It's Been a LONG Time!

Blogging has not been at the top of my list lately. I have thought about it often...briefly...but the thought is usually replaced with a chore that must be done or the urge to just relax! It has been almost an entire month since I wrote last. Many things have taken place!

Thanksgiving. Oh, how wonderful it was to have an entire week off from work! It was a rough week...all three kids were sick and I was just getting over it. As bad as it was, however, it sure did beat going to work everyday! Being able to see the kids wake up in the morning was probably my favorite....especially when I noticed how excited they were to find me there!  The sickness was very similar to the flu. Cameron had an ear infection, as well. After a whopping $200, the kids were on the mend. Oh....and did I mention that I took all three to the doctor by myself???!!!  Three sick kiddos at the doctor was sure to be a disaster, but they did very well...I was proud....EXCEPT...and it's just coming back to me (how could I forget???).... the hour long wait at the pharmacy....when Cameron tore into the roll of Sponge Bob wrapping paper as I paid for the antibiotics. Yep, left Rite Aid with medication and Sponge Bob.

Although all of the kiddos were under the weather, we did our best to do Thanksgiving crafts. We were painting Mayflowers here!

Thanksgiving day was busy and family filled. We split our times with both sides of the family. None of the kiddos felt well so that didn't make for a pleasant day, but it always nice to have time with the family. Thanks to YaYa and Ray-Ray watching the three, irritable babies, we were able to head out shopping on Black Friday. Although I am sure that we will never have that happen again (because I am almost 100% certain that the three almost killed their sitters), it was nice to get to Christmas shop with Cody...it was the first time that we have ever gone Black Friday shopping together. I made A LOT of progress too! I am practically done with the Christmas shopping...and OFFICIALLY BROKE!

The Christmas tree and decorations are up! The kids were more into it this year....but not tremendously excited about it all. I thought they would be super pumped to put a tree in their playroom, but that was a negative. When we drove up the other night, Cam admired the house by whispering, "WOW."  That was pretty cute! We do have an Elf on the Shelf....he goes by the name of BINGO. The kids are not crazy about ole BINGO. The look on Faith's face as I told her that he would watch to see if she was naughty or nice was priceless. She looked so disappointed. I have heard, "I not see him," "He not see me," and "I hide." I wonder why they are not eager for the elf to watch their every move and report back to Santa?....lol! I asked Faith if she liked him and she said, "No. When he gets sad, I get mad." I have told her that BINGO gets sad when she misbehaves. :)



...and we have also attempted the Christmas cards. See how thrilled Faith is?! Ha!

Most recently, I have noticed two Santa figurines that the kids have, facing the wall. Faith whispered, "Always watching." So, it seems that she isn't crazy about Santa watching, either. She must be up to some SERIOUS mischief!!!  The holiday break is quickly approaching, and I am counting down the days! I can't wait to see what kind of fun we are gonna' have!!!

A Mommy's List of Thanks

Everyone on facebook has been posting something that they are thankful for for each day of November. Here is my list from a funny-mommy perspective....for all 30 days....

1. Thankful for not being able to take a bath, shower, or use the bathroom without an audience. Although I can find it highly annoying or bothersome, I can appreciate having little ones that are in need of me so :)

2. Thankful for all of those scratches on my hard woods, fingerprints covering windows and doors, smudges all over the walls, and HUGE juice stains on the couch. I think my house truly has some character!

3. Thankful for two daughters that will clearly be as headstrong as myself. As frustrating as it is to have two-and-under-year-olds tell me like it is, I THINK that I will be a very proud momma of two, strong, independent women...ha!

4. Thankful for a son that is as equally compassionate as he is full of boy.  He may insist to sleep with and care for a baby doll, but he can play as hard as and loves tractors better than any boy I have ever seen. I am confident that my Cam-Cam will grow to be a man that ANY girl would love to have! What woman doesn't want a man that loves babies AND can take on the "guy" things of the household?

5. Thankful for children, who climb chairs, tables, and other pieces of furniture. Thankful for children that run around the house like crazed lunatics. So blessed to have healthy children, who are able to get into such mischief.

6. Thankful for children, who keep me on my toes. Children, who keep me guessing and wondering how any one day will go. They laugh. They play. The scream. They shout. They keep me moving....they keep me wondering if I should or should not take them in public (LOL!). I am thankful for entertaining children....who wants boring ones????!!!!!.....you know...the ones that will play with one thing or watch tv for an hour?....who wants them???....lol.

7. Thankful for a husband, who procrastinates better than anyone I know and seemingly stresses over nothing. He takes it as it comes, goes with the flow.  Although he can (at times) give me a panic attack, I am so thankful for these traits....he balances us!

8. Thankful to have over thirty babies.....this includes at home and school. Glad to have children call my name FIFTY. MILLION. TIMES. PER. DAY. How many people can say that they are in direct contact with that many children in one day and have the opportunity to truly make a difference?

9. Thankful that my only source of entertainment consists of Dora the Explorer and Disney movies. I am thankful for snuggling on the couch to watch these!

10. Thankful to push a three seater buggy and the fact that I may have to bounce two babies by arm and one by leg....at the same time. What other exercise is better than that???

11. Thankful for my super cool ride. I like getting compliments on my ride....who knew that three kids would force me to get such a cool car? Gas guzzler=cool car.

12. Thankful for my pediatrician, local ER, and Athens Orthopedic. So grateful that the pediatrician helped us work through all the tummy troubles, and so happy with our various visits to Athens Orthopedic last year. We had two casts in under a month last year! That's a record! ;)

13. Thankful for poison control....yep....have had to make that call, too!

14.  Thankful for Miralax and Culturelle. Not going into details here....but my little ones are thankful for this medication...and that makes mommy happy.

15. Thankful for grandparents!!! How wonderful is it to have such involved grandparents, who help us out in so many ways!!!???

16.    Thankful for those "I'm gonna' lock myself in the bathroom for a breather moments," because the Lord know that we mommas need them!

17. Thankful for those, "YAY, MOMMA'S HOME!" from work hugs and kisses. Truly. Nothing makes me more happy or sad at the same time.

18. Thankful for childproof locks (as they keep my kids out of A LOT of TROUBLE)....BUT...REALLY....they are not SO fun when you have a weak bladder. ;)

19.  Thankful that my bed is overtaken...almost EVERY night. Although I complain, I think that I secretly LOVE it.

20. Thankful for children, who can run faster than me. So, it may be BAD that they run from me....but....I think they will be pretty GREAT athletes! ;)

21.  Thankful that the hubs is fairly handy....so he can replace toilets that have flushed toys, patch holes that have been put into walls, and refinish kitchen tables (well....I'm hoping he can do this) that have a boundless number of fork holes within it.

