riley) on Fridays. Riley goes to Crown Valley Elementary M-F, with Friendship Builders (social skills) class on Tues & Thurs and is working on transitioning to a typical preschool class at Oak Grove Elementary on M-W-F afternoons. Lots of gas and lots of "wee sing silly songs". Sometimes the children are in just the finest of moods and we resort to feeding them (by throwing) cereal or fishes into their car seats. Mitch was screaming for a band aid from the backseat the other day that Grammie, not finding anything of the sort, handed her a tampon. So of course, the boys just had to have their own "torpedoes" too. Dear God, had that been anybody other than my mom, I would have fired her. For heaven's sake, don't make me explain to a five year old, what exactly this particular "torpedo" is used for and why we can't play with it in the bathtub or (gasp) the pool!
JMJ. . . I just love to listen to the ladies at work complain about their children's schedules, hectic lives, etc. Whatever! (Oh, my bad, according to Riley this is a "bad word and we don't use this in our house!" :))  and F*** is french :)!
Christmas was an absolute blast this year. Our tree was set up and half way "undressed" the following morning despite the gate that was supposed to keep the tree upright and well, "dressed" for lack of a better word. We had at least 5 ornament casualties per day, this despite time outs, widening of the zone, etc. The fisher price manger scene was a big hit, though I'm hopeful baby Jesus found his way back to the stable before it got picked up. The "real" manger scene managed to make it up the night before Christmas. A few days later I found Mitch playing house with all of the figurines. "His name, Mom?" "Joseph." "Oh. Joseph."
We did make our way to see Santa on a couple of occasions. No tears :) The kids asked for a variety of things: Riley- "the Lego's with the bombs" (They aren't real Mom, they are made out of plastic. They are pretend!); Austin- "cookies"; Mitch- "Santa, open doors Disneyland. Papa, Kayla, go jungle cruise!"; Caden- "PAD" (as in IPAD, as in "sorry Charlie, no 2 year old in my house is getting an IPAD for Christmas!"). Yep, so Santa made his way down our chimney on Christmas Eve with plasma cars, bikes (with helmets), a bounce house, and Lego's. Gotta be honest, the bounce house has already paid for itself . . . and we haven't even had a rainy day yet. We jump almost daily! And, no to answer your unspoken questions- no broken bones, no stitches, no ER visits- YET, and hopefully not in the near future, we don't have time in the schedule for that!
Lots of kid updates and pictures coming soon, but it is late and I have a vacation day at work tomorrow morning . . .

Halloween 2011

Caden- "Jesus"

Caden was convinced the goat was eatting "chocolate".

PUNK KINS

Mitch the Witch, Caden as Itsy Bitsy, Austin as the Web, & Riley Boy as James the Train

Riley Boy and SoSo

The Spider Witch

TWO x 3

Welcome to the insane asylum. It is absolute bedlam here. The triplets have officially turned TWO. We celebrated in style at Goofy's Kitchen where Mitch and Caden danced the "twist" with Pluto, while Riley and Austin practically hid under the table with the limited character visits that we did have. Dinner that night consisted of a small pizza party with a yummy Mickey and Minnie Mouse chocolate cake from the Torrance Bakery for dessert! Small and relatively "low key"- relatively speaking :).
I can hardly believe how fast the time goes, as Halloween has come and gone we are eagerly looking forward to and worrying about Christmas. For example, where to put the tree that will get tipped over at least once. "Why does everyone seem to get sicker at Christmas?- Riley". "Does Santa fly, mom?" "No Riley, Santa cannot fly but his sleigh does." "How?" "The reindeer." "The reindeer fly? That's just crazy!" Yep we are 5 going on 50 here. Trying to incorporate the importance of Jesus' birthday is also a bit of a concern as Caden was convinced that the pumpkin patch scarecrow was Jesus. I can hardly keep up.
Take today for example:
Multiple children up during the night (3 of 4). Two asking for bottles (yea, I know) and one with a stomachache. Long night, long morning. I am alone now with all four kids- wiping butts and doling out cereal, etc.  Caden reaching out to pull Micheala's hair gets reprimanded, "Caden, we do not pull hair in this house." Caden says "timeout" and walks into Austin's room and closes the door. Awesome :) self disciplining children.  Fast forward a few minutes later and Caden is handing out Frosted Mini Wheats- not exactly the best choice and here is why: Austin has a very sensitive gag reflex. Before I know it I am trying to fish out pieces of chewed up cereal in order to prevent the inevitable- he pukes. Austin throws up everywhere. A tiny bit hits Michaela's foot and she too leans over to throw up. Riley runs heaving out of the room while Caden just stands there munching from the box of his Frosted Mini Wheats. Oh, man! It just went down hill from there. The bus didn't come to pick Riley up for class. Caden fell asleep in the van and had to be woken up to walk Riley to class. Austin kept up with the verbal reminders not to barf in the van. Even going so far as to say "No barfin, yet!" Gee, the "yet" part makes me feel so confident . . . Michaela is is well, Mitch.
The day before last she instructed the pediatrician- "Dr. Wilkinson. Dr. Wilkinson. Nurse. Shot. Caden." Yep. Caden needed a shot of decadron for our second round of croup in 2.5 weeks. Mitch and Austin had their shots the day before and Caden, sounding not to worse for the wear stayed home. Until of course the next morning where it was clear that he needed to be seen. Upon leaving the office, Michaela spots a gentleman leaving Starbucks where she says, "Man. How ya doin, man?" He keeps walking past so she repeats herself a little more loudly, "Man. How ya doin, man?" He glances up and apologizes for "being rude," tells her he is "doing well thanks," gets into his SUV and proceeds to back into another truck. Crap. I passed my van and kept walking. Um, distraction much? Oh, man. My Michaela is just too much. A couple days after Caden knocked out his front tooth (the day before his birthday-long story), Michaela climbed onto the top of Papa's BIG red truck- on the HOOD. "Mitch, what are you doing up there?! Get down!" Hands above her head she starts singing, "Up above the world so high . . ." Right. So now you get a little gist of where I am coming from . . . and all we can do to keep from crying is to LAUGH.