Daily Life with Quads!

A week of nothing

2012-01-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

This week has been pretty boring...not that life is ever really boring with quadruplets but we have had a very uneventful week. The kids all have the sniffles that seem to be never ending this winter but other than that everyone is healthy. Nearly two and a half year olds have been providing some new challenges and really like to see how far they can push things.

Matthew has been extra challenging the past few weeks. He is a whining, crying, clingy mess most days and I have no idea how to change that. I have tried sending him to his room until he is ready to come down not whining and it works temporarily but then he is right back at it.

Brady thinks he is the boss of everyone. He must think that because he is so much bigger than the other three that he is the "adult" because he mocks every single thing I say.

Aubrey must miss being a baby because the baby talk coming out of that girls mouth lately is driving me up the wall. I cannot stand baby talk and I swear she does it just in spite of that because she will do it then smirk at me.

Cameron is still working on his colors so when he is insistant that I need to find him is "org-gange"truck I am not sure if he really means orange or if in fact he means a green one and there is always a specific one he wants and doesn't just accept a replacement for it.

The weekend ahead is a pretty quiet one as well so we will finally have some down time and the kids can take out the big train set that they are bugging me about right now as they are sitting in the tub. I think a pajama day is in order for Saturday!

Sickfest 2012

2012-01-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

This is the first time that this house has really been affected by the stomach bug since the babies were born. It all started on Monday around 3pm with Matthew vomiting all evening and into the night. He got to have a sick day with Daddy at Grammie's house so day care could still run and the other kids were feeling fine until the magic hour of 3pm! Tuesday Aubrey got sick and she is not a happy girl when she is sick. It lasted about 12 hours for her and the last time she was in the bathroom was at 3am...finally sleep for her and I was hoping to do the same then Brady woke up vomiting at 3:30am!

Ben had been up all night also sick so the three of them went off to Grammie's house so my mom could take care of them all on Wednesday! Thanks Grammie!

I thought we were in the clear because Thursday morning had come and Cameron and I were still healthy. He kept bragging all day "You and me not sick mommy! Just daddy, Matt, Brady and Aubrey!" He kept saying that all day until 3pm came and he vomited like something out of the Excorsist! He was quick to bounce back though by 5:30 he was chowing down and never complained again.

Friday I started with stomach pains and they lasted on and off all day then finally after dinner it was my turn and it quickly passed for me as well. I am hoping this does not get an encore! Now off to wipe runny noses...it's always something!

Update on the big kid beds!

2012-01-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

Night #1- Cameron fell off the bed shortly after falling asleep because he put his Elmos on the end with the rail because he was certain that they would fall off. After I got him back in bed he decided sleeping in between his Elmos would be best...then they all would be safe. Aubrey fell off the bed 4 times and one time I could not find her anywhere! She was all the way under her bed...crazy girl!

Night #2- We put one of the long bed rails on Aubrey's bed, now she barely has room to climb in but at least she didn't fall out! Brady fell out of bed in the beginning of the night but picked himself up and was covering himself back up when I got in there. Matthew woke up in the morning and tried to stand up against his crib rail (the one that is no longer there) just as Ben went in to get him and he ended up face planting on the ground in front of him.

Night #3- Success! Not a single one fell out of bed!

Night #4- Another good night...is it really going this well?!?!

Night #5- Cameron and Aubrey thought it was funny to get up at nap time and come out to the gate and yell to me. After a few reminders Cameron finally stayed in his bed for the rest of nap time even though he didn't nap. Bed time was great though, no one up and no one fell out!

Night #6- A great night...other than sick kiddos! Aubrey spent the night in our room in the spare toddler bed because she was so sick.

Night #7- Everyone went to bed great...even Matthew who told me "mommy, I too tired to sleep!" Another transisition that went smoother than anticipated and I am so proud of my big kids!

Little Picassos

2012-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

The quadders love to paint and painting usually means it is bath night!

28 months

2012-01-17T01:20:00.000-08:00

Growing in leaps and bounds!

Aubrey's Day at Work

2012-01-16T01:35:00.000-08:00

Once Matthew had his chance to go to work Aubrey decided she needed to step it up and start cleaning up after herself so she could earn the next spot. She managed to get her turn and was very excited to leave for work with Daddy on Friday morning.

Driving all the equipment!

Time to clean up the shop!

Pay in the form of her favorite currency...tootsie rolls!

Aubrey had enough of being in the dirty garage and wanted to go into a nice clean house for the rest of the day so she went and helped Grammie make some cookies!

Just checking the chips to make sure they are edible!

Mmmmmmmmm....the finished product!

Having a tea party with Grammie

And her babies!

I guess Baby Abby had too much tea!

Ahhh...snack time!

Bye Bye Nursery...Hello Big Kid Room!

2012-01-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

My babies are growing up...sniff, sniff. Tonight marked another milestone bringing them into the world of big kids when Ben changed their cribs into toddler beds for them. I have been working to make the change from a nursery theme to a big kid theme for a couple weeks now. I made new curtains, put decals up on their walls, made up their beds with the bedding they got for Christmas from Auntie Kate and Uncle Tom and got rid of most of the "baby" things in their room. How is it possible that they are this old already???

Out with the old...

In with the new...

They were so excited they were getting bid beds they were doing a "big kid dance!"

We are big kids now!

Check back in a week for an update on how the transistion went!

Aubrey's first pedicure!

2012-01-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Aubrey got a pedicure kit for Christmas and she has been pretty anxious to use it, unfortunately it is always bedtime when she remembers to ask me to do it for her. Today I actually remembered that I promised her we would do this so I pulled it out while Ben and the boys were watching one of their digger shows. She is such a girlie girl!

Oooooooh, this feels sooooo good!

Yes, I am the princess!

Pretty Feet!

Just like Mommy!

Matthew's Day at Work

2012-01-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

Ben promised the kids that they could take turns going to work with him for a day. Matthew has been the best one about going to bed at night and picking up toys at the end of the evening so he was the first one to earn a chance to go with daddy and he was so excited about it! He came in and said "Bye mom I am going to work!" and gave me a little kiss then he went out and told his brothers and sister bye and Aubrey said "Wait Matt, I need a kiss!!!" So after a round of hugs and kisses he went out the door for work with Daddy.

Driving the dump truck!

Driving the forklift...it might be a little easier if he could put down that darn bouncy ball!

Cleaning up the shop!

Lunch break!

Driving a skidder

Warming up!

Thanks grammie for taking pictures so we could document Matthew's first day at work!

Sleep Training

2012-01-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Back in October we were having a terrible time getting the kids to sleep past 5 am, somedays it was more like 4:30 after several wake ups per night by each child! Bedtime was 7 pm and they were sleeping by 7:30 and most days naps were only 45 minutes long so they were basically getting 10 hours sleep per day...far less than a 2 year old requires! I turned to a friend for some advice and she helped our family so much.

They still are asleep at 7:30 pm but for the most part they sleep through the night other than waking up to go potty. Naps are an hour and a half at least and sometimes stretch to 3 hours for some on really lucky days. The best part is they are staying in bed until 6am or later each morning.

For anyone needing assistance in sleep training I highly recommend you visit her site and think about ordering a consultation...you won't regret it!

Eat-Sleep-Love (http://www.eat-sleep-love.com/) is a company founded by Jessica Brodey to meet the needs of parents as they tackle many challenging parenting issues...sleep, breastfeeding, and educational and special needs advocacy. Jessica Brodey is a Gentle Sleep CoachSM, trained and certified by Kim West, LCSW-C, better known as The Sleep Lady®. Jessica's training with Kim consisted of 55+ hours of basic training classes taught by some of the top specialists in the country, including: Dr. Shoshana Bennett, Ph.D., author of Pregnant on Prozac and Postpartum Depression For Dummies; Dr. Lewis Kass, MD, FAAP, certified pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist; and breastfeeding expert Marilyn Vecchio, R.N., Certified Lactation Counselor. Jessica is also enrolled in an ongoing program of support, supervision and continued advanced education courses from Kim and other child-related specialists, and she is in the midst of obtaining certifications as a Happiest Baby Educator from Dr. Harvey Karp and a Certified Lactation Counselor from the Healthy Children Project. Jessica grew up in Rockville, Maryland and graduated from Emory University and the New York University School of Law. She worked as a litigator for 4 years and as an education, technology and disability law policy consultant for 10 years. She currently resides in Bethesda, and has two young children, ages 3 years and 18 months. Through her company Eat-Sleep-Love, Jessica provides:

Private consultations with parents to help them develop healthy sleep habits for their children by creating and implementing sleep plans that are tailored to each child's needs and respect parental philosophies;
Seminars and workshops on sleep strategies for parents of infants and young children (from birth through age 5);
Happiest Baby courses;
Breastfeeding education and support;
Guidance, advocacy and support for parents seeking early interventions and assessments for their children; and
Support and advocacy for school-age children needing an Individualized Education Program or a Section 508 Plan.

Jessica can be reached at: jessica@eat-sleep-love.com, (202) 276-7308 or online at this website and on facebook.

Shaving

2012-01-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

The kids love to shave with daddy so for Christmas the boys got shaving kits and Aubrey got a little pedicure kit. She was excited about it until they took baths and Ben pulled out the shaving kits and she didn't have one. Luckily one of her brothers took pity on her and decided to share!

4 little monkeys in the tubby!

Cameron thinking...what do I do with this???

AH...that's it!

Matthew, you better be careful not to nick yourself!

Smooth as a baby's bottom!

Brady is concentrating really hard to make sure he does a good job!

PERFECTION!

Aubrey is sooooo happy for a turn!

Let's just hope she out grows this ;)

All done!

