Happy Mother's Day!!

Being a mom is probably the best thing in the world. I may change my tune when I have 3 teenage boys in my house lol These boys are my life and so very much fun! Yes, there are rough days where I just want to hide in a closet with a good book and relish in the quietness. Although, once it is quiet, I never know what to do with myself :-) These boys constantly amaze me and the love for them is just out of this world. I don't know what I have done to have such a blessed life with my family. They are amazing and I thank God for them every single day.

We started Mother's Day around here last Sunday lol Simply because the restaurant I wanted to go to for brunch does not accept reservations. I am pretty most places will be busy tomorrow for brunch and well....we weren't too crazy about waiting with the 3 kids in tow, so we went last weekend and it was just as amazing as I thought it would :-) We like to go to Deer Park in Newark and sit outside. I don't know why but this restaurant has become somewhat of a tradition for us :-P It was the first place we went out to eat with Gavin, J&K, Mother's day past couple of years..it just seems to keep coming up :-P And with the kids during warmer months, we always go where we can sit outside...so much to keep them occupied. Deer Park is right by train tracks! The street is right there so plenty of cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc. to keep the boys happy lol

Tomorrow we are hoping to get an early dinner in at Chesepeake Inn, sitting outside of course, on the deck....BOATS! The boys will like that :-) There are also speakers and doors for gavin!

Speaking of doors...if I didn't know better, I would guess that Kaleb is following in Gavin's door obsession foot steps. Of course, Kaleb and Jakob are always around when we are doing errands and Gavin needs to open/close the door so it was bound to happen eventually. Gavin started with the sliding deck door....Kaleb has started this also. Lord help me! lol

Today Gavin and I went to see the Imagination Movers! I have to say for a kids concert, they did a good job! They seemed really into it but not weirdly into like the annoying Wiggles :-P The band was interactive with the kids in the audience. Kids were dancing, jumping around and going crazy in the aisles! So cute! And a lot of the adults were really into it also....dressed up like a Mover and all that. Some families were all dressed like a Mover. One dad had made some pretty serious signs lol

Gavin was too funny! This was his first official concert and I don't know that he was prepared very well. When we first got there, he was glued to me and just taking it all in. We sat down and after 10 minutes he came to the conclusion that they weren't coming lol They did come a few minutes after that and the kids went nuts! Except Gavin....he was still sitting there trying to figure out what was going on :-P He was in complete awe of the instruments, the rotating and changing color of the lights. The mechanics of everything drew the most attention for him, no surprise there....our little engineer :-)
At one point, I was laughing hysterically because the Movers were trying to get the kids to 'raise the roof' and Gavin kept looking at the ceiling, hehe! I am guessing we need to get him out more? Kids are seriously the best at allowing you to see things through their eyes. I love it! We had a great time together today. I love it when he and I can get out and do things together :-) I think he does as well. Right now it looks like a disco club in his room since I let him take his flashy woggle goggles and some other light flashy thingy in his room for bed.

So earlier in the week, I realized two things that I need to work on:
1) I was losing my patience with kids, especially Gavin way too often.
2) I was on my phone too much with kids awake.

These things needed to change. Obviously some days are going to be better than others but I could see a change in Gavin's attitude and mine. He is older so more is expected from him. However, J&K are into just as much and they seem to get the smaller brunt since they are smaller and not so much expected of them being 20 months. On Thursday and Friday, I tried really, really hard to relax a little and not stress over little things. What an amazing turn around in Gavin's attitude by Friday. Even on Thursday, I could tell a difference with his demeanor and his willingness to listen more and follow directions. It was like we were both reinforcing each others behavior :-)

The phone....I remember almost a year ago telling a friend that I didn't need a phone with the data package and all that stuff. I just wanted a phone for talking, texting, pics/video. That's it. Well Verizon didn't offer very good phones with these features unless it was a smart phone. So I caved and got one. It turned out to be a stupid, smart phone so I went to the dark side and got an iphone. The iphone is great.....it is like a pocket sized person. I am available to everyone 24/7. If I need directions or answer...it is there. Takes good pictures. It has all I need and them some....it is distracting me from my kids. I shouldn't be checking emails and Gavin is asking me to come play. He shouldn't have to ask me to come play. Of course, same goes for cleaning the house. So I put my phone down. I mean, is there really anything THAT important that I need the phone attached to me? no there isn't. So I turned off my notifications and left it on the table. It was nice......I will be working on this also. So if I don't get right back to your emails, text, phone calls, etc., this is why.

