Our Weekend

We had one seriously action-packed weekend and I am t i r e d. In this case, though, I think it's a sign of a successful Friday-to-Sunday series of events!

The husband was home with us Friday so that made for a great start because I was already feeling a little rundown from the week—the quads keep me busy busy busy! We all slept in late, kids included, and chowed down on a leisurely breakfast around 10:30am. Even better, the husband got everyone downstairs and food made while I snoozed for an extra 30 minutes and got to wake up slowly without anyone screaming at me or crawling all over my bed. Bliss! It's so sweet when he does little things like that. Even though he had a crazy busy week at work and gets just as worn down as I do, he knows I need a little break from the kids and he looks forward to spending time with them.

About lunchtime, we split up and each took two of the kids to run some quick errands and grab some grub. The husband had Harrison and Logan and went to get hair cuts (just for the guys!). Logan loves to sit and watch them get their hair trimmed and Harrison is such a big boy with the whole process and sits in his own chairs while dada sits in a chair next to him and they get their haircuts together. Meanwhile, I took Kailey and Trystan to Chick-Fil-A for a quick lunch and playtime then on to the grocery store to grab supplies for a family gathering the next day.

Later that afternoon, we all got pretty and the girls had fun picking out any dress they wanted from their closet. It was time to make our way to the husband's dad's retirement party. The quads knew it was a party for granddaddy and were all too excited to come help him celebrate! It was at a rustic BBQ joint that had a live band performing during part of the evening and the girls shared no shortage of twirls in their frocks and grazed and ate throughout the night. We brought loads of coloring books, look and find books and grandmommy brought out glow sticks as well. Meanwhile, myself and the husband both got to enjoy a few adult beverages and catch up with family and friends!

I was rocking a side braid on some serious three-day hair, but it felt good to look (and feel) like myself again. I've been sick for almost 10 weeks with repeated viral infections after going through my first bout with strep throat at the end of May. I did two rounds of antibiotics, tons of meds and allergy meds, and got a second steroid dose when I ended up at the ER two weeks ago. At first they thought I had meningitis but additional blood tests showed that wasn't the case and it was just viral. My blood work for mono, strep and other issues all came back normal as well. Thankfully, I seem to have finally made a full recovery and gotten back to feeling like myself!

just a quad momma and her babies!!!

harrison and aunt whitney

twirling girls! 

silly dada and kailey

granddaddy and trystan

kailey and her cousin, hailey

We didn't even get home until 11pm, but the kids were doing just fine because they'd picked up some helium balloons before we departed from the restaurant. Naturally, this led to a full-on balloon war in the suburban on the drive home and tons of hilarious laughs and giggles. I was completely happy with that versus tired, cranky meltdowns!

Saturday greeted us a little earlier as the husband and I rushed downstairs to speed clean the house before his older brother and his family arrived, as well as the grandparents. It was a full house and everyone really enjoyed it! We had tons of food and I made these deliciously fun sprinkle cookies as well as this honey garlic crock pot chicken. We fed a total of 14 people, kids included, and spent tons of time in the play room in between snapping some family photos in the front yard.

Literally 10 minutes after everyone had left, the husband and I were loading our crew into the suburban to head to a birthday party for our good friends, the Shawvers. Their quad squad was turning three and the kids were ready to help them ring it in! It was an adorable safari-themed bash and touted a great play space, arcade games and an air hockey table—the quads all got their first taste of the latter and loved it!

The last photo is of myself (on the right) and Amber S. as we caught a quick moment to snap a pic and catch up for a few minutes. She did a great job planning a wonderful party and we had a fantastic time. My kiddos chattered about it for awhile on the way home before passing out in their car seats. They all perked up a little when we got to the house, enough to have a quick sandwich dinner together before baths and bedtime. The husband and I couldn't get to the couch quick enough with bowls full of popcorn (topped with Lawry's Seasoning Salt, our fav), some wine and a movie. We opted to watch The Gunman with Sean Penn, which turned out to be right up our alley with plenty of action and a quick plot.

It's now officially Monday since I'm finishing up this post well after midnight, so I better get started on my week by logging a few hours of sleep before a new day starts again!

Hope you enjoyed a wonderful weekend and that you stop by the blog again this week for the start of my new summer guest post series!

What's in Our Summer Splash Pad Bag

Within the past few weeks, we've made multiple visits to our local splash pad and the kids are loving it! I'm loving it, too—I get to work on my tan and soak up some much needed vitamin D, plus it wears the kiddos out and they end up taking awesome naps when we get home. Makes it worth every effort! We've pretty much got our splash pad routine down and have our set of go-to supplies that make every trip with us, so I thought I'd share them here...

(This is not a sponsored post and all items are products we truly love! Some affiliate links are included.)

