When we moved into our house a few years ago, Hubby and I had great intentions. We planned to go through every single box and purge all the non-essentials. Unfortunately, having toddler quadruplets at the time really hindered our plans. Our basement is filled with boxes. Our office has become a "catch-all" of sorts.
Now it's time to get our rears in gear. We're moving the girls from their toddler beds to twin beds. Four twin beds won't fit in their room, so they're going to be split up. Our guest room will become their other bedroom. Our office will become the guest room. I guess we don't really need an office, huh? (Details of the split will come in a later blog).
In about two weeks, Hubby and I are hoping over the span of two days to get the office cleaned out. It will mainly involve a lot of shredding and filing... record keeping just seems to slip when you've got preschoolers running around the house all day.
Once the office is cleaned out and the big move takes place our next goal will be to tackle all the boxes in the basement. Who knows what treasures we'll discover? Most likely we'll end up with lots of things to either donate or trash. Wish us luck!
January 27, 2010
January 26, 2010
Kids and Glasses
Since birth, my daughters have been seen by an ophthalmologist. Preemies are often born with vision problems, sometimes requiring surgery. While all of the girls had what's known as retinopathy of prematurity, none of them needed surgery. Still, by their first birthday, Roo needed glasses.
I had to scoff at the notion of a one-year-old wearing glasses. Was the ophthalmologist kidding me? I agreed to give it a go, and it was a disaster. Roo hated the glasses and often pulled them off. On the rare instances when I could convince her to wear them, her sisters pulled them off. By her second birthday the ophthalmologist decided Roo was hovering between needing glasses and not needing them, so we went the not needing them route.
About a year ago she had to go back to glasses and will likely need vision correction for the rest of her life. This time around she was excited to wear glasses. For the most part she takes care of her glasses and wears them without prompting.
A few months ago, Tortilla had to get glasses, too. She's not as cooperative. The bridge of her nose is very small and her glasses always slide down. The ophthalmologist put "wrap around" temple posts (or whatever they're called) on the glasses so they stay put, but now I catch Tortilla trying to look over the top of the lenses or even tilt her head up to look under the lenses. I'm willing to prompt and encourage her to wear them properly... what I'm not willing to do is drive to the ophthalmologist every week or two for adjustments.
For some reason, just in the last month, these two girls have been beating up their glasses. It seems that every week one of them is missing a nose piece, which I don't figure out until they have hideous gashes next to their noses. I'm vain. I refuse to buy them plastic frames. I don't like the look of them and, quite frankly, I'm not convinced that they're any sturdier than the metal frames.
So, today after lunch we're headed back to the ophthalmologist to have Roo's glasses repaired. A nose piece is off, once again, and she had to go to school without her glasses this morning. Hopefully we can figure out what is causing the nose pieces to fall off so we can stop making weekly trips to have them fixed.
I had to scoff at the notion of a one-year-old wearing glasses. Was the ophthalmologist kidding me? I agreed to give it a go, and it was a disaster. Roo hated the glasses and often pulled them off. On the rare instances when I could convince her to wear them, her sisters pulled them off. By her second birthday the ophthalmologist decided Roo was hovering between needing glasses and not needing them, so we went the not needing them route.
About a year ago she had to go back to glasses and will likely need vision correction for the rest of her life. This time around she was excited to wear glasses. For the most part she takes care of her glasses and wears them without prompting.
A few months ago, Tortilla had to get glasses, too. She's not as cooperative. The bridge of her nose is very small and her glasses always slide down. The ophthalmologist put "wrap around" temple posts (or whatever they're called) on the glasses so they stay put, but now I catch Tortilla trying to look over the top of the lenses or even tilt her head up to look under the lenses. I'm willing to prompt and encourage her to wear them properly... what I'm not willing to do is drive to the ophthalmologist every week or two for adjustments.
For some reason, just in the last month, these two girls have been beating up their glasses. It seems that every week one of them is missing a nose piece, which I don't figure out until they have hideous gashes next to their noses. I'm vain. I refuse to buy them plastic frames. I don't like the look of them and, quite frankly, I'm not convinced that they're any sturdier than the metal frames.
So, today after lunch we're headed back to the ophthalmologist to have Roo's glasses repaired. A nose piece is off, once again, and she had to go to school without her glasses this morning. Hopefully we can figure out what is causing the nose pieces to fall off so we can stop making weekly trips to have them fixed.
January 25, 2010
The Secret's in the Sauce
Vegetables... oh, vegetables. They are such a tricky thing to feed children. The same babies who devoured squash, peas and carrots refuse to even try these foods as toddlers and preschoolers. But I, like many moms before me, have learned the trick to getting picky eaters to try anything. Dipping sauce.
In the beginning, I only used dips for chicken nuggets. Then I noticed when we had nuggets and vegetables, they would actually eat the vegetables if they could dip them. We now go through a bottle of ranch dressing a week and a bottle of barbeque sauce every two weeks. For those of you who haven't tried this, you may be shaking your head in disbelief. Need proof? My daughters will now eat carrots, broccoli, green peppers, celery, snap peas and cherry tomatoes (not a veggie, but they think it is)... as long as they have something to dip them in. In rare instances they'll even agree to use hummus as their dip.
