Bright spot in the day!

In the chaos of laundry, cleaning, packing, tracking down a dogsitter, and just trying to maintain a level of sanity I have found I really get a kick out of watching Olivia lately. I say bright spot in the day, because the nights are not so great! She starts fussing within a half hour of us getting the boys down for the night and continues to yell, scream, hold her breath, and be miserable until around 10:30-11:00 PM. she will then fall alseep for a few hours just to wake up again around 2 or so and stay awake until 5ish (the time out alarm goes off for the day). Anyone looking for something to do around 8:30PM may come give our ears and arms a break and hold her!

With the size of the house, if something doesn't have a purpose I am more than willing to give it away/throw it away. Thankfully we have found a purpose for the bear th boys made for her the week before she was born! It makes a pefect pacifier-keeper-in-the-mouth! It also keeps her lying on her side so she doesn't face plant into her mattress.




Olivia has been getting really good at just hanging out in her crib. It's a safe place for her. Maddox can't get in there (yet). That means she has time to herself. Time that is free of smothering hugs, and wet, sticky, slobbery kisses. Don't get me wrong, we are thrilled that Maddox loves her, we just wish he wouldn't love her so hard.

What a great week!

It's only Wednesday and I am convinced this has been the best week of my life since Olivia was born. Why you ask? Well, Olivia is consistantly sleeping in her crib, getting up about 2 times a night, and otherwise is a happy baby. Maddox has adjusted to school, loves it, and wants to go. He has also figured out how to sleep through the night again. The older 2 boys are doing really well in school, have a good homework routine, and are all around great helpers to me. You would think all these reasons are why I'm loving this week... They aren't! This is why I'm loving this week...

Yep, that's a coffee cup from the new McCafe at McDonald's, that particular cup held a carmal latte. I've had a mocha, hazelnut cappuccino (2 times), and an iced mocha as well. Why you ask have I consumed that much and it's only Wednesday... I got coupons for free drinks from the McCafe, and they expire Friday! I have to use them!!!!! I have had 2 cups of goodness a day since Monday. That's not the best part. While I'm enjoying these treats, I'm also seeing this...

Maddox has gone with me every day after lunch to get my coffee (I do the drive-thru in the morning). He plays in the playland while I sit back, watch Olivia sleep and sip my afternoon cup of goodness. We then go home and he naps like a champ until Cooper and Nelson walk in the door.

Happy Saturday to me!

Ususally when I am woken up by Travis it's because there is a need he can't meet... AKA, Olivia needs to be fed. I was surprised and annoyed when he woke me up right after 8AM this morning without a screaming baby. My first thought was, "why are you waking me?!?!". He then asked if I wanted coffee (um... is the pope catholic?!?!) and chocoalte chip panckaes (um... is the sky blue?!?!). He woke up this morning with the boys, before 7AM and made breakfast. I had made a comment last night that I wanted pancakes for breakfast one morning this weekend. He not only listened to me, but he took it upon himself to make them. YUMMY!!!! It sure made the errand running a lot more enjoyable this morning.
There are no pictures of the coffee or pancakes because I would have been attatched to them. No one should have to see me in that state (unshowered, sleep deprived, and just plain scary).

Daddy's in charge of dinner.

While I was out enjoying Mexican goodness with my sister and sister-in-law, Travis was left in charge of dinner with our kids. I'm always amazed at how willing he is to do things with the kids. I'm hesitant to take them out alone, not Travis, he'll load them up, and away they go. When I tell him to just take the kids out for dinner, I think McDonald's, Burger King or Taco Bell. Usually there are coupons to one of those places on our fridge so it's an easy decision, the cheapest place wins. Aparently, Travis had something else in mind when he was left alone on Saturday evening. He took them to the gas station! Don't get me wrong, gas stations are useful for many things, the leaast of which being fuel. I go there once a week for coffee or the yummy fountain Diet Coke (with crushed ice), we go often for the free air for tires and bikes, the bathrooms are the cleanest around when we are running errands and have a potty emergency. Travis found yet another use for this place! Hot dogs, corn dogs, chips, and fountain Dr. Pepper. Travis told me for under $6 he was able to feed everyone!!!! I guess that's good.



He did redeem himself, he found a park for them to eat at. Thankfully, he didn't line them up on the curb and start feeding them.


He had them all sit down and eat in a civilized picnic.

Aunt Sheila's weekend visit.

