They say My hands are full....

... I say "My Heart is Full"

It is. This is a fact. This is not a fact I need reminded of everyday by others!! My hands are full because my heart has overflowed! The hands are full of Love. Full of words like "mommy" and "I love you" Full is soo much better then empty!

The beautiful little people that you think make our hands full are in fact what I feel make my heart full!

Who wouldn't want their hands full if this is what they were full of?!

I. am. back.

and you may not like what I have to say.


It has been more than 2 months since i last blogged. Between work, school and family I was busy beyond explanation.

Between december 14th and january 14th I logged online via my phone only and never took time to sit at the computer. I chose to spend my winter school break with my family!!!


While I plan to continue to use this blog as an online chronicle of my family I am also going to use it like a vent book. My way of saying WTF to someone besides my husband. Just think...NOW I can reserve my FB statuses for the important things like parties, kids, work, school, and family/friends :o)

This could be fun BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Read at your own Risk :o)

Day 4

30 Days of Me ------- DAY 4: You Parents

Oh where to begin?

My parents are, for lack of a better word, interesting :o)

They were married. Then Divorced. And then remarried to EACH OTHER....yep they are weirdos.

Mom....mom is a little bit....ummm eccentric???
She gets excited about the simplest little things (like a cute toy for a grand baby)
She favours Devin (just ask Julie :o))
Lauryn calls her Grandpa...and that makes me giggle....
Her name is NOT DAVE (me wondering if she will even remember this)

In my 26 years I have loved and hated her sometimes all in the same day!
I do not like to admit it but she has taught me a lot GAG :o)
She has raised 4 children (and it's not her fault 3 of them turned out far less awesome then me :o) JK she has 4 amazing girls!)
Anyone who can survive the teenage years with 4 daughters must be an amazing woman right? BC I am not sure my daughter will survive to see the terrific three's with me hahaha!!!

One of the traits that I envy in her is her ability to not care at all what others think of her :o) She is comfortable in her own skin and at Lonestar Steak House :o) As a matter of fact my whole family is pretty comfy there :o)

She will read this and understand that there are half a dozen inside jokes above :o) And I hope she laughs out loud.

Dad...
So much to say about that old guy!
My kids think he is Santa Claus bc his face hair is white HAHA!
Lauryn and AJ walk around pretending to walk with canes and loudly declare "I GRANDPA!" This makes me giggle!!!!

He is the only person that can call me fat and not hurt my feeling or cause me to fast for like half a day :o)
I look just like him (so there it is...it's not my fault; I have his genes)

When in doubt I can always call DAD....and while he never lets you live a favor down I still don't mind asking!

His name is Bill and I joke that his daughters are all WAY PAST DUE :o) He would spare no expense to make sure his TEN grandchildren had all they needed!

He is a workaholic and seems to not understand the meaning of no! he is as unemotional as I am, even worse, so I blame him for my lack of affection towards anyone but my kids and husband!

I have difficulty taking this post serious bc my parents and I laugh and joke together....we don't shop, and bake, and "bond" together we just enjoy each other and have fun!!!!

They raised me and I think they did a good job! I love them both to death! I would be lost without them!!!

Day 3

30 Days of Me--- Day 3: My first Love

I am going to go cliche on you for this post (well for the 3 of you who actually read this thing :o))

December 14th 1984 I met my first love. This is a meeting I have absolutely no memory of, but I sure must have made a good impression because he kept me around.

This is the same first love most girls have.

My first love was the man who protected me from monsters in the closet and let me put hair baretts into his hair.

He is the same man the walked me down the aisle on October 8, 2005 and gave me away to another man. The man that would, in theory, replace him.

The man who is now Peep-pop to my kids.

The man who I know I can call if ever there a problem!
The man who just can't say no to any of his kids.
The man I speak of is..

My Daddy

Day 2

30 Days of Me----Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name


Easy enough....

"The Sandor Six"

Not much explanation need in this department....

Andrew
Lauryn
Ava
Alyvia
Eric & Myself

The 5 most important people in my life plus myself :o)

DAY 1

Day 1 - Introduce yourself, recent picture, 15 interesting facts.

