Three Ashleys, John, and Wyatt

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

Just hanging around, waiting on Santa!!

It's been so long since I have updated this blog. We have been really busy and I just have not taken the time to update what we have been doing.

As Christmas nears, and 2011 comes to a close I have been reflecting on all that the boys have done this year!

Andrew and John have finished half of their kindergarten year already. It's gone by so fast and they have learned so much! Andrew has grown so much since the beginning of school. His handwriting has improved so much and his confidence has grown tremendously too. John has started reading and writing sentences. Wyatt knows the alphabet and numbers and is already getting prepared for kindergarten too! It's amazing to watch their little minds soak everything in.

So many exciting things have happened since school started:

Nana and Papa moved to Lexington! We love having them so close! It's been wonderful being able to pop over to their house in 5 minutes!

Granny Meg and Pop moved from Florida to Atlanta! Driving distance...woo hoo!

Andrew and John finished another season of soccer! The Green Lanterns had a great season and it was such a joy to watch the boys out on the field. Both of them have just started Upward basketball for the first time which they are super excited about. Ashley is not coaching basketball and I am selfishly happy that we will be able to sit and watch their games together.

The highlight of our Halloween was Wyatt getting stitches. Unfortunately he fell in the tub after the Anne Pitts Halloween party and had to get 5 stitches in his forehead. He was a good patient and got this awesome headband.

Thanksgiving was wonderful too! It's a tradition that my brother and his family come spend the long Thanksgiving weekend with us and each year it gets more and more fun (and easier). We used to dream of the days when our kids would be at the age that they could be left alone in a room to play while the adults sat in another room enjoying adult conversation! Those days have officially arrived. Andy, John and Wyatt had a ball with their cousins.

I have the week of Christmas off from work and it is s nice to be home with the boys. We started our holiday by heading to Atlanta to Granny Meg and Pop's house to celebrate Christmas together. It was so fun. The boys got many wonderful presents and had an awesome time at the Georgia Aquarium!!

Now we are getting ready for our Christmas celebration with Nana and Papa; the boys can not wait! I've been baking and wrapping; my helpers have been eating ingredients and taping random things to walls. :) I love seeing the Christmas season through the eyes of my children. It's easy to get bogged down with the pressure of life but when I take the time to think about the gift of Jesus' birth and the gift of my own three children, it certainly puts things in perspective. Humbling.

I can not wait to see what 2012 has in store for our family.

Countdown to 5K

2011-07-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

We are less than three weeks from the first day of school. Today was class assignment day and I saw a girl from our old church. She said, " your boys should be three and sitting on carpet squares; are they really starting school?". Dude, tell me about it.

Andy and John are in two different classes-Ms. Cagle and Ms. Thomas. I filled out paperwork and bought t-shirts today. Exciting stuff!

I'm still trying to get used to the idea of my child spending his day with someone whose references I haven't personally checked. Maybe it's the recruiter in me?

So, I've got three weeks to get my game face on!! My boys are ready.

Wedding bells are ringing

2011-07-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

I love weddings. I can cry at a wedding even if I do not know the people exchanging vows. Just remembering that feeling of saying my own vows to Ashley and reflecting on the excitement of starting off on our life together is such a sweet memory...love it.

Two of my youngest cousins are getting married this summer, this month, two weeks apart. I am so excited to see extended family, share this exciting day with my cousins and also reminisce about my own big day (8/18/01).

The boys are invited to one of the weddings. The inclusion of those three names on the invitation has proven to be the source of added excitement (and anxiety) for me. We let them sit in big church with us for practice (I keep telling myself that the wedding ceremony will likely be shorter than the church service) and we are doing some serious role playing at night. I should probably relax.

When I started telling the boys of my excitement that they were going to go to my cousin's wedding, they asked why I love weddings. I told them that weddings are sweet and touch a person's heart and that I also like to dress up.

Me: I am so excited for us all to get dressed up and share this special day with Kathryn.
Andy: (hands up in the air) I am going as buzz lightyear!!!

WOW! That would be hilarious. I won't allow it even though I could probably use the comic relief. It'll be so crazy to see these two, who I used to babysit, get MARRIED. I remember when they were born for goodness sake.
This takes me back to what seems to be the central theme of most of my blog posts. Life goes by so fast....seems like you can't look down for five minutes or you miss something.

The More Things Change...

2011-06-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

To say that our hall bath needed a redo would be a gross understatement. Pun fully intended. The old pedestal sink was stained. The bronze fixtures screamed 1984. The toilet- well I won't go into detail about it, but it needed replacing.

I told Ashley that I *really* could not handle that bathroom anymore and that man went to work. He went to Lowe's and picked out new stuff, painted (walls and ceiling), dealt with the subs from Lowe's who so efficiently installed the toilet and sink (yeah, right) and installed new light fixtures, TP and towel holder and a mirror himself.

This kind of reminded me of a guy I worked with 15 years ago who helped me remove wallpaper and repaint my DISGUSTING Gregg St. room in my college apartment (although "helped" implies that I pulled my weight) which required sanding with an electric sander and hours of elbow grease. It was WAY more work than most guys would do for a friend. But then again, Ash is not like most guys. Lucky for me.

I love my new bathroom! Thank you, Ash! You're the best.

June highlights

2011-06-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

We have so much to celebrate in June...

June 3rd- Ashley's parents celebrated their anniversary.

June 16th- I turned 29 again. :)
June 17th- My dad turned 49 again. :)
June 18th- Father's Day
June 24th- My mom and Kenny celebrate their anniversary.
June 26th- Nana's birthday- 39 again?? :)

The week of June 11th, we went to the beach. This year marked a lot of firsts for us on our beach trip. This year was the first time we took our boat down to the beach (Ashley trailered it down and we put it in the ICW). Even more exciting, this was the first year that the relaxation outweighed the work on our vacation. Andrew and John can swim now (almost) in the shallow end. That takes the stress level at the pool from a 12 (on a scale of 1 to 10) to about a 5. (Wyatt still wears a puddle jumper at all times!)

This was the first year that the boys enjoyed each other on vacation. They were so cute- playing soccer on the beach, holding hands jumping in the pool, building sand castles together, etc. It was so wonderful.

This was the first year that we didn't have a wagon strapped to the top of our car. We didn't have a pac-n-play; we did not have any sippie cups or bottles and we did not have to bring high chairs. I guess I am a glutton for punishment because when we packed the car without any baby items, I actually felt a little sad. Ridiculous, I know.

Ashley and I enjoyed the week immensely! Nana and Papa were with us most of the week and we all had a ball together.

As we wrap up June, our house is cheering on Carolina in the CWS!! Two games away from another championship...go Gamecocks!
My sweet babies eating ice cream at Barefoot...celebrating Wyatt's success on the potty while on vacation! Whoop Whoop!

Little Graduates

2011-06-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

May 27th marked a special day for Andy and John. They graduated from Anne Pitts CDC and officially became rising kindergartners. The production that their class put on for graduation was wonderful! Their class has had a circus theme all year so of course, the graduation ceremony was circus themed as well. After the parents watched a slide show of Mrs. Ashley's three ring circus, all the kids came into the gym dressed in their gowns and clown collars (sans caps since all good clowns have crazy hair) with painted noses. They paraded around a bit before taking their places in their seats at the front of the gym.

Then, in front of an audience of 75, one by one they each took the microphone to perform their speaking part of the program. Each child got a chance to show off a little something that he/she learned over the year.

My precious Andy started the presentation by asking the audience to join in the pledge. Then, of course, he let everyone know when it was time to be seated!

Halfway through the presentation John took center stage and recited numbers; he counted by 2's, 5's, 10's and backwards! It was so impressive.

Later Andrew took the mic again and gave us all a lesson in the alphabet (and in stacking cards in a very organized manner). He did amazingly well!

My cheeks hurt by the end of the presentation from smiling so hard. I had shed so many tears during the week that led up to graduation day, but during the ceremony I held them beneath the surface. Ashley and I watched our boys in awe of all that they have learned and in disbelief that the time has come for them to begin elementary school.

August will bring many more tears (from me) but for now we will just enjoy the summer, revel in our little graduates' success in pre-school and reminisce about the morning of May 27th...when we saw The Best Show on Earth!

Take me out to the ball game

2011-05-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

This was Andy and John's first season playing tee ball and it has truly been a blast. They have grown so much over the course of the season. Their skill has improved dramatically since we started and their confidence has grown as well. It's been a wonderful experience- we have a great team with very patient coaches and I am a little sad that the season is almost over.

May 3rd, Andrew won the game ball! Here he is with John and Ashley (asst coach!)...I love these boys!

May 11th, John won the game ball! Wyatt got in the picture with the MVP that week!

With all the the excitement in the house related to baseball, we decided it would be a good time to take the boys to their first Carolina Baseball game! It was a wonderful night (Gamecocks won) and the big boys thoroughly enjoyed watching the plays. Wyatt mostly enjoyed seeing Cocky and hitting the concession stands...but a good time was had by all.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day!! Ashley and I took the boys to Nana and Papa's house for a day of fun by the lake. Sandra and Granny made an amazing meal and we spent most of the day outside; the weather could not have been more beautiful! Ashley and the boys made me feel so special. I am so blessed to be a mother. Andrew, John and Wyatt are truly awesome boys.

There was one thing that was was missing this year: my own mom was not here. This is the first year that we have been apart on Mother's Day since my birth (as far as we can remember). My heart was a little heavy, but I am looking forward to her visit at the end of the month. Even though we were separated by miles, we were together in spirit.

