Church

We have not gone to church many times with our whole family.  Like since the babies have been born, we've maybe all been there seven times, and a few of those were at holidays with one of our family.  We hate it, and are doing what we can to get to the point where we can all go.  Whenever we go, we try putting the babies in the nursery, and here is how it always goes:  They cling to us and scream, and then we finally put them down and sneak out, and we sit down in church (by this time we're 15 min. into the service), and we get paged out.  We both have to go out b/c one of us can't physically carry 3 of them out and they all want to be held.  Usually Derek starts the screaming, and when he screams, you never know if he lost a limb or if his brother took his nuk, or what.  But the world is ending!!  So he starts, and his brothers follow, so the poor nursery workers have 3 wailing toddlers.  I'd page us, too.  Sometimes we're both standing in the back of church 30 min. in to the service in which we've sat through the 5 min. offertory and we're wondering why we even tried!  We sometimes just leave.  Trying to settle them down and go back to nursery is pointless, and it's impossible to take them in to the service.

We're slowly making strides, though.  Tyler is now used to going to Children's Church, and goes pretty good every time, which seems like a big accomplishment.  Evan and I have been going every other week taking one baby, trying to get one at a time used to it b/c if they don't have their brothers there to freak them out with his screaming, we think maybe they'll do okay.  It seems so weird b/c I thought they'd do better since they're all together, but they just commiserate with each other instead!  Last week I took Andrew, and he didn't do well, but then I got to just hang out with him during the service, which was fun one on one time, which is so precious. This week Evan took Micah, and he did great!  So we've got one good one.  Our thought now is that if we can get Micah to nursery and Tyler to Children's Church, then maybe both of us can handle Derek and Andrew in the service together if they won't go to nursery.  Everything with us has to be strategized.  Everything.   Things most mom's don't ever have to think about, I spend a lot of time thinking on.  For example:  How do I get all four kids across the parking lot and in to the store safely?  How do we get Micah to nursery without his brothers being there b/c he will scream if they are there and don't have to stay in nursery?  How do I take the kids to the Washington Pavillion when the only parking is a parking ramp with no elevator?  I can't take the quad stroller down the steps.  How do I park at the zoo, get all four unbuckled and out of their seats, avoid anyone jumping into the drivers seat to "drive" which is ALL they want to do now.  There are 4 boys.  There is one steering wheel.  This is a constant problem!!  And then I still have to load them up into the wagon and get them in to the zoo.  There are a million things, and I have to be much more organized than I'd really like to be!  :)

Anyway....some recent pics:  Little Andrew. He is talking SO much and is saying the cutest things ever!  

Big boy Tyler...so handsome!

Micah.  He calls himself "Micah Man" now.  I took him grocery shopping yesterday, and I'd ask him to put items in to the cart, and every time he'd do it, he'd say in a really loud, kind of gruff voice, "Good Job, Micah Man!!!!!"  He's always cracking us up, and has such a cute demeanor!

 

Checking out a pineapple before bed...Micah, Andrew, Derek

Micah and Derek hugging.  So sweet.  They like to hug and give each other kisses when they're not trying to bite or hit each other!  Derek has definitely been pushing his limits the most.  He probably has about 10 time outs a day.  That's not a typo, unfortunately.

 Micah.  This is just how we roll at our house.  :)

 Dinner time!   This must be the beginning of dinner b/c the table is so neat yet!  It's usually just a matter of time before everyone's bowl is upside down, there is a bunch of food on the floor, and the sippy cups get whipped across the table.  Always an adventure!!  I seriously feel sometimes like I should have a web cam in my house sometimes so I could record the hilarious, intense, crazy life we live!