The Scanlan Family

A Safe Place to Land

2012-02-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

I had an awesome conversation with a good friend of mine this morning over some smoothies....(I love how the Lord can even be in the midst of the crazy Lifetime cafe!).

We talked about that we wanted our house to be a safe place to land... a place at the end of the crazy day that is refuge and respite. And to be quite honest, we both said, we're not sure if it is right now... Especially as my kids get ready to navigate the world of elementary school, where the playground can sometimes get rough, there's lots of instructions and demands, and LOTS of stimuli. When they get home, I pray that there is space to be calm, to reflect on their day, to be listened to, and to feel loved and accepted. Many times, these days, my house looks far from it. It looks like arguing, some nagging thrown in, and some hands up in the air with a "why would you do that?" thrown in... Don't get me wrong...this will also be a place of responsibility and chores and discipline. But, I want this to be their safe place to land. Their "home base"...the place where when you are being chased down, you've got a place to call "safe!".

This led my friend and I to wonder if this was truly our husband's safe place to land? I thought of Marley and Me, where Owen Wilson sits outside in his car for a few minutes before getting up enough courage to head into his house where a tired wife and screaming kids are waiting. I have no doubt that Sean has needed to do the same, especially when there were 3 kids under 2 waiting for him. And he was always ready...walked in the door, grabbed whoever needed holding and soothed my nerves simultaneously. All without breaking a sweat... Times are different now... not as much crisis mode...more living mode... So, does he have a space when he comes home to be encouraged, to be calm, and to just feel warmth? To feel like he has left his pressure world and gets a little respite? I pray that this is so, and if it's not, that it becomes so.

I thought of Psalm 23:6...Surely lovingkindness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever...

There's no safer place to land....

Christmas

2012-01-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

I am not going to comment on how long it's been or that I will be better about this now... but I do have a laptop..so here's hoping!

Our first Christmas in Colorado was a blast... literally, a snowy blast. We had a serious snowstorm that left us barely even able to get to Mimi and Grampy's and they leave 3 streets away!

Darn those hills!

But, it was magical. Jack got his guitar, Collin got his drums, Caroline got her dollhouse... all are happy! And the house is loud... We had so many people here for Christmas dinner and loved every minute. Back to routine now, but here are some pictures.

The Sandbox

2011-07-06T20:17:00.001-07:00

Or beach as we call it around here! We had a lovely pond in our backyard when we bought the house. Two big reasons to get rid of the pond.. 1.) Caroline was always trying to jump in it and 2.) the dogs were getting sick from drinking out of it.

So, my mom, who always has the brilliant ideas, thought to put a sandbox over the pond.

We found some amazing landscapers who did just that! They wheeled mountains and mountains of sand in with a wheelbarrow down the steep steps into the backyard, bless their hearts!

It is literally 8 feet by 12 feet! Giant! And worth every penny...

My kids literally play in it for at least 2 hours a day. On 4th of July we had about 12 kiddos in there comfortably with room to spare and having a ball!

There is sand all over my house, but completely and totally worth it!

A couple pictures of our beach and one of our amazing view from the backyard!

Don't have a heart attack..

2011-07-05T13:11:00.001-07:00

but I am actually posting again.. I won't make promises like my last post (2 years ago..) that said I was going to do this more regularly.. but I will try!!

My kids look a little different than in our last post.. (just a tad!)

Oh, and yes, we moved to Denver!

I truly, honestly, love it here. It's beautiful, it's cool, our neighborhood is amazing.. there is so much to do. It's really wonderful! I am always a Texas girl at heart, but I love the idea of raising my children here.

Our summer has been awesome and we never take for granted that we can sit out on our back deck at 6:00 and always feel a cool breeze... still a shock to us!

Our summer has consisted of swim and gym...the kids have swim team lessons every morning at the neighborhood pool (just a good ol' fashioned one) and then we head to Lifetime fitness where mommy works out and those wonderful people watch the kiddos!

Here are a few pictures of our summer so far!

So ready for spring!

2010-03-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Let's see.. February was the month of sickness at our house. Can't say that I was sorry to see it come to an end. Just for a little rundown for whoever is keeping tally, our house endured pink eye galore, stomach bug galore, pneumonia (with an ER visit!!), bronchitis, ear infections, coughs, runny noses, and probably some strep thrown in for good measure (not diagnosed but who cares? we were on mega antibiotics anyways!).

Craziness!!

Soooooo incredibly happy to have some warm weather and on our way to healthiness!

Sean and I did manage to sneak away for one night to San Antonio thanks to Mimi and Grampy and have a great dinner and just some down time. I even slept in and ordered room service! Very nice! And we apologize for then inflicting our illness on those sweet people!

Kiddo updates:

Caroline is talking up a storm!! Can't ever get her to be quiet (that's how I knew she was sick.. not talking). She pretty much just narrates her whole day for whoever is listening!

She loves the park and still loves her brothers.. turning into a little mom.. makes sure they have their sippy cups and other necessities. She's their little slave girl and very happy to do so!

The boys are in store for some big changes soon I think... About to turn 3 and soon to move to big boy beds.. Yep, that's right.. still in cribs! they have never tried to get out and this tired mom and dad felt no need to rock the boat. But, it's probably time. I figure CPS might come out if they are still in cribs at 5?? We are going to have to strip down the room to ensure that two curious little boys don't get into anything!

And.. I think we might be on the verge of potty training.. Collin is not wanting to wear wet or poopy diapers and they are starting to get interested. Oh Lord help me!! I will be ecstatic to have someone out of diapers, but honestly dreading the process!

Jack has informed us that we are having a fire truck birthday party so mom needs to do some checking on that and I think a swingset for the backyard is in their future.

Here's to more sunshine around here!! Thank you God!!

And P.S. I know I don't have many pictures of Collin on here, but man, that kid is hard to get a picture of! Never stops moving!!

Doing better at blogging..

