tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73594098638053635782012-01-26T04:04:04.961-05:00Beatles fans become parents to quadruplets. Was there any doubt we'd call them "The Fab Four"?Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.comBlogger2411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-82162699595591749162012-01-13T22:28:00.000-05:002012-01-13T22:28:13.894-05:00

Well, Mr. Alphabet has struck again: No longer content to just read, Isaac surprised us this evening by starting to spell! I was busy getting the other kids ready for bed when I came around the corner and saw him arranging letters next to a picture book. See what he did here? So proud of himself! I have a feeling that the days of spelling things so that the c-h-i-l-d-r-e-n don't

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-62371276562134657922012-01-04T22:47:00.001-05:002012-01-05T07:01:14.858-05:00

Today Ted and I loaded the kids into the van and took them to school to meet their teachers. That's right, I said their teachers. Believe it or not, the Fab Four are starting preschool tomorrow! Couldn't be more excited about walking into school! We never thought we'd be able to pay for four kids to attend preschool, but we started considering our options last year when we realized that Isaac

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-67576528888845317702012-01-01T21:38:00.001-05:002012-01-01T21:59:48.105-05:00

Notice anything missing in this picture? Yep, a few days ago we had our last supper at the feeding table: And started eating together at the "big" table! Ted and I are thrilled to have our pre-quads dining table back in place, and the kids love the new arrangement, too. Life feels just a little more normal now! As for the feeding table, it's gone to a good home. We hope you make as many

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-4635372717010654022011-12-31T12:00:00.001-05:002012-01-01T21:48:07.732-05:00

One week ago today, our Fab Four turned 3 years old! As usual, we celebrated with family, cupcakes, a ton of balloons, and lots and lots of presents. Jude got his wish for a blue cupcake and a blue birthday hat; Isaac tolerated his green birthday hat long enough for a picture; Lucy got the purple cupcake, purple dress, and purple crown that she'd been dreaming about; and Dahlia was thrilled with

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-75001522686963100332011-12-30T16:13:00.000-05:002012-01-01T21:46:28.858-05:00

Forget Paul McCartney or our wedding video—the latest craze around here is the singalong feature on our Sound of Music DVD. Every night before bed, I pop in "Maria" (as the kids call it), and the playroom is magically transformed into Salzburg, with the Fab Four taking on the roles of various characters in the movie—including, of course, Maria: Dahlia as Maria  (she came up with this ensemble

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-34875616609719652622011-12-01T17:53:00.010-05:002011-12-30T16:04:54.704-05:00

One of the many things I've learned in the past 3 years is that, when you have four birthdays to celebrate on Christmas Eve, Christmas itself easily can—and does—become an afterthought. And recently, with both big days already around the corner again, I've been thinking a lot about how to change this. How can I teach my children that their birthday, while wonderful and exciting, is not the most

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-50373287482980656512011-11-27T08:40:00.000-05:002011-11-27T08:40:17.934-05:00

We give thanks for our food before each meal, and in the past few months the kids have started jumping in and thanking Jesus for all sorts of other stuff before I can say "amen." Last week on Thanksgiving, I explained to them that, although we offer thanks to Jesus every day, this is a special day when the entire country comes together to express thanksgiving. Then I asked them, "What are you

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-24665529790974121712011-11-21T23:09:00.005-05:002011-11-22T12:05:50.981-05:00

Cold weather is upon us, and I've been keeping busy trying to, well, keep the kids busy! Thank goodness for Pinterest (my new best friend), where I've found a ton of ideas for fun and ridiculously easy ways to keep little ones occupied indoors. Best of all, the materials cost next to nothing! Here's what we've tried out so far: Isaac with the Letter Box The Letter Box: You can't get much

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-61888369546023387882011-10-30T21:09:00.013-04:002011-10-31T14:40:35.007-04:00

Our abuelitos bought us our very first pumpkins last week. We were pumped! But Mommy wasn't ready to teach us how to carve a jack o' lantern yet. Instead, she stuck some decals on our pumpkins ... ... and then let us loose with the finger paints. We had a blast! When we were all done, Daddy set the pumpkins on the back stoop to dry. The next day, Mommy pulled off the decals, and—voila!—we

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-66720538434058914402011-10-17T09:45:00.002-04:002011-10-17T13:31:55.171-04:00

Remember how Isaac learned his alphabet before everyone else? Well, now that he and his siblings have all mastered their letters (including what sound each one makes), Mr. Alphabet has decided to step it up a notch—by starting to read! I didn't realize he was doing this until about 3 weeks ago, when his speech therapist told me that she thought he was reading the colors in one of her books. So

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-16461758387967492472011-09-29T21:43:00.000-04:002011-09-29T21:43:39.101-04:00

When the kids were really little, they loved to line up at the gate and watch me fold laundry on the other side. Lucy, in particular, was fascinated by the process, and as soon as she learned how to say everyone's name, she participated by calling out the owner of each article of clothing as I pulled it out of the laundry basket. More than a year later, she still knows exactly which piece of

