12 in '14

I made a point to post family pics or pics of all the girls. I realized I have a tons of posts that I never did like R's birthday, E's birthday, beach trip, fair trip etc... Maybe I'll get around to those one day. 

January was the start to an eight-week-long snow adventure. Every other week it seemed like it snowed and in NC that means that everything doesn't function well for a few days. E and I enjoyed a few sled rides and R was just generally too cold to play too long and M only came out for the photo opts. I am so glad we have new neighbors who the girls will LOVE playing with (if it ever snows this winter) 

February - Was more of the same snowy, cold weeks. We celebrated R's 2nd birthday?!? and it was warm enough for them to play outside. We did escape to SC for a little reunion weekend (that makes Lee's side of the family sound massive but really it was 15-ish people) with Lee's family. That was lots of fun hanging out with aunts and uncles and cousins. The 4 hr car ride was another story. 

March - Pascha was super late this year so Marti Gras was too. I think the party at my mom and dad's was March 1 so just squeaking this in here. Lent went really well. We did Presanctified Liturgy (our church) once a week and Fish Fries and Stations of the Cross (local RC parish) every week. It may have been exhausting but draining ones self during Lent is a good and necessary purge. We had fun eating all things green on St. Patricks Day! I think we got our last snow in March which meant no excuse for school to be close and no more snow cream : ( 

April - Lent ran into April which meant church activities plus soccer. We hit the field for another season as the Dragonflies. E scored her first (and second) goal in one game and I swear she jumped over the moon she was so happy (and I may have gotten teary eyed because I knew she had been trying for 3 seasons!). We survived Holy Week and Pascha. Pascha was super cold (please note tights and sandals). 

May - E wrapped up 3 yr old preschool and we signed her up for 4 yr old preschool in the fall. We celebrated E's 4th!!!!!!! birthday!!!! M still came to work with me as she loved napping in the morning especially in the darkness of the bathroom. I am so grateful for my boss and coworkers (especially the ladies) who graciously let me bring my babies to work and monopolize the women's bathroom. There was lots of playing outside this month. Papa (thankfully) was really busy at work so we went through a little withdrawal not seeing him in the mornings but tis the pool season you know! Oh and we had a snake in our garage!

June - We went out for dinner for Father's Day. I think it was our first dinner out as a family of 5. The girls did awesome. We played ALOT in the sprinkler this month. 

July - We spent 4th of July at my MILs pool and had a pool party and E has been 'planning' the 2015 pool party since December. If you missed the best 4th of July cake ever that Grammy made then you had best check it out because it was GORGEOUS. 

August - We trekked up to DC a week earlier than normal for our good friends baby's baptism. We met up with our doppelgänger family up there which was awesome because trying out having 3 sets of twins ages 4 and under makes life with 3 kids seem totally manageable : ) 

September - We were not having our house ripped apart which was a good thing! E started school. R started school. M started Mother's Morning Out. We went to the beach with Grammy, Grandpa Joe and Uncle Kev. The weather was less than fantastic but we still talk about it like it was the best thing ever so we were grateful for the opportunity to play in the sand for a few days

October - We visited the pumpkin patch a few times and we got into the groove of school again. We have met and enjoyed playing with our new neighbors and we even went trick-or-treating with them - hopefully that will be a tradition that we will continue. Despite the fact the girls are so scared of their little dogs going outside is always a waiting game as to when they will come over!

November - M turned one and we are still wondering how that happened! We had a good crowd for her party and I still need to work on my party hosting skills so hopefully I will improve them for the 2015 round of birthdays. We did our standard Thanksgiving run down to Southern Pines and race home for another round the next day. 

December - We made a point to rock out Advent and I think we did it with good success. The girls and I made pound cake for the first time and it was disastrous event to remember. We went to the school Christmas program which was hilarious to see R protest being on stage. And we finally decorated the tree. 