I am Melissa! Most commonly known as mommy :o) I am weeks away from 26 and was born December 14, 1984! I am happily married with 4 children. I am a toddler teacher full time, a full time mommy,a full time wife and a full time accounting student. Sometimes I wish there were a few extra Me's :o)

(I have no recent real photos of just me so this will have to do from Andrew's Birthday Party last week)

Interesting Facts??? Well I am a rather boring person. Opinionated but boring so here I stand High on My Soap Box as I use this post to let you know about me :o)

1. A few co-workers pick on me because I refuse to wear socks that do not match my work shirt. If my shirt is green so are the socks. If the shirt is red "ditto" If I do not have socks to match my shirt then they match my undershirt. On "clash day" for LL spirit week I wore pink socks with a green shirt but still refused to actually "clash" If I do not match it is purely unintentional.....I have a major sock issue LOL

2. I LOVE to bake, yet I eat VERY FEW things that I actually prepare. People routinely ask me how I have time to cook or bake etc...my response is that I WILL bake before 9am and after 11pm if those are the only times I have to bake. I get ridiculous satisfaction from other people enjoying what I make. One of the few things I KNOW I do well and it makes me happy.

3. I believe candy is part of the food pyramid. Specifically candies like Now & Laters, Laffy Taffy, Jolly Ranchers etc etc...

4. I have had braces for 1.5 yrs now and after I eat I still talk to people with my hand in front of my mouth because of my paranoia that there is food in my teeth.

5. I LOVE my husband and appreciate everything that he does for me and my family, from wash dishes, to cooking dinner, giving baths, working OT etc.. I am sad when he is not home and thrilled when he arrives home...I love cuddling on the couch with him and just being in the same room as him! However you wont see me giving him a shiny medal each time he does these things because I believe that as a Father and Husband he should take pride in his family and do these things without hesitation. Call me a feminist if you want or a B*tch BUT I don't get a shiny star each time I cook my family dinner, or bathe the kids, or work 40+ hrs per week why should he? I show my love and appreciation to him and he knows he is loved and he knows I would be lost without him. We live with this knowledge of each other and he is satisfied with this and that makes him a happy man.

6. I cannot stand Lauryn's hair. Every time I see a little girl at the daycare with dirty un brushed hair I get MAD. Mad that I got the hot mess of Lauryn's curly Afro while mom's who don't even run a comb their kids hair get a beautiful head of hair! Makes me jealous.....I do however Love Lauryn despite the cranial hair flaws.

7. I have twins. No they were not conceived with fertility drugs. I do not know if they are identical, yes they were premature, no they did not go to the NICU, they are both girls, yes they are small, I really don't know if twins run in our family, YES I have my hands full, etc etc (that's really not that interesting but strangers like to know :o))

8. 4 years ago at Andrew's baby shower a relative wrote on her "advice card (actually it was an "advice diaper" but that's neither here nor there) "Stop at 1. Anymore is too many" Yeah total B :o) I sure showed her didn't I. (yeah I never graduated middle school LOL)

9. I enjoy cleaning. LIKE A LOT. Cleaning puts me in such a good mood. If someone makes me angry I usually do something drastic like cleaning the cupboards, pantry, closets etc. When I a "bored" I clean. If I can take a nap I clean instead. I believe it is a control issue. I LOVE the smell of clean, the feeling of clean....the word clean. Don't believe me? Ask Eric :o)

10. I pretty much don't ever think about how what I am doing effects the environment. Not that I don't "care" but it's never really a thought. I'm not a bad person for that it's just me. No, I am not a big fan of gas guzzling SUVS and such but my light bulbs are cheap and my electric bill not as much. I don't recycle and I have no better excuse for this than I just don't do it. Yeah it makes me a little selfish but 95% of the time I am selfless for my family so it evens out ;o)

11. I have never breastfed. I have 4 children and I formula fed all 4. I do not actually believe in the saying "breast is best" because it is far tooo generalized. Most nutritious in my book isn't necessarily "best" Without too much over explanation....this is my opinion....BF was not for me and NOT A DAY has ever passed where I regret my decision. All 4 of my kids are happy, healthy, growing, hitting ALL milestones, some early some not, throwing tantrums, telling me NO, hitting, changing their eating habits daily, occasionally getting a cold, etc etc...you know all the NORMAL things even the BF kids do. AJ and Lauryn were both Similac babies and they are polar opposites SO....I refuse to argue that formula wasn't "best" for my family :o) I think the only way to make the "breast is best" a fact is by making it personal about your families choices. BC by saying that as a formula feeding mommy I CHOSE not to give my child what I felt was best just angers me :o)

12. I love to make lists. I make lists for everything!!! EVERYTHING!!!

13. I am the kind of Mom to twins that LOVES MATCHING. I have to have their bottles match as well. When I picked the babies up from daycare yesterday they had been given 2 different colored bottle and that literately made my blood pressure rise....though this may somehow fit into the OCD statement above???