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-84181828516541263312011-09-27T06:53:00.002-04:002011-09-27T10:57:39.948-04:00

Jude has a little shadow. His name is Isaac, and although he may be a little bigger than his younger (by a minute) brother, he thinks his hermanito is the bomb. Watch how he tries to mimic everything Jude does here, from the way he goes down the slide to the way he falls at the bottom, and more: Yeah, Jude is loving every minute of this right now. But I can just hear him a year or two down the

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-29131704571627806562011-09-21T12:09:00.002-04:002011-09-21T12:13:51.268-04:00

Ted claims that he doesn't remember anything about the babies' first year ... but I know better. A few days ago, he saw Lucy trying to give her doll a bottle and promptly sat down to demonstrate how he used to feed her when she was a tiny baby: Minutes later, I found him showing both girls the correct technique for burping a baby as little as they used to be: It almost made me think that he

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-56668609762236044032011-09-20T12:14:00.001-04:002011-09-20T14:36:36.302-04:00

It's taken a while, but the Fab Four are finally starting to really sing—and loudly. Naturally, they all love the standards, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and the alphabet song, but they are quickly adding to their repertoire. Dahlia can often be heard heartily belting out "Tomorrow," and Isaac enjoys singing along to "And I Love Her" or "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Lucy likes to

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-85339416145096348442011-09-18T17:50:00.005-04:002011-09-18T19:50:51.866-04:00

My last day in the office before what turned out to be 3 months of bed rest was on September 19, 2008. Today, almost exactly 3 years later, I stumbled come across the container into which I stashed some of the objects that surrounded me there, in the little cubicle that I occupied for more than 7 years. That brown box, a time capsule of sorts, contained the few items that I considered worth

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-52034274867678025042011-09-15T17:22:00.002-04:002011-09-16T17:04:27.324-04:00

When I was cleaning out the guest room closet yesterday, I found some old USPS boxes that I bought who knows when for who knows what: The boxes are about the size of a cassette tape, and seeing as how I don't plan on mailing any of those any time soon, I decided to set them aside to recycle. Jude, however, immediately noticed the postal service logo and declared that we needed to give them to

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-76632034191375823062011-09-01T22:55:00.002-04:002011-09-27T10:57:39.950-04:00

Jude just got brave enough to jump into the pool by himself last week, and Isaac couldn't be more excited about it! Check out the new jumping buddies: On your marks: Get set: Go! Go! GO! Here's a short clip of my little synchronized divers in action: Although the timing on their actual dives may be a little inconsistent, you have to admit that the way they get out of the pool

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-73744235053331935582011-08-27T21:09:00.003-04:002011-08-27T21:49:57.907-04:00

For some reason, tonight I got the urge to see if I had taken any videos on this date in 2009, during the babies' first year. And, sure enough, I had! Check out this little gem I found of Dahlia (on the left) and Lucy chatting it up in the playard: I'd forgotten what all those coos sounded like! Don't you wonder what they were trying to say?

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-37770963603567187402011-08-26T21:07:00.001-04:002011-09-27T10:55:06.736-04:00

Ah, jumping in puddles. A pleasure that most kids take for granted, but something that mine had only seen on television ... until yesterday, when an overnight rainstorm left a tantalizing puddle on the walking trail behind our house. As soon as Jude saw it, he knew exactly what to do with it—and the rest of the crew soon followed: Puddles of the world, you are no longer safe: If the Fab Four

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-80774065867328499912011-08-25T12:17:00.003-04:002011-09-27T10:55:06.738-04:00

What do you do when it's too hot to go to the playground and there's no one to go to the pool with? You make Daddy set up the sprinkler in the backyard—for the first time ever, believe it or not! Happily, we just happened to have a round stationary sprinkler stashed away in the garage, perfect for four little people to share: First time in the sprinkler  (l to r: Jude, Dahlia, Lucy, and

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-83696550276796384052011-08-21T15:25:00.000-04:002011-08-21T15:25:01.848-04:00

Almost exactly two years ago our Bisabuelo brought us these beautiful handmade dresses from Peru: Lucy and Dahlia at 8 months old Today we wore the same dresses to church—this time as shirts: Dahlia and Lucy at 2.5 years old My, how we've grown!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-88515504494521156292011-08-18T22:33:00.006-04:002011-08-18T22:46:16.211-04:00

We love to be outside! We take walks outside: Collect rocks outside: Pretend to fall down and break our crowns outside: We eat outside: Laugh and squeal outside: We even practice holding hands outside: Mostly, though, we just like plain old having fun outside: Summer, we sure are going to miss you when it's cold outside!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-31123032831756595412011-08-16T23:22:00.003-04:002011-08-26T21:44:06.340-04:00

Several months ago my cousin Glenda transferred our wedding video onto a DVD. I decided to pop it in for the first time on our 11th anniversary last month, and was utterly shocked when the Fab Four asked to see it again the next day—and again the next! Nearly a month later, we are still watching parts of our wedding DVD daily. The kids love seeing Mommy dressed like a "princess" (the royal

