Addy's New Hair

Brenden was modeling Addysen's new hair for everyone the other day. She did however politely decline to wear the wig. She screamed, "No", and threw it on the ground! Oh well, it is after all only hair. We are on to bigger and better things already. Our fam damily is heading out of town this weekend, and the girls and I are getting ready to pack. I have been keeping clothes in my room after I fold them, rather than giving them to the kids to put away. I am always afraid I may not be able to find the clothes again. It also allowes me to get some packing done early. It is easier to pack for staying in a hotel as opposed to when we pack to go camping. Needless to say, we take much less stuff. We always have a cooler with us no matter where or even how far we are going. As quickly as plans change with our gang, we never know when we might not be home till 9:00 pm when we were thinking we would be home in time for dinner. So, carrying extra supplies comes in handy. I like to keep things as organized as possible, that way I have somewhat of an idea where things are. My kiddos are usually in the fight against me and try to bring as much chaos to each situation. We have road trip games all ready for the ride tomorrow, those help a lot. I like that they make our oldest two work together, which helps with the level of noise in the car. I think parents should be allowed ear plugs on long road trips. People keep saying don't drink and drive, but five children in the car may be just as distracting at times! Or it could be a reason for road rage. Maybe the person who cut you off one day had three toddlers in the car. I know Matt and I aren't the only people in history to have three toddlers at once, but we are the only people we know with a middle row full of car seats. No amount of children is an excuse for poor behavior while driving, good parents wait until they get home to shoot someone!

Checking Up

In this corner, weighing in at 26lbs. 11 oz., BRENDEN! And, in the other corner, weighing in at 28 lbs. 8oz., GARHETT! Well, we already knew that G-man is a little bigger than his brother. Today's doctor appointment also confirmed it. Garhett is taller as well, but not by much. He is only a quarter of an inch taller than Brenden. Both boys are looking great according to their doctor, and they are progressing well. Even as far as their speech is concerned she says they are just fine. She was reassuring about the boys not speaking as much as the girls did when they were 19 months old. She also said many times twins will develop their own language, which is something the boys have just started to do. There have been times recently when they make me feel like a third wheel due to the fact that I can not understand them. Usually by the age of two, they will have a more developed vocabulary, and where they are now is perfectly fine. I think Matt and I notice that they don't have as many words because Addy can speak so well. Also, Apryl was one smart cookie when she was a toddler. Then we have Alexys, and everyone knows how well spoken she is! They are on task as far as their doctor in concerned, and that is what I like to hear. They were so well behaved today at the appointment. When it came time to have a shot, they didn't even flinch. Not even a peep! They both "took it like a man" as their father would say. That made it much easier for me, I hate to see them cry. A rather boring doctor visit in a good way! It was nice to be in and out without having to go back in a few days for a follow up, or to have stitches removed!

Olde Town

Finally got everyone to Olde Town Arvada last Thursday. We had been trying for a couple of weeks but the weather was not cooperating and then there is that thing called life that kept getting in the way. As you all have heard, Addy was a bit of a pistol while we were there. This picture is of her and Lexy after ice cream. I had said to Matt before leaving the car that there was a big umbrella in the back and maybe we should grab it. He insisted it was going to be fine, that the clouds were going to move right by us. With that said, about 35 minutes later, we all ran to the car to get out of the downpour. I had the misfortune of wearing a white shirt, and the boys were the only ones not completely soaked thanks to the stroller having mini-umbrellas. When you pack seven wet people in a vehicle there is a funk that starts to smell immediately! It was a good thing we didn't have far to go. Poor Garhett was so upset from being yanked out of his seat in the stroller and being tossed into his car seat! We weren't being as gentle as we normally would, for one thing the water was running off my head and into my eyes, another was that we still had his brother sitting in the stroller. For whatever reason, Brenden waited patiently until we got to him. Putting three kids into car seats quickly is not that easy. We did however, manage to get everyone in the car safely, dryly, that is another matter. Being wet never killed anyone. Anyone that I have ever known anyway. Hey, it saved us on having to give the little people a bath that night!

