Lots of firsts going on 'round here....

So in the past couple of weeks we have had lots of firsts....so I figure I would gather it in one post to show you guys what has been going on.....

1.  First day of school....I am fortunate that I have found a place that my kids ADORE...the four of them went last year and they are all returning this year.  Katelyn has switched to the 3 year old preschool program and she is one of "those" kids that LOVES school...she loves the supplies, getting a new bag, school clothes, friends and activities.  She is a mini me....fo' real...It is precious....she actually would prefer going to school daily....but for now she is just there twice a week for a couple of hours and then stays for stay'n'play so it continues into the afternoon.  Carter and Bryce attend twice a week as well, and we have our same teacher for the third time....last year, this past summer and for this year....and she is amazing!!!  The boys think she is the best and even shy little Carter runs right up to her and gives her hugs...and then we have to make him leave...(insert tantrum LOL).  Austin is in the baby room once a week and the ladies just love on the babies and get in the floor and play with them....he is all over the place and loves being able to play with toys without being trampled on by three siblings. 

The three kiddos ready to go....go figure...no Austin...

Miss KK ready to go with bag in hand

KK and her teacher

This is what I got from the boys when I wanted to take their pic....they took off in opposite directions and could have cared less about capturing the moment....

2.  First day of Soccer (practice)....KK is signed up to play soccer this year through her preschool and the Y.  It is so cute....seriously...kids running up and down the field trying to kick the ball....sometimes successful...sometimes not...but they all love it!!  I have pics from her first practice...but none from her first game....boo! Kev had to work and I had a funeral to attend....fortunatley for KK her 3 sets of grandparents were there spoiling her....pretty sure she didn't even realize Kev and I weren't there.

3.  First night of dance....take two!  This is KK's second year in dance....she has been looking forward to dance starting back ALL SUMMER.  She loves to dance...she never walks through a room...she dances through it...it cracks me up.  She is super excited because this year her good friend is joining her in the class.  I am excited because now I have a friend to hang out with during dance :)  It is win/win...

 Miss KK ready to go....

Great first night of dance with a very good friend!!

4.  First stand....as in Austin!!  He is able to stand on his own!!!  He has done it a couple of times and always has the biggest smile....but also a very concentrated look...I wish I had a picture of it!!  I will catch him soon and post :)  It is SUPER CUTE!!

 

5.  First time to wear orange....for the season that is :)  College football is up and going...We are HUGE Oklahoma State fans and we are currently sitting 2-0....Yay us :)  So of course the kids have their gear to wear....so I tried to take a few photos...

 

 

 

Well, that is all I got for now :)  The kids are doing great and enjoying getting back to a routine....I hope you guys are al having a fabulous week!!

 

 

Twas the night before...

Well...it is time...for school!! Well, for us, preschool and MDO....but we call it school :)

So, when I got home from work tonight, I was in fast forward getting things all together for tomorrow. So we got....

3 bags
3 blankets
5 sippy cups
3 lunch boxes
3 changes of clothes
1 napmat (the other two were taken on open house)

3 sets of clothes laid out for school
3 pairs of shoes
2 diapers

That's all...lucky for me Austin is not going tomorrow. We will however be making a quick trip to Tulsa for Austin's 9 month pictures. Needless to say, things will be CRAZY tomorrow :)

We went to Open House a couple of weeks ago and met KK's teacher and we have signed up as volunteers to help set up the classrooms each Sunday. Since her school is a church, they use Sunday's to set up for the week after church. This is a great way for us to spend time with the teachers and also learn about what they do each week. We had a lot of fun setting up this past Sunday and met great people. I am really looking forward to helping for the rest of the year.

As far as the boys go, we are pumped because their teachers they had last year moved up with them!! They LOVE their teachers and I'm glad that I know who they will be with during the week :)

Getting things back ready for school...I have come across my favorite item for this year....Orbit labels....



I ordered these for each child...you can pick out what color you like, personalize it and your done :) You get a set of four for a super reasonable price and since everything has to be labeled for school...it works perfect! Also, Carter and Bryce have a different color and so now they can identify their cup and they have really worked on learning their colors so they can give their brother and sister the right cup.

Well, I am sure I will post a pic later of the kiddos first day...but I will leave you with a pictures of the kids on our way to Open House.





Good night!!

