spring is in the air

post by mandy
we have gotten a few messages from our blogging service saying they are about to have major changes. i am currently trying to work out all this tricky technology stuff to still keep our readers happy. things have been interesting lately. First off let me just say that i need to acknowledge amy saying i was shopping for a new BFF. i would say that is a big fat lie. i would consider myself more of a playa in that arena. so i'm getting my stamper out and i'm stamping it "BULLSHIT" if i was looking for a BFF the #1 quality i am interested in is:

willing to move refridgerators or mountains for me. oh ya without complaining.

ok so they other day i bought a powerball ticket and spent $1 on a ticket. 30 min. later i went to get my eye brows threaded. Which by the way has become quite the damn expense with these monstrousities. anyway i was checking out and she said "$8 please" i almost said, " i will gladly trade you this winnning ticket in exchange for my $8 bill" i had a flash of me really having that winning ticket and her smiling on the news with my ticket in her hand all in exchange for threading my eyebrows. What a great news story. so i never suggested we switch. sometimes i will really say to bradley, " i will switch you all the money i have in my pocket for all the money you have in yours". i always lose. Because he has like ummm $2 and i have $200. so then i make him buy all of his own groceries and don't give him lunch money for 6 months so it all works itself out.
Man i just looked down and my socks and they are filthy. Amy just took Amanda and karley to the gas station to buy treats. Babies are sleeping. I'm obviously blogging. and bradley is at a friends house. yes i made him give me gas money to take him since he now has my $200. do you remember growing up how in order for you to take your friend to the mall or to taco bell. they had to give them gas money. especially if you didn't really like the friend. i told amy today in the car that it was really easy for me to forgive people that i liked. hello i obviously want to spend time with then. now if we don't like people then, HELLO just never forgive them for cutting the tomatoes wrong. easy enough they are outta your life. just like that. we got a big laugh outta of it. i got a good laugh outta something else today but i forget now. so i wonder to myself. Hmmm the people that are fussified and have sent us annonymous messages that we better blog OR ELSE i wonder if they are even still reading. Because have i really said anything?? Is this the kinda update you were really looking for or were you more interested in hearing about ummmm let's see ummmmmm hmmmmm you still with me??? according to the experts on blogging blogs should be short and only take a few minutes to read. i think i'm past my few minutes. and guess what????? i smell gas station treats.

We are back on track. Recap....Mandy's mom left town for the month of February. I started off to a really great start. I had the kids on a routine. Up at 7, breakfast and play, and down for nap at 10:30. Babies sleep for 2 hrs during their morning nap. Bradley gets on bus, goes to school, babies get up, and we do lunch. Repeat as needed....
Mandy's birthday was the 19th. We had people over, and by the end of the night the babies were really fussy. I just thought they were tired from being handled. The next day they were all sick and by Sunday at midnight I knew that Kennedy probably needed to go to the emergency room. She was admitted and was being treated for RSV and pneumonia. She was there for 5 days. My mom, my dad and Ron pretty much camped out at our house during the week to take care of Tillie, Harper, Kerry, Amanda and Bradley. We were all exhausted.
All babies are well now. We have recovered from most of our sleep deprivation. We are still hitting the sack pretty early. I promised Mandy that when her mom got home I was going to take a nap every day for a week. I haven't taken one yet. I feel like I am just playing catch up on things that I wanted to do.
We had lots of help during the month of February. Tina Miller came and hung out with me the first Monday. Dana came with some taco soup? It was good. Like a mexican chili. Kids really liked it. Suzanna (another quad mom) brought us dinner and the best darn oatmeal raisin cookies we have ever had. I have the recipe and will post it when I have nothing else to do. lol. My good friend Christina came and did laundry one day. Cindy came and did laundry when Kennedy was in the hospital. I had lots of great help. Thank you to all of you for your generosity and love during our hard times.
All our children are well now. It is nice to see them off the couches and running and playing and crawling and laughing. Life is good.
We have 4 teeth. Harper has none. Kerry and Tillie act like they want to walk. Kennedy is screaming and laughing. Tillie will tell us what she thinks in baby language. It's funny. Kerry can say "hi".
Amanda is doing Jump Rope for Heart tomorrow. She gave $10.00 of her own money to the cause. Bradley gave her $6.oo of his money. They are givers.
This weekend marks the 12th year anniversay of the first date Mandy and I went on. For fun, we have challenged the family to each pick a night to make dinner for the family. I made dinner tonight. I made french onion soup, pork roast, salad, chocolate covered strawberries. Mandy can't cook to save her life. She is looking at a hand full of recipe's right now. FUNNY HUH!
Last thing...we were having trouble with the babies getting up every couple hours of the night. I asked the quad mom who's kids are just a bit older than our what to do. We cut out any milk during the night. We ignore the cries. It took all of 2 nights, and no one gets up any more. The babies have been sleeping

tooth drama

Amanda came home with the tooth still in her mouth. She is patiently waiting for Mandy to pull it. We'll see if this really happens. LOL.

getting so good at nap time.