Here are some fun pictures from the past week or so :-) A little peek into my crazy, fun house!!!!

doesnt he look scary?! lol

light sabers.....oh vey!

he loves his tata!!

lol they love climbing on backs! great massage lol

Gav and I getting ready to go to Movers!

hehe jealous jakob....he has to get a pic too!





















It's not slowing down.....

Usually after Christmas....January and February are sort of a lull with not much going on. That wasn't so this year. So I figured eventually things HAD to slow down at some point, right? Hmm....not so much. I am starting to think this is life for a family of five :-) There is always something going, somewhere to go and something to do while you have time :-) I guess I should just start stocking up on wine and roll with it, right? hehe

It has a a been a couple of weeks since I blogged! So long in fact that Blogger has apparently all new settings that are way too complicated for my brain to process at 6:00 a.m. and only half a cup of coffee! maybe later because it looks like some fun new additions! I woke up at 5:30 a.m. all by myself today....this may have to do with the fact that since the new year I have been getting up btw 5:30-6:00 to either exercise or get my shower (some days both!) in before everyone wakes up or I just couldn't sleep today because Gavin has his surgery to get his adenoids removed and tubes placed in his ears.

Over the winter Gavin had constant ear and sinus infections. Then once we met with ENT to review his x-ray which showed that his adenoids were huge and he was thoroughly tested for 31 allergens, only to be mildly allergic to mold which didn't not explain all his issues. So ENT suggested to definitely remove adenoids and we might as well get tubes placed while he is under in hopes of that getting him through this years winter...we shall see. I hear so many stories of tubes seeming to fall out of the older kids and then having to be replaced :/ ENT also believes removing adenoids and tubes will help decrease the amount of fluid constantly in Gavin's ear and hopefully he will be able to hear better once the fluid can drain properly. And by removing the adenoids he should have less sinus/ear infections and his voice will even out instead of sounding nasally. His surgery is at 1:00 and we need to be at hospital by 12:00. He cannot eat anything but jello or clear liquids until 10:00, after that....nada :-( That is the part I worry about most. And him waking up in recovery...that part seems to be really tough for the kids. I will be there waiting for him and we put together a fun little goody bag for him with some Super Hero Rescue Squad books, DVD, a spiderman blanket and stickers :-) He has really been starting to get into Super Heros lately. Especially Spiderman and Ironman, so cute! Although I watched a Spiderman episode on demand the other day just to preview....um inappropriate for anyone under 15 or maybe even older. One chick was talking about Peter Parker coming after her because once she got to the water, she was getting naked! WHAT?! Sorry....I like Gavin's current Nick Jr./Disney bubble :-) I know, I know....we can't protect him forever but I feel like anything goes on TV lately.

Gavin got his 3 y/o preschool evaluation yesterday, hehe!!! He got an "M" (Mastered) in everything but paying attention and 'using his manners without being reminded." Paying attention section was also followed up by a comment stating he tends to get easily distracted with other activities going on in room." yep...that's gavin :-P I was a little surprised by the manners because he usually used his manners well but it was furthered explained that when he wants something, he says, "I want..." instead of asking, "May I have...." this is true so I guess we will be working on that. He is great at holding doors for everyone :-P Overall, I am happy with his school this year. I think he has learned alot both academically and socially. I thought he would have picked up more negative behaviors than he did, so for that I am thankful lol

Kaleb is doing great! I know I have said this before but the kid is so silly! He loves to jump out and get you from behind a wall and will giggle to no end! He is just a big teddy bear and allows Jakob to jump/crawl all over him. Which is funnny because if you would have asked me a year ago, I would say Kaleb would be more dominant when it comes to physical play but he isn't. He still loves to cuddle too which is the cutest thing ever! He is starting to use more words and definitely knows a lot, he can point out or show you just about anything you ask him to. But he isn't repeating words you ask him too unless it is easy like dada, mama, more,down, etc.  No worries...he still gets his wants/needs across just fine! Kaleb can also be pretty spiteful when it comes to toys and snacks. Even if he doesn't want something, he will still try to take it from Jakob or Gavin just to prove that he can. He will take and grin. Yesterday Gavin was sitting with me watching a show and Kaleb kept pointing to my lap where Gavin was sitting. I told Kaleb it was Gavin's turn...apparently I am not to be shared. If someone is sitting with me.....Gavin, Jakob or Kaleb, only one person at a time. So Kaleb proceeded to climb up until he was just about sitting on my shoulder. All the while Gavin telling Kaleb to stop it, it was his turn. lol Lately, Kaleb has been very much into diggers, dump trucks, tractor trailers, etc. In the car, he will repeatedly ask, pretty loudly, "WHAT'S THAT?!" If he sees a digger that is on, he gets so excited! He has been reminding me a lot of Gavin also with his shyness. Gavin will sing away, play the drums and rock out if he thinks you aren't watching but as soon as you catch his eye...he will immediately stop and ask me to look away. Kaleb does similiar if you catch him doing something :-P

