four little swimmers...

I broke down & bought the tribe some "swimmies", aka "floaties". I just could not take one more day of them wanting to swim & not being able to do it. Plus it is rough when they each want mommy to take them out into the pool at the SAME time! LOL! I was told there were some cute ones at of all places our local Dollar Tree. In fact they had a TON of pool stuff! Who would have known?! We are now the proud owners of a pair of "swimmies" in the "Finding Nemo", "Cars" & two with the "Little Mermaid" theme. They were SO happy that they each were going to have their own pair!Once we got home I proceeded to get each of them suited up, slathered on the sun block & put their NEW "swimmies" on. They were READY! At least I thought they were! Avery, our best "swimmer" wanted NO part of them! Camryn & Linz were the only ones willing to wear them! It was quite the experience the very first time they had them on those little arms of theirs. They walked around like it was a piece of jewelry or "bling". TOO funny! Apparently they had NO idea what they were for because the excitement was short lived. Once I showed them how they work they screamed bloody murder like someone was about to kill them! This was NOT the reaction I was looking for! LOL! They had more fun checking out the frog that came to visit! See it!?

I'm telling you that if any of our neighbors were home during this adventure I think they would have called the police thinking something awful had happened. But no it was just the tribe having a MAJOR freak out! It was not until the 2nd time of me wrestling them on them did Camryn realize she would be ok. Linz still wanted no part of being out in the pool on her own. Camryn on the other hand slowly stepped off the last step & floated off into the shallow end of our pool. What a moment to witness! It was AMAZING! I was SO excited for her! She loved it SO much that I actually had to bribe her to get her out! There I was saying I would paint her finger nails just so she would get out of the pool! FYI, Bribery works like a charm! LOL! We had one day with them in our pool then it was off to Grandma's! Hopefully they will like to use them there! Ever since summer arrived we try to take them for a "swim" at least TWICE a day. Even with SPF 70 sun block on they are getting quite the tan! (= Daddy & Grandma took them swimming the entire weekend! The best part was that Daddy was able to get "swimmies" on ALL of the girls. GO DADDY! After some coaxing he was able to get them used to them & from what I am told they now LOVE them! YAY! Our Avery thought she could swim BEFORE "swimmies" just imagine what she thinks now! Funny how a week makes all the difference! (=My how a week changes the whole dynamic! Lindsey ended up showing me a thing or two once we were back in our pool! There she was jumping off the rock into the pool. It was like a flying leap! CRAZY! She also looked adorable in her hand me down "Little Mermaid" swimsuit with her matching "swimmies". Besides NOT being afraid of jumping into the pool she can now swim all over the pool! My mom said we better watch out because now that she knows she can swim WITH the "swimmies" she will probably think she can swim without them! UH OH! Just ANOTHER thing I have to worry about! Avery now does practically everything Lindsey does. I think she saw how easy it was for Lindsey to get out there & use those "swimmies" that she relented and started using them too! Funny how that is with identical "twins". They are SO similar yet different in many ways! Once she realized she was safe she broke free & became a WILD woman! She leaps off the edge into the pool like she has been doing it her entire life! I am SO happy to see them really appreciating our pool! It was once suppose to be my sanctuary & now it is theirs! Before I know it she will be actually swimming! For now, just seeing her "swim" all over the pool, frontwards, backwards, jumping, floating is such a treat!Brendan still wants no part of "swimming". The "swimmies" are definitely NOT his friend! LOL! He is by far our most cautious child. Don't see me complaining since it's one less kid to worry about while we are in the pool. PLUS It gives me more time to snuggle on him when I take him around the pool! For now if he is not in my arms he is just a bystander that remains in the "safe zone" of the steps. One day he will see what all the fuss is about & start exploring the pool like his sisters. I must say that they have become mean little "swimmers" in just a few short days! Pretty soon the "swimmies" will come off & we will have not just have one swimmer but...

four little swimmers...

the monkey crawl...

Having a swimming pool & a pond in your backyard creates quite the dilemma when you have 4 toddlers who cannot swim. Swimming lessons X4, YIKES! I have checked into it & though important it's also VERY expensive! So where do you find the money?Looks like at least for now it will be Michael & I giving them half assed lessons. I keep telling myself that it is better than nothing! We really are SO lucky to have built our pool BEFORE quads because we never would have built one after them. Heck we would never have been able to afford one now! CRAZY but true! SO we're lucky, broke people with FOUR munchkins that need to learn how to swim! I take them all out in the pool pretty much every day. In the beginning it was rough. They did NOT like it if the water was TOO cold or better yet they did not like going under the water. My how things change with just a few short months. They LOVE it! They will sometimes stand pointing out the sliding glass door "MY pool". I kid them & say NOOO it's MY pool & they would joke back saying it was theirs. We went all out & got ALL the bell's & whistles. At that time we had the money & I never thought I'd become a mommy so this was to be my "sanctuary".


Well it turned out better than we could have expected & now 3 1/2 years later it has served us well! We have a sun shelf where if I ever sunbathed I'd lay out & get my vitamin D. But now it is their playground. The perfect place for a toddler to play! They actually behave & stay there while I bring one of the tribe out into the pool for some "mommy swim lessons".




