The Confessional

I don't think I have blogged more than a couple of times since I went back to work full time 2 years ago. Truth? I lost my desire to write. I know all of you busy moms out there know what I'm talking about. By the end of the day, once you've done homework, loved on your kiddos, made dinner,  packed lunches, laid out uniforms, given showers, brushed teeth, said prayers, and tucked everyone in... You. Are. Done. All you wanna do is have a glass of wine, curl up in bed, and try to get at least a few hours of sleep before you get up and do it all over again. AND weekends are spent rushing around to soccer games, parties, grocery stores, cleaning the house, folding mountains of laundry & just trying your best to catch up. Ugh, THE GRIND... the grind is tough, no matter how much you love your job!!! That's reality. I know you all get it. We all do it every day.

Since I'm calling this "The Confessional," there is a bit more to this story. In addition to the grind, I have been battling health issues for some time... again, and again, and again, and again. I have been in and out of the hospital with internal issues that I cannot control. I don't want to bore anyone with details. The long and short of it? My insides just do not like to work right and I have a long road ahead of me in order to get well. I'm one tough chick, but there is only so much one person can take. Okay, so enough about that. No sense in whining over spilled innards er, ummm, milk! ;).

Man, being a grown up is HARD! Hahaha! Like my  dear friend Lori says, "When life gives you lemons, make limoncello!"

Being laid up in bed has given me a chance to put things in perspective. I look at my kids and think, "to be 7 again, without a care in the world." They are so innocent, full of life, loving, kind, smart, honest, & fearless. Watching them grow into these amazing DIFFERENT people is what makes it all worth it!

So, what's the moral of the story? I've found my voice again and I feel like blogging! I can't wait to share with you the cool, funny, independent, kind, loving, smart, strong willed, and often insanely frustrating people our kiddos have become. Now that this little confession is out of the way, I can start working on fun stuff!

Next up on the blogging list... Our kiddos turn 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and I do believe our blog needs a bit of a face lift too! ;) 

Here's to getting healthy and a fresh start here in Quadville! 

(L-R Russ, Libby, Mommy, Molly & Ally)

Happy Friday Everyone! 

XOXO

Gen 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Catching Up Part 2: Weddings - Dominican Republic Style

In early October, we took a trip to celebrate the wedding festivities of our great friends Amanda and Justin.  It just happened to be located 4,000 miles away at an awesome resort in the Dominican Republic.

Justin & I connected as teammates and roommates at USF.  He stood in our wedding, has been part of our kids' lives, and is a great friend to us both.  We've watched his relationship with Amanda grow over the past few years as they moved out to Chicago.  Gen and Amanda struck a friendship after meeting only a few times, and we couldn't wait to see her and Justin tie the knot.  Any woman that can put him in his place with just one look is a keeper in our books.

Thanks to a generous offer from Grandma Deb to come hold down the fort, we were able to get away for 5 days and make the trek out to be a part of the unique wedding party and celebrations.  Days were spent relaxing poolside, enjoying a great collection of new and old friends, and taking in the sights and surroundings.  Timing couldn't have been better, as Gen continues to struggle with chronic pain issues (more to come on this soon.)  The chance to unplug and relax was a luxury we welcomed with open arms.

Can't articulate how awesome the trip was - hopefully a few pictures can help illustrate the highlights.

Google Earth has nothing on these views

Amazing sights on the decent

Arrived at the resort in time to hang out and catch some breathtaking views
(photo courtesy of Janet Johnston Photography)

Catching Dinner with Park & Michelle 
(and one awesome, photo-bombing waiter)

A surprise guest on the walkway one evening... 
(Gen took the pic, while I watched from a safe distance, 
trying to block out scenes from Arachnophobia in my mind...)

A rehearsal, dinner, and a sunset on the beach.
Not too shabby.

Justin, Amanda, and the Malmstrom Clan - Great People!

13 years, less hair, and more laughs 
with Justin (a.k.a. "Muffin")  

Sunset Ceremony (photo courtesy of Janet Johnston Photography)

Gen, Kylie, and Michelle enjoying the reception.
80s and 90s hits galore - nothing better

First Dance 

Toasting Mr. & Mrs. Wells

Always the bridesmaid...never the bride.  Or something like that...
(Jeff & Park - Officiant & Best Man)

Yep.

