Sheer Joy

We are exhausted here at Camp K. We had a week of pneumonia (Caroline) and a sinus infection (Brooke) and teething. No sleep for anyone. All kiddos took a 2 hour nap today and I joined them. Sheesh. I did, however, get a pedicure courtesy of my Mom's birthday present to me, so the day was not a total loss. However, things are on the up and up, god willing. We did get out to lunch with our Auntie Carolle and made a short shopping trip for spring clothes, always a fun time. A job interview for me was rescheduled for the beginning of April and should hear about the big exam by the middle of April as well. Picture of Brooke in our backyard swing.

Springtime Joy

For the last two weeks, we have been sick. I have had the flu, J has had the flu, Jack had the flu and then bronchitis, Brooke and Caroline have had the flu and now some cold. I am absolutely spent with the constant congestion, sadness and puking. I never understood why so many women say that the hardest job they ever had was being a stay at home mom, but it's true. It is the best paid, in love, of course, but it is a toughie.

The boys are going to a birthday party later on, the twinners and I will stay here and try and get healthy. I visited a health food store for echianecia, which is supposed to have some immunity building properties. We'll have to see. In the photos, finally a good one of Jack, playing with bubbles and the twins first thing in the morning.

Love Test

The ear tube surgery went quite well, though yesterday Brooke had dried blood in her ear, which worried the pediatrician, we have to head back on Monday.......the test went better than past tests? I didn't panic and answered everything. There were things I knew and things I sort of knew. I did pull the Daubert principal out from the back of beyond, so maybe I'll be lucky and good. However, I know that it could really go either way and I would not be surprised.

I am giving up an opportunity to have a job like I did at AB. Lots of travel, interesting topics, etc. I was asked to travel to DC for the final round of interviews and I'm not going to go. Too many responsibilities. It may be the greatest love test of all, giving up the career. Well, not giving it up, but at least changing it. Hard though, when you are a former LIVE TO WORK kind of gal.

The twins are doing well. Jack is doing well at preschool, though in his evaluation with his teacher, we need to work on paying attention and sitting still. As J said, we really did not need a parent-teacher conference to tell us that! We are headed to the Science Center today, hope that the dinosaurs are viewed as interesting and NOT scary! (For me, anyway.) Recent pics.....Caroline and Brooke are really walking, Jack holds the twinners and Caroline tries on Dad's glasses.

One Week, Two Days To Go

I am honored that good friends use my deficient blog for family updates, I apologize for the lack of entries. Since the last entry, I have decided to begin a Sysphian (I'll have to check the spelling, but you know, the greek god who rolled a rock up the hill.....) task of undertaking the Illinois bar exam. Before anyone gets too excited, I don't want to discuss it or its ramifications other than to say that it is a chance of redeeming my lifelong academic record and I am honored to have a chance to rectify a long ago mistake. My state of mind and anxiety levels being much better today, plus a supportive spouse who is an attorney and a good one at that, has left me better prepared than ever before. I don't have the time to devote to it that I would have long ago, but I am leaner and more intent, so I hope that I am successful next week. Attorneys get a lot of flak for what they do, but after having this time to study again, I am astonished at the practice of law. To have a system where our duals are set in courtrooms with generally little actual bloodshed, is truly an amazing accomplishment. And to have a set of people in society who are dedicated to upholding the Constitution, at whatever cost, is mindboggling. Sure, there are many, many faults in the system, but overall, the upholding of the backbone of the U.S. legal system is an honorable and difficult task. So. There.

The kiddos are doing well. In addition to the rest of this next week's stress, the twins are having ear tube surgery tomorrow, which makes me sick to my stomach. We have good doctors, so I am hopeful that we will be all right. We are scheduled to be at the hospital at 7 a.m., which means we leave at the crack of dawn. This is going to be a LONG DAY. Jack is great and starting to be good to his sisters. (most of the time). Caroline and Brookie are walking. In the pics, the tribe destroying my pantry and the tribe with Daddy, post bath.

Christmas is coming......

Haven't blogged in quite some time! Apologies. Children are all well. Brooke and Caroline are 1! Great fun was had by all for their birthday. Jackson was in his first holiday production and jumped up and down throughout his two songs. We all laughed. And by "all" I mean everyone in the audience of 200. Sigh. We seem to have a class clown on our hands. This is what life is all about...the transference of knowledge to children and what you get back. All else pales. Merry Christmas to all.

Thanksgiving and Other Fun

We have, as usual, a great deal to give thanks for in 2009. We are ultimately grateful for health, particularly the health of our twinnies, who were 6 weeks premature. And the fact that we have been blessed financially so that I can take a year off, which I was thrilled to be able to do. Now, just to find the right new job. I have nearly given up on the lobbying business, for a number of reasons, but also because I'm just not sure it is the right time. Not the right time and no clients, so you see the struggle. I am having a bit of a tough time mentally, though it could be seasonal. However, with all our blessings, it is a wasted emotion! In the pictures, Aunt Emmy holds Brookie as she screams, Jack and his cousin Noelle enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, the twinnies are mobile, Jack and Dad at the Zoo (yes, we went in November, it was ridiculously warm) and Dad and Caroline at Thanksgiving. Also, Jack convenes his "Round Table" of siblings. It's only a matter of time before we lose all control. We're outnumbered, after all!

On Being Three

Jackson frustrates me so much sometimes I really want to cry. He still needs a nap or he loses his mind by 4:30 and has a complete melt down. Of course, he fights his nap every day. It has now been an hour and 20 minutes of arguing about taking a nap, going potty, throwing fits, asking for snacks, asking for a video (NO), asking for new pillows (? Apparently we can get these at Target, so I have been informed.) I hear silence upstairs, but I am untrusting. He's probably just rigging up a trap for me. Negotiation on behalf of corporations, easy. Three year olds? I am defeated. It is so frustrating because I have this time off, I want to spend time doing fun things, like going to the park (who am I kidding, it's raining here.) and we never have time to do these things because I spend 2 hours a day trying to get the kid to nap. And if he doesn't nap, the rest of the afternoon just trying to engage him. IN ANYTHING. Without a nap, he unable to receive any sort of comfort, be that in the form of a snack, TV show, painting, building with blocks. You name it, it just doesn't happen. And so, my fantasy of staying home with the kiddos, is, among other fantasies, shattered. Not to mention that Jack becomes the center of all things and the little babies don't get enough attention.

Ah, the worries. I am exhausted. And, for those readers I don't speak to frequently, we didn't land our first client. They went with another firm, which, of course, casts all sorts of self doubt into work. Ugh. Honestly, I was a bit shocked. Too confident. Why don't I just stick with my general downtrodden view? Things are much easier to take. Ah, well. Try, try, try again. We are under consideration by my old employer, should hear something back by week after Thanksgiving. Though I don't really want to enter that fray again. But, beggars cannot be choosers. Footsteps upstairs. Kid is staying at preschool for afternoon session tomorrow.