The twins, Avery & Lindsey, aka "The twins", are WILD! They will jump in towards you, go under the water & come up grinning! Nothing phases them! Brendan is becoming a little fish. He is cautious but LOVES it when I take him under water or get him kicking those legs of his. PLUS he does not want to leave the pool when it's time to go in. Then there's Camryn, the MOST cautious one of all. She can perform leaps & bounds above the rest of them BUT does it the safest way possible. She watches & learns from EVERYONE.She pays attention & sees everything!







My six year old niece can swim like a fish & there was Camryn watching her EVERY move. In two short days she taught Camryn what we've been trying to teach her, them, since March. How to grab onto the side of the pool if they ever fell in & get back to the steps. My cousin Lori started showing them that & we have repeated it hoping they would "get" it. Thanks to Lauren our Camryn can now go all the way around the pool doing...







the monkey crawl...

just another rainy day...

Today started out pretty good. I woke up earlier than normal, 630AM, to the start of a terrible storm, I could hear thunder, I am sure there was lightening somewhere & just knew that the rain would be coming. SO I ran outside TRYING to be pro active & started to fertilize the lawn. Yes I know that was VERY stupid of me but I could not waste the opportunity to get our grass back into the GREEN column.Ever since the pool was built our sprinklers are kaput then we had these munchkins well you know where the money goes! Just to set the record straight when I went out there was no lightening just some thunder in the distance. Anyhow, I succeeded & hopefully our lawn will start to take shape soon! While I was out in the elements the tribe was FAST asleep. In fact they did not wake up until almost 915! WOO HOO! I just love days like today! However I do not love having the kids INSIDE bored out of their minds but I just love a rainy day filled with thunder! If I did not have these responsibilities of this house & these buggers I would have slept in myself! But NO... I was outside in my bathing suit getting drenched! Once the tribe awoke they kept me entertained. Camryn always asks where Daddy is & I tell her he is at work. She then pointed to her wall like she did the other day. This is the same wall in their nursery that I have partially painted with a bi plane pulling a sign. She then tells me that she wants her Daddy to fly the plane! Awhh... These are the moments I treasure! Spending time with the munchkins when they are GOOD! Today was a new day! They got along & actually had some fun! We watched Yo Gabba Gabba on Mommy's bed. Yes it is "Our" bed however they seem to think it's just mine & I let them! LOL! They LOVE watching that show! Something about those goofy looking characters acting all goofy & dancing around gets them excited! I enjoy it because they are happy & there's no screaming going on! YAY! The rain stopped for about an hour and we actually got some sunshine so I took advantage & let them have a quick dip in the pool. I LOVE how they are becoming little pool lovers! Brendan especially! He LOVES swimming around the pool with mommy. We usually go in au natural, what a sight to see, 4 naked babies! No need for me to wash even MORE laundry! LOL! I was so happy when nap time arrived because I could get some more stuff accomplished. That is what I thought! They wreaked havoc the short time they were in there. I think Camryn is starting to corrupt her brother because HE was the mischief maker today! Diapers & wipes all over the place PLUS a broken picture frame! What am I gonna do!? And to think this was a GOOD day! Oh and it's...

just another rainy day...


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our monkeys at the zoo....

We took our little munchkins to the "Palm Beach Zoo" this past summer. It was a HOT day but went anyway's. Luckily there is plenty of shaded areas & even a fountain for the little one's to play in. FYI in Florida you need activities to cool off in!! So many people told me aboutthe zoo but I thought it would be WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for us to go. Then I was told about the annual pass. I never even thought of buying a annual pass to the zoo. Annual passes, What are they?? Well it turned out to be the best thing we ever did! Saved us a TON of money! Dustyn shared in their first zoo experience. We all had a blast! Seeing 4 babies all the same age is always a spectacle especially in their stroller, aka "BIG BLUE". Dustyn says don't make eye contact so we do not get distracted. Funny how you learn that. I am glad that we have it but I cannot wait to not HAVE to use it. They just LOVED the zoo. There were alligators, flamingo's, Lions, Tigers, Zebra's, the list goes on & on. Daddy showed them the Reptiles, his favorite area! I wanted them to see the monkey exhibit. Let them see them jump from tree to tree. I ALWAY'S wanted to have a monkey for a pet when I was little! I wanted to dress one up as a ballerina. Don't ask me why maybe I saw one on TV or something. Needless to say I never got one. Now I have these 4 monkey's to occupy my time. They are just as mischievous & funny as the one's at the zoo! LOL!
I took their picture in front of the main entrance. I should say that I took about 8 pictures until I found one that came out halfway decent! My children never seem to oblige me when it comes to picture taking. They must get that from their father! He is not a picture person like me!! I am just going to have to train them!! haha!

I just love this picture of Camryn. I especially LOVE the pig tails! Do you know how long it took for her hair to get long enough for pig tails!? A LONG time!! This is why I will not cut it. I want to be able to have more pictures like this!! Thankfully she allows me to put her hair in pig tails & does not take them out!! (= PLUS she LOVES to pose for pictures! Mommy LOVES that!! YAY!

Here is a photo of our CLAN from that day. This is a RARE shot since most of my family, lets just say it, the men, do not like having their pictures taken! I MADE them pose for this as a gracious zoo goer took it. THANK YOU!! The things I have to do just to capture a moment in our life. I'd do it all again just to see....

our monkeys at the zoo....