4 Under 4

Don't worry this is not a pregnancy announcement.  Lol!  I babysat my 2 month old niece Ramona today.  Andy had a work event and a meeting this morning/early afternoon.  So, I had a 2 month old, a 15 month old, and 2 barely 3 year olds by myself.  It actually went really smoothly. I was even able to keep the house picked up and make brownies :-)

Ethan and Gracyn had fun showing Ramona all the baby toys and playing with her on the floor.  When Avery woke up from her morning nap, Ramona was ready to nap.  Avery was really excited that Ramona was here!  She said "baby" and patted her very softly and gave her kisses.  Ramona slept through the whole experience.  She was a happy girl and gave us lots of smiles!

 

 

After the kids woke up from nap and Andy got home we took the kids to the aquarium.  Kelly had already picked up Ramona.  It was a rainy day and we needed to get out of the house.  As usual, it was a fun time! 

A Playdate for Avery

The other day I realized that we had never had a playdate with kids Avery's age and I felt a little guilty.  We do lots of activities with kids Ethan and Gracyn's age and Avery always has a good time, but she loves seeing other babies!  So, today we had a playdate with my friend Suzanne and her twin boys that are just a couple months younger than Avery.  She also has an almost three year old that played with Ethan and Gracyn.  Perfect!

Avery was napping when they got here, but woke up after about 20 minutes.  When I brought her down and she saw the other babies she got so excited!  She just keep smiling and looking at them.  Then, she would giggle and try to hug them.  The boys were not quite sure what to think about her.  They all ended up having a really good time and wore each other out which meant good naps :-)






This afternoon we just played at home.  It was nice just spending the day at home today.
Below are just a couple play pictures.

This evening Andy and I went to dinner with some friends.  It was nice to get out of the house without kids.  We had a really good time!  Thanks Katie and Michael for babysitting!

Wednesday Runaround

 
This morning we had no food.  I had put off the grocery store long enough!  So, I got the kids dressed, we picked up doughnuts for the ride, and went to the store.  Doughnuts (sweets in general) are a rare treat so the kids were very happy!

We are always quite the spectacle at the grocery store.  I like to shop at Aldi, but the carts are pretty small.  So, Avery rides up front and Ethan and Gracyn usually get buried in food in the basket.  Sometimes, like today, I let Ethan ride on the back of the cart.  It works and the kids don't mind. 

The grocery store with all three typically goes pretty well.  I keep them engaged by helping me select the food and find things.  If all else fails, we can always open some graham crackers or goldfish to keep them happy.  They love to help me unbury themselves and put the food on the conveyer belt.  Most days I am pretty proud of their behavior!

After the store, I ran home and quickly put the food away and headed to a friend's for a play date with 2 other sets of twins.  Everyone had a good time.  Anne graciously made us all lunch too. So, when we got home I got to put the kids straight done for nap :-)

Checking Our Progress

Yesterday Ethan and Gracyn had their 3 year old well checks. 

Ethan weighs 30 pounds (20%) and is 38 1/2 inches tall (71%)

Gracyn weighs 30 pounds (30%) and is 38 inches tall (69%)

They both correctly identified all the shapes and letters Dr. Narrin showed them (and even spelled their names for her), could walk on their tip toes and heels, and looked great on examination.  Dr. Narrin was really impressed by how well they both articulated and how intelligent they were.  She asked me "What have you been doing with these kids!"  Made me so proud of them!




Today Avery had her 15 month old well check.

Dr. Narrin was very impressed with her speech and the number of words she is saying - about 30.  She is walking and bending well, can use a fork and spoon very well, can follow one and sometimes 2 step instructions.  She is a smart girl just like her brother and sister :-)  Also, super friendly and smiley.  She waves and smiles at everyone.  Very proud of this sweetie too!

