My Help

They fold laundry.

They “pretend” to sleep in the basket.

They cook.

 “Hot!” he says.

They clean.

And they sit around acting cute.

With help like this, I shouldn’t complain. But seriously, it takes me all day to do a few chores. It’s like running a mile, but really you haven’t gone anywhere because you’re on a treadmill. They sure are cute, though!

Oh, well. Eventually they will be big enough and I will leave them with chore lists, just like my parents did for me and my sister growing up. Man, I hated those lists! Dusting, vacuuming, folding laundry, dishes, washing windows, mowing the lawn, and the list goes on. So I know that eventually I will get to sit back and relax… because with this many kids, surely there will be at least a couple who will do their chores.

But in reality, I’m sure I am just entertaining a wonderful idea. I can already hear the griping and complaining now. “Mom! Elsie’s not helping!” or “Mom! Why do we always have to do everything?!”

Every stage is a joy and blessing, right? Enjoy them while they are young and at home because pretty soon they will be grown and out of the house. (I say this as Elsie just stole Mallie’s pacifier. Mallie started hollering and screaming and whapped her sister upside the head. And Collin just disappeared into the kitchen to get into who knows what!). Let the fun begin. Or I should say… Let the fun and games continue!

I often wonder how other mom’s get everything done and keep the kids busy. Is there some secret? What are your tips and tricks? Seriously! I would love to hear them!

I let them play with play-doh this time to get things done. So by the time I got the laundry done, I had a play-doh mess. But it kept them entertained for quite a while and I folded clothes like there was no tomorrow.

 xxx

Skateboarding Baby

The skateboard wasn’t Elsie’s Christmas present, but I think it was one of her favorites.

I can’t believe she held so still and didn’t fall off. I held my breath the whole time. Brad comes up with crazy ideas. The kids always have fun.

Check her out in action in the video below.

Mallie rode it also. She didn’t stay on it as long.

It was Cedrik’s Christmas present. Poor kid can’t even ride it. He broke his toe/foot playing dodgeball. Soon enough he will be up and on it though.

xxx

October/November Recap

It has been so crazy here I haven’t blogged in a while. I feel like I have missed a lot. So I am just going to condense it into one big recap.

First we had Bradley’s 6th birthday.

And then my birthday.

Then Halloween. The kids got a lot of candy. I ate a large amount of chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

And the day after Halloween was Elsie and Mallie’s first birthday. They really chowed down on the cake.

And the day after that was Brad’s birthday. And then Grandpa Don’s birthday.

And then my computer went haywire, not all by itself though… partly because of me. But thanks again, Dad, for fixing it.

And between all of that was the everyday jobs of keeping up with dishes, laundry, and all that fun stuff.

And finally a break!

It has been so busy I kind of felt like this (check out the video below). DIZZY!

It just makes me dizzy watching it. The first time Collin did it, he stood up and fell over. It was hilarious. I guess he learned, because from then on he just crawled afterward.

Actually, this is just one example of Brad’s way of entertaining himself with the kids on Sunday when he is watching football. I guess you have to do something with those commercial breaks.

xxx

Cutest Video Ever!

I am always asked if the twins play together and what it is like to have two of them.

I’ll answer the second question first. It is CRAZY having two babies at the same time! But it is also a lot of fun.

They sort of play together, but most of the time Mallie is stealing Elsie’s toys and Elsie just sits there and screams. But when they do play together, it is super cute.

Check out the video below. It is one of my favorites!

I was lucky to get it all on video.

xxx

Just a Few More Bits & Pieces

I watch the kids play and they are getting so big. Bradley has a birthday in four days! I can’t believe he is going to be six. The girls will be one in less than a month! And Collin just turned two, and you can tell, he is perfecting the art of toddler temper tantrums lately.

