Since I have had THREE Children...

People ask me all the time what it's like to have three kids. It's hard to summarize, but I decided that I should try! Since I had my third child (3 years ago now, wow)... I have LOST many things...

1. MY set of car keys. Yeah, the ones with my house key on them, my library card, cute key chain, etc. GONE. I am using my 'spare' key now for my car, no idea what I would do if I lost it...

2. The ability to have a laundry DAY. I do laundry constantly now. He's so tiny, yet somehow- he has pushed the household over the legal limit of laundry!

3. My sanity. My grip on reality. But that's a given, right?!

4. My last Fu*k. Not sure where it went, but I don't have time to judge- so don't judge me! I work- I barely see you, sorry, hi, I gotta go- we have water polo at 5...

5. My ability to know where every.single.thing is in our house. I used to. Really. I used to know where Jacob's other sandal was, and Zachary's glasses, and everyone's papers from school... Now I just can't. You wore the shoes, not me- go find them. I'll wait... for a minute... 

I mean, look at this kid- he steals the show!

I have also broken a few cell phones, but I thank Pokemon Go for that... and I haven't been to the salon in too long (hair could really use a cut/style/SOMETHING). I prefer to take the time I have at home to be there, with the boys. I have started having a couple close friends over to watch TV a couple times a month, because none of us can GET OUT anymore. It works for us! 

I have still managed to keep up on Christmas cards, family portraits, and feeding the boys vegetables fairly often. There are things I have had to let go. My house... is not clean. My car... is not clean. But my kids are happy, and clean (usually) and know they are loved. I'm doing my best to 'live in the moment'- we went to Disneyland spontaneously on Labor Day! And I hope the boys will remember the good times, and forget the dog hair tumbleweeds that roll through the dining room on occasion... 

I have lost many things... but most of all, I have GAINED a wonderful, intelligent, funny, strong-willed, wild child who makes everyone take notice of his presence. We wouldn't be the same family without him, and while he does drive his brothers crazy every once in a while - we couldn't love him any more! 

Who has time for zippers?!

I am a boy mom. I do not own a lamp. no, seriously. We have ceiling fans in basically every room. My bedroom is very dark, but I do not own a lamp. Why? It wouldn't survive in my house. My middle son had a Pottery Barn Batman night light. Did you notice that was in the past tense? Yeah, he broke it. How? Don't know, don't care. The boys are always hot anyways, so we do ceiling fans- no lamps. 

I never have enough food in the house. I shop for food almost every day, and I simply cannot keep up. They eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, snack snack, dinner, snack. It's unreal. I try to keep 'healthy snacks' stocked, but honestly- it's not possible. Even the two year old just helps himself to things in the pantry... I have had to rearrange what items are in his reach. I once found him eating a package of Oreos, at 6 am, in the pantry. Go ahead, judge me. Do you have three boys??? If you are judging me, you clearly do not. I took a video, posted it on Instagram... because that's what you're supposed to do in that situation.

I don't understand the families who look all put together, dressed in today's stylish clothing trends. My youngest walks around in hand me downs, circa 2008 from his older brother. Skinny pants weren't a 'thing' back then, so he rocks baggy pants. Name brands? No, I have no idea what brand they are. The free kind? Yeah, that's what he wears. My oldest basically just wears Minecraft t-shirts and 'comfy shorts', which is what he calls shorts that do not have a zipper or buttons on them. Who has time for zippers? He gets the new clothes, because he wouldn't fit in his dad's clothes :)

I am a boy mom. I love them fiercely. They drive me crazy, but I couldn't possibly love them any more!

2016 Gift Guide ~ 5 gifts for around $20 each!

1. Cold brew pitcher~ A practical gift for any coffee lover! A cold brew pitcher, to make your very own cold brew coffee at home is available for less than $20 at www.amazon.com. Want to spend a little more? Add a package of coffee!

2. Need a hostess gift? Try one of Pottery Barn's wine bottle accessories to spruce up the bottle of wine you'll bring. The fur stole wine topper is my favorite! It's an adorable addition to a traditional hostess gift.

3. Cozy blanket~  For those cold nights, cuddled up on the couch with the hubs or the kids watching movies. Super soft blankets are the best!

4. Brookstone Wine Chilling Stick~ For your friend, who loves chilled wine from Bed Bath and Beyond www.bedbathandbeyond.com Want to spend a little more? Add wine glass markers! This is a great hostess gift.