Jakob also doing great! Removing his adenoids seemed to really help him out! He has been sick but once since he had his surgery in february! He did start to have some coughing/congestion a while ago but pediatrician suggested starting singulair and within 3-4 days, he wasn't coughing anymore! YAY!!! He still loves to tackle everyone, steal Kaleb's toy while running away giggling :-P It is so funny to watch because he will run around house with the toy while Kaleb cries and then if you ask him to give it back to Kaleb....he will. It seems like he just to torture his brother :-P Jakob is also getting better with his words/sign language. He is more likely to try and repeat a word. He will also sign for drink, more, all done and other things that he has made up. We understand it but other people probably wouldn't lol He is also loving cars, trains and airplanes :-) He loves to sit and play with a car and a race track. So odd to me to have a child that sit stills for any period of time.

I don't know about Marcin but I am having a blast with these boys!! They are so much fun to just sit back and watch them learn about the world around them. Their energy is endless (super jealous of this!) and their curiousity is endless! Sometimes Gavin will be going somewhere and ask his brothers for a hug and kiss before he goes. Sometimes Jakob will just come up and start hugging and kissing you for no reason...he is a BIG cuddler, so sweet! Kaleb will just come up, put both arms around your neck and bury his face in your shoulder for a few minutes. Of course, some days I would like to just sit and do nothing and one day I will be....in 20 or so years. Some days are stressful and I can't wait for bedtime.

I look at our boys and wonder, where did the time go? How did they all get so big, so fast? *sigh*

Have a wonderful weekend! Sorry to be slacking on my blogs (reh reminded me to get on here), just busy around here!!

Just me, myself and I!!!!!

I have been super busy this week trying to get all laundry done and food made for all the boys (even the 6'4" one!) so they will at least have food while I am in Chicago over the weekend, YIPPEE!!!!

One of my best friends lives there and we have been so busy having babies that we haven't seen each other in almost 3 years....isn't that sad? :-( when I think about it, it makes me sad. We still talk all the time so it doesn't seem like long and it has flown by! She has an older son Gavin's age and also a younger son who I have been asked to be his Godmother :-D I finally get to meet the cute little guy, I can't wait!!! We met in college, worked together, went on a life changing spring break cruise (where she met her hubby and why she now lives in Chicago, hehe) and two months later I met Marcin. Who would have thought?! hehe

So I am super excited to finally get to see her!!! And I get to go by myself =0 I have not flown by myself in at least 4 years. The last time I flew by myself I was pregnant with Gavin. We flew a couple of times with Gavin. I am not going to know what to do with myself. I think I just need a suitcase to carry on and my purse. This is strange to me....I am rarely out of the house with a big ole bag to contain all the boys stuff :-) I haven't gone anywhere overnight by myself since Gavin was born. Marcin and I haven't gone anywhere together overnight since Gavin was born....I know, I know it is high time for us to do that. We are going to in June :-) Just an overnight at the beach to celebrated our 10 year meeting anniversary! We also have 2 weddings this year that we will be staying overnight! EK!

Anyway, back to my fun weekend....Marcin will have the boys all by himself for the first time ever....well overnight at least. I am sure his parents will be here to help :-D I can't blame him there.....our 3 sweet little angels are alot of work and well he is not used to it like I am :-) I mean no one can do it like I can, right?! (answer: right!) I know they will have alot of fun....as long as Marcin has plenty of patience juice (beer...once they are asleep of course!) and the boys all sleep well for him. here's hoping because I will be in Chicago, hehe! (Love you honey!)

Life at our house is crazy as ever! I took Gavin to ENT after Easter, he is going to have his adenoids removed and tubes placed on May 4. I hope this helps him feel better and gets rid of all the congestion, constant ear and sinus infections :/ He also starts speech next week, I think he is at the age where he will really enjoy that! Just 30 minutes once a week.