14. My best friend is OCD. I love this trait about her! Most of my friends are OCD. Do we see a pattern? My blog however has proven to the world how CRAZY I really am.

15. I have a serious problem with my weight. By problem I mean I think I am fat when I am in fact not that fat, a little chunky maybe? but not fat. I have no self control so there are no concerns about an eating disorder LOL BUT regardless I weigh myself each and EVERY time I go into the bathroom and make several other trip into the bathroom just to weigh myself...DAILY...I have had 4 kids in 4 years weigh 120 lbs can wear a size 2 skirt and size 4/5 jeans and YET I feel like a fatty daily....:o(

30 Days of Me!

*I have copied this from a good friend's blog! :o)

Are you paying attention? I've decided to close out 2010 with this 30 days of me do whacka do.

Day 1 - Introduce yourself, recent picture, 15 interesting facts.
Day 2 - Meaning behind your blog name.
Day 3 - Your first love.
Day 4 - Your parents.
Day 5 - Your favorite recipe.
Day 6 - A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 7 - Favorite movies.
Day 8 - A place you've traveled to.
Day 9 - A picture of your friends.
Day 10 - Something you're afraid of.
Day 11 - Favorite tv shows.
Day 12 - What you believe.
Day 13 - Goals.
Day 14 - A picture you love.
Day 15 - Bible verse.
Day 16 - Dream house.
Day 17 - Something you're looking forward to.
Day 18 - Something you regret.
Day 19 - Something you miss.
Day 20 - Nicknames.
Day 21 - Picture of yourself.
Day 22 - What's in your makeup bag.
Day 23 - Favorite vacation
Day 24 - Something you've learned.
Day 25 - Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs.
Day 26 - Picture of your family.
Day 27 - Pets.
Day 28 - Something that stresses you out.
Day 29 - 3 Wishes.
Day 30 - Any picture.

Ready... set... go

"You're Gonna Miss This

"...You're gonna want this back. You're gonna wish these days, hadn't gone by so fast"



Isn't this the truth.

As moms we all say that we want our babies to slow down as they hit each milestone, yet at the same time we anxiously wait for the next milestone. Once they crawl we "can't wait" until they walk and etc.

While buying diapers and toilet paper tonight I stopped and looked at Bat shaped Halloween place-mats. I took two from the rack one for AJ and one for Lauryn. I knew how excited they would be in the morning to see the new place-mats. BUT as quickly as I picked them up I put them back thinking why waste the $2 on place-mats since October is more than half over. While I was paying two older children were in line behind me buying a whoopie cushion and make-up. Fighting with each other and spending their own money. It made me think about how simple life is with our children right now. A $1 place-mat can make my kid's entire month. An airplane in the sky get them more excited than payday does for me LOL. 1 single M&M lights up their eyes...and a hug from mommy can still make everything all better. When I walk in the door after work I get 2 kids yelling "MY MOMMY'S HOME!!!" Then the "NO it's my mommy" fight ensues which I secretly LOVE :o)

I really have a hard time looking to the older years. While new milestones lie ahead and new special moments will pave the road. I want to hang onto these moments for as long as I cant because who knows how much longer I have with my "babies" before they become big kids? I don't mind diapers, teething, and runny noses. I really don't. I'm not ready to deal with "real" make-up and boyfriends/girlfriends....etc

Needless to say, my kids now have 2 shiny Bat Place-mats :o)

I Just want my boy to want mommy's kisses forever:o)

Ants on a Log

I am on a mission.

A mission to teach my children that crackers, chips, cookies, etc aren't the only kinds of snacks that exist.