Your Mother Is Always With You
~Author Unknown

She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street.
She's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks.
She's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She's crystallized in every tear drop.
She's the place you came from, your first home.
She's the map you follow with every step that you take.
She's your first love and your first heart break.
Nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space, not even death...will ever separate you from your mother...
You carry her inside you heart!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you, Mom, for all you have done for me throughout the years. I know it has not always been easy and I appreciate all the sacrifices you have made for me so that I could have every opportunity. Thank you, Sandra, for raising a man that puts faith and his family above everything else. I am so blessed to have you as my mother-in-law!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

With a family of 5, it's nearly impossible to get a good picture where everyone is:

clean

looking in the same direction

wearing nice clothes (I'm happy with decent)

not crying (smiling is an added bonus)

This is close...

And this is even better!

I am so glad that we took the time to take pictures on Easter!

Saying Goodbye

2011-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

When Ashley and I were newlyweds, eager to establish our little family, we went out and got a puppy. I remember meeting the breeder half way between Chapin (where we lived at the time) and the upstate (where she lived). She brought two Rottweiler puppies for us to chose from and I remember it being hard to make a decision. They were both so cute. In the end, we chose the one that seemed most interested in us and she became our first baby.

I emailed our families announcing our new addition and we spent hours doting on her. We read books about training Rottweilers and bought her lots of toys and treats. Sweet little Lou. She could fit in the floor board of the front seat.

Not long after adopting Lou we moved to a house downtown. It had a sun room for her but she mostly had the run of the house. She grew and grew and played with Fudge (our neighbor's spaniel) at the park across the street.

We adopted a kitten and Lou accepted her into our family. Later we got another dog so that Lou could have a better companion. Then we moved from our downtown house to an "adult" house in Irmo. We found a place with a big yard for the dogs and built Lou and Sammie (our second dog) a fence so that they could run. The four of us went for boat rides and went swimming in the lake.

We made them stay outside when we moved. Lou never complained.

Then we had twins. We threw the ball less and less. Still, she never complained.

Next came Wyatt...and with the third child came the weekly, "did you remember to feed the dogs?" But, sweet Lou still loved us and was happy with the attention she got. Sammie followed her around like her shadow so she had constant company. The years went by. The old girl started to limp a bit and her face aged with time. She still loved to play ball.

Finally we moved to Lexington and this time got an underground fence. Such a smart girl: it only took her a couple of days to learn the limits of her new yard. She slowed down even more. Little did we know, cancer was taking over her bones.

Finally the day came when we had to let her go. April 11th.

Almost 2 weeks ago.

It's taken me this long to write about it. I do not think Ashley or I realized how truly brutal it would be. Saying goodbye is so hard.

Rest in peace, Loudie. We all love and miss you.

5 year olds

2011-04-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY AND JOHN!!!

April 10th Andrew and John turned FIVE! They are getting so big and changing so much!

Fewer mispronunciations.

More independence.

Stronger opinions.

Bigger vocabularies.

I had all these thoughts and fears that five year olds were big boys...not toddlers anymore. I feared that the boys would go through an overnight change marked by the need for privacy and that they would be too cool for mama all of the sudden. Thankfully, I was wrong! The changes that are taking place in the boys have been slow and steady. They still hold my hand crossing the parking lot, still give me kisses goodnight, and still hug me in front of their friends.

The boys had a big birthday weekend! Friday night and Saturday morning they played tee ball games, then Saturday afternoon we went to Frankie's with some of their friends from school; it was a little over the top for Ashley and I, but the kids had a ball. Granny Meg and Pop took us all for a birthday dinner and then Sunday the boys had their end of the season soccer party (on their actual birthday) and got trophies! I brought cup cakes and their team had a little birthday celebration for the special boys.

Our sweet boys have come so far in 5 years! It still amazes me when I stop to think about the way our family has been blessed by those two...and how strong they have been- right from the beginning.

Ash and John riding go carts

Nana and Jack ridingFour silly boys- Andy, Jonathan, John and Jack!

Bedtime Prayers

2011-03-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight at bedtime Wyatt said, "I say my prayers."

We both folded our hands and closed our eyes and he prayed:

"Lord, I am phankful for Andrew, and John, and chips, and Mama, and Daddy and cereal. Amen."

Ashley and I may rank below chips, but at least he is praying!

It's been a long time...

2011-03-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Wow. It has been so long since I have blogged that I think the look and feel of the site is different. And I had to stop and think of what my password is. So much for my online baby book/memory book for the boys. It seems like the older that they get, the busier we get and I have not taken the time to stop and write about what we are doing.
I have thought about it numerous times, but was too lazy to go upstairs and get my laptop. Tonight I had the energy, but then got so annoyed with the speed (lack of) of my lap top, that I almost gave up. Thankfully Ashley got his MacBook for me and I am back in business...but I digress.

A major part of the aging thing that I wanted to share is that our sweet "baby" Pizzie turned three. Our happy go lucky, laid back little bear has definitely found his voice. He is quick to say "NO" these days, but that is part of being three, right?!? And hey, you gotta respect someone who knows what they want!

On February 18th, we celebrated our sweet P's third birthday. It fell on a Friday this year, which meant that John and Andrew had soccer practice that night. After practice we went out for a celebratory dinner at the restaurant of Wyatt's choice. He picked "Buffalo Wild Wings", his favorite because of the many TV's and delicious mac n' cheese. Those two things are definitely at the top of Wyatt's current Top 10 list.

The next day we had a few of Wyatt's friends over for a Buzz Lightyear party. Buzz and Woody are also high on the Top 10 list currently. The idea originally was that the boys would all dress up. They were all game in the beginning. As it turned out, John dressed as Handy "Mandy" (LOL!!) and I dressed as Jessie (think Jeans, boots, sheriff badge and cowboy hat) and everyone else came as themselves. The day was gorgeous and we were able to stay outside for the party (you never know in February what the weather will be) much to Wyatt's dismay. Spending time outdoors is not one of his favorite things to do. He prefers the comfort of the couch when possible.

After the party, Wyatt retired to the den to catch one of his favorite movies and then took a nap on the couch. That was the perfect finish to his birthday.

The next day we started potty training. Ashley and I had been talking it up for weeks and Wyatt promised that after he had his Buzz Lightyear party, he'd be ready. He kept his promise and has done really well. Unfortunately, he did break the lid off of the upstairs potty, so we effectively have a urinal in our hall bath.

All you can do is laugh.

Wyatt definitely keeps us laughing. That child says the funniest thing! Some recent Wyatt-isms include:

"Look at me, I'm extracising" as he moves his chunky thighs back and forth as if he is doing calf raises
"Let's watch Harryel" (meaning Ariel)
"I'm Bafiki"...or "Bufasa" (Lion King characters)
Don't Double Dip (talking to his brothers when they share cheese dip)

There are so many other things that I could go on and on. I can not wait to see how our little P bear will change over the next year. It seems like going from two years old to four years old is really the transition from baby to little boy...which is a little bittersweet for me. Of course I am excited to experience the next stage of parenting my little pumpkin.

Check him out!!

Registration

2011-02-02T18:50:00.001-08:00

Last Name, First Name, Middle Name
Address
Social Security Number
Gender
Emergency Contact

Skills Assessment
Use this space to tell us about your child:
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

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My boys will go to kindergarten next year. How could I ever describe these two amazing boys on 5 lines? Do I start with a plea not to let anything happen to my precious sons? I could begin by describing my boys as strong-willed, but the person reading would have no idea just had strong they are. As their mother I guess I will always go back to those first days and how my little scrapers proved everyone who said that there would be setbacks wrong.

After completing their registration forms, I realized that I had made no mention of their prematurity anywhere on the forms. I've got to let it go and move on. They have.

Instead I stuck to the relevant facts about their academic progress in the small space provided for comments...even though there was just enough room for me to ask if I could still call every day.

I left the school with a few fliers that gave some hints like "read to your child this summer" and "take a trip to the public library". But alas, no hand out for how to face the fact that your child is growing up (and you're not getting any younger). Hopefully by the time Wyatt enrolls at Midway, that will be available. I am definitely going to need it.

Birthday Boy

2011-01-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday wonderful husband, great dad, and best friend!! Thanks for all you do for our family! You mean the world to me and I'm so happy to be kicking off 2011 celebrating your birthday. I'm looking forward to spending the next 35 with you (and more)!!

Happy 35th Birthday, Ash!!

We all love you so much!

My Dad

2010-12-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

My Dad is Florida-bound; his dream is finally coming true. I think we started watching informational videos on The Villages about 15 years ago, but at the time none of us were sure if we were humoring my Dad or if he was serious. Now we know. My Dad is retiring this week. He is moving to The Villages. Even though I have known this move has been coming for months (years actually), it still took my breath when the time came.

My Dad...my maker of chicken pie...the one who is always on my side and thinks I am hilarious, the one who thinks I am great even when I am wrong and is always proud of me...how can he be leaving? Who will tell me how to make dressing or give me directions on random SC roads (yes, he will have a phone in Florida; I am being dramatic, but I am overly emotional and that is how I respond to things).

So I spent a lot time thinking-searching my heart for why I felt pain. I have gone back to so many summer memories. My dad would always be out in the yard cleaning the pool, piddling with plants, and messing in the garden in the lot next door. Saying that I helped would be untrue, I basically walked along "over-seeing" his work and talking incessantly. I learned to play cards and shag and learned the lyrics to just about every beach song that came on the radio. I did gymnastics in the front yard and back flips off the diving board (sorry for the gray hairs that caused). It really does not seem like very long ago.

So I think I put my finger on it. The moving away doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the aging does. It's just unbelievable to me that my Dad is old enough to retire and move to a retirement community. Life really is just a vapor.

My dad started watching videos years ago and knew what he wanted to do. He planned and he achieved his goal! Now I am the proud one!
For 50 years my Dad has been working.
I do not remember him taking a sick day.
I don't even remember him sleeping late.
Now he gets to spend his days filled with golf, messing around in the yard, and socializing with friends...all the things he loves.

I want him to know how much I love him and how HAPPY I am that he gets to have his days in the Florida sun.
Now I'm going to go out and plant my garden...and I'll call for directions on how deep to bury the plants! Like my Dad, I have over-seers who will be happy to talk my ear off while I do all the work.