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-54440372486606634442011-07-28T19:08:00.000-04:002011-07-28T19:08:36.284-04:00

In honor of Peruvian independence day—and by special request from Tía Harriet—I give you the Fab Four's first sips of Inca Kola (the national soft drink of Peru): Too bad the kids long ago outgrew their Inca Kola shirts from Bisabuelo (I guess we know what the abuelitos need to bring back from their next trip to the motherland). Thanks for the 2-liter, Harriet!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-12013968759104350352011-07-26T15:19:00.010-04:002011-07-31T18:29:59.973-04:00

We like holding hands around here. We link up when we're ready to go out the door: June 2011 And sometimes we join hands when we're just running around the house en masse: July 2011 This week a couple of us even got caught holding hands in the van: Our mommy hopes that we're always there to hold one another's hands—literally and figuratively. ... and when I touch you, I feel happy

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-92002106711500556262011-07-24T15:46:00.005-04:002011-09-27T10:55:06.739-04:00

This summer's been hot, hot, hot, and we've been taking full advantage of the warm temps by heading out to the pool as often as possible. Our favorite things to do by the water include jumping in: Isaac Filling buckets: Dahlia Making waves: Jude And laying out: Lucy We have a great time at the pool, but the kids can't let their guard down for a minute. You never know when a mommy

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-53691694297826608702011-07-07T20:43:00.007-04:002011-07-08T18:09:01.178-04:00

Not gonna lie: The terrible twos have been getting me down. Sometimes it feels like, no matter what I say or do, at least one little person is going to (a) yell "no," (b) start whining, (c) scream at me, or (d) all of the above. It's enough to make a mommy want to pull out her hair—or, better yet, her ears! But just when I think that I'm at my wits' end, that I can't take another day of it, the

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-18909631744364954112011-06-29T16:13:00.002-04:002011-08-21T15:27:42.950-04:00

After seeing my photographic comparisons of Ted and the Fab Four yesterday, friends have been asking to see side-by-sides of me and all the kids, too. And since we're nothing if not equal opportunity around here—here you go! Suzanna at 2 years old, Isaac at 2.5 years old Suzanna at 2 years old, Lucy at 2.5 years old Suzanna at 2 years old, Jude at 2.5 years old Suzanna at 2 years old,

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-43067563762173473642011-06-28T23:19:00.004-04:002011-08-21T15:27:42.952-04:00

Since I posted photographic proof that Jude is my mini-me, several people have wanted to know which of the Fab Four most resembles Ted at this age. Naturally, I couldn't resist digging up his 2-year portrait to compare to current photos of the kids. While most people say that all four of them look just like me, some maintain that Isaac is Ted's carbon copy. As for us, we've always thought that

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-81260023411071195842011-06-20T10:51:00.002-04:002011-06-20T11:15:18.278-04:00

Lucy has entered a funny new phase— Playing an infant is her latest craze. Ted is her daddy; her mommy is Suzy. Big girl prefers the name "Baby Lucy." She wants to be cradled; she likes to be swaddled.She drinks from a cup, but she calls it a bottle.More than two years since we brought her home,The pacis are gone, but she wants a chupón. When she goes potty, I'm happy to wipe her— But she better

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-81411125361110874052011-06-12T15:12:00.000-04:002011-06-12T15:12:01.716-04:00

Dahlia's come a long way since I first introduced the Fab Four to crayons. For her, meaningless scribbles are a thing of the past, and when she puts crayon to paper (or, as is more often the case, magnetic pen to Magnadoodle), not only does she have a plan, but she also possesses the skills to execute that plan. We first noticed her emerging talent back in April, when I found her drawing what

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-2984193443551793622011-06-08T14:20:00.003-04:002011-08-21T15:27:42.954-04:00

When the Fab Four were babies, people would often say that Lucy was my mini-me. As the kids get older, however, it seems that more and more people are sure that Jude is the one who looks exactly like his mommy. We've always thought that he looks more like my brother and dad instead, but when Ted saw Jude's snapshot in last week's nicknames post, he was struck by how much it resembles pictures

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-29992255316887515832011-06-05T14:57:00.005-04:002011-06-05T19:12:16.025-04:00

They say that if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So over the long Memorial Day weekend, that's exactly what we did: Five months after giving up on potty training Dahlia, we finally got back in the saddle and put her back on the potty. And this time, she got it! "Welcome back, potty sister!" Or perhaps I should say that we got it: If there's one thing we've learned from potty

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-77033611462717575402011-06-02T20:43:00.003-04:002011-06-03T10:45:26.563-04:00

When I was pregnant with the Fab Four, one of the burning questions on people's minds was: "What are you going to name them?" And our reply was always the same: "We're not telling anyone until they're born." Although our family and friends may have thought we were playing coy, the truth is that coming up with eight names (four first and four middle) was a daunting task—so overwhelming that even

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-36732007032820481572011-05-15T16:07:00.005-04:002011-05-15T18:59:11.235-04:00

