Spring Break 2018

Spring Break 2018

Caleb and James spent a lot of Spring Break doing this:

It seems like our entire house is taken over by train tracks sometimes.

John and I decided to surprise the kids and take them on a real train!

We didn't leave the state or even the city. We bought an "all day" MAX ticket and rode downtown Portland for a day of stops along the river. There was truly magic in the kids' eyes as they boarded the MAX and we headed down the track over the Tillicum bridge, getting off in downtown Portland.

Before our excursion, I sat down and drew the kids a rough "map" of exactly where we'd be going and what we'd be doing. Admittedly, I wasn't quite sure exactly what and where everything was, but I felt confident that John and I together could successfully navigate the kids through a portion of the city.

Our travel time out on the MAX was a mere 20 min to our first stop; we jumped on and off at various points in the city to explore different sections and neighborhoods of Portland.
The kids were excited just waiting for the MAX to arrive!

Crossing the pedestrian bridge over the Willamette was a thrill in itself; we exited the train and walked on foot back over the top, observing boats, bridges and buildings.

Next, we got off at Clinton Street and had lunch at a place called Ford Fuel and Food. A huge, farm house sized table was available and fit our family perfectly.
We all sat around it, enjoying our lunch in this new section of town; thick grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids and organic bean and rice bowl for the adults, we all enjoyed lunch.

We climbed aboard once again and got off at Bybee St and walked about a mile to Westmoreland Park. A charming landscape of flowering trees, ponds, bridges and ducks, this place was bursting with  spring.
The playground was inspired by nature. It was constructed with fallen tree trucks and sand.  The kids ran around in the sunshine for awhile, climbing trees and building sandcastles.

Finally, we headed back to our initial stop in Milwaukie.

Overall, we kept it simple, cheap and enjoyed the small things, like walking over bridges and looking out the windows from the train.

This summer I plan on mapping out a few train adventures for the kids. It's a simple, inexpensive way to see the city, explore new places and have a good family time.

Another fun adventure I took the kids on was the Woodburn wooden shoe tulip farm. The kids enjoyed riding the hayride, bumping through the flower fields on a cow train and eating a corn dog in the sunshine.

Easter weekend had us searching for eggs at a local church.

We spent Easter day enjoying the special service at our own church and then having a nice Easter dinner with our  friends and neighbors. We organized  another egg hunt for the eleven kids. We hid the first batch of eggs in the house, all filled with vegetables! (April Fools!)


We then directed our disappointed kids outside to another batch off eggs hidden around the yard, this time filled with Easter candy. :)

 

This week we've been getting back into the routine of school and social fun!  Its a windy day today but the wind sweeps the white blossoms off the trees around the house creating quite the magic show.
It reminds James of snow: "Is it almost Christmas time now? It's taking forever!"

Catching Leprechauns

I've been waking at 4:30 am a lot lately. Frustrated, I want to go back to sleep; nonetheless, I lay there, mind racing, tempted to get up just so I can sit quietly on the couch, sip coffee, read or write or study without interruption.
And that always wins.
That is probably one of the reasons I am so tired. Moments of peace and solitude are more important than sleep sometimes.
 But I do look in the mirror and think, "Wow, what happened?!"

The house is perpetually chaotic and messy.
Lately, this energy has been channeled into constructing leprechaun traps.
Evie had to make a leprechaun trap for a school project. I handed that one off to John and sure enough, what they created was masterful.
This then sparked a desire in the boys to trap their own leprechauns.  Thus, they worked diligently on building their own traps from shoe boxes, alternating between excitement and total fear if the trap really worked!

 

They went to sleep the night before St. Patrick's day with their traps set, anticipating what they would find the next morning. To their delight, they found gold chocolate coins instead of actual small creatures. There was evidence that they had visited; little green foot prints dotted the kitchen floor, and they left the toilet seats up-and the green water indicated that those pesky leprechauns didn't flush!

We attempted going to downtown for St. Patricks day; but, my ambition once again got the best of me and we ended up in a crowd of people, getting rained on. After waiting in a long line to get in the magical tent of Irish dancing merriment, we ended up abandoning our plans because of the $15.00 per person entry fee.
 With hail falling from the sky and our family running for cover, the kids started to complain about their lack St. Patricks Day luck and their right to something else "special."

