Hello, goodbye

Goodbye, school ...

Last day of the first semester of preschool

Hello, pool!

Opening day at our neighborhood pool

Here's to a great summer, full of lots of stuff to blog about!

My mother's gift ... to us

Dear Mom,

Three years ago you wrote a letter reflecting on what my children (and Ted and I) mean to you. Dad gave me a copy of it just before the babies were dedicated, but I was too preoccupied and sleep-deprived to appreciate the significance of what I was reading, to properly thank you for such a special gift—or to even remember where I put it. But yesterday I found it. And I love it. And I am publishing it here because I want everyone to know how blessed I am to call you my mother!

Love always,

Suzy

What the Fab Four and Their Parents Mean to Me

I remember the moment I knew I was going to be a grandmother

It filled me with pride, joy, and anticipation of something greater than I could fathom

Little did I know that a few days later I'd learn that it would be not a grandchild but the Fab Four that we would be expecting

Our first glimpse of the Fab Four (6 weeks gestation)

I saw the many emotions that were going through your mind and body—concern, fear of the unknown, excitement, and a myriad of other emotions

Times were fun and exciting, planning was furious and sometimes scary, but excitement never ended as we puts lots of love into the simple but beautiful nursery awaiting the arrival of the Fab Four

Nursery ready for four babies!

Then the difficult days came when mama had to lay everything aside and concentrate only on bringing four precious, healthy bundles of joy into the world—whatever the sacrifice

None of us knew the sacrifice, pain, anxiety, and dedication that this process would require from both Suzy and Ted during those difficult months

My mom and me 
(6 weeks before the babies were born
and days before my mom's double mastectomy)

But then the day came when the doctors knew it was time to bring these precious lives into their new world—on the eve of Christ's birthday—how special

Again their mommy gave her all and with great sacrifice and pride delivered four healthy, adorable bundles of joy into our lives

I'll never forget the excitement in the hallway of the hospital when we heard the lullaby four times in a row and knew the babies were here

I can remember the moment the T and R families came together in the recovery room to see Suzy after the delivery and with pride she and Ted told us the names of their precious babies

First picture together (1 week old)

Isaac Nehiel - Isaac meaning laughter in Hebrew and Nehiel, also a Hebrew name, after his grandfather

Lucia Celeste - Lucia meaning light and Celeste meaning heavenly—how appropriate to this precious little girl—Heavenly Light. Celeste also means light blue in Spanish and is the color of the Uruguayan flag (of great importance to Suzy as that is where she lived most of her growing up years)

Jude Wesley - Jude of course comes directly from a Beatles song (no surprise here) and Wesley a beautiful T family name

Dahlia Solis - Dahlia being one of the flowers we always grew in our front yard in Uruguay and Solis the name of the beach where we took regular family vacations when living in Uruguay—what memories

Again a miracle happened—all the babies were in the NICU just barely over two weeks—unheard of for premature babies—especially quads—again all this thanks to God's protection and the sacrifice of mommy and daddy

Homecoming Day (2 weeks old)

Although the cycle never ends—changing, feeding, bathing, napping, playing, and starting all over again, the precious moments have been many

The pride I feel having a beautiful daughter that gave her all for these four precious little ones

The pride I feel having a son-in-law that loves my daughter and cares for their little family with dedication

The first time I held the Fab Four was the beginning of a new life for me—God's blessing and love radiated through them to me with a healing power nothing else could give

The pleasure of holding each one, feeling their soft breathing, feeling their delicate little bodies against mine was breathtaking and healing

Abuelita Joanna holding the Fab Four for the first time
(5 weeks old)

The connection that would come between me and the babies when I would change them, feed them, bathe them, make their bottles, hold them, comfort them, talk to them, or discover a glimpse of their personalities cannot be described—only felt

The glorious feeling I get when I see them progressing into little people, watching them discover their new world, that first smile, that first laugh, that first time I felt like they knew I was someone who loves them unconditionally will only grow as they and I grow together

Are there difficult times? Absolutely

Being far away and not being able to have more moments to cherish with them and their parents

Longing to put my arms around each one of them and around their beautiful parents each day

Learning I can't stop and shop in the baby section of every store

Days when I would like to be there so Suzy and Ted could get some extra sleep or a homemade meal—oh how I would love to give it to them often

But we are all blessed!