2010-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been 3 months this time! We have had some good times at the Scanlan household.. My mom and Barry were here for a visit, we had some beautiful snow, and Sean and I got to get away for a night to San Antonio (thank you Mimi and Grampy!). We also had a little setback with some sickness, but I think we are on the mend now! And I pretty much think we got everything at once, so hopefully we are done (think pink eye, bronchitis, ear infections, coughs, snotty noses, stomach bug, you name it!)

Here are some pics from our trip to the Dallas Children's Museum.. loved the place and kids had the best time!

yes, it's been 3 months

2010-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

So, apparently when I said I would catch up with my blogging, I lied. Let's see, what have we done since Nov. 22??

Awesome Christmas (white and everything) with the Owen clan.. the boys are now officially Claire and Katie's biggest fans. Did not make it to midnight on New Year's Eve again for the at least 4th year in a row! Boys were very happy to go back to school, as was their mama. Sean and I got a new mattess which appears to have alleviated any backaches for me.. thank goodness!

Miss Caroline is still torturing her brothers endlessly.. she was also dedicated at church and is talking up a storm. The other morning she told me "I need shoes" 16 months and using sentences still floors me! Girls...

Here's a few pictures just so we can remember what they still look like!

not my girly girl

2009-11-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

pushing the lawnmower (not sure how she wrestled it away from Collin)

In her Longhorn gear!!

I do my best to make her girly.. I love that hat!

So, my mother is loving that my sweet little girl is definitely not a prissy little girly girl. My mom was not a girly girl and I was the most girly girl as a child, and my daughter proves to be the opposite. Of course, all she has to model and worship are two boys, so I guess that is to be expected. She can definitely hold her own against the boys and loves to tackle them... she's not afraid to take something away from them and then run like the wind! She says "mine" and "lawnmower" and makes good truck noises. She prefers to play with lawnmowers, weedeaters, trains, trucks.. baby dolls are for the birds!! I'm still putting her in dresses though and attempting bows in her hair.. .

zoo fun!

2009-11-22T07:35:00.001-08:00

So, I'm still catching up.. we'll get there eventually... In September , (yes, I realize it's November).. Granny and Pop-pop came to visit for almost 2 weeks.. we had a blast! The boys learned how to throw balls from pop-pop, we went to the zoo and the arboretum, we ate lots of mexican food and just hung out! The boys were so sad when they left. These are pictures from the Ft. Worth zoo, which was so awesome! We will be back alot in the spring and summer.. the highlights were definitely the train ride, stagecoach, and the otters.. I think the boys watched the otters swimming for at least 20 minutes!

birthday girl!

2009-11-04T13:21:00.001-08:00

I really didn't need to get her any gifts.. as you can see, so happy to be playing with yes, a tampon..

Does it get any cuter?

Finally some pics of the birthday girl from her big day (which, yes, was 2 months ago)

Hill Country Fun

2009-11-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

So I'm taking us way back to August.. which feels like an eternity ago! We took a trip and visited my grandmother in Kerrville and then headed to the O'brien ranch for some fun. The boys were in heaven.. so much room to run around and a blonde harem to take care of them (Claire, Katie, jessi and Jamie). We had a great time. Ate so much good food, saw Jessi and Jamie feed the cows, and ate delicious chocolate chip cookies at Aunt Jojo's.

We're back!

2009-11-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

I realize no one is probably reading this anymore since we've been away for so long, but our camera is finally working nicely with the computer again! Yeah! I have lots of catching up to do! I'll try to do at least one a day for a little while.. since these are my only records of what happened with my children!

Costco

2009-09-14T05:27:00.000-07:00

Our family is addicted to Costco .. Sean got the ball rolling on this before we had kids, and now continues the boys in the tradition. Yesterday when I got them up from their naps, I asked them if they wanted to go with Daddy to Costco. (they do this often as you will see by Jack's answer)... Jack said "Yes.. I need a sample."

Still no pictures...

Caroline is 1!

2009-09-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

She is officially 1 (as of two days ago).. And birthday pictures to come.. still having technical issues, and then, as predicted by me.. we went to one week of school and all got sick, so we've been down for the week. But, on the mend now! We did celebrate her birthday though, with grandparents and Lori, pizza and some cupcakes. She got a shopping cart, a stroller, a purse, an ice cream truck, some outfits, a longhorn cheerleading outfit, and a little cd player. As of right now, the boys are definitely more interested in her gifts than she is! (but, that was part of my plan)!
She is starting to walk, takes about 4 steps at a time, and is very proud.. she practices all the time. I predict that within the next week or so, she will be off and running! Still eating everything in sight and switched to milk like the champ that she is. Nothing phases this child!
She loves to dance and clap her hands. She says some words here and there, but definitely says outside! This is a word used frequently in our house (a.k.a. -- "Boys, go outside!).. so it's not surprising she picked it up..
She "jabbers" all the time though. Still loves her brothers and wants to do anything they do, much to their dismay. She's so tough, they will knock her down and she goes right back for more!
She is the sweetest little baby and I'm sad she's growing up. Caroline fills us with so much joy and just perfectly completed our family! Happy birthday sweetheart!
Love, mommy

technical issues

2009-09-01T18:28:00.001-07:00

I realize it's been about six weeks since we posted, but we are having technical issues. Our camera won't load pictures onto our computer right now. And I do realize that nobody actually wants to just read a blog, they want to see pictures of the kiddos.
But, we are all doing great. I survived the summer and the boys started school Monday. They exceeded all my expectations (of course we have to get through tomorrow as well, so we'll see!)
I think they will really love it, once it becomes routine. We had a trip to the hill country which was very fun and got a great new patio, which we LOVE!!
Hopefully we'll fix our issues soon because some sweet little girl I know has a birthday in one week! Can't believe it..

10 months old.. and on the move..

2009-07-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Jack and Mommy having a serious discussion at the table about why we do have to keep the baby...

Well, she's finally on the move.. and in true Caroline fashion, she waited until she could do it right..

one day she wasn't crawling and the next day she was crawling and pulling up beautifully!

I never have to worry about her falling, she's very sturdy and does everything very carefully!