22. Thankful for spray and wash and magic erasers...enough said.

23.  Thankful for a sitter, who has far more patience than I do!  The Lord sent her our way! We LOVE Granny B.

24.  Thankful for the golf cart...it has provided so many hours of entertainment and adventures! :)

25. Thankful for the dishwasher. As I think back to the days of 16 bottles per day, I believe that the dishwasher was the most improtant asset of our house.

26.  Thankful for children, who, at times make me want to laugh, cry and scram all within a fifteen minute time frame!

27.  Thankful for the constant question of, "Why, mom?" Hoping this inquisitive nature will take them far in life!

28. Thankful for all of the joyful rides in the car. There's nothing like the constant shouts of "I'm hot," "I'm cold," "I can't hear it," and "Taif's kickin' my seat," that will make you appreciate a quiet ride to work....never thought I would say that!!!

29. Thankful for brutal honesty. Love it when my babies point out momma's wrinkles and imperfections....ok....not really.

30. Thankful for a beautiful family of FIVE....especially when there were days that I never thought we would make it past a family of TWO.

On a more serious note, I certainly count my blessings daily. I thank God each and every day for these three, beautiful miracles, a loving, caring husband/daddy, a great family, jobs, and all of the many things that we take for granted each and every day.  True, days can be hard....but they are made so much easier when you are surrounded by so many blessings.  I am saddened by those facing hardships.  I pray for those in my life, who continue to grieve the loss of loved ones, are having difficulty finding a job, are suffering from illness, and simply need guidance or a comforting hand. Lord, thank you for blessing me so and keep those who need you most at this time wrapped in Your embrace.

Little late....the cheerleaders and hunter. Halloween 2012.

Carving Chaos

It is so true how your brain totally allows you to forget (or block out for that matter), experiences that are less than pleasurable. It must be kinda' like they say about childbirth (although I never got to experience that one)....you forget how gosh-awful it is or you would never go through it again!!!

ANYWAY...I definitely had one of those lapses of memory with the pumpkin carving experience. Not until the carving was well underway did I think, "Ah, yes. I remember this horrific experience from last year!!!" Therefore, I am blogging it. Writing it down. Keeping it here so I can always remember!!!

This is the way it went down:

1. There were two pumpkins to carve, which meant three children did not have their parents' undivided attention.
2. Cam decided to do everything BUT help carve the pumpkin:  He climbed on, jumped on, and tried to drive the golf cart. Because his Gator was not charged, he decided to push it around the garage. Mallory helped. He decided to take the carving utensils and make the most possible noise that he could. This included dropping the metal bowl to the concrete MANY times.
3. Nelson, the lovely dog, was interested in trying to sniff and eat all things. Then he went on a barking fit, which added to the noise level in the garage. My ears are still ringing.
4. Faith was the only child interested in scooping out the insides of the pumpkins, but she was not thrilled about her dirty hands. I was the lucky one that she wiped her hands on after each scoop. Yay me.
5. Mallory wanted to sit, roll, and climb in our laps while we tried to carve. Do you know what a challenge that was???!!!
6. Cam must be one of those bored eaters. When he got tired of it all, he disappeared. Out he came with the vanilla wafers and chocolate chip cookies. By the looks of it, I think he had already had a couple.
7. When nature hits, regardless of how busy we are, the kids have to go. While Cody held Mallory through her belly ache, Faith decided to drop everything to go outside....on the sidewalk....for the world to see. She wasn't very successful.
8. After the experience (carving and nature), it was definitely time for a bath. As I was frantically trying to prep the bathtub, nature hit Mallory again....without a diaper to catch it. THAT. MADE. HER . MAD....and a MESS for me to clean up!!!
9. Somehow the cat snuck in while I was filling the tub. I picked him up and somehow dropped him straight into the tub.....that didn't go well.
10. Cody was left outside to finish the pumpkins!!!....I bathed the kids....which is not that enjoyable alone.

Next year, remind me to get only one small, teeny-tiny pumpkin....or better yet....we will just get one of those you plug up!!! We plan to go to the pumpkin patch next weekend....I'm sure this will be interesting, as well!!!

Here are some pumpkin carving pics:

Mallory was very good at stopping to "cheese." Every. Single. Time.

 

Faith doing her own thing.

 

Cam decided to sit on the pumpkin.



To the Doc we Go

Doctor's appointments....gotta laugh about the whole experience or you will cry.  This time, however, most of the lovely events of the day were all of crazy-mommy's fault.

First of all, why did I schedule an appointment on my day off???!!! Is that really something I want to do on my day off? Not really, but I did it.  It was time for Mallory's 18 month check-up, and I decided to do it on my day off....and give Lady B the day off...forcing me to take Faith and Cam along for the ride. Never fear, though. Poppy is always on stand-by and ready to give a helping hand!

I was feeling so good about myself (feeling that supermom feeling) as the morning went so smoothly. I was able to straighten the house, make the beds, throw clothes in the wash, put laundry away, and get the kids set up at the breakfast table long before time to go. YES!!! We may actually leave on time for something!!!....Yeah....WELL....note taken....don't get all big-headed because once you do, there is a tendency for all to come crashing down. My dad came on over early (thank goodness), and I began to dress the kiddos. Enter catastrophe. Syrup. All. In. Mallory's. Hair. It basically looked like a rat's nest. Great for me that I did not notice what was causing the rat's nest until AFTER I dressed her. Needless to say, off came her clothes and under the sink she went.....screaming all the while. Why did I do pancakes on an appointment morning? DUH???!!! #1 Crazy-mommy mistake for the day.  The situation put us rather behind. We walked out of the house with my hair barely brushed and my wearing wrinkled clothes. Atleast my kids looked good....except for Mallory had a wet head.  I would later towel it dry in the backseat in Watkinsville (a trip is NEVER complete unless you climb in the back for SOMETHING).

We made it there on time...EARLY, actually. Ha! That's when I hear, "Ms. Patrick???" Ummmm....Yeah, who got the appointment time wrong???? Yes. ME. For whatever reason, I was CONVINCED the dang appointment was at 10:35. SO convinced that I played back the voicemail that I received from the nurse to make certain that they did NOT tell me that my appointment was at 10:50. Well, they did. Now, 15 minutes is not THAT big of a difference....BUT....when you have three, busy little ones, it can be an eternity....AND WE WERE ALREADY EARLY!!!. We ended up having to wait about 30 or 40 minutes (just in the waiting room-not including wait time in the back). NICE. Crazy-mommy mistake #2.   I must say, however, that my kids were darlings. They always pull through when I need them to.