Remember how Isaac had to get glasses? And then they got smashed? Well, ever since then, he has refused to wear them for more than a minute or two at a time. Over the past couple of months, we tried all sorts of things to convince him to keep his glasses on—to no avail. It seemed that Isaac was doomed to a life of blurry surroundings and crossed eyes. Then Mr. Potato Head came into our lives:

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-56399887743309013592011-05-01T11:11:00.000-04:002011-05-01T11:11:48.429-04:00

If you'd asked me yesterday, I would have told you that Dahlia knows about 10 letters of the alphabet. Last night, however, Tia Harriet quizzed her and informed me that she can identify many more characters than that. So this morning—in the interest of giving credit where credit is due—I got out our trusty Magnadoodle and sat down for a little informational interview with Miss D: In case you

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-53741264086078313092011-04-25T21:09:00.000-04:002011-04-25T21:09:16.172-04:00

Wouldn't you know it? After I exposed the Fab Four's alphabetical ignorance last month, Isaac got busy and learned all of his letters before I even knew what was happening. Check out our little alphabet whiz: For this clip, I had Isaac name the letters in order because I wanted to make sure that I didn't leave any out. Rest assured, however, that he can identify them out of order, too—anywhere

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-33639065943951615062011-04-20T18:38:00.002-04:002011-04-20T18:39:22.946-04:00

A couple of days ago I heard Isaac giggling in the playroom, so I peeked my head around the corner to see what was so funny. To my utter surprise, he and Lucy were kissing by the window! (Up until that point, the only other person he had ever kissed was me—more often than not during his dinosaur routine). So when I came upon Isaac kissing his sisters again today (yes, he was initiating the

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-68424966051699531782011-04-19T17:33:00.015-04:002011-04-20T16:52:00.960-04:00

Our backyard isn't fancy, but to the Fab Four it's no wasteland: It's a wonderland. After all, when you're 2 years old, not many things are more rewarding than to run around finding "lallow flawers" for Mommy: Or to stand on your very tiptoes to pick the buds off of trees for her: And few experiences are as exhilarating as scaling a great big climbing tower: And then feeling the wind in

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-38225280683578421532011-04-17T09:23:00.003-04:002011-04-17T09:34:38.071-04:00

April got off to a great start with a visit from my parents, who stayed with us for a whole week. As always, I loved, loved, loved having my mom and dad here, and the kids had a great time with their abuelitos! Not only did the Fab Four get a whole lot more personal attention while my parents were here, but they also got to do some really special things like ... Take their first trip to the zoo!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-38037510333364682122011-04-16T13:40:00.004-04:002011-04-16T14:10:13.574-04:00

While on a walk with the kids yesterday, I was thrilled to discover that our neighborhood now has a swing set! Since the kids had never been in a real swing before (we don't have our own, and my one attempt at taking them to the park last year was a huge failure), I was itching to put them in the swings and see how they liked them. There was just one problem: This particular swing set has only

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-76852489687110042102011-04-14T16:02:00.002-04:002011-04-15T17:15:00.735-04:00

Almost every time Jude tells us that he needs to go potty, he follows up his request with a perfect imitation of the "Dora the Explorer" villain's catchphrase: "Oh, man!" We don't know exactly why he adopted this exclamation as a potty mantra, although I suspect that, at some point—perhaps after the millionth "potty gin!" in a row—I might have given him the idea by saying, "Oh, man!" in

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-52271775015753281582011-04-13T21:20:00.008-04:002011-04-15T17:16:10.747-04:00

Isaac is a pretty reserved fellow, and his public displays of affection are most frequently bestowed upon yours truly. Which is one reason that I was shocked (and delighted!) to witness these exchanges tonight, first with Jude: And then—even better!—with Lucy: Anyone who's met Isaac knows how huge this is. Perhaps Dahlia's friendly overtures have finally convinced him that these built-in

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-33500767646566315602011-03-31T18:06:00.000-04:002011-03-31T18:06:23.349-04:00

We may not know our alphabet yet, but at least Lucy and Jude have a handle on some of the more important stuff:

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-84505070932320987082011-03-20T17:34:00.005-04:002011-03-21T08:38:58.118-04:00

analphabet \(ˌ)an-ˈal-fə-ˌbet, -bət\ n: an illiterate person who does not know the letters of the alphabet. Yep, I'd say that definition fits the Fab Four to a tee—or should I say, "a T"? Fortunately, it seems that you don't have to know your letters to love your letters: I guess I need to get serious about teaching my kids the alphabet ... they're definitely interested!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-8654013930829729702011-03-16T23:02:00.003-04:002011-03-17T22:44:27.266-04:00

A mother wears many hats—often in quick succession. Like the other day at the table, when I was an enthusiastic entertainer one second, and an amateur paramedic the very next: Who knew that my silly sight gag could induce a case of actual gagging? The real head shaker, though, is why Ted kept taping instead of telling me that Jude was choking—I'm guessing he was just as distracted by Isaac's

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-46778281683407792552011-03-13T21:21:00.004-04:002011-09-27T10:57:39.951-04:00