5. Aromatherapy Diffuser~ Do you have someone on your list who loves essential oils? They will love this diffuser. We have one in our bedroom, and you can turn the light on or off and it's very quiet. Want to spend a little more? Add some essential oils!

I would love to hear any suggestions you have for gifts under $20! 

We got a Christmas tree!

This weekend, we celebrated Thanksgiving with my in-laws. For the first time, all three boys entertained themselves- a milestone! Once we were done enjoying that holiday, we were READY to decorate for Christmas. For some reason, this year I was ready earlier than usual. I'm not sure if it was the 2016 election, or that I wanted to feel mentally prepared for Christmas shopping... but either way, we went out and found our Christmas tree. When we got home, we obviously started decorating it... 

My middle son was trimming the tree with no shirt on (he's always warm), so my father decided to join him in that... and next thing I knew, my brother was also shirtless. It was so strange.. but we all needed a laugh. It's been a rough year, culminating recently in the loss of my mom's sister. So, shirtless tree trimming for the win! I'll never forget it!

The porcelain houses shown in the photos belonged to my grandmother. She left them to me, and there were so many boxes! I was overwhelmed last year when I tried to put them up by myself. This year, my family was there to help! My dad and brother stacked several of them in the dining room and the rest are on a long table in my living room. I was so happy to have the Christmas tree in my front window- just like I've been wanting for TEN YEARS!! Finally! 

We also got our copy of OC Family Magazine, which featured our boys in "The Power of Siblings". They were excited to see themselves in print, and I loved the pictures they took! 

My boys!

We also put up our outdoor decor, and I'll have to post a picture of our newest addition- a light up llama! It makes no sense, but I love him. He has Christmas socks, and he makes me smile! Have you decorated your home yet? 

Birthday Weekend Extravaganza! Part 1

This weekend was...chaotic. We had our youngest turn 1, our oldest turn 7, and my sister turned 30! Friday was spent cleaning the house and preparing for the party. This included icing 72 cupcakes, thanks for your help Sis! 

Pinterest-inspired alligator cupcakes

His birthday was alligator themed (obviously). We had a bounce house for the older kids, and alligator ring toss. It was a casual backyard event. The birthday boy was pretty worn out, and ended up going down for a nap before his guests left. 

Birthday boy, while he was clean (left) and after cake (right). He enjoyed his cupcake!

I was determined to give him a birthday party all his own, for his first birthday. Mission accomplished. I can't believe he's already one! Birthday weekend extravaganza Part 2- Little J, coming soon! 

Best Ways to Stay Cool with Kids this Summer!

This weekend was hot and humid here in Southern California, which is NOT what we're used to! We spent a lot of time outside, celebrating birthdays with friends and family. I wanted to share a few tips on how to stay cool with the little ones this summer. 

1. Go to the pool! This is our favorite option for staying cool in the summer. We spent Saturday morning at the pool, and everyone not only cooled down but also got VERY TIRED :) And the icing on the cookie made Mayhem's tongue a lovely shade...

Little J and Mayhem at the Pool

2. Dress for the Humidity. Loose, lightweight clothing is best. Cotton clothing in light colors will help reflect the heat and allow your skin to breathe. The baby is modeling a romper for you below. 

Wear a romper to stay cool! :)

 3. Make it Fun. While we were at the OC Fair on Sunday afternoon, the boys enjoyed spraying each other (and us) with these mister fans! It really does help you feel cooler.

Image Source: Amazon.com

 4. Stay in the shade, and avoid being outdoors at the hottest time of the day. The later afternoon (around 4 pm) is the best time to be in the sun. So, wait until AFTER nap time to head outside to play with the water table! And be sure to put an umbrella over the play area if possible.

and last, but definitely not least...

Image source: http://www.cmfe.org/

5. Stay hydrated. Be sure to have the kids drink lots of water, so that no one gets dehydrated! Drink before you're thirsty and eat fruit which also helps your body replenish the water it needs.

What do you do to keep cool?

June 2015 - Time flies...

Where has June gone?! We celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary, at a restaurant with our three young boys. We laughed, and convinced each other that we would TRULY celebrate at a later point this summer. We also celebrated graduations, birthdays, Father's Day, and the end of the school year. Mayhem survived his first year of preschool, and J finished 1st grade! He's reading now and tying his shoes- so we've checked those milestones off the list. Mayhem grew about 6 inches this year, from the before and after pictures- I just can't get over it! And of course, the glasses make him look quite different from the beginning of the year.

On the left: First day of preschool. On the right: Last day!

On the left, first day of 1st grade. On the right, last day!

