Our Sunday morning home.

Maddox is sick. He's sneezing, coughing, has a fever, and is all around not pleasent. Yesterday Travis and I discussed what we were going to do today. In exchange for him missing game night at church so I could have girls' night with one of my friends I agreed (willingly) to stay home this morning with Maddox. I was going to keep Liv home too, since it would be easier on Travis. I was glad I made that decision. She is now coughing as well.

She got the all important memo of how to spend a sick day, sleeping! And yes, she is 5 months old and still sleeps best swaddled. Thank goodness I have a great mother-in-law who makes blankets so I can get them big enough to swaddle her.


Maddox thinks the best way to spend a sick day is in his jammies at the kitchen table drawing and coloring, and talking to himself.

Saturday at the mall.

Saturday we had to run to the mall to do some returns and exchanges. While Travis was exchanging a watch the boys found a perfect place to sit and watch the merry-go-round. I'm not exagerating when I say they sat there for 20 minutes. It took Travis twice that time to decide on a watch, but that's a whole different post.

Creative play.

Apparently it's really boring and sad when both of Maddox's brothers are away at school. He took some of their favorite animals and some of his and decided to play in the corner of the kitchen.



When I asked him if he wanted more space, he said yes. I left the kitchen to tend to Olivia, and came back to get him and build him a fort in the living room, he found a fort of his own, under our kitchen table.

Our weekend away

I had such a great time with Erin this past weekend. The boys loved being around a different house, playing with a dog that wasn't theirs, and meeting new people. I loved just being with Erin, it was perfect. Really, it wasn't, the older 2 fought all weekend long. Next time I'm going without them.

At one point I was bathing the 3 boys, Erin was working on something, and we had to put Olivia up and out of the way of the dog. Well, the most logical place was the bathroom sink. She was within arms reach of me.


The boys, Shiloh, and Olivia enjoying eachother.


A brief moment of Cooper and Nelson not fighting, not running, and not talking back. Those moments were few and far between this past weekend.


No Trip to Paducah is complete without a pit stop in Metropolis, IL. Maddox was really excited about seeing Superman until we got there. He would not go near the statue! I was thankful that I could get him in the picture.

It's a Happy Friday!

1. Free Lattes at McDonalds
2. Free coffee drink (of your choice) at Oberweis Ice cream.
3. Early Dismissal day, that means Cooper and Nelson go to school together this morning and come home at 12:30.
4. Maddox has Mom's Day Out. He will be gone from 9AM-2PM.
5. Olivia and I have hrs of just girl time to run errands and get ready for our trip.
6. I don't live in Chicago where it's even colder, Sorry She, I don't envy you.
7. I get to go on a trip with my kids tomorrow morning, Paducah, here we come!!!!!

F.Y.I.

A special one for Aunt Sheila and Midwest Ortho

Olivia enjoying her toy that Aunt Sheila gave her for Christmas.

Play-Doh.

I'm often looking for things to entertain Nelson and Maddox with mid-morning. This morning, I pulled out the play-doh that I have been hiding from them since late October. I was amazed at how long they stayed in one place, Maddox set a personal record. I'm thinking it's coming back out after school while I make dinner! Ah, the idea of 3 boys in one place, not fighting, not watching TV, and not asking me questions ever 3.5 seconds. Travis will be thrilled to walk into the kitchen to the smell of dinner and the odd silence of the boys.


Nelson showing off his creations.

Monday...

I don't usually like Mondays, but today is an exception. I have a lot to look forward to this week, so today seems like an exciting day to me. The boys have a 1/2 day on Friday, so once I bring Maddox to school at 9 AM, I will be alone with the Little Lady until 12:30 in the afternoon. Right now I have a kitchen table full of clean, folded clothes, and 3 bags packed for my weekend away with the kids.
Today is going to be the warmest day of the week. I feel like I need to take advatage of that and get all of my errands finished before afternoon naps.
Travis is going to be alone this weekend, I want to get laundry finished and the house clean so he has zero distractions, it leaves him all that time to accomplish my honey do list.

I want their lives!

My dogs (and kids) have it so rough! I want to lay on something soft and squishy for hrs on end.

The OTHER big brother

I love Wednesdays and Fridays in our house. Those are the days that Maddox goes to Moms Day Out (or in my case, Moms Day to do Laundry without "Help"). When he's gone in the mornings and it's just Nelson and Olivia I get a lot accomplished. Nelson is a pretty self-sufficient, independant kid. It goes un-noticed a lot because Cooper is such the big brother, he sees needs and meets them before they even arise. I'm finding Nelson is a very good big brother as well. He loves just holding Olivia and talking to her! There are a lot of times that I will hear him, ask what he said, and he'll just tell me he was talking to Olivia, I'll walk into the living room to see him on the floor next to her chair and showing her his gameboy or his Star Wars action figure. It's really cool to see.

Wow, twice in one week.

I made a resolution to do more "adventure" cooking. This means finding new recipes or making them up with what I have in the house. I have don't both this week! Let's hope tonights is as big a hit as the one earlier this week (FYI tonight's came from a cookbook, the one earlier this week was made up)

http://www.crazycookingwomen.blogspot.com

Back to normal.

We might have a biter on our hands... Olivia spent the majority of the evening chewing on her baby's hand.


