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 home would tell you otherwise!)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Fun at the museum
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 a disappearing act. And with the abuelitos and Tia Holly along to help us wrangle the kids, I even managed to get a ton of pictures. Here are just a few of them (as you can see, there were lots of smiles that day!):
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| Dahlia and Lucy drive a big red car (left); Tia Holly shows Jude the giant Lite-Brite (right) |
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| Jude practices using a door (left); Isaac finds some red and yellow blocks (right) |
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| Abuelita helps Dahlia go down the slide (left); Ted and Isaac play with the light switch (right) |
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| Isaac emerges from the tunnel (left); Lucy sitting pretty (right) |
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| Lucy and Dahlia play with the door (left); Isaac is delighted by all the toy cars (right) |
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| Jude plays hide and seek with Abuelita (left); Lucy makes her way through the tunnel (right) |
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| Dahlia sees something exciting across the room (left); Jude having fun! (right) |
Monday, October 11, 2010
A week of freedom
While we were in Texas, the kids were thrilled to have the run of my parents' completely toddler-proofed house. Mom and Dad really went the extra mile to prepare for our extended visit, installing all sorts of safety locks, putting down rugs on the tile floors to cushion any falls, using booster seats to transform their kitchen table into a feeding table, and hanging blackout curtains in the kids' room. They even put several items of furniture into storage—both to accommodate our four PeaPods in the guest room and to create this veritable toddler heaven of toys, books, and stuffed animals in the dining room:
No longer being confined to their "gated community" meant that the kids had the freedom to explore and experience all sorts of new things—like hiding pacifiers in the recycling bin, tearing up the newspapers that my dad left laying around, and watching their beloved Baby Einstein DVDs at eye level (and within hands' reach, to boot!):
The kids also loved being gateless because it allowed unlimited access to one of their very favorite things: shoes. They all enjoyed finding their own shoes around the house—and putting them on and taking them off, seemingly ad infinitum—but Dahlia was the first to commandeer a "pair" of grownup heels:
Lucy, of course, was quick to follow in her footsteps (with a little plastic bling to complete the look):
For me, the best part about not having gates was that the kids burned off tons of energy running all around the house (and I expended quite a few calories, too, just trying to keep track of everyone!). One afternoon, Jude thoroughly entertained himself (and us) by repeatedly running to the kitchen and "hiding," calling out his own name while he was out of sight, and then running back to the living room to say "boo":
I was worried that the kids would stage a revolt once we got back home and they realized that the gates were back in business, but so far I've heard no complaints. And as long as they're still happy, I'm not changing a thing!
No longer being confined to their "gated community" meant that the kids had the freedom to explore and experience all sorts of new things—like hiding pacifiers in the recycling bin, tearing up the newspapers that my dad left laying around, and watching their beloved Baby Einstein DVDs at eye level (and within hands' reach, to boot!):
The kids also loved being gateless because it allowed unlimited access to one of their very favorite things: shoes. They all enjoyed finding their own shoes around the house—and putting them on and taking them off, seemingly ad infinitum—but Dahlia was the first to commandeer a "pair" of grownup heels:
Lucy, of course, was quick to follow in her footsteps (with a little plastic bling to complete the look):
For me, the best part about not having gates was that the kids burned off tons of energy running all around the house (and I expended quite a few calories, too, just trying to keep track of everyone!). One afternoon, Jude thoroughly entertained himself (and us) by repeatedly running to the kitchen and "hiding," calling out his own name while he was out of sight, and then running back to the living room to say "boo":
I was worried that the kids would stage a revolt once we got back home and they realized that the gates were back in business, but so far I've heard no complaints. And as long as they're still happy, I'm not changing a thing!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The wedding
After giving the Fab Four a quiet day to explore their new surroundings and get reacquainted with their abuelitos, it was wedding time. Tio Ner and Tia Glenda had flown in the night before, so we had a house full of people to get gussied up by lunchtime. We were so busy that I got only one picture of all of the kids together (as you can see, Dahlia couldn't wait to go see Tio Johnny and Tia Holly):
I absolutely loved seeing the kids dressed up in the outfits that Abuelita Joanna ordered for them! Here are some closeups:
The wedding, which took place at Johnny and Holly's place, was an even greater joy to witness. My dad opened with a prayer, and then a justice of the peace led the bride and groom through the exchange of vows, their rings, and a kiss. Afterward, Johnny changed out of his suit into something a little more compatible with the Texas climate, and the happy couple stepped outside to pose for pictures:
Due to several factors (including a missed nap and the fact that Mommy forgot to bring the diaper bag—oops!), Ted and the kids left shortly after the ceremony ended. Thanks a million to Tia Glenda for going home with them so that I could stay and enjoy the reception!