Meanie

Yesterday was the day our youngest son became the family bully. He has resorted to pushing Addysen out of the way whenever he feels she is getting to close, and let's not forget all the hair pulling he does. (Well with what hair she has left!) Then we have his aggressiveness towards his brother. While they were both sitting in their stroller side by side, Brenden grabbed as big a handful of Garhett's hair as he could! He was pulling so hard that Garhett's head was leaning to one side. Poor G-Man was just sitting there looking so sad. Of course Mom, and even Grandma were telling Brenden to let go, but only until I physically removed his hand did he let go. Then, Brenden preceded to pinch his older brother! I was in shock. He was grabbing his shirt and pulling Garhett closer so he could get a better grip on him. He was going crazy on Garhett, who was just minding his own business. This also included slapping his brother in the face! I was right next to Brenden trying to make sure that he wasn't hurting Garhett, but the second I let go of his hand he would do something mean to him. I can't say what exactly got into B-Man yesterday, all I can say is, he is lucky he is also my son because I would have liked to have thrown him across the room. That is where I have an issue. Both of the children involved in whatever incident we are having are mine! I start out with mixed emotions. I am obviously feeling hurt for the little man who is being picked on, and upset with the "picker", but the picker is mine to! Which makes it harder to be mad with him. I certainly talked with Brenden and let him know that what he was doing was not nice and is not acceptable. I feel that Garhett is looking for someone to say something on his behalf. I don't want Garhett to feel that his parents tolerate that type of behavior from anyone. After talking with Brenden in a stern voice, tears welled up in his eyes and he started crying as if I had just broken his heart. Trust me, if I didn't feel like crap already, I did then. So, because Brenden is crying and upset, Garhett starts up also. He doesn't like when Brenden is sad, which is why he is now crying! Sometimes a parent just can't win. All the crying and tears did subside eventually and the boys went on to play very nicely together at the dinosaur area. They also got to meet Trevor Pryce who used to play for the Denver Broncos!! He was #93 and he is a huge man! Extremely nice and gracious enough to say hello to all our kiddos. He really seemed to like Apryl, he talked with her for a little while. All and all the day was good!

You cut your what??

These are Addy's before and after pics of her "artful" hair cut. While Mom was making dinner Wednesday evening, Dad says, "where did all this hair come from?". I immediately thought, oh sh*t! Three weeks ago when she cut her hair I was able to hide it from the rest of the public. I was so upset that I didn't tell anyone, and nobody seemed to notice anyhow. This time was a whole different story. Her hair was falling into my hands in clumps. I was also finding a trail of hair on the floor. Just glancing at her made me cry. I was thinking in order to fix this she is going to end up looking like a boy! Then, our family reunion a is a week away, and you know how many pictures will be taken. For some weird reason or reasons, her chopping half her hair off bothered me immensely. I felt like someone had ran over my dog or something similar. I wasn't mad since I knew she didn't know what she was really doing. I was just so sad! Her hair was really cute, and had the sweetest little curls at the bottom. All of those curls are gone now. In order to bring her hair somewhat back to normal, Aunt Debbie had to trim a good portion of her hair. She has shoulder length hair now, and no curls. She is also sporting half a mullet! Last I checked she was not a redneck, but with this cut she may be mistaken for one! I am thankful that after Aunt Debbie's help she looks decent. This little girl has certainly been on a roll lately! Including the fit she threw in the middle of the street in Olde Town Arvada last night! You know, when kids go completely limp and won't move, that was her! Then to add to my misery and embarrassment, she was kicking and SCREAMING!! She yelled at me the entire way home, telling me how ridiculous I am, and how she is mad at me! Yes, she called me ridiculous along with telling me to "shut-up!". She knows that is not acceptable, and to that she said she didn't care! This is one of those nights where even Calgon couldn't have helped! I think only a shot of something strong would have made things better. That is the when you say to yourself, "I need a vacation!"

Blah....

