Some traditions were made to be broken

Every year during the holidays we book a room in the "big city" and head up to look at the Christmas lights, eat out, shop, swim, and stay the night. The kids look forward to this (although this year they were over seeing the lights...how rude).

We had a fun time this year - chinese food, lots of swimming, and NO shopping (lucky boys).



By the time we were all snuggled into the hotel room and ready for bed - Brian and I began to wonder if we should just turn around and head home to our OWN BEDS?!

It was one of those moments when, as a tired parent, you wonder if it would be more exhausting to pack up and leave now or in the morning after a long night of four little boys not sleeping well.



This picture was taken about ten minutes before we headed home.

Best decision ever. Boys fell asleep in the car before we even reached the freeway.

When Jude woke up in the morning he told me he had a wonderful dream....we were all at a pretty hotel swimming and eating fried rice! He was dead serious and couldn't believe it when I told him it ALL REALLY HAPPENED!

"My dream came true?!" - Happy, happy face.

I dedicate this post to exhausted parents everywhere who are trying to make their kids' dreams come true!

Like mother, like son

Have I mentioned Hudson is funny?

Really funny.

I love it (unless I'm super tired...how quickly really funny becomes really not funny when you are tired) .

I love his zest for life! He's just having a great time.


I dedicate this post to Brian - because I know he's glad that Hudson got MY wicked sense of humor. All right, all right...I guess there is a small chance it actually came from someone else.

What it's REALLY like... HEAR YE, HEAR YE!

I can't tell you the number of people who ask me what it's like raising four boys.
This whole blog is an inside glimpse at what it's REALLY like - but I will save the very BOYISH stories for my "WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE" posts. You scared?

The four amigos are going to love this when they are older! He he he.

Before I begin I want to say that as crazy as this life can be - you have no idea what a special feeling there is in our house with all these brothers growing up together. Owens' teacher raised five boys and one day she was talking to me about this very thing - I teared right up because I KNEW just what she meant. I love it.

So here we go.

When I see blog posts about the delicious dinners women are preparing for their families (with a divine picture to prove it) - I have to chuckle because that is sooo not what dinner time is like at our house.

It's not that I don't cook - I do - and I learned from the best I might add (shout out to a great mom). It's just that the hours between 5:00 and 8:00 pm hold enough chaos in them to about kill Brian and I off. It's preparing dinner, homework, ballgames, scouts, boyhood rowdiness - and it's all at the same time. Things have only become worse since Quinn joined the clan because he can't stand this structured time of day. He climbs on the table grabbing homework, clings to my legs while I'm chopping, pulls everything out of the drawers, cries...you know just generally making it all run even smoother.

The other day during dinner I hear Hudson proclaim, "HEAR YE!! HEAR YE!" I couldn't help but laugh...you know it's crazy if your child has to make a statement like that to get himself heard.

I was talking to my friend (who shall remain nameless) about this and she informed me that she simply reads to her kids while they eat dinner. They sit quietly listening to the stories. Oh...well that's discouraging. I always thought her house was about as busy a place as mine and now I'm picturing her kids in formal wear, eating a rare rib eye, and quietly listening to mamas' bible stories.

Should I feel like I'm doing something wrong or should I embrace the fact that there is a lot of fun and love in our chaos?

Instead of a beautiful picture of a dinner I've prepared, I thought I'd share a picture of what our dinner time is REALLY like. Here is Quinn devouring his meal. I usually feed him myself but this night called for me to just "let him at it" while I took care of everyone else.

I don't think he minded a bit.



"This mess isn't MY fault! You're the one who gave it to me!"


And that is what it's REALLY like.



I dedicate this post to my friend with the perfect dinner routine. I almost lost my ability to relate to you...until you told me you were serving Cup O' Noodles for dinner that night. Awesome. That's why we are friends.

Muahhh!

This cute little gal is the daughter of a friend I grew up with. How funny that our kids now go to the same school and know each other.

I had heard that someone told Owen that Annie likes him. Fine with Owen. In case you don't know - Owen is a ball of love walking around. He has a giant, kind, open heart (wouldn't it be amazing if we were all like that). He loves everyone and is happy (not embarrassed like an older brother he has) if someone loves him back. It's no big deal to him. It's as though he feels, "of course she loves me - I am very lovable."