Oh the crazy things they love...

2012-01-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Most kids get attached to things like a stuffed animal, a blanket or a doll. My kids get attached to crazy things and quickly become obsessed with them!

Matthew has 2 yellow and white bouncy balls that he takes with him everywhere. First thing in the morning he starts looking for his bouncy balls. He is so obsessed with them that he had 4 accidents today standing there dancing and trying to figure out how to pull down his pants without putting the bouncy balls down!

Brady has an obsession with tissues. He needs at least one in his hands or pocket at all times. Even while he sleeps he has to have one and wakes up crying if he can't find it. I love when I forget to check his pockets and find a washer full of tiny tissue pieces!

Cameron is obsessed with all things Elmo. He have 4 Elmos in his bed and makes sure they all have their own spots in the crib and covers go to them first, Cameron second.

Aubrey loves all dolls...baby dolls, her little people dolls, her wooden Teeny Tiny Quadruplet dolls, but most of all Baby Abby. She truly believes Baby Abby is not a doll and if we say "Abby is just a doll you know" Aubrey will say "NO! She's Baby Abby!"

Crazy sleepers

2012-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

At nap time the other day I went in to check on Matthew because he was yelling that he had to pee...constant stall tactic! When I walked in I saw Brady sound asleep, propped up by all his stuffed animals that he keeps in his bed.

After Aubrey saw me take a picture of Brady she insisted that I take a picture of her and all her babies...yes they all need to have pillows and covers too!

Matthew then said "Take picture of me sleeping" and pretended to sleep.

Cameron said "Me sleepin' too!"

Stats to start 2012

2012-01-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

Matthew: 26 lbs 8 oz
33.75"

Brady: 32 lbs 12 oz
35.5"

Aubrey: 23 lbs 14 oz
33"

Cameron: 28 lbs 7 oz
33.75"

Counting: They all can count to 4 consistantly and to 10 if they concentrate. Most of the time it is more like 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,5,6,7,9 but they try hard and do their best.

Alphabet: Brady and Aubrey can say the alphabet very well, Cameron and Matthew both attempt it and do well...again if they are concentrating!

Spelling: We have been working on spelling their names. Brady can do it without prompting, Cameron spells C-A-M and Matthew spells M-A-T-T and Aubrey tries but usually forgets a letter or two.

Singing: They all like to sing and remember any songs. I love listening to them singing when they don't think anyone can hear them.

Feelings: They are all able to put labels on their feelings as well as feelings of others. They know when people are happy, sad or mad and when you are sad they try to make you happy by giving you hugs and kisses or trying to make you laugh.

Coping: They are finally starting to learn that using their words works better than using their teeth when dealing with each other. They do still fight...often but they also do try to "trade" for something they want.

Self Help: All four of them can put on their slippers and boots independantly but still need a little help with their sneakers. They can put on their own socks, underwear and pants when they want to and help with their shirts. They need help with jackets but can put on their own hats.

Gross Motor skills: They all are hopping, marching and skipping. They can do the stairs very well all on their own holding onto the railing. They have mastered the art of climbing on the climber and going down the slide. The are able to kick the ball and to play catch with pretty good aim.

Fine Motor skills: They love to build towers with their blocks, put the train tracks together to race their trains on them, and the do a great job with their puzzles. They love to color, paint and write on paper. Matthew is definitely showing a left hand preference and the other three are showing a right hand preference. I have yet to allow them to use sissors but I need to put that on our list of things to learn this year.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

The future of 2012 must be pretty bright! :)

Happy New year from...

Aubrey and Abby!

Cameron and Elmo!

Brady and Mickey!

Matthew and Bella!

The quad squad!

New Years Eve 2011

2011-12-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ben and I couldn't get dinner reservations at our favorite restuarant so the choice was go with a lesser option or go New Years Day instead so we choose to go with option two and spend New Years Eve with the kiddos.

Typically I make a well balanced dinner ever night but to celebrate we did just an appetizer buffet and the kids loved it! We had cheese, crackers, keilbasa, chips, dip, popcorn, blueberries, grapes and apples. We still had most of the food groups represented after they drank their milk but it was just a junkier version. The only thing I needed to refill though was the fruit plate...they went right to town on that!

They all sat and waited for me to bring out the food then got very excited when I told them they could go up and make their own plates with whatever they wanted!

Aubrey must have been trying to watch her girlish figure on her first trip up...

While Brady took as much as he could fit on his plate!

We did dinner and a movie...a big treat! Cars was a hit!

After the movie we got the quaddlers dressed for bed and teeth brushed before setting up the airbeds on the floor for a camp out. We told them if they laid down we would let them watch Aubrey's Tinkerbell movie so they were excited about that idea!

Let me say that them laying down did not last long! Thankfully Tinkerbell is only an hour long movie because when it was over I said "Ok, let's go to our cribs!" and they actually went and went to bed without a peep. It was an hour later than regular bedtime so I am hoping for an extra hour in the morning...it NEVER works that way in our house though, it usually means an even earlier wake up time.

2011 in review

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

January- We started the year off with ear infections, colds and respitory infections. Luckily we have made it through 2 winters without RSV and I am hoping that we make it through this one as well. The boys got their first haircuts and they all said good bye to high chairs and moved onto the toddler table!

February- We were able to have some outdoor play and Aubrey was not to fond of the snow or the cold. Aubrey decided to join her brothers walking around everywhere.

March- The quaddlers turned 18 months! Aubrey got her first haircut and they got their first pets...2 beta fish. It had been 2 years since we first found out we were having quads and I think the shock still hadn't worn off.

April- They got to take their little 4 wheelers out for the first test run and had a blast riding them everywhere. The first Easter Egg hunt was a hit and we even brought them to church on Easter morning.

May- The quads discovered Mickey Mouse Club House and have been singing the M-I-C-K-E-Y song everyday since then! The weather was warm and there was a lot of outside play. We got a new Quadmobile and I attended Quadvention 2011 with 11 other quad moms...so fun!

June- They all started swimming lessons and were trying to count and say their ABC's. We attended the Father's Day Fishing Derby and took Daddy to Santa's Village for Father's Day.

July- July was a busy month for us! They attended their first wedding, checked out another country when we went to Granby Zoo, had a blast at Story Land with 3 other quad families, went swimming at South Pond.

August- Had our first tenting experience (and last until the painful memories fade), spent a weekend at Old Orchard Beach, and returned for a free day at Santa's Village. Our easy bedtimes were a thing of the past and still are. Imaginations began running wild in our home and they brought play time to new level.

September- We celebrated birthday #2 in a fitting manner...a circus themed birthday party with many friends and family in attendance. We had our first trip to Build A Bear on their birthday and got two baby bunnies who have since reproduced. Grammie and I took the foursome to Connecticut for a weekend and they helped Daddy build a new shed.

October- The quaddlers potty trained! We enjoyed pumpkin carving and trick or treating as Smores for the very first time and even won a prize for having the most original costumes.

November- Cameron failed his hearing test which resulted in ear tube surgery and speech for him. Aubrey found her new BFF in baby Abby. They discovered how fun baking with Mommy was and ask to do so regularly now.

December- We booked our Disney vacation for next September and I started selling Scentsy to fund our little adventure. Cameron fell in love with all things Elmo. Christmas was full of excitement in our home. The elf of the shelf Jingle B made each morning an adventure. We rang in the New Year by hanging out, eating junk, watching movies and having a camp out in the living room.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

5 days past Christmas...

2011-12-30T01:15:00.000-08:00

and I can give a review of many of their new toys!

OSO toys- Amazon ran a 70% off sale on many toys just a few days before Christmas and I snached up four different toys ranging from $4.09 to $5.19. I fully expected them to be small little toys but they were OSO and that is the kids favorite thing right now so I bought them. To my surprise three out of four of them were good sized! For less than $19 it was by far my favorite find of the season. I should have bought only these and they would have been happy as they get the most use so far! The only complaint is that there was no Dotty in any of the sets.

Dress up shoes- Let's just say Aubrey is as graceful in her heals as her mother is in well...barefeet??? Enough said!

McDonald's Drive through- They are having a blast with this find from Target at only $35 shipped! It would have even been a decent deal at the full price of $60.

Home Depot Carry All Tool Bench- Very flimsy and not worth the $30. A lot of pieces but many broke within the first 2 days.

Graco nursery- The bouncey seat and the play yard leave much to be desired but the pack and play and stroller make up for it making it a deal for $25.

Toys R Us Deluxe Cleaning set- The kids always want to sweep and mop the floor with my adult sized stuff so this is a hit. I could do without the dry mop that has a handle that falls off every 10 seconds...maybe I should just hide that piece and it would fall on the good list!

Matchboxes- They love them and love to scatter them everywhere!

Play Doh- Always a hit and you can never have enough in this house. They are Play-Doh artists for sure and I must sweep up a container full a week off the floor so now we have plenty to replace it with!

Discovery Kids Digital Cameras- Other than the fact that Aubrey's came in broken I think I like these. The kids love taking pictures and getting to review them. I got a fantastic deal online Black Friday and paid a mere $16 each for these full price was nearly $50 and I have to say as much as I like them I wouldn't think they are worth $50.

Vtech Laptops- We had one of these from years ago in the day care room and they fight over it CONSTANTLY so when I spotted them for $10 each I of course grabbed 4 of them. Do you think they would all want to play with them...nope they prefer the one that doesn't work that we have had for years!

Baby Bunnies

2011-12-29T01:19:00.000-08:00

The bunny triplets have been doing very well especially considering the cold weather we have had. Ben brought them in the other day so he could clean out the cage and the kiddos had a ball playing with them. They named the black bunny Blackie...original huh? The other 2 bunnies remain nameless.

