What a crazy few weeks!

Ok, so I'm once again horribly behind in posting...but with good reason. My laptop may be dead. :o( I was working at the kitchen table, and Dominic climbed on the chair next to me. Unbeknownst to me he had a mouthful of water and decided to do his impression of a sprinkler...right onto the keyboard. Not all that much water hit it, maybe a tablespoon or so, but it was enough to screw it up. We're hoping it's just a keyboard issue and the motherboard isn't fried...Joe is kind of stuck trying to decide whether to send it back to Dell to get it looked at or whether to take it somewhere local. So for now, I'm limited to the downstairs computer, which I'm only able to get on once or twice a day.

Now that I think about it, we've had a really bad month for electronics: My laptop got wet, the camcorder isn't working right, Joe set our portable DVD player too close to the humidifier (it was on the floor right in front of the outlet and he had plugged the player in to recharge it) so that is fried, and our digital card reader got smashed under some books I dropped. Apparently if you are an electronic device you need STAY AWAY from here!! Oh well, it's just stuff.


Kids update:

Mia has her second tooth and bit me a few days ago...yeowch! I forgot how much that can hurt! It's funny how, since I see her everyday, I don't really notice her growing. I know she is because I had to start using the next set of snaps on her diapers, but it's funny when people who haven't seen her for a month say "Oh, she's getting so big!" and I have to look at her with fresh eyes and say, "Oh, yeah. I guess she is!"


Zack took a fall off the futon and got a really great bruise on his chin. I took a picture, but our card reader isn't working, so I can't get it off the card just yet. We're really glad he wasn't hurt worse. He was bleeding in his mouth from somewhere, but there were no loose teeth or visible bites to his lips, so we think he may have bit the inside of his cheek.

He scared the bejeebees out of me two Mondays ago. Mia was still asleep when I decided to get out of bed. Zack had crawled in with us, so I left him on Joe's side and her in the middle and snuck out. About ten minutes after I went downstairs I heard footsteps and figured Zack would be up soon. He didn't come down and a few minutes later, I heard more footsteps, then a thump, then Mia started crying. Not an 'ear-splitting-my-world-is-ending kind of scream, but definately unhappy. My first thought was, "No way did she roll out of the bed." As I headed up the stairs, I was puzzled by the fact that the crying sounded like it was coming from the bathroom. (We have a door to the bathroom from our room.) I open our bedroom door, and there is no one in there...no Zack, no Mia. I look into the bathroom, and Mia is on the floor with Zack sitting next to her. (When Zack gets caught doing something his not supposed to be doing and he knows it, he will tell whoever caught him to "go away.") He saw me and said, "No mama, you go downstairs!" When Mia saw me, she calmed down instantly so I know she wasn't hurt.

Normally, I would have totally freaked out, but I've been working on not overeacting so I was speaking calmly the whole time (which I'm very proud of). Here is how the rest of the conversation went:

Me: Zack, what happened?
Zack: You go downstairs!
M: Zack, were you trying to bring Mia downstairs?
Z: (In an incredibly sulky voice) Yes, and she's very heavy.
(I say a small prayer thanking the Lord he didn't get her to the stairs)
M: Well, that was very nice of you honey. How about we find a safe way to take her down?
Z: (in a cherry voice) That's a great idea Mama! We need a bucket!

So then we had a discussion about how babies aren't carried in buckets, and I let him help me carry her downstairs. The situation hasn't arisen again because all the kids have been waking up by 6 am for the last few weeks, but I've learned there are many hazards to having multiple kids that you just can't plan for.

Dom is pretty much the same...no new major injuries to speak of at least!

They are really enjoying the snow. As much work as it is to get them dressed up, they really like to go out and play on the deck. We've got about two feet of snow out there right now, and St. Nick brought them their own shovels, so they just have a blast.

So that's the low-down for now. Cheers!

Teething bites!

Why does getting a few teeth have to be so painful and make our babies so miserable? Mia's first tooth finally broke through on Sunday, and boy was she relieved. She handled the last couple weeks pretty well, and we only had one day of real inconsolable crankiness, which was resolved with the arrival of teething tablets.

Other than that, not much is new. We're all a bit cabin feverish with the new snowfall and the cold temps. It was a whopping -4 on Sunday! I'm also really trying to get pictures and stuff pulled out and hung up so it looks like we really live here. I'm hoping to get painting done before mid-March, since I'm having a card party and I want the place to not look like we just moved in!

We're on a roll!

Even at 3 1/2 months, Mia is sneaky. On New Year's Eve she decided to roll over...while both Joe and I were out of the room. The boys were both already asleep, and I laid her down on he playmat so I could visit the restroom, and Joe was out with the dog (who had ripped off a claw that morning...which is a whole 'nother story). I walk back in, and she's lying on her tummy, happy as can be. Joe came in and I just pointed at her. The conversation went something like this:

Joe: "She rolled over?"
Me: "Yeah, and we MISSED IT!"
Joe: "Well, flip her back."
(I roll her over onto her back, and immediately she rolls back onto her tummy.)
Joe: "I'm guessing it looked pretty much like that."
Me: "That's not the point!"