I have a feeling we all feel this way now and again. It looks as though Garhett has had enough of his day. That is until it actually comes time to go to bed. I can only imagine what it is like to be in the middle of playing catch with Daddy outside, and suddenly everything stops because you have to go and brush your teeth. To add insult to injury, you get tossed in bed and left with your brother...again! We had a good day, a long day, but nonetheless a good one. Mom is tired and it is bedtime. Tomorrow is another opportunity for the boys to wreak havoc on the house and each other. There are so many endless cycles in this house that it can be totally overwhelming some days. Just when I think the laundry is done, I turn around and there sits a full basket. It is as if the basket were hiding from me and as soon as it saw me take a breath, it leaped from behind a door~~"ha-ha", says the laundry! Dishes kinda run the same way. They technically could be done twice a day, with breakfast and dinner dishes. I however, only have energy to tackle them in the morning. All other household chores are done when I can get to them. Sweeping though, is also a daily event. Much of the boys meals ends up on the floor, and it is not pleasant to walk through chewed up food. At least not to me, that is why I don't throw food on the floor. I am thinking of looking into house cleaners, I just hope they don't charge more for the number of people living in the house!

Terrible Almost Threes?

I am hoping that this picture is a lot cuter than what her mug shot will look like! In the past few weeks my little angel has turned into a terror! I do admit that her fits of rage are not all day long but close to. I will also admit that she can still be very sweet, I am now just wary of her when she is being so nice. For one thing, she is much too smart for her own good. She feels like she should be doing things that her sisters are doing and she gets real angry when she can't. We are having trouble with just about everything she used to be fine with. Bedtime is a struggle when it was fine only a month ago. She will fight tooth and nail to stay up, when we do get her in bed she is asleep before her head hits the pillow. We are not asking her to go to bed at 5 or 6, she goes to bed around 8:30 usually. She has become impossible to feed. Suddenly, she likes...well, nothing! Okay, she likes "snacks". I tell her she needs to eat lunch then she can have a snack. You would have thought I just shot the child with all the screaming she does. Sometimes I look at her in disbelief, wondering how it is possible for that much noise to come out of such a little body! When it comes to playing games she is bossy and if it is not done to her standards then we get to witness an interesting rolling fit on the floor. She can writhe as if she were in pain for a fair amount of time. Getting dressed has been an issue for quite some time, but at least she used to be okay with wearing clothes when we left the house. Now, it is a battle. I have to hold her down just to brush her hair. She will see the hairbrush and take off running down the hallway. She will look for anyone who is around and with tears flowing she tells them that I hit her! Matt says to me, "what did you do to her?". Of course, I didn't do anything--yet! Because, after all that chasing and crying I still have to brush her hair! So, for the twenty minutes of whining and shouting, it takes only two or three to get the job done. I am trying to wait patiently for the day that my sweet Addy comes back to me. Let's just hope this is only a stage!

Playin' Around!

Had a nice weekend despite the heat. Actually, when we got to the park for the party it was 102 degrees, but soon after we got some relief from the clouds. They rolled in looking like they were going to do some damage, nothing come from them but welcome shade! Even a breeze started blowing, it was very nice! They kids ate and ate, Lexy announced she was on a diet and didn't want to eat a cupcake so I told her they were "diet" cupcakes, she ran and grabbed one! We played on a giant grassy hill and the girls all rolled down the hill over and over. Apryl found a dead bird and screamed as though she was the one who was dying. Our boys found toys! They took over the croquet area and changed the way the game is played forever. Addy was pretty insistent that she was playing golf, not croquet. The boys on the other hand were using the mallets as bats or deadly weapons, I'm not sure which! It was amazing how long they were preoccupied with the croquet set. I was able to sit and watch them play rather than chasing them all over the place. We also spent some time at the playground sliding and swinging. Apryl and Alexys were the only kids playing in the adults kickball game. I was glad to see them all having such a great time! Mom was happy to go home and not have to cook dinner. We did not make it to the water park on Sunday however. We were busy with our new little nephew Landen!! It was so amazing to be on the other side of delivering a baby! I was happy to be in the room with my Brother and his wife helping her and seeing a new life come into the world! Nothing better than family!

