Don't Ya Love a Bargain!!!

I know I do! Went shopping for birthday presents for the twins tonight and came home with a winter coat for my oldest-originally $60.00-for only $7.99!!! No kidding! Gotta love it! It's such an adrenaline rush to get deals like that~actually makes me want to shop more(not that I need a reason)!

Quote of the Day

While looking online for shoes to go with Caroline and Audrey's Easter dresses, Audrey yells out and points to a pair of shoes on the computer~

"I can't believe my eyes! Look at those shoes!"

Not even sure where she heard that phrase from. She doesn't miss a beat and is such a little character.

How to Explain Death to a Child

I feel like I'm being too serious with my posts (and this certainly is a serious one). I would like to be more witty and fun, but my main purpose of this blog is to keep track of my children's lives and the events in them. Tonight I had a doozie.

My oldest's mood deteriorated this afternoon after he got home from school. He and I had butt heads over his use of the computer (not like moms been on too much today) and lack of helping me with any chores. He was grumpy and downright mean to me. Finally, at bedtime, he asked if he could talk with me in his room. After some back and forth that made no sense to me, he finally admitted that he had been thinking of his grandfather who passed away four years ago. At the time my son was 5~who knew what an effect it would have on him. It has become obvious, especially tonight, that he is at the age where he is putting a lot of thought into life, love, loss and all that comes with the loss of a loved one.

Tonight he told me that he is bothered by his inability to change things in his life. After some questioning, I found that he is feeling guilty about decisions he has made (not serious decisions-but ones a 9 year old would be bothered by like not showing respect to his mother). He is obviously becoming concerned with the mortality of me, my husband and his other grandparents. And feeling guilty about times when maybe he hasn't behaved for us. I told him that, although he can't take back poor decisions he's made, he absolutely can change that behavior in the future and that we all need to work on that (including me). I told him that, although I wish Grampy were still with us, he lived a long, happy life with his family and he was fortunate with all he had. I told him that death is a part of life, but if you've lived a long, productive, happy life then that's all that matters. I told him that his father and I plan on being here for a long time and he is not to worry about us.

This boy is so sensitive and so much more in tune than I give him credit for. He told me that he is upset that his Grampy never got to meet the twins and hasn't been able to share any of the important accomplishments in his life. I tried to explain to him that his dad and I feel the same way, but that Grampy is watching over us and does see what he and his brothers and sisters are doing every day. The disappointing part for us is that we are unable to share these moments with Grampy and see for ourselves how proud he is of us.

My heart broke for him because I remember having these same feelings after my first granmother past away. Being a parent is so difficult at every stage and I can only hope that I did right by him with our conversation.

Have I Mentioned How Much I HATE Stomach Bugs???

Ok, I promise this will be the last time I blog about this stomach bug. I now hate it for another reason than just cleaning up after the kids (and the fact that my poor kiddos are just so miserable). Three of them have been throwing all day today, which means I have done more loads of laundry today than I have in the previous nine years! My house is on septic. Septic and homes with seven occupants, 3 of whom are vomiting hourly and, therefore, requiring multiple loads of laundry be done in one day is like oil and water~they just don't mix.

Add to that the intense rain that has been pouring down where I live for 6 of the last 11 days and is expected to do so for two more. When the rain started 11 days ago it was so bad that there was severe flooding throughout my state. Houses in my neighborhood, and throughout my town, were severely flooded. My husband and I bought this house four years ago and, after coming from one of the other homes in town that took on water, have been proud to say that we have never had a water problem. That was, of course, until today. After about the 10 load of laundry today (seriously, I was that far behind nevermind all the sheets and towels I've had to clean today), I was just in the basement to find water backing up from the septic through the floor where the wall and floor meet.

There are three more of us that have not gotten this "bug" yet. Lets hope we don't until the sun comes out to dry up my backyard because this is going to be one disgusting house by the end of all of this!

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY Hate Stomach Bugs

Another one bites the dust. Just shortly after writing the previous post, I received a call from Caroline's friend's mom (to whose house I had sent her thinking she was not sick) that she threw up twice over there. We are now all home and settled in to stay this way for the rest of the day.

Ughhhh.......

I Really, Really Hate Stomach Bugs

Audrey is the latest victim and I am not feeling very good myself. Thank God it was quick for Patrick. I just want it through the house as fast as possible. Hate cleaning up sheets and pj's constantly with this sort of thing!

God, I Hate Throw Up Bugs

With as much fun as we had at the hockey tournament this weekend-it ended on a sour note with Patrick getting a throw up bug. He woke up early Sunday morning complaining that his stomach hurt and he had just thrown up. The one good thing is that he is old enough to make it to the bathroom. He looked so awful, pale and sick that we decided that I would take him home early and Brian and Sean would get a ride with one of the other families after the last game. We sat in traffic for two hours on Rte. 6 on our way home, which was a mixed blessing because, although the ride was tough for Patrick, the slow pace made it easy for me to pull over to let him hang his head out the door. He laid in bed the rest of the day once we got home-splitting his time between bed and the bathroom. He got sick once more during the night-the one time he didn't quite make the toilet.
This morning I had planned on keeping him home from school, but he bounced down the stairs all perky and happy and looked great! I sent him to school. Two and a half hours in and no call. I think we're in the clear. Lets just hope it doesn't go through everyone else!

Hockey, Hockey & More Hockey!

We had our first hockey tournament for Seano this weekend down the Cape. I had been hesitant to go, but had so much fun! It really was a blast and the kids all had a blast! They came in 2nd to boot! Seano did great and really is improving with his hockey skills. Although, the sport makes me nervous, I really do hope he keeps with it because it is such an exciting sport!

Potty Training Two, Part II

Ok, so I said I wasn't all gung ho to potty train and that I wasn't yet ready to give up my babies. That was before yesterday when the twins spotted Dora and Diego underwear at Target and were all gung ho to wear them! I went full throttle, bought the underwear and have tried day one of REAL potty training. Has gone so, so. They've both gone on the potty and both had accidents (but the not so bad kind). I caved after the accidents and put pull ups back on both. We'll start over again tomorrow morning and see how it goes.

Potty Training Two

I have to admit-I haven't tried very hard to potty train the twins. I think there are two reasons for this: (1) potty training one child can be a chore-the idea of trying to train two is just overwhelming to me and (2) they are my last and I'm not in a hurry to get out of the baby phase. My husband, on the other hand, has been good about getting them to go "potty" before they get into the bathtub or get dressed in the morning. Brendan has been really good with this and actually looks forward to getting on the potty at these times (I do not follow through during the day, though). Audrey not so much. She is just so opposite of Caroline-who was potty trained, through the night, at 20 months.

This seems to be changing and, therefore, puts the pressure on me to step it up during the day when daddy is not around. Earlier in the week, during the day, both twins asked to go potty. Audrey asked, then Brendan followed. I was shocked! Then tonight, after they were all in their pj's, Audrey told me she had to go potty, took off her jammies and pull up and hopped on! Brendan followed right after again!

I am so proud of them. My thought has been that it will come in time whether I push or not, but now I will have to put my energy into asking during the day-even at the risk of losing my babies. :-(

Altar Server

Patrick, my oldest, served his first mass as an altar server today. With the help of the other two altar servers, he did very well. I was so proud. So much so that I was grinning from ear to ear and was asked by Caroline why I was smiling so much. He is an amazing little boy with a great desire to do and experience all he can in life. He makes me realize how much I missed out on by being shy as a child.