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.

Halloween and the Aftermath

I've never witnessed a more elated boy as I did Halloween night watching James skip down the street, collecting his candy.
 I believe this is the night James Patton waits for his entire year.

The night of loosely regulated candy collection and consumption.




Like any holiday, the anticipation and activities leading up to the actual holiday is when most of the excitement and fun take place.

Couldn't ask for a better day

We had the most gorgeous fall weather this year in the Pacific Northwest. All of our pumpkin patch days were blue skied, sunny and just brilliant.

The colors still excite me, and I'm always quick to point out to the kids the trees and the swirling leaves tumbling around the parking lots.

Pumpkin Pow Wow

So helpful. 

I want my kids to appreciate the brilliant miracles in life that quickly get overlooked or become ordinary.
I have been absolutely overwhelmed by thankfulness in my heart this fall. I'm bursting with love and joy and gratefulness.

Recognizing the small miracles in the mundane has become something I'm being intentional about. There are so many things each day we come to expect and take for granted. One is the changing of the seasons, the magnificent display of leaves as we transition into another season. This is one example of something that we've grown used to, something that we pass right by in our busy lives.

 It's made me stop to wonder and ask myself, "what else am I missing? What other miracles and blessings am I passing right by as I run around from here to there?"

If I am not careful, these manifestations of  God's goodness have the potential to float past me, swirling around and away like the fallen leaves dancing around the vacant parking lot.

So I enjoyed my Super Heros, my Batman, Superman and Spiderman.
I appreciated their antics, flying around the house rescuing stuffed animals and fighting off evil cats.

The Justice Squad

Weeks before the big event, they insisted on wearing them out and about, three whirling dervishes on a mission!

Look at those abs!

I've heard that if parents "speak into what they want their kids to be" their kids will become just that.
This rings true. Upon being called superheros, they have mustered up more confidence at launching off the sides of my couch and creating more havoc in our living environment.

The day before Halloween, Caleb back flipped off my bed while I was bathing James. Evelyn came tearing into the bathroom exclaiming "Mom, there is an emergency! Come quick." Leaving James in the bathroom, I entered my room to Caleb's entire face full of blood. Being the only one home at that moment, I knew I had to remain calm. I grabbed toilet paper and managed to clot the battle wound above his eyebrow.
Superman indeed sported a Paw Patrol band-ade above his right eye during trick or treating the next night. But that only made him seem more tough, and he gained sympathy from neighbors who slipped him an extra piece of candy to sooth his traumatic experience and any lingering pain.

 This was the first year John and I could just stand back by the sidewalk and let our kids do the work.

Trick or Treat!!!

They understood this trick or treating game well.
When I was a kid, a king sized candy bar was such a rare treasure in a Halloween bag. In our neighborhood this year however, big sized candy bars were the norm!
Our neighbors were very generous, but the  "The Win" had to go to the house who unashamedly gave out boxes of Easter peeps. The kids were very excited to receive this delicacy, and I'm sure the neighbor was equally excited to finally get rid of their stash.

We had to coach our kids on saying "Thank you", and we had to continually remind them not to ask if they could take more than one.
 Halloween actually became a great exercise in etiquette.

Evelyn wore out first. A full day of school and a lingering cold had her surrendering to her home after an hour of walking the neighborhood.

The boys, on the other hand, could have made the rounds all night.

And now, my friends, we are left with buckets of sugar and kids who hound me every hour to indulge in one more piece. I  know there are different philosophies on what to do with all the loot. This year I think mine is just get it over with. I'm more liberal with my distribution and consumption than I have been in the past.

But as the post Halloween days are wearing on, the candy pile doesn't seem to be shrinking fast enough and I'm slightly panicked on how all this candy is going to disappear.
My kids are becoming obsessed and addicted to it.
 It's intoxicating.
It consumes their thoughts constantly.
They monitor it meticulously.

I've decided that my new battle plan is to slyly throw away a few pieces each night.
I just want it gone. I want it gone by Thanksgiving so that we have at least a week before my battle with Christmas sweets begins.

Our pumpkin family