I absolutely loved seeing the kids dressed up in the outfits that Abuelita Joanna ordered for them! Here are some closeups:
The wedding, which took place at Johnny and Holly's place, was an even greater joy to witness. My dad opened with a prayer, and then a justice of the peace led the bride and groom through the exchange of vows, their rings, and a kiss. Afterward, Johnny changed out of his suit into something a little more compatible with the Texas climate, and the happy couple stepped outside to pose for pictures:
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Have quads, will travel
When your brother decides to get married, you don't let a little thing like a 2,200-mile round-trip drive with 21-month-old quadruplets stop you! No, sir. In fact, the minute Johnny and Holly told us that they were planning a September wedding, Ted and I started figuring out just how we were going to pull off our first road trip as a family of six.
Now that our Texas "vacation" is behind us, everyone's been asking me whether Ted and I are still sane—and thanks to our awesome kids, the answer is YES! To be sure, there was a little of this:
But there was also quite a bit of this:
Looking back, Ted and I are convinced that preparation was the key to keeping the Fab Four (mostly) content for a total of 40 van hours. For instance, in the week leading up to the trip, Ted took the time to carefully plan a route with stops that would accommodate our eating schedule and afford the opportunity for the kids to burn off some energy (thank goodness for Chick-Fil-A playgrounds!). As for me, I took stock of our supplies and determined what we'd need to take with us (and how to pack it), what we could leave behind, and what we'd have to buy on the road (milk!).
I also researched how to keep young toddlers busy on long drives and, based on what I learned, decided to sit in the middle row for the entire trip. This made the kids happy and gave me easy access to books, toys, and snacks—and anything else the kids dropped. During their awake time (which was almost all of the time), I kept them entertained with DVDs, lots of touch-n-feel books, empty water bottles (one of their favorite "toys"), balloons (in lieu of balls), and stuffed animals (anything with a buckle or a zipper was a hit).
The kids also loved the photo albums I made with pictures of people we were going to see on the trip—these held their attention for what seemed like hours! Check out Jude's reaction to seeing a picture of Tia Glenda:
The worst part of each 2-day drive was definitely the hotel stay in the middle. By the time we ate dinner, checked in, toddler-proofed the room, unloaded what we needed from the van, set up the PeaPod tents (love those things!), and changed the kids' diapers and clothes for bed, it was MELTDOWN time. Fortunately, we were going to bed much earlier than the other guests, so hopefully not too many people were disturbed by the screams that emanated from our room!
Two things we learned for sure: (1) Keeping four toddlers happy on the road for 2 full days at a time is no easy task, but (2) it's totally doable! And the sweat and the tears (no blood, fortunately!) were definitely worth it to witness Johnny and Holly make it official.
Picture posts coming up next to show how much fun we had before heading back home ...
Now that our Texas "vacation" is behind us, everyone's been asking me whether Ted and I are still sane—and thanks to our awesome kids, the answer is YES! To be sure, there was a little of this:
But there was also quite a bit of this:
Looking back, Ted and I are convinced that preparation was the key to keeping the Fab Four (mostly) content for a total of 40 van hours. For instance, in the week leading up to the trip, Ted took the time to carefully plan a route with stops that would accommodate our eating schedule and afford the opportunity for the kids to burn off some energy (thank goodness for Chick-Fil-A playgrounds!). As for me, I took stock of our supplies and determined what we'd need to take with us (and how to pack it), what we could leave behind, and what we'd have to buy on the road (milk!).
