Gonna be a Revolution

Dear Blog,
I have missed you so much. Please forgive me. I promise there was no one else. Well technically there are 3 'someone elses' but let's not go there. I promise to pay more attention to you. Can we still be together?
Love, Holly

I would try to catch you up on the happenings around here but there is a lot to tell. Here is the short version: Small=crazy, Medium=crazy, and Large=almost crazy. That just about sums it up! Im not sure if it's their ages or this season but they have all been wild animals lately. I would be crazy or eaten by penguins or abusing prescription drugs except for I have this AMAZING network of family and friends who are willing to brave spending time with the crazy penguins so that I can be sane, and reasonably nice, and happy. You know who you are, thank you so much from the bottom of my very sane heart.

I was having a long talk with God and we decided that since I have such loving support that I needed to stop being a yeller. My name is Holly and I am a yeller and screamer. It's probably the thing that I dislike the most about myself. I know it's wrong and that it absolutely Does. Not. Work. It makes me feel bad and unhappy. It was time to make some major changes. So last week (I can't remember if it was Wed or Thur) it became official. We are a scream free household. That's not entirely true, the kids are still yelling. We will work on them later. I know what your thinking, 'good luck Lady!'. Well you're probably right but this is about me, and proper discipline. They do what they know, if I yell less then so will my kids. At first I thought there was no possible way that I could do this. Then hours and hours went by with
no yelling. One day, two days, three and four and five days, no yelling. It feels so amazing to give them boundaries and consequences calmly and without yelling. They end up getting punished more (I am hoping this will improve their behavior) but no more out of anger and frustration. Its been less than a week, we have had a few near misses. I have done some safety related yelling (in a kind tone) and raised my voice when they are out of earshot but so far so good.
So why am I telling you all of this? I'm not looking for pats on the back. I'm not trying to amaze you with my superhuman strength. I need two things from you: pray for me and help to keep me accountable. Ask me how it's going, specificlly. Pray that I remember to rely on God for strength and direction and that I set a tone of calm and kindness in my home. I really believe it takes a village. Having 3 kids so close together was God's way of showing me that I HAD to learn to rely on other people for support and guidance. Walk with me on this journey. You don't have to stick around for the poopy diapers and meltdowns. You don't have to impressed when i resist the urge to yell after someone pees on my bedroom floor or spits applesauce in my face or unrolls an entire roll of toilet paper or 'decorates' my living room with all the laundry I just folded. Just ask me how its going or pray for me or send me tips on scream-free discipline. I'm glad you're in my village!!!style="font-weight:bold;">

A Letter to My Big Girl! (better late than never)

My summer has been a little crazy. Not in a bad way but in the you would expect with a 4yo, a 3yo, and a 1 1/2 yo. When I did have time to blog I chose to hang out with my hubby, or my girls, or (gasp) read. Perhaps I was too tired to even move my fingers, whatever. 11 days late on my birthday letter is a new low...even for me! My Large had a birthday over Labor Day weekend. I CAN NOT believe she is 5!!! Why must she do that to me?? Why oh why?? Without further ado....

My Dearest Large,
Oh my baby is five!! I will never forget the day you were born. That is one of the most extraordinary moments of my life. You are getting so big, you are taller than most of your friends. And speaking of friends...you have developed some very close friendships over the past year. It is amazing to watch you be a friend and to love other people so wholly. Your friendships have positioned people much closer to my heart than I expected! Sometimes it is very hard to let you go, but there are folks who love to spend time with you (which I totally get!) and you LOVE being with them. So I do, I let you go and forge some of your own relationships. Yay for your Mom!! People love to be with you because you are amazingly sweet and kind and thoughtful and appreciative. Your smile lights up your face and my heart. I love love love how you are so fiercely protective of Medium and Small. Apparently you believe that you are the only one allowed to torment Medium. You are always ready to help and still (by far!) the best listener (don't tell Meds and Small I said so!) and I really appreciate that my sweet girl. You are still relatively shy with adults but very friendly with other children. I am not sure how many ways I can apologize to you for having to be the only quiet person in a family full of loud mouths. There is nothing I can do about it and it's not too noticeable yet so I'm going to say 'I'm so sorry' now. [Any of you only-quiet-person-in-a-family-full-of-loudies out there please think of my girl!] Because I am pretty sure the day is coming when you will stomp up the stairs wishing the rest of us would go away and give you some space! But until then I will give you all the 'mom blankets' and snuggles that you ask for and I'll carry you 'like a baby' anytime you're too tired to walk. You ARE MY baby and I love you the moon and back. I love your soft nose and your sweet cheeks, your squishy tushy, your corn on the cob and your chicken legs! I love your laugh, your sweet smile, your need for order and to collect things, that you're a great singer, and that you still get excited about everything. I am so proud of you for being more brave than you used to be, for being more flexible than I expected, and for working hard on using your words. I can't imagine loving you more than I do today, but I am pretty sure next year I will!!
Love You Forever and Like You for Always, Mom

Mother of the Year?? Not This Time! (part 1)

Have I already written a post with this title? I really thought I had but I couldn't find one. Aaaanyhoo. Just as I was polishing my MOTY 2008 trophy and dreaming of being crowned the winner again my hopes were dashed by those crafty penguins. Always getting in my way! I am pretty sure the MOTY selection committee uses a point system. You can earn points for good things and lose points for slip-ups. Last week I decided to blow most of my points. Guess I'll have to try again for next year or be REALLY good for the rest of this year.....2012 here I come! Here is how it went down.