Olivia showed off for Toby, sitting up and playing with her toys.


Maddox took a really good nap, in his new big-boy bed.

Last day of Christmas Vacation

It is definately time to get the boys back at school! Cooper and Nelson go back tomorrow and Maddox heads back on Wednesday. The picture below is how the 3 of them usually are.


This picture is a good depiction of what the last 4 days have been like!


Even Olivia is completely over having her 3 brothers home every day, all day long! Her smiles have disappeared. I'm hoping they come back once the chaos is gone.

Finally, Erin time!!!!!!

Erin came over for the day!!!! It was the first time in 3 years that we did not spend Christmas morning together, we were sad, but are definately making up for it.
When Olivia heard Erin was coming for the day, she got really excited, as did I.


Erin brought the older 2 remote-controlled helicoptor/men. When they master flying them and not crashing them, they can also play laser tag with them.


Maddox asked everyone for Choo-Choos this year. Erin did not let him down! He got two of them. However, as soon as he openned them he had to take his afternoon nap. 10 minutes after I put him to bed (Without the trains) I found him cuddling with trains instead of his stuffed dog.


The BEST gift given this year was to me!!!! Erin had a friend of hers take a photo of Olivia and myself and turn it into a chalk drawing. IT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!

Christmas Part III, and final.

The children were all nestled all snug in their carseats with visions of Webkins, Star Wars, Cars, and Baby Einstein dancing in their heads.


While the kids were dreaming, Erin and I were hanging out. Yep, she was going north while we were heading south... What's the most logical thing to do? Stop in Rantuel, IL for gas, bathroom breaks and hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!


Looks like Santa came, he was rather messy with the gingerbread men cookies, leaving crumbs on the table and in his mug of milk!


All four kids excited about their full stockings.


The biggest kid of all, giddy with excitement. He's holding a Wii controler.

Cooper, very excited that Santa came through! He got not just one Webkins, but two!


Santa heard Nelson's pleas, he has been missing since yesterday moring, but in his place Anakin and Darth Vader have been patrolling the house.


Maddox was thrilled to find his very own crayons in his stocking. It became even more exciting when he realized the crayons had Lightening McQueen and all the Cars on them.

Olivia really enjoyed just watching the boys get excited about all of their gifts, but managed to score some good stuff herself! She's loving the new Baby Einsteins activity center.

Christmas Part II

Nelson and Cooper playing with Ben and Stuart.


Cooper and Nelson playing their new gameboy games that Uncle Andy (or Randy) gave them. Maddox just looking on and wanting so badly to be one of the "big boys".


Olivia talking to her cousin Tyler.




Cooper and Nelson showing off their new hand-held games from Santa.


Maddox quenching his thirst at dinner.


Olivia trying out Layna's doll bed.


All 8 "kids" ready for church.

The kids all ready for the long drive home!

Wii pathetic-ness

Travis and the boys got a chance to sit on Santa's lap and they all asked for their favorite toys. Cooper wanted Transformers and Webkins, Nelson wanted a Batmobile and Star Wars guys, and Maddox wanted a choo-choo. Travis, on the other hand, asked for a Nintendo Wii.

Needless to say, the boys and Travis were exstatic when Travis unwrapped a Wii controller with a note saying that the rest of the gift was downstairs; and I'll have to admit I was able to join in the excitement when I found Wii Fit game with my name on it.

I haven't had a chance to try out the Wii Fit yet, but so far, I've learned a couple of things...

1. I can't play baseball to save my life.
2. I'm glad that in tennis, you can take more than 2, 3, or 4 swings at the ball.
3. If you get 6 strokes over par on a hole in golf, the game will tell you to give up on that hole and try the next one!!!! On the 3 hole game, par 12, I finished with a 22.
4. When doing the Wii fitness (agility, coordination, balance) test, I am as fit as a 54 year old! Watch out mom and dad, I'm only a year younger than you...

But, there is a silver lining- I rock at Wii Bowling! Travis had a personal best game, even getting 2 strikes and a 9 in the 10th frame, achieving an all time high score of 154. Unfortunately for him, this was my score in the 8th frame, and I finished with a measly 196, to cap off a best of 3 win. I was proud of him though, he congratulated me on a good game, before muttering something about going upstairs to salvage what's left of his ego. All I heard was the sound of his feet going up the steps when I asked him for best 3 of 5!

Christmas part I

Maddox talking to the Santa ornament. He was telling it he wanted a choo-choo.


Sophia and Olivia by the Christmas tree.


The cousins posing with their gifts from Greg and Bonnie. Greg and Bonnie always give the coolest books to the kids! This year was no exceptioin.

My boys and their "gourmet" taste

Apparently tuna noodle casserole is a delicacy in the Ferris household... Cooper and Nelson had 2 HUGE helpings (look at Nelson, it's intoxicating!!!).


Maddox had to show some tuna-noodle love. (Notice the chin injury. Maddox wiped out this moring and got a "hardwood floor burn".)

Don't be alarmed!

It's not an alien baby, I promise, it's Olivia. This is what happens when I hand her off to Travis and run a movie back to the redbox. He plays with her hair and gets her to go all "Aunt Sheila" on us (cross-eyed)