Follow the leader

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 road: "Mo-oom! Isaac is copying me!"

Synchronized divers

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 together is picture perfect! Think they could be contenders for the 2024 games?

Puddle of fun

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 see you, they will jump in you!

Sprinkle, sprinkle

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 Isaac)

As I expected, Jude and Isaac dove right in and stayed under the spray almost the entire time we were outside. Dahlia and Lucy were more cautious, watching from a distance while the boys got soaked. Eventually, however, neither girl could resist the siren call of the "waterfall" (as Jude likes to call it), and soon everyone was enjoying the refreshingly cool water. We stood under it, drank from it, pretended to wash our hands in it, and, of course, ran through it:



I'm pretty sure we'll be doing this again!

Outside, outside, outside!

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!

Backyard wonders

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 your hair when you get to the top:

I mean, when you're 2 years old, what could be more fun than to test the sturdiness of the picnic table:

And verify that there is enough room for two on the bench?

To be sure, there can be no shortage of smiles:

When the entire yard is yours to discover:

Especially when Mommy even lets you see what lives under the drain pipe!

Yes, when you're 2 years old, you can play and explore until you're plumb tuckered out:

... but that doesn't mean you won't still scream in disappointment when it's time to come inside!

We're swingers

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 two toddler swings. Clearly the neighborhood association didn't take our family into account when deciding how many of those to order!

Undeterred, I considered my options: I could turn around and go home (no way, Jose); put two kids in each swing, back to back (nope, the kids are already too big for that); or put two in the swings while the other two waited in the choo choo (possibly tricky, but probably doable). I knew what I had to do.

The girls got to go first, while the boys looked on:

Then, when it was time to put the boys in the swings, I beeped (yes, you read that right) and switched everyone out:

Another mom who was there with her older kids remarked on how patient my kids were while they waited in the choo choo, so I explained my beeping to her: At home, we have a timer that we use to manage turns on our indoor trampoline, and I've discovered that—any other time I want someone's turn to end—all I have to do is make a "beep beep beep" sound, and they go along with it, as if I had used a real timer. I don't know how long they'll be cool with this charade, but so far it's been a lifesaver!

Oh, and by the way, all four kids LOVED the swings and can't stop talking about them. I have no doubt that we will be making good use of the neighborhood playground this year!

Snow fun

Four sets of hats and mittens from Walmart: $20

Four 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

Dahlia roamed free from the start, but Lucy preferred  to plant herself 
in one spot until she was more sure about this thing called snow

* Incredibly low out-of-pocket costs for snowsuits and snow boots made possible by a 
generous gift from Great-Grandma C; a 50% off sale at Kohl's; a forgotten, pre-quads 
gift card from Grandma T; a mystery coupon the cashier informed us that we "forgot;" 
and a wonderful gift from our weekly angel, Tante Gabi. 

~ All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided ~

Running on empty

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 people!

Tower power

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, do you?

Turn, turn, turn

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 looking directly at the TV screen.

In the past few weeks, Isaac's experiment of choice has been to spin and spin while simultaneously straining his eyes in the opposite direction:



I imagine he's trying to see what is behind him, but only Isaac knows the true purpose of this exercise. Whatever his objectives, I do believe that this boy has the mind of a scientist! (Let's just hope he's not a mad scientist.)

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!):

Dahlia and Lucy drive a big red car (left); Tia Holly shows Jude the giant Lite-Brite (right)

Jude practices using a door (left); Isaac finds some red and yellow blocks (right)

Abuelita helps Dahlia go down the slide (left); Ted and Isaac play with the light switch (right)

Isaac emerges from the tunnel (left); Lucy sitting pretty (right)

Lucy and Dahlia play with the door (left); Isaac is delighted by all the toy cars (right)

Jude plays hide and seek with Abuelita (left); Lucy makes her way through the tunnel (right)

Dahlia sees something exciting across the room (left); Jude having fun! (right)

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!

A pool, a picnic, and presents!

This weekend we were reunited with my cousin Glenda, who lived with us last summer but spent this summer as an intern in Hawaii. We missed her lots and were thrilled to have her spend a couple of days with us before she begins her (gulp!) senior year in college.

Three things we loved about her visit:

1. SWIMMING ...

Glenda arrived on Friday afternoon, and as soon as the Fab Four had their snack, we loaded them into the Choo Choo for their first trek to the neighborhood pool. Three out of four kids loved the baby pool (Jude tolerated it after initially refusing to get in), no one drowned (despite a couple of accidental dunkings for Isaac and Lucy), and there was only one meltdown (you guessed it: Dahlia didn't want to leave)!