Relaxing poolside the next day, with a tip o' the cap to Joe & Suz

Breakfast views

Enjoying a final dinner with Michelle, Park, Jeff, and Kylie

Hard to be stressed out in this environment...

The long trek home - thankful and rested

Meanwhile, back home...

Goofin' around with Grandma Deb - 
pretty sure they didn't even notice we were gone

HUGE thank you again to Grandma Deb for allowing us to get away and enjoy the wedding.  The kids didn't skip a beat on the weekly schedule, and couldn't wait to tell us about all their adventures the second we got home.

Amanda and Justin - thank you for allowing us be a part of your wedding experience.  We wish you both a lifetime of happiness and laughter!

Catching Up, Part 1: Too Many Hospitals

Don't even know where to start here.  The last four weeks have been a blur and a bit overwhelming.

Kids visiting Charlie yesterday

• Gen's cousin, Charlie, was in a horrific motorcycle accident and spent the last few weeks battling for his life in the ICU.  Somehow, he continues to beat the odds and battle each day.  
• Great Grandpa Russ has been in and out of the hospital for weeks, dealing with a variety of serious issues.  Luckily, he's resting at home and much improved as we speak. 
• Aunt Paula has been suffering from Meniere's Disease and underwent brain surgery. She's been a trooper and is now recovering well at home. 

Our thoughts and prayers have been with them all, especially Charlie and his family, during this difficult time.  In the midst of running back and forth to the hospitals, we found ourselves beginning a string of visits of our own with Libby.

The day we got back from vacation sans kiddos (more to come in Part 2), Libby had developed a small stye on the outside of her eye.  Nothing big, just something we noticed and watched become irritated our first few days home.  The next morning, a circular shape formed - and she was excused from school to go check out what we thought was ringworm or some contagious rash.

Fast forward 3 days, two additional trips to the doc, and still the same diagnosis:  Not contagious, not ringworm,not staph, not pink eye, not eczema, etc. The plan? Just let it play out and should disappear with some topical treatments and antibiotics.

Fast forward two days, we wake Libby up to find a HUGE spread of the rash and circular sore-like formations on her eye, nose, neck, and upper chest.  She was in severe discomfort, crying about how badly they itched and hurt.  Strangest part was none of the other kids showing similar symptoms.

Right to the doc we go again - where our awesome Pediatrician brought in colleagues, referred out to specialists, and conferred for a few days trying to figure it out.  Our doctor has 30+ years of experience and has been there for every scary moment (especially some of the near-fatal scares with Russ as an infant) as a calm and unwavering influence.  When he looked at Libby and remarked "Uh-Oh, that's not good..." we knew it was ok to worry a bit.

Two more days, a day in the ER, an admittance to the hospital, and we finally received some answers.  The official diagnosis was early onset Steven Johnson syndrome, combined with an unknown fungal strain never....seen...before.  The doctors conferred with specialists across the country, and were a bit geeked out over Libby's condition (not happy, just fascinated seeing something new.) While we were scarred to think about the possibilities during the unknown period, it was comforting to get a diagnosis and treatment plan started that showed quick improvements. However, to say we were scared to death would be an understatement.

Photos below show the progression much better than any written description could.

Our Little Libs before.... 

Starting to spread and circle up...

Back at the docs 2 days later... Stumping EVERYONE

Ok...it's getting scary now...

Hangin' at the ER - Crushing Angry Birds

Admitted to the hospital 

"Suffering"through solo time with Mom...

Just a few days after he was released from the same location -
 a nice visit from Grampy Russ

Super lucky to have our friend Sarah work at the hospital pediatric unit.
Lots O' Fun and entertainment whenever she's around!  Who doesn't like making "Goop?"

Hard to tell which one is the kid sometimes

Lookin' MUCH better

Don't think there's anything worse than not having answers and watching your child continue to suffer. Thank you to all of our family and friends across the country for the prayers and love. Thank you also for the continued prayers for Gramp, Charlie and Paula - as we know this mild setback is nothing in comparison.