What Do I See?

2010-12-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hey, who's that cutie wearing glasses? ANDY!

Our first stop after getting the glasses was the Zoo Lights. When we got there Andy said, "whoa, I can see so many things at one time!"

I am so thankful that we discovered that our little bear needed glasses before he started school. The only cuter than his glasses is his smile!!

Digits

2010-11-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

The background of this post is that the big boys are learning their address and phone number in preschool this year.

Yesterday on the way to church we had the following conversation:
Me: "Boys, y'all have to remind me to call Rachel's Mom tonight to RSVP to her birthday party."
JD: "Why don't you call her now, Mama? Their number is 808.---- (but he said the numbers)"

I verified with Ms. Ashley that he had the number right!

Apparently John is learning his phone number, as well as everyone else's in the class too!

Still holding hands

2010-11-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

Sweet John...he's the caregiver of the bunch. He always wants to make sure that his brothers are ok. And he loves to hold hands...

Go Green Cobras!

2010-11-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

This year we introduced the boys to the world of organized sports. Thankfully my friend Kimmy was kind enough to give me the low down on signing up for soccer. She is my go-to person for all things Lexington sports related. So she sent me the link weeks in advance, told me how to request a specific team (Andy and John wanted to be on their friend Cole's team) and then left the rest to me.

Of course that meant that I spent my lunch hour (and then some) getting copies of the boys' birth certificates from DHEC on the last possible day to register, then the better part of the afternoon tracking down the email address of the League President so that I could email him scanned copies since I could not mail them in by the deadline...(Ashley if you are reading this right now, I know you are shaking your head!)...but alas(!) we made it in by the deadline; praise God for technology.

And so our first season of sports began! Team Mexico AKA "The Green Cobras" have had quite a season. We have won several games. (They might not keep official score, but when you are a competitive person, you know)! John and Andrew have enjoyed it immensely and Ashley and I have enjoyed getting to know the other parents on our team as well. Thanks to our parents, The Gilfillan Duo has had a cheering section every game! It's amazing how far these two have already come in life. We are so lucky that they are out on that field running and kicking.

This Sunday we play our last game of the season and then plan to celebrate with an "End of the Season" party to include TROPHIES!! I am so excited for the boys. They will be beside themselves over getting trophies.

Next up on the sports agenda....t-ball!!? (I think...you see, this is where Kimmy comes in).

Andrew and John were in the game together- both on the right.

Halloween

2010-11-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

This was our first Halloween in our new house, so we decided to go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. It's amazing how fast our Spiderman, Batman and Diego could walk in the beginning of the night but as the night wore on, Ashley and I did most of the work. Our neighborhood is big, so we brought the wagon along thinking Wyatt could ride home in that. As it turned out, Andy and John rode home in the wagon and Ashley and I took turns carrying Wyatt. We left a note at home for trick-or-treaters asking them to take a few pieces of candy.

(The next day I decided that the definition of lame is being sore from trick-or-treating.)

The boys had such a good time, but Ashley and I had just as much fun as they did just watching their excitement.

I can remember going trick-or-treating with my brother as a young child; I have no idea what either of us dressed up as, but I will never forget how excited I was to walk around the neighborhood with him. It was so awesome to see that bond between Andrew and John as they settled on who would ring the doorbell at each house.

When we got home and I was rocking Wyatt before bed he said, "Mama, this was the best Halloween EVER!" I agree.

SC State Fair

2010-11-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

John on the motorcycles
Andrew and Wyatt riding together Getting ready to feed the animals
Cotton candy!!
Andy on the race cars!!
The fair was a huge hit this year...we all had a blast! John and Andrew are not afraid to ride anything. Wyatt would not be either, if only he were tall enough. This is how we kicked off fall! What a wonderful start to the season.

Home

2010-08-06T18:13:00.001-07:00

Our first home was a patio home in Chapin. Ashley and I were so happy to buy our first little place. It was brand new with new carpet and white walls. I have memories of watching "friends" and jogging around the neighborhood, Ashley always five feet in front of me. We had dinners for two. Life was simple.

In no time we wanted to move. We found a cute little house in Earlewood that we loved. It was old. Original hardwood floors. Bright walls. Tons of character. We re-did the kitchen together. We got two dogs. And a cat. We wished for kids. We realized we wanted something safer, so decided to move again.

We decided to build in Irmo. We loved our floor plan. We chose tile and granite, fixtures and grout. We hoped and prayed for a baby. We got two!!! Less than two years later, we got another baby!!! Our cat ran away. Our babies learned to walk. The days passed by...filled with noise and tears and smiles.

Here we go again. I still can't believe that we are moving, even though a month of packing should be enough to make it sink in. Next week we are heading for Lexington. Another older home this time (this seems to be a pattern). The week after we move we will celebrate our anniversary.

9 years
4 houses
3 boys
2 dogs
1 happy life

Happy 4th of July!!!

2010-07-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th by going to a water park for the day. We thought we were going to Nana and Papa's house for a cookout, but when we got there...THIS was waiting in the backyard.

The weather could not have been better and the boys had a WONDERFUL time playing on the water slide that Nana and Papa got them!! It is so awesome and will bring hours of enjoyment this summer. What an awesome day...

June Wrap Up

2010-07-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

June was a big month for our family for several reasons:

June 16th- my birthday....my birthday was wonderful thanks to my wonderful family and friends. I got so many nice cards, phone calls and gifts! Everyone made me feel very special. While I appreciate all the well wishes, next year it won't hurt my feelings if no one notices. I have decided that getting older is for the birds.

June 17th- My Dad's birthday...this was a milestone for him because he turned 65! The countdown to retirement has officially begun.

June 18th- Father's Day...we did not do much to celebrate but don't confuse the lack of celebration for lack of appreciation and love for the awesome Dad's in my life! I love you Ashley, Dad, Kenny, Granddaddy TE and David!

June 24th...My mom and Kenny's wedding anniversary. At 12 I was slightly self centered and more concerned with how moving was going to impact my life. The real impact on my life has been having a great step-dad who loves me and has always done everything he could to help me.

June 26th- Nana's birthday...we celebrated with a party at my mom's house. It was a wonderful night complete with good food, good cake and good company.

June was good...did I mention swimming??!?!?

The boys went on a field trip to Saluda Shoals and had a ball! They get to swim almost every day at school and are having the best time!

Little Signs

2010-06-01T20:07:00.001-07:00

Turn up your sound and watch what JD has learned at school. Ashley and I are so proud of him!!!

Happy Birthday Granny Meg!

2010-06-01T19:58:00.001-07:00

May 31st we celebrated a special lady. My brother and I put our heads together and planned a birthday get-together for our family at his house in Chapel Hill. Since her birthday fell on a holiday weekend, it was a great time for us to take a little road trip. So, one mom, two kids, and six grandchildren got to spend some quality time together.

My brother made an amazing birthday meal for my mom and she had fun opening presents.

The cake was definitely a hit with the kids! 39 looks great on Granny Meg!

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you and hope that you have a wonderful year.

Gilfillan Family Vacation

2010-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Typically we do not go on vacation until August. Ashley and I got married in August so for the past 8 years we have coordinated our vacations around our anniversary. This year, thanks to planning by Sandra and Will, we went on vacation early!

We had such a wonderful time; the weather was gorgeous- not too hot (as it often is in August) and the sun was out every day. We hung out at the pool, at the beach, at the playground and the Veteran's Memorial park. The week went by faster than we wanted it to, but we were so happy to get to spend a week with the boys and Ashley's parents relaxing (sort of) and having fun.

The boys are ready to go back!

Complimentary Competition

2010-05-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Twins = competition. A and J constantly compete over who can run faster, talk louder, get dressed first, turn off the light first, walk down the stairs faster...you get the picture. So yea, there is a lot of free competition around here.
But that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about compliment mama competition- my favorite!!!

J: "Mom, I love your shirt!"
A: "I love your shirt and your shorts!"
J: "well I love your shirt. And your shorts. And your hair!"
A: "I love you shirt. And your shorts. And your hair. And your whole face.
J: "I love your whole self!!"

This is one sibling rivalry that I love hearing. The sweet compliments the boys give me are so sincere and innocent. Makes me feel so loved.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

This year I celebrated my fourth Mother's Day!! Ashley and the boys made me feel so special. I am so lucky to be a mom, but also to have my mom, grandmother, mother-in-law, and grandmother-in-law all so close by and so actively involved in my life and in the lives of my boys.

Bald is Beautiful

2010-04-25T18:44:00.001-07:00

Andrew was helping me put away laundry and here's how the conversation went:

"why doesn't Daddy have hair?"
"well sometimes when people grow up they lose their hair."
"and then they cut it?"
"well daddy shaves his entire head now but he lost his hair."
"but not me and you, right mama?"
"not me but I'm not sure about your hair, honey. your hair might fall out like daddy's when you grow up."
"AWESOME!!!"

Nasty Dirty

2010-04-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

My boys go to a preschool/daycare where they believe that "kids should be kids". For my three boys, that translates to playing in/sitting in/rolling in/eating (?)/pretending to swim in dirt. When I pick them up in the afternoons they are so dirty that you literally can not tell what color they are wearing. They are NASTY DIRTY.
Tonight I had to let the water out of the tub and start over not once, not twice, but THREE times.

So that left me wondering, how young is too young to shower??

Then I had a great idea for an invention!! A plastic shower curtain that has two arm openings/sleeves for a mom to stick her hands through to wash her kids.

Happy Birthday Boys

2010-04-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

April 10th we celebrated two very special boys! Believe it or not, Andy and John are 4!!!!