Jakob is doing great since his adenoids were removed. His breathing sounds much better! However he has had an ongoing cough the past couple of weeks. When we were seeing the specialist before his surgery, the allergist did suggest he had mild asthma symptoms and for us to keep an eye on it. I know nothing about asthma....I took him into pediatrician today to make sure his ears were ok since he was pulling on his left ear yesterday and crying. The pedi suggested it could be the asthma and/or some environmental allergies. She suggested a steroid nasal spray...I just didn't feel comfortable with a daily steroid 2/x day. She then suggested singulair...this sounded good to me because I take that for my allergies and it is also a asthma medication, so we shall see if that helps him out a little :-)

Kaleb is just silly and loves to eat!! It is so much having a kid who will eat or at least try just about anything! I love it! He loves to try new things and this makes my life much easier! Jakob is a little picky but not as bad as Gavin :-P We still battle with him to try new things *sigh* Kaleb also likes to yell....alot. Even if you answer him the first time, he still yells! He doesn't quite grasp the whole 'inside voice' thing. He also likes to throw and take things from Jakob, just to be spiteful. He just wants it to make Jakob upset. He will take it, run away with it, then come back with a big grin on his face and give it back. Of course, by then Jakob is over it and has moved onto to something else...the cycle then repeats itself. I figure this is a teachable moment and they can learn some problem solving techniques on their own because let's be honest...I cannot possibly follow them around all day long and watch every single move they make. it is impossible!!!

We are having fun! I am not so stressed when we all go outside. My heart stops when I can't see someone immediately but they are good at climbing the playset, learning to stay in the back yard and if we are out front they are pretty good at staying out of the street (HEART ATTACK!). J&K are becoming more independent and also listening better which is a huge help! So we won't be getting a fence after all... I can manage one summer. By next summer, they will be fine for the most part when they decide to listen :-P

Must finish my cooking!!!

hehe we got a fun car today!!!

 We have been talking about this for a loooonnngggg time! We sold Marcin's 4-Runner because I think he may have put 1k miles on it last year. He has a car for work that he drives during week. If you know my hubby, he takes meticulous care of his cars. The Runner was a 2004 or 2005...I can't remember which but it looked brand new! So we knew once the 4 Runner was gone, we would need another car to have when we needed it if someone was gone with the van, we we are going out, taking one kid some place and another somewhere else, etc.

We have the big ole family car, the swagger wagon and we decided it would be fun to have a small car....you know, now...while we are young instead when we are retired ( I am sure we will get another fun car then also unless we are broke from 3 kids in college, oh vey!). We didn't want another family size car...we wanted something smaller that would be fun for us to take out and also has a backseat for the kiddos should we need to load it up with carseats :-P So Marcin has looked and looked for months. He was on some car website just about everyday going from one car to another that he liked. This was more or less his pick, I gave my two cents but ultimately I said my only requirement was it have a backseat and be within the budget we set for a car. He brought an Audi A4 home a couple weeks ago but it wasn't in the best shape. However, my friend and I got to take it out the night we borrowed it to have mechanic look at it and it drove really well. It was sturdy...I expected it to feel light while driving it. I was driving around yesterday after dropping Gavin off at school because J&K needed a quick car cat nap and drove by this...I stopped, checked it out and spoke with car salesman. Marcin went to look at it and here we are!

It is so much fun to drive a smaller car! It was odd at first because in the van, I am used to being pretty level with the SUV's and trucks but I felt so small and low, hehe! Gavin is in awe of watching the top going up and down.....full out meltdown yesterday when we told him he could open/close it anymore, sheesh.

Could we have put this money towards something else? Sure but we do that all the time! We are careful with our spending, put away for savings and college so we wanted to do something fun for us :-) I am pretty sure this qualifies !! YAY!!!!

What a great way to end a fun week!!!! I just don't think it will fit in our Easter baskets :-)

This week has started off great!!!

 For one thing...it is a sunny day!! That alone makes me happy!!!

I have been looking at foyer lights for almost a year!!! we found one we liked at Home Depot but it was expensive and we didn't want to spend that much on a light :/ But I have a strong hatred for the one we currently have so something had to give! Being the bargain hunter that I am, I started searching Craigslist and Ebay for a light. I found this one on ebay,

Simple and not the right color but I can easily fix that for the cost I got it for :-) And again, a good deal!!!

We have also been looking for a new table for the kitchen area. Our current table has served us well. We bought it for our first home almost 9 years ago, from Ikea of course. Where else do you go to furnish your first home as a young couple?! lol It is becoming a little worn out and let's be honest, I could put a table cloth on it but with 3 boys....do you really think the tablecloth and whatever is on it will stay on the table? LOL absolutely not! We did not want to spend a lot of money on a new table. 3 young boys = destroy table. I just didn't think it would survive much longer and we needed something to get us through the next few years that we would allow the boys to eat on, hehe I was just perusing Craigslist earlier today and  stumbled across this table,

It's an 8 piece set for a great deal! The couple selling it are moving back to KOP and don't want to take the table! Only two out of the 6 chairs have been used and it has a leaf for holidays and other partay's we may have. So I called and crossed my fingers it wasn't some crazy person trying to sell this lol I got myself and the boys ready and in car in record time, ran over to check out the table and was back home all within 30 minutes and right in time for naps, whew! She was very nice and we are hopefully going to be able to pick it up tomorrow!

