A'ror'n Days Weekend

Community Days back home, were I grew up.  I went back for my 10 year High School reunion.  Now I'm not a big alumni type gal.  I wasn't a big lover of high school.  My mom moved away the year after I graduated, & so in 9 years I've only been back twice, for weddings.  And well.... I was quite apprehensive about it all, but I'll admit, I had a blast!  Kind of disappointed its not my 10 year again next year!

We went back that'a'way Friday night & spent the night at Great G-ma & G-pa's house.  Not in the same town, but close.  Saturday we got up & headed into town for the parade.  Met up with some old friends & chatted with a few random people. 

 She got a sucker & that was it for her.  No more interest in the parade.  Someone's grubby fingers apparently smudged my camera lens & I didn't notice for a while.  So unfortunately most of these pics have a smear in the middle of them :(

 Horses, Trucks & Motorcycles were the biggest hits

 Logan munching on a Tootsie Roll & "vroom"ing

 Hayden

 Taking a break from watching the (way too long for our attention span) parade & playing in the wagon with our new friend Colton (my HS friend Tony's son)!

We took the kids back to the Great Grandparents place & GG met us there.  She stayed the night there to help watch the kids so Jeff & I could head out to my reunion.  It was great to see everyone who made it out.  I think we had about 35 classmates turn out.  Out of 100, thats not bad for a 10 year, right?  Some of us look exactly the same.  Some people have changed A LOT!  Pretty sure there were a few snarky comments, just like the good ole days.  Pretty sure there were a lot of faces I wanted to see who didn't make it, or who I just never ran into.  I chatted quite a bit & unfortunately did not do well with pictures.  But I partied it up like I was in the AHS days all over again. 

Met up with my BFF, literally best friend forever, before "braving" the crowd.  Lindsay & I have been BFFs since we were probably 3!!

 Start of the night crowd out at a classmate's parent's house. 

 Jeff & I

 

 Then a crew of us headed into town to the bar to catch up with some HS non-classmate friends.

I apparently missed the memo on the green?

 My lil brother's HS friends!  Love :)

Looking a little rough after hours!

 My amazing husband Jeff, me & my amazing HS friend Geoff!

Much to the dismay of a few folks, this mama bear hit the hay somewhere between 3 & 3:30am.  (Thanks to Tony & Haley for letting us crash at your place!)  I wimped out & didn't see the sun come up like some.  (On some levels I wish I would have stayed up & on other levels my body was so glad it slept!)  It has been a LONG time since I've stayed up that late (other than with sick kids) & an even longer time since I partied that hard.  So either way I was impressed at my ability to briefly return to the "gorly days."  Sleep hard classmates... because next time will be just as fun.  Better yet, lets not wait another 10 years!

And since I'm in the spirit, just a few glimpses back to my life before 2001!  (These are pics-of-pics so excuse the poor quality)

 My friend Tony (whose house we stayed at) & me!

 Volleyball girls... probably Freshman year?

 Last Day of class one of those HS years.

 Junior Prom!

 Me, Jeff & Lindsay then & now!

 Lindsay & me.  As toddlers, in HS & now!

Many people will walk in & out of your life.  But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

5 Year Anniversary

Today marks 5 years as a married woman.  On some levels 5 years has gone by so fast.  But it amazes me what we have all packed into 5 years! 

(To see more wedding pictures click HERE!)

Year 1:  Accelerated Nursing School
Year 2:  Jeff opening a new business, starting my nursing career & the start of infertility
Year 3:  More infertility & finding out we were pregnant
Year 4:  Newborn triplets!
Year 5:  Jeff back to school & raising 1 year old triplets

Can't say its been a boring, easy, "normal" 5 years.... but its been amazing! 

Happy Anniversary Babe!  I love you!!

Basement

We need to do the basement bathroom floor at some point, otherwise, basement done. (I think?)  Its not fancy.  Its just now useable space!  Here are some pics-of-pics from when we first moved in (not real sure what we saw in our house back then besides the price)... after a few updates... and now.

Used to have a nasty old wood burning stove... did not always come with Logan's finger :)

 It took up a ton of space, so one day on a whim, we tore it out

 Ah.... wood paneling everywhere!

Then it got a temporary mini face-lift with some paint.