I wonder if their birthday will ever roll around when I do not think about the way these boys came into the world. I will probably always be that embarrassing mom crying at their birthday party when my memory takes me back to the day they were born. Beautiful then, so tiny and fragile. Beautiful now, so vibrant and energetic. I can not wait to see what the next year has in store for these two!

They have come so far..

The worst thing about boys...

2010-03-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

...is cleaning the bathrooms. I honestly think the boys must stand facing away from the potty. That's all I can come up with.

Handsome Boys

2010-03-25T19:19:00.001-07:00

Here the boys are modeling their new Easter clothes. John and Andrew were a little more cooperative than Wyatt...but you get the idea! :)

So Thankful

2010-03-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last week my dear friend sent me this forward. Very few email forwards touch my heart. I don't dislike forwards, but they typically don't move me to tears either. That's not the case for this forward. If you are a mother, and you are feeling at all emotional, don't keep reading. If you are feeling stable (or if you are a glutton for punishment) read on:

(Author unknown)

For the first time in a very long time, I am neither pregnant nor mothering a baby. My "baby" is now two years old. And with a certainty that takes my breath away, I suddenly understand why wise women always told me that the time would go so quickly. To be sure, I've had more "baby time" than most women. My first baby will be 16 in a few days. I still think it's over much too soon.This column is for mothers of infants and toddlers. I am going to attempt to do something I never thought I'd do: I'm going to empathize while not in your situation. My hope is that it is all so fresh in my memory that I can have both perspective and relevance.What you are doing, what you are living, is very difficult. It is physically exhausting. It is emotionally and spiritually challenging. An infant is dependent on you for everything. It doesn't get much more daunting: there is another human being who needs you for his very life. Your life is not your own at all. You must answer the call (the cry) of that baby, regardless of what you have planned. This is dying to self in a very pure sense of the phrase. And you want to be with him. You ache for him. When he is not with you, a certain sense of restlessness edges its way into your consciousness,and you are not at complete peace.If you are so blessed that you have a toddler at the same time, you wrestle with your emotions. Your former baby seems so big and, as you settle to nurse your baby and enjoy some quiet gazing time, you try desperately to push away the feeling that the great, lumbering toddler barreling her way toward you is an intruder. Your gaze shifts to her eyes, and there you see the baby she was and still is, and you know that you are being stretched in ways you never could have imagined.This all might be challenge enough if you could just hunker down in your own home and take care of your children for the next three years; but society requires that you go out - at least into the marketplace. So you juggle nap schedules and feeding schedules and snowsuits and car seats. Just an aside about car seats: I have literally had nightmares about installing car seats.These were not dreams that I had done it wrong or that there had been some tragedy. In my dreams I am simply exhausted, struggling with getting the thing latched into the seat of the car and then getting my baby latched into the car seat. I'm fairly certain anyone else who has ever had four of these mechanical challenges lined up in her van has had similar dreams. It's the details that overwhelm you, drain you, distract you from the nobility of it all.You will survive. And here is the promise: if you pray your way through this time, if you implore the Lord at every turn, if you ask Him to take this day and this time and help you to give Him something beautiful, you will grow in ways unimagined. And the day will come when no one is under two years old.You will - with no one on your lap - look at your children playing contentedly together without you. And you will sigh. Maybe, like me, you will feel your arms are uncomfortably empty, and you will pray that you can hold a baby just once more. Or maybe, you will sense that you are ready to pass with your children to the next stage.This is the place where nearly two decades of mothering babies grants me the indulgence of sharing what I would have done differently. I would have had far fewer obligations outside my home. Now, I see that there is plenty of time for those, and that it is much simpler to pursue outside interests without a baby at my breast. I wish I'd spent a little more time just sitting with that baby instead of trying to "do it all."I wish I'd quieted the voices telling me that my house had to look a certain way. I look around now and I recognize that those houses that have "that look" don't have these children. Rarely are there a perfectly-kept house and a baby and a toddler under one roof. Don't listen to the voices that tell you that it can be done. It should not be done. I wish I hadn't spent 16years apologizing for the mess. Just shoot for "good enough." Cling to lower standards and higher goals. I wish I'd taken more pictures, shot more video and kept better journals. I console myself with the knowledge that my children have these columns to read. They'll know at least as much about their childhoods as you do. I wish I could have recognized that I would not be so tired forever, that I would not be standing in the shallow end of the pool every summer for the rest of my life, that I would not always have a baby in my bed (or my bath or my lap). If I could have seen how short this season is (even if mine was relatively long), I would have savored it all the more. And I wish I had thanked Him more. I prayed so hard. I asked for help. But I didn't thank Him nearly enough. I didn't thank Him often enough for the sweet smell of a newborn, for the dimples around pudgy elbows and wrists,for the softening of my heart, for the stretching of my patience, for the paradoxical simplicity of it all. A baby is a pure, innocent, beautiful embodiment of love. And his mother has the distinct privilege, the unparalleled joy, of watching love grow. Don't blink. You'll miss it.

It would be a good idea to just print and carry this in my pocket and re-read it every time my patience wears thin or I look around at the absolute disaster also known as my den. A little reminder to take it all in.

One of my current "favorite things" is the reaction I get from my boys when I pick them up at the end of the day. I know the day will come where they are "too cool" to run to Mama, but now when they see my car, they drop what they are doing, forget their friends and yell for me with such excitement that it practically brings tears to my eyes. What a feeling! I am so thankful.

Let it Snow

2010-03-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

The boys finally got the chance to play in snow, however Ashley and I were in Charleston celebrating Valentine's Day like two adults! Thankfully, the boys got to enjoy the snow and we got pictures from Granny Meg and Pop (who kept the boys while we went out of town)! Wyatt was the only one who did not love the snow. Maybe next year? (Or next time it snows again...which may be when he's in middle school).

Blogger's Block??

2010-03-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

I am not sure what has caused my blogger's block, but it has been a long time since I have taken the time to post anything new about what's been going on around here. It's definitely not been from lack of material. Since my last post we had snow, my baby turned 2, we've attended several fun birthday parties and the boys just sang in big church this past Sunday.

The hardest thing for me to believe is that P is actually 2. That's even harder to believe than the 6 inches of snow that fell on Columbia. Where in the world does the time go? Almost all the fat is gone from his thighs now. He speaks in sentences and rides a tricycle. It just seems like this summer when I put him in his pack-n-play with a few toys and he was content while the big boys played in the yard. Now he keeps up with them. Here's my little prince on his big day with "Daddy Terry"...

Look how much he changed since last year! (John has changed a lot too)!!

I hope the next year goes a little more slowly. I am not ready for the baby in the house to turn into a little boy....although I know it's coming.

(Smashing) Pumpkins

2010-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, I danced with my dad to Four Tops and Temptations. My boys rock out with their dad to something a little harder, but they have just as much fun!

Birthday Boy

2010-01-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

1. Awesome sense of humor
2. Beautiful smile
3. Gorgeous eyes
4. Good listener
5. Leader of our family
6. Hard Worker
7. Back rubber
8. Wyatt Rocker
9. Heart of Gold
10. Caring friend
11. Laughs at my jokes
12. Tickles us (literally)
13. Dances in the den with me
14. Takes the boys to breakfast
15. Bill payer
16. Mouse trapper
17. stress reliever
18. Winks at his family
19. Calls me at work
20. Stays up late with me
21. Always drives
22. Feeds the dogs
23. Puts together toys for the boys
24. Cleans the house
25. Irons
26. Holds my hand at the movies
27. Makes me CDs
28. Pumps gas
29. Thanks me for dinner ( if it's good or not)
30. Gave me three beautiful sons
31. Taught me to budget (I try)
32. Sits on the beach with me even though he really doesn't want to
33. Gives the best hugs
34. Shares his dreams with me

Those are just a few things I love about Ashley (in no particular order).
Happy 34th, New Year's Baby!

Christmas 09

2009-12-28T19:32:00.001-08:00

We started our celebration on the 18th in Gastonia visiting with my dad, step-mom, brother, sister-in-law, nephews, and niece as well as some of David's dear friends. Thankfully my step mom took some pictures because we somehow managed to let Christmas come and go without taking very many pictures (and none posed!). Note to self: don't let that happen next year.

We had a great time celebrating with both of our families and of course, Santa paid a visit to the boys. I was convinced more than once that they had landed on the naughty list, but Santa took pity on them at the last minute. (I would have never done that!) :)

Andrew and John got new bikes...big boy bikes that look like motorcycles. Wyatt got a blue plasma car. So far the bikes haven't gotten much use, but the plasma car has gone round and round the downstairs of the house over and over and over and over...

As soon as it warms up a bit, the boys will get to enjoy their bikes more.

Two other big hits were stomp rockets from Granny Meg and Pop (one is already stuck on the neighbor's roof) and fishing poles (play ones with magnetic bait and minnows that allow the boys to catch a bass) compliments of Nana and Papa!!

Next birthday celebration on the horizon: Ashley turns 34 in less than a week.

Breakfast with Daddy

2009-12-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

When the big boys were somewhere between 18 months and two, Ashley began a tradition of taking them to breakfast once a week. Every Friday from then on, the boys have taken turns going to breakfast with their Dad. It is the topic of MANY conversations and almost as many fights at our house. The boys always want to discuss whose turn it is that week and Ashley and I have gotten to the point where we really need to start keeping a calendar to make sure that each boy gets their proper turn. Apparantly raising children and memory loss are correlated!

This week our baby bear got his first turn at going to breakfast with his dad! They went to Krispy Kreme naturally, since P adores doughnuts.

I can not believe that my baby is old enough to enter the rotation, but I am also happy about his most recent rite of passage. I'm most happy that I am married to such a wonderful father who takes the time to bond with his boys in such a special way!