We were invited to a pool party on a Sat morning. We were a little rushed getting out the door but not a big deal since we were just in a hurry to have fun. Side note--I have been applying sunscreen to children since before aerosol hit the ozone. Maybe not that long but lets just say after 15 years of being a nanny and 3 kids this ain't my first rodeo! Maybe I was cutting corners or couldn't find some crucial supply or just spent too much time working on my hair; either way we get in the car and Medium start bawling, "My EYES my EYES!!!". Oh that Medium, she is such a wild card, you never know what she has gotten into. And no stranger to the drama...have you ever ridden in the car with her AND a flying bug? Well then you haven't lived. I check on her and decide she has gotten sunscreen in her eyes. I beg her not to rub her eyes and give her a baby wipe to clean off her hands and eyes. Just as Meds is winding down Large gets all teary and needs a baby wipe too. They are still sniffling and crying a little but not too bad. Then we hear this heart stopping scream from Small. While my Honey tries to keep the car on the road I whip around to see who is stabbing my baby. Poor Large reports, "Mom, he's rubbing his eyes!!!". Oh no, I am pretty sure it might have gone better with a stabbing intruder. He screams at the top of his lungs for at least another hour. I try flushing and comforting and washing and distracting once we get to the party but nothing works. One kind Mom at the party says, "Is he about 18 months? That's is such a hard age!". He stops a little while he is in the pool and was quiet while I gave him two donuts (after Lin asked me not to.......BAD Momma! But they were Krispy Kreme!). By the end our nerves were shot and poor poor Small was a hot mess! My friend was very sweet not to act like I ruined her party with my screaming baby and bad Mommy form. The good news is everyone is still alive and has full use of their vision!

That pretty much wipes out my points bank, right? Oh no, friends, that's not all I got! Tune in next time to hear more of my parenting errors and why I am no longer gonna slack off on my rule that the penguins only watch G movies!!

What's Happening at the House?

Sorry I have been a little sporadic (or absent) lately. Summer is busy time with less structure than usual (is that even possible??) which leaves little time for writing. So I thought I'd throw out some updates/random thoughts. The truth is I can't decide what to write about. What is important/interesting/funny after being gone for over a month. Writer's block is in no way funny, interesting or important that I do know.

1. Big News---I started a new book. I know that does not seem monumental but it is around here. I have ZERO time to read. I really love to read, but I only have time to read People magazine so that's all I do read. And it usually takes me way longer than a week to finish one. If you are a reader then you know how very sad that is.

Truth be told if I have time to read I should be spending it finishing Millie's thank you notes from her birthday party IN MAY. That might be the saddest thing I have said all day. I really would be working on them but I left them at home and I am out of town. Someday I will tell you about my ongoing inner struggle with thank-you notes. It's gripping, really.

2. And speaking of being out of town....I am living with my Mom this weekend. That's why I have 12 seconds to read a book or write a blog! :)

3. Why did I move to P-town for the holiday, you ask? Better fireworks? More hot dogs? No Way!! Lin (the handyman) Wright is remodeling our kitchen this weekend!!! YAY!! Guess you better come over and check it out or come over and bring your paint brush.

4. In other (REALLY) big news......Small is finally WALKING!!!! I guess it's not so amazing, after all it's not multiplication tables or speaking French. I'm sure some of you are saying, "That kid is not walking yet???". He IS almost 18 months old. He told me walking is for girls. Besides, why would you walk when people keep picking you up? He is absolutely too cute to pass up.

5. Medium is totally potty trained and accident free!! Less poop to clean up in my life is super spectacular!!!!! Fewer diapers to buy is pretty nice for my budget, too. :) She is still just as charming and funny and naughty as ever!

6. Ha! I forgot to tell you the name of the book I started, it's good so far. Minding Ben by Victoria Brown. Pretty light, about a nanny from Trinidad in NYC. Good summer reading. It would be much better if I were sitting on a beach. Then again wouldn't most things?

7. I felt God pulling me toward ministry again this morning. Sometimes I wonder if I am just too easily swayed; I always think pastors are talking to me when they teach about following God's plan. Even as a child, every time I heard any missionary speak about anything I would think THAT'S what I need to be doing. I thought maybe putting my thoughts out there for the world to see I might get some feedback or pushing or face some accountability.

8. I don't think God is unhappy with what I am doing for Him now, but I know he has plans for me after I am finished being up to my elbows in yogurt and dirty diapers.

9. Large developed some friendships over the past year or so that are very important to her. As I make an effort to help her keep up with her peeps it is fascinating to see how she interacts, reacts, grows and relates to her peers. These families have really blessed our lives. Large is an introvert trapped in a(n) (animal) house full of extroverts. That should be enough for a collective 'Aaawwww' for poor Large. She will definitely be on facebook when she is 15 searching for her 'real' family. Sorry, Baby, you are stuck with us (and we are so glad!).