From the beginning, I have been kind of a wimp about giving my kids a bath. At first—when they were fresh out of the NICU and I was still giving them sponge baths on the kitchen counter—I was scared because they were so, so tiny. As they got bigger, I dreaded baths because it was just so much work to stand at the sink and wash four squirmy little ones in a row. In fact, I disliked bath time so

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-9736192411160571952011-03-11T11:59:00.001-05:002011-03-11T12:12:01.975-05:00

Over the past few weeks, we've been seeing a special relationship develop between Dahlia and Isaac. It started with Dahlia feeding Isaac snacks to cheer him up, and it has progressed to her bringing him the books he likes or finding his pillow for him when he's looking for it. Dahlia will also randomly decide to sit down and "help" Isaac when he's working on a puzzle or shape sorter. She usually

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-79013021125632056562011-03-05T22:05:00.007-05:002011-06-04T15:59:56.683-04:00

They say that time heals all wounds, and I suppose two months was just about enough for us to forget how difficult the first round of potty training was. So today we finally took the plunge (no pun intended) and gave Jude his turn on the potty! Because he's been showing signs of readiness for a while now, I was pretty sure he'd do well. I was completely unprepared, however, for just how ready

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-84176725757577275632011-03-02T14:47:00.010-05:002011-03-02T17:31:37.760-05:00

Isaac's first week in glasses couldn't have gone better. I would put them on him whenever he was distracted or in a mellow mood, and the second he started to fidget with them, I'd make them disappear until I saw my next opportunity to put them on. With this approach, Isaac quickly grew more and more accustomed to his glasses until, just a week after getting them, he successfully wore them all day

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-11200885356449752672011-02-28T15:01:00.003-05:002011-03-06T17:40:18.288-05:00

Two months after the Fab Four climbed out of their cribs and turned bedtime upside down (literally, for Isaac), they finally have real beds! The plain white toddler cots are made by KidKraft, and Ted was able to put all four of them together by himself in one afternoon—well, a week and an afternoon, as three out of four had damaged parts when we received them and we had to wait for replacements (

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-13342384865750109962011-02-19T15:30:00.001-05:002011-02-19T21:24:14.327-05:00

Isaac finally got his glasses! I didn't think my little boy's big, blue eyes could get any more beautiful, but I was wrong: Handsome devil  (in Fisher Price wire frames with unifit nose piece, cable temples, and Crizal Avance lenses, ground digitally to minimize magnification)   So far he is tolerating them very well, keeping them on long enough to read books, do puzzles, and perform

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-89655783186677850602011-02-14T14:35:00.010-05:002011-02-14T17:42:52.733-05:00

The Fab Four's Grandma T made them some yummy chocolate cupcakes for Valentine's Day. The kids enjoyed eating their treats after lunch today: No, they reeeeally enjoyed eating them: Hope you reeeeally enjoyed your Valentine's Day, too!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-16575737257028420252011-02-12T21:58:00.001-05:002011-02-14T15:15:06.010-05:00

A couple of days ago, our weekly angel Tante Gabi graciously brought me a copy of Haircutting For Dummies. I wish I could say that I read it before impulsively deciding to cut Jude's overgrown hair this morning, but alas—I'm afraid the results tell another story: Sorry, buddy! The poor kid was a model client, but his hair is just so much thinner (and, therefore, much less forgiving) than

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-58058383803656338932011-02-10T13:46:00.000-05:002011-02-10T13:46:01.319-05:00

Like his daddy, Isaac is rarely happy when he wakes up. Mornings generally aren't a problem because it's still dark out, but after his nap it usually takes him a good 10 to 15 minutes to fully acclimate himself to the bright and busy playroom. In the meantime, he is either pretty out of it or just plain fussy. A few days ago, after trying—and failing—to get a grumpy, post-nap Isaac to accept

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-59522700223664640642011-02-06T14:18:00.004-05:002011-02-06T15:06:33.144-05:00

Well, I did it. The boys' last haircut was a full eight weeks ago, but we can't afford to keep paying a professional to cut the kids' hair—so I did it! My guinea pig was Isaac. While everyone was coloring at the feeding table this morning, I gave him a sucker and got to work. I expected him to fight me, but he was actually surprisingly tolerant of my fumbling attempts to trim his hair: "Dad,

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-62668569091553515992011-02-05T15:59:00.003-05:002011-02-05T16:31:25.577-05:00

It's no secret that Ted and I love the Beatles. Like any good fan, we listen to Beatles music on a daily basis, we often wear Beatles T-shirts, we own a wide assortment of Beatles DVDs, and we even have a collection of Beatles magnets on our fridge. Naturally, we also hope that our kids will one day become diehard Beatles fans. Already, Lucy—who often requests "Buddles lusic" (Beatles music)—can

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-59025334281992156122011-01-30T17:20:00.008-05:002011-02-04T06:52:38.988-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-7835268649150642252011-01-24T19:43:00.001-05:002011-01-25T11:59:02.418-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-14871444729785534062011-01-23T21:31:00.006-05:002011-02-28T13:33:25.680-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-5704136090088819812011-01-12T21:51:00.005-05:002011-01-13T07:10:09.108-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-45223287383476730052011-01-11T07:37:00.010-05:002011-03-06T13:14:58.412-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-17726933109667453692011-01-10T14:53:00.001-05:002011-01-10T17:37:32.874-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-32961702406119961872011-01-04T18:45:00.005-05:002011-01-10T17:55:00.875-05:00