I have been alone now for almost 2 weeks. I have had some help, but very little. Let's just say, the babies are getting really good at nap time. I just walked back to the nursery with one baby in tow, and said to the others "come on".... hahahah, they followed me. I picked them up and put them in their cribs. 10 minutes of talking and gabbing and boom....down for the count! LOVE IT!
Today Tillie has a tooth coming through the gums. Amanda will come home without a tooth today. It was hanging on by a thread when she left for school. Mandy has always said she wanted to pull a tooth. She has even said she would pay $100 for it. Amanda woke up today and ran down to our room and said it was ready for pulling. Opened her mouth for Mandy and stood there SO BRAVE. Mandy said it wasn't ready because Amanda yelled ouch. Well yeah, of course your gonna yell ouch when your mom is pulling your tooth out. All talk and NO action! So if you have a loose tooth, don't believe Mandy will pay you. She couldn't even pull this one! HAHAHA

The house is a mess right now, but I am choosing to sit at the island and have some me time. I think that is what I miss the most about being home alone. I feel like I have been working non stop for 2 weeks. I am whipped!
I would like to go out for dinner tonight but darn it is so hard to do with 6 kids!
Valentine weekend is coming up. Kids are actually having their parties at school today. They couldn't wait to get there. Amanda bought pink pancake mix for the weekend. We have no plans to go out or exchange gifts this weekend, but stay home and spread the love with each other. Pink pancakes for breakfast, heart shaped grilled cheese for lunch. Heart shaped pizza's for dinner. Anyone have any other ideas on what we could do for the day?
Sending out our Valentine love to all of you!
The Sheckles Paul house!

Super Bowl Sunday

I am sitting here watching the babies. They are growing so darn fast. They are ten months old on the 5th of this month. Unbelievable how fast time flies. Kerry has a tooth. Tillie isn't really crawling anymore. She is crawking. She crawls with one leg and walks with the other. Anyday she will just go. They got a new toy yesterday from Nana. It is a walker, car type thing. They all came over to the box and went crazy while Papa put it together.
Kennedy has started screaming. She screamed the entire day yesterday. Happy screams. Harper has had a cold for the past month, and still smiles all day. He is the happiest carefree baby I have ever known.
Amanda and Bradley just started gymnastics. They have improved in just 2 lessons and the activity has them happy. Bradley is on a basketball team right now. Yesterday he scored 2 points and had 2 assists. They are both signed up for soccer this spring. Bradley will play baseball this summer, and Karley and Amanda are both signed up for softball. They are
BUSY!
Mandy and I are so darn sleep deprived I have decided that when Teri comes back from her month long vacation I am going to sleep an entire 3 days to catch up. I miss my nanny. She kept on top of the babies laundry and I can't find any pajamas .... disorganized is what this house is right now. My controller left. She will get me back in shape in a day!
I had help last week from 2 friends and from my parents. It reminds me how much work our house is when they leave with the starry eyed look they have...Mandy and I just do it. We know we are exhausted, but it's sink or swim. Do or die. LOVE MY KIDS! Love my family and friends for all the help we get.

hello motto

post by mandy
things have been going very very well. i saw a couple of my friends today and one of them asked how i was and i said "i am happier now than ever" and i really really meant that. amy and i have been put through the ringer over the past few years but things are GREAT for us now and only getting better each day. Today/yesterday marks 5 years that my brother died and my how time flies. I am so proud that i was given the opportunity to share in my brother kerry's legacy and name one of my kids after him. amy says that's the only reason i wanted to have more kids. Ha I will never tell. I must apologize for not blogging but i have so much more to say now then when i was on bedrest with the quads and i tend to ramble about anything and everything that goes on in my life now and amy makes fun of me and calls me "teri sheckles" when i blog so i don't do it that much anymore. Hi Mom. i know you are reading this. you breed pony you get pony!! so i have you to thank for sharing my inappropriateness with the wholeworld when people could really give a rats ass but the still keep reading i just don't get it. is this blog post really starting to be like a Seinfield episode that is about nothing if you stop and really think about it? if you wanna meet the quads and haven't gotten a chance to let us know.