I also researched how to keep young toddlers busy on long drives and, based on what I learned, decided to sit in the middle row for the entire trip. This made the kids happy and gave me easy access to books, toys, and snacks—and anything else the kids dropped. During their awake time (which was almost all of the time), I kept them entertained with DVDs, lots of touch-n-feel books, empty water bottles (one of their favorite "toys"), balloons (in lieu of balls), and stuffed animals (anything with a buckle or a zipper was a hit).
The kids also loved the photo albums I made with pictures of people we were going to see on the trip—these held their attention for what seemed like hours! Check out Jude's reaction to seeing a picture of Tia Glenda:
The worst part of each 2-day drive was definitely the hotel stay in the middle. By the time we ate dinner, checked in, toddler-proofed the room, unloaded what we needed from the van, set up the PeaPod tents (love those things!), and changed the kids' diapers and clothes for bed, it was MELTDOWN time. Fortunately, we were going to bed much earlier than the other guests, so hopefully not too many people were disturbed by the screams that emanated from our room!
Two things we learned for sure: (1) Keeping four toddlers happy on the road for 2 full days at a time is no easy task, but (2) it's totally doable! And the sweat and the tears (no blood, fortunately!) were definitely worth it to witness Johnny and Holly make it official.
Picture posts coming up next to show how much fun we had before heading back home ...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Back it up!
Isaac was having too much fun to mind me at lunchtime yesterday. Perhaps I should have tried using reverse psychology?
Monday, September 20, 2010
When push comes to hug
Jude has always struggled with personal space issues, complaining the minute that he thinks his siblings are infringing on his territory. (Being on the bottom of the heap in the womb will do that to you, I guess.) I think the girls must be starting to notice the way he pushes them away because lately it seems that they have been on a mission to cure him of this particular idiosyncrasy. Their efforts to win him over started with the occasional kiss:
And then progressed to hugs:
And now they even try to double team him with affection:
The fact that he seems to be enjoying (and even reciprocating) this attention from the girls gives me hope that someday I will be able to orchestrate group pictures of the Fab Four without Jude giving me this look every. single. time:
Typical stink face
And then progressed to hugs:
And now they even try to double team him with affection:
The fact that he seems to be enjoying (and even reciprocating) this attention from the girls gives me hope that someday I will be able to orchestrate group pictures of the Fab Four without Jude giving me this look every. single. time:
Typical stink faceSunday, September 19, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Pacifier chic
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Don't go!
For quite a while now, the Fab Four have been exhibiting varying degrees of separation anxiety when either Ted or I leave the house (or sometimes even the room, Isaac). Seeing their tears and hearing their cries can be distressing, but I admit that it's also terribly flattering—it's good to know that they like us!
Recently, the kids have started fussing when visitors leave, too. Jude, especially, hates for any source of entertainment to go bye-bye. In fact, the other day he was so reluctant to see TÃa Glenda leave that he repeatedly hugged her legs and demanded, "Don't go!" (okay, so he can't really talk much yet, but that's what we like to think he was saying!). I managed to capture a snippet of the sweetness on video:
Recently, the kids have started fussing when visitors leave, too. Jude, especially, hates for any source of entertainment to go bye-bye. In fact, the other day he was so reluctant to see TÃa Glenda leave that he repeatedly hugged her legs and demanded, "Don't go!" (okay, so he can't really talk much yet, but that's what we like to think he was saying!). I managed to capture a snippet of the sweetness on video:
Saturday, September 11, 2010
9/11
There were no moments of silence in our house this morning (impossible with four toddlers), but I still remembered. All day I've remembered. And while I was remembering, I realized that—although I still feel sick to my stomach when I think of what happened 9 years ago today—my memories themselves are fading. So I'm recording what I remember about that day here, mostly for my kids but also for myself. I don't want to forget.