I was miffed! How dare she have a milestone while I was absent! Of course, we can't find the battery charger or the plug in cord for the video camera, so we have yet to get the act on film. If we don't find it this weekend, I'm going to just buy a new one, I don't care how much it costs!
Dom has apparently decided he likes to pretend to be a dog. He'll get on all fours, bring things in his mouth, and charge around barking. I think I've figured out that two barks mean 'yes,' and three means 'no.' He's also moved to his own bed. He and Zack still crawl in with us at about 4am, but our nights are a bit more comfortable having the king-size for just the three of us.

I think we're going to start a phonics program with Zack. He gets very excited about "doing school" which is what we call it when we do an alphabet or a number book. Mandatory school age in Wisconsin starts at 6 in first grade. I'll have to see what school year Zack would be in Kindergarten since his birthday is in November.

Oh, and I have my van back! Yay! They did a great job fixing it...you'd never know it was in an accident. The boys were all excited to see it again. While it was gone, they'd ask where it was, and we'd tell them it had an "owie" and it was at the van doctor. When they saw it today, they kept saying, "Mama's van owie all better!" Unfortunately, I did not escape the accident unscathed. I apparently fractured my spine in the impact. How did we discover this? Our new chiropractor did x-rays and found that L5 is apparently not where it belongs, and it could only be the result of a spinal fracture. She actually said it's an injury she usually sees in football players...and while my kids are little bruts, they aren't that strong yet! After tracking down x-rays from our old chiro, we determined the fracture has to be recent, and that accident is the only thing I can come up with that would have enough force to cause that type of injury. Thankfully, it is quite managable with chiro care. Which I'm really glad for, since conventional medicine's solution would be to fuse my spine...an idea I'm not really down with for a wide variety of reasons!

Merry Christmas (ok...a day late)

Merry Christmas Everyone! We hope everyone has a blessed and safe Holiday Season!

Sorry folks, that's as good as it's going to get. Between the move and the kids, I just didn't have the patience, time, or energy to get out Christmas cards this year. So, I think I'll start writing them out for next year...that way I can send them early...like October!

We had Family Christmas on Joe's side on the 22nd and that was really nice. The food was excellent as always, although somehow my containers of meatballs got left behind...bummer.

I talked to my sister-in-law on Sunday and she mentioned that both her and my father-in-law were sick with a stomach bug...throwing up like crazy and a general feeling of yuckiness and exhaustion. I was hoping no one in our household would get it. But Monday morning about 2am Dom woke up vomiting all over the bed. Since I was nursing Mia, it was the first time Joe has ever had to do solo clean up duty when one of the kids were sick. About an hour later, Tasha woke up vomiting all over too. They both woke up feeling a little better, and we were hoping the rest of us were in the clear...but it wasn't to be. Monday night, Zack starting saying his tummy had an owie, then promptly doubled over and puked all over the living room floor. He couldn't even keep water down the poor guy. At least Dom and Tasha got to mostly sleep through their ickiness. We were basically thinking at that point, "Three down, one to go." Sure enough, about an hour later, Mia started in with the gut crunching vomiting. They both got really lethargic. I put Mia on the couch and she just sat there, which she never does. She actually fell asleep just sitting there, so we knew she wasn't feeling right. Christmas morning however, everybody seemed normal, with the exception of stuffy or runny noses on everyone. Knock on wood, Joe and I seem to be in the clear.

We've got my family gathering this Saturday, and I think we're all going to be there this year, except my brother Steve, since he's in Iraq...and my brother Tom, because his work schedule stinks. I'm looking forward to seeing my family.

On to a potential milestone...we've decided to move Dom to his own bed. So yesterday, we debunked them (and they just barely fit in the room) and put him in his after he fell asleep last night. I fully expected him to be in our bed in the middle of the night, but he slept in there until Joe started the shower at 5:30! I was shocked. I know it was only one night, but I'm hoping its an indicator that this will be an easy transition for him.

Thanks for reading!

Vehicle News

My poor van. We finally got around to getting it into the body shop. I won't see it again until at least the 4th of January! That's over two weeks away!! Now granted, I don't go out very often with the three of them because it is pretty tough, but not even having the option to go anywhere is really quite disturbing. We've not yet decided if we're going to get a rental or not. Joe is going to see about possibly carpooling to work a couple of days, so I'll have the truck. Oh yeah, that's the other vehicle news. Joe bought a truck...a big truck...a very, very big truck. It's a Ford F250 crew cab diesel...so in addition to being big, it's loud. It's quite nice, even if it is a boring grey color. It has a cap on the bed and Rhinolining, and these funny orange lights across the roof of the cab. Which I don't quite understand, but they did make it easy to find in the parking lot. I was hesitant to let him get it at first, but I figure if he's going to put in the overtime to pay for it, he can have it.