Seven QTs - Coffee, Hair Trims and Bookbags

Whoa… I have not done one of these in a while….

--- 1 ---

Yeah last week was kind of a bust - for no good reason. By Friday morning before 9 am I spent $10 on 14 Dunkin Hazelnut k-cup and I didn't even care - seriously what's wrong with me - oh and then I proceeded to down two k-cups at the office after drinking a cup of coffee at home. 

A cup of coffee a day per kid? I'm behind on rationing myself a third cup… 

--- 2 ---

Friday night we headed to Raleigh-world for a weekend with my parents - sometimes I think we should just get an apartment to live in on the weekends and then I realize that would be an awful idea. 

Late Friday night E was complaining of an ear ache and at 11:45 I was sure she had an ear infection and would totally turn Saturday's plans upside down - but then she woke up fine. 

First up Saturday was a bebe shower. Who does not love a good baby shower? Well this baby girl got showered on so so so much. It was great and she got tons of cute/fancy handmade hairbands. Excellent girl baby shower activity! E and R came with Grammy when it was time for the shower to start. They did well. Obviously the cake was a serious highpoint and as well as the several bowls full of candy on hand and eye level that I gave into often were also fantastic. 

--- 3 ---

Then it was off to haircuts (which is why they are still in their nice party dresses)… No no hair TRIMS E repeatedly said. It was the first time either one of them had their hair cut. E was super not excited about it but got through it when she realized it did not hurt and mama could not get more than the bare minimum taken off just so it would be even.

R is at that crazy funny 2 yr old stage and I love it! Tonight she pitter-pattered up and down the hall checking on E who was in the bathroom and giving Papa reports about her status that he could not quite understand

No I did not save either of their hair from the first cut. I have ENTIRELY too many other things that clutter my life and I cannot have one more thing! See #4

Then we hit up school shoes after stopping by to visit M and Papa and company… I don't like buying new shoes especially for kids who are rough and tough on them but I give into new ones for a new school year. I told E before we walked in that I had all veto powers over every single pair of shoes. Let's just say the $55 pair of neon light up shoes stayed on the shelf. (Bring on the commentary Nani : )

Saturday night at my parents was great - dinner, wine, mint chocolate Dove candies. We found a house to buy that is insanely massive so that my parents and Lee's mom don't have to move into retirement home (aka 'being put out to pasture' - Grammy's words not mine!). Everyone would have their own space. We could have set days for dinner gatherings. We could basically have our own mini-commune with me in charge of laundry and Grammy in charge of dessert.

--- 4 ---

Toying with the idea of a one toy rule at Christmas… One toy/one outfit (shoes, bathing suits, socks, parkas, dresses… whatever) /one (set of) book… Any other toys I reserve the right to leave them at the house who gave them so that the girls can play with them there? Okay that sounds super super meany. But the house is FULL of toys…. Maybe I just need to be better organized...

Why does it take kids 5 minutes to make a mess and 45 minutes to clean it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I was running around the house to get the house semi-not-disasterous and get teeth brushed, pjs in the wash, clothes on, toys put away (kinda) and Lee was leaving for work:

Lee - Are you ready for another body?
Me - Errrr… You mean ready for another soul?

Kinda changes the perspective on things when you think about the eternal rather than the temporal, no? 

--- 5 ---

R's 'booook-baaag' came yesterday...

She loves it. And proceeded to tell Grammy all about it. And yes the speakerphone light on the phone is on so that I can decipher R's part of the conversation and relay it to those on the other line.

--- 6 ---

How about this kid? I'm trying to entertain her with just about anything to keep her out of MMO. I cannot stand it. I cannot believe she's 9.5 month old. It makes me sad that she's so big and not a teeny baby. Don't get me wrong I love my sleep-filled nights it just hurts my feelings that she won't be a work with my much longer (it hurts my bank account too!). Nani and I almost had a moment over it. 

