Since I Can't Remember Much Else Right Now

OK, so I haven't posted anything in almost two months. But there's lots of things I think about posting about. Most recently? Mommy issues (are we surprised?). So Thursday night and Friday morning were a little intense with the girls (seriously, three toddlers, you think so?). I had a friend coming over to visit Friday morning, she brought another almost three year old, then my neighbor came out to talk with us also with her four year old. That means we have three two year olds, a three year old, and a four year old out in the yard while we were standing in the driveway talking, trying to keep all of them under control. The twins had gone over to the front porch, and we were in between them and the other three trying to go around the back of the other house. Well, some well-meaning person pulled into our driveway and rolled down her window, then, greatly restraining herself, informed me that she almost had a heart attack seeing two little girls so close to the road. I said, OK, thank you, then as she left, I just cried. I had been up since 5:30 am, was not able to eat breakfast until after 9am, and could not believe how difficult it was just to feed three little girls without them screaming at me, or change their diapers without someone breaking something or getting hurt. I had the heater guys coming to check on our heater at 7:30 that morning and was trying to make sure I could converse with them as well. So between being tired and feeling like simple things were impossible, it was just a bit much. I don't know why so many strangers love to point out how negligent I am. I would love someone else to try keeping three fearless little people completely safe all the time. Now, just to clarify, they were not dangerously close to the road, but from the angle of where the driver was coming from, you couldn't see there were actually parents there. Anyway, it can be a bit overwhelming when you already feel very inadequate and strangers at times are lining up to point that out.

So on the flip side of that, the heater guys had to leave and come back later that afternoon. They'd been to our house a few times over the almost three years we've been here just for inspections and other minor problems. When they came in the first thing they said to me was, "we were talking about this when we left here this morning, you've done an amazing job with your girls. They're growing up beautifully and are just wonderful." I profusely thanked them, and then said a thank you prayer later. I wish the words of strangers were not always so powerful, but sometimes when you don't see as many adults as you used to, it's all you get. Either way, it sure felt like that was God's way of saying - don't listen to that lady, you're doing awesome.

Boom Bum

Now for the fun, clumsy stories about me. A friend called me Valentines Day to ask to do a running swap (we taking turns watching the kids to get a run in). She ran, came back and let me borrow her nifty watch. It tells you your time, your pace, and your distance. I had a great run, then when I finished and started walking I looked at the watch to see how I did. I also simultaneously stepped on ice, completely lost my footing and crashed down on the ice. I think I was laying there three minutes writhing in pain, it hurt so bad. When I finally got up, I was dying, but nothing was broken, or even sprained. However, I later found the biggest bruise of my life, consisting of my entire right bum cheek. It took about three weeks to lose the beautiful coloring, and I still have a small bump. I was very grateful nothing worse happened.

Fast forward a few weeks later; it was after Jeremy and I put the kids in bed, I was going down the stairs to do something, and on the third to the last stair my socks slipped on the stair, meaning I fell too, scraped my left elbow, and bruised my left cheek. Who knew I had such talent at falling and bruising all of my body? Just for the record, I have no shame with sharing embarrassing anything.

Sometime in February

We got a little sick of being cooped up inside, and we had a Saturday that seemed nice enough, so we went and hiked at Quechee Gorge in Vermont. Too bad the entire trail was iced over. We had a good time trying to keep all five of us on our feet, even with Pele. It was pretty chilly, but I think the girls were happy to play outside again.

Not wanting our adventure day to end, we decided we'd drive to Burlington and see what Lake Champlain looked like. It was beautiful!

OK, this picture does not do it justice. Our camera isn't that impressive either, but if we had a better picture of what you can see across the lake, it's beautiful tree covered mountains in New York. Hopefully we can come back when the weather's just a little warmer.

The girls were great for our adventure there, but it was quite the scream-fest on the way home. Let me tell you how nice an hour and fifteen minute drive is with three whiners. Well, you probably don't want to know that, but we were glad we got out of the house.

Ecuador

Well, it took me forever to start posting again, but here is the start of some back-dating, or updating, or whatever. Jeremy went to Ecuador for the first two weeks of February. This is the post of several of his pictures. The above photo is with the attending physician he went down with, over-looking Salinas, a little coastal town West of Guayaquil.

This is inside the hospital, and you've gotta love the OR below.

This is the front of the hospital. Seriously, anyone who needs to endlessly complain about US health care, you need to visit a country like this. We are so spoiled.

They stayed on the Naval base there. This was around the base.