If you know me, you know that one of my biggest struggles with raising kids in this present world is balancing my desire to create magical childhood experiences without producing entitled, spoiled, self-absorbed monster children.  Whenever I hear whining, complaining or demanding, something inside me wilts.
I've been known to suddenly react to this behavior by insisting that my kids partake in a selfless activity or project.
This situation  reminded me of a project at our church that I wanted to participate in.
 After getting settled into our warm vehicle, I turned around to my unhappy, soaked children and informed them we would be celebrating St. Patricks day at Walmart instead, creating "restart kits" for refugee families.  Thus,John and I led our clan through the aisles of the store, picking out toothpaste, toilet paper and deodorant.

This ultimately turned out to be the best way to spend this holiday. I truly believe that things work out for the best;  in my opinion, I think disappointment is one of the best character building tactics in kids. A sudden change of plans creates flexible kids, kids who can wrap their hearts and minds about more than themselves and their special outings and surprises and plans.

Nonetheless, these kids are certainly not deprived of special things and outings. For their birthday the boys received a gift certificate to a place in the mall called Young Art where they got a 30 min one-on-one art lesson. I used the certificates to have a one-on-one time with each of my boys, a rare occurrence and one that I cherish.
During each of the sessions, it was remarkable how differently they interacted with the teacher, lesson and materials. Their choices for pictures they wanted to create reflected their personalities;;

 Levi: a pink butterfly; 

Caleb: a red dolphin

and James: a train, of course.

Right now as I write this my four kids are fast asleep in one room. Lately, they've been wanting to have "sleepovers."  The boys will take turns sleeping on the floor next to Evie's bed. But tonight, the excitement was high as Evie decided to sleep in the boys' room. Thus in our house with many rooms, they choose to all sleep together in one. ♡

The BOYS turn FOUR!

OK So what does it mean when you spend your entire Saturday night reading about grey paint online?!

Seriously, my mind was completely blown away by how much there is to know about the color grey. And apparently, based on its popularity on Pintrest, it has a big fan club. 

 Earlier this fall I convinced my dear husband that we needed to paint our family room and kitchen. The early 90s decor of peach sponge paint and light oak cabinets just needed to go. It's amazing how a good coat of paint can brighten and cheer up a space. 
It turned out beautiful (after finally coming to a decision on white! Yes, apparently there is more than one white too.....)
Now that we are coming up on four years in this house, and coming out of the fog and chaos of babies and toddlers, I  have a renewed passion and vision for updating my home. I think I'm nesting again; I have this intense desire to create an even more warm, nourishing place, one project at a time. 

So... after the paint job, I hinted at getting a new couch in the living room. 
John agreed, and we found "the one" at an after Christmas sale at Dania. We purchased a nice, mid-century tope couch, a couch that really didn't go with the flesh colored walls in this room. WELL...suddenly I found myself again on Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams websites, analyzing which colors actually would go well with this couch....for the future.....when we decided we wanted to paint this room...

Well, my friend painted her interior light grey and as I marveled at what an improvement it made in her house, she casually passed along her painter's number....for the future....when we decided to paint again....

The couch is lovely, but the curtains really aren't doing it or the room any favors...but the paint needs to be in place before I figure that piece out....
                  sooo, that is when I went to the paint store and that is when I called the painter and got a reasonable quote...
                    and while he was here, he might as well quote our bathroom cabinets, which are chipping...
        and our laundry room cabinets have never even seen paint...
and then the laundry room walls...yikes. 
"Let's just see what it would be.."
 And so, this is what began the crazy quest for the perfect grey...the perfect colors...and eighteen samples later, I've arrived at what will make our dwelling beautiful.
And now, I sit in my living room, with painted walls, and new couch, two new accent chairs...about 10 different colored pillows (I need to figure out which ones go with everything else!) and a coffee table on the way.  
.....Still got to figure out those curtains.....Good thing I found the right grey.

This, my friends, is just one of the projects I've been attempting as I try to juggle my nest full of children. And this project is a perfect metaphor for my life. 
Simple sounding things usually turn into a big messy ordeal, more complicated and intense than originally planned. 
It's hard to fit ANYTHING else into my life except keeping kids alive and relatively happy. 
But I do try. 

The first sixty days of 2018 have been filled with some really good things. And some really not so great things; but nonetheless, things that make life LIFE. 
Here is a quick recap: 

Hot Cocoa Stand:
In January, Evie's Awanas group focused on raising money to send Bibles to Uganda. Evie, by her own efforts, set up a hot cocoa stand at the end of our driveway and sold hot chocolate for four hours one Saturday, raising $30.00.  I was truly blown away by her determination and enthusiasm, and the generosity of our neighbors. 