Check out the hat!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-28T18:38:00.001-08:00

It's so hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving 2009 has already come and gone. Our family had a great holiday that started on Tuesday night at church. The boys were all set to perform at the FBC Thanksgiving dinner. We practiced, talked about walking on stage, had the cheering section in attendance (Ashley, Nana, Papa, Granny, me). The only thing missing was the singing. When the preschool choir was called up on stage, John immediately started crying. I had to stay on stage with he and Andrew. I'll be sure to look nice for our next performance- just in case.

Wednesday my brother and his family arrived in Columbia (at my mom's house) and that night we had some family and friends over for an oyster roast. There were 11 kids under 6 here. You can imagine the noise level. It was a great way to kick off the holiday and spend time with our loved ones.

Thursday morning we all (my mom and step-dad, brother's family and of course the 5 G's) headed to Nana and Papa's house for Thanksgiving dinner. This was the second annual Chapin Thanksgiving with my mom, step-dad and brother and his family there; it was wonderful. Ashley and I are so fortunate that our families all get along so well and enjoy being together. It certainly makes holidays much less stressful for he and I and it allows the boys to spend holidays surrounded by everyone who loves them (at once). Thanks for a wonderful day, Sandra and Will! You are awesome.

Seated at the kid's table- Wyatt, Thomas, Lucy, Isaac

Friday morning I got up at 3:30 AM to go shopping. That is something I have never done before, but it might be the start of a new tradition. Who knew there would be a line wrapped around Belk's at 3:45 AM?? I got Ashley and I each a goodie and the rest of my shopping was focused on the boys.

Later that day (actually still relatively early but it felt like late in the day to me since I had been up for hours) we met at the zoo. Visiting the zoo the day after Thanksgiving is another holiday tradition that we all love. The kids enjoy the zoo so much and it's nice to walk off a few calories.

The boys (minus P) all posed on the baby elephant.

(L to R) Andrew, Thomas, Lucy, Wyatt, John and Isaac

Today we finished out the holiday weekend with a huge win over Clemson! Go Gamecocks. I rarely wish I was at a football game, but I truly hated that I did not get to see this one in person. Ashley was so happy!!

Tomorrow is our last day of rest before it's back to the grind. I have a sneaking suspicion that "Elfie" (from Elf on the Shelf) may show up tonight! The boys are at the PERFECT age for all of the holiday excitement. It makes me feel like a kid again! More pics-

John and Isaac coloring

Wiffle Ball game
Sweet P playing piano

i heart iphone apps

2009-11-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

Ashley is actually the one who hearts iphone apps! I heart cool pictures of my bears taken by the man i heart the most!!!

Funny Boys

2009-11-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

I do not want to forget some of the funny (sometimes demanding) things that my boys say.
Here are couple of chuckles I got from them this week:

Driving in the car:
Andrew: "Mom, I want to watch Care Bears."
Me: "Well Andy I can not put it in right now because I am driving."
Andrew: "But Mom, I WANNA WATCH CARE BEARS!"
Me: "Andy, yelling is not the way to get you want, but I can't put a video in right now anyway because I am driving."
Andrew: "Yes, you can. Just pull over up here."

I tried not to let him see me smile. Seriously? Did my three year old just tell me to pull over to put in his video???

Upstairs in the playroom:
I was tired of the constant bickering but also trying to keep things in perspective after a day of being referee.
John and Wyatt were fighting over matchbox cars (again).

Me: "Boys, if you can not share then (me thinking of something I am going to follow through on and not wanting to make a big ordeal out of it)...I don't even know what to say."
John: "I know what to say! Wyatt, you need to go to bed!"

Good one, John. He caught me smiling over that comment. Very funny!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2009-11-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

Having three boys less than two years apart means that there is a LOT of copying going on at our house. If one jumps off the couch, two are sure to follow. If one want to be held, they all want to be held. Wyatt is particularly famous for copying everything that his big brothers do.

Last week while I was making dinner, I busted Andrew sneaking chips. (Notice the batman mask and Cookie Monster undies!!)

Less than five minutes later, another little monkey was in the chip bag too!

Getting Ready for Halloween

2009-10-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

October has been a big month for the boys. They sang in big church, attended a couple birthday parties, went to a Halloween carnival at their new school and picked out pumpkins. Tomorrow they go to Harmon's with their school friends and Nana is going along for the field trip. So exciting.

Here I am with a little Lion, Diego and Batman. I am pretty sure Batman is picking his nose in this picture.

On October 11, the boys sang in big church. Our whole family was beaming with pride. As long as Ashley and I have been coming to FBC, I have been dreaming of the day when our child(ren) would be performing in church. It was so unreal to see them singing the songs that they have been practicing every week.

We were not sure what made Andrew decide to sit down, but we were just thankful that he stayed on stage.

The boys picked out their own pumpkins.

Here they are posing outside Granny Meg's house...it's so hard to get a picture of everyone smiling.

(Check out John's McQueen boots...those will show up again in another post)

First Carolina Game

2009-10-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we took the boys to their first Carolina game! Go Gamecocks!!!

Driving Lessons

2009-09-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh! I fear that this is just the beginning...

Our Cubbies

2009-09-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Two verses down:

"God is Love."
"God created the Heavens and the Earth"

Many more to go...

Preschool

2009-09-15T18:57:00.001-07:00

Two and half years ago, Heather started keeping these two boys.

A year and half later, she added one more to the bunch.

Friday the boys leave the only non-family member who has ever kept them and start "big boy school" for the first time on Monday morning. It's exciting and scary all at the same time.

All three boys will be in separate classes...the three who have spent no more than a day apart here and there when sickness kept one or two home with Nana or Granny Meg.

It's so hard for me to imagine them walking into different classrooms when I am so used to seeing them walk up the stairs to Heather's house...together.

It's even harder for me to find the words to thank her for all that she has poured into our children.

All the fuss

2009-09-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today I went to CNN.com's "Latest News" and started going down the list of recent newsworthy events.
# 2 and 3 of the list of 20 or so things were related to Obama's address to students today.

A couple of quotes caught my attention:

In the past week, news of Obama's speech had upset some parents.
"Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me," suburban Colorado mother Shanneen Barron told CNN Denver affiliate KMGH last week, before the text of the speech was released.

Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer accused Obama last week of trying to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."

I do not understand all the fuss BEFORE anyone even heard the speech (or read it). I think that this sort of flippant attitude and disrespect for our country's President is ridiculous and embarrassing.

The speech turned out to be a call to study hard, do well in school, and do your best...certainly things that Obama has done...as painful as that may be for some to admit.

Weekends with Grandparents

2009-09-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Growing up my brother and I would often spend the weekend with our grandparents. David and I would eat our favorite foods, go for drives (my granddad let us driving under age), eat junk and stay up late. Inevitable we would fight and my grandmother would offer to pay us if we would be quiet! I am so glad to have those memories of weekend trips to the mountains where David and I would go down sliding rock together. I'd almost pass out from the cold water but my brother would manage to keep us both afloat and then we would do it all over again.

Thankfully we live close enough to all of our family that our boys can have close relationships with their grandparents. They say there is nothing like a mother's love, but I think a grandmother's love may be the exception.

Two weekends ago, Ashley, the boys and me all went to Goose Creek to spend the weekend with my Granny Meg and Pop! We visited the aquarium, ate out and went swimming in the community pool. The boys got to stay up late, watch movies and play with new toys that my mom had picked up for them. My mom and I even went shopping while the boys napped and it was so nice to get out together; we had not done that in a long time.

Wyatt loves Honey.

Granny Meg and Pop pose outside the aquarium with all the boys (facing the sun).

We had just enough time to do laundry and pack our bags again before we headed off for another fun weekend, this time with Ashley's parents. Our party of 7 checked in at the Yacht Cove Resort (after a minor hiccup with our online reservations that added an hour to check in) Friday night around 8:00 PM and then headed out to dinner. (Note: Wyatt goes to bed at 8:00!) It was a late for us all, but the boys did very well. Saturday we woke up to a gorgeous day; Will and Ashley played golf while Sandra and I took the boys to the beach. They love all things dirty. The boys made sand angels and had a ball playing in the water and looking for shells. I am still getting sand out of their ears.

Sunday and Monday were not as sunny, but we still had a wonderful time together shopping and eating (I think I gained 5 pounds). It was such a blast and was it very hard to come back to the real world of work (getting there on time), laundry, cooking dinner and bedtimes.

We are so lucky to have such involved parents who love our children as much as we do.

Shopping with the boys...Wyatt had had enough at this point.

Sleeping beauty!Nana and the boys!This is a 50 year old turtle. Did you know that these turtles live to be 110+ years old and continue to grow throughout their lives???
Lovebirds...after all the years. :)

Wyatt's well visit

2009-08-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

On August 19th, Wyatt had his 18 month well visit.

He is in the 50% for height at 25 pounds 8 ounces and 75% for height at 33 inches tall.

Some of my favorite things that he says:

"mama, hold me"

"love lou" (love you)

"nigh nigh" (night night)

Wyatt's favorite thing to say:

"NO!"

Where does the time go??

2009-08-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

1996.

I decide that the thought of moving home for the summer cramps my style. My parents decide that footing the bill for my summer (if I'm not taking classes) cramps their style. Fair enough. I can get a job.

I'll wait tables. Who cares that I have never done it before?? There is training, right?

Yes, sure there is! Ashley will be your trainer. I was expecting a girl named Ashley, but could not have been more wrong.

So there you have it. The "girl" I was expecting to train me turned out to be the cutest guy I had ever seen with the bluest eyes imaginable. I was swooning.

What started as a crush turned into a proposal...although it took patience on my part.

August 18, 2001.

I marry that wonderful guy and begin my life as a Gilfillan.

8 years and 3 children later I could not be happier.

I just do not understand, where does the time go??

Triple Stroller

2009-08-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Man, I would love a triple stroller, but have you priced those things? Ridiculous.

The time to get a triple stroller would have been right when Wyatt was born. When we had three under two. When everyone was in diapers. The problem is that when you have three in diapers, you typically do not have an extra 700.00 bucks to blow on a stroller.