Oh, my dear Collin. He is so cute and sweet…and ornery. He  does love helping. though. The other day at my sister’s house Elsie was crying. Collin jumped down from his chair at the dinner table and swiped Mallie’s pacifier from her mouth and stuck it in Elsie’s. He then got back up and finished eating. One less baby crying. Poor Mallie, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Collin also loves fighting with his brother. Oh, they torment each other so much. Sticking their tongues out at each other or making faces. Collin will steal Bradley’s markers when he is doing homework and take off running. It can be a regular zoo around here sometimes.

My sister and I were talking:

“Where do these boys get this orneryness? I mean, Jonas did those same things when he was little,” my sister said.

“I know, and so did Bradley,” I say. “Couldn’t be from us! They must get it from each of their Dad’s side,” and I can’t help but laugh.

“Remember that time Bradley got so mad at you for eating that cookie?”

“It was one of the greatest temper tantrums I have ever seen.”

And sweet Mallie, I can already tell she is going to be his partner in crime, like stealing pacifiers and chasing her sister. You can read more at this previous post and watch a video. It’s too funny.

The girls are starting to get too big for the sink. I’m going to start having to give them baths in the tub. But they are so cute in the sink.

Mallie’s bubble beard. She tried to eat the wash rag full of bubbles.

Mallie finally has two bottom teeth AND she took her first little baby step the other day. She holds on and walks around the furniture like a pro. It will be no time before she is walking and chasing Collin.

Below is Elsie waiting for her bath.

She is finally crawling and working on pulling herself up and standing by things. AND she is finally starting to pick up her own food with her fingers and eat. Mallie shovels it in. Elsie will sit there with her mouth open and screams until you feed her. I finally just walked away and left her with her favorite treat. She started picking it up and eating. FINALLY! I think sometimes she would prefer to have you do it. She was the same way with her bottle. She wouldn’t hold it either until I just left it on her chest. She finally quit crying and started holding her own bottle.

Elsie is also really into clapping right now. She claps when she is happy…and she claps when she is mad. Check out the video below.

They get big so quick. I just try to remember to slow down and enjoy the  little moments in this crazy, beautiful, busy life.

xxx

Happenings Around the House

Bradley got glasses.

Haha! Not those. The ones down below.

These. He is so cute in glasses. Of course, I’m partial because I’m his mother and think he looks cute even at his scariest moments.

Collin is sitting in a big boy chair, sort of. He is sitting half the time, the other half of the time he is on the table. “Collin, get off the table! Sit in your big boy seat,” I say every day at every meal. He will eventually catch on.

He had to give the high chair up to the babies.

And the girls enjoy their baths in the sink.

Elsie has two teeth on the top and bottom. Mallie has no teeth yet, but she has all the hair.

Time flies by so fast. They are all getting so big!

xxx

Cake for Breakfast, a Motorcycle Ride to School, and Easter Eggs in August

“Who wants cake for breakfast?!”

I am so excited I am saying this. I mean, I am such a cool mom!

“No, I don’t want any,” Bradley says. “I just want cereal.”

Collin says no, too.

What the hell is wrong with these kids?! Bewildered, I pour them the same cereal they eat every day. They are well-trained.

My dad comes a half hour later to take Bradley to school. He is carrying a bag of doughnuts. YUM! I’m excited.

“Bradley, you gonna eat a doughnut before you go to school?”

“No thanks.”

“They have sprinkles!” I say, trying to entice him with the sugary goodness.

“No. Just save me one for later, maybe.”

Really? No doughnuts, too? Is he sick or something? At least Collin ate one. I mean, c’mon…who doesn’t want cake or doughnuts for breakfast? Crazy kids.

 When it was time to leave for school Bradley runs in to the kitchen, “Mom, I get to ride the motorcycle to school. This is gonna be soooo fun!” Finally I get some excitement from him.

It’s still hard seeing him off to school. One of these days I will get used to it.

The babies and I got a lot of playing and work done. They played, I worked. To get a few things done in the kitchen I let them play with the plastic Easter eggs.