Oh so lucky with her!

Still an amazing eater and is loving more and more real food. I believe she might have eaten at least 2 pieces of pizza the other night!

Now that she is on the go I'm pretty sure that Jack has definitely decided he is not in her fan club. Collin would never lay a hand on her and just quietly moves away when she gets near him. Jack wants to let her know who's boss, says "no baby!" and she usually winds up getting whacked in the head if mommy can't save her first (Jack has spent alot of time in time out lately). I don't blame him though, she just comes in and starts wanting to crawl all over him and take his things. Of course, which brother does she follow around more?? The one who's mean to her... she loves, loves Jack and does not even bat an eyelash when he hits her .. tough cookie!

I do my best to keep them apart these days..

We've pulled the playpen out and she spends alot of her day in there while mom has to get things done. The boys have also decided they like being in there as well (of course they screamed when they were babies!).

Still such a sweet little angel with the best disposition!!

Pool fun!

2009-07-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make that we are pool moochers this summer!!

Fortunately we have very nice friends, neighbors, and grandparents!

We spent the first part of the summer in my friend's pool swimming around and eating lots of snacks. Well, I guess she HAD to go to Canada to see family.. so, our neighbors were very sweet and let us swim around in their pool while they were on vacation. Finally, the best pool came along courtesy of Grammy and Grampy. We head up to their tennis club which has a 1 foot covered baby pool the boys can splash around in and no people! We love it! Only way to spend a hot afternoon. The kids don't need all these fancy waterpark pools, just a simple baby pool will do.

Plus, we feel more at ease when we are at least mooching off of family...

Mid-summer fun!

2009-07-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

yummy cupcakes for Daddy's birthday (the boys helped make them!)

Who doesn't love a Costco box??

That's just pure Collin.. (with Caroline's sunglasses on)

Whenever we haven't posted in a few weeks, you can be sure the Scanlans have been brought down by some sort of illness. We all (except baby Caroline) got hit with strep. Thank goodness for antibiotics... I went to the doctor five times in one week!

All better now! Despite that, we have been having a great summer.. swimming, parks, out in the front yard, hanging with the neighbors, eating popsicles, library storytime, just fun stuff..

Here are some pics!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know.. super dad lives at our house thank goodness!! I can't tell you how many times I lay my head down on my pillow and just thank God that He brought this wonderful man into my life and now in the lives of our children. They are so blessed to have him as a father and it is always such a wonderful sense of relief to know that he's right there with me in the midst of all the chaos..
I'm sure that Sean remembers the days when poop didn't rule his life and he didn't spend sat. nights giving baths to screaming toddlers. But, he NEVER complains and does everything with such joy and patience, it's amazing to me. (he also keeps me in check most of the time!)
Let's see, the Scanlan dad wakes up at 5 every day, runs, wakes me up so that I can go run (uh, run/walk!)before he heads to work around 7. Works all day, comes home around 6, always ready to go, with energy I don't know where he pulls from! It's such a huge weight off my shoulders when he comes through the door with his booming "hello!" Easily the best part of my day!
He changes so quick like superman out of his work clothes and is ready to do dinner, playtime, walks, play outside, baths, books, after bed clean-up, takes the dogs to the park.. oh yes, and maybe eat some dinner!
And on the weekends, let's see there's mowing, Costco trips, watching the kids while mom helps at church, etc. And a little relaxing!!
He's awesome and amazing and every other great adjective! We are so thankful!
Love, Lindsay, Jack, Collin, and Miss Caroline

9 months old..

2009-06-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

I love being in the tub with my big brothers!

Big, standing girl!

Yes, I'm going to dry my hair now..

I really can't believe she is 9 months already. Today when I left the pediatrician we made her 12 month appt. and that just blew my mind.

Here's her little 9 month update.. she was 18 lbs. today and growing taller all the time. She's pretty much outgrown most of the clothes I hoped she'd wear all summer.. so.. uh-oh!

She is still the sweetest little baby girl! And such a girl at that.. she is clapping and waving and dancing. She always dances to the Dora songs (see previous post!).. and I'm pretty sure her first word will be "vamanos", "backpack", or "map!". She's getting close to crawling, but is still very happy and content to sit and play! She actually is trying to pull up alot more than crawl and loves to stand by the couch (see picture!) and play.

She talks alot, again , such a girl! Babbles, babbles, babbles...

Oh, yes, and the thing I notice most now is just how wrapped around her finger she has her daddy! It really just warms my heart when I see how she reacts to him and then how he reacts to her. He gets a much different smile than the rest of us when he comes home! She gives him big eyes and bats those little lashes. So sweet!

The boys are noticing that she now reaches for their toys and are not sure how to feel about that. Collin is good and tells her a quiet no and carefully takes the toy back. Jack says "mine" and then looks at me as if to say "you have about two seconds to get this baby away from my toy before I clock her." And then I rescue her quickly! She still loves them and about jumps out of her skin when they get close to her.

Miss Caroline, you are a little gift from God! Happy 9 months!

I have a new best friend...

2009-06-06T12:05:00.001-07:00

She has a cute little black hair bob, she is bilingual, and she sings lots of catchy songs! That's right! Her name is Dora the Explorer... My boys have fallen in love with her, and in turn, so have I... Especially since it keeps them mesmerized for a good 20 minutes at a time!
I don't even mind that her songs run through my head constantly.. I've caught Sean singing them to himself as well!! Dora, I am so glad that you came into my life...

rub-a-dub.. three cuties in a tub

2009-06-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Mom, are you sure about this??

Mom, really, he's going to dump this water on my head...

Yep, he dumped the water on my head..

Havin' fun with the big boys!

I'm sorry, it was me, I dumped the water on her head..

We introduced Caroline to the big kids bath this week! As you will see, she was torn between having the time of her life getting to be next to her big brothers and sheer fear and panic as to what they might do to her... Story of her life I think!

more memorial day

2009-05-29T19:28:00.001-07:00

spaghetti dinner at the Scanlans -shirtless and all

Daddy's helpers

playing chase at the Arboretum

Sweet Caroline sleeping through the concert!