Chicken Little, oops I mean Matthew watched from afar...I don't blame you buddy!

Outdoor fun

2011-12-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

I had the day off and the weather wasn't too cold so I packed the quaddlers up to go over to Grammies for an afternoon of outdoor fun! Aubrey likes the outdoors just about as much as her momma so she was not a willing participant in most of the activities as you can see by the look on her face...

The boys racing their sleds

And the winner is Brady for going the furthest distance

Child labor laws should prohibit 2 year olds from having to pull their fathers around ;)

Riding on the snowmachine and four-wheeler

A smily moment

Shoveling out the driveway with one of their new Christmas gifts

Time to go in and get some coffee...aka hot chocolate...YAY!

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-27T03:50:00.000-08:00

Of all days for them to pick to sleep in! Normally wake up time starts at 5:45 and everyone is up by 6:15 well this morning Matthew woke up at 5:45 needing to pee so I brought him them took him to bed with me to wait for the others to wake up. He was so excited about Santa coming that he was going crazy having to wait for everyone else to get up. When Brady woke up at 6:15, soaked...which meant we would not be decked out in our matching pj pants...I hoped the others would wake soon. FINALLY at 6:30 I let the boys go wake up Cameron and Aubrey so we could get the show on the road!

They were so excited to come down and see what Santa had left for them! The look on Cameron's face as he peered over the railing was priceless!

They ran out into the kitchen to see if Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk and they were so happy that he did and that he left them a note.

They all piled up on the couch for a quick picture then we started with stockings, much to my dismay because I always did presents first thenst stockings however Ben informed me that that was not the correct order in which to do things! They all were just longingly looking at the gifts under the tree.

Finally PRESENT time had come! Santa had left them gifts in which they all had to share and so far they have done pretty good sharing them. They had a few presents each from Ben and I and each a gift from their great grandparents to open. They were ready to play with everything so while Ben was in the shower I spent my time opening up all the things that were already assembled and let them start playing with those. Then we put together all the things that needed putting together throughout the day.

Aubrey told anyone who would listen to her that Baby Abby need Christmas presents too. She even went as far as telling Uncle Kyle that Aubrey's wrappers needed to be pink and Abby's needed to be purple. I think the best part of her Christmas was finding a gift for Baby Abby from Santa. She laid Abby right down beside her while she opened the gift and leaned over and said in her best cutsy voice "Look Abby! You got new shooooes!" God I love her!

They wasted no time getting started with their new stuff!

Everyone got dressed and ready for the day before our first set of company arrived. Bumpa, Uncle Brandon, Laura, Zachary and Kyra came to celebrate with us. We had a little breakfast then opened some more gifts. The kids might not have been super excited about getting cards but Ben and I sure were. They each got $50 to spend on our Disney vacation in the fall. It will be great for them to each have their own money to spend in the gift shops!

All dressed for the day!

Aubrey was so happy to get to hold her littlest cousin, Kyra!

We packed up and headed to Grammie Donuts and Papa Digger's house for Christmas lunch. We had already had Christmas with all the cousins last week but they still managed to get a few more gifts there too. Now they are all completely outfitted for the upcoming summer. They loved the wrapping paper fight at that signaled the end of gifts!

Brady hanging out with Uncle Kyle

Finally we got home and I finished cooking up a turkey dinner for Uncle Kyle, Evan and Ella to come have Christmas with us. They had a ball playing with all their new stuff and I was exhausted by the end of the day! When 7 pm finally came we were happy to put them to bed and relax!

All ready for bed sporting their new matching jammies...Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we spent the afternoon and evening with Ben's side of the family. It was great to get everyone together and the kids loved playing with their little cousin Aidan.

Matthew and Aidan

Aubrey and Auntie Kate

Uncle Tom with Cameron, Brady and Aubrey

Matthew with his Aunt, and Godmother, Allison

For the past few weeks Matthew and Cameron have been playing "baseball" with a bouncy ball and some dinosaur puppets. They have a blast doing it but they were thrilled when they recieved some real baseball gloves and balls. I am eager for spring to be here before we end up with broken windows or other household items because their aim is not quite there yet!

They also got new big kid bed sets. They were so excited to have me put them on their cribs and I cut a deal with them that if they can start going to bed like big kids without crying or fits then we will turn their cribs into big beds...so we should be set until 2025 or so. The boys all got Cars sets and Aubrey got her favorite Tinkerbell. Matthew and Aubrey switched cribs (shockingly) so I will be able to decorate one part of the room in girlie Tinkerbell and the other in Cars. That should buy a little time until they need to be seperated into their own rooms.

Another fun gift they recieved Christmas Eve was their very own sleds. They all said "No we can go sledding like OSO!" I don't let them watch very much TV but they do love OSO and they learn so much from him.

Sledding around the house

Having a little snack

Finally it was time to come home and put on our special Christmas jammies and get cookies and milk ready for Santa. Off to bed they went with much excitement for Christmas morning!

The 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

My kids really must think that Christmas is 12 days long because we have so many friends and family that we celebrate with they have given and recieved gifts throughout the past two weeks. Now the real chore is finding a place for it all. I think Santa should forget about bringing gifts next year and just add an addition onto our home...his elves can handle that right???

One thing I am very proud of is that most of the time the kids gave hugs and said thank you to everyone with out any prodding. Only a few times we did have to threaten that they would have to give their present back for not being polite. Thank you to everyone who was so generous to us during this holiday season!

This was the BEST Christmas yet! I know this is only their 3rd Christmas but the excitement in their voices and the smiles on their faces made it amazing for me! Now we need to work on putting the house back in order.

Quads for the quads!

2011-12-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

Aubey got a cute little magnetic doll set as a Christmas gift the cutest part of it was they were QUADRUPLETS! How sweet is that?

Handprint crafts

2011-12-20T06:33:00.000-08:00

The kids love craft time, or as Matthew calls it "crapped" time. They were very excited to see all the things they could make with their handprints and were very proud to show daddy their masterpieces!

My little elves!

2011-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

We made little elf hats to wear at our day care Christmas party tomorrow but the quaddlers were chomping at the bit to try them on so as soon as the glue was dry they were more than happy to sit for a picture!

Weekend of fun!

2011-12-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

We had a fun but busy weekend this weekend and made it through with hardly any melt downs! YAY! Saturday morning the kids and I frosted and decorated 4 batches of sugar cookies to box up with fudge as gifts for our families and friends. They loved shaking the sprinkles onto the frosting.

Ben and I had a wedding to go to so naptime got cut short and they handled it pretty well. Brady and Aubrey got to go hang out with Uncle Tom and Auntie Kate while Cameron and Matthew went and played at the Lamberts for the afternoon. A nice little break from the crazy world of quads.

We left the wedding early to bring them to meet Santa and we planned to take them on the hayride but it was 13 degrees and far too cold for them to be out in it so they were a little disappointed that we didn't get to do that but they got over it when they won prizes at the fire station. Three out of four went and sat on Santa's lap but Matthew was sooooo scared of him!

Waiting in line for Santa

Meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus

Sunday morning I had to get a cake finished for a birthday party we were going to for one of their little friends. The kids taste tested the frosting and gave it two thumbs up...I know it was 7am but it should count as a dairy product right? :)

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Cake

Another shortened nap and we were off to the birthday party! They were all very polite and well behaved and the birthday boy got a lot of great gifts! The quaddlers and the birthday boy along with Auntie Kate!

Following the birthday party we went to see Arthur Christmas. The parts I was able to see were very funny and cute but the downside to potty trained kids is 10,000 trips to the bathroom in the hour and a half the movie lasted. They did pretty well until the end when they started getting antsy and decided to take a trip to the front of the movie theater. I wish there were a tip cup at the theater because we really should have tipped for the awful mess that the fabulous foursome created!

You would think for all the excitement and lack of sleep they would have crashed in no time tonight BUT they spent nearly an hour talking to each other and laughing. Crazy kids!

27 months!

2011-12-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

Time just keeps flying by!

Being silly

2011-12-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

There isn't a day that goes by that these kids don't make me laugh...sometime it is because if I don't I am going to cry but most often it is just because they are acting silly. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with age 2!

Obviously Mr Potato Head parts are for quaddlers!

Being silly in front of the tree

Finally a nice picture

Little Ballerinas

2011-12-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

Ever since we went to the Make A Wish dance recital last week the quaddlers have been showing off their dancing skills. They all will put on Aubrey's tu-tu's and dance around. I keep telling the boys that they can take dance nex year too if they want but Ben keeps telling them only Aubrey...stay tuned to see who wins this battle. :)

Matthew twirling around

Brady showing off he is still manly with his camo undies

Cameron trying to do a little jump

Aubrey getting into it

Cameron and Aubrey practicing the toe pointing that Lauryn-E showed them!

For the love of Elmo!

2011-12-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

Cameron has become obsessed with Elmo over the past few months. I just love waking up in the middle of the night hearing "Ha ha ha that tickles!" or the Sesame Street theme song because he has rolled over onto one of them and it goes off. Thankfully his siblings are able to sleep through it all! Cameron has now collected FOUR different Elmo dolls to put in his bed with him every night and at least one must come down stairs with him first thing in the morning and after nap.

Tonight when I was putting him to bed he lined all four of his Elmos on his pillow and looked at me and said "No more room!" meaning he had no room to sleep on the pillow so he went and laid at the other end of his bed and when I went to cover him with his blanket he said "Cover my Elmos!" Now that is true love...giving up your pillow and blanket for your stuffed animals!

Brotherly Love

2011-12-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

I love when the kids show affection to each other. Most of our days are full of fighting and pushing each other so when we have a moment like this I try to get some pictures to prove that it actually happens once in awhile!

