Snyder-ville

Showcasing our Talents

2011-12-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

What a weekend!

2011-11-06T21:17:00.002-05:00

We had a fab weekend in Ohio visiting friends and family. It was a huge accomplishment that Aunt Nona and Uncle Todd were able to manage all 4 of our munchkins in addition to their own.

Scott and I got to dress up and act fancy for Bill and Debbie's wedding. It was at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland and it was such a great time with great friends. It was an amazing event, terrific band and LOTS of drinking and dancing. I even got Scott to dance with me for more than one song, and Kevin taught me how to jitterbug! It was a riot!

We made it back to Nona and Todd's house and met Mom and Dad for pizza and salads. It was a BEAUTIFUL fall day, and the kids all played outside in the sun. Poor MiMi had another very minor spill, nothing big, so we all laughed and teased her about it. Papa beat all of the kids bums, and everyone but Hadles loved it!

My failure this weekend was forgetting the camera, so I don't have evidence of the wonderful weekend, but it was wonderful.

The entire weekend was filled with moments that will be cherished memories!

Miracle of Miracles

2011-10-21T10:53:00.002-04:00

I never thought it would be possible, but here is a photo of all 4 offspring in one photo!

bad blogger = smaller booty

2011-08-26T11:56:00.002-04:00

So several people have asked is I still have the blog. yes, i do - it's still here.

I've been trying to work out more in the evenings instead of working on the computer. Unfortunatley, it's not so good for the blog. My butt is getting smaller now, and that is a huge win for me.

I'll try to include a bit more posting in the future, but not at the cost of a skinny butt.

It's been one week

2011-04-01T07:31:00.002-04:00

In the past seven days:
One of our rental houses burned down
One of our tenants was growing pot
Growing pot was the cause of house burning down
Tenant/pot grower left his wallet and a big bag of weed in the house – Scott had to deliver it to the police
I’ve been harassed by both the insurance company, mortgage company and fire investigators
I’ve spent at least 6 hours this week on completely pointless work related conference calls with no tangible outcomes
I’ve orchestrated childcare for the kids for the weekend so Scott and I can get away for grown up time
Written the better part of a book detailing each kid’s eating and personal habits so that they can be cared for by grandparents
The dog got sprayed by a skunk less than 12 hours before I am to board a plane
I have showered with the dog, twice, washed him with soap, tomato soup (no juice on hand), vinegar and baking soda
My dog still smells like skunk
I have not had ONE DRINK, but in less than 4 hours I’m boarding a plane with my honey to take the first trip sans children, and plan to have enough drinks to forget all about the past seven days.

Talking about my gurlz...

2011-02-24T22:46:00.004-05:00

I have never been one of those girls who have a lot of girl friends. Don’t get me wrong, I have awesome friends, but I’m not good at being a “girlfriend.” It’s sort of one of those self inventory items that I’ve chosen to overlook for a while, but I always just excused myself for this fault – not enough time, too busy, my schedule is too demanding, and on and on.

I’ve always assumed I’m just one of those weird girls that just didn’t have the regular girlfriend gene, but in reality, I think I might just be pretty darn lucky when it comes to girlfriends. I may not be anyone’s BEST friend, but I think I’ve got more than my fair share of AWESOME girlfriends.

I have been going to dinner every 4-6 weeks with a small group of women who make me feel like I’m still cool. We talk about hairstyles and restaurants, who has the best shoes and how incredibly insane it is to try to “balance” a job and a husband and a social life and multiple children! We laugh, we have cried and we have shared stories of bikini waxing gone bad in a (tiny) crowded restaurant with whooping laughter (mostly mine) that was completely inappropriate for the way cool vibe. They are a group that I don’t mind sharing my crazyinsane thoughts with – whether we are discussing a recipe for red velvet cupcakes or what we want to do when we grow up or how to react when your company is trying to force you out of your job; these girl friends actually care to hear my opinion on almost EVERY TOPIC.

While we’re discussing my girlfriends, let me not forget to mention that I have neighbors who don’t seem to mind me, and might even think I’m reasonably OK to hang out with. For a while I assumed it was a relational issue because we all wanted to be neighborly, but I think it’s more than that. I have silly fun with these ladies, and I crack crude jokes and drink WAAAAAY too much wine and have so much damn fun I can hardly stand it. They may think I’m insane, but I’m okay with that.

And work friends that are more than just co-workers – yes! You know how there are people you work with, but then you realize you really like them, like for real. In real life, you would be friends with these people. YEP, I’ve got them too!! True, real. girlfriends that I truly care about-- strong, successful women that I work or worked with in the past, but stay in touch with long after, they are still my friends. Friends that I care about, and want to know how their kids are, and how they are, and it feels just like it did years ago when we spoke much more regularly.

There’s one more group not to be forgotten, although I don’t see them nearly often enough – they are a group I’m not exactly sure how to name. They are the Wives of Scott’s Fraternity Brothers, but that label is not even close to describing them. They are my alter egos, my wild side, my girls gone wild/girls gone child. They are the group that don’t mind if I throw up in their back yard, the girls that I may not see for three years, but then we get together and feel like we haven’t missed a beat. These are the girls that I will stay up all night talking with, and wonder why IN THE WORLD we don’t see each other more often.

Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I don’t think you understand – I always assumed that I was not one of those girls with girlfriends, but DAMN – I think I’m pretty lucky to have so many great friendships. My friends, all of them, (although maybe not all on the same topics,) they care what I think! Not because they have to, not because they are being polite, they actually think I’m interesting enough to give a sh*t.

Here’s the thing, I read books where women have these forever long friendships that never waiver, never falter, and they always are BFF’s. Silly me, I actually started to believe that these are the types of friendships that are the the norm. Maybe… just maybe…all those romantic notions of life long, childhood friends, are just a bunch of crap. Maybe MY girlfriends are the real norm, what every girl who thinks she isn’t a good “girlfriend” is more the average than the exception. But if the exception is a group of friends make me feel cool and hip and smart and witty and pretty and creative and good– well, maybe that IS what’s real. At the very least, that’s what is real for me, and for that, I’m so very thankful.

PS – I may or may not have had at least three (four) glasses of wine before writing this, with my GIRLFRIENDS!!! If my grammar is poor, I'm sorry!

ahhhh - it's 2011

2011-01-10T19:31:00.002-05:00

So I really crapped out at the end of 2010. I was doing so well with the "things I am thanful for" series, but then Scott went out of town, and it was the week of Christmas and I got buried alive.

Christmas was wonderful here in Snyderville, and Santa was very good to all of us, even rotten Miss Viv. We had a great time with family we see often, and the family we don't see often enough.

The trees are cleaned up and put away finally, but we are still enjoying all of our new toys. Evelyn and I are working on posting a list of everyone's favorite gifts, so be on the lookout for that.

Thankful for: Youtube

2010-12-17T09:49:00.005-05:00

Because sometimes, all you can do is laugh, especially if it is at some else's expense. Here is one of my favorites.

Thankful for: One on One Time

2010-12-17T01:19:00.003-05:00

I love family time, but it's so nice to have time to spend with just one of the kids at a time. I've been working hard this year to carve out special activities with each of the kids, so I can get time with each of them to absorb their personalities.

Evelyn and I have been working on a craft project this winter, and it's so much fun to have time to sit and chat with her in the evening. She's the easiest to catch QT with, as she stays up later than the other kids and is able to manage much more mature activities. She's really a ton of fun.

Anna and I have been spenfing our one on one time shopping. Anna loves to go in the car, and really seems to soak up the attention of being my sole focus. She's such a gentle little girl, and loves to make up sotries about all of her animal friends. It warms my heart that when we are out together, she always talks about her "Nafan."

One on one time with Nathan is tricky. At this particular phase of our lives, he demands more attention than any of the other kids, but we still need to find time for just Mama and my boy. Like Anna, the easiest way to get QT is to leave the house and do some shopping, but we also have quiet times together reading books or playing in the basement. Nathan has a shorter attention span, but it's really fun to get time to focus on him, and I think he really likes the quieter times.

Now, little miss fireball, Vivian - I'm not sure that she appreciates one on one time at all. She just loves being in the mix of all the kids and chaos, I think she sometimes sees time apart as punishment. There is no way she would admit it, but she has begun to be a bit of a cuddler, and if you catch her when she's tired, she may even be kind of. . . sweet.

Thankful for: First Words

2010-12-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

One of this year's many blessings was hearing Nathan's sweet voice for the first time. He just didn't have much to say to any of us until this summer. I happened to have the video camera nearby, as we knew the words would be coming soon since we had begun to hear babbling in the preceeding weeks. Since then, he's progressing greatly with his vocabulary and social skills.

Now it almost hard to remember him before he was talking to us. How fast the time goes!

Thankful for: Guinness

2010-12-11T22:49:00.002-05:00

Guinness is our good old dog and the poor old man has seen a lot of changes in his 9 years with us. We got him the year we were married, and brought him home as a tiny, puffy puppy. Now 4 kids later, he is certainly not the focus of much attention anymore, but he is still the recipient of much love.

Every morning he walks (or runs) with Evelyn to the bus stop, and in the afternoon he waits for the bus to bring her back home. He goes through episodes of neurotic behaviors, but we always love our Guinness.

Thankful for: Nigh-nigh, Moon

2010-12-07T22:58:00.003-05:00

We have developed a new bedtime routine with the twins, and one of the additions in a nightly visit with the moon. Every night on the way to bed, we have to stop and look for the moon, just so we can make sure to say night night to the moon. I love having three year olds.

Thannkful for: Reinhardt's

2010-12-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

It started out as a simple arrangement - she needs a job, we need childcare. A friend of a friend who loves children, just lost her job, looking for a kid to watch at her house - perfect fit for us.

Almost seven years later, their family is part of our family, and we can't thank them enough for all they do for all of us. We love you CC, Big Ed, Amanda, Wally, Lana, Eddie and Jackie!

Thankful for: Creative little minds and fingers

2010-12-04T22:58:00.003-05:00

This is my sweet Annabelle and her baby duck.

Anna loves animals and constantly requests that we draw pictures of various animals for her. As far as I can remember, this is the very first time she has ever drawn a picture by herself and brought it to show me. I was so excited that we decided to take a picture of it.

