Written by Jessica on Monday, January 31, 2011
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Basketball Season is well underway and Taylor is loving it!  Taylor's been in every sport (except soccer) that we've been able to get him in.  He's loved them all and been pretty good at everything he's played, but he's really liking basketball.  I don't know if it has something to do with his age - maybe as he's getting older and understanding the fun and sport of it or maybe it's basketball...  We'll find out next month, he starts baseball at the end of February.  Hopefully he'll be just as "in-to" it as he is basket ball. 

 


on a photography related note - I'm not liking basketball!   The lighting paired with the speed of motion out there is making it hard for me to get clear, crisp, non-blurred photos.  When I increase my shutter speed, there isn't enough light.  So, what's the trick?!  btw - these were with a zoom lens, 55-200mm 5.6f/s - I'm thinking the lens f/s limitation may be my problem.  ??

Written by Jessica on Monday, January 31, 2011
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These pictures are from about a month ago, but it was so much fun I wanted to be sure to post it.  The boys like helping me in the kitchen and with this meal they knew what was inside and ate it better than they would have otherwise.

I used to make these as a kid on this same snackster machine I think!

Here's Carter:  He demanded he be first.  I think just so he could see what was going on and then direct his brothers on what do to.  He's such a bossy little thing!

Taylor:  He and Brayden couldn't wait to cook it before eating some.
Here's Tuck:  I kept having to prompt him to put more.  He just wanted to toss a little on and be done.  He was much too busy playing to be cooking his own lunch!
Then there's Brayden.  Brayden's a fan of food.  The big guy loves to eat and stops dead in his tracks when I mention food or eating.  No matter how much fun he's having playing, he's always ready to eat.  He'll also try anything at least once. 


Who has time to wait for it to cook???

Written by Jessica on Friday, January 28, 2011
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Parents of multiples often get asked if their multiples have special ways of communicating together, or a special language only they know.  I can't speak for all multiples, but here's my thoughts on my boys.

At two and a half years old they have the vocabulary to pretty much convey to me anything they want.  Their birth order is Carter first, Brayden second, and Tucker third.  In that same order their dictation and pronunciation of words goes from best to worst.  I can understand MOST of what Carter is saying, if not, I can ask him questions until I figure out the mystery word.  I can understand MOST of what Brayden is saying, if not, I ask him questions until he takes me and shows me or until Carter clears up the misunderstanding by saying it clearer or in a different way.  I can understand A LOT of what Tucker says.  However, if I don't understand him he gets frustrated and can't or won't try to work with me in answering questions he just starts saying the mystery word over and over and sometimes whining or crying or throwing something etc.  Tuck's very laid back and sweet, but boy does he ever have a temper.  That's where his brothers come in.  Should the notion strike them and they decide to help ole momma bear out, they'll tell sometimes successfully get me to understand what he's saying.  A secret code language?  They understand each other, but I don't...  But I don't know.  I think maybe it's less of their own language and just a baby dialect variation that they are lucky enough to have 2 others around at all times that know their broken English dialect well enough to carry on conversations with one another with ease.  Whatever it is, it is definitely special.

As they laugh and play together it seems they can predict the others thoughts and movements and feelings before they're apparent to others.  There is no doubt they are close brothers and close friends.  They look after each other and always know where their counterparts are at.  When one's in time out, the others anxiously await and often ask for the jailed party to come out.  They love one another and there is a special bond between them all, including their older brother who likes to mimic the pronunciation short falls they sometimes have. 

Written by Jessica on Monday, January 10, 2011
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Today, Aiken, SC has officially closed down.  The schools, daycares, municipal offices, pediatric clinics, you name it, closed!  We woke up this morning to a wonderful winter storm and the boys were SO excited!  It snowed the day after Christmas, but it was a wet, short lived snow that the little boys didn't even play in because it was so mushy and wet.  Not this snow!  It snowed for a few hours then came the freezing rain which encapsulated the snow with a hard candy like shell.  The boys had a blast!  Here are a few pics of  their snowy winter fun!

