4.18.2014

This Week...

This week has been fairly busy with a few family outings, doctor appointments and several deadlines for work for me, and the quads have been sick to top it all off. So the blog had to take a backseat for a wee bit. This morning, however, my nanny happily agreed to come 30 minutes early (at 7am) and help me start tackling the endless mounds of clean laundry that needed folding and I was able to make a quick run to Kroger for more children's Benadryl. We wrapped up the quad's breakfast, had laundry folded, dishes started, more laundry in the wash, vacuuming done, linens changed and more by 9:30am. By the time the babies went down for naps just before 1pm, I felt much more caught up on things. My deadlines for work have been met and my cleaning list for the day is already complete. Not often I feel so efficient! Of course now I'm tired and getting a headache and I've already been fighting a cold or something, undoubtedly courtesy of my sickly crew.


It doesn't hurt that the photo above has been my view each morning as soon as I open my eyes in bed. I love the super green landscape of trees and creek bed behind our house, especially because our home has windows facing out there in just about every room. It's a beautiful view and I feel like I'm in a tree house in our second-story bedroom since I can see all the branches and tree tops!

This week, I've pulled out my crock pot and have been making some slow cooker meals to cut myself a break in the kitchen. Last weekend, I simmered this delicious balsamic pot roast all day and it was a smashing success for all six of us! Tonight's dinner is nearly finished cooking in the crock pot and is this Asian glazed chicken, another recipe from the Six Sisters' Stuff website I'm loving!




We've also had donuts for breakfast twice this week. Don't judge.


I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Target several days ago and found some more super cute stuff in the dollar bins they keep at the front of the store. Hello adorable sunglasses for the quads, Easter "carrot chalk" for this weekend, goodies to fill up an Easter bag I gave to our nanny this morning (along with a pretty Starbucks cup!) and, outside of the dollar section, a pair of cute and comfy Champion workout capri pants for me. There's nothing wrong with stylish fitness motivation.





To change things up and keep our routine from getting stale, as well as to get the kids out for just a few minutes since they tend to go a little stir crazy when they're sick, I loaded us all up in the suburban for drive-thru errands (pharmacy, gas, Sonic for a coke and ice, ATM, dry cleaners, etc.). 


Here's how I get them out of the car when I'm by myself!


I also did a PB&J lunch one day in the play room, picnic style. They loved it!


The quads have been pickier eaters than normal while sick, can't blame 'em since they probably can't taste as much as too much drainage has left them with little appetite. Trystan refused to eat her carrots at dinner one night, but had no problem occupying herself by making little carrot towers. Win some, lose some...


I really hope they turn the bend on this cold or whatever it is they caught last weekend and soon! I want them to enjoy their first-ever Easter egg hunts! At least Kailey's lip is looking much better and will be healed in a few more days. No more trips to the ER or Urgent Care so far this week, so I chalk that up to a success!





On Wednesday, my sweet parents spent the whole day and night (plus the night on Tuesday) helping me keep my head above water. Laundry and dishes have stacked up all week because I've been dashing from one kid to the next wiping noses, comforting them on my shoulder (often two at a time), rocking them to sleep at length at night, waking up four or more times at night when each one wakes up crying or in a coughing fit, soothing many a baby in my bed in the wee hours when rocking just won't do, doling out Benadryl and Infant Advil all day and so on. It was great to have some extra hands and, despite the exhausting daily efforts, I was ready to get out of the house and so were the kids. So off to Ikea we went! Our first trip for momma, babies and grandma.


They behaved like angels and did great the entire trip—until the very, very end when Logan emphatically announced she'd had enough and would have no more and screamed all the way home right into Grandad's arms. Poor little baby. But prior to that, the crew enjoyed looking at the giant store full of interesting things and also exploring the children's area, where I spied a train table inspiration that Harrison absolutely needs to have at home! 



We even ate lunch there (though I have to say I wasn't impressed with the food at the cafe) and shopped a little more afterward. I think we were at Ikea for over three hours! I picked up a table runner for my dining room, 49 cent kitchen scrub brushes, place mats for the kids and both my mom and I picked up these adorable fabric food sets ($.799 each!) for them to enjoy in their play room. They have been a hit!

