Hot fun in the summertime!

Over at my friend Monica's house with her kids, Lisa's boys, and a few others... After dinner at Lisa's house tonight--the BOYS (minus James) hanging out on the sofa...
Lily holding baby Trevor...
Jonathan L (Ty's VERY best friend) having fun in the pool

Ty told me he was fishing...
Lily and Ty at Monica's...
Cold water!!!
Little Trevor L with a BIG smile!

Jonathan, Lily, Nicole (Monica's oldest), and Adrian...

Mommy and Ty Ty...
Adrian ready for action in the pool...
Lily ready to hop in the pool...
Ty Ty doing the same...

With school out we have been entertaining ourselves with friends in their backyards and ours, trying to curb whining and tantrumming through excessive play--so far it's kind of working. The kids have been having fun in the pool and being barefoot, but they also come home VERY over tired and cranky and we end up tearing our hair out each evening as it is a struggle to not spank them before bedtime. Lily especially has been a very difficult child these past few days--whining and falling apart over nearly everything and wearing my patience very thin. I really never expected this age to be quite so hard and I am praying that with each passing month she grows ever closer to growing out of it. I feel like every positive moment during the day has a very negative one attached to it. Even as we are getting into the car to go to the pool to have fun, these are the things she complains about: she didn't get to get in first, she wanted water in her cup and not milk, she didn't want to wear her shoes, she wanted chocolate teddy grahams and not cinnamon--she wasn't even buckled in yet and she was already in tears--so was I. She conveyed all these things through this shrill whiny cry where she can sustain a single note for over a minute it seems. She pulled it together for the pool and we had a good time and then Ty took over acting up--he's on a throwing jag right now, which is fine, except he seems to aim for people. He had time-out twice during our forty minute pool session. I know I am a decent mother and I know it will get better and I will look back on this time with great fondness and nostalgia, but as I am living it and experiencing all these things, I am sometimes having a hard time enjoying any of it. I wake in the morning ready for battle and I seem to be engaged in it with someone the whole day. Pretty much anything gained in our house is achieved through crying. The babies cry and I can only change or feed one at a time, so even as I am satisfying one of their needs, I am listening to crying the whole time. And inevitably as I am feeding/changing the second one, Lily or Ty start up and I don't get a second of quiet--it's like one long cry session shared by four children committed to keeping it going from sun up to sun down. And everyone has given me excellent suggestions for dealing with unruly behavior, many of which I've used--but it is darn near impossible to stay consistent with anything at all while all the crying and whining and feeding and changing is taking place. My kids are going to be the ones who walk all over me in middle and high school because I could never follow through with anything when they were small. I oscillate all day long between anger and guilt. I feel like I am teetering on the edge of insanity sometimes. I love my children and I see their wonderful qualities and I so wish that I could draw out those wonderful qualities more often--but lately I feel as though I only induce whining, disappointment, anger, frustration, disobedience, loudness, and hostility. Kudos to any of you still reading... anyway, part of the therapeutic aspect of this blog is offering to God all the things I type--so thanks to all of you in sharing my prayer. The pictures I've included probably paint a different picture from what I've described because we have been having fun. But I feel like I ascend and descend Everest emotionally every day--the highs are incredibly great, but the lows are really low. Tomorrow will be a better day...cheers

Busy Bees

Life has not been slow these past 2 weeks--thus the reason I have not blogged anything since Mother's Day! Lily and Ty finished their school year--sniff sniff--and we also visited Gran and GG in Jax this past weekend. The babies are continuing their eating blitz and are huge! James weighs 13 pounds, 12 ounces, and Bella weighs 13 pounds, 4 ounces! They are in size 2 diapers and they each go through about 7 a day. They also each have about 7 feedings a day and they aren't always at the same time. Our energy bill has doubled since they've been born! Between the dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer, our home is blazing on the grid 24 hours a day! Let's see, what else has been going on... Lily and Ty both got haircuts--very cute. Lily's class had a picnic at school and we had a ton of fun watching the kids in their element. Todd and I were able to have a dinner out at The Cheesecake Factory in Jax over the weekend, sans kids, which was a welcome getaway. The kids all had fun with their GG and Gran. We are doing pretty well surviving the chaos that exists with four children--God is so good to us and we are very blessed. I do want to add a note of sympathy--my dear friend Lisa M lost her mother to Alzheimer's this morning and I will be in prayer for her and her family and I invite you to join me.

I have a week and a half before Lily's dance recital and then I'll be going to Venice for 2 weeks--cannot wait!! Enjoy my pix and cheers!

another day

Happy belated Mother's Day to those of you out there! I had a non-relaxing, but wonderful Mother's Day myself. We made it to Venice after 7 hours on I-75 STUCK... this is normally a 3 hour trip for us. But, we had a great weekend regardless and now I'm back home in the grind. I weighed the babies yesterday at my luncheon and Isabella outweighs James now by one ounce. She was 12 pounds, 14 ounces. If they keep gaining a pound a week, I won't be able to lift them on their birthdays!! They are becoming more alert and aware all the time and I had fun playing with them yesterday during my luncheon. Lots of good eye contact and smiles from both. Anyways, I am going out with my girlfriends tonight to the Melting Pot and I can't wait--I need my girl time... life is good and I will post pix soon. Cheers!

a quick update...

Well, it's 3 a.m. and I am up pumping after James's last feeding and thought I would post. He and Isabella had their 8 week check up this week and are doing very well. James weighed 11 pounds, 14 ounces, passing his sister by one ounce. He was also 1/4 inch longer, too, at 22 1/2 inches. Praise God for all that good growth! Isabella has her first cold and is starting to recover. No fever, but lots of coughing and mucus--poor little girl! James's eyes are a little slow to develop still and he has a touch of strabismus, but they don't usually worry about it until he would be four months old. Our doc increased his AXID for reflux, so hopefully we'll see some improvement soon. James is still a VERY heavy spitter--let's just say everyone gets a costume change after his feedings. I've washed more bibs and burp cloths than I could imagine! Anyway, we leave to go to Venice later today--I have not been home in 5 months!!!! That is the longest I have ever gone! I am truly homesick and can't wait to just be there--even if it's only for the weekend! Lily is excited about Mimi and Poppy's pool and visiting the beach. I also had a day out with her yesterday, which was magic. She's turning into a bonafide little girl and we genuinely have a great time when we're out just the two of us. Of course the dynamics change when I get home and the rest of the crew needs me, but for those few hours with Lily, things were spectacular. I really love my kids as people--which sounds weird to say because you're supposed to love your kids, but I am really enjoying Lily's and Ty's personalities. Well, my pumping session is wrapping up and I am going to go back to bed. I wish all of you mommies out there a blessed and happy Mother's Day! cheers!

Generations...

the Tebow family at Tim's graduation...Todd was starstruck

We had a lovely visit with Todd's side of the family this weekend--all in town for Tim's graduation from the University of Florida. We had a packed house! Todd's parents, grandparents, Aunt Hootie, and Sonia all stayed with us Friday night--plus our six! I missed graduation but I don't think I could have made it regardless! Getting out the door is darn near impossible sometimes! Anyway, I did not update the babies' weights the other day, but as of Friday, James weighed 11 lbs and 11 ounces, and Isabella weighed 11 lbs and 14 ounces. They turn 8 weeks tomorrow!!! WOW! And Todd's mom did ALL of the nighttime feedings Friday night which allowed us to sleep--AWESOME!!! Anyway, here are the pix from the weekend--cheers!