Valentines Day

Holidays are getting more and more fun around here!! I know Valentines isn't technically a holiday and it's over commercialized and blah, blah, blah, but any reason to dress up and celebrate is a good thing to me!!

Lots of parties for the kiddies... Not so many for mama this year... Finding a sitter for V-day is worse than finding one for New Years Eve!!

My little ones don't get the concept of eating a little bit of candy now and saving the rest for later, so I put all of their candy out, let them gorge and then threw the rest of it away. (It HAS to be thrown out or I'll finish it off!)

My sister says that Ivy looks like she is about to throw a fit in most of her pictures... Unfortunately, this is her saying cheese... I was by myself and it was before school, so this is the best I could do... I guess these imperfect pictures are really a true reflection of what life is like, but why can't they just stand next to each other, look at the camera and smile?!? (hee-hee.)

Luke, Sidney, Ivy, Brie, Mitchell

Nicknames:

Tink, Moo, Ivers, LukeHare, Sissy

I hope that everyone feels as loved as I do!!!

Love to ALL!!

A Walk Down the Aisle

Many of you know or have heard me talk about our nanny old Melissa! She was our night nanny when I first brought the babies home from Phoenix and I can honestly say she is the reason that we survived those first months!! (Well, her and my mom!) After the babies started sleeping through the night after 6 or 7 months, she worked for us during the days part time... She then found a job in College Station working full time and had to leave us... One of the saddest days ever! She still comes to visit a couple of times a month... the babies (and me) ADORE her! When she told me that she was getting married I was SO excited for her... Then she told me that she wanted all 5 of the babies in her wedding and I thought she had lost her mind!! No really, I was very touched that she wanted us to be a part of her special day.

I stressed a LOT about what the babies would do. More scared than anything that they would freak out and not walk down the aisle. I ordered flower girl and ring bearer books and read them to them daily. We tried on dresses and tuxes and talked a ton about what their job was going to be. I even had them walk down the aisle of my church here.

It wasn't until the rehearsal that I started to stress about them wreaking havoc at the wedding! We walked into the ballroom and they were EVERYWHERE! The front of the room had a little stage and white curtains everywhere... I was told that they were not very stable. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the boys plow through the curtains at one point.

Melissa and the Babies at Rehearsal

The boys would pick up the flower petals and

throw them in the air and yell "Happy New Year!"

Which is what they are all doing here on Melissa's head.

When we first started traveling with the babies, Stephen and I decided that the only way to do it was to rent a house. That way we had the room for sleeping, a refrigerator for food and space for the babies to run around. Unfortunately, crazy Aggies will pay whatever for lodging, so house rentals were pricey. So we decided to rough it and stay in a hotel for one night. It was tough trying to keep them occupied and quiet and I am thankful it was for only one night. The LSU and Kansas Track and Swim teams sleeping next to us did not appreciate their 6AM wake up call... We were proud that we did our part to sleep deprive the competition!

Dinner and a Movie

Girl Book Time

Boy Book Time

Sleeping Arrangements

(I left their nap mats at home... Talk about feeling guilty!)

The day of the wedding the girls and I went to a bridal brunch.... Stephen took the boys to the Dixie Chicken for lunch... The Chicken is a well known bar/restaurant in College Station, where Aggies dunk their class rings. This Aggie included!

They had a cute little table set up for the girls.

Milkshakes at the Chicken

We had to be out of our room at 2, pictures were at 3 and the wedding at 5. So basically, we had to keep 5 toddlers entertained in a hotel for 3 hours. But entertained in a way so they wouldn't mess up their clothes!! Let me tell you, there were lots of rides in the elevator!

I couldn't get a good shot of all 5 and I didn't want

to wear them out before the official pictures.

Luke, Mitchell

Ivy, Sidney & Briellen

My Little Men

My Girls

When it finally was time to walk, they did beautifully! No melt downs, No crazy wild men... They did exactly what they were supposed to do! The girls were halfway down the aisle before they remembered to throw their petals, but, oh well.

Mitchell & Luke

(I love Stephen in the back ground prepping the girls.)

Sweet Girls

Melissa & Her Dad

"Standing" at the Front

The Reception was SO much fun... None of my friends or family have had little ones at weddings, so I have had little experience with kid friendly weddings. They had a food buffet their height, an activity table with colors and stickers and they even did a candy toss.

The Kiddie Table

The babies all wanted to dance so badly with Melissa... At one point I looked up and Mitchell was in between Melissa and her dad during the Father/Daughter dance.... Mortifying!

Finally getting to dance with Melissa...

"Apple Bottom Jeans. Boots with the Fur!!"

The babies were beyond tired and honestly, Stephen and I were too, but we truly had a fantastic time and were so incredibly honored to be included in such a special occasion for someone who is truly special to us!

Preschool!!

Oh, how I have dreamed of this day for years!! 5 hours, twice a week guaranteed freedom! All of the lunch dates, shopping and spa appointments a girl could hope for... Bring it!! But really, being at home by myself... in my house alone... just me... felt SO good. I can't even being to explain it. (And as sad as it sounds, I am actually looking forward to cleaning out some closets!)

The babies were so excited about going to school... They wore their backpacks around and carried their lunch boxes all over the house... Of course, when it was time to actually carry them into the school they were too heavy and the babies would just drop them on the ground as they walked in.

Brie, Ivy, Sidney, Mitchell & Luke

First Day of School

I was really nervous about their first day, not really knowing what to expect. I didn't have any help, so all I could think was "How am I going to get all of them into school with ALL of their stuff by myself?" And having experienced the toddler meltdown -- limp arms and legs, screaming on the ground of a parking lot, impervious to the stream of threats coming out of my mouth -- I was terrified that one or, help me, more would decide to do this while I would have to juggle back packs, lunch boxes and hold three other hands at the same time! I worried for nothing... they all stayed on the sidewalk, walked into their classroom and started playing without a single tear, even after I kissed them goodbye. (I made a second trip for their nap mats.)

Their Stuff...

I was determined to get pics of them walking down the hall and with their teachers, but I was so high strung that morning I forgot the camera, so I took a pic with their teachers when I picked them up, and that is what melted them down...

Ms. Terri and Ms. Cindy

When I want something so bad or am looking forward to something for so long, I tend to forget or not recognize the down sides... I hadn't even put a single thought to how much work it would be to get everyone ready and out of the door... I know I'll get my groove down and it eventually won't be so bad, but, whew!

The school they are going to is Cy-Fair Christian Church Preschool (http://cfccnet.org)

The director is SO sweet and caring and understanding... and the teachers are wonderful.... They go out of their way to help me and make this experience a positive one for me and the babies!