A few more pictures of our weekend..

Memorial Day weekend

2009-05-29T19:20:00.001-07:00

Picnic at the Arboretum (Sean is missing as he was chasing Collin around for most of the time!)

Jack and Grammy

Driveway fun! (Poor Daddy was trying to assemble a bubble gun)

Jack wants to know - "Where's the pool? It is Memorial Day people!"

Oh, how I love having Sean home for 3 days. It just gives us time to get everything done and feel accomplished and also time to really hang with our kiddos. 3 day weekends should be mandatory!

We have been so busy, it was nice to just hang out for a few days. We played in the yard, washed the dogs, and headed to church. On Monday, we ventured out with Grandma and Grandpa and went to the Arboretum. They had a petting zoo and a concert. We sat on a little hill where you could see White Rock Lake and ate a little picnic. So awesome. The boys had a great time. They were so pumped up about our trip they decided to come home and not nap!

Which made for a very happy, but exhausted mom and dad.

Here's some pics of our weekend!

just some pictures

2009-05-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

reading together before naps

Exercauser fun!

snacktime!

Jack praying for his snack.. He says "God.. Amen"

Collin telling me something of great importance

I know that those of you who read this really just want to see pictures of the kiddos, so here they are!

A day of mourning..

2009-05-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

Oh, sad day was last Thursday... the boys last day of Mother's Day out.. and home with me for the summer...
But, it's just time for Scanlan camp 2009! Hopefully we've got some fun things planned and my saving grace is Hayley who will help us out all summer!
We have loved parkway Hills Baptist Church. It was the most wonderful place for the boys to start school. I have no doubt that God led us there. They were so patient and loving when our boys took a long time to adjust. Their teachers were amazing and full of love, joy, and PATIENCE.

Triple shower!

2009-05-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Sean has a great group of friends he grew up with and they all have very sweet, fun wives! And there will be a population explosion among us soon! 3 of them are having babies (may, July, and then August). So, we threw a triple shower with our group last weekend. Neil and Jan(Sean's parents) were so wonderful in letting us use their house to throw the shower while they watched the kids at our house. Jan has done an awesome job with her patio and everyone loved hanging out there.

I am not a great cutesy shower planner, but we did play the "baby Olympics" which I highly recommend. We did guys against girls (only those expecting) and they had to put together a playpen, name baby items, swaddle and diaper a baby, etc. Too funny! I believe that the boys called my breastpump part an airhorn!

We can't wait to meet all these new little ones.. we are discussing doing a Destin trip next summer with our group... so let's do a little math.. there will be 9, yes 9, kids 4 and under , along with 10 adults! And LOTS of alcohol!

And the boys graciously offered to interview the nannies for us.. we quickly turned them down as measurements are really not the qualifications we are looking for..

We had such a great time at the shower and are more than excited to meet the new crew!

Uncle Kyle!

2009-05-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Uncle Kyle (my brother, who is 19 and in college) came to visit for a week! We had a blast and I am always happy to have an extra hand around! He played guitar for the boys which they absolutely loved, went to the park with us, and just hung out with everybody! The boys asked every morning for "uncle Kyle". I explained that Uncle Kyle doesn't get up at 7 like the rest of us. I would send the two of them in his room at 10.... a nice wake up call!

He really was great to have here!

Birthday/Mother's Day/ Child Dedication

2009-05-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Poor Sean.. My birthday and mother's day fell on the same weekend.. as he put it so sweetly "I'm going to be kissin' (you know what) all weekend! " It was awesome though. I got some much needed relaxation on my birthday at a spa, and then we headed out for the night while Sean's kind parents watched the kiddos. I wondered if I just hid at the spa for a few days if they would know!
Mother's Day started with Child Dedication at our church which was awesome. We can't say enough how much we love our church and it was so great to have everyone praying that we would raise our children to know God's love.
We made dinner that night for Sean's parents and had a great time! The kids were all very well-behaved, which is the best present a mother could ask for.

Catchin' up!

2009-05-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

I realize that I now have this trend of not blogging for several weeks and then doing a bunch at once! Such is my life! Crazy, crazy, and then catch-up, catch-up! We've had lots of fun things happen!

for those of you that know me...

2009-05-04T06:38:00.001-07:00

I helped out in my church nursery yesterday and got to hang with Caroline as well..
One of the ladies stopped by and commented on her "smocking". But, she said "does she have smocking?" She was pointing to her neck, so I immediately assumed she had some sort of disease around her neck or leftover food or a red ring.. something gross that I was about to get very embarrassed about! I picked her up and started searching her neck, but soon realized she was referring to the collar on her dress, which apparently is called "smocking".
Anyone that knows me knows I know nothing about sewing, or detailed names of clothing parts...
I learn new things from having a girl everyday!

How life has changed..

2009-05-04T06:35:00.001-07:00

We have great neighbors and some of us got together Sat. night...
We had a bit of excitement when one of the older kids came in and informed us that one of the younger ones had pooped! Not just pooped, but taken off his diaper and pooped... well, long story short.. the little one was brought into the festivities poopy butt and all while we scrambled to find wipes and diapers (a baby was sleeping in the room with wipes and diapers..).
What cracked me up, though, was how none of us even blinked an eye (or stopped eating).. while all this occurred! It's just the norm now... can't have a party without poop anymore!

mommy's "helpers"

2009-04-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Jack's attempt, which ended up very messy, but Caroline loved it!

Collin.. Hmm.. maybe I'll test it out for you??

Open wide Caroline!

The boys (especially Collin) have gotten very into "helping" lately. "Helping" is fantastic and I'm so proud that they have the desire to do so... BUT.. everything then takes twice as long.. so sometimes I try to do things without my little helpers!

Here they are feeding their baby sister. Collin especially loves this task.. Jack tried it once and decided his time was better spent elsewhere!

Easter... a month later...

2009-04-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

I mean... seriously.. does it get cuter??