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!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-21877913409466629912011-01-02T21:53:00.002-05:002011-01-03T06:40:55.107-05:00

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

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-26558732536126249742011-01-01T17:31:00.003-05:002011-01-01T21:41:34.477-05:00

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)

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-60535195593138256902010-12-31T14:41:00.006-05:002011-02-01T10:27:58.281-05:00

This is the last post in a walk down memory lane, Facebook style. You can read the entire series here. The last month of the year was by far the most entertaining yet. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: There's never a dull moment around here! DECEMBER 1  The Fab Four's law: When a repairman is scheduled to come out to the house at the time nap is usually over, the kids WILL sleep

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-52279285926365457172010-12-30T22:36:00.008-05:002011-01-01T11:43:54.658-05:00

If you are thinking that this is going to be a post about potty training, you are correct! Less than 2 weeks ago (the day after our snow fun, in fact), Ted and I took a deep breath and, with my mom's invaluable help, started our quest to train the girls. Based on a recommendation from fellow quad mom Suz Steece, we used the 3-day potty-training method. Basically, the author says that if you

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-79630419849119886022010-12-29T21:04:00.006-05:002011-12-31T11:12:52.716-05:00

At the height of all the crib climbing last week, the Fab Four turned 2 years old. Thankfully, we had already decided to celebrate their birthday the day after Christmas instead of the day before, so most of the napless chaos was behind us by the time their fiesta rolled around. I'd originally wanted to do a Wiggles-themed party for the kids, but it turns out that Wiggles party supplies are

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-36464704370843491012010-12-25T22:32:00.003-05:002011-02-28T13:35:05.771-05:00

Scratch the PeaPods idea. When we walked in the nursery today after "nap" time, we found the girls on the loose and the room in disarray: Seconds later, we discovered that Jude had actually managed to get out, too! So it's back to mattresses on the floor for now. It took the kids an hour to fall asleep tonight (despite having skipped their nap again today), but I just went in to check on

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-85353341511815055722010-12-24T22:50:00.005-05:002011-02-28T13:35:05.774-05:00

Today, on the Fab Four's second birthday, Isaac and Dahlia decided to show us how silly we were to think that yesterday's precautions would keep them in their cribs. Just minutes after putting them into their nap, in fact, we heard Dahlia scream and Ted opened the door to find her dazedly roaming the nursery. And then, not long after he put her back in bed, we heard the doorknob rattle and were

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-32429149094883120142010-12-23T23:35:00.011-05:002011-02-28T13:35:05.776-05:00

I almost never go into the nursery after the kids go to bed. Today, however, I thought I heard someone grunting, and—since nothing guarantees a bad nap like a poopy bottom—I decided to make an exception. Turns out someone was probably grunting all right, but not for the reasons I thought! When I opened the door, I was shocked to see Isaac standing on the floor in front of me ... Isaac

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-51119885305527114062010-12-20T22:58:00.015-05:002011-01-13T09:27:57.176-05:00

Four sets of hats and mittens from Walmart: $20Four snowsuits from Kohl's: $10*Four pairs of snow boots from Target: $5*The Fab Four's first time in the snow: priceless Exploring the winter wonderland in our backyard (left to right: Lucy, Dahlia, Jude, and Isaac) Jude was fearless, wading knee deep in snow drifts right away,  while Isaac took a while to get used to all the cold stuff

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-62005830641345297822010-12-18T01:04:00.001-05:002011-01-13T09:27:57.179-05:00

I never fail to be amazed at the amount of energy that my children can expend at the end of the day. Don't they make running aimlessly back and forth look like so much fun? Incidentally, running laps before bed tonight was Isaac's idea, and (as usual) the other three kids followed suit. I gotta remember to keep my eye on that kid—apparently he already knows how to win friends and influence

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-5250441216919928462010-12-16T17:47:00.010-05:002011-02-01T10:27:58.284-05:00

I'm taking a walk down memory lane, Facebook style. You can read the entire series here. Life with the Fab Four ramped up during the month of November. Every time I turned around, it seemed the kids were saying or doing something funny or new. What a fun age! NOVEMBER 1  Nothing sweeter than seeing Jude say "thank you" to Dahlia today after she handed him his night-night (blankie). 3  Made

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-48284321388495634772010-12-13T17:01:00.012-05:002011-02-01T10:27:58.286-05:00

I'm taking a walk down memory lane, Facebook style. You can read the entire series here. As summer turned to fall, the kids started eating less and talking more. The level of energy required to keep up with them? Remained the same. AUGUST 3  Losing a contact while changing a diaper, bad. Losing a contact while changing a poopy diaper, very bad. Fortunately the verrrrry tips of my hair