So very excited about these purchases!!!!! I guess it does pay to be patient but when I see something I like...I want to get it, like yesterday so I don't miss out on a good deal :-P

Our weekend was lots of fun despite the dreary, rainy weather. I really hope the weather is nice this weekend for Easter. The past 2 weekends have been cloudy and rainy, ew!

Saturday Gavin started swim lessons. Initially he was not crazy about it when he found out I wouldn't be going with him. Then he met his swim teacher and the 3 other children in the class and warmed up pretty quickly. So quickly that he felt comfy enough to get out of pool to check out the door...only gavin :-P

I also discovered while there that there is a Mommy & Me swim class going on at the same time as Gavin's swim class. Next session, I am hoping to alternate weeks with J&K while Gavin takes his class. I spoke with the manager there and she said it would be fine to do that, yippee!!! I know Jakob will love it...not so sure about Kaleb :-P

After swim Gavin and I ran home for lunch and then went to his school for an Easter Egg Hunt. Gavin has no clue how an Easter Egg hunt goes. Last year we attempted but he could have cared less. This year, he got ONE egg :-P He was much more interested in the "BIIIIIIIGGGG bounce castle" and " GIANT slide" than anything else. He had a blast and I went on the giant slide also, I have to say....it was fun! Then he finally warmed up to the fire truck. I do want to mention that it has been in my mind to do a fire truck party for Gavin's 4th birthday. After seeing him spend at least 30 minutes on this fire truck, I am thinking that is what we will do :-) He had so much fun exploring the fire truck. Not to mention the amount of doors on a fire truck....trust me, he found them all! The firemen thought it was great :-)

Love this pic, even his silly smile :-)

=0 A DOOR!!!!

He had such a great time!!! This also got me to thinking....a couple of years ago a neighbor had a fire truck come to their house for the kids to come see. And a friend had a similar party last year in chicago (hi keeley!).  I wondered if we did the fire truck party if I could get a fire truck here as a surprise for Gavin! So I called around this morning (yep....I am fully aware of my issues and the fact that it is only April and I am already thinking about July) to the fire houses to inquire about my idea. I ended up speaking with the Deputy Chief who said they would be happy to come to our house for 30 minutes or so, so the kids could see the fire truck! AWESOME! I am so excited!!! My dad was a fireman and I have such great memories when it comes to things like this:-) And yes, I will admit.....I will be starting on invites and all party related things soon. Don't judge....this is how I work :-P

yesterday i got my hair cut, highlights and i was talked into bangs! I havent had bangs since i was 14...15. my bangs were teased up really high and alot of hairspray ;-) After all that nervousness, I like them :-) I will definitely be keeping them for a bit. I posted pic on FB yesterday but for those of you not on FB, here ya go :-)

J&K are waking up from their naps but I'll leave you a couple more pics of J&K from this morning. Whenever Gavin is sitting with me watching a show, J&K spot us and instantly run over to sit with us too. so cute :-) Usually they will both try to sit on top of Gavin. Gavin sometimes tolerates this and other times, not so much. This morning he was not in the mood. Jakob picked up on this pretty quickly and decided it would be a better idea to tackle Kaleb, hehe!!! And the funniest part is that Jakob has done this for a few months.....Kaleb will run away after taking toy from Jakob, only for Jakob to catch him from behind and take him down to get his toy back. Kaleb is not a fan of Jakob doing this or sitting on him. Just recently Kaleb has started sitting on Jakob...Jakob also not a fan but so cute to watch them interact and snuggle with each other. So this morning, Jakob got Kaleb and being the awesome mom that I am, I had to snap some pics hehe

whew! been a while!