Thankful for: ABC's

2010-12-03T23:04:00.005-05:00

When Nathan was younger, he used to have tantrums that would last f.o.r.e.v.e.r. I mean it, it seemed like there was nothing we could do to soothe him. Until one day, I started to sing to him, very softly in his ear: the abc's. It began to calm him, and it began to shorten the duration of the tantrums.

These days, the tantrums are much less common, but he LOVES his abc's. He sings them, does alphabet puzzles, he can even name an animal for each letter of the alphabet. I think the abc's help him to create order, soothe him, and help him feel more in control - and for all of these things, I am thankful.

Thankful for: Neil Diamond

2010-12-02T23:00:00.004-05:00

This is an old video of the twins, but one of my favorites. I love our dance parties, regardless of the music choices.

Thankful for: Sisters

2010-12-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

I'm so thankful that my girls have each other. I was blessed to grow up with a sister, and I'm so glad that the kids have sisters. Poor Nathan is the only boy kid in the house, but he sure does love his sisters, too.

Perspective

2010-11-10T20:49:00.003-05:00

Scene - Scott and I watching TV at 8:45pm with Evelyn. We can't all seem to agree on something to watch, so Scott puts on the 1994 classic, True Lies.

Scott: This is what they call a "chase scene," Evelyn.

Me: It's the cornerstone of all guy movies made from 1982 to 1997. It's not really an important part of a movie, but all guys love it.

Evelyn: Oh, Great. If it's popular in the 19's, I know it's really old.

ha ha ha!

All are welcome to my pity party

2010-10-28T11:58:00.002-04:00

My hard drive crashed. I lost a years worth of photos that I forgot to back up. I'm sick. My kids are sick. My life isn't fun this week. I know that these are small issues in the grand scheme, but it's bumming me out. sigh...

We did have a fabulous trip to the Pumpkin Farm on my birthday, will share more soon.

Cake!

2010-10-24T22:19:00.004-04:00

So, I think it's safe to say that she liked her birthday cake.

what a difference a year makes!

2010-10-01T01:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, My sweet Vivian!

(You'll notice that her mouth is OPEN in every photo of her!)

The Summer of 2010

2010-09-23T23:25:00.004-04:00

I haven’t been able to write in a while. Certainly not because I haven’t had anything to write about, but sometimes it just seems too big put write it down, To put it out there just seems like I’d be inviting the universe to mock me for what I’d written, what I’ve seen, what I believe. So I took some time off, a break from recording the events and my thoughts, so that I could just be in the moment. While there is a portion of me that wishes I would have had the sense to take a moment and commit my feelings into words, I didn’t do it, but I lived it, and it was BIG.

Let me tell you a bit more about this great, big summer I’ve had. We didn’t plan a vacation this summer, and things were crazy, with making the adjustments to having four kids, so we just played it cool at home this summer. We played in the backyard and jumped on the trampoline and blew bubbles. We had camp fires and fed the horses and went for walks, and just enjoyed the simple things. Evelyn played with her friends until she cried from pure exhaustion, Vivian smiled and crawled and learned to walk, Anna played pretend with every animal you can imagine, and Nathan learned to talk.

I think the biggest revelation for the Snyder family in the Summer of 2010 was Nathan learning to speak. It was just the strangest thing, he started to make more noises, mostly dah’s and bah’s, but then one morning, we came down to the kitchen to eat breakfast, and he opened up a book and began to count…1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. and then 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. and then he did it again. And then he asked to eat. That was about 8 weeks ago, and now he knows so many words, in both English and Spanish, that my heart swells up and my eyes get weepy when I try to describe how far he’s come in just a few short weeks. The way that I make sense of it, is this: Have you ever heard the expression – you can’t get there from here? In Nathan’s brain, verbal communication was like that – he knew the words, and he knew the meaning, but he couldn’t access the verbalization in order to describe or request something. The pathways of information exchange that exist in the brain were clogged, but after a year of therapy, we unclogged the pathway, and words began to flow. His verbalization began as a little trickle of numbers, and has grown into NIAGARA FALLS – he recites the alphabet and an animal that begins with each letter. He asks for “hug” and “kiss” and “high five”; and he tells us about “el relampago” (lightening), and asks to “eat pop-taart, Puweeeeeese?” He’s changed so much: he’s so much happier than I’ve known him to be. He’s calmer and more relaxed, and he does this little dance when he shakes his head and wiggles his body, and it just looks joyful! He’s still a typical toddler, who gets mad when he doesn’t get his way, and he pushes his baby sister when she grabs his blanket, but he’s happy, and I’m happy for him.

Our little Anna Banana has so many words that I can’t imagine where she stores them all. She plays pretend with every one of her stuffed animals, and she uses the cutest voice on Earth to have them talk to each other. You can tell she’s a twin, and that she loves her brother fiercely, because the animals always play in two’s and they take care of each other. She mimics her big sister and sweet Evelyn usually lets her tag along with her when the big girls play in the back yard. Of all the kids, she has the least patience with Vivian, and can hardly control her temper if Viv happens to look at one of her beloved stuffed animals. She has done so well adjusting to all the attention that Nathan has had from his therapists and is truly a gentle spirit.

My dear Miss Evelyn started second grade last week and is getting so grown up that I can hardly remember her as my tiny baby. She is in her second year of cheerleading, and seems to be finding her footing in the neighborhood. She is the skinniest little thing, and still has the sweetness that she had as a toddler. She loves her friends and family, and cries every time it’s time to say goodbye. I think there would be nothing in the world that would make her happier than to have every friend and family member live within a two mile radius of our house. She loves being a big sister, and even though she likes to complain about all the crying and poopy diapers that her siblings create, she loves them more that even she can comprehend. And certainly not to be forgotten, the newest of the family, Vivian. She’s my little crazy. There is so much energy trapped in her tiny form that it seems to ooze out of her. She has 2 settings, happy and sleepy, and she can’t stop moving in either setting. She is always wearing the biggest, cheesiest grin and is just a wild one.
I’m hoping to find a few more minutes to write again, but I’m not making promises yet. I’m just enjoying what’s happening right now.

Baptism

2010-05-24T22:04:00.004-04:00

I'm so tired that this may be one of the shortest posts ever. Vivian was baptized this weekend, it was beautiful. Lots of good times with friends and family. Vivian stole the show at church, she fel in love with our priest, Kris. It was exhausting, but wonderful.

7 months old

2010-05-01T09:32:00.005-04:00

Sitting up and crawling already! She's growing up so quickly!

Tell me a story

2010-04-18T22:34:00.004-04:00

I love stories. I love to hear or read a good story, a feel good story, a story about how someone accomplished something, almost any kind of story, any time. Maybe that's why I like to read blogs? I like to read people's stories, and frequently find out that I'm not really that different than everyone else.

This past week, most of the stories I would have shared would have been gloomy at best. I could have told you the story of Nathan being soooooo sick that I thought he and I both would lose our minds, the story of company cutbacks and almost losing my job, the story of the great people that I've worked with for years that unexpectedly lost their jobs. I could even tell you the story of how I had to comfort my hysterical Evelyn when the bus driver pulled the bus over and made the kids get under the seats because there was a tornado warning on Friday while they were coming home. But I'm not going to tell you any of those stories.

I had a tough week, a hard week, and one that made me not want to tell any of the stories. This week made me want to cry and curse and feel sorry for myself. But I made it through this week. And once on the other side of the week, it's made me better. It made me remember that while there were some sad stories, there were also GOOD stories. I could have told you any number of short stories af how silly my sweet Annabelle is, and how she looked after her sick twin; stories of my chubby babbling baby girl, the story of going to dinner at Big Jims with the neighbors because the power was out for the evening, I could even tell you the story of my dear neighbor cutting loose and having more fun than I've seen her have in a looong time, and giggling until my sides hurt and the kids thought we were "so crazy!"

This week made me remember that sometimes life is hard work, but no matter how hard things are, and how much I work at making things better, things still are pretty damn good in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in wanting things to be better that we take for granted how good things already are.

I'm not sure that I'll look back on this post one day and understand why I thought this week was so overwhelming, but I'm not sure it really matters. I might not even remember what I meant to convey with this post, but I hope it will make me realize that this is just a little story about one Sunday night when I realized how blessed I am. That's the story I want to tell you - the story of how I realized that even when things seems really tough, and hard and too big to tackle, things really aren't so bad.

Another spot for quality family time

2010-04-11T23:56:00.004-04:00

We're starting to ease into potty training here is Snyderville. Therefore, we spend a lot of group time in the bathroom lately. Who would've known that you can fit four of us in the powder room?

Nice to meet you!

2010-04-08T21:41:00.010-04:00

So I think I may be able to dedicate some time to you again, my patient blog. Let me introduce you to the family -

the biggest sister, Evelyn

My big girl, Evelyn is almost seven years old! It's hard to believe, but she is becoming such a grown up. She taught me a lesson, in a very good way, just before Easter. Scott had something going on, so it was just me and the kids at home on the Thursday before Easter. I had begun painiting the dining room, and really wanted to get it done before my family came in for Easter. The twins were fighting me about bed time, and I had to give Ev a bath that evening, and I was just exhausted. I was trying to hurry her along, so I could finish her bath and feed Vivian, and then try to spend some more time painting. As I explained why I was more grumpy than usual, she says to me -"Mom, when your family comes to visit, they aren't coming to see your house, they are just coming to give you love. not to see your house or your stuff. You don't hae to struggle so much, Mommy, just love them." Needless to say, I pulled my sweet, smart, insightful daughter onto my lap and we snuggled, and a few days later my family ate dinner in a half painted dining room. That's my Evelyn.

Meet Vivian:

Oh, hi! It's so nice to see you again!

Sweet miss Viv is six months old now and is just such a happy baby! She is a smiley girl, and her smile seems to engulf her entire face. She has her oldest sister's great big brown eyes, but quite unlike her big sis, she LOVES to eat. She usually has a bowl of cereal and fruit each morning and a bowl of cereal and a veggie in the late afternoon. At ther six month checkup, she was a hefty 16 pounds! (Evelyn didn't weigh 16 pounds at one year old!) She is rolling all around, and learning to sit up unassisted. She is constantly rolling over, and it looks like she will be crawling before long. We've already seen some "army crawl" out the little sweetheart!

