Good News!

Yesterday was an exciting day! The University of Florida professor I asked to serve as my chair person for my dissertation called me and confirmed that he will do it!
We discussed my topic and he gave me some great resouces.  Really so thrilling because I feel like after 7 years of college, the end it in sight!!  still a ways off , but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Coursework is almost done, and I can focus soley on writing my dissertation! At last!

Down on the farm

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy!!!

 Is this a great picture or what?  :)

 This was  what I found one day when checking on them during nap time.  The one who didn't have a crib tent was dangerously climbing onto the window sill.  And that's why I love crib tents!   (notice also they tore off their diapers and were partying diaper-less)

 This was from way back at Christmas. Had to post because it's so darn cute. The ones in red are our little triplet girl friends (the "gulls"- as Everett calls them: translation: "The girls")- two years older than the boys.

 found that Owen figured out how to open his crib tent one day and his crib (pak-n-play) was covered in flowers... perhaps he was going for a bed of roses?  Close enough!  He grabbed my flowers (see below) and was having a fun time ripping off one petal at a time, all the while I thought he was quietly sleeping.  Maybe he was doing, "she loves me, she loves me not" for his "gull" friends. 

 Below:  Oh. My. Gosh.  How can you not LOVE a little boy in a superhero suit???  I just need a third one- we only have two!! Maybe a Spiderman or something? I'm not super-hero savvy... yet!

A much-needed break

 We took a little 2 day vacation to Orlando!  We actually had a lot of fun- it was so nice to get away after having been sick twice and moving to a new home.  Here, the boys are enjoying the in-room tub!

 the pool

 At Downtown Disney... just before a huge meltdown on our way to Rainforest Cafe-- which was a little scary to the boys (the monkeys there are big and to a 2 year old, freakishly life-like).  

 I went down the water slide (and enjoyed it!!). I wanted to go twice (I know, you daredevil you) but having the boys there curbed any extravagant shennanigans!

 Perhaps my favorite pic of the trip... if only Everett was in it too.  Look at those cute boys smiling at the camera!  Love it!!  They are saying, "CHEEEEESE"!  :)

 It was a rainy morning (light drizzle), so we enjoyed the pool a bit, and the hot tub a LOT

 awwww!

The ride home...  

A nest invasion!

To say that our month has been a difficult one would be an understatement! Let's see... where to begin...
First, two of the boys are in toddler beds because our crib tents broke and they were climbing out. To decrease their chances of getting hurt, we took the glider out of their room and put in toddler beds (except for Owen, whose crib tent isn't broken yet... sorry O!).
They made the transition fairly well. We would hear them playing in the room until about 8pm, when they would crash from exhaustion. Surprisingly, when we checked on them, they were in their respective beds! Wow.
A couple nights pass and I find them climbing on their headboards, reaching up to the window sill.
A day or two passes and I went in to find Everett on his bed, not crying, but blood on his pillow and his beloved Monkey.
A few minutes pass and I realize his mouth is bleeding- badly, and his lips are swelling.
We are still not sure what happened, but we think he was climbing the headboard and slipped and banged his mouth on the bed or window sill.
He went to the ER and got stitches in his mouth.
While there, he kindly picked up a horrible virus to share with his family awaiting his arrival back home.
A couple days later, Everett spikes a very high fever and a horrible cough. Sounds like Croup to me, so into the Dr we go.
That week we were at the Dr 5x and the ER 2x.
We have experienced vomiting, croup, diarrhea, an ear infection, eye infection, sore throats, body aches, fatigue and more.
Luckily we have an awesome doctor who has been so great through all of this and sees me whenever I feel the need to take a boy (or 3) in.
Evan and I have it now, and it's lingering.
Pray for us to get rid of this terrible bug!!

Lord help us

So last week we were blessed by another family in that they gave us 2 toddler beds! Jack had been climbing out (his crib tent is broken) and so we transferred him to the new bed. The first couple nights we could hear him out of his bed and playing in the room, the occasional flick of the springy door-jam. However, every time we went in after it got quiet, he was asleep in his bed!

He loves his new bed. Picture to follow. Can't seem to get them off my phone for some reason.
His brothers love the bed too! Oh you should see them jump on it and wrestle. Of course, we tell them not to jump, but three little monkeys jump on beds! That's just what they do!

Today (this very hour), Everett has been climbing out. However, he is not as inclined to just wander around and flick door-jams. I have gone in more times than I can count and he has been climbing up trying to peek out the window, he has been on top of his brother's crib tent (wedged), and sitting on top of the crib (leaning against the wall, up on the side of the crib).

I guess it's time for him to have a new bed too... but I don't know if he can handle it.
Tonite might be a long night. Not a good time to have cold-symptoms. What is it about congestion that makes me so tired and weary!? I take ibuprofen and feel fine-- then when it wears off and the swelling begins in my nose again, I start to feel exhausted!

Pix to follow. Caught Everett in the action. Stinker.