Sorry for taking such a long break :-P Busy as usual at our house :-)

March has been a great month so far!! Marcin got a little guys weekend and went to South Carolina. They just happened to plan this over St. Patricks Day weekend so they could go to Savannah. hmph, NOT FAIR! They seemed to have fun attempting to relive their college days...you know those days that were just about 10 years ago! I'd say they put in a pretty good effort but when I asked Marcin why they were back at hotel so early (2:00 a.m.), he said it was too many people and they were tired. hehe OLD!!!! I am not saying I could hang much longer but I can recall quite a few St. Patricks Day in Savannah where I rarely slept and drank for about 48 hours straight. Good times :-) Now I have 2 glasses of wine and I call it a night. My alcohol tolerance is non-existant and who wants to take care of 3 young kids while hungover?! no thank you! Maybe when they are old enough to take care of Marcin and I, we can have a few drinks :-)

I survived just fine all weekend with the kids :-) We had a pretty busy weekend ourselves! We had some friends over that Friday morning. Saturday we went to the Bunny Brunch at Brio with some good friends and then headed to their house after naps to hang out some more with other friends that joined us :-) Sunday afternoon, Marcin was home :-) I was exhausted keeping up with everyone but aren't I supposed to be taking care of 3 kids? (Answer: yes)

I started back on my diet this week. I was getting a little tired of the Medifast food so I took a month off. I didn't gain weight while off of it but I didn't lose either, hmph. Although I got in a organizing mood yesterday and started going through my closet and dressers to see what fits/doesn't fit. I was pleasantly surprised when I put on my favorite jean bermuda short from 2 years ago and they FIT! whoop!!!! I did not expect them....at.all. I was SO excited!!! It really gives me that much more motivation and appreciation knowing that my 5:30 a.m. workouts are paying off because while the scale may not be reflecting any weight loss, I am obviously losing some inches for those shorts to fit, yippee!!!! 10 more lbs....I can do that.

The weather last week was amazing! 70 degrees in March in this part of the country is not normal. I don't know what mother nature is drinking but she can keep on with it because it was awesome to open the windows, take the boys outside and just made my feel better with the sunny warm weather. This week is not so nice.....chilly and rain later, boo!

I am still working on many projects around the house.....I seem to start and then be able to finish because well...I start something else :-P Marcin and I were discussing that we really just need to take one room at a time and focus on that from cleaning windows to giving molding a fresh coat of paint. There are some spots on walls that need to be spackled and repainted. We have lived here almost 5 years so it definitely needs to be refreshed :-) We will get there.....we both would rather things to be finished shortly after they are started but that is just not possible with the 3 crazies running around and leaving a path of destruction LOL Not to mention, some of these projects cost money and unfortunately that doesn't grow on trees and we have yet to win the Mega Millions which Marcin tells me is up to $363, go get your tickets!

The boys are doing great!!! Everyone has been healthy....we have not been to the doctor for a sick visit since february! That has to be a record! Jakob's breathing sounds much better after his surgery, YAY!!!! And ::knocking on wood:: no ear infections either!

The boys were all evaluated for speech in the past couple of months. Gavin qualified and I am meeting with coordinator next week to develop his IEP and schedule his therapy sessions. Kaleb didn't qualify and was right on target with his development at the time, he was 17 months 3 weeks. Jakob qualified most likely because when he was evaluated he was 18 months 1 days. The evals testing brackets run 12-17 months and 18-24 months so Jakob's scores weren't quite up to par with his expressive language. I met with the coordinator last week to develop his plan and I am expecting a call to set up his sessions. They will come to our house, thankfully!!! And it is free, thank you Delaware :-) Of course, J&K have all sorts of consonants and 'words' now but I think it will be beneficial for them both (you know Kaleb will be right in the middle of Jakob's sessions!) and myself to learn some techiques to help them :-)

Gavin has really developed a huge imagination! I love it! He loves to pretend his school friends are here at the house. He often 'teaches' during his quiet time while twins are napping. And he seems to be learning so much at school! Speaking of school......I changed him from the 5 half days of preschool next year to 3 half days. The other week when we had all those doctor appts, it was so tiring getting everyone up and out early in the morning. By Wednesday, I just realized I did not want to do this next year every week :-P It's just too much. So we feel good about changing him :-)
I feel like Gavin is also starting to level out with his meltdowns....unless he is tired, he is pretty reasonable when we tell him no. He is also listening better when it comes to sharing with his brothers...again unless he is tired. If he is tired, all bets are off!!! Most days he does not nap...he has quiet time in his room for 1.5 hour. Sometimes he goes to sleep, other times not. It doesn't matter to me as long as he is quiet, his brothers nap and I get some time to myself :-)

Kaleb has become quite the comedian! He loves to jump out from behind a wall and play peek a boo :-) He is the quiet, mischevious kid. He is usually up to something but you aren't going to know unless you go see what he is doing. He loves to go outside to slide, swing and run around. Very social with everyone.....wants them to pick him up :-) even the fridge repair guy that was here last week...Kaleb was reaching up so he could pick him up. He is going to need some Stranger Danger speeches! He is working on top 2 eye teeth, ouch! He still sttn but cranky during day :-(d And the child will eat just about anything! I love it!!! It amazes me to have a child that is so excited to eat :-) Gavin and Jakob make it seem like such a chore! Kaleb goes after food with a gusto! even new things.....he will at least try it, if he doesn't like it...spits it out. Gavin flat out refuses unless we bribe him with something full of sugar. Jakob clamps his mouth shut.