10. Lin and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary with a little weekend trip to lovely Washington DC. We learned a few things about ourselves. We are sleek modern hotel-type -people not beautiful historic hotel-type-people. Truly we are B&B type people but that's a different story. We need naps more than we need museum exhibits. (Gasp if you want, our kids are 4, 3, and 18 months....we need like 100 naps to recover from that) We LOVE True Blood! Who Knew?? We really really like each other. I mean really. ;)

Thanks for checking us out today. I am so glad you came by. I must head outside now to marvel at my girls' sidewalk chalk creations and move Small toward the shade before his sweetness melts onto the sidewalk!

What a Mighty Good Man!

Now who has a song running thru their head? Whatta man/whatta man/whatta man/ whatta mighty good man. Salt-N-Pepa?? Anyone? I KNOW my sister will remember because I am pretty sure I got the smack-down or at least a dirty look for 'borrowing' her tape. It could've been a different tape or a shirt or her tennis racket ;) ....who really remembers! Anyway, Lin's birthday is tomorrow and I have about 10 minutes to write a love letter. How about if I just name off all the things I love about him until I have to go, okay? You can stop reading now if you think you might puke.



Things I love about Lin: He is handsome, soooo funny, very loving and thoughtful.
He is the life of the party and the butt of the joke.
He supports all 5 of us almost completely on his income alone. That might seem like a weird compliment but in these times it's pretty amazing.

Or how about if I run out of time and wait 5 days to get back to my love letter....sweet. It is now actually Tue but I still love Lin and I would still like to share with you some of the reasons why.

Things I love about Lin part 2: He always picks out movies that I love, even when I am convinced I will not like it. When I pick movies....you might as well leave when your popcorn runs out because I always pick the wrong grocery line and the worst movies.
He loves to straighten up the house. We have already talked about this, Ladies. If you drool on your keyboard it will no longer work.
Lin wants more for us. Sometimes I act like that's a flaw but in reality he is the one who motivates this family. Whether it's a bigger house, or improvements in our marriage, or a church that more closely matches our needs, or even better behavior for our sweet sweet penguins, these are all things that he makes a priority in our family. If it were all left up to me we'd be much more stagnant.
I am impressed that he is so self-aware and willing to make changes in himself. That's really amazing.
I love that he is so athletic and outdoorsy. I would be aggravated if I constantly had to drag him off the couch to go outside. He likes to do stuff and so do I.....it might not always be the same stuff but that's no biggie.
He is an incredible father to our children, they are totally in love with him. It shows every time he comes home from work, they all three run (or crawl) to the door screaming, "DAAAADDY!!"

Did I mention that he is funny and hard-working and adorable? And completely wonderful to me? Well he is! I LOVE you to the moon and back, Honey!!!!

A Message For My Medium Girl

My Dear Sweet Medium,

There are just not going to be enough words to describe how much I love you. But I'm gonna give it a shot! ;) You stole my heart from the word go. I was supposed to be wishing for a boy (cuz your Dad wanted a boy) but I really wanted Large to have a sister so I prayed for a girl anyway! Nana and I were SO excited to find out we were having another girl. I love my sister to the moon and back, I am happy everyday that you and Large have each other.

You smile and spirit bring so much light to our home. I love your sense of humor and the way you use it to your advantage. I love that every time I am aggravated at you, you either hug me or tell me that you love me. In your endless quest to keep up with your sister you have become quite the smart little cookie. You make me proud everyday!! I only know one person who hugs tighter than you my sweet Medium girl, that might be my favorite thing about you.....if I had to pick one thing.

Loving you is easy (most of the time) oh my little lover of spinny dresses, yogurt, Sam's Club, playgrounds, Dino Dan, Little Einsteins, balloons, and Jack B!!! You are silly and headstrong, and outgoing (when your not busy being coy) and excitable. I am amazed at what you remember and what you take in and what you forgive. The way you love others is exceptionable. Every time I see you squeeze Small or tell Large how she is 'your best sister ever' my heart nearly bursts.

I love you my sweet baby girl, have a great birthday! I guess I found some words ;)
Love Always and Forever, Mom

Moving Toward the Goal!

I do have some long term goals for this blog. Let me make it clear I am not a 'set goals' kind of person. I am not driven or organized or particularly motivated. I like ideas (especially my own ;) but I am not very good at following through. That's one reason I love raising children, it's daily work that can't be left behind or forgotten about. It's more about developing good habits and less about completing a project. Plus, you get lots of chances to fix your mistakes. And sometimes, the rewards are immediate. I am very easily distracted but if someone asks you for 'cold-ice-freezy-water' six times then it is harder to get derailed. So what was I saying?? Oh right, goals!


-I would love to have advertisers


-I would live to have our own web address (sorry blogspot!)


-I would like to have sections.....maybe a prayer request corner, or maybe pictures (probably not since Lin and I are fighting to see who can be the worst family historian in history), a 'parents share advice corner' would be great.....stop laughing! I did not say parenting advice from me!! I said 'parent share'. Maybe share recipes?





Anyway, I am not saying that I do anything to make these ideas come to life, just that they float around in my head waiting for my assistant to take care if them. HA! Hold your breath, people! On second thought don't, if you are reading this I automatically like you so please don't hold your breath. :0)





The point is, I am throwing out a piece of valuable advice today. I started an iron supplement this week and the package said 'Iron overdose is the leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6'. Did you know that? I did not! This may not be meaningful information for some of you but it made me sit up and take notice. Do any of you know how many times I have called Poison Control in the last year-18 months? Want to guess? Well it's enough that the last time I called I felt compelled to ask them if they keep track of how many calls came from each household. She promised me they don't keep track. Take That CPS!! More valuable info from me to you!