Aunt Claire and Collin shooting some hoops

The Fab Four (Collin, Katie, Jack, Claire)

Great minds at work...

We had a great time in Houston! as always! Such great food and we all got taken care of so well!

We left again this time at 6 a.m. to head down and thought the boys would go back to sleep... ha ha!! I guess they are too big for that now.. thank goodness for Elmo dvds and snacks!!

The boys love running around in the huge backyard and really loved their aunts who just dote on them! They really did fantastic considering when we came back we discovered they had double ear infections and a sinus infection. Caroline is always an angel and she accompanied mommy to church Easter morning. What a sweet moment to sing about the glorious day with my daughter.

She liked one song and tried to sing along as well! She has a little Mariah Carey squeal in her..

love those berries

2009-04-28T18:19:00.001-07:00

It's been so long since I've posted, but we've traveled and have been battling sickness.. still are.. I'm hoping this is the last virus for awhile!

Last week when I went to the pharmacy to pick up 6 bottles of amoxicillin, the pharmacist asked me how many kids I had??

Easter post and others to come.. Here's my sweet Collin loving his blackberries..

Arboretum Part 2..

2009-04-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

Of course I had to give Caroline her own photo shoot on our trip. Grandma and I went to several different flower beds and she was wonderful, of course! We just plopped her down and she smiled away!

I actually caught a couple of people taking pictures of her behind me because she's just so stinkin' cute!! Nothing sweeter than a baby girl in some flowers and a pink hat! Oh, I do love having a girl!!

Arboretum

2009-04-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Dallas Arboretum on Saturday thanks to Grandma's special cards where we go in for free!! Yeah! I had never been there and it was beautiful! The kids loved it as well. Lots of free space for the boys to run and explore! It started out kind of dreary, but turned into a beautiful day. Sometimes the boys amaze me at what they know... when we saw all the beautiful flowers the first thing they did was run up and smell them and say "mmm". I'm pretty sure I've never done that with them so who knows??

Here are some pics of our trip...

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the great passes and for going with us!

breakfast conversation

2009-04-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

The boys have really started talking to each other. When I say "talking", I mean their twin talk intermixed with real words here and there. So, you can sometimes get the gist of the conversation. Yesterday morning their conversation over breakfast went something like this

(they sit down at the table and see that they have waffles and bananas)...
Collin: jabberjabberjabber...waffles..mmmm...
Jack: jabberjabberjabber...mmmm...yeah...
Collin: hot...jabberjabberjabber...waffles!! (very excited inflection)
Jack: jabberjabberjabber... oh, wawa (his word for waffles)

So, I have deduced that this conversation actually was this...
Collin: We're having waffles this morning instead of those yucky whole wheat blueberry pancakes mom makes. Yummy
Jack: We've had those for the last 10 days.. mmm... yeah for waffles!
Collin: They are a little hot! I'm so happy to have the box waffles!!
Jack: Oh, thank goodness we are getting something different! Waffles are so much better!

I'm getting pretty good at this I think!!

Two years old

2009-03-30T11:06:00.001-07:00

Two feels like a big birthday... at their first birthday we were just happy to have survived the year and to be sleeping soundly through the night. Now that they are two it feels like they are really growing up. Two comes with more independence, which is nice, but two also comes with more tantrums and wanting to do it their way! I know that the next year will bring big changes like potty training, sleeping in big beds, going to school more (yeah!), and lots more funny moments! We were so happy because on Saturday we took them to Willow Bend mall to play and we got to just be the parents who sat on the side while their kids ran around instead of chasing after them and worrying that they might fall. So nice... I've always been jealous of those parents. I'm ready to be that parent at the park... not quite there yet!

They really are turning into little boys...

Here's some sweet pictures of them that I took the morning of their second birthday. When they are sitting in the chairs that was my attempt at getting them to give each other a hug!

birthday party!

2009-03-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

The boys had such a great 2nd birthday party! We had it at My Gym where they go every week for class. I think they just thought they were at a class and they wondered why so many people were paying attention to them! They got to ride on a motorcycle, do a bubble fun, do the zip line, and jump on the trampoline! They had a blast! We are so glad that all their friends could come and hope we tired all the toddlers out!

The boys loved their cupcakes. Collin kept telling me, "I like it! .. Mommy... "I like it!" I'm thinking that's his way of asking for more cupcakes.

Really, it was a perfect party. No fuss, so easy, the gym does a great job, and we hardly had to do anything but have fun with our kids and friends! Here's some pictures of the action!

Two years ago today....

2009-03-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

I was wheeled very quickly from my hospital room where I had spent the last four weeks into an emergency c-section and life was never the same after 9:01 and 9:02 a.m. That's when Jack and Collin emerged into the world tiny and little fighters! Needless to say, their birth was the scariest day of my life. Seeing them with tubes everywhere and needing help to breathe was something I'll never forget. But, God has been so faithful and good to us in that they are now very healthy toddlers. Toddlers who do all the normal things, climb on everything, throw temper tantrums, and give us lots of hugs and kisses! I know every parent says this, but my life was so different before they came into this world and I can't imagine not seeing those little faces every day. Thank you God for a blessed two years. Thank you for the support of family and friends, thank you for giving us energy and stamina and rest when we couldn't go on anymore. Thank you for lots of laughter and so many precious moments!

More blogs on the fantastic birthday party over the weekend and pictures to come!

food for thought..

2009-03-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

I really feel as though my life centers around food. And not really in a good way...
See, as it stands right now, Caroline nurses about 5-6 times a day and eats solid foods twice a day. The boys eat 3 good meals, and 2, sometimes 3 snacks a day. So, in total I am feeding someone at least 12 times per day, sometimes 14. Oh yes, and I have to eat as well as get Sean fed (although he never throws his food on the floor, which I appreciate!).
So, if I don't answer my phone or return an e-mail, you can rest assured that I am not ignoring you, just feeding a hungry mouth.

Also, I've mentioned before that my boys eat alot. Oh, they are typical toddlers and some meals choose to eat very little, but for the most part, they EAT. Last night was a new record though. I bought them turkey sausages and they ate the ENTIRE package between them for dinner. Plus, some sweet potato and fruit. So much for leftovers!