The baby got more teeth... and he's 11 months old today! He's crawling everywhere, and quickly! He also pulls himself up on the coffee table, so I imagine he'll be walking before we know it. 

Teething is hard...

I took these pictures, as he sat on my stomach on the couch at the end of a very long day. It's very, very hard to make everyone happy with three boys going in three different directions. Liam has found that it works best to crawl on top of me, pin me down, and yell in my face. Can you see his giant new tooth in the middle photo?! It's absolutely crazy how many teeth this child has at his young age! 

Now I'm planning his 1st birthday party, and I can't believe how fast time flies...

The Wrong Ava

When my son came home with a Frozen birthday party invitation, I was unfazed. It was not the first Frozen party he would be attending!! It was for Ava, from his class. I knew Ava, I thought. Her mom was at the Thanksgiving feast, and I talked with her. I emailed our response, that we would be attending and 'Thank you for the invite.' I never heard back, but I figured that was OK. We picked out a gift, that she would 'definitely like' and J made her a handmade card with stickers. 

The party was on Saturday at 3 pm. I knew the location well, because we take swim classes there. J and I walked in at 3 pm. We walked past a sign that said, "Ava's 7th Birthday, in the Big Gym!" So into the gym we went, and he said, "I don't see her." I told him that I was sure she was there, go play and look for her. I looked around at the other moms, trying to find a friendly face. No one looked even vaguely familiar. When I realized who the party host was, I figured that my son (who is horrible with names, like his mother) probably had the wrong Ava. 

Ten minutes later, a familiar face walks in the door and heads UPSTAIRS. At this point, J is fully immersed in the other party. Lined up with the girls, walked upstairs to have cake, sat down at the pink table... and I realize WRONG PARTY! I stood at the door, and called him to come to me. "We were at the wrong party, silly!" and he laughs it off, and joins his friends in the other party. 

Photo courtesy of Zoloft

Part of me is mortified. Because I work, and I am never at school- maybe I was just really out of it. Maybe no one would look familiar. Maybe, just maybe, I am THAT out of J's day-to-day life that I do not know a single person that he hangs out with. I felt really alone, sitting on that bench watching him smile and make new friends. He fit in just fine, at the wrong party. What a great kid! 

At the 'right' party, I tell the other moms how I screwed up. Silly me. I was not that out-of-sync with my son, I knew several of the moms from his 1st grade class. It was just the wrong Ava.

Then, we went home and put on our Halloween costumes for the rest of the day...

P.S. J was one of only two 'special' boys who were invited, and the hug shared between J and Ava was the cutest thing I have ever seen. It made me think that I must be doing SOMETHING right!

Right Now

'Some people' say that routines are good for kids. 'Others' feel you should follow your child's lead, especially when they are babies. Should I sleep train? Should I listen to the baby's cues? At some point in a family, you fall into certain routines. Even if you don't mean to. We do not sit down for a family dinner every night. More often, I am in the kitchen either cleaning or cooking, and the boys are at the kitchen table eating. I talk to them while they eat, and I used to say things like, "How was your day?" "How was school?" Then  I read somewhere that you can get more out of your child by asking the right questions. 

So every night, for a while now, I have been saying, "What was your favorite part of today?" and "Was there anything bad that you remember from today?" These questions usually get a canned response from the 6 year old, "Being with my family" and "Missing you while you were at work." Cue the horrendous mom guilt. I know he doesn't mean it negatively, but rather- he really does enjoy his family, and that is great! The 3 (almost 4) year old runs down every detail that he remembers. "We went to tumbling, then we had chicken tacos, then we walked to the park, then this, then that." I usually know EXACTLY what happened during HIS day. 

Last night, the two older boys and I sat down together for dinner. I had thrown together a box of Annie's Shells and Cheese- their favorite. I hadn't even thought about what to make for myself, and the hubs was going to be late. I smiled at the two boys, and found my mind wandering to what I needed to get done that night before I went to bed. Then Mayhem (the 3 year old) says, "Mama, what was YOUR favorite part of today?" He looks at me with his cherubic cheeks, and a very serious look on his face. He is really listening. It completely catches me off guard, in a good way. Is that the face that I make at him? Do I patiently wait for him to respond? I think I do, but today I am not doing a very good job with that. 

I stopped worrying about what to cook, what to clean, and what to pack up for tomorrow. I told him, "Right now. This is my favorite part of today." The moment was lost on him, and it passed quickly. He chattered on about his first day back to preschool. "My friends missed me SO MUCH! Ms. Pat told me that I am doing GREAT writing my name..." and I just smiled, and listened. I write about these moments here, so that I can look back and remember these little details. These little, treasured moments in time. In this New Year, I hope I can take the time to enjoy these far too brief pauses in the chaos of my life.

