Three years old

My sons turned three.🎊

 I find myself celebrating and marveling that three years have indeed passed; but I also breath a sigh of relief. 😌

Birthday kings at preschool

Frozen Yogurt on a Frozen night to celebrate!

These have been tough years. There has been so much change, but sometimes it's hard to recognize unless I take moments to reflect and remember.

Sometimes I pace the house like a caged animal, watching the hands on the clock, desperately trying to pass the time. 

If it wasn’t for pictures, (and Facebook) and people who remind me that in fact a lot has happened and things have changed (and improved!) in these three years, I admit that perhaps I wouldn’t be able to recognize how far we’ve come. 

Not too long ago...no cabinet was safe

My family was here visiting most of January and every time they come, we always talk about those first days and weeks, with the bottles, and the swaddling and the crying. 

I tried to embrace and cherish those baby years. There were some sweet moments; but most of the time I was trying to get through. 

Knowing now that stages will pass and we survive,  I  feel as if I can more fully embrace and appreciate the stage I am in. 

For example….

I mentioned before that this Christmas the boys got “big boy beds” aka, toddler beds. We never transitioned Evie into the middle “toddler bed” stage. But with the boys, we have a longer term vision of some sort of bunking system and we thought that a year in toddler beds was a nice transition to that, considering their age. 

They have been doing fairly well in their beds. For their birthday they each received their own bedspreads from Grammie and Grandpa. 

They each sleep and keep their beds very differently; their sleeping habits actually reflect their personalities. 

Caleb can hardly fit into his own little bed because everything and everyone is invited. He has every and any stuffed animal, book, train toy,  blanket and puzzle piece nestled in bed with him. 

Levi’s bed is just as full, but he tends to discriminate a bit more. He wants only certain stuffed animals with him and if one of his regular companions is missing, he notices and there is no peace until he is reunited. 

James, on the other hand, really prefers one bear and one blanket. Any other pillow, toy or object he angrily tosses out and it is rudely uninvited. His bed is really desolate compared to the other two. And that's the way he likes it. 

Recently the boys have suddenly been wide awake at 3 am, charging their bedroom door, running down the hall together like a frantic herd of cattle, screaming into the dark, “Monsters!” 

Hearing the commotion I jump out of bed. It usually requires John to convince them it's not yet morning, and their monster hunt has to wait until daylight. 

They will usually scream and try to convince us that 3 am is a perfectly acceptable waking time. Eventually they climb back into bed and calm down. I however, have a hard time falling asleep again. John can easily pick up right where he left off in his sleep cycle. I toss and turn. Sometimes I never get back to sleep. 

But, as I mentioned at the beginning, if I learned anything from these three years, its that these stages become memories and honestly,  even though I’m tired from my 3 am wake up call, I can already chuckle at their monster hunts. 

My three year old men. 

 How I love them.

They drive me crazy.

 But, I couldn't imagine life without them. 

January: A Good-bye.. and a Welcome!

January. 

      Oh January. 

What a month so far! 

Evelyn started gymnastics, a gift from Santa. She loves it and it's a great workout!

The kids also had their Christmas programs and parties at school, since they missed the few days leading up to Christmas break due to snow. 

My mom has been here since the beginning of the month. 

I had surgery to take care of some things left over from my triplet pregnancy. My mom flew out the day before and has taken charge of the household, along with my grandma (who was here for 2 weeks too) The plan was that she’d basically be shuttling kids to preschool and just maintaining the flow of my weekly schedule while I rested and recovered.

 However, it hasn't worked out how I planned. 

Portland experienced snow and ice -"megandon". 

The first day it snowed, it was exciting. It took my grandma and mom 30 minutes to get everyone dressed appropriately and out the door. 

They built a great snowman and went sledding down the hill near our house.

However, the snow turned into ice. And ice is not fun to play on. 

In the name of safety, everything was shut down-school, activities and church.

We were literally trapped in the house. With no where to go, the days started to drag on and on. 

Exhaustion took over my grandma and things got tough with bored, stir crazy kids. 

 My family has been insistent  that I do nothing; they want me to take advantage of them being here so I can rest, heal and be recharged by the time they leave in three weeks.

James needs to rest and recharge too

 The first week I was home from the hospital it was easy to lay around because I didn't feel well. However, as I’ve felt better and better it’s been harder for this mama to remain so inactive. I am healing well though, and I know I will be back to my same self soon enough. And my Mom’s right: soon it will be me in charge again, and I need to have energy reserves.

Something else big happened this month. 

Amanda our beloved nanny who has lived with us for 2.5 years moved on to something else.  There were some tears and bittersweet emotions as we said good-bye. She blessed and helped our family so much, and we will miss her. But we are excited for new opportunities for her, and she will live in the area so hopefully she can visit once in a while.

Good Bye sweet Amanda!