The rest of the visit was fairly uneventful...as it could be. Mallory checked-out just fine....23 lbs and 33 inches. She got the flu shot and I convinced Faith and Cam to get the Flu Mist!!! SO PROUD OF MY BABIES....but they aren't really babies anymore....Tear....sniff...sniff.

We went for lunch at Chick-fil-a and had fun on the playground. They deserved it.

I am thinking about going for taking all three by myself next time.....ha.....but I am sure that I will chicken-out!!!

Later that afternoon....

Missing Pieces

I sometimes wonder what Faith, Cameron, and Mallory would do without eachother.  It's all they have ever really known.Faith and Cam never recall a day without Mallory, either. We were looking at pictures the other day and came across one without Mallory. Cam said, "Where Mawee?" They looked at me like I was crazy when I said, "Well, she wasn't here yet. She was in my belly."

They fight. They play. They team against eachother. They team against me. They feed off of eachother.  They are one cute, adventurous, wild trio!....and they are rarely anything less. I said before the twins were born (and LONG before I began to imagine that we would have a third) that we would make certain to get one-on-one time with the kids. I felt that it was important. I must say that I have failed miserably with that one. It just never seems to work out! When it does happen, it is often due to an event or circumstance that forces it....enter Saturday morning....

I had waited last minute to purchase anything to wear for a wedding that we were attending (since my teacher wardrobe basically consists of a pair of gray, black, brown, and khaki pants-no dresses). So, I took Faith to find a dress and Cody took Mallory and Cam to the bank. All were eager and satisfied with where they were going and who they were going with. I don't really think that they really realized that they would be SEPERATED...

It was clear shortly after going in our seperate directions that Faith and Cam were still thinking about their missing half.  Faith kept asking about her "bruder (brother)" I asked if she missed him and she said, "Yes. He my favit kid."  She also was worried that Cameron was, "lost." She wondered several times, "What Camen doin?"  Cameron wanted to "find Taif (Faith)." When at the bank, he was sure to get "Taif" a "succa."  Although they can fight and disagree, they definitely are looking after one another. Sweet. I love these babies!

 

 

29!!!

Turned 29 this week! Definitely getting close to the big 3-0!!!....and definitely feeling it. I sure am counting my many blessings for another great year, but, boy was my birthday week full of bad luck!

I had actually planned to take my birthday off from work. I was going to treat myself with a shopping trip. That went DOWN THE DRAIN a couple of weeks ago when I learned that the state would be coming back to the school to post-monitor the ESOL program on October 3rd (one day after my bday). WOW. YAY. Definitely needed to ba at shcool to make sure things ran smoothly. That's was ok, though. On my actual birthday, I was OBSERVED at work. No one HATES being observed more than me. I can not stand people watching me. VERY OCD. VERY MUCH A PERFECTIONIST. I made it through, and I think that I did ok, though. Then, I had to spend the afternoon getting my license renewed (tried to do that earlier but why in the world are they closed on SATURDAY!!!???)The day AFTER my birthday, I was left in the Publix parking lot stranded with a dead battery. Cody and Kenny came to the rescue. Last night, we found a flat tire in my brand new Michelin tires....NAIL. Ugh, really???

So, I was hit with some pretty bad luck this week, but, surprisingly, I am NOT sweating it. I am actually laughing about it. That's just how it goes, and all of these things really don't add up to much (in the big scheme of things). I am actually pretty blessed.....I am so happy and thankful for....

My beautiful, wonderful, innocent, smart, hilarious, adventurous, happy children. WOW. Who could be more blessed than me???...no one.

A husband, who is beyond helpful and unlike any husband I have ever seen. TRULY. LOVES. HIS. CHILDREN. AND. ME. I can't praise him enough.

TWO great families....I mean, really? How did I get TWO wonderful families? I am so happy that I have families that are interested and involved within my children's lives. It means so much.

A job. So many people are lacking that....AND....although I complain and wish that I was here at home, I am beyond thankful that I have one (since I need it and all). It's a pretty rewarding one, too. I have about thirty or so babies at school that love me, too! ;)

An opportunity. Cody's opportunity. DSD is doing fairly well. Too busy for one person, but a little hesitant to hire someone else (and not busy enough for me to quit my job...ha). I am so happy that things have remained steady. Cody is very happy. Hoping that business will continue and steadily get even busier.

A great life. I must say that life is pretty good. We are members of great families and church. We have a beautiful little family with a home that we built.  Blessed (as copied from a friend) beyond belief.

Before one of my bday dinners!

Happy "Birfday" MeMe!

As usual, weekends bring on a LOT of busy!....a good busy.

Saturday, Cody needed to work and I needed to get a LOT done! I am proud to say that I took all three kiddos with me to get a full week's worth of groceries!!! The kids did a great job and I was so proud of them. The only complaint that I had was that the grocery boy did not offer to help AND he filled my buggy with bags so that I could not put Mallory back in (she got out during the check-out process). He just said, "Here ya go." I stood there for a second like, "Are you kidding me, " but headed on out with the three-seater buggy and Mallory under my left arm. Then, it was time to get home, unload, eat lunch, and cook for MeMe's birthday dinner!

MeMe's birthday was earlier in the week, but her dinner was at Jennifer's house this weekend. It was super yummy and always a good time to be with the fam! One of the things that I am promising myself to do, is take more pics of EVERYONE. I have album after album of my kids, but I realized that I need more pics of the entire family.One day,  I will regret it if I don't! So, here is a pic of mom and all of the grands...minus Caleb.

Today, was a nice day at church and then home. We had a lot of cleaning and washing to do so we stayed around here, which Nelson loved. The weather has been great and the kids LOVE outside! The only problem is that Faith now loves to drive the Gator. Two eager drivers=a lot of screaming, "MY TURN, MY TURN!!!" An additional Gator may be in our near future.

So, tomorrow brings a brand new work week. Another Monday. Trying to keep it together....trying to keep it together! ;) Faith told me before bed, "Have a nice day at wok." ;)

Snakes, Bathroom Battles, and Naptime Nightmares

What a week it has been. Between work, my OCD tendencies, and my wonderful but crazy life at home, I've about had it.

I must say that I began the week in s SOUR mood. I mean, REALLY SOUR. Weekends usually do that to me. When Monday rolls around, I literally have to force myself out of bed and leave the house in tears. Yep. Still have the case of the I-don't-want-to-leave-my-babies-blues. Looks like I'm not gonna get over it this year, either. I think what makes it worse than ever is that I have the thought of Faith and Cameron attending school next year, which means that I have basically lost a lot of time with them. I always thought that I would get to stay at home with them a least a little bit of their toddler years. I always tell myself, maybe next year....IT NEVER HAPPENS. The whole school idea also leaves me in quite the predicament. Next year, should I drag them out of the house before day light to go with me? Should they attend a half-day program? Both options have pros and cons. I really think a full day program will be too much for them having never attended school. However, the selfish part of me likes the idea that they will be just steps away from me, I will be able to get them ready, AND bring them home....AND NOT RELY ON SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. I am getting really SICK AND TIRED of relying on other people to take care of my children. ......and it doesn't get better at work. I almost cry anytime people ask me about the babies. To top it off, I am a rather over-the-top OCD kinda' teacher. Having such a personality is not working out for me. I'm not on medication like most of my fellow colleagues, but perhaps I should be! ;)

OKAY. PITY POST OVER.Continuing on with the happenings at home....