While I admit I eat TERRIBLY I hope to teach my kids better. MOST of you agree the schools aren't exactly a good source for nutrition education. Even Daycare. As a teacher it certainly makes my like easier having processed crackers and cookie type snacks in the class every afternoon. As a mother it leaves me wincing as the kids eat the sugar and sodium filled "tasty" processed snacks. The kids love it, however and its far more "cost effective" in a group childcare setting.

Here at home we like our yogurts, cheeses, apples, crackers etc etc.... We are slowly working with Lauryn to develop a taste for the "good stuff" she recently discovered she like apples. But those veggies are still tricky.

THAT'S THE KEY TRICKY.

Lets make the good stuff fun :o) And that's what we did today! And Lauryn successfully ate Fresh Celery without having it spit straight out onto the table :o)

(note: we washed the celery first but chose to cut it at the end in order to make it easier for little fingers.)

That kinda night.

Lost.

My husband got home from work tonight expecting the usual. Well put together, bubbly wife, the kids in bed, the house clean....etc.

Tonight he got housework in progress, upset wife and kids in bed. He came to the playroom to find me working on putting toys away. I begrudgingly stated "I bet you expected this housework to be done when you got home." He said "Actually I did" Of course he did. Not that he expects me to have it done for him but just because its what I normally do.....

He then said he was disappointed that I was soo upset. Sadly I am too. I am disappointed that I don't think i can do this!

I have taken on far more than one person should have to handle. Today was the first day that I truly felt like it IS possible that my plate is too full. I am at the buffet and that last plate has given me a bad tummy ache. (so to speak)

Today was bad. Not like "ugh I can't wait for bedtime bad" but like "OMG I have become a horrible mother and wife" bad.

You cannot understand what I am feeling tonight. I can't even explain it. I have been overwhelmed in the past SURE, haven't we all? But I am happy with life; satisfied for sure! I REALLY AM...I look around me and think "amazing" TRULY.

But tonight I am struggling. I hated myself at the end of the day. My kids loved me. The love between a mother and her young children is unconditional. If my patience is low my kids still love me and if the kids scream and fight all day I still love them. Thats one of the best parts of being a parent.

Tonight I feel thankful for my child's unconditional love. As I sat at the end of Andrew's bed in tears repeating how sorry I was for being a "mean mommy today" AJ laid their playing with my hair and wiping my face, the whole time with a big smile. All he had to say was "I love you mommy. You sad mommy? I loves you mommy."

Once all the kids were asleep peacefully I started working on my schoolwork. Same as I do every night. But tonight I cannot concentrate. As I sit hear and type through tear-blurred eyes I feel like I have no one who I can talk to...Eric has a "simple" solution that isn't an option....

and NOW it wouldn't be a fitting end to my night if 5 minutes ago poor Lauryn didn't wake screaming and covered in vomit (which hasnt ceased) would it?

I love my life! BUT TONIGHT LIFE IS KINDA CRAPPY!!!

Wednesday September 16, 2009

These cards became more common to me than my own debit card or drivers license

"....did they discuss your ultrasound with you when you had pneumonia?.....Well, they saw 2 babies"

"WHAT?"

A question and sentence I will not soon forget. Exactly 12 months ago I was exactly 10 weeks pregnant and this day I found out just how drastically our surprise pregnancy was going to change our lives.

Amazing roller coaster this past 12 months have been. TEARS, SMILES, EXCITEMENT, SHOCK, THANKFULNESS, BLESSED, LUCKY, FEAR....name an emotion and I have been through it.

I had never been more shocked, and scared of the unknown as I was that night.

As I type this I look at Ava & Alyvia in awe. In awe that they are mine. They are healthy and happy and that they are HERE.

1 year seems like such a short period of time. This night 1 year ago I was looking at a computer screen and watching an ultrasound girl label a fetus A and a fetus B. Now I look at 2 perfect 6 month olds.

Life is beautiful. God is good. I am blessed. So thankful for all 4 of my kids and all of my family.

(Please Excuse the naked 2 year old we were trying to get ready for bed...and don't make fun of her spider undies...she picked em' and was excited about them.)