The Fab Four just before their due date (6 weeks old)

Four beautiful, healthy babies

Two loving, healthy parents—I am so proud of them both—what exemplary parents they are

A God who cares for each of us even when we are far apart

The privilege of being only a phone call away when we need each other

To God I give each one:

Isaac Nehiel - the joy of my heart

Lucia Celeste - the light of my life

Jude Wesley - my kindred spirit

Dahlia Solis - my precious flower

Suzanna Raquel - also a precious flower in Hebrew (lily or rose) - I am so proud to be your Mother

Theodore Wesley - I am so proud you are the father of the Fab Four and the husband of my lovely daughter

At the babies' dedication (6 months old)

My love for each of you cannot be measured

May God bless and protect all of us as we grow together in the love and knowledge of Christ is my prayer

Your loving Abuelita, Madre, y Suegra

Joanna

Jesus loves Lucy

Do you remember the first time you sang "Jesus Loves Me"? Well, I don't—but I do know that I've been singing it for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I knew it as "Cristo Me Ama" (#155 in our himnario), and we sang it just about every Sunday at the request of one of the little boys in our church. "Jesus Loves Me" was also the first song that Abuelito Nehiel sang to Lucy, and our friends and family later sang it together (in English and in Spanish) at the babies' dedication ceremony. And every night, Ted and I sing both versions to the kids after we tuck them in their beds.

But never has this old tune sounded as sweet to me as it did yesterday, when Lucy sat down with Tío Ner's guitar and gave us this unexpected performance:



Sí, Cristo te ama, Lucy—and so do we!

Easy writer

Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a writer! In the past few days I've noticed Isaac making different combinations of lines and circles on the magnadoodle, and today I caught him writing an actual word:

d-o-g

He was so proud of himself, writing it over and over to show his abuelitos and his daddy. Here is our little scribe in action:



This boy never ceases to amaze us with the things he manages to teach himself. And his erudite Abuelito Nehiel has even bigger dreams for his namesake: This week my dad started teaching Isaac the Greek alphabet!

Worth the (group) shot

Last week I decided that I wanted to take a picture of my gang before they went to school. So, as we headed out the door, I grabbed the camera and braced myself. After all, although I never know whether a photo shoot will result in a good picture, one thing's for certain: Any attempt to snap a group pic will involve a degree of chaos—most often characterized by a lot of running around (by the kids), a modicum of sweating (by me), a heaping helping of not listening (by the kids), and the possibility of some shouting (by me).

That day's photo session was no exception. As soon as we stepped out the door, I told the kids to stand still so that we could get a picture before we got in the van. The girls did as they were told, but the boys acted as if I had not spoken at all:

"No, Isaac, we're not getting in the van yet! Go back
and stand with your sisters so we can get a picture.
You, too, Jude."

While the boys were getting their act together, the girls decided it would be a good time to show each other some love:

"Aw, that's sweet, girls. Very nice. Okay, you two stay
there and hug. Isaac, go stand by your sisters, and I'll
 take a picture of you guys. Jude, you, too!"

But the tender moment was over before the boys could get into place, and the girls decided go stand by Jude instead:

"Oh, good idea! Yes, everybody stand against the wall.
Isaac, go stand by Dahlia!"

Suddenly everybody was right where I wanted them:

"Okay, great! Now, look at Mommy, guys!"

But I could only get one or two people to look at the camera at the same time:

"Isaac! You need to look at Mommy! Jude, you, too!"

 Then Isaac got bored with facing in my direction:

"No, no, Isaac! You need to turn around!
Everybody, PLEASE, look at MOMMY!"

