Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers in law, Godmothers, and future mothers out there, I wish you a very happy Mother's Day.

To my Mommy...Happy Mother's Day.  I wouldn't be who I am without you.

I am blessed to have a wonderful Mother and Grandmothers who have inspired me and guided me in my life as Mommy.

I didn't know or understand how much my mother loved me until I became a mother myself.

And every time I became a mother

my heart grew

and grew!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you Mothers out there.  

Call your Mom.  She loves you!

More Than One Hand

I am horribly late (bad mommy) but HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby boy.
You are 6!  That's more than a whole hand old.

In honor of his sixth birthday I sent cupcakes to school with him on Friday.

Homemade, red velvet cupcakes with a filling of white chocolate whip cream and cream cheese frosting.  YUMMY!

Photo op before school with the birthday hat!

He is so grown up.

Now one of the whole gang

And one with his fabulous teacher Ms. Beth.

Lastly, one from Saturday morning right after he woke up and was "officially" 6.

These have honestly been the fastest 6 years of my life.  I can't believe how much he has grown and changed over the years.  I wish I could freeze time and keep him my sweet little boy forever, but I also look forward to seeing him grow into a wonderful young man.

The big birthday bash for all my April babies is this weekend.

I'm frantically trying to get everything ready.  The party is outdoors at a local park.  Please pray for beautiful weather.

A Clown?

Harrison has always been my "helpless" child.  He is super smart and can do things for himself, he just chooses not to.  I can ask him to go get his shoes and socks on and he will instantly say "I can't find them anywhere."  Of course, he hasn't bothered to move from where he was and look for them either.  If I have him try to zip up his jacket or turn off the light in his room he will grunt and say "I can't do it.  It's too hard."  In the mornings when I ask him to go get dressed for school his response is usually, "I can't move.  My legs are straighted."  I know I shouldn't, but depending on how tired I am, I just give in and do whatever it is for him.  I know, I know.  Definitely a bad habit to get into.  I don't want him to be completely helpless his whole life.  I do want him to move out on his own...eventually.

With that in mind, husband and I have been pushing him to do more things by himself, or at least give things an honest try before giving up and asking for help.  And he has made major improvement.  He can buckle his own car seat belts, get himself a snack or a drink, turn the lights off sometimes but given how short he is this one isn't complete laziness on his part, go to the bathroom on his own, and various other tasks, including get himself dressed.

The getting himself dressed thing is a double edged sword however,

Because sometimes he comes down dressed like this

and tells me "Look mom.  I'm not a clown anymore."

My favorite part of the outfit....

the gray dress socks pulled up to his knees.  They go so well with the blue striped t-shirt and plaid shorts.  He is definitely a fashionista in the making....but at least he's not a clown.

Another One Bites The Dust

This week I have been waging a war.
A war against a vicious fever/stomach virus that has been going around.

I've been waging the war....and losing horribly.

It started with John David who came down with this mess on Sunday.  The first time he threw up I was hoping it was just extreme exhaustion due to a super packed weekend of ball games, ball practices, grandparents visiting, birthday parties, and church.  I was wrong.  He soon spiked a fever over 102 and felt horrible.  He lay curled up on an extra crib mattress in my bedroom crying and whimpering because he felt so horrible.

I went into disinfectant, hope to keep anyone else from catching this mess, mode.  I have done countless loads of laundry, scrubbed bathrooms, walls, cabinets, floors, everything, in hopes of killing this virus and sparing the other three, and husband and I, from the sickness.  All to no avail.  On Wednesday, Ava woke up from her nap with a fever of 102.  On Thursday, Ella's temp went up to 102.  Both girls have been vomiting.  Oh the joys of motherhood, and the joys of motherhood with a houseful of small children who love to share their germs.

Last night as I was dosing both girls with fever medication and setting out the "puke pots" just in case either got sick during the night, the lyrics of Queen's 80's hit "Another One Bites the Dust" popped into my head.

Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust

And another one gone, and another one gone

Another one bites the dust

Hey, gonna get you too

Another one bites the dust

Husband found the song on the internet and played it for me while I laughed and danced the stress off.  I mean, when three of your four children are sick as dogs, you haven't left the house in a week other than to run carpool for the ones that haven't yet gotten sick, you haven't had a full nights sleep in 5 days, what else can you do but laugh and dance to 80's rock music.

Harrison is the lone hold-out among the children and has yet fallen victim to this nasty virus.

Husband and I are fighting hard as well.  

I pray no one else catches it.

I pray I don't catch it.  If mommy gets sick, who will be left to take care of me.

On a positive note, my house is really clean, the laundry is caught up, and I have gotten a decent amount of sewing done this week.  

A Whole Lotta Birthdays!

Happy Birthday Ella and Harrison

You are 4 today.

I can't believe you went from this

to this

so darn fast!

I made cupcakes for the twins to take to school as a treat.  Ella requested pink cupcakes with purple frosting while Harrison requested green cupcakes with blue frosting.  Here's the result.

I put a miniature rolo candy on the top of each one.  Those were a big hit and they were both really excited about their cupcakes for their school friends.

Here they are with their fabulous teacher Ms. Tish.   

To make today more exciting, it is Ms. Tish's birthday too.  We made Ms. Tish her own tray of birthday cupcakes to share with the other teachers. (Or to eat all for herself if she wants.  It is her birthday after all.)

Not only is today the twins birthday, and Ms. Tish's birthday, but it is Jessica's birthday as well.  (She was obviously meant to be part of our family.) 

So we wish her a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY too.

Too bad she can't be here for her own pink/purple or green/blue cupcake.  I guess we will just have to make her her own birthday dessert when she and John Robert next come for a visit.

We will be celebrating more birthdays later this month and will have a big birthday bash in a few weeks.  

So for now

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY TWINS!

I love you!

TAX DAY!

From one non-practicing CPA who didn't do tax work when I was a practicing CPA and who was up way too late finishing her own taxes to all of you

Don't Forget...

Today is Filing Day

If you haven't filed your tax return yet you better get it in the mail today.  You have until midnight.

On a happier note...in honor of tax day Sonic has half price drinks and slushes ALL DAY!

I've already stopped for my afternoon caffeine fix.

Now....off to make cupcakes for school for my barely not tax day baby twins who will turn four tomorrow.

Around here, the fun never stops.

HAPPY TAX DAY EVERYONE!

National Sibling Day

In honor of National Sibling Day

here is a big

I LOVE YOU

to my favorite brother 

and sister

You are best siblings a girl could ask for.

And the best aunt and uncle these siblings could ask for!