Lin and I gave it some thought and I think it's been 4 or maybe 5.


-Large ate an entire bottle of Hylands Teething Tablets (apparently you can eat these until the cows come home without any effects).

-Medium ate most of a tube of toothpaste (they seemed concerned about this). They told me to make her drink milk and that she would probably throw up.

-Medium got into a sample bottle of Zyrtec and a couple of Tylenol chewables (no big deal--to the poison control people)

-One time Lin and I both gave one of the kids a dose of some medicine within an hour of each other. Because I am a GOOD mom I can not remember which kid or what medication. Probably Large with some sort of prescription cold medication.

-There might have been one more...or maybe not! I thought I was going to have to call again today after I spotted Small chewing on an unknown object while we were in Large's class at school. I raced over to do a finger sweep but it was long gone. He was hangin out in the book corner...lets hope it was some paper. Good thing he is our third baby, it takes ALOT to make us panic now. Sorry Baby Boy!!!

The good news is poison control doesn't keep track and everyone is still alive and dust bunnies are non-toxic.

That's MY Girl!

Hope y'all had a great Mother's Day! I was headed to CWD to do a little shopping while Large was at school and here is how my conversation with Medium went:

Medium: Mom, where are we going?
Me: We're going shopping, Honey.
(A thoughtful pause)
Medium: Mom, I like shopping, there are no bees and no yucky pottys.

I am a proud Momma today! One thing you should know about me is I LOOOVVE to shop. Anywhere, anytime. It is probably my all-time favorite activity. Second only to sniffing fat baby cheeks.

In case you are wondering about a 'yucky potty'....Medium had her first experience with a port-a-potty this weekend. She was not impressed. And, in usual Medium fashion, she politely declined to use it. HA! Fooled you!! She cried hysterically even after Nana took her out of there. And she has reminded me of her 'no yucky potty' rule in just about every other sentence for the rest of the weekend. Since Large has a strict 'no hand dryer' policy we are pretty limited here about which facilities we can use. She (Large) tried to pass a 'no automatic flushing' law but I had to put my foot down and pass the 'we have too many idiosyncrasies' bill.

Have a great week! May none of your pottys be yucky!

Happenings at the House

I wonder what's going on at the Animal House? I thought you'd never ask! :D

It's Friday. Sleepover day. We loooove sleepover day here. Sometimes I love it so much I feel guilty, that's real love. Today the penguins and I were in the van headed to meet my Mom (let's call her QUEEN of the sleepover!) and all three were quiet little angels patiently waiting to make it to P-town.....

Guess again people, Large and Medium were screaming at each other. Well let's be clear Medium makes any kind of noise and Large barks, 'Stop that!' or 'Don't do that!' so Medium makes said noise over and over again as loud as she can until poor Large is so angry she practically has a seizure. And Small? He just likes to chime in and be heard, he has no idea why they're angry. He just thinks hollering is fun. Or he's trying to get the attention of some other girl. Shameless. So lets just say it was REALLY loud in my car. This might get to some people (ahem, Lin!) but not me. I was cool as a cucumber. My dear SIL can attest to this, she was trying to talk to me. HA! There are probably plenty of 'good' parenting strategies I could use to combat this behavior. That's for sissys. I like to turn up the radio, or put on 'kid' music. Why not, who couldn't use a little more noise and chaos? I did remind them to use their inside voices which worked out great for about 3/4 of a mile. As soon as there is quiet for 3 seconds Small can't stand it, he has to yell. And Medium has to answer him! Precious. Today I just floated over to my happy place and thought, 'Aaaahhhhh, 6 more miles until SLEEPOVER! Sweet!'. I know the day will come all too soon that I will miss those obnoxious, deafening, nerve-smashing noises. For now, perhaps I should ask for some high quality ear plugs for Mother's Day.

And speaking of Mother's Day......

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!!! I love you so much!!! We have a very fun tradition of going to the Museum District Home Tour every year. I love spending time with my Mom that does not involve 'changing of the guard' (or changing of the diaper!) and I can't wait until my girls are old enough to join us. Well, actually I can wait until they are old enough to join us, I am currently working on a plot to actually freeze the penguins at these exact ages (perhaps I'll freeze Medium AFTER she's potty-trained!). They are so cute and squeezable even if they are exceptionally loud on a car ride.

Oceans of Emotions

My middle child is an extraordinary little person. She is hilarious and affectionate and stubborn and very fashionable (spinny skirts only please!). And sometimes she brings me right to my knees. She likes for us to sing to her every night before she goes to bed. Now Large has some standards, she likes to hear the same songs every night. You must sing them in the same order. Every now and then she will switch it up on you. But not my Medium, you never know what your going to get with her.

Medium: Sing the earring song, Mom. (insert very large grin here)
Me: I don't think I know that one, Meds.
Medium: How about the eyebrow song?
Me: I don't know that one either, can you sing it for me?
Medium: No, Mom YOUR supposed to sing it!