Never fear...it wasn't long before they were back to fighting with each other!

Ho Ho Ho!

2011-12-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Four little Santa's!

Elf on a Shelf

2011-12-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

After hearing several of the other quad mommas talk about the Elf on a Shelf I decided we HAD to get one. Just as I decided on that I got an email from a friend asking if the kids had one and if not could she get them one. I was so excited...probably more than the kids were!

I read them the story and when they went to bed we hid the elf who they named Jingles B up on top of the TV. Cameron was the first to spot it and the others figured it out quickly. This morning they were searching everywhere before they found him hanging out with the Christmas cards! I love that when they are being naughty I remind them that Jingles B is watching them and they straighten right out!

More multiples!

2011-12-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

Not quite quads but our bunnies had triplets!

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas and all the decorations I get to put out! This year we had gotten rid of our HUGE entertainment center so I am a little sad that I have 3 boxes of Christmas decorations sitting out in the shed because I have no where I can put them all. I do enjoy the extra room in our livingroom though.

After we got the tree home the kids were just as excited as I was to get it decorated but it needed to warm up before putting the lights on so we promised them if they went to bed good that in the morning we would be able to decorate the tree. Amazingly the bribe worked and everyone went to bed without any of the normal stall tactics they have started using.

Only a few ornaments got broken and luckily the most important one, our first family ornament, was easily repaired and soon we had a beautiful tree!

Aubrey wanted to put up the angel but Brady wanted to as well so it went on the tree top twice!

I let them put on all their special decorations with my help and they loved it!

Getting some love from some of my favorite littles!

What they wish they would wake up and find under the tree...their buddy Katie!

Open mouth kisses...YUCK!

Trip to the Christmas Tree Farm

2011-12-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

We took the quaddlers to the Beloin Christmas Tree farm today to find a tree for our house. It was a beautiful day to be out side and they were all excited to go so we had an early lunch and headed out!

Cameron was very excited when we got there and he discovered that he got to ride in the tractor to the top of the mountain. The minute we got off the tractor he was off and exploring. That boy is all about the equipment and the outdoors!

They all started off walking around but Aubrey was having a little bit of trouble getting their footing on the uneven ground. So the boys walked and she rode in the sled like the princess she is!

After a half hour or so we found the perfect tree for us! Ben and the kiddos cut it down. They were so proud to use the saw and see the tree fall over!

The 3 little guys and the big guy dragged the tree down the path to meet the tractor for a ride down while Aubrey and I walked along.

At the bottom we got to go in and warm up with some hot chocolate and cookies...and of course a Candy Cane!

Such a fun experience and a great Christmas Tradition to look forward to year after year!

Scentsy Buddy for an Angel

2011-12-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

Scentsy consultants nationwide are participating in a fundraiser called "Scentsy Buddies for an Angel". Each consultant was able to choose their own organization to donate to and I have chosen to give to two charities...Make a Wish and The March of Dimes!

The March of Dimes is an organization near and dear to our heart. If it wasn't for all the research that this group does many preemie babies, including my own, would not have the chance to live long, healthy lives.

The Make a Wish is also a terrific organization! Our friend's child was born with Biliary Atresia and at 10 months old she underwent a liver transplant thanks to her aunt providing a piece of her liver. Another friend has a daughter born with cystic fibrosis. Both of these girls, and their families, had their Disney wishes granted this year thanks to Make a Wish!

So what I need from all of you is:
Between now and December 19th click on THIS link and choose the party Buddies for Angels.

Choose one of the Scentsy buddies and a scent pack (comes free with the buddy)

Ship to:
Scentsy Buddy for an Angel
c/o Kari Hickey
893 Lancaster Road
Lancaster, NH 03584

All of the Scentsy Buddies will be given to the Make a Wish Foundation and $5 from every Scentsy Buddy purchased will be donated to the March of Dimes! Perfect gifts for the holiday season!

Bathtime for Baby Abby

2011-12-01T00:13:00.000-08:00

Baby Abby gets dragged everywhere and because of that she gets sooooo dirty! So it was finally time for Abby to get a bath and be restored to her old, clean self. Aubrey was such a good momma to Abby and made sure not to get soap in her eyes!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

Only the quaddlers...

2011-11-29T01:21:00.000-08:00

would rather stand in the corner than help me clean their toys up. After asking them repeatedly to help me pick up and they wouldn't I ask if they would rather help clean the toys or go stand in the corner. They all responded "Go stand corner!" I cleaned a bit then went in to see what they were doing and I was met with 4 of the cheesiest smiles. They thought they were just too cute...until Aubrey realized that I was serious about her staying in the corner!

Out for a walk

2011-11-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

We told the kids before we went grocery shopping we would take them out for a walk and we would actually let them walk instead of bringing the wagon or stroller. Aubrey of course asked for "Abby too???" so Ben told her she could bring Abby's stroller as well...yeah he is a little insane sometimes! So the boys wanted to bring something too so we let them each choose one thing to bring with them...

Aubrey and Abby and Abby's stroller too!

Brady and Daisy

Cameron and his Elmo

Matthew and his bouncy ball

Strutting thier stuff on Main Street!

Reindeer and Deer

2011-11-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

The fabulous foursome got some pretty cute reindeer shirts in a t-shirt exchange we participated in and they were so excited to see that they had their names on them! The very day they wore them for the first time Uncle Tom shot a deer so they got to go out and see it. They then were confused about reindeer and deer. Why was their shirt a reindeer but not the deer? They thought both were pretty cool!

Little Bakers!

2011-11-25T01:18:00.000-08:00

Any time that I am baking the quaddlers have to help. They want to add ingredients, stir the food, and put it in the pans. For Thanksgiving I was making a chocolate triffle to bring for dessert and they of course had to help. Aubrey always wants to make desserts for Uncle Tom so she said only Tom could eat it but she was nice and let him share it.

All the ingredients are ready to add!

First the chocolate cake

Then the chocolate pudding

Then the whipped cream

Then the Oreos

Repeat, take a couple licks off of what falls onto your hand, rub some pudding on the floor, spill some Oreos and TADA!!! We did it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for! Healthy babies and parents are what we are most thankful for, between Ben's remission and premature babies we are so fortunate that everyone has been healthy this year. We are thankful for family and friends who have been a part of our crazy life. We are thankful to have a roof over our heads and food on our table in this economy. We are thankful for the four silly, and sometimes naughty, two year olds.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Holidays are coming!

2011-11-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

I have always loved, loved, loved Christmas and now that I have four very special people to share it with I love it even more! I cannot wait to start decorating, taking the kids on the Christmas Hayride and bringing them to meet Santa. In an effort to get ready for Christmas we had to find the perfect outfits, family pajamas and Christmas cards!

One thing I am very grateful for having to go through infertility (other than the obvious of having 4 great kids) is the friendships I have made with women that have gone down the same path. Three of those women have played a huge part in making the holiday season perfect for us, thank you ladies for making our Christmas so special!

Karen Teale of Two of a Kind Clothing custom made our awesome Christmas pajamas for our family to wear Christmas morning.

Jeanie Henderson of Sew CHarming made the amazingly adorable pillowcase dress Aubrey is hamming it up in as well as the matching ties the boys thought they were so cool wearing.

Mandy King of Lucky 7 Designs designed both our perfect Christmas cards and the fabulous new blog design!

A friend of ours Ben Stinson set up a little studio in his spare room to take our pictures. The quaddlers were amazingly cooperative and loved taking pictures...this was such a huge change from the last few times we attempted to do pictures with them. Thank you Ben and Tammy for giving us some beautiful Christmas memories.

Here is a little peek into what our picture day produced!

Little Artists

2011-11-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

I just started letting the quaddlers paint and they LOVE it! They get all dressed in their smocks and go to town painting up a masterpiece. It is so fun to do all these big kid things with them!

Mr. Smarty Pants

2011-11-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

Brady is a little brainiac! He loves to learn, studies everything he sees to pick out colors, shapes, and letters. When he looks at books he will pick out B's and say "B for Brady!" then he proceeds to find the M's, C's and A's and tells me who the letter belongs to. He surprised me by bringing an E to me and telling me it was "E for Elmo". I am so proud of him!

Brady searching for the "b's"

Yay! He found one!

Being silly with Daddy!

2011-11-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

The quaddlers love to act silly and play around with Daddy. They are just full of it when he gets home from work each night!

Daddy and Matty!

Daddy and Brady!

Daddy and Cam!

Daddy and Aubrey-O!

Snuggle time with Mommy

2011-11-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

Every morning whoever is up first gets some undivided attention and snuggle time with Mommy. They all love to snuggle! I take many opportunities to snuggle with them because I know they won't want to for long. The only problem is sometimes my lap isn't quite big enough for all those who are in the snuggling mood!

Me and my little Matty Boo!

Me and the Brady Monster!

Me and the Cam Man!

Me and my Princess...and of course Baby Abby and Baby Katie!

Nothing better than having my arms full!

Camp

2011-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

The quaddlers love to play "camp". They shut off all the lights, take out the flash lights and go into the play house in the big playroom and cook, pretend to sleep and just be silly. They always want Ben and I to come in so they can feed us.

They are taking care of Daddy who is sick and laying in bed!

Making something to eat!

Uh Oh, Cameron is sick now too!

Matthew showing off his "bashlights"!

Brady trying to figure out what to do when one of your flashlights die?

Aubrey doesn't look impressed...maybe she just discovered that her camp only comes with an outhouse!

National Prematurity Awareness Day

2011-11-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

Today National Prematurity Awareness Day and it's also the quaddlers 26 month birthday! It is hard to believe that my 32 week preemies are now big 2 year olds. 1 out of 8 babies are born premature, meaning 13 million babies world wide are born too soon. We are so fortunate to have a happy ending, many do not.