With E I knew I needed to cut the cord and my half day daycare option was the happiest, livable medium for us - not full time working mom and not full time stay at home. So I was anxious to try MMO out - and then I cried like a baby the first day I left her. 

With R, she was so loud and not a great morning napper so I was kind of ready for her to go to MMO because I knew she needed the stimulation. 

With M, she still takes a great morning nap and she's super quiet but she's just a squirmy worm before and after nap so it is time. I'm just not ready...

--- 7 ---

Here's to sprinklers and water slides and sandboxes for a few more weeks of warm, humid, muggy weather...

Just not for M… yet

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Cinco Favoritos - It was nearly sweltering today!

Recent thoughts...

1. MMO Love

There is a little boy at MMO who is a regular like R and they happen to be super great friends. In fact when I go to drop off or pick up R and he is there I'm sure to say 'Hi' to him and he usually gives me a loud yell back. He is such a boy and I love it. Before R found her words she was a yeller too but his is different and it makes me smile.

Anyhow on the way out R and her little friend were leaving at the same time and he gave R a hug goodbye which was really a little side-hug, cheek-bump but it was soooooooo cute and I could barely stand it because it makes me a little teary eyed. Oh the cuteness!!!!!

2. Can I impart my germ-o-phobia on my children?

On the same day of the overflowing cuteness in the MMO room, I was reminded of the 3 yr old craziness in the 3 yr old room. How about all the girls in the class did not get their treats because they were having a scream-fest in the bathroom which also involved crawling under the stalls.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Aside from the fact that my child was participating in the event, the thought of crawling on the bathroom room repulses me to know end. If you have not read Grace's account of bathroom floor crawl-age then head over there for a hot minute because I probably would still be showering myself in bleach. Anyway the loss of treat (I am trying to move our treats/desserts etc to be an all encompassing 'reward') in our house is kind of a big deal and usually will illicit better behavior. However, I welcome teaching moments like this.

E and I were able to talk about making good decisions and bad decisions. We also talked about if we see someone or some people doing something we know we should not do then the best thing to do it to 1. make the decision to not get involved and 2. find an adult so you don't get in trouble.

Makes good sense to me but who knows if it will stick.

3. Preschool-art-love

Me - Why did you get out the unopened peanut butter?
E - Mama I just can't wait
{insert small crisis}
Me - They are exactly the same
E - {Still in tears} Mama I just don't like frogs!
Me - {Note pic of frog on refrig} Why is that?
E - They have long tongues!

4. Church during the dinner hour 

Okay last night at church was probably the ROUGH-EST yet this Lent. Maybe even this year. The general Kibbe antics were raging coupled with M not wanting to sleep - it was less than a pretty sight. In fact, I left feeling really deflated asking myself 'Why bother?' and 'Why did I not just stay at home with the girls?' Having reflected on it over the past 24 hours I have realized the following:

1. My (our) goal in taking the girls to church is this: So that they will love and serve the Lord
2. They are going to misbehave any where; at home, at church, at school etc and the inappropriate behavior needs to be corrected early and often - whatever it is whether it is fighting over toys at home, or not sharing at school or running and stomping around like a herd of hyenas at church.
3. Other people have much bigger problems than how their children act in church

So trying to put everything in perspective. I don't feel bad for myself. I really believe I/we are doing the right thing by taking the kids to church. One day whether it is next time, next week, next month or next year it will be easier. I will continue my daily prayer of asking for patience AND compassion.

5. Very excited about my new read

Four part series on Proverbs 31 and how it relates to good marriages. Thanks IBT and Kimberly Hahn.

Wisdom of Chesteron - Fairy Tales and Birthdays

"When we step into the family, by the act of being born, we do step into a world which is incalculable, into a world which has its own strange laws, into a world which could do without us, into a world we have not made. In other words, when we step into the family we step into a fairy-tale"     
~ G.K. Chesterton

Today is R's 2nd birthday! Her fairy tale was made of "cheeeee balls" and juice boxes for her snack/party at school.