Now I need to figure out what to use as a dip to encourage them to eat fruit. Sometimes they'll agree to dip their fruit in yogurt, but other times they refuse. Fruit is obviously sweeter than vegetables, so most fruits are always a hit, but there are still a few things they're reluctant to try.
In the beginning, I only used dips for chicken nuggets. Then I noticed when we had nuggets and vegetables, they would actually eat the vegetables if they could dip them. We now go through a bottle of ranch dressing a week and a bottle of barbeque sauce every two weeks. For those of you who haven't tried this, you may be shaking your head in disbelief. Need proof? My daughters will now eat carrots, broccoli, green peppers, celery, snap peas and cherry tomatoes (not a veggie, but they think it is)... as long as they have something to dip them in. In rare instances they'll even agree to use hummus as their dip.
Now I need to figure out what to use as a dip to encourage them to eat fruit. Sometimes they'll agree to dip their fruit in yogurt, but other times they refuse. Fruit is obviously sweeter than vegetables, so most fruits are always a hit, but there are still a few things they're reluctant to try.
January 22, 2010
Done With Shots
After four seasonal flu vaccines, 16 4-year vaccinations and eight H1N1 vaccines, we are finally done with shots... for now. Our second dose of the H1N1 vaccine was this morning and we actually made it through the appointment with minimal tears. It helped that I brought along Tootsie Pops. How can you spend much time crying when you have a gigantic lollipop waiting for you?
Since the restrictions for the H1N1 vaccine have been lifted, Hubby and I lucked out and managed to get vaccinated today at the pediatrician as well. About a month ago we went to one of the free clinics offered by our county. Thanks to bad Google Maps directions, we spent an hour driving around looking for the site. When we finally found it, we bailed. The location (an elementary school), was in a poorly lit neighborhood (it was dinner time and dark). We would have had to park four or five blocks away and navigate a high-traffic area with our daughters. Not ideal. I was more than happy to pay $15 a piece today for Hubby and me to be vaccinated.
Now the girls just want to know one thing: "Do we have to have a shot tomorrow, too?"
Since the restrictions for the H1N1 vaccine have been lifted, Hubby and I lucked out and managed to get vaccinated today at the pediatrician as well. About a month ago we went to one of the free clinics offered by our county. Thanks to bad Google Maps directions, we spent an hour driving around looking for the site. When we finally found it, we bailed. The location (an elementary school), was in a poorly lit neighborhood (it was dinner time and dark). We would have had to park four or five blocks away and navigate a high-traffic area with our daughters. Not ideal. I was more than happy to pay $15 a piece today for Hubby and me to be vaccinated.
Now the girls just want to know one thing: "Do we have to have a shot tomorrow, too?"
January 20, 2010
When One is Left Out
So far we have avoided the drama of only one of the girls being invited to a birthday party or play date. At this point, when one is invited, they have all been invited. I'm dreading the day, though, when I have to explain why only one is invited somewhere. (And, just a side note, I completely understand why all four may not be invited to a party... different classes, different friends, etc., but I still think it will be hard to explain).
Still, there are times when my daughters exclude one another from various activities. The other day, for example, Roo and Sue Sue were playing some game that made sense only to them. It involved sitting in an upside down chair and talking about bugs. Tortilla said "Can I play?" They said no. Keep in mind that as soon as Roo said no she looked to see my reaction. She knew she was supposed to say yes. I diverted Tortilla's attention and she went on to play something else.
It's a fairly common occurrence in our house: someone is playing quietly by herself and suddenly her three sisters want in on the action. I'm all for share and share alike, but I also understand their need for some alone time. Sometimes I can split them into different play rooms. Other times I set the oven timer so they can take turns with toys.
Still, I hate the heartbreak on the face of the sister who is told she can't play. It's never the same sister and never for the same reasons. Being left out is a life lesson that is never fun to learn.
Still, there are times when my daughters exclude one another from various activities. The other day, for example, Roo and Sue Sue were playing some game that made sense only to them. It involved sitting in an upside down chair and talking about bugs. Tortilla said "Can I play?" They said no. Keep in mind that as soon as Roo said no she looked to see my reaction. She knew she was supposed to say yes. I diverted Tortilla's attention and she went on to play something else.
It's a fairly common occurrence in our house: someone is playing quietly by herself and suddenly her three sisters want in on the action. I'm all for share and share alike, but I also understand their need for some alone time. Sometimes I can split them into different play rooms. Other times I set the oven timer so they can take turns with toys.
Still, I hate the heartbreak on the face of the sister who is told she can't play. It's never the same sister and never for the same reasons. Being left out is a life lesson that is never fun to learn.