Our dashing little man, Nathan

How you doing, toots?

My dear sweet boy is just so sweet and joyful. He still loves his blanky, and is the first one to remind me when we're getting close to bedtime - he is READY when it's time for bed. He's cuddly and sweet, and likes to be babied on occasion. He may be the only family member to show a little bit of jealousy with regard to Vivi, but then again, he was the baby before she arrived! Mr. Nathan has probably had the most eventful last few months of all of us. While he is still very much the strong, silent type, he is really advancing with his communication skills. He now has a consistent vocabulary of "up" and "ball"; but has an inconsistent vocabulary of about eight other words, and seems to be adding more each day. He has been learning signs and using them very effectively, and verbalizing more and more. It's just amazing to see him developing. He also loves numbers, and holds up the correct number of fingers to correspond with a number, and arranges his foam numbers in order from 1-10. As if that weren't enough, he has even attempted to feed himself with a spoon, which is a huge step for him, as well. I tear up every time I reflect on how far he's come, and can't imagine what's next. We are blessed with some of the very best therapists I have ever known, and I'm so thankful that they come to help my little guy every day.

Annabelle: the diva

Who, me? A diva, not possible!

Holy cow, where do I even start to tell you about Miss Thing! It's so funny to describe Anna, because she is such a funny kid. She is the only child who can be shy around new people, and when she's shy, she is mean! People will approach us and comment about how darling Anna is, and she will scowl at them, I'm not sure she can physically roll her eyes, but mentally, she totally does it. That's not to say she isn't sweet, because she IS! She takes care of Nathan like a little mother. She calls him "My Nay-Nay," and when he's having a har time, she will give him toys or run to get his blanket for him. She loves to have "pretties" in her hair, and is very particular about her clothes. Let me be clear about this - I don't pick out her clothes each morning - SHE does! She has so much personality, it's hard to believe it all fits into her tiny body.

See what I mean - sooooo much personality!

Things are either starting to settle down here a little bit, or I'm finally adjusting to the pace of 4 children. Things are always hectic, but I'm starting to find time to do things for myself again. Things change so quickly, and I need to remember to blog so that I can step back and see how far we've come. Don't go too far, I'll be back soon.

what are you looking at?

I suck

2010-03-15T00:15:00.003-04:00

I really kinda suck at blogging right now. I wish I had time to write things down and keep up, but at the moment, I do not. And my good camera is broken, and I lost the cord to my old camera, so there's not even cutey photos of small children to share.

Want to see some oldies? I think I figured out what new camera I plan to buy, so maybe will get reinspired to blog.

Out from under a rock

2010-01-26T22:00:00.008-05:00

It's not like I mean to be hiding out or anything. December started out as a rough month, and then it just got crazier with a hub who was Sick, then randomly passing out, then randomly passing out and messing up his pretty face. We've had doctor appointments, emergency room visits, stitches, physical therapy and throw in CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR - and all of a sudden I've forgotten all about a blog that I used to write.

Believe it or not, amid all the CRAZY, we had a terrific Christmas. And New Year. I have photographic proof.

But, January is almost over and things are looking up. Everyone is well or mending, and above all, we're happy. (Except for the fact that my good camera has broken. Arrrgh!)

In the meantime, we dance.

Soaking it up

2009-12-01T22:10:00.004-05:00

Sorry about that last post. It was meant to come out as funny - like can you believe THIS - but I didn't realize how buried I'd become. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, a constant torrent of needs and wants, very few of them belonging to me. But I have to say, I'm enjoying it. Truth is it's much more enjoyable with a job to hold my attention and Cindy's help during the day, but it sounds much harder than it really is.
Today, Vivian is 2 months old. I'm not sure if she is really an easy baby, or if I'm just getting better at the Mommy gig, but she is a very easy going kid. She LOVES to be held and cuddled, and has been working so hard at trying to get her thumb or fingers into her mouth. She's hungry as can be, and growing so quickly! She's taking at least 4 ounces every three hours, and has taken as much as 6 ounces in a feeding. She's doing pretty good at night, and I think we are going to be looking at getting her into her crib and out of our room before long. It's bittersweet to think of moving her out, she's such a cuddler, and there is nothing better than snugging her into the bed to feed her late at night and feeling her sweet breath against my chest. She's simply a joy, and I'm doing my very best to savor the last baby that I'll have.

All in all, I'm doing my best to savor all that is on my plate right now. It's ironic, but I realized after the last post, that as hard as it is, it will be gone all too quickly, and I will be wishing for the days when four little people are all competing for my attention. I'm going to laugh most of the time, cry when I need to, and hug and kiss my babies as much as I can while they'll still let me.

Happy 2 month birthday, Little Viv!

Nothing Left

2009-11-03T20:51:00.003-05:00

I would really like to post something fun or witty, but I've got nothing left today. Why, you ask, well, because this was my day:

from 1:00 AM to 5:00AM - sporadically up and down with Baby Vivian
6:45 AM - wakeup time! Talk with Scott about plans for the day, Pump and Potty.
7:00 - Cuddling - twins are up and in bed with me. Feed Vivian
7:30 - Big Kid Cuddle time - Ev gets up, we ceddle, I shower and she gets dressed
8:00 - Carry Nathan downstairs and buckle into highchair
8:03 - Carry Anna downstairs and buckle into highchair
8:06 - Carry Vivian and 4 dirty bottles downstairs while Evelyn carries pumped milk and socks downstairs
8:10 - make breakfast for the gang, beg Ev to get ready for school
8:30 - Occupational therapist arrives
8:35 - Wish OT luck and ask her to watch other kids while I walk Ev to bus stop
8:40 - Ask another Mom to stand in for me and hug Ev when bus comes so I can run back to the house to rescue OT that was left at my house with 3 small children.
8:45 - Help OT with Nater's therapy session - he's pretty uncooperative for her.
9:30 - OT wraps session, TSS arrives to begin her session with Nate - lots of screaming, but mostly happy screams today.
10:00 - Feed Vivian, Clean up kitchen from breakfast, make coffee,
11:00 - Speech Therapist arrives and conducts joint session with TSS and Nate. I keep Anna occupied and field phone calls.
11:45 - Anna's freaking because she's hungry. We skipped snack this AM, so early lunch for her.
Noon - Nathan begins lunch
12:15 - Anna is begging to go to bed, trying to hold her off until Nathan finishes lunch
12:25 - Take twins to bed for nap, finish paperwork for therapy sessions, great conversation with ST regarding progress and planning for meeting with all therapists on Thursday.
12:55 - Too much coffee and I have the shakes. Wolf down some crackers so hands stop trembling.
1:00 - Feed Vivian
1:15 - Interview with work communications department - explain that the noises are just the baby in my arms, pay no attention to that...
2:00 - eat lunch, wash bottles, clean up toys in family room
2:45 - Pump
3:00 - Get A&N up from naps, give them juice and snack, pack them into stroller
3:20 - strap Viv into baby carrier, get bottle ready for her.
3:35 - We're ALL ready to go for a walk!
3:37 - It's freezing out here - too cold to walk and Ev's bus will be here in 10 minutes
3:45 - wait at the bus stop, Collect grumpy child from bus and walk back home
4:00 - Argue with grumpy 6 year old about why homework needs to be done and why candy isn't really a snack. Feed Vivian.
4:15 - Call hubs, explain I don't want to cook and I have not left the house in 2 full days. Must get out soon! Plan to take the gang to the mall to exhaust them.
4:20 - Ev is in a full meltdown, screaming, crying and completely unreasonable and inconsolable. Call Scott back to explain we're not going anywhere tonight.
4:30 - Now everyone is crying. Begin feeding A&N. Commence praying for patience.
5:00 - Ev settles - now has a headache and tummy ache. Imagine that! She wants to watch Golden Girls, so I give in. She still hasn't done homework.
5:30 - Scott gets home, asks why car alarm is going off. He gets the full explanation when he sees Anna with my car keys. Make dinner for Evelyn.
6:00 - Clean up kitchen from kids' dinner time, ask Scott if he wants Cocoa Puffs or Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dinner.
6:15 - Sit down for cold cereal dinner for two at the dining room table.
6:16 - Anna and Vivian begin crying, Nathan poops.
6:30 - Finish eating soggy Cinnamon Toasts & clean up kitchen again.
7:00 - Wrestle with Nathan and Evelyn, put pj's on kids. Feed Vivian
7:30 - put A&N down for bed, get Ev into a bath, put on my own pj's.
8:00 - do homework with Ev
8:30 - Ev falls asleep on the couch, carry her to bed.
9:00 - begin blog post
9:30 - finish post, pump and head up to bed.

Can't imagine why I can't figure out how to fit words together into coherent sentences! When can I go back to work!?!?!?

Howdy Neigh-bors!

2009-11-02T14:54:00.004-05:00

It was a beautiful morning today, and the horses were out in the pasture that comes up to our back yard. I was ready to make applesauce, so I saved the cores and we all went out to feed the cores to the horses. Anna loves animals, and ducks and "neighs" are often her favorites. She loved going out back to feed them and pet the horses. She has very little fear of the horses, and doesn't seem to mind at all when they nuzzle or lick her. I think I'm going to frame several of the horse photos for Anna and put them in her room. She just loves her Neigh-bors!

What a nice way to spend the morning. It was especially nice to have Guinness back, I think he enjoyed seeing his horse friends again, too.

First Month

2009-11-01T21:09:00.002-05:00

Vivian has been with us for a month now. While there have been a few bumps along the road, all members of the family have pretty much adjusted to the new baby that now lives with us.

It's hard to believe she hasn't been a part of the family forever.

Photo Shoot

2009-10-25T21:55:00.003-04:00

Our little Vivian got her first Momma sponsored photo shoot on Friday. Here are a few of my favorites. I hope to actually be able to WRITE something here later this week, hope!