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-70894485773163531052010-12-12T13:48:00.002-05:002011-01-13T08:03:54.035-05:00

I make a habit of reading four books simultaneously, several times a day. And I'm not gonna lie: Keeping everything straight can get a little crazy, especially when more than one child is pointing at random pictures and asking a seemingly never-ending train of rapid-fire "whazzats?" The key is to familiarize yourself with every book in the playroom so that you can fluidly rattle off the names of

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-42717410084555947932010-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:002011-04-14T22:21:50.493-04:00

None of my kids will kiss me on demand—and unsolicited besos are almost as hard to come by. So imagine my delight when Isaac incorporated this ever-elusive display of affection into his "choreography" for my abbreviated version of "We Are the Dinosaurs" (one of the kids' most-requested Laurie Berkner Band songs): He goes through this same routine (hands slapping my legs during the marching

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-2679397817991271412010-12-06T15:19:00.009-05:002011-02-01T10:27:58.289-05:00

I'm taking a walk down memory lane, Facebook style. You can read the entire series here. As the Fab Four approached the 18-month mark, life around the house started to get a little less predictable. MAY 4 Jude drank an entire glass of papaya juice at breakfast this morning. That's my boy! 12 Baby Einstein, you are my savior on a thunderstorm-y morning like today.  Practicing sitting on the

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-46237389058195706282010-12-03T07:05:00.015-05:002011-02-01T10:27:58.291-05:00

I'm taking a walk down memory lane, Facebook style. You can read the entire series here. With the arrival of spring, my excitement about first steps and solid foods soon gave way to thrills of the outdoor variety. MARCH 2 Gave the kids mazamorra morada for the first time today. They loved it! 3 Snot monster(s) in the house. Hopefully it's a short visit. 16 Just took the kids on a walk. Ah,

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-85581351320302554622010-12-01T19:01:00.007-05:002011-02-01T10:27:58.294-05:00

Looking back through my old Facebook statuses the other day, I found myself taking a stroll down memory lane. So many little things happened this year that I had totally forgotten about! And since it's these little things that really make up life, I wanted to make sure that I wrote them down in a place where my kids could read them someday. To that end, here's a glimpse at the first couple months

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-58463872615309710822010-11-29T16:31:00.003-05:002010-11-30T10:10:51.255-05:00

Dahlia has been hard at work on a big project: Learning how to undress herself. As you may recall, it all started with the girls figuring out how to pull down their pants and remove their diapers. After that rather alarming development, I began to dress the kids only in one-piece outfits, hoping that the snaps would provide protection against further diaper-removal episodes. This tactic has been

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-3841680053308703492010-11-28T15:32:00.002-05:002011-03-06T13:23:08.913-05:00

On Thanksgiving, the Fab Four got to play Grandma T's piano for the first time. It was a momentous occasion, but I guess no one told them that—the carefully staged quartet stayed together only long enough to give us the shortest concert ever: Does anyone else get the feeling that they were just humoring us?

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-27142099995903399672010-11-27T11:45:00.003-05:002011-01-13T09:27:57.182-05:00

Much to Ted's satisfaction, the Fab Four are finally past the stage where they knock down every tower of blocks that he builds for them. As a matter of fact, the kids themselves have started stacking more than just boring old blocks. Check out the multimedia masterpiece that Jude assembled single-handedly the other day: You don't think they're collaborating on plans to stage another jailbreak,

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-74736671636381854392010-11-26T15:35:00.013-05:002010-11-27T14:18:01.730-05:00

Fasting is not the first word you'd associate with Thanksgiving, but that's exactly what our kids did at their very first Thanksgiving dinner yesterday (you may recall that we had to skip the holiday last year because we were all sick). Given the fact that they've been pretty picky during the past couple of months, I must say that their refusal to eat came as no surprise—at least not to me and

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-83950140768823915572010-11-17T20:11:00.012-05:002010-11-18T03:01:12.745-05:00

Our gated community has been compromised! Fortunately, I arrived on the scene not long after the attempted escape. From what I can tell, one or more individuals (Isaac being the suspected ringleader) pushed the school bus up to the perimeter of the "secure" enclosure, and then everyone except Jude scaled the bus in order to surmount the gate—all while Mommy was distracted by dinner preparations

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-23580822166462034242010-11-16T20:21:00.005-05:002011-01-13T07:54:06.965-05:00

Friends often tell me that their kids love to watch the videos I post of the Fab Four. Well, guess what? The Fab Four like to watch themselves onscreen, too. They usually get a big kick out of identifying everyone in the video, and even the most mundane clip can keep them entertained indefinitely. Just the other night, in fact, watching and re-watching a video of Lucy pestering Dahlia gave Isaac

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-68353064872800768382010-11-14T17:12:00.000-05:002010-11-14T17:12:45.182-05:00

The Fab Four have recently acquired a raging obsession with the Wiggles. They constantly beg to watch the one Wiggles DVD that we have, they insist on looking at the cover of our one Wiggles CD when they're on the changing table, and our one Wiggles toy (a not-so-gently-used guitar) is one of the most sought-after items in the playroom. I love the Wiggles, too, because they are teaching my kids