I feel the need to add the disclosure, I didn't take Livi Grace (my camera) out to play in the snow.  There was way too much snow and ice flying in my direction to take her out, so these are all with my cybershot point and shoot.

Tuck finding out that ice is a lil slippery:




Taylor getting smashed with a snowball by Carter:



Don't let sweet Tuck fool you, I didn't get a shot of his face, but the blue jacket gives him away.  He was looking for me I'm sure, Tuck picked on me the whole time!

 Brayden bracing for impact:

Written by Jessica on Thursday, January 06, 2011
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As the week starts drawing to an end, I start running out of things to cook.  I start making things from left overs and throwing meals together.  This week is no exception.  I was missing an ingredient or two from every meal I could think of to cook.  So, I decided to put a new spin on a meal and make something a little different and it was so good I'm sharing!

Chicken Mexi-Stuffed Bell Peppers

You need:
Bell Peppers
Fajita style chicken
Handful or two of frozen corn
2 cans Rotel
Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Cooked rice
Taco Seasoning
Cheese (as optional topping)
Salsa (as optional topping)

Cook your chicken and add taco seasoning.  

Cook your rice.

In a large bowl add cooked rice, slightly drained Rotel, rinsed black beans, corn, and chicken.  Mix it up and stuff it in prepared (tops cut off and cleaned) bell peppers.  

Pop in preheated oven at about 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Add cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until melted. 
Top with Salsa or picante sauce.




About to go in the oven:
 Ready to top with salsa and eat!
 Now, for those of you with kids.  I like spicy food.  So, should you choose to make this with spicy rotel like I did, you can easily hold a little out for the kiddos.  I gave them plain rice, black beans, corn, and the seasoned chicken.  They LOVED it!!
Here's a link to a beefy Italiany version of the stuffed pepper.  You could also use beef with this Mexican version, it's good either way!

Written by Jessica on Sunday, January 02, 2011

30 seconds in the microwave will do this to cheese puffs.

 

We still need to ask for help with the chocolate milk.

Written by Jessica on Saturday, January 01, 2011
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I can't believe today is the first day of 2011!  Time flies.

This blog has been such a great way for me to capture and remember the past couple of years.  I look back over the old posts sometimes and I love being taken back to how I felt, what life was like, and what my boys looked like, and maybe even what our struggles were at that time.  I love it and can't wait to do the blog to book thing at some point.

I love it; yet finding time to update it has gotten harder.   The reason, the culprit - facebook.  It's so easy to throw an album out there and be done with it.  Your loved ones and friends see it instantly and it's done.  The blog on the other hand takes a little more time.  But for me, I know I really need to update out here more.  Maybe in the new year I can focus on it more...  ahemmmm. 

With all that being said, the boys are doing incredibly well.  All of them..  We are so blessed.  We are thrilled that I am staying home with them again after working fulltime for 4 months.  I don't think any of us were ready for it.  The boys stayed sick and weak, I stayed tired and on the go, the boys stayed 12 hours a day at a daycare, and we all missed them, my evening stress of trying to help with homework and do dinner and keep up with laundry and cleaning left NO time for me to enjoy my babies.  They're only little for a short time, so I'm perfectly content to stay home with them.   ..most days.  ;)

For Christmas this year we went home for 4 days.  We didn't have near enough time there and even had to cut our trip short a day due to SNOW moving through the area.  Taylor was thrilled and played in it til his fingers were blue and had several snowball fights with his friends. The littles never got out in it because it was so wet and mushy.   ...maybe we'll have another chance to let them play in some soon.

Ok, so once again I'm going to post a link to my pictures on fb - When I do print the blog, they won't print, so I will start adding more out here.  Just not tonight... ;)

 Soooooooo. for now:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81024&id=1577670409&l=7adf290160 or click here.