Triple Digits

When temperatures in the 100's are expected play time is usually early in the morning. We already went for a walk this morning, then came in to eat breakfast. I like to go out again before nap time at 11, that way we are out for a good amount of time before the heat gets to my little men. Both of the boys get flushed so quickly. Their white little cheeks turn bright red and their ears too. I try to encourage them to drink a lot of water, but water for a one year old is sometimes like torture! We have a few toys that need to be used with water, and an entire table made for water play. They certainly like these things, but 100+ heat doesn't make much pleasant unless you are completely submerged in water. Tomorrow we have a party in the park to attend, and I am hoping there are many trees around. Sunblock will be our 6th child tomorrow! I am already thinking of all the ways to bring water with us aside from a huge water jug. I am bringing wet washcloths in our cooler and spray bottles. I also like to pack fruit that has water in it like watermelon of course. I do know everyone will still have a fun time, and I don't have to cook, that is always good! Sunday is our water park day, and it couldn't come fast enough. I am thinking the kiddos will play in the hose today and spray the sidewalk rather than the grass. I hope everyone stays cool and has a great day!

Fun in the Sun

Even though our backyard pool is the size of a postage stamp, the little people don't seem to notice! They play in the pool as if it were Olympic sized and could care less what anyone else thinks. As a matter of fact, they don't care what others think at all! Yesterday while getting them ready for bed I allowed them to run around the house naked. Lately with the heat and all, they have been allotted about 10 minutes of naked time. Yesterday, Aunt Debbie and Grandma Nora were over to witness naked time and the boys didn't care a bit. They ran up and down the hallway, laughed and played as though they had never been allowed to play before! I think they must get that from their father, naked time makes him happy too! Anyway, Garhett bent over in every direction he could to try and get a look at "it"! He was standing (sort of) with his head on the ground looking between his legs. It was like he was getting ready to do a somersault and got distracted! When naked time was over and diapering and pj's had to go on, my little man Brenden had a complete meltdown. He was totally protesting about wearing a diaper! He was so mad that I had to wrestle him to the ground and pin him down in order to cover him back up! Trust me, he definitely gets that from his Dad! I will do another naked time tonight. I will just make certain that Matt gets Brenden when we are dressing them!

The Hard Way

This is so indicative of children, doing things the hardest way imaginable. Going up the slide rather than umm...sliding down! I have to give it to both of them, even though they were soaking wet and were never actually going to reach the top, they were very persistent. They just laughed each time they slipped and slid to the bottom, only to try it all over again. I was more concerned for Garhett, seeing as how he was the one on the bottom! Maybe there is a lesson to be learned for everyone from tenacious little children. I watch them fight and struggle with everyday, ordinary objects all day and they keep going! My young boys are learning how their worlds work. When something doesn't go quite how they think it should, they don't give up on it, they try again, and again if necessary. From now on when I am doing something that seems totally redundant, I will remember my guys climbing the wrong way on the slide and try harder. Many people forget that even the smallest children can teach the wisest people new things, or new ways of thinking. I guess that is why I have five little people, it took me that many times to realize what they really have to offer!

Flying By

It feels as though our weekends are flying by. We already have plans for the the next four weekend to come! Yesterday was nice with a BBQ at Grandma's and playing kickball with the kiddos. Apryl had a friend over all weekend which meant Matt and I got to listen to Alexys complain how unfair life is! Apryl's bff (as they call each other) is a really nice kid. Now, we are already looking past this week and planning for Saturday and Sunday again. We have another BBQ in the park party for friends of ours who are having a baby! It means that I don't have to cook dinner and that is a bonus! I love that friends and other family members are finally having children! Someone for our kids to play with. Then on Sunday we are going to Splash Waterpark in Golden with Grandma and Grandpa Lucci. We tend to drag them everywhere with us. It is always helpful to have extra hands and eyes! Grandpa is like another kid sometimes and we have to watch him also! I need the week to recoup from the previous weekend and then to plan for the next one! Cleaning today, means more playing tomorrow. Our house looks wrecked after we have been coming and going for two or three days. The only time it stays clean is when we are out of town. So, in a couple weeks when we are gone the house will be clutter free if anyone cares to stop by!!