January 19, 2010
I Need a Vacation
The last time Hubby and I took a vacation was nearly 9 years ago. It was our honeymoon to Maui. There is nothing better than a week filled with snorkeling and mai tais. Since then, we have certainly gone on trips, but they have all involved family events (weddings, etc) and nothing nearly as relaxing as an actual vacation. I think we're due a little relaxation.
We are currently saving up for a trip to Disney. It's going to be a big family affair (hopefully), so it's probably going to take two more years before we can actually coordinate everyone's schedules and finances.
Still, I'm desperate for a little R and R. My ultimate goal, of course, would be a vacation sans quadruplets. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughters and love spending time with them. But it would be nice to have a few days of relaxation that didn't involve entertaining four preschoolers.
Since I'm desperate to get away, though, I've looked at family vacations. This time of year there's just nothing in our area that seems reasonable for people who don't ski. I can ski, but it's not high on my list of relaxing activities. I even looked into a hotel chain with an indoor water park, but the closest one is 10 hours away. Bummer.
At the very least, I'm hoping in a few weeks we can take a day trip somewhere (yes, all 6 of us) and just have an enjoyable time.
We are currently saving up for a trip to Disney. It's going to be a big family affair (hopefully), so it's probably going to take two more years before we can actually coordinate everyone's schedules and finances.
Still, I'm desperate for a little R and R. My ultimate goal, of course, would be a vacation sans quadruplets. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughters and love spending time with them. But it would be nice to have a few days of relaxation that didn't involve entertaining four preschoolers.
Since I'm desperate to get away, though, I've looked at family vacations. This time of year there's just nothing in our area that seems reasonable for people who don't ski. I can ski, but it's not high on my list of relaxing activities. I even looked into a hotel chain with an indoor water park, but the closest one is 10 hours away. Bummer.
At the very least, I'm hoping in a few weeks we can take a day trip somewhere (yes, all 6 of us) and just have an enjoyable time.
January 18, 2010
You've Got to Have Friends
I think it's amazing how friendly bloggers can be. For many of us, we have never met one another. We may have seen pictures, perhaps even connected on Facebook, but, chances are the majority of us have never met our cyber-friends out in the real world.
Still, we're willing to go the distance to help out one another. Last month, when I blogged about my stress over our back ordered Pillow Pets, Stephanie B (of Rocket Scientist and Ask Me Anything) drove to her mall to figure out which Pillow Pets were in stock at the kiosk. Our Pillow Pets arrived on time, but the fact that Stephanie would do that was so nice. Then, about a week ago she offered to make jewelry for my daughters. She let them pick their colors and made sure their necklaces and bracelets weren't the same as their sisters'. You can click here to see her handiwork. Pretty cool. (Stephanie received an emailed photo of the girls wearing their new jewelry. They also insisted on wearing "pretty dresses" for the picture). My daughters are thrilled with their jewelry and have worn the pieces pretty much every waking moment.
When I blogged about ditching the potty chairs, I mentioned that I wanted step stools from IKEA (they're only $3.99 each!!) but didn't live near the store and the stools aren't available online. Sadia at Double the Fun and Twice the Confusion offered to buy the stools and ship them to me. My sister ended up doing that for us, but you never know when I may need to take Sadia up on her offer for other IKEA items.
My daughters and I have been in a slump lately. We just got over a round of illness in the house. We're all still adjusting to Hubby's new schedule (it changed just before Christmas and now he's not home very often for the nighttime routine). The kindness shown to us in recent weeks was the boost all of us needed to bring a smile to our faces and remind us that things are never as rough as they might appear. Thank you everyone who continues to offer support and encouragement when you read my posts. Hopefully I can "pay it forward."
Still, we're willing to go the distance to help out one another. Last month, when I blogged about my stress over our back ordered Pillow Pets, Stephanie B (of Rocket Scientist and Ask Me Anything) drove to her mall to figure out which Pillow Pets were in stock at the kiosk. Our Pillow Pets arrived on time, but the fact that Stephanie would do that was so nice. Then, about a week ago she offered to make jewelry for my daughters. She let them pick their colors and made sure their necklaces and bracelets weren't the same as their sisters'. You can click here to see her handiwork. Pretty cool. (Stephanie received an emailed photo of the girls wearing their new jewelry. They also insisted on wearing "pretty dresses" for the picture). My daughters are thrilled with their jewelry and have worn the pieces pretty much every waking moment.
When I blogged about ditching the potty chairs, I mentioned that I wanted step stools from IKEA (they're only $3.99 each!!) but didn't live near the store and the stools aren't available online. Sadia at Double the Fun and Twice the Confusion offered to buy the stools and ship them to me. My sister ended up doing that for us, but you never know when I may need to take Sadia up on her offer for other IKEA items.
My daughters and I have been in a slump lately. We just got over a round of illness in the house. We're all still adjusting to Hubby's new schedule (it changed just before Christmas and now he's not home very often for the nighttime routine). The kindness shown to us in recent weeks was the boost all of us needed to bring a smile to our faces and remind us that things are never as rough as they might appear. Thank you everyone who continues to offer support and encouragement when you read my posts. Hopefully I can "pay it forward."
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