Hello

Happy Monday...I realize it is the end of the day but it has been such a blur that this is the first time I have had time to sit at the computer for any amount of time...why you ask?? Well...it is Monday, which I have designated as "Laundry Day". I have previously said that I do not like laundry...despise it actually. But with a family of 6, it is a necessary evil. So I stayed in my pj's today...and so did the boys...I mean, why get anything else dirty?? :) So while I took care of loads and loads...and LOADS of this.... The kids took care of their own entertainment. First, the boys thought Austin's toy was WAY more fun if they attempted to wrestle in it than let their little brother play on it... But Bryce made up for it with a little brotherly love...Austin ADORES his older brothers and sister...Bryce actually gives Austin real kisses...for the rest of us he just gives us his forehead... All was going well...and I was working through the laundry...even getting a little help now and then... Oh Carter...my little helper! Well, then all went down for a nap and I had some quiet laundry time to myself...then after their nap...they came into the living room and, as always, were ready for a snack. Carter looked at me and asked, "Cracker?" and since I was in the middle of nursing Austin, I said yes and told him to go grab a package (my kids LOVE peanut butter crackers!) and off he went...but apparently mid-journey he changed his mind. He wanted cereal...but all I heard was a bag hitting the floor...and as I got up I found this... Darn it...and it was my cereal...so I gated them off from the disaster zone so I could clean it up...they were not to happy about this... Mr. Innocent sat back...although I told him...next year, all 3 of them would probably be spilling cereal and creating havoc :) So finally 5pm rolled around...and I continued to wash, dry, fold...repeat...and Katelyn decided her daddy needed a makeover...complete with Spongebob sunglasses. She even wrapped him with a "cape" so he wouldn't get hair on his neck. She is super thoughtful at pretend haircuts. Of course, she had to show him the finished product. After his makeover, Katelyn had to get ready for her Masquerade Ball...and she asked if I could be her fairy godmother...well, of course :) You can never turn down this opportunity! I asked her what she wanted, and she told me she wanted me to "Bippity Bobbity Boo." Easy enough...with a little of this...and a little of that...my fairy princess was ready for the ball. I am sure you are wondering, "Did she actually get any laundry done??". Why yes...I did :) I even got all the hanging clothes hung up...except for those of the boys that were done after they went to bed. However, my dining room table that is hiding under stacks and stacks of clothes will probably remain laundry central for a few more days. I still have 7 loads of laundry left...WHOA! But I will take it....I had a great Monday with 4 crazy kids AND did laundry....not bad :) My accomplishment... Sorry for the picture overload...I didn't realize I took so many pics today during laundry/play day :) Night, Night!

We love our Veggies....

****Edit - finally figured out how to fix video for full screen...that way you can see ALL three kids ;)
Veggie Tales that is....

A day in the life of the Guy family is usually pretty hectic...it is full of smiles, tears, laughs, timeouts, boo boos, frustration, cartoons and lots of playing.

The twins and Katelyn are 19 months apart...and they have already have found a certain entertainment value in annoying one another...so Katelyn will come to me to tattle tale and the boys come to me and point at her and say "sissy" as if to tattle tale on her.

There are days I feel as though, my purpose was to stay home and hang out with these kiddos and nothing seems to phase me....but there are those days that I wonder to myself, "FOUR KIDS...WHOA!" and I feel defeated.

Then I realize...it is never perfect and that is ok...and when the tears start a rolling these days and it seems as there is nothing I can do...I simply say Veggie Tales and all kids forget whatever was bothering them and turn their attention to the show...and my favorite parts of this are 1) This is a great show and helps kiddos understand stories from the Bible and 2) the opening number :)



Happy Tuesday!

oh, the fun we have

So one thing I have learned with four kiddos is teamwork....Kev and I are still working on what works best in many situations....but the one thing we have down pat is......BATHTIME

I will admit to everyone in the internet world that has stumbled upon my little blog that we do not bathe our kids every night....shocking, I know! I know this is a ritual for many bedtime routines, however, it is not for us. We have made it work that regardless of a bath or not...the kids go to bed at the same time, read books and lights out...the bath is just icing on the cake....a fun activity that they all look forward too....and the best way to make a good,clean mess :)

So here is how it goes....kids are sitting in high chairs finishing up their super healthy and home-cooked meal (ok...I might be pushing it) and Dad steps out of the room to start running the water. The kids of course hear this....and beginning laughing and screaming like hyennas. Dinner is over...