Breaking Bad

Confession:  We are HYPER-conscious about our kids' behavior in public.  Nothing new, but lately we've realized it comes up more frequently than we'd like.  Maybe it's something about having multiples (I.e. Paranoia about the additional attention it can draw.  When they act poorly, it magnifies the situation.).  Maybe it's because we were both raised to fear the wrath of our parents if proper manners were not displayed at all times.  Whatever the reason, we spend a fair amount of time discussing and stressing over their ability to exhibit "normal" behavior.

Our weekly trip to Costco is a great illustration.  Navigating a crowded store with our brood is enough to make you wonder if they would ever consider online order/delivery of the weekly staples.  We roam the isles, while witnessing wrestling, goading of one another with pinches, trips, whines, etc.  And just when we're ready to pull the plug and leave/discipline, they go and fully redeem themselves.  Pleases, thank yous, and angelic manners in line asking for a food sample (ok, ok, they know when to turn on the charm, eh?) make staff and onlookers stop us and compliment our children on their immaculate behavior and sweet disposition. One kind woman stopped us and mentioned that we should be extremely proud of how well behaved our children were, as she'd never seen anything like it.  We graciously thanked her, while trying to inconspicuously wave Ally & Libby away from tackling one another into the paper towel display.

It's a never ending process, and many friends can't believe these sweet faces could ever do any wrong...

Libs - "Star of the Week" - angelic at school.  
What you don't see:  Throwing the mother-of-all tantrums with the star in-hand (at the home of our Priest no less), not wanting to leave and go home.
 

Molly - Gen's Mini-Me and sweet helper of a child.  
What you don't see:  The daily morning meltdowns about her outfit.  
Mind you....they're in uniforms...

Russell-Man:  Sweetest kid on earth, always taking care of his mama.
What you don't see:  An amazing talent for "selective hearing."  If it's not of his concern, the kid could ignore an oncoming locomotive.  

Kids watching the infamous Stratos jump live.  Ally praying for Felix.  Absolutely heart warming.  
What you don't see:   UFC-style combat jockeying for position to see "The Spaceman" lasting at least 5 minutes, with Ally utilizing a leg-sweep to clear Russ out of the prime seat.  Impressive actually - but inappropriate nonetheless... 

Are they perfect angels?  Hardly.

Are they normal, hyper-active 6 year-olds?  Absolutely.

Do they drive us bat-you-know-what crazy each day?  You betcha.


We can't help but stress and fixate on "Breaking the bad" - but we're encouraged to see the efforts pay off every once in a while in unexpected ways.  I guess that's enough to keep pushing forward.

Here's to the never-ending journey ahead.  Have a great week!

Stump Questions in Quadville

We have a very curious and inquisitive quartet. We're proud of them - and encourage this behavior as much as possible.  Yet lately, we're left speechless or with answers that don't do any justice to the originality of the questions.  A sampling from the past week:

Why did God give boys nipples if they don't have babies? (Ally)

Why is this movie soooo bad? (apparently they've turned into quasi-film critics lately with OnDemand's offerings)? (Molly)

Does God like Pizza? (Russ)

Why don't I have blonde hair anymore?  (Libby)

When can I have long hair again? (Libby)

Mommy, how come sometimes you have gray hairs and then they go away for a while? I don't like it when you have gray hair. (Libby)

Daddy, why did God take your hair away? (Libby....if this kid was on twitter, #myhair would be trending daily)

Why is mommy allergic to everything? (Ally. Explaining Celiac Disease to 6 year old is a challenge.)

Why isn't Harry Potter at Disneyland? Isn't he magical just like everyone else there? (Russ)

Can I have a bunny for my 7th birthday and can I sleep with it in my bed every night? (Ally.  Ok, that one was an easy answer of "No".  But the rationale didn't go over well with the kids...)

Sometimes we just answer with "That's a good question, I don't really know why."

Ultimately, that follows with their response of "Well if you don't know, Why don't you ask God?  You said he's always listening..."  Trump card.  Smart, smart kids...

Hope they never stop asking questions - just wish they'd space them out a bit at times.  Any gems from your families to share?  

Karma Is "Hairy.."