And decided it would be a good time to make some noise:

"Isaac, we're not going to bang on the wall right now.
Dahlia, stop copying your brother! Both of you,
please turn around so we can get a picture!"

I'm sure he was trying to drown out the sound of my ever-growing desperation to get a shot of everyone both looking at the camera and facing me:

"Good job, Dahlia. Okay, Isaac, now look at Mommy,
please. No, you need to turn around and look at me!"

Just as I was ready to tear out my hair and throw in the towel, though, something magical happened:

"YES! Thank you for looking at Mommy!!!"

A good-enough shot—totally worth the blood (pressure hike), the sweat, and the (near) tears. And we still got to school on time!

Thankful for today

Today, when our morning rest time was over, Isaac sat up in his bed, smiled at me, and exclaimed, "Hewo, Mommy!"

Today, as I was getting lunch ready, Isaac picked up a plate from the counter, pointed at the picture on it, and asked me, "Weez dat?" I told him it was Winnie the Pooh, and he proceeded ask what was on each of the other plates.

Today, as we were finishing lunch, Isaac looked at me and said, "Miss Stephie!" (his speech therapist). I replied, "Yes, you're going to see her at school today. And you'll see Miss Jen and ... who else are you going to see at school?" Isaac beamed and (correctly) answered, "Miss Kawen!"

Today, as I buckled in the kids for the ride to school, Isaac looked at the temporarily vacant space next to our van and asked, "Where za car?"

All things that the parents of most 3-year-olds take for granted. All things that made today a very good day ... because Isaac said them.

Today we are thankful for answered prayers!

Our 15 seconds

In case you haven't heard, we're a little bit famous right now. Our adventure as (very minor) celebrities started on Wednesday night, when one of my friends discovered that the Huffington Post was featuring one of our videos. I was absolutely floored! The next morning, I was astounded again when another friend informed me that our video was hanging out on AOL's homepage:

I thought that would be the end of the story, but yesterday my aunt noticed that another YouTube user has uploaded our video as his own (probably to increase traffic to his channel). And today I woke up to find that our original video is closing in on 1 million views:



Can you believe it? All because of a little video that I took to remember the first time that Tío Ner played his guitar for the Fab Four—crazy!

Spelling boy

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 u-n-d-e-r-s-t-a-n-d are numbered!

Getting schooled

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 would benefit from participating in our school district's early childhood education program. As we expected, he did qualify for free placement and, because we feel it's so important for our kids to have a shared school experience, our parents are making it possible for Lucy, Jude, and Dahlia to attend this semester as "typical peers."

This means that, four afternoons a week, Isaac will work on his kindergarten-readiness and social skills (as well as receive speech and occupational therapy) in the "developmental" classroom, while his siblings attend the "community" classroom next door (where half of the kids are on target with their development and half of the kids need a little extra help). Win-win!

Look at these big kids!

Many people have been asking me what I'll do with all my free time now. Unfortunately, I won't actually be getting that much of a break since school time is just replacing nap time. Still, I know that the structured time apart will be good for all of us, and I can't wait to see the kids, especially Isaac, flourish in their new environment. It's going to be a whole new world!

Table for six

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 memories around that table as we did, Hamer quads!

They're 3!

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 the "yellow" (gold to you and me) crown that we bought to coordinate with Lucy's:

3 years old: 
(l to r) Lucy, Isaac, Dahlia, and Jude

A good time was had by all, and Ted and I were again reminded of how blessed we are to be parents to these four miracles. Can't wait to see what the year ahead has in store for all of us!

One of our favorite things

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 all by herself!)

The kiddos have a great time copying every twirl and gesture they see onscreen, and Ted and I get a big kick out of seeing them perform (and perfect) their routines. I especially love watching them do "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," with all of its leaping and spinning and—the best part—the kiss at the end:



Who knows—maybe one of these kids will end up on Broadway someday!