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-17740212470330325692010-11-09T14:24:00.005-05:002010-11-09T19:47:19.601-05:00

The Fab Four haven't mastered using spoons yet, but they're getting better all the time (especially Dahlia). Several months ago, I discovered that a great food for them to practice with is rice pudding. I make it from scratch about once a week, and the kids absolutely love it. As good as rice pudding is for honing the kids' spoon skills, however, I still think it's much more fun to spoon-feed it

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-53028103946299314872010-11-07T13:53:00.011-05:002010-11-26T17:46:34.319-05:00

Fall back? Not us. At least not today—this year I actually anticipated the switch in time to gradually adjust our schedule (in increments of 15 minutes) before having to set back the clock! The entire process (not including the embarrassing part at the beginning where I went 15 minutes the wrong way) took about 10 days and was totally worth it: If the kids are cranky today, it's definitely not

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-21530700400288715872010-11-04T18:00:00.002-04:002010-11-04T22:49:40.752-04:00

Life at our house has been getting louder and louder, and sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the happy screams and the terrible-two screams. Today I heard a commotion in the living room, so I poked my head around the corner to see if I needed to intervene. I'm glad I looked:Who knew that a few blankets draped over the back of a couch could provide so much entertainment—for both me and the

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-19218204148811088162010-11-02T14:35:00.005-04:002010-11-02T21:19:25.857-04:00

With pacifiers, the Fab Four used to go to sleep pretty much as soon as we put them to bed. Now that their pacifiers are gone, however, the kids like to kick off their nap in a slightly more boisterous fashion. I tried to join in the fun today, but apparently whooping, hollering, and jumping in your crib is not as much fun when Mommy is in the room:

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-49256669279739861122010-10-28T22:03:00.010-04:002010-11-06T22:34:34.528-04:00

When Lucy is tired, her feelings become extremely fragile. If you scold her (or even scold someone in her vicinity), this is the face you're sure to see just before she bursts into devastated tears: That pitiful expression breaks my heart every time—and makes it impossible for me to stay upset with her!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-45698697470581374752010-10-27T13:14:00.015-04:002010-11-06T22:43:46.521-04:00

How to wean four highly addicted 22-month-olds from their chupones (Spanish for "pacifiers") from one day to the next—with absolutely no planning ahead! 1. Wait until you find a pacifier that looks like this (if you're "lucky" like us, you'll find it just before bedtime and have to scramble for a game plan): 2. Identify the pacifier chewer (Jude) and put him to bed sans choking hazard. Thank

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-73356217731985577572010-10-25T20:30:00.000-04:002010-10-25T20:32:06.719-04:00

The latest fad around here is to bang on the toy box. The louder the better. Isaac is usually the instigator (yes, he still loves to drum!), but his solos don't last long—if one kid is banging on the box, the other are sure to join in sooner or later:Herd mentality—it's cute now, but I am having visions of mass mischief in the years to come!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-18507510782217494552010-10-24T16:20:00.013-04:002010-11-21T12:27:44.252-05:00

Yesterday I looked through my kitchen notebooks and made official lists of what the Fab Four are saying (and signing) these days. I was already aware that the girls are talking more than the boys, but I was blown away when I looked at the finished lists and realized just how much everyone around here is actually saying! Because I know that counting all of their words will soon be impossible, I

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-64885818682838155012010-10-21T21:43:00.003-04:002010-10-27T17:37:50.477-04:00

Nights have been cool enough lately that I finally decided to put the kids in footed pajamas again. Lucy was the first to change into her winter jammies, and—as you can see—she was absolutely delighted with her new bedtime garb:If only we could all derive such pleasure from the simple things in life!

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-25547326014959597262010-10-19T22:20:00.008-04:002011-01-13T09:27:57.185-05:00

Isaac likes to study things from every angle. I'll often catch him on his belly, crawling around a toy to examine it from various perspectives. Sometimes he will slowly walk with his back against a wall, head turned to observe the effect of his shoulder rubbing against it. When it's dark out, he prefers to watch television by viewing its reflection in the living room window, rather than by

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-30690452018771292572010-10-16T14:15:00.004-04:002010-10-16T19:55:14.844-04:00

Ted and I often joke about how great it will be when the Fab Four are finally old enough to take over the household chores. I know it's a little early to expect any of them to mow the lawn or clean the toilets for us, but I think we may have one who's just about ready to help with the dusting:(I wish I could say that she learned it from watching me, but I'm afraid that the dustable surfaces in my

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7359409863805363578.post-27506500837830382222010-10-14T21:00:00.002-04:002011-01-13T09:27:57.187-05:00

Besides the wedding, the highlight of our trip to Texas was our visit to the Children's Museum of Houston. The kids loved it because they had full access to a huge room full of countless new toys and activities—they'd never experienced anything like it! I loved it because the facility was clean and the play area was completely enclosed, making it impossible for any member of the Fab Four to pull

Suzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01840344673676769749noreply@blogger.com1