Home Early!

Louis Dean and I came home early today. By 'home' I mean the camper!

Amber works on Monday/Wednesday. She's never more than a phone call or a half hour away.

This afternoon she called to check on how we were doing and I laughingly told her I think I may be losing it!

I was doing a load of our laundry and walked out to the garage to fill the cup with detergent. We keep our laundry supplies out there instead of taking up room in her utility room.

That's when I noticed I was filling the cat food dish instead of one of those plastic cup lids!

The cat's dish is now spanking clean!

Louis Dean likes to take his baths over at their house where he can have a real tub instead of showering here in the RV park. I had collected his clothes and then made a pit stop to use the bathroom.

I know I have changed a few TOO many diapers now!

As I was pulling my T shirt down under my apron I - for a split second - wondered where the SNAPS were!!

All these babies wearing the snapped onesies  has just gotten to me!!

I went into automatic pilot looking for SNAPS!

Suffice it to say - she sent us home early!

We ARE tired but let me tell you something!

Those babies are so cute and we DID have a lot of fun today!

It was bath day and I dressed them all up like we were having company!

No fancy hairdos today!

"Did you lose something, Grandma??"

"Tell me! Just how do I get OUT of here?"

"PSSST! Granddad! I'm down here!!"

"MUCH better!!"

"Want to play Horsey?"

Trystan was a little fussy so I thought some fresh air would do her good.

Since it was a bit breezy I just sat her inside the door so she could see out.

I sat on the bench and caught up in my journal.

I am STILL reading Ireland! I used to read so FAST!

"Here Grandma! I'll hold the door open for you!"

Seeing Logan sleeping just put a lump in my throat as I snapped this pic!

We are home! I told Louis Dean if he would play outside for half an hour and let me fuss over the camper I would join him for a glass of wine. I vacuumed, straightened, picked up and fluffed. I washed dishes and counters and even did a little BLEACH therapy! Who KNEW the counter was actually WHITE?

I'm done now and will join him on the patio. He put the top back on the gazebo so we will enjoy sitting out there this evening. Still a bit of wind so not a bad night to sit out there and read and relax.

I'm not good at videos but I recorded a cute one of the babies today.

I really recorded TWO but the first one was too long.

If you're my friend on Facebook - watch for it to show up there.

Hopefully this short one will work.

Goodnight from Quadville!

Punk Rock Hairdos!

I gave Kailey a new hairdo today!

This is exactly the way I did Amber's hair when she was this age.

Kailey is going to need her own hair products.

Until then I used her dad's!

Doesn't she look like a Rock Star?

She's so tall and skinny her jeans are too short.

No problem! I just added the leg warmers and that finished the look!

Louis Dean and Logan spent some quality time together this morning.

I dressed her up in a cute outfit and then I got to looking at HER hair!

Maybe later.

We had quite the eating experience at lunch.

Kailey is all about wanting to feed herself so I gave her a wafer some sort of new baby toast or something

and as she opened her mouth I would rush a spoonful of the carrots/squash/apples in first!

It made quite a mess but it WORKED!

It worked so well I did the same trick with Logan!

Win! WIN!!

The natives were restless this afternoon so Amber and I took them for a little walk.

Seeing Harrison's delight in touching the leaves is one of the delights of my day!

I had laundry to fold when we returned from our walk.

Trystan thought she'd help me.

I got to looking at HER hair......

NAH!! She doesn't have enough!

But just look at Logan's new do!!

I think she LIKES it!!!

I ended my day sitting inside the corral with the quads.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll see what I can do with Harrison's hair.

Monday Moments

"Good MORNING from the quads!

After the 8 am bottle and spoon feed we sent Mommy off to get some work and exercise while Grandma gave us baths and recorded our weights!"

I posted this pic on Facebook.

I am certain all the folks were smiling when they clicked the 'like' button!

The babies were just adorable today. But they are every day!

Kailey peeking over the top of her crib.

The quads sleep two to a bed and it is more entertaining to watch them on the monitor than it is to watch TV.

They climb and roll and sit on top of each other. The babies are nearly ALWAYS reaching out to touch one another with a pat or a hold.

I must say they all play so well together.

If one gets interested in something - they ALL do!

I wear earrings and jewelry every day. 

I also try to arrive with make up on and hair combed.

It is important to me to look nice and I do believe the babies respond to 'pretty.'

I know I feel better when I am 'fixed up!'

Logan was especially intrigued with my dangling earrings....

so I put them on HER and held up a mirror so she could see.