Clothes are stripped off in the living room and off the 3 oldest go to the bath...this is were the fun begins. After the first child...and the first few baths, once she was old enough to understand the fun that water + hands = splashing....we know that we walk in dry and walk out drenched.

Splish Splash they were taking a bath.....







So while all this craziness is going on...and I am listening to the giggles and splashes...I go into mission-mode. I clean up the high chairs...Check! Check! Check!

Lay Austin on the floor so he has some time to roll and stretch before the kids head back to take over the living room...and then off to everyone's room I go to gather all necessary items.



4 jammies, 3 diapers, panties, powder and lotion....CHECK!

Then I hear "Mom...ready!?!" ...and I answer "Ready!"

So, then one by one they are sent down the hall with their hooded towels and take a seat on the rug.


All photos have been cropped to remain G rated :)

Then one by one each is powdered, lotioned, diapered (panties for KK of course) and then jammies are put on. Then comes the grooming :) I dry Katelyn's hair but Carter is the one that truly enjoys the hairdryer.

A little hair drying....


A little hair fixing....


Pause for playtime....


and for Bryce to laugh at Carter...Bryce is not so fond of the hairdryer....



So...we finally have everyone dressed and ready...and off to bed they go. Of course we tuck Katelyn in about 20 times before she actually sleeps. But we are working on that.

Bathtime is fun...but a process! I am thankful to have Kev in my life to be such a huge help in all we do! It gets crazy sometimes...ok...ALL the time...but I wouldn"t change a thing.

I can't wait until this lil' Guy is old enough to take part in the splishing and splashing!



Good Night!

Back to the grind....

All the snow is gone....and the sun was out! So we finally got back to our regularly schedule Thursday program :) The kids finally got to go back to Mother's Day Out and Katelyn FINALLY was able to go to dance...YAY...YAY...and YAY!

It is really nice for the kids to get to spend the day with kids there age, playing in a kid-friendly environment around someone other than good ol' mom. However, the logistics of getting everyone there is a little crazy! So in order to get to mother's day out, we have to actually have everything together...which takes lots of gathering and packing. So we end up walking out of the house with 3 bags, 3 blankets, 3 lunch boxes, 6 sippie cups, 8 diapers, spare undies and a change of clothes per child...not to mention the four children. Today we also took valentine's card for each classroom. I am not going to lie...sometimes getting it all together makes me wonder if it is all worth it. But at the end of the day, when I show up to 3 smiling, dirty faces, that can't stop talking about what they have done that day....I know it is!

After they were all dropped off...Austin and I took off for me to take a yoga/pilates/ballet class at barre3 here in Oklahoma City. Kick.My.Butt....I am going to be so sore tomorrow...I am sore today! This is something I am wanting to make a habit...the whole working out thing...but we will see. As I sit here tonight, all I want is a cookie and my bed :) (maybe a couple of Tylenol).

Then...a few errands, and BOOM...time to pick up the kids and head home...and keep it outside. What a BEAUTIFUL day!! So the kids ran...I ran after them...took pics...Katelyn attempted to ride her bike...and then we headed in to get ready for dance.

Dance was a success, as usual, and my ballerina came home super tired after such a long day...one that we have not had in a while! So...it was a wonderful day filled with fun and got us back on track! Time for bed...

However, as I mentioned...Austin rolled over on Tuesday...so I thought you might want to enjoy the experience as I did...so check out the wonderful work of Kristen from Son Kissed Photography She is amazing...she is so kind, EXTREMELY talented and I love how she captures my little guy!



Precious...Good Night!!

Monday Ramblings...

So, still my life seems to just be going going going...and I keep forgetting to post (bad blogger!!) but I figured I would jot down a few things today as I approach a new week!

1. It is Valentine's day...so, I am not a big celebrater of this holiday...It is not as though I am against it, but honestly I normally forget that it is around the corner! So, today when I rolled over and tossed and turned because I couldn't sleep although the kids were STILL sleeping...I announced, "I am already grumpy today!" as Kev rolled over, gave me a kiss and said "well, happy Valentine's Day to you too," with his sweet boyish grin...OOPS! Good thing we took those vows of for better or worse...looks like I will be digging for construction paper and markers today for a homemade gift! I LOVE YOU KEVIN!

