Kiddos

I love my kids so much....as much as they fight and scream and are so loud, they also are the sweetest little things ever.  For example, yesterday, my stomach was sort of hurting...Alli said, "Mom, will a back massage make you feel better?"  Of course it would!  Or if not better, it would still feel good.  So, I laid on the couch for almost an hour while all 4 kids gave me a massage.

Alli is in 1st grade now and just turned 7 in October.  She is doing so good in school (like her Mommy always did--maybe Dad did too, but I don't know, so I'll take the credit since I'm writing this).  At recess, she has been doing this walking club.  They walk laps and they get a punch in their card for every lap, but after 20, they get a little charm for their necklace.  So, she showed me her first charm.  I let her know how good she did and asked if she was going to keep doing it and she came out and told me that she and another friend decided not to walk the next day and they were just going to cheer on her really good friend, so she can catch up to them and get a charm too. Then they could all walk together.  I was so proud of her for being so nice to her friends....I told my best friend that we probably would have been competing, not waiting for each other! haha! 

She played softball for the first time this spring/summer and now just finished up soccer last weekend.  Over the summer she also gave gymnastics a shot and took tennis lessons.  This kid loves everything!  She will be starting up dance again in the next few weeks and also she is excited to star Girl Scouts next week. 

Daddy took her to her first concert---JUSTIN BIEBER!!!!  She had so much fun :)

Jenna, Cassie, and Jimmy are in pre-K this year and are doing great.  They go 5 days a week, which is a little tough getting them all ready in the morning for Jim and I.  They are only going half days though.  Silly me...when I signed them up, I thought it was for only 3 days a week, so I was shocked when I found out it was 5 and I'm glad I didn't sign them up for full day.  That way I can spend a little bit more time with them before they go to kindergarten.  Everything is getting a lot easier now with them.  About 6 weeks ago, we got them big beds----they love them!  I even think they are sleeping better.  I wish they had a bigger room...they are all 3 still in the same room that fits nothing but their beds.  But, we are making do.  Jimmy picked out Super Mario bed stuff and the girls picked out Princess.  Now I have to figure out a color to paint their room that doesn't look obnoxious but matches it all :)

Today, Jenna told me that I never do anything fun with her. I know its not true, but then I started thinking....a lot of times, we take Alli to do something, or we take the triplets to do something.  But they don't get much one on one time.  I plan to start doing that with them more often.  Even if its just a trip to the store, I think they will enjoy it.  When I took the girls to soccer or something a few weeks ago, Jim took Jimmy for ice cream and it was supposed to be a secret.  When I got home, Jimmy kept acting so sweet towards me and just acting different.  Finally, after about 10 mins, I asked Jim what why he was acting so funny and he said, He is just dying to tell you his secret!  So, I picked him up to ask what it was...he wouldn't tell me at first until Jim told him it was okay to tell me.  He was so excited to tell me that he went to Dairy Queen.  For the next two weeks, he would say, don't tell Jenna and Cassie that I got ice cream with Dad.  He thought he was so sneaky :)

Jimmy still loves to cuddle, yet he is all boy.  He loves to squeeze my cheeks and say "CHUNKY" in his cute little voice.  He is also in the stage where he thinks it is just hilarious to wipe off my kisses!  He loves to play with Alli's Nintendo DS and iPod Touch and Dad's iPad.  He also loves puzzles and is so good at them (like Mommy!) He didn't play soccer but 5 mins.  He is pretty shy when it comes to being alone.  I guess the girls sort of have each other on their teams so they aren't as shy.  I thought having his cousins (Matt, Mike, Cory) on his team would help.  He tells me he will play when he is 5.  We shall see.  He wants to see Wreck-It Ralph for his birthday.  It was so cute when he was telling me in the car and I couldn't understand him and finally I did after the 5th time he told me.  Jimmy eats anything I make and always tries new things.  He isn't much of a sweets eater.

Lately, they have all (4) been playing so good together.  Alli doesn't lock her door anymore and lets the kids play with some of her toys and games.  She shows them how to play them---just a good big sister.  They all love to color and draw.  Jenna and Cassie are really getting into Barbies.

Cassie is such a character...she reminds us of Alli when she was about that age.  She loves to sing and make up songs and dance.  She cracks us up!  She is still a little timid in trying new things, but she does try them...just the last of the 3.  She is really good at her letters and spelling.  She loves to play the Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, and iPad.  Every night, before bed, she wants to sing me a song.  And she always wants to know where I'm going to be when she wakes up....will I be on the couch or in bed.  She always gets up at least once and comes out of her room for us to yell at her before she goes to sleep.  Oh, and her latest...she'll love me later for this...her new thing is that she loves to FART!  So gross---that must be from her Dad!!!  We've all been taking showers now instead of baths and when I'm drying her off and still stuck in the shower, she'll say, "Hey Mom, watch this!" or "Hey, Mom, I have a surprise for you." and out comes a big fart.....I usually just push her out wet at that point!  She has been doing great at soccer!  At first, she just sort of ran along with the others, but about mid-season, she really stepped up her game and is really aggressive!  I love to watch them play.

Jenna is my too smart for her own good child ;)  Whenever I just want to yell at her for her smart mouth, sometimes its hard for me to do it, because....I realize she gets that from me!  She is very smart, but also very know it all....its so cute sometimes b/c I think she feels the need to explain EVERYTHING!  When you tell her something or when she hears something, you can see the wheels spinning in her head, grasping the idea, and understanding and/or formulating her next statement/question.  She is still so tiny---which makes it so fun to watch her play soccer.  She is soooo aggressive.  She scored two goals already this year.  I always hear people in the crowd saying, "Look at #12, she is so little and so good, always getting the ball, etc"  I just sit and smile, being all proud of her.  That soccer skill does not come from me ;)  Jenna and Cassie are getting ready to start back up in dance when soccer ends in two weeks.  Jenna always wants to hang out with Alli and the older kids (cousins).  I always feel bad for her when they don't let her.  She is my best sleeper and always has been.  Goes right to sleep and is always the last one to wake up.  She always wakes up with a smile on her face and happy in the morning.  But, she can also be stubborn and crabby sometimes.  She still loves to put her blankie over her nose....and now her cousin is doing it too.  So cute!  She loves to find the corners of her blankets and find the 'hard parts' - she will suck on it a little bit, so I guess when the spit dries, it gets hard. 

If anyone is still with me....probably my MOM :) - Mom--you are their favorite babysitter---they love when you pick them up from school and take them to McDonald's to play.  Thanks so much for babysitting for them for so long and I promise somehow that I'll make it up to you for the past few years.  I know it can be hard!  Just a few more months and they will be in school all day :)  Love you!

I promise to add pictures on the next post!  I am so far behind.  The writing is more for myself to remember :)

Chrissy