However, she is so tiny!  She is only 17 pounds 7 ounces (not even on the chart!) and 28 3/4 inches (7%).  Dr. Narrin was not too concerned since she is eating well and on track developmentally, but as a mom I can't help but be a little concerned.  How can I fatten this girl up!  She already eats a TON!  Some days more than Ethan and Gracyn.

Ethan and Gracyn were both pretty small at one point too.  So, doing my research I pulled out their growth sheets from their 15 month well check.  Avery is exactly 2 pounds smaller than Gracyn and 1 1/4 inches shorter.  That did not make me feel any better!!

So now I am on a mission to fatten this baby girl up!  And hopefully she will grow in height too although I'm not sure there is much I can do in that department.

Also, she had a little fluid on her right ear so we need to get that rechecked in about a month.  Otherwise, she is completely healthy!

Breakfast Art and Family Outings

We typically go to church on Sundays, but this morning it was just not going to be possible.  We slept a little late, had nothing to make for breakfast, and were running way behind.  So, I ran to Braum's and got a few groceries and we had a late breakfast.  Gracyn discovered during breakfast that she could make her food look like something else.  She made three graham crackers look like a man (a pre-breakfast snack).  So, my creative and artistic husband took it a step further and helped the kids create some breakfast art.  Hopefully we haven't started a new trend where they want to play with all their food.  Haha!

After Avery's morning nap we loaded up and took the kids to the zoo.  Our trip last week was so short that I promised the kids we would go back soon and bring Daddy.  The weather was nice today so we jumped on the opportunity.  We had a fantastic time!

A few highlights of our trip:

1) We got to see a sloth and its tiny baby very close and not even separated by any cage or glass!

Sloth and baby to the left and up

2) We got to see the huge pig (Gracyn's favorite animal because "pigs are pink") move around and eat lunch instead of just laying in the dirt as usual.
3) We actually saw a Prarie Dog.  I wasn't sure there were even any in there because they are never out. Haha!
4) All of the chimps were inside playing and it was quite the spectacle!
5) We got to see lions and bears up and active and hear their roars.

We did not have Super Bowl plans and just relaxed at home after our busy day!  And by relaxed I mean took care of three kids, fed them dinner, cleaned the kitchen, picked up the living room, did 3 loads of laundry, gave the kids a bath (twice - you don't want to know), and got ready for the week ahead.  :-)

A very SWEET morning

This morning I took Ethan and Gracyn to a Valentine's cookie decorating party.  I belong to the Tulsa Mother's of Multiples (TMOMs) group and my friend Sarah and I are in charge of organizing social events.  We had the cookie decorating party at her office and had a really good turnout!  Ethan and Gracyn had a great time decorating and eating cookies with several of their twin friends and their siblings. 

 



After decorating cookies we went straight to Compadres to celebrate Great-Grandma Dizmang's birthday.  After lunch we all enjoyed chocolate cake that Andy's mom had made.  I couldn't deny the kids chocolate cake when everyone else was eating it.  Needless to say, they had a LOT of sugar this morning. 

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.  Naps and playing at home.  It was a pretty good day!

Fun Morning with Great Grandma

In the last year and a half Andy and I have lost 3 grandparents.  His grandpa in September of 2011, my grandma in February of 2012, and his grandma in May of 2012.  We now only have one of his grandmas and one of my grandpas left.  I am thankful that Pappy and Grandma Dizmang are still here and hope that they are around long enough for my kids to have actual memories of these amazing people. 

Andy's grandma moved to Tulsa to a retirement home very near to us after Andy's grandpa passed away.  It has been so nice having her close and her being able to get to know the kids so much better by spending time with them outside of just large family get togethers.  I don't know who has more fun, Grandma or the kids when she comes to play.  She really is so great with the kids.  She gets down on the floor with them and really plays and enjoys the kids.  I love watching them play together!

Today we picked Grandma up a little after 9 and she played with the kids all morning.  She read them books, played dolls, colored, played doctor, and even gave Ethan a horsey ride on her leg.  Then, we all went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  It was a really fun morning!