Time Out

2009-03-10T06:30:00.001-07:00

Well, we've had to start some time outs in our house lately. I think when you have twins the hitting/pushing starts a little earlier because they are always in each other's space. I swear, they can have an entire room to play in and they will sit right on top of each other! So, I instituted some time outs really only for physical altercations that arise... I use these green placemats that are in a basket in the kitchen and put it in the hallway. They have to sit there for about 10 seconds or so. I am saying "they", but Jack is really the one who has gotten familiar with time out. Collin has only been in it once whereas Jack frequents it about twice a day. (He's going through a little testing boundaries phase!).

Anyways, many funny things have happened since we started this. Jack definitely understands what it means. Usually he still just laughs when he is in it, though, which makes it very hard for his parents not to laugh. Now he has started alternating between laughing and crying as I think he's not sure how he's supposed to feel about it. Also, several times during the day, he will go get a placemat himself and sit himself in "time out." He sits there and says "no, no, no!." Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery , right???

Also, the one time I did have to put Collin in time out for hitting, Jack went right away and got his own placemat and put it next to Collin, sitting himself in time out too. Solidarity! So sweet!

However, Collin has never returned the favor....

\This is such a funny age! I love it!

Here's a cute picture of my boys laughing at their funny dad! I actually got one of them together which takes a small miracle!

she's growing up!

2009-03-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

Caroline has added lots of new things to her repertoire! It all seems to happen so fast. We started some solid foods and she really was not so interested in the rice cereal. I swear she was looking at me saying "I know that's not what you're eating.." We did some sweet potatoes yesterday, though, and that was a much bigger hit! She was actually opening her mouth instead of keeping it clamped shut like she does for the cereal!

She is also sitting up by herself! Hallelujah! I love this stage! I'm going to discourage her from crawling as long as possible! She loves to sit and look at her brothers and play with all their toys. They are a little freaked out that she can now hold her toys... can't wait to see what they do when she crawls after them to get a toy...

She's also got a new, very girly pink and brown stroller that we love! She can now go to the park and watch everybody. Can't believe she's almost 6 months old! She's still the sweetest and such a joy!

The mind of toddlers..

2009-02-18T05:53:00.000-08:00

The boys are talking more and more everyday and it cracks me up as it's a little insight into how their minds work...
we pray with them at night and Collin will say "amen".. the other day, though, I handed them each Vanilla Wafers at the table and they simultaneously put their hands together and said "Amen!". Just cracked me up! And I was thinking that we use Amen frequently to thank God for wonderful things that have happened to us and to a toddler what could be more wonderful than a vanilla wafer?? Amen!

Also, Jack has discovered the very purposeful use of the word "mines".. I love how he puts the "s" on the end... When Collin goes to take something away, he says, very seriously, "Oh no, mines". Collin, so far, listens to him, so we'll see how long that lasts...

the boys.. random facts..

2009-02-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

I realized that I haven't shared anything about my two favorite little monsters in a while! They are growing and changing so much! While they are definitely a handful, we are really enjoying this time in their little lives with them. They are talking and understanding everything and make us laugh constantly!

Here's a few fun facts..

Collin is talking a ton! Last night we were reading a book about Noah and he pointed to the boat and said "ark"!. And this morning he said "dryer" when he heard it come on! I know I'm a speech therapist, but it amazes me and fills me with joy when they talk! Collin still loves his vaccumms and anything electronic. His teachers still say he is pretty quiet at school, but we know he just takes everything in. He's more of an observer.

Jack is also talking, but uses his words more efficiently. He talks when it suits him and when he needs something. Other than that, he keeps busy running and playing. Jack loves life and his giggle is still our favorite thing to hear! Jack is my helper.. if he ever needs to be distracted, I just ask him where something is and he will go on a mission looking for it! It's great! Jack definitely likes to follow what Collin does, much to Collin's dismay most of the time.

The boys are playing together alot more. They play chase and hide and go seek alot! Although Collin will frequently stop these games when Jack gets a little too rough.

They also have a new common interest... their "pee-pees". They now show us about 20 times in the bath their beloved "pee-pees" and point them out again in case we forgot what they are called. Oh, the obsession starts so early in life....

I cannot believe they will be 2 next month. Now it feels as though time is going by very fast.

Oh, and I must again give major props to the best husband and father in the world who stood outside in the cold at 5 in the morning last week to get his children into Mother's Day Out 3 days a week! They will start at a Methodist church here in Frisco next fall! Hooray!

Just us girls..

2009-02-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

Caroline and I took a road trip last weekend and headed south to the Hill Country. Daddy and the boys were left home alone!! We headed first to see Grandma Alice in Kerrville and then to my aunt Carol's. We loved seeing family and I got some nice rest time on Carol and Jimmy's beautiful back porch! Caroline, was, as always, a wonderful girl! She traveled well in the car and smiled for everybody! This was the first mommy phobia I've seen though, where she would cry if I left the room!

We thank our hosts for all the food and great times! And, Sean, of course, survived with the boys! He really should win father of the year!

My house was still standing and the boys were happy and fed when I got back!

However, I'm glad I got my rest as we began the week from you-know-what on Monday..

Stomach bug hit us again! We are still battling it and I haven't left the house since I got back on Sun. Thank you bible study ladies for all your prayers for us to get well and for me to get some energy back.. I feel it!!

Fred and Ginger..

2009-01-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

So Sean and I now have a date night once a week (thank you grandparents).. We are learning ballroom dancing at the Frisco Rec Center. (I hope Sean's friends take it easy on him!). Last week we learned the waltz and it really was a lot of fun! I thought we might be the youngest couple in the class, but turned out to be one of the oldest.. Several young 20's couples were in there wanting to learn how to dance at weddings (we thought that's what alcohol was for!). Anyways, I also learned a valuable lesson that sometimes you have to let the man lead, which can be difficult for us married ladies! All in all, very fun and some nice quality time together!
And, no, there will not be a recital at the end!