 Now the wood paneling is gone.  New drywall.  New carpet.  New trim.  New paint.  Bye-bye big ole space hogging bar.  New wall built.  New small bar/storage area behind said wall.

 Couch, TV & LOTS of toys!

This is the same view as the pictures above looking at the bar. 

 What was the office, then became the toy room, is again the office/storage!

And just for kicks, a few random pictures of the kids doing what they do a lot lately.  Try to break their necks!

 And Livi being such a girly-girl.  Always has her little purse.  And lately LOVES this baby.  They go "ni-ni" together a lot. 

Random Video

First off, the quality of this video shoot is horrible.  They weren't really cooperating.  We were in the process of getting ready for bed.  Hayden was crawling on top of me.  I was trying to get a video of Logan telling you what a horsie says.  And I got one brief snip-it at the very, very beginning.  Just one, don't miss it.  Horsies at our house apparently don't say "neigh" they make the noise horses make when they shake their heads & blow air out & their lips shake.  But Logan & Livi do it sticking their tongues out & spitting.  They even shake their heads.  Cute.  What I ended up getting was Hayden saying his new favorite word "Baby!"  He doesn't necessarily know what a baby is, but rather says it in relation to any random thing.  Then randomly at the end... an absolutely hillarious gimpse at Livi... which is why I had to post this.  Just watch, I won't spoil it.

The boy who cries WOLF!

Logan cried WOLF today.  Maybe? 

Mama was out at a certain engagement, Dada was home with babies.  Playing.  Jeff was doing push-ups with Logan under him on his back, laughing.  When Logan kicked his feet up & met Jeff coming down & let out a scream.  He continued to cry & proceeded to not put any weight on his foot.  No standing.  No walking.  For HOURS!  So after a call into the ped, we decided to bring him in.

Mama left said engagement to take Logan to the doctor.  Upon arriving at the office & seeing a sweet table with crayons, Logan wanted down.  And what did the little wolf crier do... take off WALKING across the room.  He walked during our whole visit.  Limped a little, maybe?  I thought maybe the top of his foot & ankle looked a little swollen.  Hard to tell with toddler cankles.  Since he suddenly had the strength to walk, we opted not to do an X-ray & see how the rest of the night went.  Sweet trip into the office to decide that, huh?  Seriously he had not walked but 2 steps before sitting down & crying in 3 hours before that moment.

Got home, took a nap.  Woke up to find him standing in his crib on one leg.  Crap.  He stumbled out of his room, walking with a limp.  Crap.  Had a little snack & low & behold, leg was good to go.  He's been running up a storm all night. 

I guess we'll see what the morning brings?  See if he really cried wolf?  Or if there is really something wrong?

He did get weighed though.  With clothes on.  I think he was 24lbs 12oz, I think.  I don't think it was 23lb 12oz.  But it might have been?  I honestly can't remember.  Either way, its up to the 20-30% for weight as opposed to the 8% he was at his 18 month visit.

Eye Checkup

Followed up with Dr. T for Livi's eyes today.  Prisms of 20 are working well & though I think it makes her eyes look funny, that is apparently the way it is supposed to be.  It makes her eyes appear very close together, but they stay very steady, not turning much.  And it seems our few patching weeks did wonders as it appears her turning is quite balanced again.  Which is great news!  So he says we are all set.  I guess I have to trust the eye guy on this one (& cross my fingers everyone's positive recommendations of him are spot on!)  Feels a little different (& not all that great) to be on the parent side trusting the Dr & nurses recommendations on stuff I don't know all that much about!

So besides double checking with insurance, scheduling it & mama getting over her sudden realization of "oh crap, surgery means general anesthesia!" we are a go.  And while one part of my brain (the nurse part) says... lets do this & get it over with.  The sooner the better.  The other part of my brain (the mommy part) has some reservations.  Surgery is a big word.  Even outpatient.  Deep breath Katie! 

Risks:  Well folks it is surgery.  Risks abound.  Dr. T was pretty blunt & honest with us when we asked.  Infection, damaged vision/blindness, scar tissue, & everything that goes along with general anesthesia.  So please, please start the prayers early that we turn out 100% on this! 