My next stroller wish would be a twin jogging stroller; it needs to have a bench seat though so I can squeeze my three into a space for two. This plan would save me a couple hundred bucks and would allow me to take my boys on walks that are actually fast enough to count as exercise.

The reality is that no one (including Wyatt) wants to stay in a stroller long enough anymore to make it worth the still very expensive price tag for a twin jogger (if I could even find one with a bench seat).

So when everyone wants to ride....we improvise!

Vacation Part II

2009-08-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

The second half of our week was spent in Edisto. The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time. Ashley was able to join us Thursday and Friday which made the week complete!

Panoramic view of the beach

Wyatt playing in the sand
John coming out of the ocean...if you have a child who needs assistance swimming, this swimmie is the best flotation device ever invented. Unlike a life jacket, which pushes a child's head forward, this supports their neck and chest in the front and allows the child to "swim". This discovery (thanks to Libby Tucker) allows us to take the kids swimming without an extra adult.

Andrew having fun with his watering can.

The last day we were in Edisto, we decided to drive to Charleston for the afternoon. It was an hour drive through the most rural parts of South Carolina that I have ever seen. The boys loved Charleston too. They were troopers while we walked all over downtown. We did have to stop to rest our feet a few times.

Last stop...the fountain! The boys LOVED it. I can not wait to take them back.

It was a great week. I am hoping for a repeat over Labor Day...or any random weekend.

Vacation Part I

2009-08-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

Our family just wrapped up a two part vacation that consisted of half a week having fun in Columbia and another half a week having fun at the beach. "Our family" is actually a stretch because Ashley worked most of the week, but it was wonderful for me to be off work.

Saturday our fun started with a visit from Granddaddy Terry and GG.

We washed the car, went to visit my Granna Ann, visited the zoo and Saluda Shoals Splash Pad. I could not have asked for a better start to my week off with the bears.

Andy was not really interested in helping. John was a worker, Wyatt had fun splashing and Andy spent a lot of time letting us know how displeased he was with the whole thing.

We got to see the vultures at feeding time. The zookeepers fed them raw meat of some kind. I like sushi and all, but it was NAS-TY!!

Brotherly Love

2009-08-03T18:39:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the boys are so sweet. Our little angels. Giving hugs and kisses, professing their love for each other and mommy and daddy. They even hold hands on their own.

Playing catch up

2009-07-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

I am not sure where the time has gone but between work and everything else, the time has gotten away from me. Since my last post the big boys have completed their swimming lessons, we've gone to the pool with friends, a birthday party at Monkey Joe's, celebrated July 4t by attending celebration of liberty and also a cookout at Nana and Papa's house.

Tomorrow we leave for Chapel Hill to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday. How did that happen??? My parents are supposed to be 40, not my brother.

Here are some recent pictures:

More later...they are taking too long to load.

Father's Day

2009-06-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Father's Day should be relaxing and restful. It should be a day where your children listen and you feel appreciated and loved for all the you do for them 365 days a year. Father's Day should be a day filled with good food, you should watch what you want on TV, and everything should go your way.

Father's Day at our house was not exactly what it should have been. It included whining, fighting, more whining, pants wetting, and hitting (all before church). It also included gifts that need to be returned, complaining, Noggin watching, temper tantrums, time outs and laundry.

Ashley, even though it was not the best day, we love you and hope that you know that you are the best dad and husband we could ever ask for.

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Andrew and John started swimming lessons tonight. They are taking lessons from a girl who gives private lessons at her house. I just found out tonight that she teaches lessons in order to pay for college. How impressive. You have to respect someone who, at age 20, has the maturity to work themselves through school. That makes the price a little more palatable, as does the ease with which they went to bed tonight.

When we arrived, Sarah was wrapping up another lesson. The boys were clinging to me like little koala bears. They wanted nothing to do with Sarah. It did not take long though and she had them jumping to her, practicing kicks, paddling and putting their face in the water. John, as usual, wanted to please her and did everything that she said to do. Andrew was his usual self as well. When asked to practice his kicks he said in his most put upon voice, "Acck Miss Sarah, I already did that!"

The boys already made progress in one lesson; in two weeks I hope to have two doggie padddlers on my hands.

29 again

2009-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Me. Today I turned 29...again. Same as last year, and the year before and yea...you get the picture. My goal is to forget how old I actually am.

My birthday celebration actually started yesterday when Ashley asked me to leave work early! I thought we'd go on the lake for a quick boat ride and be at Heather's by 5:30 or 6:00 to pick up the boys. That would have been awesome because we never get to hang out on the lake. Of course, Ashley always makes things **extra special** for me, so he worked it out so that his mom would go get the boys. That meant our short boat ride turned into hours on the water and a late dinner at my favorite place, Miyo's! We had a wonderful time looking at the houses on the lake, talking about old times, and hanging out when the idea to wake board hit me. This is something that I have not done since having kids. Not a smart idea for someone wishing to forget how old they are. "Stiff" does not even begin to describe my back and shoulders as a result of this decision....but it was fun.

Today I slept a little late (present #1) and then had a great day getting numerous phone calls and gifts from friends and family. My mom took me to lunch at Brix and then we went to Ann Taylor together where I got an awesome new shirt (in addition to the gifts she had already given me which were too much)!! I returned to work to an ice cream cake and singing!!

Several phone calls and emails wishing me happy birthday later, I was off to get the bears. Tonight was Andrew and John's first swimming lesson (more on that later).

When I got home Ashley surprised with me gifts from the boys. He also made me a candy cake with candles. The boys helped me blow them out, of course.

What a special birthday.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many loving people who make me feel very loved.

Saluda Shoals Park

2009-06-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

One of the highlights of our weekend was a trip to Saluda Shoals Park. This was the boys first trip to the splash pad and all three of them LOVED it!

Wyatt did not wear his bathing suit but as you can see, that did not keep him from enjoying the water.

John climbed on the jungle gym beside the splash pad.

The boys waited anxiously for the water to squirt them again!

Wyatt got worn out rather quickly.

The big bears went back and forth between the playground and the water.

Squealing!

We had to take P's wet clothes off for the ride home. Look at those legs!

Pete and Repeat

2009-06-11T18:53:00.001-07:00

Our older boys repeat everything. Actually, I am wrong, they mostly repeat the things that we do not want them to repeat. They don't repeat the pleases, thank yous, sirs and ma'ams nearly as often as we'd like.

Like most families, Ashley and I have taken to spelling to each other in order to have conversations that are ours alone. We spell things we do not want repeated and spell out conversations that are too mature for little ears. Car accidents, deaths, hospitalizations...we spell it all...the operative words anyway.

So tonight at dinner, I spelled a cuss word to Ashley. (You know, for effect). Well guess what?? A little parrot to my right spelled it right back not once, not twice, but THREE times.

How does that happen when they can not remember the spelling of their own four letter names?

Maybe it's time for Ashley and I to start signing.

Last Night's Compliments

2009-06-11T18:44:00.001-07:00

From Andy:

Hugging me he said, "Mama, you're my sweet baby!" (Wonder where he has heard that)?

From John:

"Mama, I like your outfit. Your pants are very skirty." ( I had on a skirt).

Happy Birthday Granny Meg

2009-06-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Granny Meg's birthday; I am not sure if she turned 63 or 36 but we had a great time helping her celebrate. Sunday night our 5 showed up at her house with Chinese for dinner and had dinner, cake and ice cream and presents. Below you can see her pretty cake and gorgeous flowers that my brother sent her.
Mom (aka Granny Meg) and the boys

Wyatt decided to put his hand in the icing!

Andrew supervising Pop as he sets up the candles.

And finally, my favorite picture: Andrew helping Honey clean up under Wyatt's chair. What are we going to do with this child?

Mom, I love you very much and was so happy to spend your birthday with you. Have a wonderful year!

Memorable Memorial Day

2009-05-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

John on his bike

Boys in the golf cart

Boys at the park with a little friend they met

Andrew in need of some "chopsticks" for his chapped lips

Boys hugging

Boys racing

Ash, Terry and P

7 hours away from Columbia is my dad's retirement home in Florida. Chances are that if you have watched many golf tournaments, you have seen where he is moving...when he retires in a couple of years.

The Villages is a golf community complete with cart paths all over the city, live entertainment 365 days a year rain or shine, golf courses, pools, rec centers, town squares, etc. The amenities go on and I can not name them all,so I will stop here.

We arrived Thursday night with 3 weary children, 5 bags, 2 bikes, and 1 potty and officially began our weekend on Friday morning.

We had a great time riding gold carts, going swimming, playing at the park, riding bikes, checking out the gators, dancing at the town square, eating ice cream and other various treats, and most importantly spending time with my Dad and Gail.

We had a not as great time breaking up fights, pulling the boys out of the water fountains/flower beds/off stage, keeping them from climbing every structure that they could get their feet on, and listening to some whining.

That is all par for the course though (no pun intended).

One VERY special thing happened while we were on vacation: P bear started walking. He is officially a toddler now. We were all so proud of him!! Yeah Wyatt!

Wyatt's well visit

2009-05-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

Our baby is 15 months old today. He had his 15 month well visit this morning which turned out to be one of the few "well" well-visits that he has ever had.
It turns out that P is in the 50th % for weight at 25.1 and a whopping 95th% for height.
Daddy's best shot at a basketball player.
Is he walking? No.
Has he given up the bottle? No, not totally.
The doctor went on to tell me that I can start giving time outs now (FOR WHAT?) and said that we would probably start to see temper tantrums soon. According to our doctor, it's very important not to do anything to encourage that behavior (AND LET MY BABY CRY?) and that we should try to encourage him to move away from infancy.

3 shots later and we were leaving. Me and my baby.
Passy in the mouth, cellulite on the legs, just like I like 'em.
He's probably my last, so I am hanging on to the baby in P (with all my might).