Then...
Matthew

Brady

Aubrey

Cameron

Matthew and Brady

Cameron and Aubrey

...and now
Matthew

Brady

Aubrey

Cameron

They still pair off in NICU style! Aubrey and Cameron

Matthew and Brady

We obviously have quintuplets now instead of quadruplets because Baby Abby has to be in every picture!

Terrible Twos...

2011-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

The fighting, pinching, hitting, pushing, etc have been hitting new highs this past week. They are a handful! I was once told by a fellow quad momma that 2's are nothing...it's 3 that has you on your knees praying you make it to 4. Ben asked when they were going to be out of this phase and I had to break this news to him.

Even though they are enough to make a sane person insane by the end of the day this age is also so much fun. They love to play and use their imaginations, color, play doh, and their new favorite is painting. We are able to let them walk when we go places now as long is it is just a short trip in a store they walk and help carry the groceries. Matthew is a big fan of the grocery store! When Ben and I were talking last week about how they were going to a sleepover at Auntie's while we went Christmas shopping, Matthew started pouting and whining "Don't go grocery shopping without meeeeeeeee!" I had to promise him that we wouldn't and when I went to pick him up in the morning he made sure that we didn't.

Christmas shopping for two year olds is a tough job. We went to store after store and ended up empty handed in most. We were able to find them 4 big in size, not in price, gifts from Santa for them all to share and then finding things from us was hard too. They basically have guns or cars for boys...they have a ton of cars and I don't think they need to be practicing shooting each other just yet so we searched and found them some different trucks and a case of play dress up shoes for Aubrey. They each are getting boots for winter and I am planning on hitting up some black friday sales online to find them each a movie for long car rides. We don't do all out here, there isn't room and they don't need anything!

Cameron had his tubes done last week and there is already a difference in his speech. He is saying things more clearly, saying words he never said, and others are understanding him more. His speech therapist said that he has all his letter sounds just doesn't always use them so that is good news!

We are enjoying these warm for the time of year in this area days by getting outside as much as possible. Ben brought home a couple of "cycles" (a police motorcycle and a trike) the other day and they are the cause of many fights during outside time. We let them feed the bunnies carrots one day and now they want to feed them every day. Thank goodness Shaw's runs baby carrots for $1 almost weekly!

Potty training is still going well. They have accidents every now and then but they are doing great! Aubrey is finally willingly wearing underwear instead of insisting on going commando and they all will go in and go without even telling me sometimes. I do feel like I am working in a hospital though with all the pee I am dumping and potties I am cleaning.

The upside and downside of potty trained kids

2011-11-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

I love saving $150 a month without needing to purchase diapers. It was an amazing feeling to hit skip delivery on all my Amazon stuff this month. It is great that we are saving the environment more than 700 diapers per month. They love being big kids wearing underwear and going on the potty.

Bringing a potty chair everywhere and using it on the side of the road is not always great, especially as it is getting colder. Hearing them yell "I have to go potty/pee/poop" 10 minutes after you finally get them all laid down for the night just to have them NOT go when you bring them is enough to make you go crazy but you don't want to not take them and have them have an accident. I now can critique the cleanliness of all public restrooms in a 30 mile radius as we visit each one repeatedly on each visit to that store/resturant/convenience store.

They are all day trained, Matthew is even night trained! Aubrey was the super star in the beginning but she is the one that has accidents occassionally now. All in all it has been a great experience but it is also sad that they have grown so much that there is one more thing that screams they are no longer babies!

Taking a shower

2011-11-10T17:38:00.000-08:00

The quaddlers are always interested with the shower. When I am in there they like to come and try to open the door, they like to go in and run around in there when there is no water on, and they constantly are hiding in there when we play hide and seek. They asked Ben if they could shower and he told them yes and turned on the water and let them try it out. Let's just say it was only fun for a minute!

Saving for Disney!

2011-11-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

We have been talking about taking the kids to Disney for awhile now but we finally nailed down a date and plan to take them just before they turn 3 to save some money. A family of 6 at 3+ would be far more expensive than what we are looking at paying before they are 3. Not that a Disney vacation is cheap at all so as a way to make some extra cash I signed on as a Scentsy consultant! I plan to save all my commission to use as our transportation and spending money. To kick off my new venture I am holding an online Mystery Hostess Party, if anyone is interested in making a purchase(either for yourself or as a Christmas gift) follow the directions below and you may just win some free stuff!

Everyone who places an order before Sunday 11/13 by using my webpage and clicking Mystery Hostess or giving me an order via phone, email or facebook has a chance of winning all the hostess credit generated from this party! Free Scentsy for you or to give as Christmas gifts just for placing an order or doing one of the things listed below! :)

1 chance for every $10 you spend!
5 chances for bringing an order from someone else!
10 chances for booking a show!
20 chances for signing up as a consultant!

Thanks for helping make our Disney dreams come true!

Cameron gets his "Ears fix"

2011-11-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Ever since we found out Cameron needed to get tubes we have been talking to him about how he needs to get his ears fixed. His friend Mylee just got tubes done too so every time you ask him what the doctor is going to do he says "Get ears fix like MyMy". Smart little cookie!

This morning we had to be at DHMC for 7:30 so that meant we had to leave our house at 5:30 am and Cameron had to be done drinking his clear liquids by 6:30. I thought he would be super grumpy because that boy likes his breakfast, well actually he likes every meal, and loves his milk in the morning but he didn't even ask for either of them. Must have been the distraction of watching Mickey Mouse Club House in the van.

When we got to the outpatient surgery he was immediately showered with attention and constantly being told how adorable he is. When the nrses found out he was a quadruplet they kicked their attention up another couple of notches.

I got to go back with Cameron while he was put to sleep. He did amazing! He uses the same sort of mask to take his preventative inhaler each morning so he wasn't scared of it at all. He was asleep within moments and I went out to the waiting room with Ben. We ran out to the car to get a drink and Cameron's cup and when we got back in the waiting room they were done the surgery!

He woke up really well and was able to go home about 15 minutes later. I think he enjoyed some time with mommy and daddy going out to breakfast and then having someone ride in the back with him for the ride home. By the time we got home he was back to his old self in no time...playing and acting like a crazy kid. Love him!

Play Doh!

2011-11-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Playing Play-Doh is one of their favorite activites. In the beginning I was very careful to keep the colors seperate but as time wore on and they started mixing I discovered that it wasn't possible to keep them seperate. How can you reason with them when Matthew tells me he has to put yellow on his blue because he need cheese for his pizza??? They make me all sorts of food and treasure with their vivid imaginations and I love that it keeps them contained without any fighting for at least a half hour!

Messy Markers

2011-11-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

What happens when you give four 2 year olds dry erase markers? They color on themselves...or a sibling colors on them!

BFF's

2011-11-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

Aubrey and Baby Abby have become BFF's since Aubrey got her for her birthday. She takes Baby Abby with her everywhere, sleeps with her, covers Abby with her snuggy and constantly kisses and hugs her. Abby is so special that she even requires her own pillow in Aubrey's crib. She tells us that she is Abby's mommy...it is too cute!

We love Uncle Tom

2011-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

...or Auntie Thomas, as they like to call him when they are teasing him! Every picture Aubrey colors is for Tom and if you ask her why she is pretty she tells you "Tom tell me that!" The boys always pretend to talk to Tom on the phone and love to play with him when he comes to visit.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

This was the first year that the quads were really able to go Trick or Treating. We had been prepping them for a couple days about how the whole thing worked and they got it down. When I laid them down at nap time I told them they needed to sleep good so when they woke up they could go Trick or Treating. They were so excited they couldn't get back to sleep!

I laughed listening over the monitor to them shouting "TRICK OR TREAT!!!" Finally I went up there and told them that they needed to stop and go to sleep because it was getting late and if they didn't sleep then they weren't going to get any candy. I got back down stairs and I heard over the monitor Cameron yelling "trick or treat!" and Brady responding "You want candy? Go night night!" that went on for some time and after an hour and a half of being in bed there was finally peace. We had to wake up a couple of them to go out Trick or Treating and the afternoon didn't start too well so I was a little nervous to attempt taking the foursome out.

They were so excited to put on their costumes today! The first time they tried them on they were scared to death so they have come a long way in the past week. Matthew likes to tell people he is a "big cookie" and Aubrey insists that she is a "smarsh-a-mellow".

Thankfully their mood changed as soon as we hit our first stop and they discovered that they were really getting candy. They did so good walking a couple blocks without needing a ride in the wagon. I was so proud of them saying "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" at every single house without prompting most times.

They finished off the night by winning 1st place for most original costume in the 0-3 year category. I attempted to get a good picture of the four of them lined up but didn't really hit the jackpot! All and all it was an amazing night and I am sure that they are going to be asking in the morning if they can do it again and they won't be happy with the answer that we can...next year!

Our first stop, the fire station

Big kids walking!

Trick or Treat!

So proud of their loot!

Trying to get a picture of the foursome

Family picture

Picking out their prize

Mommy and the Cam Man

Cameron and Mommy's Days out

2011-10-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Cameron and I have had a couple days out together lately. The first one was for his developmental consultation with Early Supports and Services. We have been concerned about his speech for some time now and we finally got him in for an evaluation. He scored awesome in every aspect of his development, mostly on a 30-36 month level however with his speech audibility he only scored around an 18 month level. He ended up qualifying for services based on the speech therapist recommendation because gets so easily upset and acts out when he is not understood.