So then I usually make up a song about how much I love her (and eyebrows or earrings or a favorite toy of hers) and set it to a tune I already know. It's always a big hit. Thank heavens they don't rat me out when the 'lalaloopsy' song is different every time. If you are ever babysitting and she asks you to sing some random song at bedtime just make something up! :D A couple weeks ago she went to 'big Church' with me. (That's what she calls the Powhatan Campus) She did not want to go in the nursery so she sat in Church with me. A couple weeks later she sat in Church with me at PCCs Westchester campus. On tuesday of that week I was putting her to bed and here is how our conversation went.

Me: What song do you want tonight?
Medium: I want The New Song, Mom.
Me: Do I know that one?
Meds: Yes, Mom, from Movie Church (that is what she calls Westchester- we meet in a movie theatre).

I think for a minute......do you mean this? (I sing the chorus of I Am New by Jason Gray - if you don't know this song give it a listen)

Meds: Yes Mommy that's The New Song, we love that one.

We really do love that one its probably my favorite these days. I was really impressed and proud that she remembered it. Then she says:

Meds: And how about The Loud Song now?
Me: Can you sing me that one? Is it from Movie Church too?
Meds: Yes, Mom, its the one that was too loud. (She sings a couple words from the chorus of Happy Day by Tim Hughes)

I am thinking what a smart little lady, with good taste in music! How neat she remembered two songs from church on Sunday! So I sing it and then she says :

Meds: And now I want The Other Song.
Me: Sing that one for me.
Medium: All things work together for my good/You make all things work together for my good...

Now, if you know Christian music you might know that is the bridge from Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture.

By now I am trying not to cry while I sing because I am so proud. Then I think, wait...we didn't sing that in Church on Sunday? That was 2 or 3 weeks ago!! And then it hit me. She sees, hears, absorbs, and notices everything I do and say and everything I expose her to. Then came the ocean of guilt, pressure and responsibility. Oh my gosh I hope she logs away more of the good stuff than the bad stuff! Thinking about how she watches my every move and takes it ALL in made me want to crawl right in bed with her and sleep for a week. Luckily her toddler bed will not hold us both. So I was forced to tuck her in go back to the living room to face the reminder that they are ALWAYS watching me and I better work harder at not messing them up (too much). After I made a little trip past the 'therapy jar' (the jar that I put money in every time I am reminded how badly I scar my children :) to make my deposit, I thought about how glad I am that I expose my children to Powhatan Community Church. The love they receive and the things they learn amaze me every week. Hopefully that makes up for all the raised voices and days when I don't read to them for '30 minutes or more' and impatience. If not...there is always the therapy jar! :D

Death to a Barbie

This story is told through the eyes of Holly's Husband Lin (yes I do have a name)

Growing up I was surrounded by guys, myself, my 2 younger brothers, my father and then there was the all boys high school. So needless to say, growing up in my house, you had a better chance of actually seeing a "no see em" when you camp than a Barbie, My Little Pony, anything pink or anything with long enough hair that you can comb (and if you don't know what a "no see em" is.... go camping). So, when Medium came running to me with Barbie parts yelling, "Large broke my Barbie Daddy," I really wanted to laugh, but had to pull the DAD face out and try to fix it. Being a man, I tried to fix it, but when I realized that it wasn't fixable due to some strange parts, I thought.... hmmmmm.... picture time, so without further ado..... here is BARBIE!!

Love Letters.....Kinda Sorta

Dear Flu Mist,
I'm pretty sure you SUCK and by suck I mean don't work at all!

Dear TamaFlu,
I am pretty sure you don't suck, Large looks like a new little lady.

Dear Medium,
No, Small can not be your horse. Not even your horsey.

Dear Day Light Savings Time,
I dig you man, the penguins have slept past 630 everyday since you started!

Dear Large,
Congrats on losing your first tooth, Baby!! Too bad your Dad and I tore the house apart and we still can't find it. I'm glad you were not freaked out by the fact that you may have swallowed it. I'm also a little glad that you WERE freaked out about the idea of a strange lady sneaking into your room while you slept. But I am the most glad, elated even, that you offfered to share two of your 'moneys' with Medium. You melt my heart.

Dear Warm Weather,
Will you please come back, I really miss you!

Dear KT and SR,
Will you please please come back, I REALLY REALLY miss you. :-)

Dear Dr T@@@@ and Associates,
I like you guys very much, you know I do. But I hope its a looooong time before I see you again. 4 trips to the pediatrician in 2 weeks is way too many.

Dear Germs of Any Kind,
Get the HECK outta my house/children/face!!! Seriously, don't make me.......

Dear Sweet Hubby, (and my heroic contact lens rescuer)
I <3 U!!!

Love Always (except you Germs!), Holly/Mama

Cranky Pants in the Hooouuuuse.

I am feeling cranky today. Shouldn't I be all chipper since it's Friday? Perhaps I've grown tired of swimming in the sea of snotty tissues that is my house. Another day of Lysol and albuterol might just cause my brain to blow up. Since I don't feel like putting sentences together I am gonna list it out today.

Things I Am Tired Of:
1. expensive gas
2. crying children
3. sneezing, coughing, runny noses
4. rectal thermometers (it's the only kind I have) and fevers

When Large gets her temp checked at the doctor she likes to totally humiliate me by saying to the nurse, "At least you don't have to put it on my fanny!" Poor poor poor penguins.