There's nothing better than soaking up some rays while watching your kids laugh and play in the water! And the splash pad is great because the only standing water is the little "river," pictured above, which isn't deep at all so I don't have to worry about the kids capsizing in a pool. Whew.

sistema tupperware | jute tote bag (similar) | Vita Coco Kids flavored coconut water | Walgreens After Sun Lotion and Aloe Vera Cooling Gel | Banana Boat dry oil | kid's beach towel (similar) | Aveeno Baby sunscreen | Frozen and TMNT buckets (from Dollar Store, similar) | chevron cooler bag (similar) | girls sunglasses (from Dollar Spot at Target) and boys Planes aviators | plastic table cloth (similar)

I tried to list links to comparable items for some of the things I couldn't find online, like my trusty chevron striped cooler bag. That thing is awesome! It's the perfect size to hold our lunch without having to lug a big, bulky bag and I just cram it with some frozen ice packs to keep everything cool until it's time to eat. The Sistema tupperware have really come in handy since they're small and divided, which makes it easy to toss in lunch meat and cheese on one side and maybe nuts or chips on the other. I also make quesadillas, pita pizzas and other easy lunches to eat picnic-style. The kids have been loving Vita Coco's flavored coconut waters, which are a great way to help keep them hydrated as well. The buckets were a great little find at our local Dollar General store, and the kids fill and dump them hundreds of times while we're at the splash pad. I usually stock up on several at the beginning of each summer to use for water, sand and play in general. My cute jute tote has plenty of space after towels, sunglasses and everything else, so I'll toss in some extra solo cups or cheap plastic measuring caps for them to play with as well. 

We've stayed sunburn-free so far thanks to my trusty Aveeno Baby sunscreen. I prefer to use Aveeno products since Harrison has sensitive skin and it has worked very well for us. Since I put sunscreen on the kids long before we leave for the splash pad, my own sunscreen is usually an afterthought. I don't like heavy coverage and usually prefer tanning sprays, but I've been liking Banana Boat's dry oil spray. I'll even spray some in my hands to rub on my face and the SPF 15 has proven enough to prevent any burning. When it comes to anything coconut-scented, I'm a fan so when I smelled the after sun lotion at Walgreen's I had to bring some home. It smells and feels great and was only $2! So was the aloe vera cooling gel, which the husband already had to use since he forgot to apply his sunscreen during our splash pad trip over the 4th of July weekend. 

And that's what goes in our splash pad bag for summer! 

What are your water-side go to products?

Our Fourth Weekend

Well, if you read my last post, I am happy to report that fireworks were a success! The kids loved them. (And so did their dada, if the adorable photo below is any indication.)

My parents joined us for dinner earlier in the evening, which was cooked entirely on the grill. The husband did a great job manning the flames and getting everything grilled to perfection!  Grilled stuffed burgers, beef sausage, zucchini, potatoes and corn. It was so good!

The kids played outside in the backyard while dinner was made and we had music playing. There were extra seats at the table and flowers in the vase. All the makings of a holiday. :)

After dinner, we drove to a nearby field and set out our lawn chairs and cracked open a few drinks while we waited for darkness to settle. I broke out the glow bracelets and wands for the kids and they chased each other around in the grass before the booms and sparkles started. All four enjoyed the fireworks so much! They rotated through their chairs and our laps during the show, each one commenting on the colors, the shapes or sizes. One of my favorite moments was when Trystan was sitting in her little blue plastic lawn chair at my feet and said, "Oh, I love it!"

It truly was the perfect 4th and a memorable one since the kids have now experienced fireworks! Since we all went to bed late, they slept in late and we had to work hard to get everyone woken up for church this morning. Unfortunately, Harrison's fever is still hanging around and he wasn't feeling very well again (he's had some good moments over the weekend at least) so he stayed home with the husband while I took the girls with me to church. It was my Sunday to help in their Children's Church class, then my mom met up with us afterward and we girls all went to lunch. I love that I can do things like that with my kids now! I remember when they were babies and thinking about all the fun outings we'd experience with them when they were older, or the plans we could make at the last minute "just because." And now all that is happening, which makes me very grateful and happy.

I'd been desperately wanting to take the girls to see the new Cinderella movie once it hit the dollar theater and there was a showing right after our lunch. But it was also their typical nap time and I knew there was no way Kailey would make it through. So I dropped her off at the house, feeling totally guilty that I was sneaking the other two girls off with me and my mom and Kailey wouldn't get to go to the movies. We kept it hush-hush so she wouldn't get upset, and she ran inside straight to Harrison who had been laying on the couch. She literally squealed with happiness to see him and he gave her the biggest hug around the neck. Melted my heart into a million sobby pieces! Without hardly a second glance at me, she hopped up onto the couch next to him and snuggled into his shoulder and his blanket to join him in watching the movie that he and the husband had started earlier. Clearly she wasn't heartbroken at our division of plans!