Collin's first haircut!

2009-01-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

Collin was growing quite a mullet in the back, so we decided it was time for his first haircut! When his uncle Justin came to visit and said first thing, "he needs a haircut", that also sealed the deal. Sean took him to Toys R Us. I was very fearful that he would have a complete meltdown and there would be restraining involved! Children always surprise you! He did fantastic! Sat there (maybe totally in shock) and let them put the smock on, and cut away! He looks like such a big boy now!

Jack has several years to go before his first haircut! He's doing his part to save us money in these economic times....

4 months old!

2009-01-14T05:38:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Caroline is 4 months old and is changing everyday! I'm excited that the newborn phase is over and she's got lots more personality! I love this next phase of babydom that includes exercausers, sitting and playing and so many smiles and laughs! As a second time parent, I like the phase BEFORE all the moving begins!

She is still such a sweet girl and has a great disposition. I think we have almost retired her swing and she has moved on to her exercauser. She loves to stand in it and watch the boys. Watching her brothers is definitely her favorite pastime. She also loves to be tickled and has a very sweet laugh! She made her debut at the church nursery yesterday while mom went to some much needed bible study. She did really well and will go every Tuesday morning. I'm really enjoying watching her grow!

* one funny story.. Jack was eating pumpkin bread near her the other day and sneezed mid-mouthful, which ended up with half-eaten pumpkin all over Caroline's face! She cried and cried! I told her I'm sure there will be much worse to come in the future!

A little more Christmas

2009-01-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

A few more pictures, including one of the kids' cousin Emma, who you might have mistaken for Suri Cruise!

And Jack sound asleep on the way home from OKC...

Christmas Scanlan style

2009-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas was as equally fun as it was exhausting! I think today (Jan. 1st) is when we are just starting to wind down finally! We feel so lucky, though, to have been able to spend it with family and friends and for so many people to remember our kids and give them such sweet gifts. I feel like we may have to move just to accomodate all the wonderful presents! I have learned the mommy trick, though, to hide some of the presents to be pulled out on a rainy day..

We started out Christmas with aunt Christie (Sean's sister) visiting. We all loved getting to spend time with her and the boys and Caroline loved all her attention. We did our small family christmas Christmas eve morning and the boys quickly learned that under the wrapping paper were fun toys! And mom and dad learned to make sure to have all the toys put together first before they open them... there were a few tears, but we quickly moved on to the next present.

After all the gifts, we headed to Oklahoma city to stay with Sean's grandma and see everyone. The boys and Caroline did great traveling again. Great in the car, great at all the festivities, etc.

They loved playing with their cousin Emma and meeting lots of new people. They also loved Sean's grandma's house because there was so much room to run!

I pray that her house is still the same after the Scanlan boys have come through!

We are very blessed to have so many people who care about our kids and such great families!

Christmas festivities!

2008-12-17T15:01:00.000-08:00

We had a fun weekend and got into the Christmas spirit. Friday night we went to Frisco Square and saw the light show. The boys had fun, but not as much fun as Sunday night at Frisco's Safety Town! They had a blast! (Safety Town is a miniature little Frisco with a Wal-mart, hospital, etc. all in tiny houses just made for little people). They thought they died and went to heaven and were literally running into every little house to open and close doors! They also got to go on a fire truck. It was a warm night and we had great help from Grandma and Grandpa! We all got a workout running after them... I believe one of the policemen said to Sean "Boy, they are some livewires!...

Here are some pictures. As you can see we are somewhat restraining Collin to take a picture.. He had lots of things he wanted to do and sitting still was not one!

So much fun! I highly recommend it!

Out of the mouths of babes...

2008-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I spent my previous life as a speech therapist specifically working with little ones. Loved my job and loved having success helping little ones start talking. Well, when I found out I was having twins, I knew they would be a little delayed in their speech. When I found out it was two boys I tacked on a little more delay (sorry guys, little girls just mature faster). When they were ten weeks premature, I jokingly said they wouldn't talk until they were 3 (half-serious). Even though I know all of this, it still was getting a little hard that they are getting so big and still weren't saying much. Well, thank goodness we have some words now!! (this also helps reduce the whining and my bleeding ears!). It is so sweet to hear them talking, it really just makes me so happy! Collin is really taking off and says lots of words. He particularly likes "up" and "out" because they are so multi-functional and can get him just about anything he wants. He also imitates lots of words! Jack started saying "up" and "help". It is very cute when they start to cry/whine and then suddenly realize there is a faster way! Very proud of my boys!

Gym Class!!

2008-12-05T12:31:00.001-08:00

The boys went to their first gym class today and had a blast! I was a little nervous taking both by myself, but they really did great! They jumped on the trampoline, went on the bars, climbed, and went through numerous tunnels . They also had a car that goes on a ramp thing which Jack was obsessed with the whole time!! Most importantly, it wore them out! It is now 2:30p.m. and they have been in bed since 12p.m. The tuition is definitely worth it! We will go to class once a week and a free play once a week. Also, when Miss Caroline gets ready, she is very cheap since her brothers go! The upsides of having a big family!
Thank you My Gym!

more pictures

2008-11-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, apparently you can only post 5 pictures at once! I learn something new every day!

Here's 5 more I just had to put on here from our great trip!

Scanlan Family Road Trip!

2008-11-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

We were very adventurous and headed down to Houston for Thanksgiving to visit my dad, Ellen, and aunt claire and Katie. I was worried that this would be our first and last attempt at a road trip! But, everything went really well! The way down was a breeze! We got up at 6 and just woke the kids up and threw them in the car! We drove as fast as we could without stopping until we made it almost to Houston! I packed tons of snacks which kept my boys very happy. Jack figured out that I was sitting behind him (next to Collin) and would just put his little snack cup up in the air for me to refill about every 10 minutes!!