The kids are all good and are counting down the days to Christmas. I spent two hours wrapping stuff last night, and I'm still not done (I was wrapping everything, including the gifts for the extended family). I also haven't finished all the shopping yet and probably won't until after Christmas, but really, what else is new?

Mia is officially rolling over onto her side. I should say she's officially rolling over on her side intentionally, because I think she's been doing it accidently for a couple of weeks. I'll put her on her play mat, and she'll eventually roll over, then get mad because there isn't anything to look at where she rolls to. Oh well...guess she'll figure it out eventually, the other two seemed to.

Well, I guess that's it for now...time to go play Little People with the boys!

Squealing girl, boogers, and oatmeal, OH MY!

I want to update on the kids, since it's been a while since I posted any details on them.

Mia is doing beautifully. It amazes me how quickly they change when they are so little, and I love seeing it when she does new stuff. She's kind of figuring out that she has hands, and she squeals and gurgles at us all the time. She's also figured out how to roll from her back to her side. She's getting much longer, and while she's definately putting on weight, I think she's going to be like Dom and never get that chubby baby look. Because she's so tall, she's been in 3 mos. clothes for about a month already, although I wind up pinning the pants sometimes because they'll slide right off her skinny little butt if I don't.

On to Dominic. Dom currently has a fixation with picking his nose. Now, it's not like he's digging around up there all the time, but usually at least once a day, he'll come over, proudly show me his index finger and say with great joy, "Look mama, I got a booger!" I'm happy to report this is something Zack never did, but that means we've not had to break a child of this habit before. On a good note, we've discovered that if we let him go without a pull-up on, he'll go potty on the toilet every single time. Yay! Zack went through this phase too, and was potty trained shortly thereafter...another milestone almost reached!

I just had to post this picture of them in their Halloween costumes. Dom's costume was a "one size fits all" kind, and it came to within an inch of touching the ground. So he really did look like a train engine since it covered his whole body! Zack insisted on the motorcross racer costume because of the helmet mask it had. While we were trick-or-treating, however, he decided that he didn't like it, and carried it in his goody bag the whole time. It was kind of chilly out, so we only went to about a dozen houses, but they didn't care, they had fun.

Now to Zack. I'm happy to report that he has apparently decided to expand his food choices. After steadfastly refusing to eat green beans for two years, he's decided they aren't so bad. And last week, he pointed to a box of oatmeal and said he wanted some. Zack is easily the texture nut in the family. Anything white or squishy doesn't get on his plate, let alone in his mouth so I was more than a little skeptical that he would eat it. But he was insistent, so I made some up, and watched in shock as he ate the whole bowl! Hopefully this is a sign that we can start to try more veggies...I'm kind of tired of carrots, beans, corn, and broccolli all the time!

Last but not least, Tasha. She is doing pretty well in school, and really likes it. Her volleyball season just ended, so now we're into basketball. She stays overnight most Wednesdays, and starting in January we will be having her every other weekend. I think she likes having us closer, but it's an adjustment having three siblings in a smaller space.

That's it for now!

And the score is...

Snow Storm: 1
Minivan: 0

In the first good snowstorm of the year last night, I managed to spin the van out on the freeway. Mia and I were the only two in the van, and we're just fine. We do not, however, know the full extent of damage to the van, and probably won't for a few days at least. I honestly don't know what happened. It had been snowing almost all day, and there were about four inches on the ground before I hit the road at 4:00. When I left, it wasn't really snow, it was a blowing ice coming down...like little BB pellets. They hurt too. You couldn't really see the lane lines, so people were sort of driving all over, although thankfully, everyone was going fairly slowly...my speedometer didn't pass 30 the whole way home. I only saw one person spun out, and was thinking that was pretty good for as covered as the roads were..the plows hadn't been through yet.

About 20 minutes later, we were driving along fine, and the next thing I know, I'm spinning. I spun completely around and the rear passenger corner of the van hit the median. Thank God, no one behind me hit us, or got into an accident themselves. I called 911 and they said they'd get someone out to help me get turned around. I then called Joe, and wasn't on the phone with him for 30 seconds, when a sheriff's deputy pulled up. The deputy was very nice, and said they were quite busy that night with so many people sliding out. On the remainder of my way home, I saw two other vehicles on the side or in the ditch. One SUV was a good 20 feet off the road in a grassy area...can't really figure how he made it that far off the road, unless he was going really fast.

As for damage, the bumper on that side is smooshed in and scratched up, and the rear door is not sitting right in the frame. I haven't tried to open the rear door for fear that it won't shut again, but we'll be trying that this morning. We'll have to get it in to determine how much is screwed up, and with the holidays fast approaching, keep your fingers crossed that it isn't too bad.

On to family news: well, there isn't really anything new to report. The kids are all doing fine, and are really excited about the snow, and Santa's impending visit.

The neighbors are still jerks, but haven't threatened anyone lately. As I write this, Joe and I are taking glee in the fact that his snowblower just broke and he's having to shovel the drive the old-fashioned way...is that wrong? ;o)