5. being stuck in the house
6. not eating pizza and really wanting to eat pizza
7. not having the time or the motivation to work out
8. 'tag-team' breaks instead of dates with my sweetie
9. 2 weeks of Grey's Anatomy reruns
10. having thin hair


I Am Glad I Am NOT:
1. single or without any support system
2. flat broke...I am fluffy broke :D
3. a person who isn't friends with Melissa....she's FAB

She gave me a copy of the Message this week. I really really love it. If you have a hard time committing to reading your bible (like I do) you should DEF check out the Message. How very thoughtful and sweet of her. Love you girl!!

4. sick along with my children

I like to picture myself as Wonder Woman (NOT in under-roos!) when it comes to germs. It's amazing how rarely I get sick since I hang out with those germy penguins all day. You know what that means...I'll be on here next week cryin' about how sick I am!

5. the victim of a tsunami or an earthquake
6. without God

Don't let all my complaining get you down! Have a great weekend!

What a smart little blog!

My blog is smarter than me, I guess! I worked on a post for two weeks and I finally finished it buuuut when I posted it ended up behind that last post....in chronological order. Ok blogging friends...how do I fix that? Or I guess y'all could just scroll down. Either way check out 'Oh Happy Day'.

Things I Love About My Guy

I try not to brag too much about my husband, I don't want to make anyone crabby or jealous or slam their laptop closed in disgust. But sometimes I just can't help myself, I packed it all into one post so I wouldn't drag out the bragging. Disclaimer: the following post might be too gross or too mushy or just plain tmi for you. I apologize in advance!

1. If you can slip in enough commercials he will watch lifetime movies with you. He might even get a 'tude when you change the channel during the commercial.

2. He passed gas the other night while we were watching tv, it smelled so bad that I dry heaved. Then in true Lin fashion he says, "That's how DADDY does it!" I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Thanks Honey but I'd prefer NOT to gag and pee on myself in the same 5 seconds.

3. He let me tell that story on our blog, he is never afraid to be the butt of the joke. That makes him so much fun.

4. Sometimes he likes to deflect my complaining with humor. That's a good idea and it almost always works.

5. He works so very hard to provide for our family. 5 people on one income is NOT easy.

6. My ringtone. If you haven't heard you want to.

7. He is affectionate and warm and thoughtful and loving.

8. I don't think I know anyone else who is so willing (or able) to improve himself. He made real changes in himself to improve our marriage. That is very impressive and unusual.

9. He is funny, so so funny.

10. Our penguins are totally in love with him. (Just like me! ;-)

11. He thinks women should be curvy...HOLLA!!!!!

12. He loves God and he is not afraid to say it/show it.

These are not the only things I love about him. I could go on forever. I just wanted to hit the highlights.

Oh Happy Day!

I consider myself a fairly resilient person. (My sister is giggling right now!) I didn't used to be but I think I am now. So when my pediatrician says to take Large to have the wax professionally removed from her ears by the ENT I'm thinkin' 'no biggie, I got this'. Ha! Well think again. Large is very anxious about...well....everything. So she has been in a panic ever since I told her we had to go to the Dr today. Just for fun Medium has to throw in, "I not going to the earw dr....I gonna stay here wif Grandad and take care of the little guys!". Hey thanks Meds and just for the record you ARE one of the little guys. Anyhoo, so off we go all the while Large repeating over and over (with her hands over her ears) 'Mom, I wanna go home'. This is not gonna be good. She tears up as soon as we get into the parking lot. She asks the receptionist if we can go home now. The nice lady tries to comfort her by saying 'but honey, we don't have any shots here!'. Large bursts into tears and wails 'but I like shots better!!!!'. She looks at me like I am the mother of a crazy child and I gently try to explain that my sweet Large would prefer a shot over pretty much anything else they have to offer. She continues to look at me like we're a whole family of crazy. She ain't seen nothin' yet. She should come over and try to look at our family portraits or try to reach the shampoo. So the nurse leads us into the exam room and poor Large finds the nearest corner, stands in it, covers her ears and starts to cry, hard. By the time the Dr comes in she is wailing so loudly that we can't even have a conversation. Finally he just says 'lets get this over with'. I couldn't agree more...maybe.



We (try to) lay her down and Dr. tells me to lay me bosom (yes he actually said bosom and yes I giggled a little) over her knees while holding down her arms. Now I used to be a Care Partner on the Pediatric care floor at MCV. I held down babies and kids while they were enduring all sorts of blood draws and treatments almost every night that I worked. I know how this works. My poor Large gets her ears cleaned out pretty frequently. I got this.



Oh how wrong I was! That might have been the WORST several minutes of my life. I am not kidding. She was screaming in a way that I have never heard. She was screaming things like 'STOP', 'NOT SO HARD' , 'GO SLOWER, YOUR HURTING ME!!!!'. I was trying to say the most comforting things I could think of but I know she could not hear me over her wails. I did something I thought I'd never do. I looked away. Being the kind of person who always watches and stays calm and tries to sooth this was weird for me. It was not very 'super-momish' . Or maybe it was, do the super-moms always look away? Anyway, I thought I was going to cry or throw-up or both. Finally, after what felt like 3 hours, he was finished. I grabbed my sweet baby and held her as tight as I could. I was trying very hard not to cry. She lifts her head and says, 'Mom, I can listen now!'