A new tradition: DIY Advent calendar

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 important birthday of the year? What should Christmas look like for a family such as ours?

Although I don't think there are any perfect answers to these questions, I've decided to try to address the issue this year by starting a new tradition for us: For the first time, our Christmas celebration will include an Advent calendar. And not just any Advent calendar—once I realized how pricey ready-made calendars tend to be, I decided to make my own!

First I bought a small hardware storage box with 25 compartments:

Then, to dress it up, I lined the drawers with leftover Christmas wrapping paper and numbered them with punched card-stock circles (labeled with a gold-leaf pen and attached with foam dots). For the finishing touch, Ted spray-painted the case with some Rustoleum for plastic. Here's how it turned out:

I've filled each drawer with four pieces of Christmas candy, one for each kid to eat while I read a story from our illustrated children's Bible. Since the kids are so small, I didn't bother coming up with symbols to place in the drawers; instead, each one contains a "coin" (bottled water lid painted gold) that tells us the name of the person we will be reading about on that particular day. (I figure I can use the next 12 months or so to come up with something a little more elaborate.)

We started our Advent today with the story of Creation. In the tradition of a Jesse Tree, the following days will take us through the Old Testament and into the New, with the last 5 days focusing on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. I am trying to keep things as simple as possible by just reading a story and then letting the kids color a picture related to what we've read (as they get older, perhaps we can make some sort of craft or ornament instead).

Time will tell whether this Advent calendar will end up being the solution to our Christmas quandary, but at least it's a start!

Giving thanks

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 thankful for today?" Here is what they said:

Isaac

blueberries! cat!

Lucia

Abuelita, Abuelito, babies, "jammie socks" [footie pajamas], diapers, and wipes

Jude

a lot of church, a lot of clocks, a lot of dump trucks, a lot of diggers, a lot of race cars, and rocks

Dahlia

lemons, Abuelita, Abuelito, and neighbors

As for me, I am thankful for a husband who is in the trenches with me, works hard to provide for our family, and lets me know that he appreciates what I do. And both of us are incredibly grateful for the gift of these four healthy, feisty, almost-3-year-old children:

Did I mention that I'm also thankful to still be (relatively) sane?

Keeping busy

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 easier than this. Just cut out letters from food boxes before you throw them out! I pull these out at restaurants when we're waiting for the bill, and the kids (especially Mr. Alphabet) love trying to find all the letters in the alphabet or putting random letters together and asking me what they spell. I keep the letters in a clear zipper pouch and sweep them all back in when we're done. And if the kids drop some on the restaurant floor, no biggie ... I'll always have more boxes to dissect!

Jude with Pom Pom Stuff-It-In

Pom Pom Stuff-It-In: Cut a hole in the lid of a disposable storage container, supply the kids with enough pom poms to fill it up, and—voilà! This simple (and, as it turns out, very popular) activity holds my kids' attention for a surprisingly long time as they push in all the pom poms, one by one, and then dump them all out to start over again. We also like to count the pom poms or sort them by color (and it gives the kids great practice at taking turns, too).

Lucy with Popsicle Puzzle

Popsicle Puzzle: Glue a picture to a row of popsicle sticks, and then use an exacto knife to separate the sticks—instant puzzle! Since my kids are obsessed with the royal wedding, I chose a lovely photo of William and Kate for them to assemble. Lucy is an especially big fan of this activity, and she's pretty good at it, too!

Dahlia with Ribbon Snake

Ribbon Snake: For a great fine-motor activity, sew buttons to each end of a ribbon to make the "snake," and cut slits in square pieces of felt to thread the ribbon through. Now I'm no seamstress, but I was pretty sure I could handle making this. When I asked my friend Lindsay (of Craft Buds) for materials, though, she surprised me by creating—and presenting the kids with—the cutest version I've ever seen. The girls especially love the colorful flowers and often ask to play with them.

Can you tell I've been having fun with Pinterest? I'm just so happy to have my creative juices flowing again!