HSP: Caleb came screaming down the stairs one afternoon, pulling up his pant legs, exposing the most horrific looking rash I've ever seen. I thought for sure it was Chicken Pox, but then I knew he had his vaccination....I took him in to the doctors and after some urine and blood testing, it was determined to be Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura,which is a rare autoimmune disease. He got progressively worse, his joints becoming so swollen and painful that he couldn't walk; his kidneys so tender he couldn't lay down. There was nothing I could do except keep him on a regiment of pain medicine and steroids. Luckily, my mom and grandma came into town for a visit during this exact week. This couldn't have been better timing because Caleb needed a whole person for his own. 

Mom and GG visit: My Mom and Grandma stayed with us for 10 days, spending time with the kids and helping me around my house. They always leave my home clean and orderly. It's nice to have them here. They lighten the daily burden I feel with caring for whining, needy little humans. I have some space to breath a bit as they take over fulfilling those needs. I know it's really hard work, but I love that breathing room.  We even got a few hours together without children, enjoying a leisurely breakfast while they were all in school.

GG and Birthday Boy #1

Boys Turned 4!: Perhaps the biggest milestone we've reached this month is my boys turning FOUR years old. The Winter Olympics reminded me of four years ago; they were born during the 2014 Olympics. I remember thinking as I sat watching the events,  bottle feeding them, "In four years when there is another winter Olympics, they will be four!" 
The thought was unfathomable, completely absurd and unattainable. BUT,  here we are, our family snuggled together on the couch, watching the Olympics together, commenting on the skating and skiing.

I feel like FOUR is such a milestone. In my mind, we are exiting the really grueling baby/toddler stage. They even got big beds for their birthdays.

 My mom commented that "The worst is behind us," :) and I couldn't agree more. 

Birthday Boys at school!

We celebrated with Grandparents at Red Robin, enjoying hamburgers and embarrassing birthday songs....




BUT, we ended the night in the ER with Caleb, (he experienced some intense stomach pain we attributed to a dangerous HSP side effect...turned out it was probably due to eating too much raw birthday cake batter)

The boys also had a birthday party which included all their friends! This is the first year they had a list of people they wanted to celebrate with and were genuinely  excited by their presence. I'm all about outsourcing birthday parities, and this one was outsourced to McDonalds Playland, complete with Happy Meals and overly frosted birthday cake. The boys really couldn't have celebrated a better way. 

Sweet Big Sister Evie even woke up early to make them a special birthday breakfast and decorate the kitchen. 

And that's all I have time to write in this moment. ;) 

January is here. 

Birthday is Over.

Christmas is Over. 

Life is settling back into a manageable routine. 

In the mornings hours, we usually have something that gets us going, out of the house, a routine that keeps us sane.  
The afternoons, however, are The Worst time of day for me. Things start going downhill the time right after lunch and the few hours before I pick up Evie from school. 
I finally pinpointed the problem as to why this time is so miserable. 
The boys don't nap anymore, and the alternative activity "quiet time" is a struggle (I.E doesn't happen....) So,  I'm left really tired and frustrated as the triplet mob circles the house, searching for me. 
They are tired, or hungry again, or want something or WHATEVER...but their main focus is on how they are going to get Mom from not getting anything done or sneaking in a little quiet time herself. 


Sometimes I can get really depressed in these afternoon hours. I don't like the feeling that I'm just trying to pass time, and I really don't like feeling that I can't get anything done. And I really really  don't like being stalked around the house. 

But each day at around 1:00, I start to get this sense of exhausting dread. 
SO....after realizing that the boys are not going to change their behavior, I decided to change mine. I decided to implement some sort of semblance of schedule to this mayhem.

It obvious that the tension is with me wanting to be left alone, and the boys wanting me. Thus, I decided to designate a block of uninterrupted time to them, each afternoon, with the negotiation that they then will in fact let me have some time to do what I need to do. 

This time has structure.
               It has purpose. 
It has intention and my hope is that this will fill up their little "mom shaped hole" and be content for awhile. 

So, here it is. Time with Mom.


Monday: Muffin baking day! (Bake and eat a new muffin recipe)
Tuesday: Train Day! (build super train tracks together)
Wednesday: Game day! 
Thursday: Cuddle and read day!
Friday: Write letters and draw pictures to family and put them in the mail. 

After trying this out, I am happy to report it is a success! ⭐⭐⭐ 
Each afternoon my mindset is on them, knowing I have a designated activity to focus on with them. 
The boys enjoy their time with me and then are able to go off by themselves for a bit so I can do what I need to do. 

Things I'm learning: If there is something in my schedule I don't like or that isn't working, I have the power to fix it. 