The poor abused ent rejoiced when he heard that. He said that made his day! Save it dude, I have not even recovered from what just happen here. We gather up to leave and Large has pretty much recovered. I, on the other hand, feel like someone replaced my bones with jello. We get in the car and she is singing and chatting. 'Phew, Mom, let's not do that anymore!' she says as I am starting up the van. I burst into tears. Tiger Mom I am not.

Just for the record, it took me two weeks to finish this post and when I wrote the end I still felt a little teary!!

If You Can't Beat 'Em....Join 'Em!

The penguins and I went out of town this weekend so my STUD could do some painting and projects around the house. I came home to some beautifully painted rooms and a new bedroom and bathroom!!! I know your jealous, he's cute and handy. Soooooo after my blog post about the shower caddy incident which you can read http://http://2vs3.blogspot.com/2011/02/hair-products-and-head-injuries.html (here) one would have thought that my man would have been super attentive to the height of all things hung. Well think again. In our new bathroom we have a new vanity, fixins, and two freshly painted cabinets. One formerly white and one formerly light brown. Now both espresso to match the vanity. And hung up WAY TOO HIGH! Are you kidding me? Seriously? Am I talking to a wall here? I walked into the bathroom and Lin is showing me around and telling me where everything has been moved. I am thinking 'really'??? I can't even reach these. He kindly placed all my hair clips in drawers that are OVER MY HEAD. I literally have to take the drawers out to get to my hair clips. If you are reading this honey, I really do love and appreciate all the hard you work you did. I would never pick on you about it if I hadn't just written a post (that I know you read) about this very topic last week. :-) So the best I can figure is one of two things is happening here. Either Lin is planning to surprise me tonight with one of those fancy stools with my name cut out in puzzle pieces. Or He hangs everything too high hoping that I will walk around the house wearing 4 inch heals all the time. I would considers 4 inch heeled slippers but I can't carry Small when I am wearing such high shoes. And I would be devastated if I had to take him to the er and tell them I broke his finger with my stilettos when he was speed crawling under my feet. CPS would love that one, 'Sorry Small, your Mom is a street walker.' Anyway.....

Hope you all have a lovely week and beautiful Valentine's Day. Please remember there are lots of different kinds of love out there. All are important and need to be nurtured. No matter where you are in your journey God wants to be in your heart. Always. No Matter What.

Tiger Moms? Gggggrrrrrr!!!

I read this article that one of my friends put on facebook.....omg.....if you have ever feel guilty for yelling at your kids, READ THIS. If you have kids or think you might have kids, read this If you already raised a kid or you think kids are kind of cute-read this. Cuz I want to see all the funny letters you type when your jaw drops onto the keyboard!

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2043313,00.html

Whoa!!! Anytime I feel like a bad Mom I am going to break out that little gem! One of the most interesting parts was in the comment section. Some of the people were not even horrified, she had plenty of supporters. So you know me....I start thinking about it. Is there any truth to this idea? Should I waste my money on this book? What are the girls like now? Are all those hugs I've been giving out turning the penguins into lazy slugs? The only thing I can figure is her babies necks must not smell as good as my babies necks. Could I really ever reject a card hand-made by one of my sweeties? I don't think I have it in me. Sorry, kids I don't think your Mom can be a tiger. But that's not to say I totally reject the idea. Are there any tiger moms out there? Should I be busy googling 'tiger mom blog'? I would love to hear your thoughts on this, folks. Now excuse me while I go hug and kiss and praise my children.....alot.

Random Friday Thoughts

I can't think of anything to write about today. Sorry I'm lame dear readers!

1. My hubby is very cute and sweet. I like it when he hacks into my facebook. And he said the pork roast I made yesterday was the best thing I've ever cooked him....aaawwww!

2. Wouldn't it be fun to have a game night for girls who don't want to watch the Pooper Bowl but who do want to eat snacks and hang out? Yes I thought so too. We need one more (or three more!) to make it an even number so come join us!!

3. I guess having such a cute hubby is how I got these 3 adorable kids whose cheeks happen to smell like heaven.

4. Besides Dino Dan my girls also have a crush on Jonathan the Juggler. (Stop snickering all of you!) So imagine Large's face when he picked her to be his 'helper' on Wed when he performed at their school. Medium's teacher said she was waving her arms and yelling, "Juggler, when is my turn?? I need my turn!!" When I asked Large how she liked it she said, "Oh Mom, he knowed my name!" Oh my gosh, those penguins are crazy.

5. I like Fridays, I really really do.

6. Have you ever eaten frozen cool whip? If you're doing weight watchers and you need a treat you might want to check it out.

7. I'm craving Chili's...not chili but Chili's.

8. Do you think the Animal House needs it's own Facebook page? Then I won't have to put it in my status every time I write something.....

9. Big Mac is such a good singer....I just love to hear him sing.

10. If you are sitting there going 'who in the world is Big Mac???' you are not the only one. Stop googling. The boy I take care of in the afternoon and I decided he needed a nickname so I could mention him in my blogging.....Big Mac it is!!!!

Y'all have a great weekend!!!!!!!!

Hair Products and Head Injuries

Two blog posts in one week?!?! Do What??? Who is excited now? I know I am. I had a story I wanted to tell but I could not tell it unless I wrote my Small Man a burfday letter first. Anyway, it's not THAT funny.