Benefits:  Vainly, the cosmetics.  Straight eyes.  Medically, improved long term depth perception.  Again, she will most likely still need glasses for her vision.  And she may need patching on & off to treat a lazy eye  that may develop because she is at risk because she has strabismus.  And while surgery helps with depth perception, strabismus from my understanding, is a pretty on-going process.  And somewhere in our conversation I know Dr. T mentioned the time frame of 9 years of age.  So I'm guessing even though surgery helps, we're probably in for a good handful of years yet of eye intervention & follow-up for her.

They handed me a list of available dates in July & August.  And said the sooner the better.  So assuming I can find the time to get this all organized, it probably won't be long.  It will be at Children's.  And done on a Thursday, as that is when Dr. T is there. 

So thats what I know.  We'll keep wearing the (less than attractive) prism lenses until surgery date.  Which I guess is motivation to get the ball rolling?  I hope this is the right thing to do?!?!

Anybody out there with experience please do share!!!!

June Tooth Count

Hayden is DONE!  Eye teeth are finally all in.  Just 2 year molars at some point.  He is drool city on & off lately which makes me wonder if those bad boys aren't already starting to move? 

Olivia, still waiting on all 4 eye teeth.  I see a tiny white speck under the bottom right spot, so I think that one may be on its way.  Plus her 2 year molars.

Logan, 1 year molars #3 & #4 are in at last.  So he joins Liv in the waiting for eye teeth game.  And at this rate, 2 year molars for him probably won't show until he is 4!

But I think we are officially in the home stretch!!  Maybe the days of drool will actually have an end??

Happy Father's Day!

This year Jeff & I apparently decided we would co-celebrate Mother's & Father's Days.  More like "teamwork" days.  For Mother's Day, we spent the weekend in Kearney with Jeff's friends.  So for Father's Day... I took a nap & he mowed the lawn!  In my defense, I had to work Sunday night so my nap was just so I wouldn't be up 24 straight hours. 

We went to church for the 1st time in way too long!  Well, Jeff went to church anyways, I staffed the nursery with a few other moms because they apparently had no volunteers signed up for today.  There were 7 kids within a few months of eachother.  Interesting to watch the range of development.  I'd say we fell smack dab in the middle!

Then we went out for lunch at Applebees & the kids were absolutely perfect!  Livi chowed down on quesadillas.  Hayden ate chicken strips.  And Logan, of course, ate nothing but french fries.  No tears.  No screaming.  No plates or cups flying across the room.  Hayden flirted with the lady at the next table.  We left a pretty minimal disaster on the floor around us.  So, they screamed 90% of the way home in the car.  Lunch was delicious!

Happy Father's Day to the best husband & partner I could have asked for.

I Scream, You Scream

Our summer schedule is jam packed.  Go, go, go.  And I've made a pact with myself that on the lucky occasion that Jeff, the kids & I have a free day... we are going to live it up!  No lounging around wasting a beautiful day.  No cleaning... the dirt will still be there this winter, right?  Enjoy summer!

Well, Friday was one of those lucky days.  It was hot, hot but it didn't stop us!  We had a great day!  We hit up the zoo, took a nap, checked out a new playground & stopped by Sonic for the kids' first ice cream cones!  I think the whole day was a bit too much for Livi, who kept us up until 2:30am, but it was fun none the less!

Hayden watching the gorillas!

Logan

 We actually let them out at the aquarium!  At first Livi wouldn't let go of my hand.

 Then she went crazy....

 Logan didn't let go of dad.

 Hayden & the penguins

 Watching the choo-choo from their choo-choo at the zoo-zoo!

 The new playground we found in town.  It has ZERO spots that are high up that the kids can fall out of.  Its totally & completely 19 month appropriate!  We walked there & it was a LONG walk, thats the only bad part.

 Logan

 Hayden the climber, up & down the stairs on his feet over & over!

 Olivia just slid & slid & slid & slid....

 We stopped at Sonic on the way home for the kids 1st ice cream cones.  Not just like a taste, they have all had ice cream.  This was like, here is you own whole $1 cone.... enjoy!

Logan

 Hayden

 Olivia

 It got 1000 times worse by the time we got home! 

 Took them home, stripped them down in the back yard & threw them straight in the tub!  Fun Friday!