So my mom and I took Trystan and Logan to the theater where my sister and her kiddo met up with us as well. It was such a perfect afternoon and we passed cookies and popcorn up and down our row of six, while we all enjoyed a great film. The girls loved it, especially Logan—she had her eyes fixated on the screen the entire time and was completely enthralled with the story. They knew the traditional Cinderella tale and recognized the character in the film, as well as the evil stepmother (muttering "That's not nice!" when she tore the sleeve on Cinderella's dress), the fairy godmother and Prince Charming. They told their daddy all about it when we got home, even how they danced at the ball and Cinderella got a pretty new dress. These are the moments I love.

It's been an awesome holiday weekend and I think we've successfully rotated through all the red, white and blue clothing we own...

Now it's time to get back to the grind and prep for Monday. I was harboring grand plans of a morning at the splash pad but Trystan seems to now be down for the count with a fever as well. So we might be sticking it out at home and hoping this is only a 48-virus that will leave everyone alone soon.

Hoping you enjoyed a wonderful 4th with you and yours! Off to watch the latest episode of The Last Ship and sip some sleepytime tea...

Happy Red, White & Blue!!

It's so funny how so many normal things take on such great important and a newfound fascination when you're a parent watching your kids experience things for the first time, isn't it!?

In my opinion, it's truly one of the best things about being a mom to my quad squad. I get a little desperate sometimes hoping I don't miss anything, since I've got four little kiddos seeing or doing things for the first time all together. I don't want to miss a major expression that one makes while I'm watching another one to see how they react, meanwhile I've got two more that I don't want to overlook either! Photos, videos, memory books, blog posts—it's all part of my plan to record as much as possible so that I have all those important first moments and experiences to keep forever, and so each child has plenty of their own memories to revisit when they're older. We take a lot of group photos and make a lot of group memories, but there are still so many individual pictures, videos and outings that the kids have enjoyed on their own with myself or the husband. It's equally important to me that they can look back on their childhood and find those singled-out events; like something as simple as finding a cute photo of when they're two years old to include in a slideshow at their wedding that's of them as an individual and not just all four of them together.

Nostalgic, much? Ha, maybe so. We're talking about "firsts" and all and I've been giddy all weekend to watch the kids faces light up with excitement, hesitation, shock and awe when that first firework explodes! We've been talking about it all week, explaining how they look, the noise they make, that they only go up in the sky when it's dark. We've read a few books about the holiday and its celebrations (thanks to a sweet friend for sending those!) and have watched a few snippets of fireworks on TV thanks to news coverage we recorded from last night. The kids know we're grilling a big dinner this evening and then going to a field to watch the fireworks when the sun goes down! I even snagged some red, white and blue glow wands from the Dollar Store yesterday to surprise them with in the dusky light.

This exact day two years ago, we were sweating our asses off moving into this house of ours. It was a monumental day since we'd just spent four months living in a crammed-full apartment with quadruplets that were just learning to walk and get really mobile. Plus, we fell in love with this house after less than five minutes of seeing it for the first time and I have known ever since that it's our "forever home" where we are supposed to be! Sometimes we feel like we've been in it for quite awhile and get overwhelmed at the big to-do list of things we still want to improve or accomplish, then other days we realize it's only been two years and we've actually already accomplished a fair amount of things—especially while parenting quadruplets! So, you know...

This weekend so far has been a nice, quiet one filled with family time. The husband had Friday off work and the kids kept asking when he had to leave, thus also being repeatedly and happily surprised when he kept reminding them he was home all weekend! We spent a few hours at the splash pad...

 ...grabbed donuts for breakfast this morning...

...and stopped for hair cuts for the guys. (Harrison is a pro with this now, by the way! He gets up in his own chair and gets his hair trimmed while dada gets his cut one chair over. Harrison would give me a sly smile out of the corner of his eye every now and then and beelined it for the jar of suckers when he was done. Boy doesn't miss a thing!)

Everyone napped pretty solid this afternoon, which is good for their late night adventure this evening. Poor Harrison is now running a temp and I've no idea if it's a virus or cold or what, but he seems to be in better spirits after a long rest. Kailey was the first one to wake up, though, and got a few minutes of exclusive couch time with dada watching bronco riding. She kept saying, "Giddy up! Hang on!"

And while we're all on the hunt for any clothes that are red, white or blue to wear this evening, it seems perfectly acceptable to me in the interim to wear Cinderella undies and fairy wings. Because, you know. That is totally normal. ;)

Happy 4th! And, if you're a parent, happy 4th "kid watching!" Seeing life through the eyes of child has become one of my greatest privileges...