2. Austin's 3 month pictures are this week, and I am SO EXCITED!! We will be heading to Tulsa tomorrow...I will post some pics as soon as possible, as he has grown like a weed and I cannot believe how quickly he first year is already going!

3. Another plus to #2 is that I get to see two fabulous friends tomorrow and their beautiful daughters :)

4. Katelyn spent the weekend in Houston with my parents at my nephews soccer tournament, so I have not seen her since Friday morning...and I miss her...I am waiting on her to get home and I CANNOT wait to see her!

5. I went to Affair of the Heart yesterday with my sister-in-law, my nephew and a mutual friend...it was so fun to walk around with these ladies and I am pretty sure I didn't really see anything there...it was more for the opportunity to hang out with people I care about...however, the bling did catch my eye here and there :)

6. We tried out Life Church for the first time yesterday and I loved it! We will be attending again this weekend!

7. I will leave with a little video of the boys...this is how they spent their morning...Disney introduced Disney Junior and there was a new show on with pirates, and THEY LOVED IT! They are best buds :) (and no, promise the TV doesn't always babysit, but I had gone to make their lunch and this is how I found them LOL)

Sorry it is a little long...

hmmmm....

That is how I feel tonight...I have had a blah day so not much to share....except to say that I am glad that my kiddos are back home. They stayed with my mom for three days/two nights...and I was missing them!!

I am settling in to watch American Idol (YAY...HOLLYWOOD WEEK!!!) and hang out with my husband. We like to think we have an ear for talented singers...however, I am not sure why because neither of us can carry a tune, or anything in the vicinity of a tune....I think I just like to state my opinion. We always end up rooting for a different person...and in the end I have always picked the one that wins :) Not to brag or anything....

Well...with nothing exciting to share, I will leave you all with cute pics of my kids...always makes me smile







Good night!!

3 months old

Slow down little man....you are growing too fast!!

So...I can't believe another month has passed. You have grown so much...everytime I look at you, I swear that your cheeks get chubbier :) The best thing about this month is how much you smile and giggle now. Whether its when I am passing you over to your dad or your brothers and sister are sitting down talking to you, you always have a huge grin on your face and a giggle to follow. It is amazing how you just
know who Katelyn, Carter and Bryce are when they approach you. It is such a loving feeling...even when they are "playing" with you (aka hitting you on the head with a toy LOL).

You are constantly cooing...you are definitely trying to make sure your presence in known and I love it. In a family of 6, everyone is going to have to stand there ground to get a word in edgewise :)

I am not sure of how much you weigh or how tall you are...I will update that next month after your 4 month appointment, but you are definitely in 3-6 month clothing. You are still in a size 1 diaper but I bet that changes very soon!

You are still the easiest baby...this, I believe is a result of your easy going demeanor as well as the fact that you are baby #4, so I am much more at ease with everything. You eat about every 3 1/2 to 4 hours during the day. You are awake alot now and you doze off into naps. I haven't worked you into set nap times but you are doing great at night. You take your last bottle between 8:30-9:00 at night and then you sleep all night and wake up between 5a-7a. You are doing awesome!

I love every little sweet thing about you and cherish our feeding times and our play times that we get during the day. I sit back and smile when I see your siblings react to you and how you all end up smiling and laughing. They are so proud of you and so am I. You are my lil' Buddy! I love you Austin!

So.... So.... SO.... lazy.....

Snow day numero dos....

and just as lazy as yesterday! Well...lazy as far as being productive...(launry, cleaning, organizing....)just did not happen...

however, we did stay in our jammies and look at the pretty snow outside


(this was as close as we got to the snow....the negative windchill just in't sound like a good idea to play in....does this make me a super UNfun mom?? Hope not!)

have a fun picnic lunch of PB & J's and fruit









We played with "toys" that we don't usually get too...





Made some yummy cupcakes....and made a mess eating them (that is the best part!)








All in all it was a wonderful day....playing with the kiddos...naps...but my favorite was walking in to see this...



Does not get better than this....I mean...Princess and her Princess Daddy :)

Now...today, I will sit here while the kids nap and watch Definitely, Maybe...because I LOVE me some Ryan Reynolds :)