God always takes care of us though. When Amanda told me back in September she would be leaving in January, my heart sunk. I still felt as if I needed some sort of assistance in my daily life with the kiddos,  and the thought of going through the whole process of looking for a nanny and interviewing again was overwhelming.  Amanda has been with our kids since the boys were two months old; I also lamented the fact that this new person would have to start from scratch in getting to know the kids and our family. 

However, I immediately felt a peace and gave it over to God with the expectation he was going to work it out, because He always does. 

Sure enough, finding a new nanny was so wonderfully easy and perfect. One evening in the fall, before I even started looking for anyone, a dear girl from our gym’s childcare (who knows our kids and babysits for us) texted me, saying she heard about our open nanny position. She was extremely enthusiastic, and even though I told her it wouldn’t be available until mid January, she agreed to wait. This was too good to be true.

 My kids adore Kennedy, and Kennedy has a very upbeat, joyful, fun personality we need in the house. She’s intelligent, a hard worker and just an all around pleasant person to be with. And, as an added bonus,  she already has relationships with all my kids because she's been with them at the gym and has done some babysitting for us since they were very little!

 All my worries and concerns were addressed and solved. 

And so, Kennedy moved in a week ago and she has blended right in with our family. Even with my family still here, she embraces the quirks and craziness and sits down to family dinners and it feels natural. 

Grateful. 

I am so grateful that God provided Amanda for the season he did, and I am so grateful he continues to be faithful and provide in this next season with Kennedy. 

Welcome Kennedy!

O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree, how Wilted are your Branches....

It is Dec. 30, and I woke up with a feeling of suffocation and exhaustion. 

There are lumps around the house, i.e. piles of new toys, pieces of new toys, wrapping from new toys and broken new toys. 

 The stockings hung on the chimney with care are crocked and stretched out, limp and tired. 

And that Christmas tree. Oh that blessed Christmas tree that I was so excited to get only a mere month ago. Now it causes nothing but anxiety in my soul as a watch another brown, withered pine needle drop to the floor. 

We had a wonderful "go" at Christmas this year. 

We DID Christmas. 

We even had a romantic date night one Saturday night:

We met Santa, the man who grants wishes.  James was all business. He walked confidently in,  looked Santa right in the eye and requested "trains." Levi and Caleb were a little less sure of Santa, and Evie, well, she just gave Santa her list. 

The outdoor mall by our house produced "snow" with shaving cream. This gave the kids a thrill. 

Evie saw Santa again, this time less prepared with her list.
(She actually seems a little big to be on Santa's lap in this picture....)

I took Evie to a Nutcracker Tea at the library where Evie decided she once again wants to take up dancing. 

We attempted to show the kids the real meaning of Christmas by visiting Bethlehem at a local church....

Snuggling up with friends and watching The Polar Express put anyone in a Christmas mood....
(I lost count as to how many times we read, listened to and watched the Polar Express..)

And finally, we even met a Christmas camel at a local Christmas tree farm

I packed in so many Christmas activities that our Christmas cup runneth over until next year. 

I think another reason I feel so worn out is the fact that the kids will have had three full weeks of Christmas “vacation” due to “snow days."

Although they missed their Christmas parties at preschool,
Evie at least got to celebrate her birthday with her teacher and classmates

Yes, Portland officially went into Apocalypse panic mode with the few inches of snow mid December.  Luckily, we stayed at home; I did hear horror stories of people stuck in traffic and commuting home for hours and hours. 

Our hill by our house became the official sledding hill in the neighborhood, and we (I) had a blast bundling my kids up and (forcing) encouraging them to give it a try. 

When I informed Evie we were going outside to sled, she proudly adorned herself in a skirt and slip on shoes. 

James, on the other hand,  peeked out the door at the coldness, turned his head in utter disgust, and decided that staying indoors playing with trains was a better option. 

My kids kind of stood awkwardly in the front yard, kicking at the white stuff, not really knowing what all to make of it. 

One night we drove to a local park near the Willamette river and viewed the “Christmas ships.” That day had been particularly draining for both John and myself and by the end, we were at our wits end. 

 However, after navigating various set backs and disputes, we arrived at the dark park and parked our car on top of a lonely hill. We turned the car off and all the kids negotiated their way  up to the front seat to view the ships.

 Nestled together in the front, there was silence in the car as the kids marveled at the floating lights on the water. I looked over at John and he looked at me, and I whispered “Ok, this is worth it.” 

There are certain moments God gives us as parents which remind us that what we are doing is worth more than anything else. And this was one of those moments.

A Silent moment in the night. 

A Holy moment in the night. 

All was calm.  All was right….for  a brief minute or two anyways. 

Dec. 25. Christmas day came, magic and all. 

The reindeer ate the carrots; Santa left some cookie crumbs. 

There were elves running across the backyard; and a daddy (many daddies all over the world I bet) who stayed up way too late locating screws and nailing pieces together in order to delight little faces in the morning. 

The big gift this year was a trampoline for the family and “big boy” beds for the boys.

 It was a day playing with new toys, 

fighting over new toys, 

crying about new toys, 

and forgetting about new toys. 