Becoming a tradition

2009-10-22T20:29:00.004-04:00

We live in a neighborhood without a lot of mature trees in our yard. There is a beautiful wooded area behind our house, but not a lot of leaves to rake. Which is great, because, who has time to rake leaves.

Except that...

Evelyn LOVES to play in a leaf pile. Each year as fall approaches, she asks if we can jump in the leaves. Rather than disappoint, I'm the goofy mom walking down to the bustop afterschool with the twins in the stroller, babe in arms and rake on top of the stroller, so that we can go over to the older house down the road. When we get there, I'll knock on the door and ask if we can rake the leaves under their immense tree so that my kids can jump in them.

Yep, I've done that now, for 2 years in a row. It's becoming a tradition. And although it's a very strange request to make of a neighbor, I'm thinking that these smiles are totally worth it.

Two Weeks Notice

2009-10-16T14:12:00.005-04:00

(NOTE - I started writing this last week, but I'm just getting to post it now. I have 4 kids, no further explanation necessary.)

Vivian was two weeks old on Thursday. I haven't been writing because things have been hectic, but also, because there has not been a lot of "news" to report. The actual birth process was easy, her pedi evaluation was glowing, and although I kinda freaked a little because I thought she was blue at birth, she has been perfectly healthy and GOT TO STAY OUT OF THE NICU.

Let me teall you what that means to us - ALL of the other kids have had to stay in the NICU. I had never had a child that gets to stick around and nurse in the first glowing minutes after being born. Scott and I had always gotten to "see" the baby, but then each of them was whisked away to be cared for. Then, we had to call to see when we could see our child. We had to ask the nursing staff if we can hold them, can we feed them, what time do they eat next, what formula are they taking, what meds are they getting, and they had to check on our ability to care for OUR VERY OWN children. I'd never realized how tough the NICU experiences had been until Vivian was born, and we got to experience a "normal" childbirth experience.

Once Vivan arrived, she never left my side. All through the time I got sewed up, and put back together after the birth, Vivian was still in the room with us. Even after all the hoopla died down, iall the doctors left and the nurses went to tend to other labors, t was just the three of us in the labor suite. When we got a room on one of the floors, I held Viv in my arms as we were wheeled into another part of the hospital. The night of her birth, she laid next to my bed and I watched her sleep all night long. The following night, we slept side by side in my hospital room, and the next day, we all went home together. It may seem like the norm, but it was such a wonderful gift.

It's been two weeks that we have had this little bundle at home with us, and I have to say that it has been just terrific. Can't wait to see how much more fun we'll have.

Blessed Again

2009-10-03T05:37:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the family, Vivian Kelly Snyder!

She was born on October 1, weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and is HEALTHY! We're all doing great, and are ALL home from the hospital recovering and getting to know each other.

Limbo

2009-09-20T21:43:00.002-04:00

So ya, breaking news was a bunch of hooey. I have now been riding a 10 day rollercoaster of labor vs. non-labor. I have contractions just about all day, every day, but apparently I'm not actually in full labor. It's painful and exhausting and it's kicking my butt. Oh, and in case that wasn't enough fun, I decided to throw in the stomach flu, as well. You know, because I'm like that.

Honestly, I don't even want to be around myself anymore. I'm totally miserable, and pretty much a total bitch all the time. I know it's rude to leave people hanging, but I'm so grumpy. Every day, at least several times a day, I wonder if this is the day? If these contractions are strong enough? Should I time contractions now? How can I have contractions three minutes apart, but then they stop? It's wearing on me, alot.

that is my update for now, hopefully there will be more news coming soon.

Breaking News - Live Feed

2009-09-13T07:21:00.002-04:00

I'm here on the scene of my favorite ante-partum unit at Magee Women's Hospital with my favorite nurses of all time. I was admitted on Friday, and from the looks of how things are progressing today, it appears that today may be number 4's birthday. I'll keep you posted, as we are trying to wait until at least after 4:00 today so we get the full effect of the beta methazone (steriod for lung development). My contractions are pretty regular this morning, and seem to be getting more intense, so I suspect I will get a terb shot along with my nifedipine, and see if they try to slow things down. More to come on this developing topic!

Way-Back Wednesday - how things change...

2009-09-09T15:00:00.004-04:00

This was the view out my front window just over two years ago:

This is the view out my back door, just a few weeks ago:

My how things have changed! Isn't it crazy - when I take a minute to reflect on where we've been, I realize how quickly things change. I keep thinking about the upcoming change of the new baby coming into our family in the next few weeks, and it seems unreal that just a few years ago, I thought we would not be able to have more kids, and we would remain a family of THREE! Now, that just seems impossible to even remember!

What a Weekend!!!

2009-09-07T20:03:00.004-04:00

It was a HUGE weekend here is Snyderville, and we unexpectedly started the weekend on Friday. Little Miss Annabelle had her first trip to the ER - the pedi felt that we needed to go to the ER and make sure she didn't have appendicitis, since she was running a fever and such a hard tummy. We gave her a while to see if the symptoms would dissipate, but they didn't, so we decided to take her in at 2:00AM. The poor little thing had to go through a battery of tests, and of course, Mommy got zero sleep, but at 7:00 Friday morning, she was released with a clean CT scan and we were free to go home and sleep. Thank Goodness that Daddy got some rest that night, and Cindy came over early, because I don't think ANYTHING could have kept me awake when I got home!

Friday afternoon we had the twins 2 year checkup and that was terrific, as well. We just changed physicians to an office closer to home, and we had a terrific visit with our new pedi. I just love her! Both of the kids are growing well, each are at the 90th percentile for height, and Anna is at the 25th percentile for weight, and Nate is at the 40th. All in all, lots of good news.

Evelyn's first football game was Saturday morning, and it was so amazing. Maybe it was just the crazy hormones, but it was so sweet to see all the girls dressed up and so excited, I cried when we got there. Thank goodness for sunglasses!

Here's Ev at the top of the pyramid at the halftime show:

I'm pretty sure this is the "Boom Dynamite" cheer - they all seem to know this one pretty well:

On Saturday Afternoon, Mimi, Poppa, Nona, Todd and Hadley came in to visit and to witness Anna and Nathan's baptism. It's embarassing to me that we didn't get this done until this weekend, but we finally caught up with it and feel very happy with the church that we have joined. We had a great meal and a terrific celebration at our house afterwards, and it was a very emotional day for me. I ended up needing a nap DURING the party - how rude of me - but my kind family insisted I rest, and even woke me up in time for cake. They are all so good to me!

Mimi had been working on coordinated outfits for the kiddos, and she finshed them up and delivered them to us this weekend. Here is Evelyn modeling hers:

Here is a shot of all her grandkids in their outfits - it wasn't an easy task to get this photo!

It was an amazing weekend, and I'm exhausted. I just having my family close by, and I love it when we are all together. I'm really getting big and easily exhausted, and I feel so spoiled to have so many people around to take care of me. I love y'all!

Double Birthday Party

2009-08-31T22:02:00.007-04:00

This past Saturday, we hosted a small and somewhat impromptu 2nd Birthday party for the twins. They will (finally) be getting baptised this weekend, and we had just planned a single birthday/baptism party, but we decided we just could ignore their birthday. However, based on photos, I would guess they thought otherwise.

The cake and Happy Birthday song were not a big hit:

Even after tasting the frosting, they were not impressed.

When it was time to open presents (although I SPECIFICALLY asked for NO GIFTS, PLEASE!) their moods improved significantly. The Backyardigans bubbles were a big hit!

As were the ELMO pajamas. Anna kept yelling "Elmo! Elmo! Elmo! If you have a keen eye, you might be able to tell Nathan was getting a wee bit tired here. (no children were harmed in the taking of this photo.)

The PeaPod Tents were a huge hit - Eveyone loved them! Evelyn was so excited!

Anna and Nater thought they were pretty awesome, too!

Even Hadley thought they were pretty cool - I think she was plotting a way to take one home...

She was significantly more intersted in opening presents than her older cousins, however, her lunatic Aunt Kelly may have scared her off a bit. (what is up with that face, mama??)

She retreated to the safety of her Momma.

We all had a great time, even if the guests of honor went to bed while the party was still in full swing. Mimi and Uncle Todd weren't feeling so great, and may have a touch of a bug, so we hope they feel better soon. We're sorry you couldn't stay longer, Mimi!

I am so lucky to have such a great family and group of friends who helped so much with the set up and clean up for the party. I simply couldn't have done it without everyone's help. I have a VERY hard time accepting help, and I'm learning that it's okay to depend on tohers for help, and you won't even hate me or make fun or me for it later. (or at least not much!) Thanks so much to all of you - I appreciate you so much more than you can imagine.

Then and Now

2009-08-27T01:24:00.003-04:00

Then -

And now.

Then -
and now.

It's hard to believe you've been with us for two whole years already, and yet it's hard to remember what life was like before you arrived.

It's a joy to watch you grow and develop, and we all love you so very much.

Happy Birthday, Annabelle!

Happy Birthday, Nathaniel!

Cover Girl

2009-08-23T13:23:00.004-04:00

Evelyn and I had an AMAZING time shopping for school clothes yesterday. She hosted a fashion show for Dada and I last night.

By the way - this is less than half of the clothes I got for her, she actually got tired of modeling!

To our Dada

2009-08-19T17:51:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you so much!

Catch up time - photo diary

2009-08-09T07:06:00.005-04:00

I'm so far behind on keeping up with the blog. In an effort to get caught up, and not to forget to mention some of the really cool stuff that has been happening, here is a photo review of what's been going on. Family Reunion on August 2 - Scott and Aunt Mary, Grandpa's sister
The Snyder Family Reunion 2009

Daddy and Anna at Idlewild

Evelyn and the neighborhood girls at Idlewild

Daddy and Ev at Idlewild Soakzone

Anna and Nathan LOVING the sprinkler park at Idlewild

Nathan and Daddy

Daddy and the kids

Evelyn with a bubble beard - August 6 at home

Bubble play at home in the driveway

Do I worry too much?

2009-07-30T16:08:00.005-04:00

I spend too much time going over things in my head. Rehashing, reflecting, thinking about how I might have handled things differently. I do that alot when I'm pregnant. And when Scott's out of town. And hey - guess what - I'm pregnant and Scott's out of town, so I need to talk this out somewhere, so bear with me here.