I made the Kibbe go-to-breakfast of special occasions… Waffles! I seriously contemplated taking some extras that I had cooked and frozen out of the freezer but I stepped up and brought my A-game to the day. (Note: putting warmish butter into coolish milk/egg mixture causes the melted butter to seize up a bit. Is this was is supposed to happen in the recipe?!?!? I mean I get the physics part and I understand why it happens but it just does not SEEM like the recipe would want it to happen)

Waffe anyone?

Well I managed to not make a HUGE mess with the waffle iron like I did here. 

Pretzels totally offset the "cheeeee balls" nutritional content, right? 

I think the bottle of cheese balls were about half the size of R but she toted those things into school so proudly this morning and drug them halfway up to E's class and back down to her room. Her little BFF at school (not even exaggerating) ran up to her and was trying to give her a present and R would NOT let the cheese balls out of her grasp. It was super super super cute. He was desperately trying to get her to take it and she was totally not understanding what was going on. Oh toddler love!!!

After dinner, we had cupcakes and R opened a few more presents today, on her "actual birthday" as E has reminded us 50000 times : )

I was leaving the driveway this morning thinking: 2 yrs ago today I left for work with one 21 month old and came home from the hospital a cold, windy, 36 hours later with another character in our family's fairy-tale.

I am blessed

Just feeling the need to write this down after the craziness of the week

I am blessed...

by God

because the grandparents divided and conquered E and R so that Papa and M and I could go to Charleston for a mere 40 hours for a work trip

because I work for a company that lets me bring my babies to work and on work trips?!?!!?! {yes it is quite amazing}

because my hubby is super supportive of my semi-working, semi-stay-at-homing

because we made it to a gas station {that was actually open} at midnight with less than 2 miles to go with gas in the van on the ride back from Charleston

because the big girls did not meltdown while we were gone and hopefully did not overly stress out the grandparental units

because we got to enjoy the 2.5 inches of snow that shutdown schools for a day

because we all have coats and hats and a house to keep us warm on these frigid days

because M did not wake up while we went out to dinner while Jibbe stayed with all three girls - I was a nervous wreck for the first 1.5 hours of being gone over this point

because I have a fantastic chef-of-a-hubby who rocked out some cabbage rolls

because I have kids who go to school and even though these 2-hr delay days drive me ABSOLUTELY insane some days… I would not trade the kids for a less hectic schedule

because people at the bank get a big chuckle out of me telling them we hopefully will have more kids… I love my bank and the ladies who work there!

because my first ever Rocky Mount friend is getting promoted to the rank of 30 this weekend

because tonight was NOT bath night - I live for non-bath nights

because Jibbe let me drop R off at the store for 1.5 hours this morning while E and M and I went to the office for a super important meeting that was not effected by the 2 hr delay

because I have a crazy pregnant friend who offered to take both E and R for the duration of said meeting for me.. but I would never let a pregnant woman have a 4, 3, 2, and 1 yr old in the house alone

because who does not need a few great mama friends?

because my kids love to sing

{this is how it went down this afternoon; totally out of the blue}

R - {whispering} Yesssss Jesu love me… Bible… sooooo
E - YES JESUS LOVES ME
      YES JESUS LOVES ME
      YES JESUS LOVES ME
      FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO

{E on repeat for the duration of the ride; R chiming in with her whispers}

7 QTs - Thankful Thanksgiving Style...

Oh Thanksgiving... The fantastic 4 day weekend of food, fam-mee time, parades, cousins, playing outside when its freezing (by North Carolina standards). I know all these thankful things are pretty standard but I'll try and make them a bit more interesting

--- 1 ---

We are thankful for our family (and friends). This is the girls and their cousins and no Kibbe grandkids pic would be complete without Jibbe : ) As someone pointed out the next Kibbe grandkid will be the boy/girl tie breaker. The boys have reigned for 15 years...