A TOOTH

Kerry has a tooth tonight.

love tank is full

Tonigh we had family night with Amanda and Bradley. Amanda had asked if we could go out ... (the four of us) and spend some time together. You know when your 8 yr old asks for time away it must be needed. Babies consume so much of our time. Even theirs. They help so much.
So, today I picked the kids up from school and asked if they would be interested in going to the library. YES! From both kids. They love the lie barry. That's what Amanda has called it since she could talk, and still does. Anywho...we went to the library and found books on dinosaurs, mummies, dragons, intelligence. The best book found today was a book called "how to read your mothers mind". Amanda was thrilled about this book. Off subject a little...the other day Amanda was complaining that she didn't have a book to read. I had bought her a book for Christmas about dragons and a girl from China. It is a 5th or 6th grade chapter book. I pointed it out to her, she acted disgusted. There are no pictures in the entire book. So I challenged her and said if she could read it I would pay her $50 bucks. She is on Chapter 13 tonight. 2 days later. O DEAR!!! She hasn't put it downand says she loves the book. :) Happy Mommie. Even if I do have to pay my debt!
Bradley and I have been playing basketball pass for the past 3 days. He is really ready for some warm weather to get out and play some sports. We tried finding him a basketball league to play on that was still enrolling, but we missed them all. He is ok with it and says he can wait till next year. Baseball is on his mind for summer. He just spent some of his Christmas money on bakugans, and has them sprawled out on the couch. Bradley has been consumed with winning an excellence t shirt from school, and today he got a letter that he has missed 5 days of school this year. Mandy and I are wondering if that may have him out all together ? He will be so crushed if he doesn't get one by the end of the year. He loves his class, and his teachers. He comes home and does his homework when Amanda does hers. He is full of excellence in my opinion. If that would only make him happy.
This morning at 6 am my cell phone rang and woke me up. We had a 2 hour delay. I was awake .... and from the room the babies sleep in, I hear "mama...mama.....mama" Ahhhh, it was the sweetest thing ever! It was Kerry! She is so stinking cute. I have Kennedy hanging onto my leg right now trying to get on my computer, Really I think she has pooped her pants, and doesn't know how to tell me. All the babies have had colds for the past several months. Tonight they are all healthy. Except Mandy. She went to bed at 7:30 and has a terrible headache, and sinus infection. Sure is hard to get everyone healthy around here!
Now Kerry is sitting beside me making a mess in her pants. Teri just asked me today what we did before we had these 4 babies? And I wonder how I could have thought that my house was messy with 2 kids? It takes me, Teri, and Ron to take care of these babies during the day. And the house is still messy!
When Amanda was born she was the first grandchild for Mandy's family. Ron was IN LOVE! He called here every morning for her at 8 am. Mandy had to put the kabash on that and give him the 10:00 rule. Don't call before 10 am. He never listened. He would call and ask to talk to Amanda every day. She would listen to him, and her first words were "moo" and "Papa". They were best buds for several years and then she grew up a little and ditched him like a hot potato. Well, lets just say Papa Ron has found his replacement. Kerry see's him walk in the room and bounces to get to him. She loves to sit on his lap. Mandy told me tonight "kerry really puts up with my dad"... I corrected her and the truth is Kerry prefers Ron to anyone else. It is adorable. So sweet.
Babies are almost 10 months. Our family is complete, but if there is a baby from Haiti that needs a home, I would gladly raise him.