After Ikea, we brought the babies home, changed everyone's diapers and put them down for a much-needed (delayed) nap. Then LD went with me to the orthopedic doctor I'm seeing where I thought I'd be getting injections in my knees. I have advanced arthritis in both my knees and have been dealing with increasing pain in them all day, every day. It's really starting to affect my ability to do things, ugh! But before the doctor treats them with injections, he wants to be sure I have not torn the meniscus in my knees and so I'll be going for an MRI next week first.

In the meantime—while I slowly continue my journey back to health—the husband said I've been bitten with the spring cleaning bug because I've been relentlessly cleaning out closets, bedrooms, outgrown clothes and dusting the heck out of anything within arm's reach. But I've not been going at it alone. My little cleaning helper, Logan, isn't afraid to get down and dirty with momma! She tackled the kitchen floor....


...and then relaxed with her siblings later over a Baby Einstein DVD in their play room. I love my fab four!


Kailey also has an obsession with not only jeans but also shoes, and it doesn't matter what size they are!


And to kick off the weekend with a smile on all our faces, a longtime beloved blog reader surprised the kiddos with a box of brand new board books that arrived just moments ago—thank you Bernice!!!! I can't wait to dig into those pages and read them to the quads! They've already developed a sincere love of books and reading and will spend hours in their play room thumbing through the pages and "reading" to each other, babbling out their own stories to the pictures or sharing books on their laps. It's so sweet.





Hope you have a hoppy weekend :)
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15 comments:

  1. Great post! You continue to amaze us all!

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    1. Thanks mom! Couldn't do it without you!

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  2. You are amazing!!! :)

    wordsaboutwaverly.blogspot.com

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  3. Love Trystan's pigtails!

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    1. Aren't they the cutest?! Her red hair has darkened into gorgeous auburn...

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  4. My husband had plantar fasciitis in his feet and the cortisone injections were an instant help. However, he also had to have some special supports made which is faithfully wears. And he has exercises to stretch his feet where he "rolls" them each day over a large can. Lastly, the podiatrist told him that he looks at every person wearing flip-flops as a future patient. Perhaps you should wear socks and sturdy shoes rather than sandals? Good luck!

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    1. Ugh I feel his pain! I had plantar fasciitis in both my feet as well and had the injections done a few weeks ago. They hurt like hell but helped a ton! I actually do wear sturdy tennis shoes and shoe inserts much of the day, even at home. Sometimes I have to let my feet breathe a little and switch back to flip flops for awhile. I get so hot running around my house and after the kids! Doc thinks whatever the end results that are causing the pain in my knees was triggered by the pregnancy, lengthy bed rest, hormone imbalance, atrophied muscles, etc. hoping I get relief soon! Hope your husbands feet feel better!

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    2. I have battled plantar fasciitis off and on for several years. I recently got inserts from Heel That Pain and they have helped more than others I've tried (and I've tried many!). One great exercise I've found is simple to do, I just don't do it enough. Sit down and pull your leg up (like the way a guy sits) onto the other leg. Grasp your toes and pull them up. Hold for about 30 seconds. Repeat two more times. Do this several times throughout the day, especially if you have been sitting for awhile. It does help a lot. Also, with other types of aches and pains, I find that if I don't get enough water, it is worse. Hope this helps.

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  5. You are amazing - enough said!
    loveandlifesimplified.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks my dear! I appreciate that very much :)

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  6. Those Vanilla Cupcake Goldfish.... Gah. We can't have them for a treat in this house. Momma is a bit too obsessed! Oh-- And I've gotten quite a few toddler food ideas from you for my 19 month old. I could not get him to eat yogurt until I started mixing in cheerios. So, thank you for all the great ideas!

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    1. Have you tried the strawberry shortcake goldfish?!? ADDICTING. And I'm so glad to hear that about the food - that's awesome!

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  7. Precious photos of your fab 4! I just wish I could visit them more often! They are all so sweet & do & say the cutest things! I know how hard you work Amber and, always have something different for them to do! You do a fantastic job in all you do. Thank you for letting the rest of us watch your journey as your precious children grow! Lovz

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  8. You are truly amazing...in so many ways! I think back to when my 2 were little and I thought I was busy. :) So sorry about your knees ~ I have severe arthritis in mine too. PT helped a lot the last time I had a flare. Now it's my lower back! Have had injections in the spine and guess I'll need to again soon. No one told me that getting older was like this! Lol

    xo
    Pat

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