(i know this is way biased, I'm writing about one of my kids and I love them. ALOT. I may not be able to represent a fully accurate broad view of the situation, so keep that in mind.)

Evelyn just turned 6, and she is a really sweet kid. She's polite, says please and thank you, she listens to directions, she usually tries to do what she is asked, and she genuinely feels bad when she makes mistakes. For instance - she thought she made a big mistake when leaving a birthday message for her Aunt Kelley - she started to sing "you look like a monkey" instead of the right "happy birthday" song, and felt so bad, that she CRIED. Not whimpered, she cried for 15 minutes, because she didn't want to make her Aunt Kelley feel bad. I really value the fact that she is kind, she treats younger kids well, she doesn't talk nasty, she doesn't pick on kids, she treats others with respect, and as a result - she gets her feelings hurt easily. Both by kids her age, and when she reconsiders her own actions. She tells me at night if her friends were using "potty talk" and if she said some of the "potty" words, she tells me she is sorry. I have explained that she doesn't need to say she's sorry, but that it isn't polite to use that language. I don't want to make her feel guilty, but shouldn't I help her to understand what's appropriate and what's not. She's only 6 for Pete's sake - does she really need to be talking about weeners with her friends, who are also, btw, 6 years old!

(I know what you are thinking – Babble, babble, Kel - get to a POINT HERE!)

What I can't stop thinking about is - Am I raising a daughter that is too sensitive? Too soft?
I think we are doing the right thing to raise a daughter who is polite, kind and respectful, but it seems to put her at a disadvantage with her peers. How do other people handle this? Am I going to give her a complex? I don't really want her to act like her friends act, but does it hurt her that I encourage her to do the "right" thing?

Perfect Playset

2009-07-23T22:52:00.003-04:00

So sorry to have neglected to blog for such a long time. There has been so much going on, and we've all been a little overwhelmed. I'm finally getting things organized to get Nathan's therapy underway, and I'm getting lots of help from family, friends and our current therapy staff, so I'm feeling LOTS better about things. Speaking of my little man, he's doing great and showing marked progress each week. This week, he's added several new words - Da, Ah, Ma, Ya. He's starting to interact with others much more often and his eye contact is getting much better. We've figured out he knows his name, too, noth Nathan, but Na-Na. I guess I didn't realize I had been calling him Na-Na so much, but that is what Anna calls him, so I've been calling him the same thing. I refer to him as Nathan, but I call him Na-Na. (shaking head) It's really no wonder he's having delays, I'm not much help, am i?

In any case, this hasn't turned into Nathan's Development blog, so let me tell you about what has been going on around here.

Evelyn (and the twins) got the best birthday gift ever from all of our family - a new swingset for the backyard. Some VERY dear friends, Cindy and Ed, came over and helped to assemble the entire swingset in just one weekend. Cindy and Ed are so wonderful to us, they have been caring for our family more more than 5 years now, and I don't know what we would do without them and their kids. They are so much help. Here are some photos of the big weekend.

Getting things started.

Anna's anticipating the fun she'll have

Nathan can't wait to get down to the dirt pile!

Swinging with their Cindy

Evie, her Dada and her Big Ed, admiring the completed projectMiss Ev is spraying the dust off the swingset

Thank you so much to all of you who contributed to the swingset birthday fund. You can't imagine how much we all love it.

Diagnosed

2009-07-09T20:48:00.003-04:00

I'd really like to tell you all about our vacation, how much fun we had and what an incredible experience it was to get away with the gang. It was so wonderful, and I'm desperate to write it down before the details escape my memory. HOWEVER, today kinda sucked and I need to get this out before I can tell you about vacation.

So, Scott and I took Nathan to the child development unit of Children's Hospital today to meet with a development specialist. I knew it was going to be a tough appointment, but for whatever reason, mostly stupidity, I let my defenses down. After about 90 minutes of interviews and "play" with Nathan, she told us that indeed, she does believe my man is autistic. The good news is that he now qualifies for significant therapy, and I feel very confident that we will see great improvements. The bad news is that the physician had the interpersonal skills of a Phillips Head screwdriver. She was kinda awful.

No one wants to hear that there is anything not perfect about their child, but let me tell you, having the information delivered by somoene with no empathy really bites. As much as the actual word and diagnosis scare me, in my cognitive head, it's not a big deal. Emotionally, I'm wounded. I hate that I let her words hurt me. I know she is a professional, but her 90 minute evaluation just doesn't seem to be more appropriate then our 22 months with Nater. I'm well aware of his delays, and quirks, but I'm just not sure I see autism. I'll continue to tell myself that it doesn't really matter, and that we will greatly benefit from 20-25 hours of therapy each week, but it hurts to think that one of your babies isn't perfect.

Here's the thing though - I still think he's perfect. Maybe not everyone's version of perfect, but he meets my criteria for absolutely perfect.

Best. Vacation. Ever.

2009-07-07T09:09:00.002-04:00

Sorry to be gone for so long, but we were all in need of a break from the everyday. We had a great vacation, and I'll tell you more about it soon.

6th Birthday Splash Bash

2009-06-16T21:54:00.006-04:00

My baby is now six years old. Where has the time gone?

The Birthday Girl...

First, we made cupcakes...

Then the presents began...

The next day, the party...

I think she enjoyed herself...

My Dear Sweet Evelyn Grace -

I can hardly believe you have only been with us for six years, and yet I can't believe you are already six years old. I hardly remember life before you, and I can't tell you how much I miss you when you are away. I love spending time with you and I love it when we talk at bedtime. You tell me great stories, and I love to hear about the ways that you think through things. I love the way you entertain people, the way you are so funny, so kind and SO fun to be around. You are reading and writing so well, and I just adore the stories that you write for us in your journals. Although you love to spend time with your friends, you seem just as happy to spend time with your daddy and I, and I cherish that.

I love you with all of my heart. I know you are growing up, and I'm happy to see you growing into such a kind and sweet big girl. Don't ever be sad to grow and change, because you will always be my baby, and I will always be your mama.

I love you, my sweet -

Love, Mama

PS - It was one of the best parties I have ever hosted. Because I was so busy having fun with the kids, I took WAY too few photos. Bummer, eh? Better to live the moments than record then, right? Hope so!

Post Surgical Status Update

2009-06-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

Sorry for waiting so long to post this, but wanted to let you all know that all is well. Nathan made it through surgery very well, and there were really no issues at the brand new Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. He was a little woozy for a while, then HUNGRY, and since the surgery, he's been terrific. We have significantly modified his diet over the past few weeks and I am completely shocked by the difference it has made in him. He's so much more "present" and his tantrums have almost stopped all toghether.

This past weekend was our NICU reunion at the Zoo and what would have been a nightmare of a trip a month or so ago, was a fantastic outing for the family. Nathan LOVED the animals, especially the sea lions, and he was a normal, happy kiddo. Anna got to see and pet a SHEEP, one of her most favorite animals. Evelyn is just so much fun to be around, and she loved every part of the zoo. We even got to spend a little time with the Murphy's - she was another bed rest mommy with me at Magee while we were trying to hold our babies in a bit longer. Her twins were born just a few hours before Anna and Nathan, and are so much fun!

We got Nathan in to see an AWESOME allergist/immunologist last week and I need to get his bloodwork done so we can see if he has specific food sensitivities, so we can start to expand his diet a bit more. Right now, the kid is living on soy and almond milk, soy yogurt, probiotics, flax oil, assorted sugar free fruit and veggie juices and gluten free cookies and cereal bars. He does get some applesauce or mashed bananas from time to time, as well as some chicken fingers or organic hot dogs, but that's about it. It's challenging, to say the least, but we'll do whatever it takes to get him healthy. It kills me that I didn't do a better job of feeding him healthier foods earlier on, but I never dreamed we'd see such a dramatic improvement in his mood and behavior with just diet changes. It's nice to know that my degree in nutrition hasn't gone completely to waste! Now that I've become so much more aware, I'm sure the entire family will benefit from some dietary changes for the positive.

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you in advance

2009-06-03T23:07:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day in Snyder-ville. It's double surgery day, one for Nathan, and one for Mimi. Nathan's procedure should be quick and easy, but it's his first surgery and we're not sure how he'll handle it. He's having a frenulectomy - it will release his tongue from the floor of his mouth and hopefully make it easier for him to talk and maneuver food in his mouth.

Mimi is having a bit more serious surgery, and her recovery will likely be a bit tougher than Mr. Nathan's. I don't want to overshare, she has her own blog, and can tell you more about the surgery if she feels compelled, but she is fine and healthy, just needs some maintenance work performed. :)

Although we are all confident that both wil be just fine, we welcome any extra prayers and positive thoughts.

Ma-Ma

2009-05-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

Nathan said Mama for the first time tonight. He SAID Mama!

Nathan has had so many issues, but he's made so much progress in the last week. I can't believe that with just minor modification of his diet we are seeing so many changes in him. I haven't been able to write much about it because it was so consuming. I couldn't bring myself to write down how much I was struggling with my sweet little boy that seemed to be drifting further and further out of my reach. I could see he was still there, but I didn't know what to do to help him.

Our wonderful OT has really helped me figure out what I could do to help him. As much as I know my diet has had such dramatic impact on my health, it never occurred to me that it could have such a dramatic impact on Nathan's behavior.

It's like a fog has lifted. Nathan's laughing. He's actually giggling. He's cuddling. He's making noises and then tonight, he said Mama.

I'm nervous to get too excited and to think that we may be back on track with his development, but I'm certain we're headed in the right direction. I love each of the kids so much, and I don't want them to be anything in particular, I just want them to be able to be happy. Tonight, Nathan was happy, and he has been happy for the past several days. And now, this Mama is happy, too.

no joke - Anna's first trip to the plastic surgeon

2009-04-29T22:16:00.009-04:00

I began this post three weeks ago. Ya, I'll explain why it has taken me three weeks to get this posted later. It's a long story, and not so exciting, but this is a snip of life as I know it right now.