They did some amazing work. Someday, we hope to go as a whole family for some of these trips. It was pretty exciting that Jeremy could do this during residency.

Beautiful beaches.

So this is probably not the best picture of his attending, but I love the hat he brought home. It's a mix between Indiana Jones and Frank Sinatra. He's a handsome devil in it, I tell you what. I'm glad we survived the time with him gone. I only cried a few times, particularly the last day before he came home, but we survived. And people were very kind to help me out. But I tell you what, I missed him and my mama!

The Other January Updates Before I Forget

Katie, Sydney, and Cora have all started a gymnastics class. I'm not sure the teachers know what to do with us, but the girls love all of the climbing and rolling, hanging, and balancing.

I read the Last of the Mohicans because a friend recommended it. She told me one of the main characters was a Cora who was very strong. It was a pretty violent book and the first chapter is a beast to get through because of all the historical back ground that gets covered, but the plot after that is amazing and I loved the story. The location is only 2 1/2 hours drive from here, so I'm hoping to take the girls to see it in the summer (it was around Ft Edward and Ft William George in NY during the French and Indian War).

I got called to be the ward Girls Camp director! I think if they would have asked anything else I would have bawled my eyes out, but I can't tell you how excited I am for this.

Jeremy went to Boston for a board review last week and he's headed out to Ecuador for a couple of weeks this Wednesday. I'm excited for him. I wish we could drive somewhere warm while he's down by the equator, but since that'd be at least a two day drive for us, I don't think it'll happen. I'll just have to settle with the Glen Canyon back ground of my Yoga videos.

There's so much more I want to say about all of this. That and about Brahms Requiem that we're doing in Handel Society, what I think about oil, we're probably going to get a pellet stove so we can afford to keep our house warm, Jeremy and I went swing dancing a few weeks ago, the girls love to strip themselves whenever they wake up, I gave Pele a bath, um, I can't think of what else, but hopefully I can be more detailed next month.

Not Our Best Weekend

Just trying to remember all of the fun January happenings. Three Fridays ago my lovely Katie jumped off the couch while I went upstairs to get the twins out of their nap time. I heard a "thump," then, "Waaaaahhhh!" To be honest, that's not an uncommon sound sequence in our house, so I thought nothing of it. But by the time I got the girls down the stairs, she was still screaming bloody murder and could not walk. I checked out her foot, thinking maybe she twisted her ankle or something like that, but I couldn't see anything and she was able to move her foot, even though she was still crying so hard. I figured nothing was broken, so we sat her down, elevated and iced her foot, and figured thing would get better. Turns out she must have landed on a block, or something because she had a massive bruise on the ball of her foot and some swelling on top of it. The next day, I was taking the laundry down the stairs and Syd and Cora thought they'd help. Well, Cora took a head dive down the entire steep, wooden, flight of stairs with me watching at the top. I ran down and got her and Jeremy came running. She had a bloody nose and three bumps on her head. Jeremy took her and I sat on the stairs and cried. Some lady had already felt inclined to comment on my lack of safety awareness for leaving Cora in the grocery cart unattended (little did she notice that was because I was trying to tackle Katie and Sydney into their car seats) earlier that week. After Katie having her weird foot problems (she didn't walk for two days and limped for almost three weeks), then Cora falling down the stairs, I was feeling like the least capable human being when it comes to keeping kids unbroken. However, I think Cora had angels with her because the only thing left the next morning to tell of her tumbling was a scratched knuckle - the bumps were gone. We've noticed no drastic personality changes, so I'm assuming no brain damage either. (Though that's another subject if any of you have seen Bill Cosby Himself.) But we survived. So have our girls. Yeah for confessions of the not-so-perfect parents.

Two Terrible Twos

They lived through their first two years. More importantly, so did the rest of us! I've gotten pretty lame about writing on the blog, and hopefully I'll get more pictures and updates out more than once a month. But, our camera has been dropped this month and is no longer in the greatest condition. Therefore, our pictures will be on the decrease for a while.
Boxes are still the best toys. I think this is Cora.

The pictures are not in any particular order here. Katie got invited to a princess birthday party. I swear, princesses are just in the water for girls. We've tried so hard to avoid the mania, but that doesn't mean every other little girl doesn't enjoy it. Oh, well. She loved the party and came home with a crown.

These are the birthday balloons that are also amazing toys for little people.

This was the birthday bash. Purple frosting on chocolate mint cupcakes and the five of us. I'm telling you, we're big on parties.

Cora is the one on the left and Syd on the right.

And the grand trio with their milk.