Cameron was very excited to go hang out alone with mom so we had a lunch date after his appointment, during lunch he started missing his brothers and sister and was asking to go home. It is sweet to see they actually do love each other even though they fight like cats and dog most days!

Our second day out was yesterday when we travelled to Dartmouth for his hearing test. He failed his hearing test miserably! He only responded to the tones with his left ear 1% of the time and his right 50% of the time. Looking back on his records the doctor saw that he almost always has fluid in his ears and thinks that putting short term tubes in should help him hear and in turn help his speech. I know it is a simple procedure but I am still nervous about my little guy going under.

The others are jealous and want alone time too but it is so hard to do when you have to find someone to watch the other three and that is not a task that many people are willing to do so for now even trips to the store or errands with either Ben or I while the other stays with the other kids is going to have to work.

Time outs

2011-10-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

The quaddlers are finally getting the hang of time out. I tried making them sit in chairs at the table and they either A.) fell off them because they were climbing around. B.) wouldn't sit there so I started making them go stand in the corner by the door. Now when they are mean to their siblings they need to say sorry and hug them or go stand in the corner. Most of the time I just need to ask "Do you want to go to the corner and they straighten right out because they do not want to miss any play time. It was super cute to see Brady standing in the corner in just his undies while yelling "I no say sorry Cameron!" but within the minute he decided saying sorry was the way to go!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

The quaddlers were so excited to go carve pumpkins "just like Oso Special". They did a great job! I was so proud that they all dug in and pulled the guts out then even told us what shapes they wanted to use to make faces on their pumpkins.

Cleaning out the guts

Hard at work

Showing off their masterpieces!

Carrying their heavy pumpkins

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Sneak Peek!

2011-10-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

What could be sweeter than a yummy s'more? Four cute toddlers in s'more costumes!

Nice Fall days

2011-10-20T01:33:00.000-07:00

The kids love playing outside and rainy cold days put a damper on their fun so we are taking full advantage of the fall days that are warm and dry. They were all in awe of the leaves falling off the trees and kept looking up and pointing. It is awesome to see the world through their eyes!

Jumping in the Jump-O-Lene

I was attempting to take pictures of them with the big pumpkins but Brady was the only one who somewhat cooperated!

Playing with Hop Hop and Ribbet

AH!!! The leaves are falling!

Swinging on your belly is so much fun...until you flop off the swing!

Peek a boo!

Like Father, Like Son

2011-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Matthew is so much like his father it kills me. He likes to purposely irritate other, thinks he is the funniest one on the planet and always has a smart remark. He is always full of it and you can just see the devil in his eyes...LOL!

25 months

2011-10-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot get over how these teeny tiny babies turned into these big kids in what seems like overnight. I love the way they interact and play with each other. The big thing right now is when one of them goes on the potty the others high five, fist pump, do the potty dance for them. It is so funny!

Potty training is going fabulous! Today we only had 2 accidents and one of them was while Matthew was in time out. I think it was his way of paying me back for making him go in time out! Aubrey has definitely figured out that her claims of needing to pee can prolong bedtime. Little stinker!

The kids all have "their spots" on the furniture and no one, I mean NO ONE, can sit there! They are famous for the say "no more room" when there are 3 on the loveseat and the 4th wants to climb up. They just spread out a little so they can ensure that the 4th doesn't get up there.

Time can stop any time!

Potty Training Success????

2011-10-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

The advice I have for anyone doing the 3 day potty training method is DO NOT give up on day 2! I was ready to throw in the towel after two horrible days of potty training but we stuck it out and day 3 was like magic! They just got it! Today was great. Only 4 or 5 accidents between the four of them and they even managed to go pee in the potty as well. We are so proud of them! Let's just hope this continues!

Yay! I DID IT!

Celebratory Fist Bumps!

Potty Training is hard work!

Potty Training Update

2011-10-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be Day 1 of the 3 Day Potty Training Method but they decided to use the past two days as practice runs. I have to tell you by last night I was starting to rethink the whole potty training thing and figured if today didn't go well I would chalk it up to them not being ready and put it off for awhile then today went awesome!

The score of the day was 22 successes and only 6 accidents between the fabulous foursome...I am so proud of them!

Cameron is definitely my potty training super star! He catches himself just in time and says "uh-oh!" and runs for the potty. Tonight he was in the livingroom and we were in the kitchen and he came running with a trail behind him. He was crying and felt sooooo bad but it was his only accident of the day.

Aubrey only had one accident today too. She thinks the best way to potty train is by going commando! The girl is refusing underwear but wants her pants on. She was tring to hold it so when we notice her grabbing herself we had to remind her to go to the potty but by this evening we didn't have to remind her anymore.

Matthew loves sitting on his potty! He sat on it today probably as much as the other 3 did combined. He does a little dance when he needs to go and twice he was too late.

Brady also had two acccidents today. The first time he felt so bad and told us that he was naughty. We had to reassure him that he was not naughty and it was ok to have an accident.

Candy corn, lolly pops and stickers have been terrific bribes!

Potty Training Time!

2011-10-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

I had all intentions of beginning potty training the fabulous foursome starting on Saturday however when I was getting all their underwear bins filled yesterday morning they all decided to strip their clothes and diaper to put on some of their new "unnnies". Well, rather than discouraging them I figured what the heck!

We started at 8:30 with 4 potty chairs on the ground and by 12:00 there had only been 2 accidents! YAY! I couldn't believe how well it was going. I stuck some diapers on them for nap, I know that they say no diapers but there is no way I am going to try and train 4 of them through sleeping when they always wake up soaked. I just don't have it in me right now.

Aubrey woke up from nap at 1:30 crying that she needed to pee. I was thrilled that I brought her and she actually went. BUT...it all went down hill from there! 58 pair of underwear from 1:30 until 6:00 and only a couple times did anyone pee on the potty however Matthew did poop on the potty...Yay Matty! Aubrey is definitely a candy driven girl. She would sit on her potty and go just a little so she could get a piece then do it all over again. Cameron is like a camel and hardly pees, in our out of the potty seat. Brady will start to go then run like heck to make it.

This morning I asked them "Who wants to wear undies?" and surprisingly they all said "ME!" After 35 wet underwear and a roll of paper towels I was happy to see diapers and naptime come! Let me tell you whoever wrote 3 day potty training method clearly did NOT attempt to train multiples. I feel like I can't catch someone peeing because I am still cleaning up the mess from the last accident. At least they are making the attempt and going on the potty sometimes! The kids are really loving the piece of candy (I am sure they are on a sugar high), the stickers and the potty dance so I am hoping that they take off over the weekend and we will have some potty trained kids!

Oh the DRAMA!!!!

2011-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

I tend to be a fairly self sufficient, drama free person so I always wonder what I ever did to deserve such a drama filled daughter. Everything she wants she wants it now and get it herself??? NEVER!!! That is what her servents, I mean brothers, are for. She can turn on the tears at the drop of the hat and she knows how to work them. Her life just about ends anytime she cannot find her snuggy by that I mean if she stands there and cries "Where my suggggggiiiiieeeeeee goooooo?" while everyone else looks for it.

Her latest kick is when she has the littlest boo boo like her teeth hurt, the skin on her foot peels, or she breaks a nail she cries "I need go doctors". I thank God each an every day that I was only blessed with one little princess. She is so lucky that she is so cute and I love her so much! Just to show how cute she is check her out doing her ABC's...

Jump-O-Lene

2011-10-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

I got a Jump-O-Lene on the deal of the day special at Walmart back in the spring and the kids loved playing in it until Huuricane Irene decided to strike and we deflated it and put it away. I never really thought about blowing back up until today. As soon as I had it blown up the kiddos were ripping their shoes off to get in a bounce around. I am definitely thinking we need to make it an indoor toy during the long winter we have ahead of us. We try to keep some of their toys for weekends only so when we are home on a yucky day they have something that seems new to them to do. As you can see they love playing in this!

Creatures of Habit

2011-10-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

These four are definitely creatures of habit. They know their routine and get very aggitated when you divert from it, unless they are the ones who want to change it up.

We have 2 sets of sippy cups that we use regularly and they each know which cup belongs to whom and if you mistakenly put juice in their milk cup they refuse to drink out of it. You must then switch cups immediately because there is no way you can drink juice out of a milk cup!

Bowls and plates also belong to certain people. Brady gets blue, Aubrey gets pink, Matthew gets red in one set yellow in the other, and Cameron gets green. They are a little more flexible with their forks and spoons except for Brady who NEEDS to use the blue one.

At bedtime Cameron has to lay on his big brown pillow, be covered with his little blue and brown stripped blanket then his elephant pillow pet and him need to be covered with his fleece blanket. He needs to have his blue dog, his fox and his Bella dog all around him. Aubrey needs to lay on her kitty pillow pet with her snuggy in hand and you need to cover her with both her fleece blanket and her "big snuggy" nothing but those things are allowed to be anywhere near her in her crib. Matthew needs to lay on his big brown pillow with his lion pillow pet laying right beside him then covered up with his blue blankie that his buddy Matt passed down to him when he was born and depending on the mood he sometimes wants his fleece blanket as well. The entire foot of his crib is covered in stuffed animals and trust me he knows what he has in there and if anything is missing. Brady lays the width of his crib instead of lengthwise with his bear pillow pet turned upside down and backwards. He needs his Daisy dog, his Brittney dog and his blue Doggie-O all around him and under his fleece blanket with him.

We have to sing 4 songs then I have to cover them all up because they don't think that daddy can do it. After I tuck them in I always tell them that I love them to the moon and back one night I only said I love you to Aubrey and she went into hysterics until I figured out what she was saying and I told her that I loved her to the moon and back then she settled down and went to sleep.

I guess that is my payback for being so scheduled!