So, Anna had to see a dermatologist for this strange growth on her wrist. She's had it for a while, but it started to get significantly bigger, so we needed to get rid of it asap. Since it will take forever to get her into the pedi dermatologist, I decide that the closest dermatologist that can see her the soonest will be just fine.

That's how we ended up at the Medical Spa. Medical Spa is the new code word for plastic surgeon's office. Seriously, in the medical directory, it was just listed as a dermatologist- I swear! So on Monday, I take sweet little Anna to the Medical Day Spa. It went fine, most of the "patients" were quite surprised to see a toddler at their plastic surgeon's office, but everyone was kind. The dermatologist was awesome - she measured her "growth", took photos and we scheduled her "surgery / biopsy" for Wednesday (TODAY.) Here's the kicker - she will use a local, but Scott and I will have to HOLD ANNA DOWN WHILE SHE DOES THE BIOPSY. (awesome)

So, today about 30 minutes before we leave for the office, I give Anna some Benedryl and Tylenol. She hasn't napped, so I'm thinking she will just be ready to sleep and be pretty relaxed. (You can see where this is going, can't you - you KNOW me.) Yep, I was WRONG. We get to the office, they use a numbing gel on her wrist to get her numbed up before the Lidocaine, and she loses it. She's freaking out because of the gel on her arm. (this is so not fun.)

Scott, a nurse and I are challenged to hold Anna down while the dermatologist cuts this little thing off her wrist (a wrist that bends and moves and rarely holds still) and stitches it up. While the entire process only 15 minutes or so, maybe less, it seemed to go on for HOURS.

She was exhausted and angry, but not really doing so bad. We had to keep her wrist bandaged, and she was annoyed by the wrapping, so we covered it with a cut off sock, which actually looked quite adorable. See for yourself:

Nice sock cast, isn't it!
Yes, she's showing off her "button", since she has learned where it is, she loves to show it.

The good news is that the "growth" pathology has come back and it was a foreign body lodged in the skin, with calcification and significant swelling. The doctor was very happy that we got rid of it so quickly, as it had grown from 3mm to 3.75mm in just 2 days!

I'm thinking this will be our last trip to the plastic surgery office for a while. Unless they have a mommy and me discount - Hmm, I wonder if their marketing people have thought of that...

rub-a-dub-dub

2009-04-24T14:23:00.002-04:00

little boy in a tub

I LOVE this weather!!!

I Believe, too

2009-04-17T12:43:00.009-04:00

There has been too much tragedy across the Blog world lately with several tragic losses of some super duper sweetie babies - Maddie, and Thalon. I have to say honestly, that I was not a constant reader of either of these blogs, but the losses their families are feeling have touched me in such a a way that I can't stop thinking of them. These are people I don't really even know, but I'm praying for them, I'm thinking of them, and I'm thanking God for all that is good in my life.

Stefanie over at Baby on Bored is a pretty awesome person, and a most excellent writer, and she posted an entry that I must emulate. I'm not going to kid myself, my list is nothing compared to hers, but it is honest and true. Please go over an visit her site, and feel free to share the spirit.

I believe...
I believe that a really good margarita can solve most of my problems.
I believe in good friends, the ones that you can always count on.
I believe that God only gives me what I can handle.
I believe in everyday miracles, if you take the time to notice them.
I believe that being too "good" is not so good for the soul. We're supposed to be a little bad.
I believe I've gotten a lot smarter since I've had kids.
I believe that you should forgive easily, especially those who are most important to you.
I believe that drinking alcohol, at least occasionally, should be required for most people.
I belive it is cathartic to laugh at yourself and to allow others to laugh, too.
I believe that the creativity of a child should be cherished, even when it's annoying.
I believe that it's okay if I piss people off when protecting what's important to me.
I believe Mrs. See created several varieties of her candies with just me in mind.
I believe that food just tastes better when you're pregnant. (after the first trimester!)
I believe that too many rules spoil all the fun.
I believe that some unknowns are a very good thing.
I believe that Coke Zero is the best soft drink ever invented.
I believe in true love.
I believe that I can remember colors and smells much more clearly than names or faces.
I believe that we should cherish each moment we are given, even the sucky ones.

If you feel like, please tell me what you believe in

You won't even believe this one...

2009-04-13T19:57:00.003-04:00

Yep, had to do two, just to make sure.

Hey! I remember you!

2009-03-17T15:20:00.003-04:00

I really have not forgotten my blog, but things have gotten QUITE out of hand here in Snyderville in the last few weeks. Anna and Nate have both started speech therapy, since Senor has NO words, and Anna is just beginning to babble and repeat. (in a million years, would you ever have guessed that my offspring would be slow to speak?!?! Hellooooo!!! Seriously!)

In more fun news, as we had the kids evaluated for the speech delay, Nathan has also shown a significant "sensory and adaptive issues." Apparently, that's EI speak for throws lots of tantrums and doesn't like to eat. So yippee, skippy, that means another evaluation and likely an occupational therapist to add to the mix each week.

So, you take these 2 therapists, mix with a working mommy, a new boss, a challenging spring travel schedule, a feisty 5 year old and Dada, and well, you catch my drift.

In any case, thanks for hanging around. I'll try to be around more often, who knows, I may even some interesting news to share some day!

Snow Globe Day

2009-02-16T23:10:00.003-05:00

I think I'll today a snow globe day. Not because it was snowing here, it was actually somewhat sunny today. Especially this afternoon.

But I was thinking of a snowglobe. It's a nifty little concept, a pretty little scene, all preserved in a little glass dome. It looks pretty nice when things are all settled, but when you shake it all up, turn it upside down and watch what happens - it's even more beautiful.

Little Steeler Fans

2009-02-04T17:20:00.005-05:00

Did you hear that the STEELERS won the Superbowl?

AND, Miss Evelyn has a VERY loose tooth!!!

Bombshell

2009-01-25T10:45:00.001-05:00

Just had to share the funny. Isn't Anna the funniest?
By the way, it's Evelyn's Sharpay wig.

Snow's no fun

2009-01-24T09:50:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, Evelyn had a vacation weekend at Mimi and Poppa's house, so Mama and Dada had a weekend with just the twins at home. We thought it would be fun to take them out in the snow while we shovelled, but neither of the kids thought it was much fun.

Just What I Needed

2009-01-13T22:32:00.006-05:00

I started writing this blog when I needed a place to write. I thought it would be cool to record some of the mayhem that was going on, on a daily basis, when I was pregnant with the twins. Then the twins were born, and it was a great place to record activities and stats and share info with grandparents. We started to share the web address with people we knew, and before long, even people I didn't know started reading my little blog.

Knowing that people were (are?) reading the blog is really cool, but there is a down side. The down side is that sometimes it can be tough to admit my faults and failures when I know that there are people I know reading what I write.

Which makes it hard to admit that I'm really struggling right now. I know it's not that unusual for a mom to sometmes feel like she's not quite good enough for the job she's been given, but I was feeling like I was failing at my Mom job. Why? Hell, I dunno! Sometimes I get really tough on myself. I expect to be vibrant and patient and supportive and have plenty of time for activities and keep the house clean and just, in general, be perfect. I'm not. I try to be all those things, but I usually easily accept that I'm not perfect, and it's no big deal. For whatever reason, it's a big deal these days. It makes me feel like a failure. It makes me depressed and it sucks.

Tonight, I had the opportunity to have dinner with a really amazing group of ladies. It was a great dinner, and it was just the best feeling to be able to relax and trade stories with women who face many of the same work and family scenarios that I face myself. It made me realize that maybe, perhaps, I'm not so alone in being so tough on myself. These ladies are people I admire: they are smart, have amazing jobs, beautiful families and they have struggled, just like me.

So here I am, now, admitting to you - friends, family and internet, that I've been struggling. I'm coming out of a bit of darkness, and I'm finding the light again. I'm figuring out how to be more accepting of my limitations and less demanding of myself. I'm on my way and I'll be back to normal soon!

Why would I write this? Because spending some time with friends tonight made me realize that this mucky feeling that I'm feeling, it's NORMAL. That it's okay to share embarassing things about yourself, and you friends will still love you. Not only will they love you in spite of your struggles, but sometimes, they even love you because you struggle.

Woot! Woot!

2009-01-10T09:46:00.005-05:00

It's a big night here is Snyderville! It one of those nights that I have been dreaming of for a while, and it is finally here. Every year for several years now, Cindy and her posse have taken Evelyn to Sesame Street Live. This year, for our Christmas gift from the Reinhardt clan, in addition to lots of wonderful goodies, they are taking ALL THREE CHILDREN to SSL and KEEPING THEM OVERNIGHT!

My sweet Evelyn, posing for the camera

Yeeee-hawwwww!

I so love my family, but I haven't had a night away from all of them, but still with Scott in SUCH a long time! Conveniently, Scott's company Christmas party is tonight, so not only are we able to go as a couple, but we can sleep in the morning, too!

Crazy Anna thinks her feet are extra hands

Just one of many "fun" experiments the twins have been conducting.

Let's see what Mommy does when we play in the toilet?

Who, Me? I didn't do it!

I hope I don't sound like an awful Mom, but I'm so excited to have some time to spend with Scott. I can't remember the last time we were able to have a conversation without the interruption or demands from one of the bebehs. Crying, screaming, throwing, hitting, demands from more YGG or eebee, explosive diapers, unloading cabinets, and general destructiveness is so common these days, I'm just thrilled to have a 24 hour break.

Flu Season in Snyderville

2009-01-08T11:11:00.003-05:00

So, there is a pretty nasty stomach flu going round the 'Burgh these days. I'm not one to blame others, however, everyone was pretty healthy until the Wagners came in for the Holidays! I'm just sayin'...

Anyway, Daddy has had it twice now, Mommy had it, Nater had it earlier this week and last night, at the same time, Evelyn and Anna both got it. They threw up, within minutes of each other, every hour for 5 hours. They threw up until each of them were too tired to lift their heads. It was awful. You can't begin to imagine how much laundry they generated. I slept in the family room on the blowup mattress with both of them most of the night. Only most of the night because Anna decided that sleeping on the floor was loads more fun if you get up and wander through the night. For safety's sake, she went back to the crib around 1:30.