On to the snake. YES. I. SAID. SNAKE. We were playing outside one evening this week. The kids were EVERYWHERE, as usual. We had been under the garage, in the grass, and the gravel. As I was watching Neslon dig up the bushes (that idiot), I hear Cameron say, "Nake, nake." Okay, it only took me a second to realize he was saying SNAKE!!! There, on the end of the concrete, right where Cam was playing, was a RATTLESNAKE. OMG!!!! Needless to say, I could not get over what COULD have happened! I am so glad Cameron knew to run!

Another thing that really got me this week, was Cam's potty issue. He had been doing great. He was never completely trained, but I thought he was doing ok. This week, his training became non-existent. I had to get down-right mean and threatening! BUT.....guess what???....only ONE accident today!!!

Mallory, on the other hand, is battling nap time with Granny B. She now screams and screams, which B can not tolerate. She almost came tumbling out of her crib while trying to climb out, so we will be lucky if B EVER puts her back into the crib. So, I guess it will soon be so long nap time for all of my kids-since Cameron has somehow convinced Granny B to not take a nap, either. Ugh.

Faith, has kept me guessing at what hilarious and absurd thing she will say next. She has told me this week that, "Deer are dangerous,"she wanted a "casserole" for dinner, and that she needed to "rest" in MY bed instead of sleeping in her own.

ANYWAY, so glad the weekend is almost here. Bitter, OCD momma is worn out! ;)

"My Not Want To"

Too funny not too share.....

When I was relentlessly quizzing Cam on his colors, he looked at me and said, "My not say it. My bad. My not want to." He later proceeded to tell me, "My not want to. It too hard."

Oh, my. It's starting early with this one! He is so irritating!!! He knows more than he will tell. He had just told me the correct colors minutes before. You can never tell with that boy! AGHHHH!!!

Dinner in Her Birthday Suit

So, this afternoon was like any afternoon at the Patrick house....CRAZY. At dinner, we had a little incident that I claimed to be, "Blog worthy!"

Cody was running a bit late today, so I started dinner on my own. I got the kids started on a little "homework project," and I thought that they would be well entertained. For the most part, they were. Mallory, however, is a bit too young to be focused for long periods....well....periods longer than about fifteen seconds. She did her piece of painting and off she went. Boy, was she busy. She had the broom out, the swiffer out, and every item from the laundry room that she shouldn't have out. My thoughts? All of those things weren't going to kill her and she was happy....ehhhh....who cares? Faith and Cam were doing great!!!....painting away!!! SUCCESS!!! 
BUH-UUTTT....Cody was much later than I expected and dinner was taking much longer than I expected...AND Faith and Cam's little art project ended earlier than expected. ENTER TRIPLE TROUBLE. These youngins' were everywhere. Running from one end of the house to the other....and of course, Mallory was caught up in the chaos and she couldn't quite keep up. That means that Mallory was doing A LOT of falling and A LOT of crying. I must say, however, I was pretty cool....abnormally so. I finished dinner and we sat down to eat without anyone having any knots, bruises, or gashes on any part of their body....SUCCESS!!!

I have to say that I was feeling pretty darn good about myself. I came home, played with the kids, did some "homework,"  cooked dinner, AND served dinner....by myself!!! Cody is always here to help me out (thank goodness), and I sometimes think that  I could not survive without him....BUT I DID! HA! Man, I was thinking I was good....UNTIL....Cody got home. Faith stood up to see him in the kitchen and that's when....I look up to see her tiny, white, behind shining back at me. No shorts. No underwear. Yep. Bare booty. She sat the ENTIRE meal without her panties on. AGHHH!

......I mean c'mon!!! Doesn't get much funnier than that. Faith thought it was pretty funny, too. I let out a shriek, which she found entertaining. She was very proud. Let's hope she outgrows wanting to go without panties. ;)

Can't you tell that this chick is a hoot???!!!

The Things Kids Say

Nothing very interesting here, but I HAD to jot these things down before I forgot....

The kids are saying such funny things these days! I just love it! Faith has become quite the leader....quite the entertainer. Cameron remains to be my more laid back, go with the flow, cool guy....but he definitely has a silly side. Mallory...well...that child may take over as boss any day now. These are some funny things these kiddos are saying....

Faith is a smart little thing. She will be the one at school thinking of every excuse to get out of everything....work....trouble....everything. Recently, she has told me two things to get her way. First, she didn't want to brush her teeth. Her excuse? "No. My teeth hurt." Okay, dear. Your teeth WILL hurt if you don't brush your teeth! Then, she decides she wants to wear my glasses. She claims, "Need gasses....can't see." THIS. CHILD. IS. HILARIOUS.

Cameron loves his daddy....to the stars (as we like to say). He wants to be just like Cody. It's so sweet. He plays with trucks. He says, "Man truck broke. My fix it." He talks on the phone. He says, "Talkin to man. His truck broke. My fix it." You ask him what color something is, he says, "Drive truck." Ha! This boy loves his trucks and tractors!!! Definitely not into academics, yet!

Mallory is spouting out words left and right! I am SO impressed. I was SUPER impressed when we walked into Kohls during our shopping trip and she spotted the Skippy Jon Jones books. We have ONE of these and we have not read it in MONTHS. She said, "Jon Jones, Jon Jones!" That's my girl!!! ;)

Lovin my babies!!!

Long Weekend Fun

Whew! Labor Day has definitely not been labor free! The entire weekend has been rather busy...but a good busy.

Friday. So, I have gotten on a kick of bringing home the kids "homework" from school each day. It may be a coloring page. It may be something crafty. I'm trying to gear them up for school....although that is almost a year away. I've gone back and forth of whether or not to send them somewhere this year (for just a couple of days), but it would be difficult at this point to have someone take and pick them up (not to mention a big hit in our finances). Don't get me started on my sourness of not being able to take them and pick them up from a pre-k program. Ok......getting WAY off topic. ANYWAY. The kids are loving the homework....sometimes (I HAVE had them tell me to take it back to school on occasion...ha!). Friday  afternoon was a crafty day. They LOVE the crafty days. Me? Well, Friday's craft was a bit much. Yep....GREAT way to start the weekend....I was cleaning up FOREVER after this one!!!