Jakob is just silly.  He has the most infectious laugh. You just can't be mad at him. Even when he manages to sneak in the bathroom, pull out all the towels, put them in toilet to get soaked and slings it out resulting in wet walls and puddles of water everywhere. Yes this just happened last week. good times. Thankfully there was nothing in the toilet but water. You never know with Gavin if it is flushed or not, ek! Jakob has become very bossy lately..he will come over to you, grab your hand and show what he wants to do. Normally he is taking you to the closet to get his shoes because he wants to go outside and play :-)

The boys are pretty much set with their spring/summer clothes! I had already ordered some things on clearance at end of summer last year (great deals!!!), we have Gavin's old clothes and then I found some good deals this past weekend at a resale for Moms of Multiples club :-) I am really hoping the sandals and flip flops we have will get us through the summer. Kaleb is husky like Gavin was at his age, so he is mostly wearing 2T and some 18-24 months. I am pretty sure I can get away with some of the 18-24 shorts and t-shirts since I don't have to worry about the lengths. He wears a 7W shoe...also like Gavin did. Remember, Kaleb is in the 90% percentile for height and weight, not exactly your average size 19 month old :-P

Jakob is a slim little guy and some 18-24 months things fall down his hips because his waist is smaller :-P Kaleb's 12-18 months shorts from last summer fit him great! If the waist are adjustable, he can wear the 18-24 months. I see a lot of adjustable waists in his future...thank goodness for those! Jakob was in 50% percentile for weight and 75% for height, so he is tall. His feet are small compared to Kalebs though. Jakob is in a 6 regular...so he cannot wear anyones hand me down shoes right down, which means I have to buy new ones. Thankfully I found 3 pairs of crocs at the resale Friday night for $3-4 a piece!

Must finish my list of calls to make....trying to get all my appts. scheduled before I forget! Gyno and mammogram taken care of :-) Now I need eye, dentist, massage and hair. I am thinking it is time to freshen up and get some highlights again. I will be complaining about keeping up with them by end of summer but oh well, it seems to have become a summer tradition for me lol

SIX?!?!?

Doc appointments this week :-) I am sure some of you got all excited thinking we were adding a 6th family member, HA!!! Not so much!

To say we have been busy is an understatment! I am so glad for this week to be done!!!! Here is a snapshot of the past five days:

Monday - Jakob speech. All is fine, bring him back in 6 months if we see no improvement by age 2. Same with Kaleb, he went last week.
Tuesday - Gavin ear recheck. Still has fluid on his ears, doc gave him a daily dose of antibiotics to get us to his ENT appt. in April
Wednesday - Jakob hearing test, normal procedure after tube placement. His hearing is great! In the afternoon, I went to see an allergist about what I thought to be allergies. More on that later....
Thursday - J&K 18 month appt, all went well!!
Friday - mammogram for me! I do believe I just felt the need to torture myself this week :-P

Whew....I had to stop and think to even remember this week. All of this on top of the regular daily craziness = EXHAUSTED!

So the allergist, interesting two hour visit there. The doc wanted to do some skin testing so I got 30 glorious pricks on my forearms. All that and nothing, mildly allergic to mold and bermuda grass, who isn't?! So then he suggested we do a 2nd round of skin testing which is injecting the said allergen under my skin....yep you guessed, I was able to experience that 31 times on my upper arms. And it didn't even come with a glass of wine! Sheesh!!! All that to find.....nothing. He also looked at my tonsils and said they were unusually large for an adult :/ And he agreed with what I told him that I had a lot of drainage in my throat, EW! Very, very annoying. LOL and then he says based on Gavin's x-rays (enlarged adenoids!) and the fact that Jakob had his adneoids removed that he would guess my adenoids aren't in the best of shape either. So he ordered a cat scan of my adenoids and sinuses :-P I have yet to get that xray because as I mentioned....been busy! So how knows, we shall see what Cat scan reveals.