One aspect of myself I want to work on this year is being more proactive than reactive. I don't want my emotions to dictate how I am as a person. I want to make ways so I am approaching problems and situations before my emotions take over. 
It's tough, but I am learning its a worthy goal, especially when dealing with little humans who hunt and attack your existence at all hours.

 

Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus

So the concern in the house lately was whether the elf (on the shelf) and the tooth fairy might run into each other in the middle of the night. Yes, Evelyn lost her very first tooth, and it was very much in Evelyn fashion.

 She discovered the less than secure tooth one day and since then, was fixated on it’s movement. The thought of it falling out was upsetting to her, but we reassured her that it was a natural process and a sign of growing up. Well, weeks went by and she stopped talking about her loose tooth. I figured it wasn’t as loose as we thought and that it still had some time before making it’s exit. 

However….one night from the bathroom, I heard a blood curdling scream. Evie ran out of the bathroom, blood dripping down her face and a little space in the front of her mouth. Levi  came running after her, screaming in absolute terror as well. “I had the washcloth in my mouth and Levi came and yanked on it...and my tooth fell out!!!!!!!!"

Evie was screaming because her tooth fell out. 

And there was blood. 

Levi was screaming because Evie’s tooth fell out. 

And there was blood. 

And they both really didn't know what to make of it.

But to me this was just another marked milestone for the eldest Patton child. The reminder that a lost tooth meant a visit from the tooth fairy seemed to make everything right again, and Evie decided that this was a good solution to her tragedy. 

John and I debated awhile about how much is appropriate for a tooth fairy visit. When I was little, I got $1.00; I also got paid $2.00/hour for babysitting. I held firm on my position of $3.00.  But John thought we should pay her more. We had to consider inflation he said. 

So we settled on $5.00. 

SO I started doing the math on how much this whole loosing teeth thing is going to end up costing us. 

If each child looses 20 teeth, we are paying them each $100 for a new set of chompers. Times  that by four, and we will be out $400.00  at least by the end of this all... That is if by the time they are done loosing teeth there isn't anymore inflation. 

Furthermore,  if we consider braces and all that orthodontic work that is deemed a necessity for most children these days, we are talking big bucks for those pearly whites! 

Well, then while our dear daughter slept peacefully, we doled out our first installment in this process, $5.00.  

Christmas vacation happened and every year it makes me consider and stress about summer vacation because I realize what a luxury it is to have some sort of semblance of schedule and activity for my kids. But alas, we are all home, and against my better judgment, I broke down and took my kids one day to one of those germ infested jump houses. 

Thirty hours later, James was up half the night vomiting in the toilet.

 Luckily, the virus stopped at James, but I got a horrible respiratory infection which even now as I type burns my chest. 

My parents arrived from Chicago at the end of the week for Christmas. 

I always have these beautiful ideas of how exactly our family Christmas will unfold. Don't get me wrong, Christmas was great, but there are always things (ie. illness, exhaustion, moods, unforeseen obstacles..) that cause us to recalibrate occasionally. 

For example, the night before Christmas Eve I had the brilliant idea to pack out our mini van and drive all the way to Portland International Raceway to look at the light display. I didn't consider just how packed the mini van would feel after the 25 min drive there, the 45 min wait in a car line to get in, the snails pace drive around the track, and the accident on 1-5 on the way home that completely shut down the road and created a complete stand still  for about an hour. All things considered, the kids were really good, but in the stand still traffic jam, Levi suddenly cried out that he had to go potty. After several minutes of debating what to do and realizing that we were going no were quickly, John tossed back his stainless steel coffee canister and my mom and I guided Levi in how he may empty his full bladder into the mug. The mission was a success, but the mug went promptly into the trash when we got home. 

Christmas magic was in its full glory this year. All four kids fully believed, embraced and anticipated Santa Claus. I savored all the moments of Santa sightings in the sky, reindeer noises on the roof and elf mischief around the house. With every year that goes by the veil is striped away a little bit more and this year was so so magical for us. 

Cookies, Carrots and milk for Santa and crew

Right to bed. They didn't want to miss Santa....

The boys got new bikes from my parents, remote control cars from Santa, and Evie received her first chapter books. 

Then at the very end, we sat everyone down on the couch and John played a PowerPoint on the TV, revealing the final surprise from us, to them: Legoland! This Spring we will enjoy our first family vacation together and I couldn't be more excited. 

 I got so animated telling them about it , Evie started crying, "Mom's shouting too loud!" 