Chores

AJ is now almost 4 years old. He is starting to understand a lot more about the way our house works. He LOVES to help me do chores around the house. Both the older 2 have always been responsible for helping me pick their toys up in the playroom and in their bedroom, but we have decided it is time to let Andrew have "real jobs" instead of just gettign to "help mommy"

We are starting out easy. He has become responsible for setting the breakfast table every night. You would have thought we gave him the coolest gift EVER. He feels so stinking special that he gets to do a Big Boy job. I love that he loves it so much that the fact that not everything matches every night doesnt bother me nearly as much as it used to.

He gets to place a sticker on his "chore chart" every night when he finishes his job! While he has absolutely no understanding of money we are working on the understanding rewarding his hard work and working for the things you want :o) when his sticker chart is "full" he will receive a small 'gift' a concept similar to the treasure box at school.

I admit he has no clue of the concept that he must fill this sticker chart and get a reward but it doesnt matter as he is fully satisfied with just getting to place a sticker on his chart. 3 years olds are so simple sometimes :o)

He feels like such a big helper. I wish I could freeze time somedays. This simple excitement over his "chores" will NOT last as he ages.

The first morning after he set the table he was very proud of his work :o)

**On an unrelated note...it is possible to have a family meal even with a baby LOL... well family minus the mommy who spend her time catering the food :o)**

A New Look!

Thanks to the talented Mallory R. (I'd link you to her blog but don't know how yet :o) )

Miss Mallory took some time this past weekend to customize my blog.
It looks GREAT!

Now I plan on spending the coming weeks learning A LOT about blogging and such. Like how to link directly to a fellow blogger's site and any other sites for that matter.

Maybe I'll learn how to make a button? Learn some more HTML? Anything that'll possibly make my blog look cuter :o)

Danielle, Mallory, Lindsay..etc? I am open to LOTS of suggestions :o)

THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN MALLORY :o) It looks adorable!

Father

"When a child is born, a father is born. A mother is born, too of course, but at least for her it's a gradual process. Body and soul, she has nine months to get used to what's happening. She becomes what's happening. But for even the best-prepared father, it happens all at once. On the other side of a plate-glass window, a nurse is holding up something roughly the size of a loaf of bread for him to see for the first time.



For a man who had NEVER in his life changed a diaper before Andrew was born he is doing AMAZING!

I do not say it enough but THANK YOU ERIC :o)

Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!

We ARE still around!!

Gonna try a quick update on us all!

Our baby girls are growing at a ridiculous pace! We are now 5 months old!!
I think I can feel confident in saying we are catching right up :o)
At their 5 month "sick visit" Ava was 11lbs (nearly) and Lyv was 12lbs (nearly) so GROWING :o)

We sit unassisted
We eat all solid food (minus meats)
We hold our own bottles
We use our arms to pull ourselves forward (scary to think crawling may be just beyond the horizen EEK)
When assisted they enjoy standing and being "walked"
We are slowly starting to "fit into" a few 3-6 mo outfits...but for the most part we are 0-3 still :o)
SOO much awesomeness....but don't want to bore you :o)
These girls are pretty darn awesome!!!





Lauryn is also doing extremely well!
She has a new favorite saying...
"This is ridiculous!!" Was soooo funny the FIRST time but not so much when its her most common responce when life doesnt go her way :o) It get's old FAST hearing things such as "Eric, this is 'ridicalis'" YES...Lauryn has begun thinking that Eric is an appropriate way to address her daddy....
She also likes to tell her friends at school when their behavior is "unacceptable" followed by a "OH MY 'GOSS'" She pretty much forgets she is 2 most days!

She knows her colors
Knows square, triangle, diamond, rectangle, circle, star, heart consistently and we are working on crescent and octagon :o)
Counts to 20 (occasionally skipping the number 7 or 8.. )
She talks like she is 30 yet sounds so sweet as she can be so soft spoken
Potty is amazing :o) SHE LOVES the potty...(especially the one at school)
Speaking of...SHE LOVES "school" she gets excited to be with her friends and play on the playground...


Andrew is Andrew :o) Gosh I love that little guy! He is doing well with his speech. In therapy he is working sooo hard. He has only been there for 6 weeks now BUT talking to him there is CERTAINLY an improvement. He has a lot of work to do but progress is being made. HE LOVES Speech and gets so excited to go. Hopefully in time his attention span lengthens and he gets even more progress.