 Collin wanted to hog the whole bowl for himself. We ended up with Tupperware bowls, spoons, and a variety of other utensils out by the time it was through. It looked like the Easter bunny exploded all over my kitchen floor.

The things I do to keep my kids busy. I crack myself up. They have fun. 🙂

xxx

 

Milestones

August 16, 2011

We have been hitting a lot of milestones, especially today. It’s Collin’s second birthday and Bradley’s first day of kindergarten. <big sigh> I’m trying to hold back the tears.

First day of school –  All over America moms of kindergartners are crying as they watch their little ones go into the very beginning of their school career. And I’m sure some mother’s of older children are cheering, “Yes! They needed to go back to school before they drive me crazy!” Right now, I’m the crying one.

I woke up before all the kids on the first day of school, feeling that old excitement and fear as if I was in grade school again. I wonder who I will sit by? I wonder who will be in my class? I hope my teacher sure is nice? I can smell the new notebooks, glue, and crayons now. I remember when I couldn’t wait to use my new paints, and sport a new outfit and book bag.

Bradley was still fast asleep. I love sleeping children. I didn’t really want to get any of them up, but it is the “big day” and there’s no putting it off any longer.

Ready for the first day of kindergarten.

I studied the photocopied pick up and drop off procedures for Bradley’s school the night before and in the morning before we left. I looked at it through blurry eyes as I tried to push back those big momma tears that always want to spring out and overflow when you send your kid to kindergarten for the first time. I tried to orientate myself with the streets and the map, doing a rehearsal in my head. My brain did not want to cooperate since time and places are so confusing right now. I mean, he’s only a baby! And now I have to pull up, push him out of the car,  and send him into the big brick building all by himself (along with the seventy other something kindergartners)?

And I kept thinking how scary for him, but as we pulled up I smiled and in my most cheery mom voice said, “We’re here! You’re first day of kindergarten! How fun!” Fun for him, not for me – is what I really meant. I’m going to so miss having him home with me during the day. I really thought of holding onto his book bag and giving him a hundred kisses before the teachers had to pull me off, but I restrained myself. I also held back those tears (a.k.a. uncontrollable sobs) that I think all mom’s get that first day. I mean, I didn’t want to scare the poor lil’  fella’.

The thing that drove me crazy is I should have parked and made sure he got in the right line, etc. But I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep a handle on Collin, there wasn’t enough time, and there wasn’t anywhere to park anyway.

I got out anyway and helped him put on his book bag, gave him a kiss, “Have a good day. Mommy will be here in this line when you get out. Look for our car. And make sure you see Mommy in the car (for fear he might get into some other black SUV) before you get in.”

I asked one of the school staff standing there, “Where is he supposed to go?” I couldn’t really leave the car since Collin was in it, and you’re not supposed to park there (drop off only zone).

“Just go and get into the Kindergarten line,” she said motioning over to the hundreds of  lined up kids on the other side of the playground. “We goota keep this line moving. Your teacher will be holding up the Kindergarten sign. Oh wait, you probably can’t read yet. Ummm…” she was clueless. “I guess you could go park.” I looked around, park where? Two blocks away? I doubt we would make it to school on time. Cars were zooming in and out as they dropped off their kids. Movement was everywhere, and I just wanted to stay planted to that spot. “No, don’t go,” but I didn’t say it.

I took control of the situation. “Bradley, do you see that lady standing there in the white pants? See, there are two ladies, one in white and one in black? Go run up and there and ask her where the kindergarten line is.” And I held up the drop off-line while I watched and made sure he reached the ladies and was in place in line. Ticket me. I don’t care.

He was so happy and proud when I picked him up.

My dad was watching the girls, so when Collin and I got back home my dad says, “Happy Birthday, Collin! How old are you? Are you two?”

