Quatro

4 years. 4 long, amazing, wonderful, at times not fun, but most of the time great years.

Nathaniel and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary yesterday... and the day was pretty uneventful as he went on a 2 day trip for work. :(

He did get up and make breakfast for me and helped me fold a load of laundry before he had to go.

Its the second year in a row that we've been apart for our anniversary.

I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but it feels like we've been together for 40 years!!!! Like seriously, I find myself thinking: 4?!? Thats it, just 4 years?!

Hahaha.

I do love the heck outta that man and can't ever remember my life without him by my side.

I found it pretty exciting that we didn't have a newborn baby this anniversary.... NOR am I pregnant. :) so far were doin good in that department.

After the kids went to bed and he got home from work, we watched our wedding video. It was fun, and a sweet reminder of that special day 4 years ago.

I sure do love you Nathaniel James. You're the best thing thats ever happened to me, and we've had so many great memories together. We've been blessed with 3 beautiful children. A beautiful home and we live a beautiful life. Thanks for caring about us like you do.

I'll always be yours.

*gulp*

Well the day came, and I survived!!!

Madelynn's first day of Pre-school!! I got a call on Wed. saying they had a kid drop out... (haha... pre-school drop out... that sounds funny) so we were next in line and could take the spot if we wanted to. I agreed.

Then as it always does, my mind went a bazilion miles an hour contemplating everything... and every reason why she shouldn't go.

She's too young.

The other 2 won't survive without her.

I won't survive without her.

She needs to be at home.

It didn't help that the only support I had (Nat) was walking out the door for a meeting in Odessa for 2 days. I told him before he left I needed him to feed me some positive words of encouragement cuz I was struggling with this decision. He did, then he left... and I was left with my thoughts...

all.night.long.

By the night time I was convinced, and it was final that she was not going. But, After talking with my mom about it, she told me that it was normal to feel like this and it would all be ok!

So I decided we'd see how I felt in the morning and not make a rash decision on my emotions and other peoples opinions. (after an extremely horrible, sleepless night cuz my husband wasn't beside me) I woke up feeling pretty positive about it and when she woke up grinning from ear to ear I knew we needed to go through with it.

We GOT OUT THE DOOR ON TIME!!!!!!

Which is something to be praised (hence all the caps)

I found it was much more successful for me to get up before the kids and get myself, breakfast and the day ready before the 3 little people who depend on me started to run my day. I know, DUH!!! Right?? You'd think I woulda thought of that a long time ago.

Mama, being ready or not, we left! "pakpak" on back, and lunchbox in hand lookin all sorts a cute and grown up.

She was thrilled to pieces. I don't think I've ever seen the girl so happy in my life.

We got there, got a few parental things squared away then off to her classroom we went. Met her teacher... and then... she didn't pay me another lick of attention! Which I guess, is every moms dream! Don't think I could have left her had she been crying for me. (cuz remember, I'm that mom.)

All was well. She kissed all her sibs, told me she loved me, asked her teach if she could color, got the markers and papers, and we left. Any doubts I had were washed away at that moment.

Of course, we got back home and all I could think about was goin and picking her up... but I tried really hard to just enjoy some 1 on 1 time with Payton as I can see that that is something she is lacking as the middle child. We had fun together while Stetson napped.

On our way to get Madelynn, the suburban broke down (whoopdie doo!) So obviously, we were gonna be late.... I was pretty disappointed that I didn't get to see and talk to her teacher about the day. I'll look forward to that next Tuesday!

I couldn't get much outta her other than she made a new friend name "e"??? Not sure how accurate that was tho. I enjoyed getting to see her artwork and hearing the few things I could get her to talk about. She was exhausted and conked out as soon as she got in the car.

Looking forward to next Tuesday!!!

A day in the life.

Sooooo.... my memory is failing me. Its sad. Really, really sad.... and life is quickly flying by.. and more and more I find myself not remembering things when my girls were little... ya... like 2 years ago.

I hate it, as I'm a major remember-er.

Like I don't ever forget anything! When I was younger, my mom would rely on my memory for tons of things.

Obviously, as any woman that has been pregnant can attest, I've lost a little more "brain" with each pregnancy, and I think some of it has to do with life right now. Going constantly. My mind always on my 3 kids and life going a bazillion miles an hour it truly is "just a fog" as my mom once told me. Therefore, I'm EXTREMELY thankful for this blog and that I can (and do... very often) look back and am able to remember things!

Any time I step foot out the front door, I feel like I could write a book about my experience. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels like "the crazy lady" in public....

So... I feel the need to remember my crazy experiences of outings alone with my kids.

Ahem.