TUESDAY
On September 11, 2001, Ted and I had been married just over a year. He had to be at work much earlier than I did, so by the time I got out of bed that morning, he was already gone. I took a quick shower, and then I turned on the bedroom television to listen to the news while I got ready.
FLIGHT 11
I was fixing my hair in the bathroom when I heard the local anchor announce breaking news. I stepped into the bedroom to look at the footage; the anchor reported that a small plane had accidentally crashed into one of the Twin Towers. Not alarmed, I returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready.
FLIGHT 175
About a quarter of an hour later, I was in the kitchen, packing my lunch and watching the Today Show. The show's cameras were trained on the smoking tower while Katie Couric and Matt Lauer speculated as to the cause of the crash. Then the unthinkable happened: A jet flew into the other tower as we all watched. I had recently heard of Osama bin Laden, and I knew instantly that he was behind this act of terror. I called my dad, crying, and asked, "How could human beings do this to each other?"
FLIGHT 77
When I calmed down, I got in my car and left for work. The skies were crisp and blue, and I marveled that they could have harbored anything so sinister in New York City. Then I turned on the radio and tuned it to NPR, just in time to hear them report that a plane had flown into the Pentagon. The government was under attack, they said, and authorities feared that another plane was possibly headed toward the Capitol. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. When I got to work, I walked across the parking lot and cowered as a small plane flew low overhead to land at a nearby metropolitan airport. It felt like no one was safe.
FLIGHT 93
At my desk, I tried to check the news sites for more information, but the internet had crashed from so many people wanting to know what was going on. I soon learned that a woman in a nearby office had a television, so I gathered there with a few other people to watch the coverage. When we learned that a plane had gone down over Pennsylvania, a woman in our group said, "There was a hero on that flight." I had no idea what she meant by that at the time, but she was completely right.
GROUND ZERO & THE AFTERMATH
As we watched the shots of the two smoking towers, one suddenly began to cave in. We were stunned—it hadn't occurred to any of us that this was even a possibility. A half-hour later, we watched the other tower crumble to the ground in slow motion. I didn't realize the real horror of it until later, when I found out that the people in the buildings had not been evacuated.
Because I could not concentrate at my desk, I took some work home and spread it out in front of the television. I worked there all day and all evening, glued to the coverage and slowly realizing the magnitude of what had happened that morning. Over the next several days, I could not tear myself away from the television. I needed to see the destruction, to watch the rescue efforts, to hear the survivors' stories, and to learn the names of the people who were missing and of all of the souls who had been lost. I cried and cried and cried, and Ted begged me to stop watching. But I couldn't ...
Every American who was alive on September 11, 2001, has a story to tell about the day our world changed. And if they're anything like me, mere words cannot express the horror and the grief that we felt as we watched the terrible events unfold. May we never forget.
TUESDAY
On September 11, 2001, Ted and I had been married just over a year. He had to be at work much earlier than I did, so by the time I got out of bed that morning, he was already gone. I took a quick shower, and then I turned on the bedroom television to listen to the news while I got ready.
FLIGHT 11
I was fixing my hair in the bathroom when I heard the local anchor announce breaking news. I stepped into the bedroom to look at the footage; the anchor reported that a small plane had accidentally crashed into one of the Twin Towers. Not alarmed, I returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready.
FLIGHT 175
About a quarter of an hour later, I was in the kitchen, packing my lunch and watching the Today Show. The show's cameras were trained on the smoking tower while Katie Couric and Matt Lauer speculated as to the cause of the crash. Then the unthinkable happened: A jet flew into the other tower as we all watched. I had recently heard of Osama bin Laden, and I knew instantly that he was behind this act of terror. I called my dad, crying, and asked, "How could human beings do this to each other?"
FLIGHT 77
When I calmed down, I got in my car and left for work. The skies were crisp and blue, and I marveled that they could have harbored anything so sinister in New York City. Then I turned on the radio and tuned it to NPR, just in time to hear them report that a plane had flown into the Pentagon. The government was under attack, they said, and authorities feared that another plane was possibly headed toward the Capitol. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. When I got to work, I walked across the parking lot and cowered as a small plane flew low overhead to land at a nearby metropolitan airport. It felt like no one was safe.