Sorry Dr. Castles.

For all you Blues Clues Lovers...

2009-05-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Friday night we pulled up behind a white truck with a huge Tiger paw on the back window.

John (from the backseat), "Look Mama, a clue, a clue, an orange clue!!"

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Perfect Day:

Wake up late (thank you, Ash).

Only change one diaper (thank you, Ash).

Open 4 of the sweetest cards I've ever read (thank you, Ash).

Eat cinnamon crisp bagel from Panera (thank you, Ash).

Take my time getting ready (thank you, Ash).

Go to church carrying a pimp new hand bag that I L-O-V-E (thank you, Ash).

Eat amazing lunch to which I made no contribution (thank you, Ash and Will).

Sit on the couch while my kitchen gets cleaned (thank you, Ash).

Take a nap while the boys run errands (thank you, Ash).

Eat dinner outside at Which Wich (thank you, Ash).

Thanks Ash for making my Mother's Day so special. I love you and the boys.

Highlight from Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, after a wonderful day at the lake with Ashley's parents, we stopped by Publix on the way home. All five of us rarely go to the grocery store together.
Ashley had John and Wyatt in the cart in front of me and Andrew, unable to walk (no surprise to anyone) was hanging on my side like a little koala.

Just as I was signing the receipt, Andrew looked at the cashier and said in his precious little voice, "I tooted. I just tooted!"

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Potty Update...in case you care :)

2009-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Andrew has been dry all week!!
John has had about 10 accidents total all week!!

I am really proud.

Now, if we can just master #2.

Things I'll Miss

2009-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

1. baby breath so sweet I could kiss Wyatt's gums.
2. being begged for "one more hug and one more 'tiss'" before bed (stalling).
3. high pitched singing in the backseat
4. little feet, little hands, little clothes, little dimples...all things little

Our boys are growing up so fast. Where does the time go?

Boys

2009-05-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

Night and Day.
Frick and Frack.
Andrew and John.

They share a birthday, but not much else. One wants to please, one does what he pleases. We have been trying to get the boys to get into potty training for quite some time. John, the pleaser, tries and grins from ear to ear when he has success.
Andrew declares that he loves diapers and does not know how to potty.

I thought for sure that John would be potty trained months before Andrew even cared.

Turns out that you offer the right piece of chocolate, magic things happen.
Andrew went all day without having an accident today. He made up his mind that he is staying dry and that is that...(for today).
We will see what tomorrow holds.
Cross your fingers!!

Questions about swing sets answered

2009-04-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have gotten some questions since my last post about the swing set that Ashley built, so I thought I would give more specifics on it.
The swing set we got was a DIY kit from Wal-mart. It does not have monkey bars. I called around about various swing sets and found many nice ones that started at $1200.00 and went up from there.
Umm, yea. Pigs will fly before we spend that kind of loot on a swing set, not that they are not super cool and all, but seriously.

We got ours at Wal-mart; it was 400 bucks and some change. It took a long, long time to put together. Had Ashley known the work it would have taken, they might have gotten a different present, but I think at the end of it all he is glad that he did it. The appreciation on the boys' faces makes the work worthwhile (easy for me to say since I didn't really help).

It will be with us for a really long time and it makes my heart smile every time I pull into the driveway because when the twins were born we truly didn't know if our boys would have some limitations.

If any husbands are interested in specifics, ask Ashley. He did it all.

Making the List

2009-04-16T19:09:00.001-07:00

This morning on the way to work the DJ's on 104.3 were talking about a list (recently published in some magazine) of things that every MAN needs to know how to do. Carve a turkey. Jump start a car. Put a dying animal out of its misery. Change a tire.

Check, check, check (although I can not think of an example), check.
My man can do all that!
However, they left one off: Build a swing set!!

CHECK!!

Ashley built the twins the most wonderful swing set for their third birthday. It boasts a yellow slide, three swings (one for each boy), a fort, a ladder/climbing wall combo, and a mini picnic table. Ashley spent 20+ hours working on it and I have never seen the boys more excited about any present in their lives. But they were not the only ones who were excited. My heart swells with emotion every time I think about the masterpiece sitting in our backyard.

This was my dream of parenthood: Ashley. Me. Our kids. All outside smiling and laughing together playing on a swing set. So far away from the tubes and monitors that defined our experience as parents just three years ago. It's amazing how far they have come. It is also amazing to me how blessed I am to not only have three healthy sons in my life, but to also have a man who cares enough to build them a swing set...making all of our dreams come true.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from the Gilfillan boys!

Articles Schmarticles

2009-04-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

According to John and Andrew, what do you call one (1) grown up?

A Dult

Nursery Rhymes

2009-04-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

I read part and the twins complete my sentences.

Me (singing): Baa Baa Black sheep, have you any wool?
Boys (half yelling): YES SIR, YES SIR THREE BAGS FULL!
Me: One for the master, one for the dame and one
Boys: FOR THE LITTLE BOY WHO LIVES DOWN THE DRAIN!

march madness: gilfillan weekend

2009-03-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Friday night we started our weekend by going out for dinner and then going over to our friend's Kim and Dan's house. Kimmy and I have been friends for nearly 20 years (ouch) and have gone through so many phases of life together. Now we are raising kids together and over 4 years we have had 5 boys. Kim and Dan (and boys) just moved back to Columbia and I could not be happier.

Saturday we got Easter pictures taken and then went over to Granny Meg and Pop's for a special birthday celebration! Pop turned 60! The boys were so happy to spend the evening celebrating Pop's special day.

We had a wonderful dinner. Even though it was Pop's birthday, I got the squash casserole that I requested. Ahhhh, nothing like a loving mother to make your favorite even when the dinner is not being served in your honor!

We all had cake and the boys helped Pop open presents. Wyatt did his own thing...which meant that he hung out with Honey dog!

Sunday afternoon we went to an Easter egg hunt at my mom's neighborhood clubhouse! The Easter Bunny even came (thank you Pop). John and Andrew had no idea that Pop was the Easter Bunny; it was very cute and innocent! Kim also brought her boys, Charlie and Walker, and we all had a ball.

Now we are getting ready for our next big celebration: Andy and John's birthday!! Our little bears turn 3 on April 10th.

Grudge Holder

2009-03-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was recently reading a friend's blog about her daughter who forgives, but does not forget.
It reminded me so much of our precious Andrew.

One time MONTHS ago John "burned" Andy's foot in the tub by turning on the hot water. When this happened it was scary. It could have been bad, but luckily it wasn't. Andrew's foot was not even red and I think that my gasp in response to John turning on the water was the real cause for the tears over the "burn".

Now, anytime the subject of burns comes up, you can bet what Andrew will say next.
Me: "Andy, back away from the stove; I do not want you to get burned."
Andy: "like when John burned my foot."
Me: "Do not touch the faucet; you might get burned."
Andy: "Yea, like when John burned my foot with the wather" (His "t's" are pronounced as "th")

Fast forward...

Wyatt found a small bottle in one of the cabinets and the boys were playing with it. We talked about the fact that this was the first bottle that John and Andrew drank from when they come home from the hospital. They are aware that they were "tiny babies" when they were born and had to stay at the hospital for 2 months while the doctors and nurses took care of them.

For some reason though, last night Andrew got fixated on the fact that we left him there.

We went to run an errand and from the backseat I hear Andrew talking.
"Mama, you left me at the hospital and I was crying."
Me: "No Andrew. You and John were together. You were not crying honey."
"Mama, you left me."
Me; "Andrew, we had to leave you so you could get well at the hospital. Daddy and I cried though. "
"No mama, you left me at the hospital and I cried."

Great....I might be hearing about this for the rest of my life.

Dinner Talk

2009-03-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

While making dinner...

Me: "Andy, did you have a good day today."

A: "Yes, I did."

Me: "I am so glad, honey. Can I have a hug from you?"

A: "No, you can't because I have my hat on."

Me: "Okay, what about a kiss? Can I have a kiss?"

A: "Yes, you may."

Me: "Thank you! (Kiss, kiss) I missed you today, Andy."

A: "I missed Daddy."

Long pause....

A: "but I do love you."

Wow, I am really feeling the love!

So after dinner, while I clean up one end of the kitchen, here is what happens to the other end of the kitchen:

This is why I do not put a lot of time into cleaning my house...one of the reasons anyway. :)

Weekend Sun

2009-03-08T17:55:00.001-07:00

P bear chillin' in the stroller... As usual, John is climbing. This picture captures him climbing the fence on the side furthest from traffic. He actually tried to scale the divider between the walkway and the on-coming cars at one point.

Andy caught on a ride on "Daddy's head".

It's pretty hard to believe that schools were closed at the beginning of this week due to threats of snow.

Joe Dirt

2009-03-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

Merriam- Webster defines a mullet as:

a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the sides and top and long at the back.

P bear defines it as cute!

Friday Night Lights

2009-03-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

On Friday night I decided to take the boys to eat dinner with Granny Meg. Saturday she would be heading back to Charleston for a while and she had bought them some clothes that she needed to give me (thank you, Mom) so after work we headed to her house.

We went inside and the boys started pulling out toys, opening drawers, throwing balls...the usual.
We decided on Sun-Ming for dinner and thought that we would just eat there instead of bringing it home. It was still early enough to beat the crowd which meant that few people's meal would be impacted by the boys' behavior.

I start piling the boys back in the car. Snapping them into car seats.
"Who has my keys"
John: "I do." (click, click, click....he is playing with the key fob.)
Andrew and John both start begging for tv....aaaaaackk, we are never going to get to dinner.

Me: "okay, okay, but I have to turn the car on for the movie to play, so let me have the keys."

I stick the keys in the ignition and turn it half-way, not actually cranking the car but allowing the DVD player to come on.
Elmo in, boys happy, Sun-Ming bound.

I get out of the back and shut the door.
Go to the driver door.

It's locked.