Looking at this picture makes me especially thankful for our good health because that can be taken for granted so easily. R had a 102.2 fever Wednesday afternoon so Papa stepped up and took R to the pediatrician. Ear infection. Totally easy to deal with and not contagious (as I learned). There are a number of people I know who are sick or have a sick child so spare a prayer for them. 

Also, very thankful for our families being able to get together. Some people are missing loved ones like crazy especially around this time of year. 

--- 2 ---

I promise Papa is not as vicious as he looks in the pic : ) 

Thankful for such a loving, caring, giving Papa. Amongst many other things, he made 3 corn puddings in 3 days. He did all the driving back and forth on Thanksgiving Day when we went to Southern Pines. He was (not single-handedly) but very much responsible for much of the cooking on Friday at the Kibbe Family edition of Thanksgiving. He was super patience with the girls all weekend and let E assist in some cooking - which would have been unheard of 10 years ago according to a source who has know him much longer than I.

This is the crew (sans M) watching a parade on Saturday before Thanksgiving round 3 (aka leftovers). He DVRed a few parades but I think I might have deleted one some how. The girls and I watched the Macy's Day parade Friday morning - the first hour was not worth watching too closely but the last two hours were much better. 

--- 3 ---

Turkey induced coma

The story behind this pic is M fell asleep around 4ish. Was placed in her carseat, taken out in the frigid cold, rode home, taken inside, let sleep for a bit longer, taken out of her carseat and still would not wake up. I needed to get her ready for bed since it was 8:30 and I was tired. It took Papa a good 5 minutes to rouse her.

Okay so the run down on the girls... The girls did awesome at all three Thanksgivings - well mostly. Thursday they were super great. E played with the big kids. R was super quiet and clingy to Grammy and Grandpa Joe and me and Papa. E did not completely meltdown when we left. R serendaded us for an hour on the ride home - seriously the girl did not speak for the entire afternoon and then would not put a sock in it in the car - until she fell asleep. M was good - she rode in the carrier (aka the sock - according to Papa) for dinner. Next time we have got to bring a highchair seat... My next search on Craigslist...

Friday R and M and I laid low until about 2:30... E's cousins came and got her mid-morning so that cut out on some noise in the house and R took a good rest. I worked on some thank you notes (and I still have 10 more to go!). I got eat dinner sans M - thanks Shelley : ) E had a small crisis when we left - but who wants to leave when you have 6 other kids to play with? Oh and R did this hilarious dance to the Elmo DVD that Jibbe has - seriously her hip action was IMPRESSIVE

Saturday we hung out at the house and watched another parade. This time it was R's turn to lose it. So she was down for a morning nap because well sometimes it is just necessary. Then leftover lunch at Jibbe's. I am pretty sure she and Aunt Mary did not sit down for about 30 hours between cooking and cleaning up and visiting and hosting... They are so great.

--- 4 ---

We are definitely thankful and ready to go back to school on Monday. Love the family time and if we did not have to work and could live in our own little bubble on our own little island, we would have Thanksgiving at least once a month.

--- 5 ---

Thankful to get the first run postpartum off my back. Yep... I went running yesterday. It was good to get out and exercise and I am currently paying the price but I have some motivation to get moving and ready for this half marathon. My goal is to run 10 minute miles - so once I get out a few more times I'll try and improve my times. 

--- 6 ---

So proud to be on the big swing

Loving the pink hat

Outside bliss!

Trying to get her at the highest point per her request

Saturday after rest I took the big girls outside... It was so cold but they were begging. I need some good gloves/mittens that will actually stay on and to date I have not found any. 

--- 7 ---

I promise an Advent(en) update soon. Week 2 activity is almost done and Week 3 of collecting (contributing) stuff to the St. Nicholas pile of things he is taking is in full swing. 

                                                  

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