Well, on the agenda for the day is to:

Leave the house by 9:30 to get to Payton's 2 year check up @ 10:15

Grocery store after appt.

Sounds simple right???

Ya, thats what I thought to.

-So, as usual, I overslept (I'm tttiiirrreeedddd!!!!) and woke up @ 8:30 in a frenzy. Don't you hate waking up like that?!? Check the mirror, decide that I was half way ok not to take a shower since I didn't have time. Threw my hair up in a pony tail. Put on some make-up.

-Start waking kids.

-Girls are up, eating breakfast.

-get their clothes, hair stuff and bows ready.

-Move all 3 carseats from Nat's work truck over to my suburban.

-walk the trash can to its usual location cuz my dear husband brought it up from the front of the property, and left it right behind my suburban.

-Get girls ready

-feed the dogs

-oh wait, don't I have another kid?!?!

-Wake Stetson up and get him breakfast.

-Get Stetson dressed.

-Put dogs in their cage.

-Pack the diaper bag.

-Grab the grocery list.

- and were off!! @ 9:40. WOO HOO!! Success.

-Get 12 miles away from home, realize I walked out the door without Paytons shot record.

-Call Dr. office tell them we'll be late. turn around and go back home for shot records.

-Get home, run in and go potty... get in the car. Oops. No shot records. DUH!

-Finally arrive at the Dr. office... Paytons had an accident in her car seat (YAY!)

-Devour the car only to find that I have nothing to put on her.. in we go with pee pants.

-Get Stetson in the stroller (so I can at least contain 1 if need be)

- in we go! 35 minutes late.

- we stumble in the door, and the kind ladies at the front desk who already know us Roses know just why were here.

- Get the papers I need to fill out and right as I sit down and get the kids situated......

POTTY!

Always, always, always in the potty with these girls.

-get everything loaded back up and go to the bathroom.

- Get back out and start filling out the papers...

-Payton dumps the crayons.

- stop and pick up crayons.

- Secretary lady needs co-pay. Go pay it.

-Payton dumps crayons again. (not sure whats into her.. she NEVER acts like this)

- Finish filling out papers as the girls take a bath in the water fountain.

- Finally called back, get all her measurements which was relatively smooth (10th% onweight. 60th on height and head)

-Get back to a room and Payton goes into freak out mode... (once again not sure why she was acting the way she did.)

-Stetson starts his -I'm gonna throw a royal fit until I get outta this stroller- business (in which he doesn't stop the WHOLE appt.)

-Nice (new) Dr lady comes in and I immediately apologize for the chaos and tell her my husband was out working all night, therefore I had no one to watch my other kids. She's very kind and understanding... and I wanna hug her as she very normally yells over the fussy little boy, the 2 year old who freaks out at anyone she doesn't know, and the oldest girl who wants to be all up in everybody's business and wants to ask 143 questions about the situation.

-time for vaccines. The nurse comes in and says 2 things every mom doesn't wanna hear knowing her baby is fixin to get long needles jabbed into their legs. Uhhhh... her little legs are so skinny... this is gonna hurt. Uhhh-- thanks for the info???!!!???

-2 shots in those skinny little legs and my baby girl is MAD! suckers make everything better.

-Finally get outta there and head to the grocery store.

-Load the kids up in 1 basket. Grab another to pull for all the groceries.

-Stop and get some popcorn chicken (shout out to the deli for the popcorn chicken cups!!)

-On top of it being Stetson's nap time, you can't scarf food in the kids mouth fast enough which involves lots of yelling.

-Just as soon as I think im getting lucky cuz the word hasn't come up...

POTTY!

-Park the food basket, get the kid basket into the bathroom which just so happens to have 3 gallons of milk in it cuz it couldn't fit in the other basket. WM employee walking outta the bathroom notices the 3 gallons of milk and mentions to the WM employee following me in that I have merchandise in my basket. They all follow me in like I'm fixen to steal all that milk. Stand there and watch me as a feeling of shock comes over me that they're indeed watching to make sure I don't steal anything. They leave, and the remainder of the 10 minutes I'm in the restroom there is a WM employee in there with me... like they took shifts to be in there or something?!?!

-walk out a tad disheveled, I forget I still have not gotten frozen stuff, grab the dog food and leave.

-As usual. There are 2 lines open and about 4 people in front of me with baskets full of food.

-This is usually when the kids start going bizerko cuz they've already had enough... I have too and kinda wanna sit on the ground and cry with them.

-WooHoo.. someone left a toy (they didn't want) by the check out. Entertainment for the time remaining.

-Mrs. Bossy tried to take control and in the mean time whacks her brother AND her sister with is and makes them both cry.