Saturday. Clean, clean, clean. I also started obsessing about making some extra cash. I packed up all of the kids clothing that didn't fit AND some toys that they were uninterested in. Thank you Lake Oconee Yardsale! I made over $200 this weekend. Yay me.

Sunday. Funday. Church was first followed by a day-long visit to White Plains. We had a good time.

Monday. We delivered some of the  Lake Oconee Yardsale deals and headed off to Athens! Needless to say, the kiddos got some cute new fall clothes out of my earnings! I'm POOPED! The kids were great, but simply loading and unloading them out of the car can be exhausting!

Now, I'm depressed that I have to leave the good times for work tomorrow! Long weekends are wonderful but it makes it that much harder to get back in the groove!

Meet Nelson

Oh, GEEZ. It happened. I caved and did it. A dog...THE dog...is here. The one that Cody has been relentlessly going on and on and ON about. His name is Nelson.

So, in the matter of one week, we have gone from "petless" (since we thought Stinker was a goner), to pet owners of three. A FISH. A CAT. A DOG. Oh, my. Now, I have never been one of those over-the-top animal lovers, but, at one time in my life, I liked animals and enjoyed having pets. That went ALL out the window after kids....not sure why....but it did. I don't dislike animals, but I'm not TOO crazy about having pets nowadays. Did I mention that I have three?

Back to the topic at hand....Nelson. He was free to a good home. Not sure how GOOD our home will be, but he was free. Overall, he really is a super sweet puppy. Cameron and Mallory like him, but Faith DOES NOT. She will say, "Put him outside! Put him in the pen!" Did you catch that I said OUTSIDE???....meaning that the dog is INSIDE???  That's another thing. I DO NOT DO BIG DOGS IN THE HOUSE....but....somehow here he is beside my bed as I type. This WILL soon come to an end, but I found it in my heart to feel sorry for him.

Oh, boy. I'm not sure what we have gotten ourselves into! Nothing like adding a puppy to the chaos of our house!

On another note, I am hoping for a better week....getting home earlier, no meetings, or stories of Cameron locking Granny B out of the house!!! Wish us luck with all of that!

Last Post for the Weekend (I'm on a roll)!!!

Oh, my. It has already begun. Faith is very much into matching and accessorizing. Today, as we were frantically getting ready for church, I grabbed two bows for Mallory and Faith. Faith noticed the one that I picked for Mallory and decided to take it for hers. Before I could say anything, she takes the yellow gingham bow, places right beside a small, yellow gingham flower on her dress, and says, "See it match. I have yellow." This girl is a TRIP! She is always wanting shoes or bows that "match." 

I mean, look at this sassy girl!!!

We also bought a fish today. Our kitten had been missing for four days so we thought she was pretty much a goner....so....enter new fish. We found Stinker on a golf cart ride later in the evening so now we have two pets....GREAT.  The fish will probably die soon, anyway (hey....it's the truth). Faith decided to name our new goldfish. She named it "Orange." It fits, right?! ;)

I have two more funny notes for the weekend....both being about my going completely batty:

 So, in the craziness of preparing for church (which probably is all my fault since I slept as late as I possibly could....hey....when the kids sleep...I sleep), I was literally throwing on my clothes last minute. When I got back from church, I noticed that my tags were sticking out everywhere....YEAH....shirt inside out. Yay me.

On the way home with the fish, guess who remembered that I threw our old fish food away?...yep. Here we were with a fish and no food. So, I had the bright idea of stopping by the bait shop. It was worth a shot!!! The nice man, who sells fish for bait, actually had some fish food. It was used, but he sold it to us!!! He must have been having a slow day! I really didn't care.

Ahhh....good times in the Patrick house this weekend!!! It's weekends like these that we will look back and laugh about....and one day I will probably wish I could have back...MAYBE ;)

In closing, I have to give a big THANK you to YaYa, who watched the twins while Mallory, Mommy, and Daddy napped! Also many thanks to MeMe and Poppy for bringing special treats for the kiddos this evening. We are SO blessed!

MaDnEsS, I Say!!!

Okay....ignore that last post. You know, the one where I said that I cry my eyeballs out each day because of leaving my kids???!!! Yeah, they have almost killed me....and narrowly escaped injuring themselves today, too. Sooo.....maybe I should reconsider that I-want-to-stay-at-home-kick that I have been on. LOL!!! No. Seriously. I will be crying again on Monday.....BUT....today has been less than pleasant or enjoyable. Faith, Cam, and Mallory are all out of sorts. I'm so stinkin' tired. Cody looked at me in the grocery store and said, "Your eyes are red." WELL. THANKS...and DUH....your children have about EXHAUSTED me today!!! You ask how and why??? Here goes....

Cody needed to do some work at the shop. So, it was just me and the three kiddos here. It was great at first. We ate breakfast, we read books, we played. Then, I had the bright idea of cleaning house. That's when these little boogers took FULL advantage of not having my undivided attention. These are the things that occurred:

1. All necklaces and hair bows were utilized.....all over the house and my babies. Cameron even insisted he was a girl and wore earrings.
2.I caught Mallory standing in a chair trying to plug both ends of a phone charger into the wall.
3. All three kids snuck upstairs....twice.
4. Brooms and mops were consistently taken from their appropriate placed and used everywhere but the floor.
5. Three monkeys were found climbing on the bed, jumping on the bed, and hiding under the bed.
6. If the three amigos were not plotting against me, they were plotting against each other, screaming that one or the other were, "Bad, bad, bad," or "Mean, mean, mean."
7. The child proof gate became un-child proof after it was tugged and pulled upon, which ultimately put a hole in the wall.
8. Mallory fell down at least four steps.
9. Milk was leaked on the floor....carpet.
10....and this is the best one yet....I found Faith and Cameron on top of the dining room table eating their lunch (I ran to their room for just a few to pick them out some clothes). It flipped over...yes...with food...MUSTARD onto the floor.

Needless to say. The cleaning of the house halted until Cody got home. The madness continued. At the grocery store....

1. Faith and Cameron insist that they had to potty.
2. Faith announced to the whole entire store, "I have to POOP, daddy!!!!" This was AFTER they had already went potty. OMG!!!
3. Mallory tossed every item that she could possibly outside of the cart. One man in the store was cheering her on. He said, "Do it again!!! Do it again!!!"
4. We lost the Ingles card....but they looked up our number thank goodness.
5. By the end, we had two crying before we walked out the door.

BUT....I will say that this grocery trip was better than the last....Faith busted her nose....yep....best trip ever.

