Harper the Happy Pooper

Girls & I were eating breakfast this morning, Harper is on her potty reading her Elmo Potty Book for the 54, 262 time this week and I hear: "OH HAPPY HAPPY DAY, I POOP ON POTTY" pause " I get Hershey Kiss?"

The potty training of Harper!

Bit the bullet this week and decided to potty train Harper, had put it off for awhile because quite frankly, it adds a full time job of being a potty cop to my other 8 full time jobs I do! So glad I did because she's just about there! Even on day 1, had 2 accidents and now on day 4, NO ACCIDENTS. We've made two outings in panties with success. Here are some of her funnies: She pooped in her panties and of course comes to tell me with a giant grin on her face because, well just because she's Harper. Harper, "I poop my panties" Me, "Oh, no. Harper, no pooping in your panties, where does the poop go?" Harper (with her giant grin), "IN MY POTTY!" Me,"let's go in the bathroom and sit on the potty now" Harper, "I get hershey kiss" Me, "No, you only get a hershey kiss when you go on the potty" So, I'm putting the poop from the panties in the potty and she says, "Now my poop in the potty, I get hershey kiss?" Me, "No, no hershey kiss until you go in the potty" Harper, "Ok Mommy"

Our daughter GINORMICA

The girls are always pretend playing, pretending school, pretending to be Mommy, pretending they're on a Disney cruise (this is thanks to Lily's friend who is on one),etc. So, the other day I overhear Lily telling Lacy that her name is Ginormica. I'm like, what in the world but didn't say anything. Then, at lunch yesterday, I hear this conversation: Lily, "Lacy, the government is changing my name is Ginormica" Lacy, "The guvment?" Lily, "Yeah, the government" Lacy, "What?" Me, "What?" Lily, in a fit of giggles now repeats,"The government is changing my name to Ginormica" Okay.

Cauliflower

Lacy's question of the day, "Does cauliflower come from California?"
Me, "I don't know, maybe"
Lacy, "it does"

More than funny

I do this blog because I don't want to forget a moment of this season of our lives but I also do it as a diary for my girls & me to look back on. Good days, bad days, funny days...right now I feel like our family is in survival mode but it's been that way for too long and I just want to get back to where I feel like we're thriving. I feel like time is going by too fast & I'm missing opportunities to teach them, experience things with them & how do you make it slow down? Will I 5 years from now realize that I didn't spend enough time teaching them something? Motherhood seems a evermore overwhelming task as they get older.

Having 4 little ones can be lonely. Not that I would change how many we have or how closely we spaced them but it makes it more difficult to do things that when you have two or they're older, it's not a big deal. I've never shied away from taking them with me everywhere but with our preschool, Kindy schedule it makes it hard to do planned activities or a bible study or a regular Moms group which is isolating to me. We had a whole night away last weekend when Mammy & Cheryl came which was so awesome to just have some time together but it was also a reminder that it is so hard to do things like that now.

Today has been a rough day, it's going to be a rough few weeks with Jason gone & I'll try and pray to have a happier heart tomorrow. Haley was grumpy, Harper was whiny, Lily was full of drama and Lacy, well Lacy almost always has a happy heart!

Conditioning for Dorm Study

One of my most important goals each day is to have Lily read to me for at least 20 minutes a day, we usually do a book or two after lunch and then always before bed. I truly think that Lily will be able to study at college in her dorm room with the door open, friends in and out, music playing loudly and while she chats on the phone. Why will she be able to do this? Because most of the time when Lily is reading to me, Lacy is letting us know her opinion on the book, Harper is trying to claw her way onto my lap and Haley is pulling hair or trying to rip the book out of our hand. And yes, we strive to do our reading during quiet moments but more often than not, it's a family affair.

The 8th Day

Conversation between Lily & Lacy today..
Lily, "Lacy, guess what God made on the 8th day?"
Lacy, "Me"
Lily, "No, on the 5th day he made animals, on the 6th day he made people, on the 7th day he rested and didn't have to do any chores"
Lacy, "He made me, he made Lacy"
Lily, "No, on the 8th day, he made hair"
Lacy, "Hair?" (my thoughts exactly)
Lily, "Yeah, he made people and then he wanted them to have hair so on the 8th day, he made hair"
Lacy, "Oh"

Pumping

The girls were running around like crazy people the other night. I said, "What are y'all doing?"

Lily says, "We're getting our BLOODS pumping!"

Wrappers

Me, "Who wants grapes?"
Harper, "Me"
Lacy, "Can I just have the grapes, not the wrapper?"
Me, "Grapes don't have wrappers"
Lacy, "yes, they do. I don't like to eat the wrapper, just the grapes"
Me,"You mean, the peel?"
Lacy, "Not the peel, the wrapper"
Me, "Ok"

Patterns & Poop

So, after the gym, I decided to make a "quick" run into Hobby Lobby with Harper, Haley & Lacy since who can pass up 99 cent patterns??? My plan was to run in, look through the pattern book and grab some patterns. Wasn't going to be picky, really, they're 99 cents! Walk in the store, of course all of the Easter stuff is right up front. Lacy, "EASTER STUFF! Can we look?" Me, "Yes, just for a minute"...20 minutes later, we're finally headed to the back of the store to look at patterns. I try to sit down to flip through the book while Lacy sits by me, little ones in the cart. "I get out", Harper starts yelling. Get her out of the cart. Haley starts whining since she's the only one stuck in the cart now. Dig in my bag for a snack or a toy or something to keep the peace. Sit back down, where did Harper go? "Harper, where are you?" "I pooping" Ugggghhh...of course there are people around. "Ok, we'll change you" "I poop Hobby Lobby" "I know you pooped, Let me grab my patterns and we'll go change you" Now, I'm trying to grab my patterns out of the drawer while Harper keeps announcing, "I pooped, I pooped" I know, all the other customers know and Lord knows everyone is smelling it. We hurry to the checkout, by now 99 cents doesn't seem like such a deal for so much WORK to get in & out of the store. While checking out, the cashier says Hi to the girls, Harper of course answers super loud, "I POOPED!"

Our Last 1st Birthday!

This is not a birthday picture but Haley LOVES to sit on the dishwasher when I'm trying to load or unload the dishwasher,
I like my cake! Jason got shower duty after she was done.

Who needs forks?

Happy Haley!

Oooohhh...cake!

I love this picture because you see Lily & Lacy in the picture who are the ones aggressively tearing open Haley's gifts

My ladybug cake, well Haley's ladybug cake!

Yay, we've made it a whole year of being the parents of 4 little girls AND survived it! Even thrived most days! I sent Jason a text on Haley's birthday that said,"Congratulations on making it a whole year being the daddy of 4 little girls & not running away?" His response, "Gosh, no one told me leaving was an option, thanks for letting me know!" The big girls were really excited about Haley's "party" which was just us and we told them that but presents, cake and ice cream are a big deal I guess. Made Haley a ladybug cake, Jason said it was very Martha Stewart so I'll take that as a compliment. I like doing things like that, it makes a memory for me & the girls when they help.

My Haley is pretty laid back most of the time, a super snuggler, super fast crawler, smiles at just about everybody, says Hi, Mama, Dada, Bye bye and a bunch of other things that sound like a baby dinosaur. Not walking yet but stands up on her own. I've told her that she needs to start walking as soon as all the snow melts so we can ALL get out and play!

A tiny part of me was a little sad that she was turning one, my baby days are numbered but then that same evening, she cried LOUDLY all the way home from church and that made me decide, Nope, four is the perfect number for us!