New looks

The girls got a makeover of sorts this morning when I decided that their hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails. I need to work on my technique (perfectionist mom + squirmy girls = way too much time spent fixing hair), but I thought their hair still turned out pretty cute. Check out how adorable they looked sharing their snacks this afternoon:



I am happy to report that we also made progress on Isaac's new look today: This morning one of my mom's brothers—the one who just happens to be in the eye business—stopped by to help us pick out some frames from the comfort of our own home. What a lifesaver! Here's a sneak peek at what our blue-eyed boy will look like once his lenses are ready:

Thanks for hooking us up, Uncle P!

Drinking games

Believe it or not, I've managed to survive my first two years as a mother of quadruplets without drinking a single drop of coffee. Ted, on the other hand, has steadily become more and more dependent on the stuff. Every morning, he brews himself a pot, and you can be sure that Jude will always be on hand to supervise. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the son followed in his daddy's footsteps:



But while Jude may have fun pretending to enjoy a cup of joe, I wouldn't expect him to act like he's drinking a Diet Coke anytime soon:

Bedtime story

The bedtime routine in our house is pretty simple: Get in your sleepsack, listen to Mommy and Daddy say a prayer, receive a goodnight kiss, and go to sleep. Earlier this week, however, I suddenly felt the strong urge to add a new element: Between the prayer and the kisses, Ted and I now sing "Jesus Loves Me" to the kids (once in English and once in Spanish). Hearing Mommy and Daddy sing together really seems to settle them down, and a couple of the kids are already trying to participate (Isaac especially enjoys standing up and vigorously nodding his head during the "yes, Jesus loves me" part).

Ready for beddy!
(clockwise from bottom left: Jude, Isaac, Lucia, and Dahlia)

After last night's song, Ted and I were starting to give out the goodnight kisses when I heard Lucy say, "again." I thought she wanted another kiss, but as I leaned in, she beamed up at me and confidently pronounced, "Je-us." What a thrill!

With a song in my heart, I immediately launched into another round of "Jesus Loves Me"—and wondered at a little girl who, although still too young to understand what it means to accept Jesus, nevertheless knows that what she really wants is to hear her mommy and daddy sing about Him one more time before she goes to sleep.

Upon reflection today, however, I realized that I got it backwards last night: The real wonder is that my little girl is actually still young enough to understand exactly what it means to accept Jesus.

"Unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 18:3)

The eyes have it

A couple of months ago, one of Isaac's eyes began to cross every so often while watching television. I mentioned it to the pediatrician at his 2-year check-up, and she recommended that he see a pediatric opthamologist. The diagnosis? Accommodative esotropia. Basically, he is far-sighted and, without the use of corrective lenses, both of his eyes will eventually cross. So it looks like it's gonna be glasses for Isaac!

The doctor recommended a couple of places in town that probably carry frames small enough to fit him, but we haven't been able to check them out yet. I did, however, dig up some sunglasses that Tia Glenda gave us to see whether Isaac would tolerate wearing such an apparatus on his face. Turns out that all four kids LOVE wearing glasses!

Lookin' cool in their shades
(clockwise from bottom left: Jude, Dahlia, Isaac, Lucia) 

Ah, the power of novelty. Anyone have advice on buying frames for a 2-year-old, and then keeping said frames on his face once the newness wears off?

Multiples and more!

As a mom of quads, I am always looking for new tips and tricks to make life with multiples run smoothly. The Multiples & More blog is a great place to find advice because it draws on the combined experience of a very large community of moms of multiples (MoMs). I love reading about how other MoMs handle different situations, and I'm always tucking away a nugget or two of knowledge for when my kids reach a new stage.

Every Tuesday, Multiples & More highlights a MoM blog, and today they are featuring ... me! Go check out my interview and let me know what you think!

Two years at home

A year ago today, one day after the first anniversary of the Fab Four's homecoming, I pondered the ways in which bringing home our four tiny babies had marked the real beginning of my life as a mother. Yesterday was the second anniversary of that momentous occasion, but this time around I have no deep thoughts to share—believe it or not, wrangling four active 2-year-olds leaves little time for reflection!

I did, however, manage to shoot a couple of brief videos to record how much they've changed since last January 9. I especially loved the interactions in this super-short clip:



Cool coincidence: I didn't notice until later that my iPod had landed on "A Hard Day's Night" while I was grabbing the camera. But I think it's quite fitting that I happened to be filming during these lines, in particular: "When I'm home, everything seems to be right / When I'm home, feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah!"

There's no denying that the last two years have included more than their fair share of hard days' nights, but they've also been two years full of hugs and kisses and lots of love—and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Can't wait to see what's in store for the next year at home!

Sock it to me

I thought Dahlia was experimenting with making her footwear into eveningwear today ...

... but it turns out that she was just discovering a new way to dust the furniture!

Hmm, I suppose this method would be cheaper than buying Swiffer refills ... maybe she's on to something!

Talkin' trash

Jude is fascinated by trash and anything that has to do with trash. He drops everything to watch Ted bag the trash, gets excited when it's time to take out the trash, and always runs to the window to spot the garbage truck when it passes by. Jude also enjoys making his own trash by ripping up books or, in more recent days, wrapping paper. Just this weekend, he was thrilled to learn from a visitor how to make apples into trash, too (munch, munch, munch—the core is trash!).

Lucky for us, Jude is also a master at finding and eliminating even the most minute piece of "trash" in the house:



What with Dahlia's aptitude for dusting (she was actually polishing a doorknob with a tissue today!) and Jude's interest in locating and disposing of trash, I think Ted and I are well on our way to having a nice little army of chore-doers!

Ode to Play-Doh

On this New Year's Day,

Oh, dough of many colors,

Nigh an hour of peace

Keeping busy with Play-Doh!
(clockwise from bottom left: 
Jude, Isaac, Lucia, Dahlia)