Brady the monster

2011-10-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

I think Brady is determined to give me a heart attack! When he was just over a year old he was the first one to ever pass out on me...after falling off the couch and I rushed him to the ER thinking that he was seriously hurt. Turns out he was fine, thankfully! This morning I was cleaning up a cut with some peroxide then I put it down to finish cleaning it up. I looked down and there was Brady taking a big swig off the bottle!

I immediately freaked out! Grabbed the bottle and him and ran into the kitchen to call Poison Control. I was home with the four of them alone and hysterical. The woman on the other end must have thought she was dealing with a complete psycho! Anyway...I guess peroxide is something they give to induce vomiting and just one drink of it won't hurt him.

Lesson learned...don't underestimate the things they will do right under your nose!

Jumpers!

2011-10-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

Now that we have moved around the toyroom and put the ball pit in the corner they have discovered that they can climb on top of the block box and jump into the ball pit. Cameron truly cracks me up with his crouch, arms stretched behind his back and then kind of walks into the ball pit. Aubrey gets so excited that she is going to jump then holds on and gently falls into the pit. Matthew and Brady are just wild men! They jump in full force every single time!

Cameron

Brady

Matthew and the bubbles from Marlene he carried around all day long!

Aubrey

The simplest things that amuse 2 year olds...

2011-10-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

and their 33 year old father! Ben takes out a flashlight and shines it on the floor and all four of them dive after it yelling "I catch it! I catch it!" I think Ben and I laugh harder than they do.

Where's the light?

I catch it!

It's almost time!

2011-10-06T03:11:00.000-07:00

We are planning to do the 3 day potty training boot camp with the quaddlers next weekend. I am so nervous to attempt this with 4 at one time but am anxious to start having an additional $150+ in our pockets every month! I think we are physically ready...

6 potties, 2 for upstairs and 4 for downstairs (no one was settling for the plain potties we had once 2 new frogg ones came in so I ordered 2 more potties including the purple and pink one the princess demanded)\

70 pair of underwear for the boys

28 pair of underwear for Aubrey

4 pee charts labeled with their initial so they each know which one belongs to them

3 bags of candy corn for treats after success

900 stickers for their sticker pee chart

2 containers of Dreft Spray
15 rolls of paper towels
2 containers of Clorox wipes
1 bottle of rug cleaner

Here goes nothing!

Bouncy, bouncy

2011-10-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

For their birthday each of the kids got a card from Geoffrey at Toys R Us with a $3 gift card in it. $3 at Toys R Us??? Nothing like a scam to get people in and spend some money and we were the suckers who went for it! After walking, yes we let them walk...crazier by the minute, through the store and playing with everything in sight they ended up getting hop balls. All four of them love sitting on them yelling "bouncy, bouncy" then making themselves fall off and laugh. It is hilarious!

Helping hands

2011-10-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

The fabulous foursome are definitely at the age where they LOVE to help. They help unload the dishwasher, even when it is full of dirty dishes. They help get cups out of the fridge, as well as everything else which sometimes ends up with salad dressing all over the floor. They help open doors, which is especially nice when you are trying to use the bathroom. They help put stuff in the sink, even when your cup is still half full which usually results in them helping clean up the floor.

Ben has been working on building a shed so of course they had to help with that too!

Weekend away with Mommy and Grammie

2011-09-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

My mom and I took the quaddlers to Connecticut for a weekend so that some of our family who have never met them could have the chance. The best $200 I have ever spent were on DVD players for the van. They made it 4.5 hours without making a single complaint. They did start complaining when we hit dead traffic in Hartford but I think 4 toddlers in a vehicle that long is amazing.

We decided to try travelling with little air beds instead of bringing 4 pack and plays that take up so much room in the vehicle but I was nervous how they would do since they are still in cribs at home. They did great! It took them awhile to unwind but they didn't get out of bed and soon the boys were fast asleep...Aubrey had to inform us that "I the princess" when I told her it was time to go to sleep but she gave in too!

And here yet another reason why they will be remaining in cribs for awhile! We had to keep putting them back on their beds when we would get up for bathroom breaks.

What kind of hotel doesn't have Disney channel??? Thank goodness for youtube! They got to watch Oso in the morning.

Who can spend 4 hours at Chuck E Cheese and still not want to leave? That would be the Hickey Quads! We met up with some family, had pizza and played hard, they even got to dance with Chuck E and get some free tickets. If only Matthew would clean up his toys the way he cleaned up those tickets my house would be spotless!

After a little nap they were ready to go visiting. We went to see their Great-great aunt and uncle where they got totally spoiled with treats and juice boxes. It was there we also learned Matthew is allergic to bees. Thankfully we carry benadryl in the diaper bag and glove box!

Dinner at IHOP was a success. They not only ate their food but everyone else's food as well. We got a ton of complements on how well behaved they are. That is always nice to hear!

Matthew obviously had an important call.

Aubrey "the Princess"

Cameron coloring while waiting for some suppie!

Brady checking out the people next to us

Grammie taught them all how to march down the hall...let's just say they have about as much coordination as their mom and it was a funny sight!

Everyone wants to unlock the door.

Sadly the weekend came and went in a blink of an eye and it was time to load up and head home. The quaddlers thought that the rolling cart was for them and not the luggage!

Before hitting the road we made stopped for lunch at McDonald's with a play area and to visit Karla, Lori and Hunter.

Here is Cameron showing off his awesome jumping skills!

An attempt to get a group picture!

Chuck E Cheese

2011-09-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

After the crazy times at the mall we brought the kids to Chuck E Cheese to get some energy out before heading home.

Hanging with Chuckey!

Shooting Hoop!

Playing on the climber and slide

Thrill riding on the roller coaster!

First Jet Ride!

Riding rides

Cam Cam the Ladies Man picked up a girl with his cool ride!

Build a Bear

2011-09-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

For the kids birthday they received some gift cards to Build a Bear so we thought since we were already at the mall doing pictures we would take them to make a bear. They were too cute looking at all the choices and making their picks.

Of course Aubrey picked the only thing purple she could find, Matthew being daddy's boy picked the camo bear, Brady chose yet another doggie and Cameron settled on a dog as well since there were no fox. They all loved stepping on the peddle and filling their animals!

They warmed the hearts and gave them kisses before their creations were sewn up.

They gave their animals baths before picking out some outfits and making the birth certificates.

Matthew named his bear Friend, Cameron named his dog Daisy, Brady named his dog Bella, and Aubrey was original and named her cat Kitty. They had a ball!

Birthday Time Part 2!

2011-09-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try out Sears portrait studios for a long time to have the kids pictures done and the closest one is in Manchester so we took the drive down and the DVD players made it a silent one! It was amazing! After getting a late start, Ben missing a turn and the food court having limited selection for the kids to get something to eat at we barely made it to the kids photo appointment on time.

They were not interested in cooperating and I was super frusturated. I was certain there was not a single picture that would be frame worthy so we took a little walk while they loaded the pictures up and edited them. We took them down to ride on the little rides they had been begging for.

We went back to take a peek at their pictures and were pleasantly surprised by what they got for shots! Here is just a little sampling!

Classic Matthew!

Birthday Time Part 1!

2011-09-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

We told the kids at bedtime the night before their birthday that when they woke up it was going to be their birthday and they would be two tomorrow. They thought it meant they were having another birthday party...sorry guys! They were however happy that they got to open their gifts from mommy and daddy that morning!

Aubrey was so excited to open her Cabbage Patch Doll but once she saw the boys had remote control trucks she thought she needed one of those too!

The boys loved their trucks but we have learned that you can't win with them. They got 3 of the same trucks at their birthday party and they fight over them then we got them 3 different ones and now they fight over those as well!

We had a big day planned so we loaded in the van and they got to see their other gift from mommy and daddy...DVD players! Let me say that this seating arrangement of 2 in the middle and 2 in the rear is a pain in the butt and after this trip they quickly moved back to their old seating arrangement.

AHHH! Aubrey's life is complete...she has her milk, her snuggy, Minnie and gets to watch Mickey Mouse on a long ride!

2 year check up

2011-09-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today was the 2 year well chid check for the quaddlers. They each had their moments where they lacked the ability to cooperate with others but somehow they were able to all get checked and our questions and concerns were answered.

All four of them are doing excellent and in very good health. We have been most concerned about Cameron and his need for the nebulizer treatments whenever he gets a cold, he knows he needs it and will bring us to it so he can feel better. He has been put on a preventative inhaler that he has to use daily as well as a rescue inhaler for when he has a weezing attack. Hopefully this is something he will outgrow but if not at least it will be controlled. We also have been a little concerned about his speech and have wondered if his hearing is what causes him to muffle his words and speak through his nose. We spoke with the doctor and she immediately said she agreed that he should have his hearing tested so we will be going to DHMC for an evaluation soon.

Matthew has been suffering from some nightmares and unfortunately there is nothing we can do for him but give him some reassurance when they wake him up and help him through his fears. If we start finding that they are happening at the same time every night she advised that they were more like night terrors and that we could wake him just prior to the normal terror time and it might stop them from happening.

We really had no concerns at this time about either Brady or Aubrey and they both did great with their exams. They all had led testing done and were very good about getting their finger pricked. They did the nasal flu vaccine this year and all tolerated that well too. Now for their stats!

Matthew
Height 33" percentile 25th
Weight 26 lbs 2 oz percentile 30th
Head circumfrance 19.5" percentile 75th

Brady
Height 35.75" percentile 90th
Weight 32 lbs 2oz percentile 95th
Head circumfrance 20" percentile 90th

Aubrey
Height 32.25" percentile 45th
Weight 23lbs 6 oz percentile 15th
Head circumfrance 19" percentile 75th

Cameron
Height 33" percentile 25th
Weight 27 lbs 4 oz percentile 30th
Head circumfrance 19.5" percentile 75th

Is it easier now?