Today, everyone seems to be felling better, but not quite right. Nathan still has some lingering effects that are causing quite a mess and an unusually frequent change of his pants, if you get my drift. Anna is stll very clingy, and Ev just seems wiped out. Hopefully they will not get the lower GI issues that Nathan has. My fingers are crossed.

If you are headed over for a visit, you may want to bring your own Lysol. Just in case, ya know what I mean?

By the way - how much longer 'til Summer?

Must See Funny

2009-01-05T16:06:00.002-05:00

I'm certain that I'm one of the very last people on the internet to find this blog, but I finally found it, and it makes me laugh. Really laugh, at one point, until I had tears in my eyes. It's called Cake Wrecks, and it is truly awesome. It is a blog with PROFESSIONALLY decorated cakes that are either hideous or hysterical and sometimes both. Please go and visit, and check out this particular page : naked-mohawk-baby-carrot-jockeys - tell me that's not FUNNY!.

Sleepy Boy

2009-01-01T20:23:00.001-05:00

Nater partied too hard

(This is actually from Christmas Day. I was just testing the mobile blogging function. it worked. Yay me!)

Oh hey, are you still here?

2008-12-28T23:03:00.005-05:00

I suck as a blogger. I really do. But the good news is that I suck as a blogger because I'm not too bad as a Mom, wife or an employee. At least not so bad as to have lost my title in any of those areas.

December has kicked my ass. Based on the events of December alone, I cannot wait for 2009. I'm sure there are several funny stories that I have failed to tell, and maybe I will be able to put them together and get them into a post, but if not, I'm sure there will be more to tell soon. Especially now that Evelyn has fallen in love with elf, and now regularly quotes the movie at opportune moments. Like, "Son of a Nutcracker!" and "call me elf one more time!"

In any case, enjoy a photo, Ill collect my thoughts and be back soon.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T22:42:00.006-05:00

For these people, I am so thankful.

Ev and Poppa
Mimi, Poppa and grandchildren

Anna and mimi

Evie and Uncle Todd

Evelyn dressed herself

Daddy and Babies

Anna loves the cowbot hat
lots

Too tired for words

2008-12-03T00:11:00.002-05:00

I'm too tired for stories, but wanted to share photos.

OK, one quick story: Scott was headed to a meeting in DC, and Ev asked him to say hi to 'Rac Obama (she doesn't say Barack, she calls him 'Rac) if he sees him. She asked about the White House, when he moves in, where it is, then proceeded to ask why it's caled the White House. Then, she asked who lives in the Black House. I just love how her mind works.

Leaf Jumping

2008-11-18T12:25:00.017-05:00

Things have been so hectic here and something had to give, so I had to take a bit of time away from blogging. I'm sorry to have been gone for such a long time, but I'll see what I can do to catch you up.

Miss Evelyn is doing well in school and has been dancing and playing basketball. She loves to play with her friends in the neighborhood. She has been writing a ton, and has learned to sound out and spell short words on her own. It just blows me away, it seems like she was just learning her letters!

Miss Annabelle is my wild child. She climbs everything and makes a screeching noise that is unlike any noise I have ever heard come from a child. It sounds vaugely like something out at the monkey house at the zoo. (not kidding!) She eats anything and everything, and is so good natured. She loves to laugh and play peek-a-boo, but only the hiding part. She babbles non-stop, and has a smile that takes over her whole face. She is mostly very independant, but when she is tired, she just wants to cuddle and be held.

Mr Nathan is my sweet boy. He is fascinated with anything that rolls, and will chase a ball around all over the house. He is now walking more than he crawls, and seems to actually prefer it, even to being carried. He is still somewhat needy, and it seems that only Momma or Cindy can comfort him when he is tired. Amazingly, he is on a bit of a hunger strike these days. He would prefer to drink his milk over eating anything! We've been trying to find something that he will eat, but thus far, the only thing that he eats with any reliability is yogurt.

The pictures in this post are taken about a month ago, when the weather was still nice. Evelyn kept telling me that the Fall is her favorite, and she like to rake the leaves and jump in them. Since there are a lack of mature trees in the neighborhood, we had to find some leaves to rake and jump in.

Down the street from our neighborhood, there is an old farm house that is for sale. It has a big maple tree in the yard and a tire swing hanging from it. One day after school, when it was particularly nice, Cindy and I took all the kiddos (and a rake) to that house, and raked piles of leaves to jump in. The kids LOVED it, and we all had a good time.

Talk Amongst Yourselves

2008-11-04T00:49:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry for the lack of posting, but I'm needing some time to hit reset for myself. All is well, I'm just a little stressed and more than a little bitchy, and just need some time to find a happy place.

I won't be gone to long, just talk amongst yourselves. Here, lemme give you a topic - Barbara Streisand's best song...

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you

2008-10-22T03:12:00.005-04:00

Two names you go by:
1. Mama
2. Kel

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. jammies
2. glasses

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. more time to spend with my family
2. to not have to work

Two people who will most likely send this back:
1. Nona - she sent this to me first
2. Mimi - she sent it to me, too
1. Carrin
2. Mama Bear

Two things you did last night:
1. Took Ev and Julianna to dance class
2. went to the grocery store

Two things you ate yesterday:
1. homemade lasagne
2. tomato soup with goat cheese

Two people you just talked to:
1. Evelyn
2. the babies

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Working
2. reading books to Evelyn

Two states you'd like to visit:
1. California
2. Florida

Two favorite beverages:
1. Diet Pepsi
2. Wine - almost any kind will do

Now, here's what you're supposed to do ... Please leave a comment with the link to your site and post your own answers there.

KSU Homecoming

2008-10-15T21:48:00.002-04:00

This year's Homecoming was an event! Not only was it the babies' first homecoming, but Nater made an early morning trip to the ER before the parade. It was a bit more challenging this year than the last few, but it was a great time. Anna loved the parade and even had a great time at her first visit to a frat house! Ev was in a bit of a mood at the parade and wanted to go home with Mimi and Poppa rather than see a house that Daddy sed to live in, so there aren't too many photos of her.

The gang headed down to the parade

At the fraternity house
Mama and the babes at the house
Daddy and the party animal (still with fever)
Ev on Front Campus

Kindergarten Artwork

2008-10-10T11:15:00.002-04:00

This is on my refridgerator, and every time I look at it, I smile. A real smile.

It's been a VERY tough week here: with Nathan sick, two trips to the pediatrician and one ER visit. Work is neverending, so much is going on and there is so little time for everything.

But, when I look at my fridge and see that my big girl is glad to announce to her "world" of friends that she is HAPPY, I take a breath, because even though I could do a better job at this mom gig, I'm not doing so bad .

Saturday in the Southside

2008-09-29T22:55:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, on Saturday, we made a trip with our gang and the neighbors to Pittsburgh's South Side. The annual dragonboat festival was at the waterfront park, and it was a lot of fun. The girls especially enjoyed the Chinese and Indian dancing.

After the festival, we headed down to the Southside Works. It was one of those perfect late afternoon days - nothing going on, sunny and warm, but not hot. The grownups sipped (guzzled) margaritas, the girls ran around on the lawn and the babies played in the fountain. An awesome band played some sweet cover songs, and all was well with the world.

Anna trying to catch the water
Nathan just found out the water comes up through the holes...
Daddy and babies are digging the tunes
The Cheetah and the Dalmation
Holding hands on the way home

Seven years ago

2008-09-25T14:40:00.001-04:00

Scott and I were married seven years ago. Last week, I got my weding album and I'm feeling like a newlywed, except for the three kids.

There's a chalk outline of a grounhog in the back yard

2008-09-17T10:18:00.003-04:00

So - on Monday, a policeman came to my house.
I called him.
To rescue us.
From the rabid groundhog on the front porch.
He caught it with a snare.
Tried to strangle it.
It didn't die.
He shot it.
With his gun.
In my back yard.
Ya, that was fun.
I'm so not a country girl.

I wish I had pictures, but I was too busy freaking out.

This is where I've been

2008-09-10T00:32:00.003-04:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So, I am having a serious relationship with this site, and thinking I may have an addiction. I have been working on photo montages of the babies firt few days, and will share shortly.

Hope you enjoyed the photos and if you were here, the party, too. We couldn't have made it through the past year without all of our family and friends.

Much love - Kelly

366 days ago

2008-08-28T11:18:00.004-04:00

It's only fitting that we ring in Anna and Nathan's FIRST BIRTHDAY with new colds. They aren't so happy, but we were able to capture a couple of smiles. Hopefully, more to come at their birthday party this weekend.

First Day Photos - Big Kid Version

2008-08-26T23:37:00.008-04:00

Evelyn's First Day of School

Taking the big step...

MADE IT!!!

On Being Busy

2008-08-26T15:40:00.002-04:00

So, this week, Evelyn STARTED SCHOOL and the babies are turning ONE! By the way, did I mention that my boss quit and this week is so busy at work that I could just scream. And Hadley was baptised on Sunday. And we went to a DU picnic on Saturday. And we decided to go on a river cruise on Sunday night to celebrate Aunt Kimmy's birthday. And we are having a first birthday party at our house on Sunday, and a group Birthday party at my in-laws on Thursday.

Did I mention that? I may have failed to mention one of these things, since MY BRAIN FELL RIGHT OUT OF MY HEAD...

Photos to come - soon

better than a toy

2008-08-21T22:38:00.003-04:00

I gave Ev an MP3 player today, loaded with Hannah Montana, Camp Rock and a few others that she likes. She din't understand it at first, but within 10 minutes, was able to figure out how to play the best of both worlds about 29 times in a row.

She told me - "Mom, this is the best thing ever. It's even better than toys!"

I have so many stories to share, but Monday is my big girl's first day of school, and I'm spending as much time with her as I can, while still trying to fit work in. Much more to come soon

Thinking of Judy

2008-08-14T10:09:00.005-04:00

Our good friend, Judy, had a really big day yesterday. Judy is funny, strong and patient. She is a mother, a daughter, a wife and a friend. Judy began her fight with breast cancer yeserday, and today she has started on her road through a battle field. She had surgery yesterday, and is begining her recovery. She will have to undergo several chemo treatments, and certainly has a lot of unknowns ahead of her.