Ahhhhh. I am sure that this will be funny at some point in my life, and I am actually able to laugh about it now. It wasn't quite so funny when it was happening, though! I'm always amazed, however, how these little people can make me go mad in one moment and melt my heart in the next. Before bed, Cameron said that he wanted to thank God for "butterflies." How sweet, innocent, and angelic is that?

Hoping for a better day tomorrow! ;)

Week by Week

It's been quite a ride these last couple of weeks. Many, many emotions.....excitement, nervousness, sadness, etc, etc. At this point, I think that I could sleep forever.

Since last posting, Down South Diesel has officially opened its doors at the new location. HOW EXCITING. HOW ANXIOUS we have been! It's one of those things. It could go well....very well.  It could go bad....very bad. Luckily, so far, it has gone much better than anticipated with a steady flow of customers. I MUST say that we are also truly blessed to have such great people in out lives. People have been so generous as to spread the word and voice their high opinions of DSD. We are definitely taking it week by week and hoping that business continues to be steady and slowly increasing. At the end of the day we are still....EXCITED....and ANXIOUS.   That's a good thing! We could be ANXIOUS and DEPRESSED!!!!   :)

I have also started back to work....sigh....tear. Work itself has not been unpleasant, but the reality of leaving my babies has been. It usually takes me a couple of days before I'm okay with it. However, I am going on week three....and I am NOT OKAY WITH IT. I don't know what's up with me this year!!! I am SO emotional!!! Numerous times I have had to hide and cry!!! I see babies at school crying for their mommas and it makes me think of my babies...and guess what???....I want to cry! A kid gives me a hug, I think of my babies...and.....you guessed it!!!...I want to CRY!!! I really don't know what's up with myself, but I hope it gets easier and better. It has become embarrassing (although I don't think anyone has noticed).

So, our family has basically been a bundle of nerves lately....and everyone knows stress poops anyone out. We're just gonna' keep on keepin' on, though!!!! Please pray for our sanity!!!

I'm gonna' try to play catch-up with my blogging....so more to come soon...MAYBE ;)

Vacation 2012

I am really not in the blogging mood. I am in a lazy, do-nothing, pout-all-day because summer is ending kind of mood. I knew this would happen as soon as our beach vacation ended....once vacation came and went it was all OVER....been pretty bummed out since. Although I really shouldn't have to defend myself for having these feelings, I always feel like I should....soooooo.....yes, I am super grateful that I have a job that gives me extended breaks. Yes, it is extremely rewarding. Yada, yada, yada.....

Anyway, I'm not in the blogging mood....Buhhhh-uuutttt....I can't let my mood or life lead me to forget the many memories that we created (the whole reason why I do this blog). I have to jot at least SOME of them down!!! Here goes....

I do believe that I made a list of lessons learned from our vacation last summer. So, I find it appropriate that I take the same approach, here.


1. Bring a potty seat. So, our car was rather loaded down. It was SO loaded down that we had to remove one of the back seats to make more room. When you're taking half the house, even the largest cars do not have enough room. Therefore, I was a bit torn between whether or not to bring one of the potty seats. After all, the kids can sit on big potties AND there would be two in our room (in case of those we-both-have-to-go-NOW situations). Why would we need the potty seat and why should we take up more room packing it? Well, Cody was the wise one and insisted that we pack it....THANK GOODNESS. Why? Well, it wasn't too far into our trip that we needed a potty break. We stopped at a clean service station...no potty seat needed. It wasn't fifteen minutes later that another break was needed....oh, geez! Cameron has the whole potty outside thing down. Faith, however, not so much. Potty seat to the rescue. Yep....right there in a parking lot.....and I'm sure she will LOVE me for posting this one once she is all grown up!

2. Weigh your options: Screaming kids or millions of potty breaks. Okay. So I will admit. The two potty breaks in the amount of fifteen minutes was likely my fault...entirely. I gave them juice...a lot of it....BUT...in my defense, Mallory was screaming her head off!!! Juice makes all things better!!! Of course, when you offer it to one you must provide for all...hence the need to potty....frequently. To me, I will stop all day if it means the kids are happy. Screaming in the car is not enjoyable...at all. Did I mention that Cody was threatening to put a kid on the roof less than two hours in?.....hilarious!

3. Take an extra car seat...and put it in a different car ;). Yep. Pat and YaYa took an extra car seat...thank you Lord. When we got enough of the screaming child (aka...Mallory), we passed her own to Pat and YaYa. It was NICE.

4. Navigation doesn't impress everyone. Although I don't go too many places in which I don't know where I am going, I have been SUPER excited about using my navigation system several times in the last couple of months. What did we ever do without the thing? Maps????.....who needs them???!!! However, not everyone is as impressed as I am. Cameron specifically. I got SO tickled at this kid. Any time the navigation lady came on to prompt us (interrupting Cam's movie), he would yell, "Too loud. HUSH!!!" This kid cracks me up.

5. Not everyone is cut out for the beach....and you can't make them. I'm a beach bum. I can't understand WHY anyone would not be. I mean, who wouldn't want sand stuck to them as they burn and sweat in the sun???!!! Anyway, Faith LOVE, LOVED it. She liked the sand...and I think she even like the ocean...although the big water can be scary! Cameron and Mallory, on the other hand...well....they were less enthusiastic. Cameron didn't want to touch the sand. Mallory didn't want to be five feet near the sand. We kept trying each day....but...OH WELL. There's always next year! ;)

6. Expect the unexpected. Yep. I packed the first-aid kit and the children's Advil, but I didn't really think that I would NEED either....BUT....what do you know? Mallory had a fever on day two (and I felt super bad about it because I pretty much think that she had it LONG before we discovered it). I prefer Tylenol for fevers (we usually do the 8 hour Advil for all night teething issues)....did I pack that???....uhhhh....NO. Next time, I will be packing all medications in the medicine cabinet.


7. Meal-time will either be bearable or disastrous....never pleasurable. Well. This is really not a lesson learned. This is just a given around here. Even if the kids are good, the work of keeping them happy or making sure that they are well taken care of can make me a nervous wreck. So...that would be bearable. Then, there are the dinners that are a disaster. Let's see....I think it was the meal at Bubba Gump's? YEP...who could forget? Before our dinner came out, I had already switched seats with Cody to TRY and pacify Mallory, we had each been outside with her, AND Cameron had gotten choked and melted down. At the end of the meal, only three of us were left at the table (out of a party of  12), and I was craving an alcoholic beverage. Needless to say, that was our last night out....

8. Order in. Yep. The next night, we ordered in. It was great. We still were able to eat a good meal, we didn't have the wait, we had time to do something afterwards, AND the kids were HAPPY!!! WOOHOO!!!