"You have GOT to be kidding me...MOOOOOOOOOOOM- I just locked the boys in the car."

We decided that John could probably get out of his car seat, so we start trying to talk him through it. He starts crying out of frustration within 3 minutes. We go around to Andrew's side of the car and try to talk him through unhooking his car seat. He won't even attempt it.

By this point John and Wyatt are both sobbing. My mom says that we need to call 911.

"911. What is your emergency?"
Me: "Well I am not sure if you consider this an emergency, but I just locked my keys in the car with my three kids in there."
"Okay, ma'am. Can one of them unlock the door?"
me: "Uh, no. I have tried that."
"Okay, ma'am. What are their ages?"
Me: "Two are two and one is one."
"Two two year olds and a one year old?"
Me: "Yes, I am serious."
"Okay ma'am, I am going to connect you to Pop-A-Lock"

ring, ring, ring, ring

"Pop-a-Lock, can I help you?"
I explain the situation.
"Okay, it is going to be over an hour. We have 12 people in front of you."

I am thinking "Doesn't having three kids locked in the car move me up in the line?", but I did not say anything.
The 911 operator speaks over the Pop-a-lock person and tells me he is dispatching the police department. He verifies the address and says the they will be there shortly. We hang up.

A couple minutes pass. All three boys are howling at this point.

My mom and I pace around the car trying to calm them down but we only make things worse.

Then we hear the sirens. Here come 2 firetrucks. Several firefighters pile out of the trucks. My mom's neighbors start coming out of their houses. The firemen shine spotlights on the car and start trying to get the door open.

John and Andy are wide-eyed in the backseat. Poor Wyatt is still sobbing.

It takes about 20 minutes, but they finally get in the car. I grab my P bear first; he is pouring sweat and tears.
The big boys just want to get out and see the firetrucks. They give the firemen hugs and high fives and thank yous.

My mom and I thank them all profusely. I forgot to ask their names.

All the neighbors go home, P stops crying, and we pile back in the car.

This time I hold the keys.

Happy Birthday Wyatt

2009-02-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that this is was our little bear just one year ago today. He has grown up so much over the past year and been such a joy to our family.
We celebrated Wyatt's birthday by going out to eat Mexican and then coming home and enjoying some cupcakes and singing! He is going to have a little party on Saturday, but he had fun with just his mom, dad and brothers today. Tomorrow he is taking a cookie cake over to Mrs. Heather's house to share; he is definitely making the most of this milestone birthday.

We started his birthday by going for his one year well visit! Wyatt weighs 23 lbs 9 oz (55%) and is 31 inches long (87%). The doctor was pleased, and of course we think he is perfect.

Happy Birthday P bear. We all love you so much.

Bedtime

2009-02-17T18:00:00.001-08:00

For about 3 weeks the big boys have been acting really bad at bedtime. They get in bed without much fuss, but when it is time to actually go to sleep, the trouble begins.

Our problems range from the need for water, the need for hugs, kisses, the light on, the door open, a baby (stuffed animal), a different blanket, a diaper change.
Then we also have hitting, biting, pinching, pulling hair and spitting on each other. All these come together and the result is screaming from one or both of them that usually wakes up P and sends both Ashley and I into orbit.

What happened to my sweet little bears that kissed us goodnight and never made another peep?

After nights of time outs and spanks, I decided to make a sticker chart tonight. Our "Bedtime Bears" chart is hung on the fridge and every boy has a column. If they get a sticker every day for a week, they can chose a prize. Part of me is annoyed that I have to resort to this, but I am also pretty psyched that it is 9:07, they are quiet, and I am watching some AI.

I fear that this success may be short-lived, so I welcome advise if anyone has dealt with this.

Birthday Boy

2009-02-17T17:46:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow I celebrate the one year anniversary of the best surprise I have ever gotten.
An answer to my prayers.
The baby I never thought we'd have.
Tomorrow it's my P bear's birthday.

He has been such a good baby since the minute he was born. He has been a perfect addition to our family and I can not wait to watch him eat his first piece of cake.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T19:47:00.001-08:00

I get it.
Valentine's Day is a purely commercial holiday. Roses are over-priced, and dinner at any restaurant is crowded.
Even so, I am excited. My mom and step-dad are keeping the boys tomorrow night so that I get a night with my Valentine.
We do not have anything big planned, but it will be great. Dinner and conversation...probably about our three little Valentines.

I love you Ashley!

Names

2009-02-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

John and Andy are very into whole names. We name family members and they give us the person's whole name.

Tonight at the table:

Me: "Do you know Nana's name?
JD: "Sandra Woods Gilfillan" (Her maiden name is actually "Wood", but that is close so I give it to him)
Me: "Ok very good, what is Granny Meg's name?"
JD: "Meg Kalmbach"
Me: "Very good. What about Pop?
JD: "Kenneth Gene Kalmbach"
Me: "Good. What about Daddy?"
Andy: "Ashley Robinson Gilfillan" (No, but he is combining my name with Ashley's name, plus Robert and Robinson are similar, so I think that is pretty good).

I do not have time to correct him though; John beats me to it.

JD: "No Andy, it's Robrett Ashley Gilfillan"
Me: "Okay, what about Papa?"

Pause...

JD:"Wiggie Hills Gilfillan"
I just died laughing and did not even correct him. It was too cute to correct.
For some reason this still makes me die laughing, hours later.

In case you are wondering, Papa's name is actually Willie Higgins Gilfillan.

31 going on 20

2009-02-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

Recently I was talking to my friend Anna on the phone when her age came up. WHAT?? Really? Seriously? You're 36? Not that 36 seems old, but she just DOES NOT seem 36...
She said, "yea, 36 going on 27."
We laughed and agreed.
Since then I have decided that I am 31 going on 20.
Many parts of growing up have hit me. I am married, I have an adult house, an adult job, adult bills, and even three kids.
Somehow I still feel like a 20 year old.
My socks never match and I think bathroom humor is hysterical. I have been known to listen to loud rap...as recently as yesterday and I still speak in the same "gangsta" speak that I did in college. It's stupid, but it makes me laugh.

Given my ways, it should not shock me when my boys say things like "holla", right??!

Last night at dinner John stood up in his chair, waved his hands in the air and said, "P bear's in the hizzie. You're in the hizzie, Wyatt!!"

Ooof. Time to grow up. For me.

Still sick

2009-02-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

My poor bears are still sick. John is the only one who has gotten well since my last post.
Both Andrew and Wyatt are still fighting ear infections (same old one for Andrew and a new one for Wyatt). Poor P bear has had respiratory issues and now an ear infection, but nothing is worse than vomiting. I thought we had an enormous amount of laundry under normal circumstances.

Please keep us in your prayers.
I want all the boys to be well enough to celebrate Wyatt's first birthday in style.

Sick little bears

2009-01-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

Ashley and I spent the weekend nursing three little sickies.
Andrew and John: fever, coughing, ear infections, snotty, hoarse, crying
Wyatt: fever, coughing, wheezing, snotty, crying

It is so pitiful when all the boys are sick. Please say a prayer that they will feel better soon.

January 20th

2009-01-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

This morning I walked in the twins' room and said "Guess what? It is snowing!!"

John's response: "Oh, Did Santa come?"

No, but we did all enjoy the snow for a bit before it got too slushy; the big boys did not want to come inside (of course).

One of the best things about our "snow day" for me was watching the Inauguration.

Had it not snowed today I would not have gotten to watch the live coverage of this historical day. I am so excited for our nation.

Sweating the small stuff

2009-01-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

Every mom has read the emails forwarded to make us all feel good about not getting everything done. You know the ones. The "don't sweat the small stuff, I should have worried less about grass stains and played with my kids more, they are gone before you know it" emails.

I actually feel pretty good when I get those emails. I do not spend much time worrying about dinner, or grass stains and I DO NOT WORRY about cleaning my house. It's actually pretty bad.
Pretty bad by my standards. Very bad by most people's standards. Ooof.

Today I dusted. Even behind the TV. And I vacuumed. I also threw away a whole trash bag full of stuff in my bathroom. If I have a forth baby, I will just buy new nursing pads.

Maybe I can keep up with this....maybe.

11 months old

2009-01-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

P bear is 11 months today! Wyatt celebrated by eating rice and beans and half of a cheese quesadilla at Monterrey's after church today. We love this pumpkin so much and can not believe that he is closing in on his first birthday.

Counting

2009-01-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight Andrew counted the buttons on my sweater (with the biggest grin on his sweet face).

"One, Two, Free, Fowa, Five, Six, Eleven, Eight, Nine"

It was so darn cute that I could not correct him.

Special Request

2009-01-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

Ash drove my car to show property, so the boys and I get in Ashley's truck to run an errand.
I turn the car on and Andy makes his song request.
Not Elmo or Alvin and the Chipmunks.
He requests Jump Little Children.

This makes me think of Ashley and I going to see JLC at Rockafellas 10 years ago.
Good times.
Then and now.

Happy Birthday Tucker

2009-01-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

The boys are forced to share many things. They share our time, a room, a bed, clothes, the tub...the list goes on. They also share a best friend. His name is Jonathan Tucker. I guess since "John" and "Jonathan" sound so similar, the boys call him Tucker. Tucker stays with Miss Heather, so John and Andy spend every day with him. When it comes to the twins and Tucker, three is not a crowd. They love each other to death and have a ball together.

Saturday we celebrated Tucker's 3rd birthday at EdVenture. My boys had never been there so I had no idea what to expect. It was truly awesome. Next time my brother comes in town with his three kids, we will definitely go back.

Here are some pictures:

John in the car

John on the snowmobile in Snowville.

Wyatt playing with some plates in the playroom.

Andy and Tucker having fun in the car.

Andrew driving the tractor.

Sweet P. He was tired but never complained.

Thank you Tucker family for having such an awesome party at Edventure. We all had a blast.