I am one of probably a dozen women in the US who does NOT have pierced ears!

These comfy crocheted slippers were given to me by my oldest daughter, Summer, and they make me smile and think of her. 

Harrison seems to like them, too!

It was a good Monday in Quadville.

We noticed the wind continued to pick up as the day went on.

By the time we left around 4:30 it was blowing on the wild side!

I admit to being nervous about what we would find when we got back to the camper.

THIS is what it looked like this morning!

THIS is what it looks like NOW!

Fortunately nothing was damaged - just blown around.

We took the top off before the wind RIPPED it off!

I think Louis Dean has now fully figured out to secure the whole thing - but only by taking the top OFF in high winds.

We meant to come home and spend some time out there doing art and music.

Instead we hung out over at the rec building where I walked on the treadmill and read the paper.

It recapped the Oscars last night.

Amber had recorded it so this afternoon I had watched the highlights by fast forwarding it!

SO much nicer than watching every minute! EXCEPT - it didn't record the entire program!

That's why I read the recap in the paper.

Outside in a lakeside spot - visible from both my sofa where I was reading AND the treadmill I walked on -

- was THIS super cute teardrop camper!

We met the owners - a retired couple who had just returned from a cruise that sailed out of Galveston. 

They will only be here a night or two.

Usually they winter in Arizona but have spent the last two months in down south!

They gave me a tour.

As you go in the door the U shaped banquet seating to the left turns into a full size bed.

Under that window on the right is a counter that houses a coffee machine and below that a fridge with a clear glass door. Very little storage room as you can imagine but they have a good sized vehicle to store their clothes in. I saw the hubby getting a change of clothing from one of those blue tubs.

 ALL camper people have lots of TUBS!

When I feel a bit cramped I shall think about that very small camper!

Perfect for that couple but a bit smaller than I can handle!

I am not really complaining about the weather!

From what we've seen on the weather channel tonight - and heard from my sister on Facebook -

there is a LOT of REAL weather happening across our country!

I have a classical radio station playing while I write.

Louis Dean is listening to his music by headphones.

Our supper salad is ready to toss.

 A little reading and a glass of wine and we will call this Monday DONE!

Feathering My Nest!

Louis Dean spent most of Saturday putting our gazebo back together again!

I spent the all of  today 'feathering' it!

(He thinks it is funny I would stick a ceramic chicken in a pan of pecan 'eggs!')

This morning it looked like THIS!

This evening it looks like THIS!!

Louis Dean loves the colored lights so I put them back up instead of using the white ones which I prefer!

After all, he DID give me back a better than ever gazebo!

We are celebrating with grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, baked beans.......

and ......

of course, wine!

The Academy Awards are on and it is a hard choice between that and Downton Abbey!

I may switch back and forth!

Yesterday while Louis Dean worked away I was enjoying a day of pampering!

I picked Amber up around 10 am.

Nail salon! Manicures and pedicures - complete with hot rock massage!

I practically fell asleep - I was SO relaxed!

It was lunchtime when we left so walked two doors down to my favorite Mexican Food Restaurant -

Casa Maria - for lunch!

This was all a treat from my sister, Luann!

Thank you!!!

We had a ball and I dropped Amber back to her house and I went to the camper where I took a DELICIOUS nap!!!

By the time Louis Dean was done with the gazebo repair Saturday evening - we headed over to Quadville where we babysat (and spent the night) so Amber and Mike could go to a birthday party!

Can you believe - they had put the babies to bed by the time we arrived at 7:00 and we did not even so much as TOUCH a baby til after 8:00 this morning!

Amber and Mike were already up and in process of changing the babies.

Photo taken on Friday

Louis Dean could NOT resist picking Kailey up!

Ditto

I admit to loving on Logan and Trystan!

Harrison can NOT be left out!

Here he is with Trystan!

All in  all - you could say we have enjoyed a GREAT weekend!

The lock down ends on Friday and we are so excited!

You can read Amber's latest post - Things You Shouldn't Say to Moms of Multiples!

I have actually BEEN THERE when some of these things were said!

So funny!!

I am happy to have my nest back!

I KNOW it is an eclectic mix of fabrics!

I KNOW it looks like a vagabond gypsy camp!

I also KNOW it makes me smile and feel good!

There is a 80% chance of rain tomorrow.

I say COME ON!

We will still be snug and cozy in our gazebo!

Friday Night!

It's Friday night and we are having a ball!

I left this morning at 7:45 and was back at the camper this evening while it was still day light!

I am loving these ever longer days!