In meantime, I got my boobs squished today and all is well with them :-) Thank goodness! While I have no reason to stress, I still stress while waiting to see doc and hear about results. He said nothing has changed with my last mammo which was before the twins so almost 2 years ago, I was surprised :-P I figured my hormones would have caused from rucus after that pregnancy hehe

We have ZERO plans this weekend, WOO HOO!!!!!! Love those weekends :-) I love having things to do but usually january and february are slow months allowing me time to recoup....this year, not so much! Those months were crazy! So I am much more appreciative of my free time these days and well for other obvious reasons :-)

Last weekend we met some friends in Philly for a delicious dinner at the Dandelion Pub. It was great company, food and our server was fantastic! He was so funny and quirky, I loved it! And I had a fabulous pinot nior, maybe I am last person on earth to discover it because let's face it, I don't get out much but it was yummy! It was a Chilean wine, Leyda

http://www.leyda.cl/site/en/wines/single-vineyard-3

It had such a smooth taste to it, loved it!!! Must find in my area! We parked in a parking garage next to restaurant and when we were driving out on our way home, a group of people were standing by the BROKEN elevator....yes we paid $21 to park in an garage with broken elevators. You would think they would offer a discounted rate, hmph. So this group of people (drunk lol) were begging us to give them a ride down to the street. Mind you in their drunken state I don't think they realized the street was only one level down, LOL It was 7 people that all crammed in the backseat of the 4 -runner!!! The 4- Runners last hoorah! They were very nice and funny, they had kids too and couldn't understand why we were going home at 11:30, um....because our kids will be up at 6:00 a.m. :-P

Now for our house projects!!! I feel like there is so much I/we want to do ;-) Gavin's room is almost done. Still need to repaint the brown stripe and order the pics for his frames. Then I REALLY want to start on our bathroom! I think we are also going to install a storm door, YAY!!! We had one at our townhouse and it was so nice, loved it!! AND...I am so excited about this one!!! We switched from Comcast cable to Verizon and as an incentive Verizon was giving $300 visa gift cards for new customers.....that means I can get the foyer light!!!! WOO HOO!!!! I cannot stand our current light...it is brass and ugly. I would paint it if I could but the brass runs through the glass and there is no way I would deal with that! Everytime I go up and down the stairs (which is ALOT) I see that ugly thing and can't wait to smash it! Or sell it, whichever comes first :-)

The other day as I was carrying my FIFTH basket of laundry up the stairs, I had another brilliant idea!!! In our townhouse, our washer and dryer was on 3rd floor...loved that!!! In our current house it is behind the kitchen which seems to be the layout of alot of the houses in this area, at least the ones we looked at. So my brilliant idea was this.....moved our washer and dryer upstairs! We have a sitting room off of our bedroom and it would be a perfect spot! We coul build it in and put some pocket doors there to close it off. Then if future owners still want to sit around upstairs and drink coffee while reading, go for it! Honestly, what is a sitting room for?! Its just a waste of space screaming to become a laundry room, extension of our bathroom or a big, walk in closet!!! And of those three, I think a W/D up there would be the best! Not to mention, then our current laundry room could become a mudroom of sorts so we could use that for getting ready (shoes, coats, bags, etc), it would be great!!! Marcin didn't sound as thrilled as I was...well actually he tried to claim that he said this a long time ago, hmph. He is always acting like he came up with ideas and trying to steal credit. I don't recall this ever being mentioned until I mentioned it. I guess he didn't sound as thrilled because he would be the one doing the work, hehe! I am an excellent supervisor! I also will bring drinks and food, can't beat that right?!

I quickly want to mention how much my children ate last week because I was shocked.... I went to BJ's a week ago (btw....LOVE BJ's so much more than costco! It may be because they accept manu. coupons but there are some great deals there! Except for the shrimp....$18/LB, WTH?!) and I purchased many things but what stands out the most are the 3 gallons of milk, 54 eggs and 16 Chobani yogurt (they love the kids one!). By yesterday....all of that was gone. Granted Marcin and I eat eggs as well but still, sheesh! Gavin and Kaleb are on a pistachio kick and go through bags like you wouldn't believe. I am tired of shelling them so I thought I would look for ones already shelled. I found them....$9.99 for a 1lb bag. I looked at the bag and laughed...they would eat that in a day if they didn't have the shells to slow them down. I am sticking to the shell on pistachios!!
GAH! These kids are going to eat everything in sight when they are teenagers!!! Which scares me to imagine my grocery bills but I love to cook so I get to cook ALOT and bake ALOT which will be fun! They get to do the cleaning up afterwards :-)

ok my children are all napping and after the past 5 days, I need a nap as well....goodnight!