In case you didn't already know, my husband is adorable and funny and super tall. We are thinking of relocating the Animal House, so he has been doing a few projects around the house. One of them is updating our master bathroom including hanging a new caddy in our shower. He does all of the 'hanging' at our house (which I very much appreciate because I don't want to). If you ever visit the Animal House you will notice everything is hung unusually high. All the pictures, clocks, etc reside at his eye level. He's 6'3". His eyes are way above the rest of ours. I try not to complain about it but it does make me giggle. Anyway so I'm in the shower enjoying my new fancy shower head and I go to reach for the shampoo. I'm 5'9"...I mean I'm no shorty here but I can barely reach it! I almost pull the whole thing off the wall trying to get my conditioner. And in an effort to reach my face wash I knocked over the shampoo and conditioner which then fell ON my head. I am thinking to myself 'What is wrong with this thing? Why did Lin even buy a stupid new shower caddy? I liked the old one! Why is my stuff up so high that I can't reach it?'. So I take a step back and I realize there is nothing wrong with this caddy. It is hung up really high. I mean really super high. Why would anyone hang the shower caddy so high that nobody can reach stuff? Is Lin reaching up for his soap too? Are there NBA players moving in here that I don't know about? Did he catch the penguins trying eat my shampoo so he's childproofing? When I find out the answers to these pressing questions you will be the first to know. In the mean time let's hope my shampoo does not give me a concussion.

A Letter to My Little Man

Yes I know I am over a week late for my birthday love letter to my baby. Were you all wondering if I was only planning to write one to Large? Perhaps. Just Kidding! My computer is broken and it's for real this time so we are having some technical difficulties at the Animal House. My back is also broken so we have to buy a new bed before we buy a new computer. Now I think blogging is just as important as sleep but Lin says I am too grouchy with an achy back and no sleep soooooo since we defer all final decisions to the man of the Animal House..........I am waiting for the peels of laughter! Anyway, no computer for a while and we are back to the matter at hand.

My Sweet Son,
We did not plan to have a third child (I will leave that little detail out of your love letter next year ;) but every time I look at you I am so very glad we did. You are truly a miracle and a gift from God. You totally changed our lives and your parents marriage. I am completely in love with you and I am not the only one! You were a colicky baby and your Dad and I were traumatized by that but we have gotten over it. You are such a sweeeeet baby boy now! You have a smile for everyone. And so smart, you can say 'mama, dada, bye-bye, uh-oh, and (your favorite) Eeeellllaa (Stella)'. Some of your favorite pastimes include playing 'crawl' with your sisters, screaming and banging stuff, eating EVERYTHING and crawling around crying until someone picks you up. I know that last one sounds annoying but I think its cute. Your smile and your voice melt my heart. I am addicted to kissing your fat cheeks. They are the only fat thing on you, by the way, for a guy who eats everything available you are kinda skinny! And even though you can be fussy sometimes at home you are usually very well behaved when we take you places. You seem to enjoy riding in your stroller.....for now! I love you so much Little Man, you will just never know how much you mean to me. You taught me so so much in your one year here on earth. Everyday I am amazed that God chose to bless our lives with you.
Love Always and Forever, Mama

A Vacuum Cleaner Full of Silly Bandz and a Heart Full of Love

So Small has started crawling and when I say crawling I don't mean just starting to mosey around and explore a little. I mean a full on Jeff Gordon-oh my gosh where is he-speed crawl. Luckily it was just a week after we put up the Christmas tree. (Cue TAPS now) We have lost a few good ornaments, but we are making due. I think the tree was pretty much his inspiration for learning to crawl. Good Work, Baby Boy!! I am not much on cleaning...there are about 10 thousand things I would rather be doing. Thankfully, I have Lin to keep me in check! ;-) But after the third time one of the girls brought me a slobbery little dust bunny that they claimed to have pulled out of Small's mouth (you mean you rescued it from a bear trap....as if!) I figured it was time to put it in high gear. Since I am sweeping 2-3 times a day now you might not have to step on crunched up cereal if you visit the Animal House. Don't you worry, as soon as he is walking the broom and I are breaking up.



The girls got lots of Silly Bandz for Christmas (thanks to all of you for NOT getting the scented ones!!!) which is great because they love them. They count them and name them and trade them, it's really pretty cute. But I swear those things are multiplying. Every time I turn around there they are. And it seems like more and more of them. Are they breeding? Are they following me? Would she really notice if I threw out the broken one?? Small finds them to be quite tasty. I am pretty sure he can't choke on one but I would really have to laugh if I ever saw one in his poop. Anyway.....so I was vacuuming and usually the girls are no where to be found since they hate the noise. I saw the Hello Kitty paw but I was simply too lazy to pick it up. I knew nobody was around and they'd never know the difference. So I did it, I just ran it right over. And I almost got away with it (do you watch that show? I really like it...I know I'm weird).

Where did Medium even come from? Was she spying on me?? She screams MOOOOOMMMM, My siiiiillllyy baaaannndd!!! Seriously? It was ONE there are like 638 more all over this place! Just kidding what I really said was, "Oh my goodness, baby girl, I am so sorry that bad 'ole vacuum took your silly band!" I was rocking her and singing songs when Large comes running in with her hands over her ears (even though it was turned off) and a replacement Hello Kitty Paw stuck between her fingers. Sweet sister moment. I treasure those.