“Holy crap! I have been so busy running around to be on time this morning I forgot it was his birthday!” I mean, I remembered a week ago, two days ago…but it just slipped my mind this morning. I spoiled him the rest of the day.

He even got balloons and candy delivered from Connie at Miller’s Florist.

And…

He even got to eat the extra vegetables after dinner. (He helped himself.)

Cake and icecream for dessert.

*I forgot to get frosting. Oops. It just makes the cake healthy. ;)* And he’s two, so he doesn’t know any better yet. It also went well with the banana split icecream.

Other milestones, Mallie is crawling and pulling herself up on everything. This girl can get around…and gets into everything. I can tell she is going to be Collin’s partner in crime.

Don't eat the dog food, Mallie!

And Elsie has a tooth! Just one coming in on the top. If she gets the other one, I’m gonna call her Bugs, like Bugs Bunny. “What’s up, Doc?”

Elsie and Mickey

Oh, my sweet girls.

Second day of school – I actually cried more than I did the first day. Bradley jumped out of the car, “Bye, Mom!” as he went running. He forgot my kiss. He ran up to a teacher, “Where’s the kindergarten line?” And he was off.

Tomorrow my dad is taking him to school…on the Harley. Bradley is super excited. He is getting too big! But he will always be my baby.

xxx

Give Me a Break…and other crazy captions

Mallie B.  a.k.a. Mally – Boo

1 week old

4 months old

Give me a break!

Ugh! What a busy day being a baby. I need a rest.

Who turned out the lights?!

I can’t believe I’m related to these people. Craziness!

Sleeping Beauty. Is my prince on his way?

Feel free to add your own captions in the comments. We can have a good giggle 🙂

Have a great day!

xxx

Recipes, ‘Spearmints, and Pooping Jellybeans

I hate to do laundry. I hate it so much that some sort of inspiration always hits me, some great project that helps me procrastinate. I excel at procrastination in a very creative way. I call it creative procrastination. 

This is what we did today.

Recipe for a ‘Spearmint (Experiment)

by Bradley Ledbetter

Measuring cups, spoons, whisks, spatulas, and anything else you can find in the kitchen drawers.

Assorted pots and pans of various sizes.

Red, yellow, and green sprinkles. Some chocolate ones, too. And the cinnamon things. All that stuff up there in the cupboard that you can find. Don’t forget the food coloring.

Flour, sugar, salt, rice, spaghetti, and anything else your mom will let you get your hands in.

Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and other various condiments.

Pour, shake, stir. Mix it all together. Add a dash of this and a shake of that. Sprinkle in some more spices, pour in some more flour. Shake it, swirl it, put a spell on it. Do this all on the floor. There, it’s ready to pour.

But don’t let the dog eat it!!!! He will poop jelly beans.

No! Don't feed your sister. Yuck!

I had started my laundry but couldn’t pay enough attention to my little helper, Collin. There is just way to much for him to get into and too great of a possibility of him blowing the house up; furnace, water heater, etc. 

Normally he presses his face against the glass of the washing machine (we have front loaders) and watches the clothes roll around and around in there, making himself dizzy and silly. But lately this hasn’t been enough entertainment.

So I moved to the kitchen. He is also a big helper in there. As I was trying to unload the dishwasher he kept banging the door open and closed. There are times that I say “no” way too many times in a day, I really feel like I am going bonkers. I felt like putting my head in the dishwasher or banging it against the oven. Instead, I gave Collin a pot with a little bit of water at the bottom and some sprinkles for cookie decorating. Kept him busy while I was able to get a few things done in the kitchen, and still play with him. I only had to say “no” two times, when he was trying to feed Mallie his concoction, then Murphy, as you seen from pics above.

We even ate our lunch on the floor – pizza, not the ‘spearmints. It only lasted until Collin started putting blue sprinkles on everybody’s pizza.

I may not have got much laundry done, but the kitchen got cleaned, swept, and even mopped!

Oh, and Elsie slept through it all.

xxx