And soon it was Dec. 26. 

I like to call Dec. 26 the “intermezzo”.... because on Dec. 27, pink streamers mix with the Christmas decorations. 

Our "Christmas baby", Evie turned 5 on Dec. 27. 

So more presents. 

More celebrations. 

More, more, more.

Holy Moly. FIVE years old?!

Nothing beats a Red Robin Birthday

And then on Dec. 29, our family from Washington (Rob, Melissa, Cady and Geneva) and John's Aunt Mary from Canada came to town to celebrate Christmas again. 

This reason, and this reason alone was the only reason the Christmas decorations stayed up this long. 

We had a jolly time visiting, eating an amazing roast (thanks John) and opening more presents.

But  now I sit on Dec. 30, the eve of New Years Eve, with the house back to pre-Christmas status; but  a heart still filled to overflowing with Christmas.   

A full house and a full heart indeed. 2016 was a busy, but blessed year. 

"That Family"

We’ve officially become “that family”…yes, the house with the inflatable Christmas animals on the front lawn. 

The house with the Dad untangling a million Christmas lights on the driveway. 

The family who, in the name of Christmas tradition, goes trekking through the evergreen forest in search of the perfect tree to saw down by hand and haul back to the mini van roof top. 

I like to call us the "family that Christmases. 

Why do we do all these exhausting, somewhat ridiculous things?!?

Because it makes our kids smile. It makes them so very happy.

 So yes, we’ve become the couple-the people-we swore we’d never be. 

And I love it. 

Our kids are able to understand more and more, and this Thanksgiving I really tried to emphasize the “thanks” in the “giving.” 

I’m realizing more and more the challenge it is raising kids in this culture of instant gratification and consumerism. 

It makes my stomach churn sometimes when I observe ungrateful hearts or attitudes of entitlement. 

I’m torn sometimes because I want to do all these special things with and for my children; 

I want my yard to glow of Christmas magic; I want to take Evie to Christmas tea. 

However, I don’t know if these things only do more harm than good in their hearts. 

Posted in their preschool classroom
What we are thankful for:
James: "Trains"
Caleb: "Trains"
Levi: "Dogs, ice cream and even cats"

One of my goals for my kids is to make serving and volunteering together part of our life. I think I could start doing some volunteering or serving with Evie; this is a goal I have for us in 2017. 

We had an absolutely lovely Thanksgiving, probably the best one yet with the kids. John’s parents and his brother and sister in law and their two girls came to visit. The house finally had real sounds of the holidays: Cousins playing and laughing together.  

Cousins and "family noise" is what holidays for me were growing up.  I have memories of obnoxious  kid table conversations, being wayyy too full laying on crammed couches watching Christmas movie reruns, and playing practical jokes on the unsuspecting cousin who dozed off after too much triptaphane. 

The boys actually “ate” Thanksgiving dinner with us this year (well, if you call cereal and raisins and peanut butter sandwiches Thanksgiving dinner..)

Happy Thanksgiving dinner! (Why so grumpy, Levi?!) 

 I was hopeful they'd try something on the colorful plate I'd prepared for them; but, I’ll take being able to eat together as a group. 

 There is always next year. Maybe, just maybe, next Thanksgiving they will try my sweet potato casserole.  

We spent a lot of time just hanging out at our house with the family. It was so nice to change our pace a bit. 

However, if you know me though, you know that I always like to investigate what's going on around town and get us out of the house with the kids.

And behold! What did I find in my search for adventure this weekend?! The Columbia Gorge Model Train Club exhibit! If you know my boys and their obsession with anything train, you’d know what a home run this find was. 

Trains!

Apparently, there is a model train club in Portland and once a year they open up their hobby to the public to raise money for their building; and just our luck, this was the weekend!

I convinced everyone in the family to go to this train exhibit; despite being a bit crowded, it was pretty neat. 

 The boys were completely absorbed in their train nirvana, watching the little engines chug down the track, through mountains, tunnels and scenes that depicted Portland and the surrounding areas. They really could have spent all afternoon following the trains around. 

Another adventure I insisted my family do was the Macy’s parade the morning after Thanksgiving. The day started off rainy and bleak. However, I had a really good feeling it wouldn't stay like that. And sure enough, by the time we found our spot downtown and spotted the first dinosaur float and cartwheeling elf, the rain totally stopped and it ended up being a really fun morning. 

Christmas is going to be more magical than ever this year. I’m excited about the whole holiday season. The kids are enchanted by elves, and reindeer and all the Christmas magic.  

Thanksgiving night I kicked off the season by presenting Christmas pajamas to the kids…and then hung a wreath on the door. We've already cut down and decorated the Christmas tree and inflated the Santa animals on the front lawn.

Everyone had a different opinion about the perfect tree

 

 It’s not even December yet and Christmas is in full swing at the Patton house!

I have so many things that I really want to do with the kids this holiday season. I don't want to be too busy...but busy enough to fully soak in Christmas!

Dad of the year, cutting down the Christmas tree