Well, one night our families were at the same party when Annie came up to me and announced...

"I love Owen."
"Oh, that's nice! Yeah, you guys are good friends."
"No - I mean I muahhh....love Owen." (yes, she said muahhh).

Me - laughing and grabbing my camera to document it!

How cute! I love her attitude!

I dedicate this post to Annie - because after that gutsy line she so deserves it!

Hey there stranger...

This fall we were invited to celebrate Brody's birthday at an amazing park. It was such a gorgeous day and basically our last chance to enjoy good weather. I was trying to get some cute pictures of Quinn and Brian but only got two before Quinn picked up and went elsewhere.

I followed him and kept taking pictures - I got some cute/happy ones. I'm surprised they turned out because I was laughing so hard while I was shooting. Check out the pics and then read below to see what I found so funny.





Not too funny until you realize Quinn plopped down with a family he doesn't even know and made himself a part of their night. He enjoyed his time with them so much I thought he may want to go home with them.

I find it so funny how social he is. How can he and Jude be so different in this way? We come with our personalities...that has become very obvious to me.

I dedicate this post to Quinn...who may just be my very first baby to go to nursery without me! Yahoo - hope they can handle him!

This just in...soccer mom gone mad.

I'm sorry for the long posts but my kids love to hear a story about themselves and this blog is for them - so long stories you get.

Jude. Oh Jude. This boy has been heaven to raise. So fun. So easy. There is only one thing that has been a struggle with Jude - he's very shy.

At home he has loads of pep and personality - around people he's not comfortable with...zero (and I mean zero) personality.

Jude may be our most athletic boy. He has watched his brothers play sports for all these years asking me from the sidelines when it will be his turn. I would have signed him up the first year I could but I knew there was no way he'd actually leave Brian and I and walk out on a field by himself.

Finally this year he put his foot down and insisted that he GET IN THE GAME! So we signed him up. He couldn't wait. I've never had a boy so excited...asking me over and over how much longer he had to wait until his game. I started to believe he was going to do it! Yippee!

Game day came. We load into the car with Jude bursting, BURSTING with excitement.

We get to the field.
He freezes.
Frozen solid and hiding behind Brian's legs.

Brian sweetly tries to comfort him - Jude starts sobbing.

Well, I was mad. I had been through more than a year of this each time I took him to preschool (a story for another time) and I had learned from his teacher that I had to push him through his fear and make him do things he was scared of.

So what did I do? I went out on that soccer field and pulled him behind me crying. And there I was running up and down- chasing that ball just like the little herd of four year old's were doing...still pulling him around with me... and yes, he's still crying.

I was fully aware of what I looked like doing this. In fact, I remember taking a minute to picture just what a dork I must look like to all the parents on the sidelines. Actually, not a dork as much as a SOCCER MOM GONE MAD. I knew it looked like I was mean and determined that my kid was going to play soccer whether he wanted to or not.

In truth - I knew - All he wanted to do was PLAY!

If I had to make a fool out of myself to get him to the place he so desperately wished he could be...then that's what I'd do. By the way Brian mysteriously disappeared during all this. When we got in the car afterward he busted up laughing,"what was that?!" Shoot - I did look as crazy as I thought.

But guess what? Next game, before I even realized it, Brian was running around on that field pulling a certain crying four year old boy with him...telling him to kick it once - just once!

And guess what else?

By they fourth game....JUDE WAS PLAYING SOCCER LIKE HIS WILDEST DREAMS HAD COME TRUE! I felt like cheering from the top of my lungs, "I saw all you parents looking at me and whispering....but look what's happening now! My boy is running circles around yours! Oh what's that? Did he just score? That's right he did! Is he laughing and smiling and having more fun than anyone out there? You betcha!" Of course I would never say something like that.

And once again Jude began asking, "when is my game, when is my game?"

When I see these pictures I am still so happy.


I dedicate this post to my brave boy Jude...may you get better and better at letting your true self shine. Because you shine so bright!

You WILL be best friends whether you like it or not!

I have to say that nothing makes me happier than when my kids are getting along and loving each other. Nothing makes me more discouraged than when they aren't.

I love this picture of Hudson reading Curious George to the boys...all snuggled up on the floor.

They truly are best friends.

Why do they forget that so often?


I dedicate this post to myself because pictures like this remind me that all this hard work is so very worth it.