-Hold Stetson till its our turn in line (and oh look, his diaper leaked)

- Start putting groceries up so Stetson goes down in the basket. Let the screaming continue. (its Waaaayyyy past his nap time)

-All the nice people behind me try to entertain him which halfway works.

-Load up the groceries, pick Stetson up.

-Manage to start pushing the basket of kids, pull the basket of groceries and hold my son and a sweet angel sent from heaven comes up behind me and offers to help me

-OF COURSE YOU CAN!!!

-Get out to the suburban, change Stetson, load the kids up.

-Start putting the groceries in and another sweet angel sent from heaven gets outta her car and offers to help me load the groceries up.

-OF COURSE YOU CAN!!!

- Were all in the car ready to go home. Stetson's already asleep and its 2:30

5 hours it took me to go to a quick doctors appt and get a groceries.

One day when all 3 kids are on their own, and I can go grocery shopping all on my own I'll look back at this and laugh... I just know it!

"2"

We celebrated our last big HOORAH for the year.

Whew...

July/August feels like a non stop party!!!

I am most definitely the outcast of the fam being born in Oct and all.... what were my parents thinking?!?!

Now we live another year and do it all again. I kinda feel like the Repeat button is being held down and I just have to keep doing what I've already done. I was kinda sorta (for just a few seconds) thinking I might would rather have had triplets and got everyhting done at 1 time. Rather then repeating the "terrible twos" for 3 years. Know what I mean?? or Potty training for 3 years in a row... like lets just get 'er done ALL AT ONCE! I hope that "repeat" feeling might go away once Stetson starts school and we've done the last repeat of first day of Kindergarten.

Payton, Payton, Payton... where to begin?!?!

She is a special little girl. She either loves you, or she doesn't. Its black or white. Although the average person probably couldn't understand her, she fully communicates with you. Seems since she has been fluently talking, she has been happier and the insane fit throwing has stopped.

We had planned to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for her birthday... then like 2 days before, Nat suggested we just go to Angelo for her B-day cuz we hadn't been in a really long time.... Of course, Mrs. Random.. being married to Mr. Random, agreed... then I decided lets go to good 'ol Mr. Gattis'!!! So we did! It was a lot of fun and definitely a great idea! The kids had a blast!!!

** Pardon the horribleness of the pictures... I cannot for the life of me take a decent picture in the not so good lighting... and I can't stand "flash" pictures... so bear with them.

bubba thought them smashing the gators was soo funny. He just laughed and laughed.

It was fun to watch Stetson take in all the new-ness. At first he was very cautious of everything, then after it wore of, he just had a good time!

Of course, Nat would get the bonus. Lucky duck.

It was a good day!

If you've been reading long enough, you probably know a thing or 2 about Payton's accident prone-ness right?? Like, if somethings gonna happen. It will indeed happen to her. Sickness', ER visits. Dr. visits. blah blah blah.... ya, so it should come to you as no shock, that we spent part of her birthday in the Urgent Care Clinic.

Shocker, right?!?!

Friday evening we were eating dinner at my parents house and I looked across the living room to see my little Payton's arm to be way swollen. After an initial evaluation, we just figured it was a mosquito bite... she has always had a bad reaction to them, and this looked no different than usual. Then it (redness and swelling) proceeded to spread up and down her arm. So we gave her some benadryl and the next morning it was about the same. so we proceeded with our the birthday plans... and after we left Gatti's, we decided it was definitely just getting worse so we decided to take her in. We definitely think it is a spider bite... but what kind?? Who knows. You can see 2 little fang marks on the bite.

First day: it was just swollen and oozing around the bite. Normal for her with just a mosquito bite.

Second day: spread all up and down her arm. Took her to the Dr. and got some antibiotics, benadryl, and caladryl.

after a good dose of all 3.... Day 3: minimal swelling, redness is almost all gone and she is a lot more comfortable.

Poor thing.

Happy 2nd Birthday to the Little Princess. Love you so much miss P.... Even though you cause me so much heartache... I couldn't imagine our life without you and your spunky little self. You saved me the dramatic delivery.... only to give me your dramatic life. :) You rock cuz you potty trained yourself... and for that I owe you my life. ;) Keep on being you, babygirl.... cuz you're awesome!!!

...and kinda cute.

The "S" word.

No, no, no... not that S word.

The SCHOOL word.

My dear, sweet Madelynn.... oh that girl.

She needs structure

she desires structure.

she thrives on structure.

She's a very smart little girl and has a great desire to learn.

she begs me for friends.

she wants a teacher.

she wants to get in her little pink car and driver herself to school (yes, she asked)

she wants to leave us!!!!!!!