Potty is pretty great with him as well. Speech helps him as now he expresses his need to go instead of us constantly asking (please don't respond with a story about your awesome kids and their awesome pottying...Andrew is trying his hardest and he DOES NOT need compared to other kids he already gets enough of that)

He likes school, but is still very clingy...a huge mommas boy and needs a bit longer to adjust. He refuses to eat daycare food however so I annoy his teachers by packing his lunches for him and sometimes all he eat the entire time is yogurt and watermelon(Don't judge...until you have to be at work for 11 hours and watch your child refuse to eat the whole time you can't understand the position I am put in)

He is going to be 4 in 3 months...HOW CRAZY IS THAT!
We are currently working on getting him into the preschool program at Lake Cable in order to help his language issues as well.





ME? Well lets just say I am busy.
Fall semester started last week. YES I am going...YES I do have 14 credit hours & YES I do want to make Deans List AGAIN! It will be a difficult semester and I will be okay if I don't make all A's BUT I am HOPING!

Work...OY well my average "work day" has been 10 hours m-f (with a lunch break of course) Yesterday my work day was 8a-630p...This makes for a FAST AND BUSY week!
I am tired, I miss the time with my family, BUT I AM HAPPY...maybe a bit overwhelmed...well truthfully I am DEF a bit overwhelmed but every work day I DO get to spend a lot of time with my kids...Lauryn is in my room...I spend my breaks with the twins, and AJ and I have our evening and Wednesday afternoons (I can't visit him in he Pre-K room BC it upsets him)

Things will calm...WILL become more regular...we have a nice family day coming up and I think I will appreciate it MORE THAN EVER.

I LOVE my life. I LOVE my family! I LOVE my KIDS! EVERYTHING I do is for my family :o) I have no regrets and no resentment toward anyone or anything (except our economy) for my busy life :o)

I am young...my family is thriving and we are happy :P

Whatever Wednesdays-The Furthest I've Ever Traveled.

5 years ago, On October 8th I said "I do" to my Best Friend.

2 days later we were on a plane, both of us for the first time ever.

Somewhere around 18 hrs later, with a few stops on the way we landed in Maui, Hawaii.

This is where Eric and I spent the next 7 days of our new marriage.
We were not only thousands of miles away from home, we were an ocean away from all of the weeding drama.

WHAT BLISS! 7 days of 80 degree Hawaiian sun and weather.... one afternoon shower and a GORGEOUS rainbow to follow! We spent 6 mornings walking the beach outside our condo as the sun rose, and repeating as the sun set. Going to a real Hawaiian Luau, shopping, A LOT of site seeing BEAUTIFUL mountains, ocean centers etc etc

While most of our time was spent on the beach we really enjoyed a lot of what Maui is :o)

I cannot wait for the day where I go back :o)

**I am at my laptop so my Hawaii photos are not accessible but they are GORGEOUS :o)

Something I love...Something I don't

I LOVE that when I got home from work this evening the cutest almost 4 year old in the world jumped up on my lap, grabbed both sides of my hair and said "Mommy, you beautiful!!" followed by a big hug.




I don't like that when the hug ended the same Adorable child jumped off my lap while still holding onto my hair.

Times Change...& FAST

I am working on a post...
kind of...
I'm not sure what I want to write.
I have a lot to say but not sure how much I want to share with the world.

SO FOR NOW:

~I am back to work!
~I love my kids more than anything.
~My husband is the worlds best father!
~I am one lucky lady to have the 5 of them!

I am just really busy & have A lot going on.
Thinking Facebook will be a MUCH MORE INFREQUENT hobby of mine...
Will still try to blog regularly (I will more once I'm online for school every night)

Adjustments all around. We will get there :o)

A Smile is as Good as a Laugh!

If you you have double the smiles :o )

I've been longing for the sound of baby giggles. Getting jealous when other moms talked about their babies giggling! Wondering if my girls would ever giggle HAHA. Then I was reminded that they girls are only 4.5 months old! Just because the books say they should giggle doesnt mean they should :o)

So, I remind myself that the girls are happy an healthy and when this is what I see ALL DAY I KNOW that the smiles are just as good as the laugh :o)

Especially when there are twice as many!!!

My Special Boy!

AJ's Speech/Language Evaluation Results were not what I Expected.

I'm feeling really down about it.

Being a mom is hard!