FLIGHT 93
At my desk, I tried to check the news sites for more information, but the internet had crashed from so many people wanting to know what was going on. I soon learned that a woman in a nearby office had a television, so I gathered there with a few other people to watch the coverage. When we learned that a plane had gone down over Pennsylvania, a woman in our group said, "There was a hero on that flight." I had no idea what she meant by that at the time, but she was completely right.
GROUND ZERO & THE AFTERMATH
As we watched the shots of the two smoking towers, one suddenly began to cave in. We were stunned—it hadn't occurred to any of us that this was even a possibility. A half-hour later, we watched the other tower crumble to the ground in slow motion. I didn't realize the real horror of it until later, when I found out that the people in the buildings had not been evacuated.
Because I could not concentrate at my desk, I took some work home and spread it out in front of the television. I worked there all day and all evening, glued to the coverage and slowly realizing the magnitude of what had happened that morning. Over the next several days, I could not tear myself away from the television. I needed to see the destruction, to watch the rescue efforts, to hear the survivors' stories, and to learn the names of the people who were missing and of all of the souls who had been lost. I cried and cried and cried, and Ted begged me to stop watching. But I couldn't ...
Every American who was alive on September 11, 2001, has a story to tell about the day our world changed. And if they're anything like me, mere words cannot express the horror and the grief that we felt as we watched the terrible events unfold. May we never forget.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Master of precision
Remember Isaac's obsession with the red and yellow toys? Well, yesterday I caught him systematically lining them up, checking their alignment, making adjustments, and then starting over in a new location. Check out our little perfectionist at work:
See how he doesn't even let his sisters' interference get in the way of his master plan (whatever it may be)? He is calm, he is focused—and he is most definitely a little Ted!
See how he doesn't even let his sisters' interference get in the way of his master plan (whatever it may be)? He is calm, he is focused—and he is most definitely a little Ted!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Bumming around
A few months ago, Jude figured out how to remove his pants. Since then, we find him in a state of semi-undress just about every day:
Surprisingly, during all this time, the other kids had failed to pick up this pesky habit—until yesterday. Watching Jude slip out of his pants for the millionth time, the girls finally decided to follow suit. And then Dahlia took the pants-free look a step further: In a daring move, she shed her diaper as well:
Since it was bedtime, we slapped the (thankfully dry) diaper back onto her bare bum, immediately zipped her into her sleepsack, and hoped the incident had been a fluke.
It wasn't. Today Lucy decided to try the same trick, this time with a very wet diaper:
I really don't want to see what happens when one (or more) of the kids takes off a dirty diaper, but neither am I quite ready to resort to duct-taping them into their diapers. Looks like the Fab Four will be wearing one-piece outfits from now on—and I'll just have to hope that they don't learn how to unsnap them anytime soon!
Surprisingly, during all this time, the other kids had failed to pick up this pesky habit—until yesterday. Watching Jude slip out of his pants for the millionth time, the girls finally decided to follow suit. And then Dahlia took the pants-free look a step further: In a daring move, she shed her diaper as well:
Since it was bedtime, we slapped the (thankfully dry) diaper back onto her bare bum, immediately zipped her into her sleepsack, and hoped the incident had been a fluke.
It wasn't. Today Lucy decided to try the same trick, this time with a very wet diaper:
I really don't want to see what happens when one (or more) of the kids takes off a dirty diaper, but neither am I quite ready to resort to duct-taping them into their diapers. Looks like the Fab Four will be wearing one-piece outfits from now on—and I'll just have to hope that they don't learn how to unsnap them anytime soon!
Monday, August 30, 2010
No hard feelings
If you played along with yesterday's whodunit and deduced that Lucy was the biter, you cracked the case! The victim was a hapless Dahlia—but she's not holding a grudge. Here's proof:
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