Awhile back, at her 3 year old check up, there was a little girl... maybe around 6 or 7.... and Madelynn clung to her and told me all about her new "friend" ....This (actually, rather rude) little girl didn't want to pay Madelynn any mind, but Madelynn tried and tried to get the attention of that girl, and rude as she was to Madelynn, she continued to talk about her "new friend" the rest of the day. It was kinda sad, but at the same time it opened up my eyes to a need she has that were not giving her.

So I started calling around to extra extracurricular activities. Dance, gymnastics and stuff like that and she was too young for all of it. I was bummed.

We live in a small town, one without much option for anything at all. No Mother's day outs. Nothing like stuff that is offered in San Angelo... and Hobbs is bigger than where we live, and offers a little bit more than we have... but still doesn't touch the options that you would have in a bigger town. It stinks.

So then Madelynn starting obsessing over school... all the back to school talk and Naynay and kaykay going back to school... its just got her little clock a tickin and she has been begging me to go to school.

Then comes up the topic: Homeschool VS. Public/Private school.

I've prayed about that matter but never like dug in deep and needed to make a decision. Obviously, being homeschool myself, and Nathaniel having also been home schooled.. and us being a Faith based family, and not wanting to conform our children to this world... Homeschool would be the way to go.

But, I just haven't felt the "tug" to homeschool. Especially Madelynn. I've always felt that the decision to homeschool would be dependent on the child and I think if I chose to keep her home, I would be holding her back from her full potential.

Many a phone calls later and making the decision with her daddy, we've decided to take the plunge and let our baby fly! Well... kinda, the one pre-school that we agreed on is called Noah's Ark Pre-school... and there's a waiting list. :/ She's not understanding to well that were gonna be waiting. HOPEFULLY not too long. But, I know that it will all happen in God's timing.

After trying to explain to her that we'll have to be on the waiting list until "They call" and she can go, she says: " mama, dey gonna call.... Ma-lynn, Ma-lynn, Ma-lynn, Ma-lynn you can go to school now." It was sooo funny. She always succeeds in making you laugh.

She is ECSTATIC. She is more than ECSTATIC. if thats possible.

Didn't think I would have this attitude towards the matter, but I really can't wait for to her to go either. I know how great it will be for her.

Rodeo and Fair.

I was pretty bummed back in February, when we had already left TX and weren't gonna be able to go to the Rodeo........ then some little birdy told me that Lovington has their own (rockin') Rodeo and fair! ... and best of all, it was (is) in August... so we weren't gonna be missin a rodeo after all!! Its a pretty darn big deal around here, too. Like quite possibly bigger than the rodeo in San Angelo!! People come from all around to this thing and it is packed! Apart from it just being plain 'ol FUN!!! Its $5 admission for anything and everything. They have some pretty big bands that perform each night... which is all included in your $5 ticket!!

travelin' in style.

First we had to stop and pay our fingers and toes to get a few tickets to ride a few rides.

watch out ere'body.

"hi, i'm really, really cute, and i'm not tall enough to ride anything so I sit here and look all cute"

My personal favorite thing is the Rodeo... but the kids were NOT cooperating so we were only able to watch for 10 minutes or so. Next year, we'll definitely get a sitter one night so we can enjoy the Rodeo more... oh, and the concerts. I love my kids to death... and I would do anything for them, but really, sometimes the parents need to get out an have a little fun....

and pretending to be monsters:

and climbing in huge tires:

and being silly:

......while waiting patiently for a concert you both really wanna watch... when its already and hour and half past bedtime, falls under one of those times where you just dont drag the kids along.

But we did, and we waited and waited and waited for The Eli Young Band to come out... listened to a couple songs.. snapped a (far away) photo to prove that we did indeed see the concert... then left. With 3 tired, grouchy kids in tow,

Breather.

In case you haven't notices in my lack of blogging, we have been B-U-S-Y!!!!! From recovering from the cruise, all these Birthdays, THE Birthday party, Family coming and going, Doctors appointments here and there. I feel like we've just been constantly going so I felt as the mama of the house, we needed to just take a family breather!

and where better to do so than a Pizza Picnic at the park???

well... some of us ate pizza. ;)

Nat spent a lot of time chasing Bubba around. I finally convinced him to let Stetson go and run free!!

no caption needed. You should know by now that the boy is obsessed with dirt.

After the park, we took a little walk down to the water and found these fabulous trees!! Seriously, so many huge trees everywhere. Definitely a great place to take family pictures... if ever the day shall come.

:)

The Rose men.

Isn't it a great picture. :)

The duck with the awesome head!

My beauties.

We had a lot of fun!