Sheila came down for the weekend. However, Ike found her. The 5 hr drive took 7 hrs on Thursday night and the same amount of time on Sunday morning. We had a great time while she was here! We went to Old Town St. Charles on Friday with Olivia. While there we were able to get some Christmas shopping out of the way, and bought a birthday present. Lunch was at Mag Pies, the best restaurant there. The soup, sandwiches, and salads are amazing! We found out they have really good bread pudding too!!!! Saturday we took the 4 kids and ran a few errands and then went to the mall for them to play and have lunch. After bringing them back to Travis we left all of them, and went to the movies. We did have to stop along Manchest Road to retreive my phone, it was left on the top of her car and took a tumble when we started down the road. Thankfully it was found (in three pieces), and still works!!!! After getting the phone, reassembling it, and getting back in the car we continued down the road to the movies. The Women, great movie to see with your sister or a group of friends! We met Jenna for dinner that night at Iggy's Mexican Cantina, yummy food, yummy drinks, great conversation!!!! Travis met us back at Jenna and Karl's and dropped off Olvia. We ate ice cream and hung out with Layna for a bit. It was a perfect weekend!

Olivia's room

The drama that is named Olivia's room is finished!!!!! This room has had more paint on the walls than anywhere else in this house. It started out as Cooper's room, then was Cooper and Nelson's room, then it became the library, and now it's Olivia's room. Travis started painting on Friday. Sunday we had to make a trip to Home Depot because the primer was the right color, the top coat paint was not. Think lime green/ radio-active/Shrek. Yep, that is what her walls looked like. Thankfully, they were able to fix it, 2 hrs later!!!! Who would have thought it would take that long to re-mix paint. Finally, Tuesday night and Wednesday morning we were able to get everything back in her room. She slept in her crib last night and did pretty good.


That bucket is awesome! It holds all of her hair bows, lotion, finger nail clippers, you name it, it's in the bucket. We are also looking for something to hang above the changing table, nothing has jumped out at me yet.



Above the Crib we are goint to hang a large white "O".

Maddox's first day of school.

Yesterday Maddox reached yet another Ferris milestone. He went to Mom's Day Out. We have been utilizing this program since Cooper was 2. As a matter of fact, the older two boys went all the way through Mom's Day Out, pre-school, and pre-k at this church. I was expecting lots of tears from Maddox and lots of "no, Mom". I got none of it!!!! He insisted on walking into the building and carrying his lunchbox and wheeling his backpack. We got to his classroom, he kissed me and Travis, and marched right in. The only tears I saw or heard of where when Olivia and I went to pick him up, then he said, "No, Mom", and tried to go back to playing. We are now looking into extending his time there. One day a week might not be enough for him (or me... I missed him but 5 hrs of no whining were amazing!).

showing off his new lunchbox and backpack before getting in the van.

Walking down the hall to his classroom.

Getting right down to business, playing with the farm animals.

Cooper showing off his latest skill.

Cooper has been seeing the reading specialist at his school for 45 minutes everyday. We have really seen the benifits of this in the past week. He's been coming home so excited about the books he's mastering. For the first time since last year, he will sit down and try to read things without me fighting with him and one or both of us ending up in tears! I'm so proud of him. He's also been rocking his Spelling lists. 2 weeks ago he got 100% on the pre-test, and he's gotten 100% on all of his Friday tests. Again, I'm so proud of my Coop-Dill!!!!!

Back together again...

Maddox is back home. I'm not sure if he likes it... He was up more times than Olivia last night. However, today was much better than yesterday afternoon and evening. Tonight I gave him a bath, we read books, and then we climbed into bed and watched some of the Bears game. Everytime the football was in play he would stand up, pull his pacifier out of his mouth, and yell, "BALL". It was all rather cute. Travis has all the mornings off again this week and Sheila comes down Thursday night for the weekend. I'm dreading Tuesday, Sept 16. That will mark my first day home with all 4 kids.

A first for both of us!

Olivia and I had an entire afternoon together today. No daddy, no brothers, no nothing. Just us girls...
I LOVED IT!
Travis left for work as Nelson got on the bus. We napped, we did a couple loads of laundry, we chit-chatted about what it's going to be like being the only girls in our house full of boys. I definately think we can get used to this arrangement. But, wait... It won't last. Maddox comes back from Big Brother Bootcamp (I mean vacation) on Saturday. He's going to be hanging with us every afternoon (except for Wednesdays when he's at Mom's Day Out) starting Monday.