Family update

The babies turned 9 months old this month. They went for their 9 month check up on Wednesday.
Harper weighs 17 pounds. Kennedy weighs 16 lbs. Kerry and Tillie both around 15.5. They are all healthy except that they have colds right now and Kerry came home with a breathing machine. She is rattling and has been for awhile. She sits on my lap 4 x a day to get her breathing treatment and such a trooper. She just sits there ... so cute. They all 4 got their last shot until kindergarten. Bradley went with us to the appointment and helped hold babies between check ups. He carried babies to the scale, and helped as much as the adults in the room. TROOPER. After the appointment we went to El Rodeo to have lunch with the babies and with Teri and Ron. When we left the restaraunt the babies had the floor covered with rice so much that you couldn't see the floor. I left an extra $5.oo for the waitress. Mandy and I have tried really hard not to keep the kids from going places just because it is soooooo much work. And believe me it is work. The last time we went out to eat, we went to the chinese buffet. If you are on our facebook you probably saw pictures of the event. The waitress tried to feed the babies and give them sprite. Mandy use to laugh at me when I would get mad at stuff like that, and this time, momma wolf got mad. I was the one laughing. How times have changed. Is that age? Is it that Mandy carried them? My mom says that it is because I am home with them all day and at night I let myself not care so much.... well what ever the reason, It is nice not to worry like I did with Amanda and Bradley. Shew...feels good. Some nights I don't even hear the babies crying to get up. Hmmm, maybe I am choosing not to hear? I'll never tell.
I did not get my miracle ear for Christmas so that may be the reason.
Amanda and Bradley just brought home their report cards again. They continue to excell at their studies. Bright kids....must get it from their mother.
If anyone just wondered who their mother is.....duh, they have 2....
We went sledding tonight with the big kids. We stood on the hill with them in 13 degree weather. When they got in the car they both cried because their fingers hurt. Fun stinks sometimes.
In February my full time help will be gone for a month. Teri and Ron come over every day to help me with the babies. I don't know if there is anything I could ever do to thank them enough. They love the babies, but if you ask me, they must love me to come and spend every day with me and help unconditionally. I have a great relationship with Mandy's parents. Teri and I work so well together. I know what she likes to do... laundry, dishes, sing to babies. She knows what I like to do. Poopy diapers, cook lunch and dinner, grocery shop. We don't usually get in each others way. It works ... WELL. So, if you want to come and hang with me in February hit me up. Im on Facebook, amy paul. You will have to send me a note with the friend invite so I know who you are.
I post most of my pictures on fb too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's New Year's Eve at the Sheckles Paul house. We have family and friends here tonight. We are having Christmas with Mandy's side of the family, and 2 friends are here helping Mandy fix things. If you are any kind of friend with us, you really do know that when you come over, Mandy enrolls you in a project. If you are a project friend - just know that you are helping clear out the cobwebs in Mandy's brain. You know when you make a list and that helps get it out of your brain onto paper....but Mandy can't do most of the things she writes down so that's when she ropes my dad, Cindy, Laura... (and you) into fixing these things for her. You are all so important to us. We thank you over and over again after you leave by discussing how nice it would be to be able to do what ever you did for us.
Happenings in 2009 for the Sheckles Paul family. In no uncertain order.
***We stared using our full last name for the kids. Amanda has gone by Amanda Paul in school since she was attending. This year we realized that Sheckles wasn't being used. Mostly because of Laziness, but when Mandy became pregnant we changed that. There is no - hyphen in our name either. It is Sheckles Paul. The kids know this, and they think that everyone is a Sheckles Paul. Teri Sheckles Paul, Connie Sheckles Paul, Karley will say.... Im just a Sheckles.
*** Of course we had the quads. Time has flown by ... I realize this every day. Every day the babies change. Just this week, Harper couldn't crawl. The next day, he army crawled into the kitchen. If you've been here, that is quite a hike from the carpet. Kerry is the only baby not crawling. I hope she waits awhile. She is so cute when she rocks on her knees. The others really never rocked. Just started crawling. The babies are eating baby food and lots of table food. They play with each other now. Climbing on top of each other to get to mom or mommie, and laughing about it.
*** Bradley and Amanda have had straight A's on their report cards this year. They love reading, and really take in school. They get off the bus full of enthusiasm, and hunger. They are not big eaters. They do like the rest of us should and eat about 10 small meals a day. They got computers for Christmas and have been on them playing webkinz a whole lot. When they woke up Christmas morning they went downstairs before they got us up, and had seen almosts all their Christmas before we saw them. They are the best Big Sister and Big Brother anyone could ask for. They can change a dirty diaper like there's no tomorrow. They carry babies and put them to bed. I never dreamt that Mandy and I would need them so much in our every day caring for the babies, but we do. They are Rock Stars.
*** Mandy has invested her time into real estate again. My mandy is back wheeling and dealing. I love it when her brain goes full speed ahead. It drives me crazy in the same sense, but I know that she is happiest when she is as busy as she is now. She has been on the quest for a new bff, and it has been a fun process. Lots of new people coming and going from the house. Interesting to say the least. That's my Mandy !!
****We had Christmas eve with my family here this year. We had a talent show. I believe that all acts won some sort of prize for their category. Mandy and I sang a song with billy bob teeth in. Amanda danced, Bradley sang and danced..maggie and meredith sang and danced. Eric, Garrett and Alex played rock band. My dad did his shoe dance. Lisa and her stackers sang the twelve days of Christmas.
My aunt Lisa and I have decided that we will have Christmas eve every year at our house. It was full of spirit.
***If you are ever at home on Christmas day alone please come to our house. We had extra steaks this year and our door is always open. Plus you can help clean up the mess. hahaha
***We lost 2 people this year. My Grandpa Selke and my Uncle Phil. My uncle Phil was waiting on a liver transplant. His body was tired before he got there. He lived with my parents for 7 months this year . He gave them lots of company and lots to do with traveling around to all his doctor appointments.
Mom and I decided that the upside to loosing 2 people in 2009 was that we had 4 more and so we are still up 2!! What a brite side!
FOR 2010...Mandy and I will try to find the extra funds and time to take the family to the Grand Canyon. We want to spread Kerry's ashes. It is a trip Mandy has wanted to take for quite awhile, so that is my intention I am setting...to get her there. I also want to take the kids to Key West. So, If you have any connections in either place, hook me up. email me info...
Thank you to all our support over the past year in our journey with our much larger family. We are blessed to have such great family and friends. See you next year!! Love you all...amy