Louis Dean took the day off from Quadville so he could do errands and start work on rebuilding our gazebo.

What a blessing it is for HIM to do all the running around!

He bought groceries, hardware and the odd and end things he needs to do his magic!

He was pretty impressed with himself this evening!

The flimsy cross bars that were bent beyond repair have been replaced with wood!

This is his 'work shop!'

There is no rhyme or reason as to how he keeps stuff but he can pull out the EXACT thing he needs!

It is AMAZING!

While he worked I prepared our Friday night dinner!

Summer gave me this marinade and let me tell you!!

It DOES smell delicious! 

Add some mashed potatoes, garlic green beans, a garden salad and garlic bread and you have a meal to remember! The only other addition is a good glass of wine!

The gazebo frame is UP!

Dinner is ready!

Louis Dean got a nice fire going and is enjoying his glass of wine.

I strung up a strand of LED lights for a little ambiance.

Tomorrow we will finish the job!

I am so proud of Louis Dean!

To quote a friend of mine - he is 

'Handier than a pocket on a shirt!'

I KNEW he could do it!!

And so he did!

We'll put the top on in the morning and I can begin the fluffing of my nest once more!

It is a HAPPY Friday over here!

I hope it's every bit as happy where YOU are!!

The Singing Pig!

The babies are getting BIGGER and STRONGER and it can be hard to hold them down long enough to change their diapers!

Enter the Singing Pig!!

You should see the babies eyes when he starts to sing!

"HEY, Good Looking! WHAT'cha got cookin'?

How's about cooking something up with ME?

HEY, Sweet Baby! Don'tcha think maybe -

we could find a brand new recipe?"

Speaking of recipes - these babies have a menu you would NOT believe!

The other day they had FRESH bananas mixed with FRESH avocado!

They gobbled it right up!

Actually nearly every bite that goes in their mouths is fresh organic fruits and vegetables.

Amber makes them herself and freezes them in 1 oz portions. 

Each feeding is 3 oz per baby.

I took this picture yesterday and the featured foods were kale and pears.

I think they LIKED it!!

The quads have a LOT of interesting things to keep them busy.

We love to watch them 'play.'

WE call it play! I think they are actually WORKING!

They examine and discover and THINK and move!

There is a LOT going on here!

You can see them trying to figure out how to make their bodies do what it is they want it to DO!

You can also see (and HEAR!) their frustrations when they can't quite make it happen - yet!

It is so much fun to watch them when they accomplish something new.

They shriek with pride and happiness!

Logan worked so hard she wore herself out!

Plus she is teething! 

They ALL are and they ALL teethe differently.

Some are fussy. 

Some are not.

Just look at Kailey!!!

Give Louis Dean a baby - ANY baby! - and he can calm them down and even get them to sleep!

It is his special talent!!

As happy as the day was yesterday we were in for a shock when we arrived back at our camper!

It had rained during the day and we thought nothing of it.

Apparently the weather was a little more violent over here at the RV park!

It tore up Jake - as we used to say!

The wind picked the canopy up and twisted it before depositing it behind the camper!

It was back there on the grass!

Just one leg was on the concrete and that leg was bent!

Louis Dean and I pulled the top off -  the fabric was NOT damaged! - and he began to take it apart.

We had to undo all the light strands and take down the curtains.

The wind was so fierce it had blown open the freezer door.

My art tub, canvases I was working on as well as my sewing tub were out there and got thrown around and scattered. Thankfully we were able to gather and stow away all my 'debris' in the back of the truck.

We worked two solid hours after we got home to secure it all.

I guess this is about the time I must tell you I pretty much lost it!

Louis Dean calls it 'freaking out!'

For some reason all this destruction - of my 'nest' - just hit me HARD and I cried and cried and cried.

(But only AFTER I had helped him gather, store and make order! I get points for THAT, right?)

All my crying accomplished was to give me a terrible headache and make me look ugly!

Having the gazebo canopy greatly enlarges our living space and makes the patio area far more useful!

It also allows us to store stuff!

I took the wreath that had hung out there inside the camper and could NOT find a place to even sit it!

UNTIL I notice a perfect 'hook!'

I just may leave it there!

Today while I was over in Quadville Louis Dean was already at work preparing to fix that gazebo!

His truck serves as a shop and he carries every tool I can think of in it!

Thank goodness!

All in all - we still have so much to be thankful for!

So very much!

AND - tomorrow LD says he will probably have the gazebo frame repaired and ready to put up!

Friday night is a GOOD night to CELEBRATE!

I'm in hopes that is exactly what we will do!