I'm Not Happy!

Addysen seems to have a new motto lately and it is all about her not being happy! As I sit here trying to concentrate on my writing, I can hear her voice upstairs. That high pitched whine accompanied by the forced cry are about to make me shove pencils in my ears! She has started a new phase, one that can go ahead and be done already. My sweet little princess has disappeared within the last week or two. Her body has been taken over by a bratty, uncooperative, stubborn to the core, poop-head! She is on the outer part of terrible two's since she will be three in two months so, I am hoping this will be short lived! It has gotten so awful that she is having to take naps again just so we can tolerate her all night. She will no longer eat dinner with the family. Normally I would insist that she sit down and eat, but now, it is a battle that I do not wish to fight. When I choose to take her on I need to be prepared for war! She has the stamina to throw a fit all night. Don't even think about asking her to wait for something, that will only lead to her throwing herself on the floor and screaming....loudly!! I am very good at holding my ground, but now I have two little boys watching her and they learn very quickly. I do not give into her, I just move her to a different spot to have a fit. Somewhere the rest of us don't have to listen to her. I found her yesterday tossing all of her brothers clothes out of the drawers and onto the floor. I couldn't believe it! She is somewhat over the coloring issues we were having, so that is good. Now, if we could just get back on track with the listening thing.

Getting Along

See, I am not crazy, they all CAN get along! This was a tea party Apryl and Alexys threw for the little people. They made food and put up decorations, they even handed out invitations to the boys and Addy. When I have proof of everyone playing nicely and having a good time, it makes me wonder what is going on with them when they are driving each other nuts?!? Yesterday went rather smoothly, although Alexys wasn't out of her room for most of the day. She was banished to her room to clean it. I say banished because that is what she turned her room cleaning into. She decided to take about 5 hours to get the room done. Now, why she takes so long I have no idea! But, like I said, it was pretty quiet around here yesterday. I was periodically checking in on her and I would think, "have you even done anything in here??". It looked the same for at least three hours. She did seem rather content to spend her afternoon in her room. Then when she says to me it is almost done, I go with her to look. I was surprised, it looked great aside from the fact that she had shoved everything under her bed! This is where we have a difference of opinion on how to clean a room. I was thinking she could go ahead and put things away while she is thinking, out of site out of mind! Well, she forgot that while it may be out of her mind, it is never out of her mother's mind!! In the end, the room looks really good! Maybe I will even get to see Alexys today.

Inside Day

Today will end up being an inside day for us. As of right now it is only 58 degrees. We even had to put a blanket and our comforter back on our bed last night! It got very cold and rained all night. The thunder was so loud during the night that it actually woke me up twice. Matt and I checked on the little people and made sure they were covered up and their bedroom windows were shut. I said, "this reminds me of fall weather." In two or three days however, we will be back to the low 90's! Just in time for the weekend! Inside days make for very restless children. At least last night they were out for a good amount of time. We went to Apryl's ball game, then rushed over to Daddy's ball game. After I got everyone out of the car and had them all use the restroom, the game was almost over! So, the kids and I only saw a small portion of Matt play. I kept thinking, "just how long did it take for us to get everyone out of the car?". It must have taken half an hour because they only play for an hour. I was surprised. Walked all the way over to the field carrying a ton of crap (with kids you pack everything) just to turn around and put everything back! I was exhausted when we finally got home.

The Fourth!