As someone who has been in a similar situation, I can relate to what she may be feeling, but I could not imagine being in her shoes right now. Cancer is one of those personal situations that shakes you to your core, and forces you to find your own center. It's hard, even for the strongest, even for the most faithful.

Judy, I'm thinking of you. I said prayers for you yesterday and will say prayers for you every day. I'm here for you if you need me, if you need to vent, need to cry, need to laugh or just want a suggestion on a good drink. We're all thinking of you.

vacation video - first try

2008-08-05T09:20:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Icky, Sicky & Poo

2008-08-02T21:51:00.002-04:00

I'm sick. We all made it home from vacation - all sick. I'm dowloading photos and video, will share soon. Tomorrow, I hope.

It was great up until

2008-07-30T11:11:00.009-04:00

this morning, at which point, it got BAD. Ev said her eye was sore last night, and it was weepy, but we all assumed she was just tired. She woke this AM with her eye matted shut with goop. Anna threw up, once on me and the comforter of our bed, the second time - in the sheets. She had a 102.3 degree fever, but seems to be feeling better now with the Tylenol in her. Ev's eye seems to be getting better, too, since we de-gooped it. My fingers are crossed.

We had been having a wonderful time. The weather is beautiful, as is the beach and the pool. The kids all enjoyed Hawaiian Luau night, and last night's dance party was a big hit, too. Amanda did a great job with plenty of good dancing tunes to keep us all boogie-ing.

Tonight is Pirate Cruise night, so if eveyone stays healthy, it should be lots more good times. the kiddos awaiting breakfast

Evie and her Dada

Jocie and her freeze pop

the kiddies in the pool at the beach

feeding babies on Luau night

Hawaiian night attire
Anna at the beach

Mr Chubs at the pool (passed out)

We made it!

2008-07-28T09:01:00.006-04:00

It was a tough trip, but we made it to the beach. We ended up leaving home around 10:30, went over to Ed and Cindy's to rally the gang, and we headed out around 11:30. After a construction delay on the parkway, we starting making Good Time. All went pretty well until about 7:30, the kids were ready to get up, and we still had a couple hours of driving. Just a wee bit of Benedryl, and we were back in business. :)

Our first stop was at Bill and Janet's house, where we had a breakfast that would rival any hotel's brunch spread. I just hate it that I didn't take pictures before we started eating! It was amazing.

We made it into the beach house and got settled in. It was an early night for the grown ups, since we were so tired from making the drive in.

Sunday was so wonderful. The kids all like the beach, and it was awesome to see them having so much fun. Evelyn wasn't too excited to go into the water, but she did and had loads of fun.

Anna LOVED the beach! She ate sand and giggled at the waves. Nate wasn't nearly as thrilled with the water or the sand, but he still liked it.

We were planning Wii-lympics last night, but we ended up just having a few drinks and dancing a bit.

Pre-Vaca Sleep-less-ness

2008-07-25T05:15:00.003-04:00

vacaton anticipation - apparently it begins early, because ALL of the children have been up before 5 AM this morning. Grrrrr...

I could be wrong, but

2008-07-25T03:29:00.002-04:00

I don't really think I'm going to miss getting up at 3:00AM to feed the screaming. Call me cold hearted, but I really don't think I will look back on this particular aspect of mommy-ing all that fondly...

Making Memories

2008-07-20T22:58:00.013-04:00

I'm quite a sentimental girl when it comes to two specific topics - music and growing up. If there is a song that touches on the concept of growing up, you can bet I'm tearing up when I hear it. There is a Trace Adkins song out right now that has me crying every time I hear it. It's called "You're Gonna Miss This" and if you like sentimental songs, this is one you should listen to, even if you're not a fan of country music. (Mom & Nanette - you must LISTEN to this song!!!) Anyway the story that I get from the song is that you need to embrace the present and you'll look back at the "tough" times in your life and eventually, you'll miss those struggles or simpler times.

It really strikes a chord with me, because I feel like I'm going through one of those struggling periods, and I can't help but think how much better and easier things will be in the future. At the same time, I get this panicked feeling that things are changing so quickly, and all the kids are growing up so much faster than I want them to, and if I don't pay attention, they will be grown up in a flash, and I will have missed something. The song haunts me, it wakes me up at night occasionally, blaring in my ears.

You're gonna miss this, You're gonna want this back. You're gonna wish
these days, hadn't gone by so fast. These are some good times, So take a good look around. You may not know it now, But you're gonna miss this.

So, here's my thoughts. I'm 100% certain that I will look back on the first year of the twins' lives and miss these times, HOWEVER, I refuse to squander this time and not get tho most out of it. Yes, I work and yes, I have a lot on my plate, but in no way is either more important to me than my family. I see the joy and the beauty and grace of both the mundane and the spectacular of everyday life with a wonderful husband and three amazing children. No matter how tough things can be, I'm blessed.

I'm sure I will "miss" this summer when I look back. But I will have some wonderful memories to remind me of these times. This is what I did this weekend, this ordinary weekend with my family.

On Friday, I saw Ev perform at Bible School.
(not a good day for her, she wasn't feeling well and didn't even get to enjoy her time on stage!)

Anna and Nate with their sippy cups. Their own "Happy Hour."

Playing in the pool with the neighborhood kids

Getting ready for the water balloon fight

Slip and Sliding on Friday night

This is a poor photo, but this is a pic of the Snyder's Backyard Movie Theater. We are watching the Lion King via projector on the sheet thrown over the easel.

Daddy and Nate - relaxing at the wave pool
Anna at the Wave Pool
Bathing Beauty

just another reason my to do list is so long

2008-07-18T00:10:00.006-04:00

Did you ever have one of those weeks that seem like it's going to be pretty normal, even though there is a LOT to get done. Then all of a sudden it's Thursday night and there is a LIST a mile long of stuff that needs to be done and ohmygodi'msotiredandcouldcrumbleundertheweightofthepressurei'veputonmyself but you decide to scrap all that and blog for a couple of minutes because it makes you feel so much better. Ever been there? Nah, me neither....

I could so easily go into a rant about the frustrations of working and mommying and being a landlord and running a small business and trying to refinance a commercial mortgage, but I'm just so tired!

I'm really putting a ton of pressure on myself right now and I'm trying really hard to embrace the current moments and enjoy what's going on with the family now. The babies are constantly on the move and so much happier that they are mobile! Evelyn is loving every minute of the new neighborhood and is going to vacation bible school this week.

So, instead of continuing to wallow in the to do list that will not go away, let's look at some cheery photos of the ones I love, shall we?

As American as Apple Pie

2008-07-07T23:00:00.012-04:00

This fourth of July was one of those weekends that was a page from an old Norman Rockwell. It was just a great time, filled with lots of family, food and good times.

the snyder cousins
our newest boy cousin, Porter and Pap
our newest lil princess cousin, Hadley Rose
At the Heritage Festival
At the Daywalt Pig Roast and Picnic
All of Mimi's kiddos
Keeping cool at Sarah's graduation party
Poppa and Scotty at Sarah's (playing cornhole!)
being little girls at the party
it's so sunny here, dada!
Fishing with Poppa at Daywalt's

Seriously, it was just a terrific weekend. The only downside was the weather in Pittsburgh, but even so it wasn't awful. Nathan really liked the fireworks, but Anna hated the noise. She stayed up for them every night, the lil party girl, but cried when they began.

Laughing Baby Chubbers

2008-07-05T10:40:00.001-04:00

old news

2008-07-01T14:01:00.007-04:00

It may be old news, but there was no recital this, oops, LAST weekend. Storms knocked the power out at the school where her recital was to take place, so it had to be re-scheduled. However, on the bright side, we had plenty of free ice cubes!

Evelyn was one very sad little girl; who became much happier when her Daddy tool her to see Wall-E on Sunday. We all went to luch, and the babies sat in high chairs at a restaurant for the first time!

We also took lil Miss and her friend, Julianna to see Peter Pan at the Benedum - That was big fun! Their favorite part? Cathy Rigby flying overhead and sprinking fairy dust? Nope, it was when Peter Pan farted! It's so easy to entertain 5 year olds!

Backyard Swimming - Revised

2008-06-30T00:43:00.001-04:00

Big, like 30 or 31

2008-06-24T22:41:00.004-04:00

Evelyn's dance recital is this weekend.

This is her first dance class and her first recital. She had the dress rehearsal today. WHen Dee-Dee brought her home, I tried to ask her about it, but she was too busy. Much later, before bed, she brought it up to me.

Ev - Mom, how many days until my recital?

Me - Five more days. You're recital is on Sunday. I'm excited to see you dance. How was practice?

Ev - I just loved being on the stage today. I felt like I was so big - like 30, or 31. I felt like I was bigger than everyone. I can't wait to be on the stage again for the recital.

Me - That's wonderful! I can't wait to see it.

Ev - It was just a high school stage, but pretty soon I'm going to dance on a really big stage. And everyone is going to be watching me. I'm a really great dancer.

What can I say to that? I'm so eager to see how she does in front of a full house. I betcha can't wait to see pictures!

I never even considered a fairy princess

2008-06-20T23:16:00.003-04:00

This was the first birthday that Evelyn really seemed to understand the whole "make a wish and blow out the candles" birthday tradition. She so wanted to tell us all her wish, but I had to explain that it has to be a secret. On the night of her 5th birthday, I took her to bed and we laid in her bed and talked. I told her that 6 years ago, when it was my birthday, I made a wish that I would have a a baby, and it came true when she was born.

I'm not sure what I expected her to say, but I did NOT expect this:

Ev: Well, I wished that I could be a fairy princess. It's much better than your wish. Mom, how come you didn't wish that you could be a fairy princess?

Me: I really wanted to have a new baby in our family, and then you were born! Isn't that cool?

Ev: (with that "I'm so disappointed in you" face) Not really as cool as being a fairy princess.

You've gotta love my sentimental girl.

The fastest 5 years of my life

2008-06-15T23:59:00.006-04:00

have been the first 5 years of your life, sweet angel. I cannot believe you are already 5. Happy Birthday, my love.