9. Spend some one-on-one time. I NEVER have one-on-one time with my individual kids. One afternoon, Cameron was not interested in going down to the beach (imagine that) and Mallory was napping. So, I took little Faith with me, and we had some alone time. It was great (and seemed super easy!!!)!!! I am making a note to try this more often (with each one of the kiddos).

...and FINALLY....

10. It just keeps getting better. Although there were SOME difficult times during the trip, I thought that my kids did SUPER well. For the most part, they were well-behaved and as sweet as pie. This is our third beach trip since having children, and I think that it was by far the smoothest and most pleasurable. It keeps me looking forward to more trips to come. Oh, how I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these babies!!!

CuPcAkE TiMe!!!

I have always considered myself a fairly organized person....okay...wait....some people, who know me, may be laughing their heads off at that. I think that I actually have split organizational styles. At work, I am a bit OCD. Very planned. Very organized. Overly specific. At home....not so much. I mean, my house is not a wreck or anything, but it is less than organized. I tend to forget things at home, too. Ask my mother or Margaret. I will not deny that we have often gotten specific grocery items from THEIR kitchens when I have forgotten them (and I can't completely blame it on the kids because I borrowed from mom before I even had children). Soooo....ok....I'll admit....maybe I am not as organized as a mother should be...or that I would like to be.....BUT. I. DO. TRY.

When you have kiddos, it's worse when you have forgotten or accidentally run out of something. They can't wait...won't wait...and you don't want them to, either. Although this is not a story of running out of milk, diapers, or juice (although we do that often), it is a story of....CUPCAKES. Yes...CUPCAKES. It all started like this....

I bought the kids these cute little aprons. I REALLY wanted to see them put to use. So, after nap one day this week, I asked them if they wanted to help me cook. They gave me an ecstatic, "UH-HUH!!!" Brownies was the baking item of choice (because I REALLY thought that I had some up in that cabinet!!!!). I got the kids all tied up in their aprons and the girls' hair all pulled back. The camera was close by, too (of course). When we get to the kitchen, yep, you guessed it....NO BROWNIES!!!! Faith said, "Oh, NO!" Now, who do you call when something like this occurs?.....your wonderful mother. I KNEW that I had the ingredients to whip up SOMETHING from scratch (although Betty Crocker or Pillsbury is more my style). These kids were ready to COOK! Mom could tell me what to do!

Mom found a quick cupcake recipe and then we went to work!!! In the end, we had some less than attractive, overly dry, chocolate cupcakes. The end product may have not been spectacular, but the process sure was fun....and funny!

So, yes. My house is less than organized. I often forget items at the grocery store. I obviously forget items that I do and do NOT have in my cupboards. OH WELL. My kids don't have the mother of the year by any means.....but we sure do learn how to improvise and have fun!!!

Here are the pics!

 Sneaky Faith. Stirring away.

 Trying out the icing.

Mmmmm...

Everything's Gonna be Alright

Well, today marks the last day of Cody's employment for Ford. There's been a whole lotta' wheels turning, butterflies in the belly, and prayers going up. A decision has been made, and, as I write, I am hoping that all who read will say an extra prayer for us!!!

Cody has decided to take his part-time business full-time. For those of you, who were unaware of ANY business, Cody is co-owner of Down South Diesel. As of right now, the business primarily orders and places performance parts on diesels. However, in the new endeavor, general maintenance repairs will be accepted to all types of vehicles.

For those of you doubters (and I am not accusing...just being realistic...I would be lying if I said that I didn't have my doubts), we know that it is not an ideal time to open a business. We know that things may get hard before they get better. We know that there is a chance that things might not get better at all, and we will be forced to look at other options.  I have thought of ALL of the negatives to this new adventure....trust me. However, this is what I DO know....

1. You have to trust and believe in your spouse. For better or for worse, right? Yes, those are the vows. I have never seen Cody so ambitious about something. He WANTS this. We've talked about it. We've thought about it. We've deliberated the topic. He prayed about it.....and he believes with all of his heart and soul that this is the path that God is urging him to go down. I believe him. I believe in him. End of story.

2. You must have faith. I will not sit here and say that I KNOW this will work out. I can't know that. We will pray. We will know that we will never be handed something that we can not handle. We will trust that all things happen for a reason. You live. You learn. You move forward.

3. Doors open and close for a reason. The door opened for Cody to become a parts and service manager at the Ford place two years ago. It brought him closer to home. It brought his stress level down. It gave him both service AND managerial experience. He has much of the knowledge that he needs to open a business. Perhaps that was all to prepare him for this newly opened door. Maybe not...but we shall see.

4. Success usually follows a risk. Most successful people HAVE to take risks. Of course, there are some exceptions to the rule, but sometimes you have to take risks. I understand that there is a lot at stake, here. I DO. Did I mention that we are going to pray, pray, pray???

5. You have to have a good support system. You have to have other family and friends that believe in you....trust in you....and are there for you.

So, having that all said, this is my first advertisement for DSD (Down South Diesel). I ask first, that everyone keeps us in their thoughts. Secondly, I ask everyone to bring us their business!!! For the remainder of July, Cody will be taking small jobs to keep the income flowing. We plan to open doors in Madison as early as July 31st. There are a couple of details to be worked out (such as getting the shop ready, etc). PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT US!!!

sUmMeR hEaT, sUmMeR fUn!

Summer has definitely heated up in the last week! WOW...the heat is awful! Most of my flowers are dying, and, unfortunately, it seems that some of our newly planted trees are, too. We have not been doing much playing in the yard, but early mornings and showers have seemed to allow us a few minutes of outside playtime.

What would summer be without watermelon???!!! Cameron, Faith, and Mallory LOVE the stuff. Here are some pics that we shot one afternoon before a summer shower. This is the only way we can eat watermelon....outside...and stripped down (only the kids, of course...ha)! I have posted most of these pics on facebook, as well.

We went out one morning just to walk in the shade (and for me to take pictures, of course). It's the little things in life. The kiddos LOVE to pick up and throw rocks. Although they can definitely have their disagreements, Faith and Cameron really try to look out for Mallory.On this particular day,  Faith was constantly trying to keep Mallory away from the road (although we were at least 50 yards from it).  They decided to hold her hands.

On a more concerning note, summer has thrown us a bit of a curve ball. The Ford Place in Greensboro has officially closed its doors. This has left Cody looking for a job as early as this Friday. As frightening as this is, we must not worry. We must know that "God has this (some words of wisdom that I have received)." We are not 100% certain what door will open as this one closes, but we do know that we must act fast. As everyone knows, bills don't stop coming. I have been comforted and so appreciative by the kind words of some. It's also amazing to me that others are so willing to offer help in whatever way they can. It's nice to know that people love you, support you in whatever endeavor we choose, and are willing to lend a shoulder or listening ear. THANK YOU....you know, who you are ;)

Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words (isn't that how it goes?)