2. REUNIONS ...

On Saturday morning, Glenda accompanied the six of us to our first NICU reunion picnic. The hospital where I delivered the Fab Four holds this event every year so that the wonderful people who cared for these miracle babies can see how everyone has grown since being released from their ward. We were happily surprised to run into some friends as soon as we got to the park, and Glenda snapped this shot of two healthy sets of quads with four very thankful parents:

The Fab Four meet the Murray Crew
(l to r: Isaac, Clark, Henry, and Brooks)

Although it turned out that our kids were too young to enjoy most of the picnic activities, it was still fun to walk around, talk to friends, and just do something different from our usual routine. Before we left, we ran into the kids' two primary care nurses, and Glenda once again stepped in to record a special meeting:

Gretchen and Amanda reunite with the Fab Four

Although Ted and I could have easily handled the outing on our own, it was nice to share the experience with Glenda, who visited the babies in the NICU and spent several months helping us take care of them last year.

And last but not least ...

3. SOUVENIRS!

The first thing Glenda did when she got to the house on Friday was to produce a box of presents. Among the gifts she brought us were four adorable Hawaiian outfits for the kids ... that I totally forgot to have them model while she was here. Oops! Hopefully these pictures, taken after she went home, will make up for my faux pas:

Dahlia and Lucy, in love with their beautiful muumuus

Jude and Isaac, goofing around in their Hawaiian shirt sets

Thanks for making this such a fun weekend, Tia Glenda!

It's pool time!

Yesterday we celebrated the birth of our nation by eating hot dogs and introducing the Fab Four to their new kiddie pool. (Yes, it's July and we are just now getting them into the water. Baby steps, people!) We filled the pool early in the day to give the water a chance to warm up, and then we initiated the kids into some of the most beloved rituals of summer: Swim diapers? Check. Bathing suits? Check. Sunscreen? Quadruple check!

Ah, summertime!
(clockwise from top left: Dahlia, Jude, Lucy, Isaac)

Once everyone was ready, we put the Fab Four in the water and waited for their reactions. They all seemed interested in the new experience—until the moment Ted activated the pool's fancy spray feature:



The unexpected blast of water scared Lucy away from the pool for pretty much the rest of the afternoon, and Jude was right there with her (kind of like how he refused to walk in the grass the first few times we were out in the yard). Dahlia, on the other hand, was not fazed and thoroughly enjoyed walking around in the pool and squirting the water out of bath toys. Isaac, too, was totally in his element, splashing and rolling around, climbing in and out of the pool, and sticking his face in the water like a pro.

Hopefully I can get everyone accustomed to the water so that we can try out the big pool in our neighborhood at some point. What I'm really looking forward to, though, is the day we get to take them to the beach for the first time—a girl can dream, right?

Bottoms up!

When life starts to get you down, just remember that it always helps to look at things from a different perspective:

Wasteland no more

Until recently, our backyard was a veritable toddler wasteland, barren of toys or anything else remotely fun. Thanks to a new-to-us picnic table and climb-and-slide, though, we are now well on the way to creating a great place for the Fab Four to get some fresh air and—most importantly—burn. off. some. ENERGY!

We introduced the kids to their new toys over the long weekend. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as Ted unceremoniously initiated Isaac on the slide, Jude refused to walk in the grass, Dahlia tried to escape, and Lucy made sure that she was a part of the action. Never a dull moment!

Jammies can wait

"Onesie time" in the evening (formerly known as "naked time") is my favorite part of the day. The kids are happy because their bellies are full of dinner—and also because they love being free of those pesky clothes! I feel more relaxed, too, knowing that any remaining chores can wait until they are in bed. Our nightly pre-pajama party is a great time for chases and giggles and general silliness, which everyone knows is not as much fun when you have jammies on! Here's a small glimpse into a typical evening at our house:

He's got the beat

A long time ago, when the Fab Four were still in the womb and nameless, I assigned to Isaac (then known as Baby B) the temporary name of Paul (as in John, Paul, George, and Ringo). If I'd known then how much Isaac would love to bang on his alphabet drums, I probably would have nicknamed him Ringo instead. When he's not pounding the drums, he's standing in front of them and bouncing to their music. So cute!

(Better to slap the drums than my face, I say. Anyone know of a good way to curb the gratuitous hitting that's starting to rear its ugly head?)

Giggly boys!

Although the Fab Four have been aware of each other for months now, their interactions have only recently begun to resemble that of playmates. On Friday afternoon, Isaac and Jude started doing this the minute they laid eyes on each other:



Isaac proceeded to chase Jude around the living room as they both giggled, Jude stopping and turning every once in a while to make sure that Isaac was still following him. And they've played the same game every day since.

Try as I might, right now I can't think of anything more delightful than seeing my babies become friends!