I love hair. Love it. It's fun to play with, fun to change up, color, curl, flat iron, blow dry, talk about, you name it. Yep, I'm a girly girl and just can't help myself. I've had every cut and color known to man in my 34 years of life. I get bored easily and will change it up on a whim. Sometimes spontaneity back fires. Badly. I've sported "high bangs" & a spiral perm with 10 gallons of aqua net (yep, rocked the late 80's- is that look coming back yet?).

I've grown my hair to my hips and chopped it off to my chin (more times than I can count). I've had great cuts and AWFUL cuts. I've spent HOURS CRYING over "new looks" and years "growing it out."  I've been blond, jet black, and everything in between. I love hair... and I drive my husband NUTS when my spontaneity backfires.  You know how it goes - sounded like a great idea in concept, and then you see the results and want to curl up into a ball, cry, and never show yourself in public again (did I mention I can be slightly dramatic as well?)  

Now, I am no professional. But, I'm mighty handy with a pair of sheers and have been cutting my children's hair since the first trim. Lately, I have been procrastinating this job because the last few cuts have been less than fun. Ummm why was it easier to cut their hair when they were little? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Anyway, I decided it was time to hand them over to the pros and announced on the drive home from school today, "Let's go get the girls hair cut!" 

The minute the words left my lips the car erupted into cheers of joy! Who knew? They were SOoooo excited to have "someone else" cut their hair.. little turds ;). Who am I kidding, I was excited too. A few minutes later we found ourselves in the shop ready to go. What happened next cracks me up because it speaks volumes about my girls' and their inherent personality traits.

Molly was the first in the hot seat, of course.That kid is a born leader. Per her begging request, I gave her the "Auntie Suz" about 6 months ago, also known as a stacked bob. It grew out nicely. Today she could have gone either way, "grow it out," or "chop it off." To my surprise, she wanted to go REALLY short!  So, short she went.

MoMo before

MoMo after! :) 

Next up was Ally, our goofy, quirky, obsessive, sensory kiddo. Ally, loves her bangs and long curly locks. The kid would spend endless hours in front of a mirror manipulating her mane.. if we let her, which we do not! Needless to say, she stayed with her tried and true formula. However, I'm not doing this justice. Words, cannot do this justice. Nothing can describe this child and her hair. Nothing. She "must have bangs AND a pony tail at all times, even when going to bed." God love her and Lord, please give me patience.

Allly before

Ally after- The ponytail was in effect in 5..4.. 3..

Last but not least was little Libs. Libby might be the easiest child on Earth. For the most part she just goes with the flow and takes it all in. Today, she pulled a card from my back pocked and decided she wanted her hair cut "exactly like Molly." As much as I love and appreciate "hair spontaneity," I was a skeptic. I must have asked her 1000x's "are you sure?" "You know it won't grow back for a long long time?" She was sure and so excited. So, the hair dresser went to town and off the length came. When she was done she was BEAMING and skipping around the store. The new hairdo was a hit.

Libby before

Libby after! :)

Ally with her ponytail &Libs SOooo happy after hair cuts!

(Molly was having an EPIC post school day tantrum-awesome). 

Meanwhile, Russ, being the great brother he is, was showering his sisters with compliments. "You are all so beautiful!" Melt me.

"Daddy cuts my hair!"

Fast forward a couple hours. We are home, I've done showers, fed the kiddos dinner, made lunches, put out school clothes, brushed teeth, etc, etc, etc...and they are ready for bed.. All seemed right in our world except... Libby was missing...

A few minutes later I found her, in the bathroom, curled up in a ball, SOBBING. My heart stopped, "Libby, WHAT IS WRONG? OMG are you OKAY?" Her response, "NO. I HATE MY HAIR." She. Is. Six.... and SO MY CHILD.

Worst part is... I get it, I really do. I mean, I really really get it! But, at the end of the day... it's just  hair and it will grow, it always grows back. It's JUST hair and she is just 6 years old. Can you imagine this melt down at 16? I can. Why? Because I had one (dozen)! Hahaha.


Karma is a beautiful thing.

Mom, I am so so sorry.

Happy Friday! 

XOXO

Gen