Jacob, Baby Liam, and Mayhem

2014 Christmas Recap

Christmas break is over and 2015 is here. Looking back on the past couple of weeks, it was pretty eventful! I hope you enjoyed some time with your family and friends, and are having a wonderful new year! Here is what happened at our house...

Christmas Eve crew, in Grandma and Grandpa's motorhome

Christmas Eve, my husband had to work. So I took the kids over to my parents' house to hang out with my siblings. The boys wanted to take a ride in Grandma and Grandpa's 'big bus' - so that's what we did! The kids love riding around in it, and the baby enjoyed the couch (only while parked, of course!). Then we celebrated in the evening with my husband's family. 

Irvine Regional Park

On Monday, December 29, Uncle John was hanging out with Mayhem, the baby, and I. Little J had a birthday party, and he was gone ALL DAY! My husband was working, so we had some time to go enjoy the sunny California weather.

Christmas Day was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's house, with Auntie Kim (Pictured above with the baby) and Uncle John (Pictured above with the Ergobaby) and my cousin Mike and his girlfriend Kristin. Great food, great company, and happy memories of the baby's first Christmas!

How did you celebrate?

Don't Judge Me: My Son Sleeps In His Crib

This morning, I read an article called, "Why Co-Sleeping Works For Us, Even If It Scares You" By Brooke Dowd Sacco. While I am absolutely fine with her decision to co-sleep, what I am NOT OK with is comments like this, "I didn’t expect to be able to take off my mom hat between the hours of 7pm and 7am. I’m running a 24 hour operation here." Her statement implies that because my son sleeps in his own room, that I'm somehow not his mother at night? Because he sleeps soundly for several hours at a time, in his own room, that I'm 'off duty'?! 

Here's another comment that irked me, "To me, my daughter is more important than a perfect night’s sleep." Oh, right. That's why I put him in his crib, because he isn't important. Actually, he is important. But he isn't the center of the universe. I happen to have two other boys, two dogs, a home to keep, a full time job, and a HUSBAND! I can't go to bed at 7 pm with the baby, and ignore all of my other responsibilities! Ms. Sacco has a husband, who obviously supports her co-sleeping with their daughter. "In the beginning, when my husband and I discussed where our daughter would sleep, he was happy to hear she wouldn’t be alone in her room downstairs." My son's room was an addition, created by splitting our bedroom in half. So he is extremely close to me. Not that his room being downstairs would be ideal, but it would not lead to co-sleeping.

She continues, "No matter how many times she (her daughter) needs me during the wee hours, he (her husband) wakes up well rested, and for us, this is a good thing. He has to get up and go to work 5 days a week. Happy husband, happy life?" Well, Brooke, I have to get up at the wee hours and go to work. But even if I did stay home, I would not be able to handle not getting any restful sleep. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep with him in my bed- since my husband moves CONSTANTLY in his sleep. I would be worried about the baby! 

Everyone's situation is unique. Some mothers work, some stay home. Some do both, and are home with the children during the day and work at night! Some babies sleep in their parents' bed, some sleep in cribs, and some are in the room in a bassinet. No 'one way' is perfect, and all of us are doing the best we can. This article made me feel like 'my way is right, and your way is wrong' which helps NO ONE. 

Now, please be quiet, my baby is sleeping.

Here he is!! The newest member of the family

Did you miss me? I have been a very bad blogger! I haven't posted anything since June 23, so it has been 4 whole months. I just wanted to check in and let you know that I had my third baby boy on July 31 and he's doing great! He was 8 pounds and 21 inches long. The delivery went very smoothly.

Our sweet little baby at the hospital, right before we headed home!

He has been suffering from acid reflux, and is already taking Zantac to help keep his stomach settled. He also has to sleep at a slight incline, and his formula is specially designed for acid reflux. But with all those 'fixes', he is doing MUCH better and sleeping pretty well at night. He still doesn't seem to want to sleep during the day, but I hope he will eventually get there.

He is all smiles at 2 months old. His tummy feels so much better!!

I'm back to work now, and things are getting back to 'normal.' On one hand, it feels like everything has changed in the past four months... on the other hand, not much has changed at all! We are a family of 5 now, and the two older boys just adore the baby. I hope you forgive me for being away so long, since I posted cute baby pictures. More to come!