We had Christmas dinner (perfectly seared steaks from John), Christmas pie, and then Caleb asked to go to sleep. All the kids were in their beds, sleeping soundly by 7:30, dreaming of their magical day of reindeer hooves and Santa cookie crumbs. 

Christmas Adulting

Sap stained, pine needle embedded, and just plain tired, my super star husband lay under the massive evergreen in our living room, trying to center the thick trunk into the Christmas tree stand and tighten the bolts so it didn't lean. The kids excitedly jumped around him, occasionally landing on his legs, which were still thawing out from putting up Christmas lights in the cold drizzle just an hour earlier.
Sometimes it's hard to keep a positive attitude this time of year. It's the most wonderful time of the year, right?! What's not to love?!
Let's face it, Christmas changes a lot when you grow up; and, when you have your own children, creating Christmas magic for them can be a full time job, on top of everything else going on!
"Christmas Adulting" is exhausting.
It's draining.
It's just a lot. 
         A lot of pulling out heavy boxes with tangled lights and chipped ornaments.
A lot of sticky pine needles, frost bitten hands, and cookie crumbs.

Where has all the magic gone?!

 I start planning Christmas magic for my family right after Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong; I never overlook Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Family Time

Cousin Love

 But Thanksgiving night, after the plates have been cleaned and turkey gravy sopped up, I strategically sneak upstairs and lay out  Christmas 'jammies' on each of my children's beds. Unable to wait for them to notice themselves, I casually mention that "there might be a surprise on their beds."
 Running up stairs, they burst through their bedroom door and squeal in delight, Christmas has officially commenced! The rest of the weekend is devoted to hanging stockings, putting up lights, and making the house a Christmas wonderland.

Christmas started off with a bang. We did Zoo Lights with the cousins the night after Thanksgiving and I have to say, it was magical. The kids were at the perfect age to enjoy the animals and the twinkling lights.

Saturday, we took them to the IMAX to see the Polar Express. Again ,  Magical.

On a completely different note, I had a personal magical experience this November: A trip to Hawaii all by myself to visit one of my dear friends, Kristin. She and her husband have lived on the island for two years in a lovely little house right on the ocean. I fell asleep to the waves clapping against the house each night and woke up to the serenity of a ocean sunrise and a dark cup of kona coffee.
Kristin planned out everything for us. Over the four days I was there, we hiked rocky ridges over turquoise water, feasted under palm trees, rehydrated with coconuts and even became surfing enthusiasts at a surfing competition on the North Shore.
She took me to the best: the best shaved ice; the best white beach; the best banyan tree; the best relaxation!

She appropriately named our collective escapades as "Mom's Big Adventure." It was "Mom's Big Adventure" in so many ways, namely that everything I got to do was without little people hanging on me.
 It was so nice seeing my friend too. Kristin got married to a military man six years ago, and since then, she has lived all over. We haven't had concentrated time together like that since she's moved, and we caught up on everything. There was non stop talking, laughing and story telling.

 It was a perfect Mom's Adventure.

But, coming home to the beginning of the holiday season was really something to get excited about too...
I don't think there is anything cuter and more irresistible than kids in Christmas pajamas. They are at the age when they totally embrace it and take Christmas very seriously. Our visit to Santa was serious business too. I took them one clear chilly evening to the little house at the outdoor mall. In proper Evie fashion, she lined the boys up single file and made sure each one presented Santa with a well thought out list.

 Visits in the past were not met with such enthusiasm as was this year's meeting.
The kids looked Santa in his kind eyes and explained very matter of factly what they desired and why. Santa listened, gave them a candy cane, and sent them on their way.

Evie is not totally convinced Santa got everything, so she is constantly requesting to take pictures with my phone with the intention of texting Santa reminders a few days before the big night.

Then, of course, there is the elf on the shelf.
Last year, the elf was full of generosity, kindly leaving goodies and treats for the kids in the morning. This year, he is a bit more mischievous, stealing toys and eating candy in the night. He may or may not have caused one or more of my children to cry with his obnoxious antics the year.

 

Now that the house is properly decorated and the lights up and the tree displayed magnificently in the window, I am in no rush to get to Christmas. I'm savoring every Christmas pajama cuddle and every request to drive slowly past the houses with the crazy Christmas blow up reindeer. I am so aware that this Christmas is so very magical for the kids, and I want to hang on to this window of wonder. I love delighting my kids with magic, and the build up to the big day is filled with so many joyful moments.
....And that naughty elf.... Levi wants him to go back to the North Pole early.

I say he stays a little longer.