I think I can safely say the only thing missing from our Fourth of July was the rain! Oh, wait, that's right, the rain did make an appearance. Not only did it make an appearance, it came and never left!! Boy, when Colorado decides to have some inclement weather it sure knows how to do it well. It rained off and on most of the day, then it poured for the rest of it. It also managed to drop the temperature to a nice 55 degrees! When you have wet kiddos, the temperature feels more like 40. Despite the weather my kids were troopers. They played in the rain like it wasn't even there. Jumped on the trampoline, volleyball games still were played and we even had some awesome BBQ! Our biggest problem arose when we were supposed to head down to watch the fireworks. It was by this time a downpour outside, and everything was wet and or muddy. So, we packed the little people up in the car along with my sister-in-law, who happens to be 9 1/2 months pregnant, in cars and went to find a nearby parking lot. The oldest two chose to walk with their cousins down to the field to get a closer spot. When the fireworks started we were lucky to see anything at all with the cloud coverage. The smoke they created didn't make things any better. Addy sat comfortably underneath an umbrella and admired each firework she saw, naming them for people she knows. "That purple one is for Addy.", "that blue one is for mommy!". Thanks to her, I was reminded why we were standing in the rain and enduring the cold. It was a celebration for our country and for all of us as a family. No type of storm was going to bring her down, and I wasn't going to let a little bit of water ruin my night either! I hope everyone was lucky enough to have had as wonderful a Fouth of July as we did!!

Relaxin'!

She is totally relaxed here. She kept saying, "I'm relaxing mommy." This is what Saturdays are meant for. Well, someone should remind my brain of that! Instead of just hanging out, our Saturdays are for grocery shopping and yard work. Matt and I are up by 6:30 anyhow, so being out the door by nine almost feels late. I almost choked just reading that last sentence! I can remember when noon or one o'clock felt early! Now I am lazy if I haven't done a load of laundry and made breakfast by 8 a.m.! We did get to watch a movie with the kiddos this afternoon, and we are going to a fireworks show tonight also. Those things are fun! I just hate that I need to have an itinerary for my evening or else I could almost spazz out! I can't concentrate without having somewhat of a timeline. I am looking forward to being in the foothills with the family and watching fireworks. The kids will all be in their p.j.'s and we will have snacks. They are planning to take a movie along to watch until it gets dark. It will be a challenge for the boys to stay awake since their bedtime is usually 7 or 7:30. Tomorrow is our BBQ day with a lot of family. The girls really look forward to seeing everyone and and playing volleyball. They get to eat like kings and no one tells them no! So, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Happy Fourth!

See These Faces??

I think if summer keeps going the way it has, these faces may end up on a couple of milk cartons!! Yes, they seem very angelic and sweet, but that is a disguise. I guess part of my frustration with my oldest two daughters stems from them constantly bickering. They can not do a d*$n thing without arguing!! I don't know what has happened. Alexys goes above and beyond to annoy the heck out of Apryl. She sneaks into her room and takes whatever it is she wants. Then I get to hear Apryl complain for hours about it. Apryl on the other hand, can not talk to Lexy in any tone other than a snotty one! She is bossy and so rude to her sometimes. I try to encourage them in every way I can think to get along. The Morrison Challenge has brought up sooo many issues, that it is not even fun anymore. They seem to enjoy making every little thing a battle. No one ever wins, well, I do!! Actually, that isn't even true. I always feel crappy when I am not happy with them. It doesn't feel great to be upset with my children. I have little insight on sibling type stuff, as I am ten years older than my brother. So, some of these things are new to me. I feel guilty for feeling like I could give them away and be fine with it! Again, those are things I think when I am upstairs and I can hear them downstairs arguing. In the end, I know they are good kids. They will all have their moments but how long are moments supposed to last??

Who's That Baby?

Every time our family goes out, our boys are always color coded. Actually, on occasion they have been dresses exactly alike. I tend to buy clothing for the boys that is similar but not exact. They usually dress in "their" colors. Garhett wears green, gray and he also reserves red. Brenden gets to have blue, black or brown. If one guy is decked out in his color than the other does have the option of varying his usual color. This applies when I shop for them. There have been times when clothes don't come in the colors I need. So, I will find one in blue and buy the other in orange. It works because people are looking for a specific color on at least one boy. These people are Grandma's and Grandpa's, Aunt's and Uncle's, cousins and even their sister's! Our friends go without saying, they are clueless! Just yesterday the color-coding proved very effective. Addysen was crying and I asked her what was wrong. She says to me, "the baby pulled my hair!". I told her how sorry I was. She then said, "the BLUE one did it!"!!! I hope this doesn't give them a complex!