Could it be that I am more exhausted this summer than I am during the school year???!!! To put it simply....YES!!! It's a good tired, though. It's a stay up late, swim all day, play outside kind of tired....and it's pretty great!  We have been totally lax with bed time this summer, but I figure we should let the kids have as much fun as possible while I am out of school...and before we have to get back into the monotonous swing of things in August.

There is really not that much to blog about. Potty training is going great for one and we've taken a step back with the other. Mallory reminds me so much of Faith and Cameron when they were at that age. She is SO busy....and into EVERYTHING. She has even started looking and laughing before she does something. I recall a time that I was overwhelmed and WORRIED that Faith and Cameron did this. I thought that it (and they) were terrible....BUT obviously it is a stage and it seemed so much worse with TWO.

We basically go on an adventure each night after dinner and take pictures like crazy. I am obsesessed with pictures-not doing too good with videotaping special moments. We recently purchased a new camera.  Since the kiddos have been born, we have had a wonderful photographer take pictures of them during their first years (lucky for Faith and Cam, they also had their pics made during all of Mallory's photo sessions, too). We are going to slow it down on the professional photoshoots, though. For that reason, we decided to upgrade on cameras (hence the increase of pictures taken at my house...ha!).  I am having fun with the picture taking....here are some of them!

Here we are at the lake (although you can's see it). They had fun running and playing. Here is mother hen taking care of Mallory's hair bow.

At the lake again. Faith taking care of Cam's shoe. Never a worry....Faith has it under control! ;)

Love this sweet pic.

My attempt to get creative...ha!

Here we are painting with watercolors....what was I thinking? This ended in baths. The children loved to paint their bodies rather than their papers.

Busy hands at work!

Father's Day

I am so proud to have married someone that is a loving a devoted father! Cody does far more than most daddies and I am not quite sure what I would ever do without him. Yes, he plays as hard as the kids do...and sometimes acts like them...ha....but we could not ask for better!


I always said that if I found a husband that was half the spouse and father that my dad was, then I had found a winner....and...in my opinion Cody is a winner. Sending love to all of the special men in my life!!!



We had a GREAT father's day...super busy and exhausting...and I might have been a grouch a few times during the day (so many gatherings in one day make me on edge)....but it was great to celebrate the great dads in our families! Cody was so tired by the time we returned home, that he immediately drank a cold one once the babies were in bed!!!....BUT...I guess that's a good way to end father's day!!! HAHA!

Lovin My Life

The summer fun is continuing at the Patrick house! I must admit...I am LOVING spending time with the kiddos, BUT I find myself bored at times. I want something NEW to do or somewhere to go! Therefore, I have been picking up a new toy per week to entertain myself AND the kids...ha! Last week, I purchased play-doh (I know, what WAS I thinking?). This week....more BUBBLES!!! They were a hit!

Typical little boy. Cameron wants to find out exactly how this thing works!

Mallory works very hard to blow bubbles! I think that she eats more than blows!

 Poor Mallory. She is having a hard time. She is at that age in which she THINKS that she can do everything that Faith and Cam do...BUT...she can't. She doesn't appreciate or accept that fact, either. She rarely likes help from anyone and becomes very frustrated when something doesn't go to her liking. I also think that tooth number seven is coming. Those mean teeth...they really get to her...and I mean...REALLY.  She might act mean....but she still looks so darn cute....below she is very upset that she can not get down from the chair. I tried to help...but.....no. 

In case you are wondering, Mallory fell flat on her face leaning over while she sat on steps....hence the monster scratch on her nose!...poor thing!

I am also finding time to make visits that I don't get to make as often as I should or want. Today we went to visit Granny and Papa. The kids love all of the old junky toys over there...AND...they got to play outside! They were so pooped when we got home. SO pooped that....

Yes....they were all asleep! Sorry...somehow I deleted Mallory's sleeping pic from my camera before I uploaded...BUT....YES!!!! They were ALL asleep!!! Faith NEVER, EVER takes a nap!!!

So, yes. We are having a fabulous time this summer! We wear our pajamas as long as we want. We pick up and leave when we want. We nap and be lazy when we want. Yep, that's my kind of living!

Party of SIX!!!

We have officially welcomed a sixth member into the Patrick party! With much consideration...yes...we basically debated the issue...I broke down...meet Stinker!!!

We have spotted several snakes in our area lately...one right on our front porch. We've been told that female cats can help with that problem. Well, I'm not sure if this cute, little one will be very ferocious, but it is worth a shot. Although I am more partial to cats, I still wasn't sure that I wanted ANY pets at this time...I think we have our hands and home full, here. After all, we gave our dog away when Mallory was born....too much trouble....BUH-UTTTTT....cats are not as much trouble and a snake scares me beyond belief. So, if it means that we get a cat to keep snakes away...then so be it.

Stinker is a cute little kitten! The kids love, love, LOVE her. Faith and Cameron are doing fairly well with being gentle and understanding that we must be "va-wey caful....aka very careful." Mallory, on the other hand, likes to kick, stomp, and dive on the poor thing. Check this out....little Stinker is under the chair....Mallory is just thrilled!!!

Summer Days

Summer is already flying by!!!...I can't seem to enjoy it because I want it to SLOW down! Being at home has been GREAT!!! I. LOVE. IT.

Potty training has gone so much better than expected. I am so proud of my babies. We have had very few accidents and the kiddos are actually TELLING me when they have to go. In fact, sometimes they slip off without my knowing...and there they sit...on the POTTY! Yay! The only trouble that I have is keeping Mallory out of mischief! She insists that she oversees the potty business and often tries to beat me to emptying the training potties into the toilet.  Since we are potty training, Faith and Cameron have an excuse to run wild and free without their pants...it's just easier that way. Look at Faith dancing away on the back porch!!!

I have loved watching all three play together. They do fight and argue, but not terribly so. They play together very well for the most part. Here are some super sweet pictures that I snapped of Faith and Cam(if you have facebook you have seen these).

Mallory is so sweet. She plays very well with Faith and Cam, but she also plays well by herself (for short periods...haha).

Of course, life wouldn't be the same without my kids trying to get into something! I have not been great at capturing these moments lately, but I can assure you that we have at least one catastrophe per day...whether it is someone sneaking out the door or someone hiding under the table with cookies. I did snap these two pics yesterday.

Here is Faith trying to sneak on the bed.

Here is Cameron...already on the bed....notice that a butterfly is missing from the wall. That little booger!!!

Whatever the days bring this summer, however, I am savoring these little moments! Hoping that these days stop going by so fast!