2011-09-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

I think these days this is the most often asked question when people see us out and about. I remember back when I was pregnant and the early days of having the quads asking fellow quad moms when it would get easier and I was always told "it never gets easier, it just gets different". I never fully understood what they meant back then but now it is the answer I give!

In the beginning the babies were being fed every 3-4 hours, there were countless diaper changes, laundry and bottles to clean and make up. As they grew and became awake more we wondered how we thought the previous months were so hard. They were now sleeping through the night but during the wake hours they were in need of entertainment and we were the entertainment.

They grew some more and were moving around and getting into everything. We wondered how we thought the past few months were hard...they always had stayed in the same spot you left them!

They grew, they grew and they grew and they grew..soon they were a year old and beginning to walk and talk. They began to climb and fight over toys and all wanted attention at the same time. How could we have thought the first year was hard? Wasn't this harder?

Now that we have two year olds who have a mind of their own and are very strong willed we we look back at the past two years that have flown by and realize that everyone was right...it never gets easier just different!

With all that said I wouldn't change a thing! As crazy as our lives are with four toddlers we are so blessed to have four little arms to hug us, four little lips that kiss us good night and say "I love you to the moon and back". After all nothing that is ever worth anything comes easy!

Happy Birthday Cameron!

2011-09-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Cameron,

As my last born you will always be my baby, even though you think you are old enough to call me "mom". I love the way you like to be silly and I love your contageous laugh, it always cracks me up and makes me laugh with you. Your heart gets broken so easily because you are so kind hearted. You give the best squeeze hugs ever! I am so proud that I get to be mommy to such a great son. I love you to the moon and back! Happy Birthday Cam Cam!

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Aubrey!

2011-09-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

Dear Aubrey,

You are my beautiful baby girl! When I see you smile I can't help but smile with you, your craziness makes me laugh and there is no one who can pout better than you. I love the way you take care of your babies and how you cover them with your snuggy. You will always be my favorite little girl. I am so proud to have you as my daughter. I love you to the moon and back! Happy Birthday Aubrey Peaches!

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Brady!

2011-09-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Brady,

I can't believe you are already 2! I love the way you come up to kiss me at random times and always are giving me hugs when I carry you down the stairs in the morning. You amaze me every day by the things you pick up on and you always know how to make me laugh by repeating things at just the right time. I love how you are so wild and crazy one minute yet so sweet and sensitive the very next. I am so proud to have you for a son! I love you to the moon and back! Happy Birthday Brady Monster!
Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Matthew!

2011-09-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Matthew,

I love your devilish smile and your quick wit. Your first cry made me cry, your first smile made me smile, you make me laugh every single day. I love the way you are the first one to come give me kisses and ask if I am ok when I am upset. You make me laugh with the way you think you are so much older than your siblings, the 6 minutes must really make a difference. The way you are so sweet giving kisses and hugs to little babies melts my heart. Although I am so sad to see you grow I am so proud to see the little boy you are growing up to be. I love you to the moon and back! Happy birthday Matty!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 2nd Birthday

2011-09-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

We love M&M's!

2011-09-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

The quaddlers favorite treat is M&M's or they call them Yem E Yem's (Aubrey), Nem E Nem's (Matthew), Nem E Em's (Brady), Nemmie's (Cameron). I don't let them have them often, in fact we are still working on some they got for Easter last year, but when we do they get super excited! They were so excited to get these M&M shirts for their birthday that they made me take pictures as soon as they got them on this morning.

Bike riding

2011-09-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

or more like we like to sit on our bikes and ring the bell over, and Over and OVER! They try so hard to peddle but haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet but they look so cute trying!

Brady

Cameron

Matthew

Aubrey

Taking a break...Hey sitting on bikes and looking cute is hard work!

And back at it!

Introducing the newest members of our family

2011-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

We figured since we handled quads so well we figured twins couldn't be that hard...twin bunnies that is! We let the kids name them and Cameron came up with Hop and Matthew came up with Ribbet, yup like the noise a frog makes. Crazy kid!

2nd Birthday Party! Warning VERY picture heavy!

2011-09-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have been planning this party for quite awhile now and decided on a Carnival theme. I thought it would be fun for them as well as our guests and being outdoors would make it far less hectic than their first birthday was. I could not have asked for a more perfect day! The weather was perfect, the quaddlers were perfectly behaved, we were able to enjoy a great day with family and friends. We once again were fortunate to have Samantha McMann come take pictures so we can look back on the memories and share them with friends and family who were unable to join us.

We had been pumping the kids up for their birthday party for days so when the day came they were totally psyched! We were lucky to have nice weather because we planned an outdoor party with a lot of activites...we had games, a bounce house, petting zoo and a lot of guests so I was praying that the weather cooperated.

Welcome to the carnival...

The perfect carnival cake made by mommy, Auntie Sam and Auntie Tonya

And of course little cakes for my favorite foursome!

The petting zoo complete with 2 new bunnies for the quaddlers to keep courtesy of Uncle Ryan and Sarah

Face painting courtesy of the talented artists Marlene and Tabby! Of course Cameron was not letting them put stuff on his face but the other 3 got little designs.

Tractor rides!

The big top bounce house!

Our guests! We were so happy to have our friends and family, including our quad buddies and the love of Brady's life Mylee, join in on our celebration!

Instead of doing goody bags we had boxes with tickets. Each ticket was good for one game or for face painting then the party goers got to fill their boxes with the prizes they won at the games with a prize every time!

Cake time! I let the kids choose what kind of cake they each wanted and Matthew and Brady chose yellow and Cameron and Aubrey chose chocolate. I thought it was funny that they sat with their cake flavor buddy!

Present time! They did awesome sitting and opening every one of their gifts. Matthew wanted to open every toy that he unwrapped, Aubrey made sure everyone knew that her gifts were HER gifts, while Brady and Cameron were present opening machines...they not only opened their individual gifts but also 99% of the group gifts as well!

Bean bags from their buddy Noah!

Bikes from Bumpa...all I have heard since the party is "I ride my bike?" By Spring time they will be peddling all over the place!

We finally got cleaned up and home and the quaddlers were doing amazing considering that they never got their nap and it was almost 4 pm. I thought I was going to have a nightmarish evening but they surprised me and started playing with their new toys and stayed in a good mood all the way until they went to bed at nearly 7:30. It was a great day for our family and many memories were made! In five short days we will have 2 year olds!

Our favorite things

2011-09-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

MATTHEW
Favorite song: The Muffin Man, 5 Little Monkey's swinging from a Tree
Favorite color: Red
Favorite foods: Hot Dogs, hamburgers, ribs, corn on the cob, chop suey
Favorite drink: Mommy's water
Favorite snack: Fig Newtons, Ice pops, Goldfish
Favorite friends: Noah and Matt S.
Favorite toys: Trucks, Cars,
Favorite cartoon: Special Agent Oso, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite things to do: Play outside, tease his siblings, color
Favorite bedtime stuffed animal: Horsey and Llama

BRADY
Favorite song: The Wheels on the Bus, 5 Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree
Favorite color: Blue and Green
Favorite foods: Peas, Chicken on the bone, Ribs, Tater Tots, Corn on the Cob
Favorite drink: Milk
Favorite snack: Rice Cakes, Nilla Wafers, Ice Pops
Favorite friends: Mylee and Noah
Favorite toys: Trucks, Balls, and Cooking set
Favorite cartoon: Special Agent Oso and Chuggington
Favorite things to do: Jump, Dance, Play outside
Favorite bedtime stuffed animal: his two Doggies

AUBREY
Favorite song: Little Red Box, 5 Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree
Favorite color: Purple and Pink
Favorite foods: Ribs, Corn on the Cob, Steak, Burgers, Fries
Favorite drink: Juice
Favorite snack: Gold fish, Teddy Grahams
Favorite friends: Mommy and Makalyn
Favorite toys: Dolls and her stroller
Favorite cartoon: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite things to do: Play with babies(real and fake), play outside, help mommy cook and clean
Favorite bedtime stuffed animal: Snuggy

CAMERON
Favorite song: Old McDonald and 5 Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree
Favorite color: Blue and Yellow
Favorite foods: Burgers, Kielbasa, Ribs, Chicken on a bone, Corn on the Cob, Chop Suey, Apples
Favorite drink: Juice
Favorite snack: Rice Cakes, Ice Pops, and Chicken in a biscuits
Favorite friends: Lauryn and Matt
Favorite toys: Trucks, tunnels
Favorite cartoon: Special Agent Oso and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite things to do: Play outside, color, tease siblings
Favorite bedtime stuffed animal: Fox and Doggie

New sport...

2011-09-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

Ball pit jumping! The boys love to see who can jump the best from the top of the stairs into the ball pit while Aubrey just stands on the sideline and judges the jumps. Crazy kids!

Almost 2!

2011-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

We have been talking with the kids about the big birthday party coming up and they have decided to turn that into the latest thing to fight about in the Hickey house. It is constantly "It gonna be my party" "No, it my party" "No, it's mine, I be 2" "No, I be 2!" Yeah, lovely isn't it. We try explaining that they all share a birthday therefore they will be sharing the birthday party as well. I am not looking forward to the day they decide that they don't want to share a party and I am planning 4 seperate ones. Planning one is hard work!

They are getting soooooo big! Why is it that all the years we spent trying to have babies crept by but since these four have been born the days are flying and they will be all grown before we know it? It is unbelievable to me that they will be 2 years old in 10 short days!