The boys loved, loved, loved Houston! My dad and Ellen have a great backyard and the boys loved to run free. They played in the sandbox and pushed lots of wagons around. The toys Ellen got for them were a huge hit as well! They were big boys and ate their meals at a table. We only ran into some screaming about sleeping in the playpens, but they adjusted quickly!

Caroline also was a trooper and slept all the way down and back and slept great in Houston! She loved her swing which was so nicely provided by Ellen's sister Corrie!

Ellen cooked fabulous meals, as always, and we drank great wine! The girls played entertained the boys as well, so Sean and I felt like we were on a mini-vacation.

They asked us to come back at Easter so I'm thinking we didn't wear them out too much!

We really all had such a wonderful time and I"m so glad we went! Thank you Owen family!

Bear with me, but here are lots of pictures of our great time!

Here's a little synopsis of the pictures , hopefully in order

** Collin and Katie in the sandbox

** Claire and Collin in the backyard

** Grandpa Gary and Jack on the riding mower (Collin had no part of that!)

* everybody on a walk

** Claire and Katie and Jack and Collin

** Jack in the wagon

** Collin in his pajamas

** Caroline in her pretty dress

** mom and her 3 kiddos

** Grandparents and grandkids

And, as an added bonus, my mom comes on Tuesday which always makes me so happy! So nice to have company and we have lots of things on our to-do list! I love the holidays!

Cute pictures

2008-11-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Really nothing of note, just a few cute pictures of my kids! Jack's is priceless and so him! I hope all his teachers love his zest for life as much as we do!

We were down, but not out..

2008-11-21T05:01:00.001-08:00

Well, Monday was quite a day for our little family as we all got a stomach bug. When I heard Sean get sick, I began fervently praying that we would not get sick at the same time, but God had other plans. Taking care of 3 kids while sick is no easy task. Luckily these things only last 24 hours. Caroline is the only one who escaped it. At one point, she was happily playing on her play mat, while Sean and I lay on the floor next to her with no energy to even move! (Boys were sleeping)
We are slowly returning to normal. It's amazing how behind I get just having less energy for a couple of days!
It seems that we will be hit with all the viruses this winter as my pediatrician informed me. I did such a good job keeping them healthy last winter that now they have to get everything at least once! Oh joy! I told her that I may not survive until March... Snotty noses and coughs have now just become a way of life around here... We'll make it though!

Two months old!

2008-11-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Miss Caroline is 2 months old as of Saturday! I am loving watching her grow! And grow she is! She is close to 12 pounds and quite the chunker! She has many rolls on her thighs!

She has started smiling, mostly at her mama, and still loves being on the go! We like our Tuesdays and Thursdays which are our girl days! We go run errands and take naps together...

She loves, loves, loves her bath! She would stay in there forever. She just stares at herself in the mirror while she's bathing! Typical girl...

She was sleeping really well, but then she got a double ear infection and thrush, so has pretty much been miserable for a little while! We are on antibiotics now, so hopefully things will return to normal soon!

She has a very sweet disposition and loves to be held up high and walk around with her Daddy when he gets home!

Here are a few pictures .. one with her friend Carter (who is two days younger), one in her Longhorn onesie and some in her swing (which she loves). She's got big puppy dog eyes and the cutest nose!

Oh, and she has already survived a couple of "run-ins" with her brothers who sometimes get a little too friendly!! Collin tried to push on her face to get up from the floor (mommy stopped him and informed him that his sister is not furniture)... and Jack keeps trying to pull her hands and feet off.. not sure why??

Halloween.. finally!

2008-11-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is how long it takes me to get to things... Here are some Halloween pics

Actually, they are several days before Halloween. The boys refused to wear their lion costumes, so they were Appalachian state football players, courtesy of uncle Kyle!

On this day, Haley (she's 14 and helps me a couple days a week.. the boys think she hung the moon!).. and I tortured them as evidenced by the photos! We put the costumes on and tried to bribe them with cookies, but pretty much failed miserably! At least I have some very funny photos.. Oh how we torture our kids! Maybe they'll wear these next year...

thank you, thank you!

2008-11-05T05:15:00.001-08:00

Thank you to Miss Caroline who has slept through the night for the last 3 nights! I am still in shock and feel like it's a fluke! (the boys didn't do this until they were about 9 months old!). Last night she went 9p - 6a.! Amazing!
We told her she gets a pretty car when she turns 16 for being so nice to her very tired mom and dad!

Fun at the park

2008-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

We tried a new park last weekend and here are a couple of shots of the boys. Jack loves the steering wheel and Collin is, of course, in a tunnel!! He loves little spaces! They really had fun. Collin was very sad when we left. We think he felt like he didn't quite conquer the whole park yet, so we promised him we'd go back. Afterwards we went to Rudy's and had some yummy bbq! I love eating out with the boys since I don't have to clean up afterwards! Sorry Rudy's!!

We are trying to make ourselves go out as a family at least once a weekend. We know there are about a million things to get done at home, but they can wait. The boys need outings and it's nice to go all as a family. We've really got it down pretty well. People give us funny looks sometimes and wonder why the crazy people ventured out in public, but we just smile and keep going! Thanks to the Vroonlands for giving us the great Land's End bag to bring when we have the whole crew. I could fit all the kids in it if I wanted to! It's awesome!

There's also a picture of Miss Caroline in one of her Halloween outfits... ( she had 3, of course).

More on Halloween to come (very funny pictures)....

You've got your hands full...

2008-10-28T12:04:00.001-07:00

I hear this statement at least a couple of times a day from people I come in contact with! ( those I know and complete strangers). And we do have our hands full, definitely! I know everyone is curious if we are surviving 3 kids under 2 and the answer is yes, we are making it!! It is VERY chaotic, but there are moments of peace. I would describe my day like a roller coaster, mostly peaceful, times of calm when everyone is happy, playing, or sleeping. And then, BOOM! Everyone is crying, needing something and it's complete madness! I just handle them one at a time (easiest first), and we get through it!

I'm really surviving because I have several things...

First and foremost (i know i've said it before), but I have the best husband! He works so hard at his job, and then comes home and works twice as hard here! He has been switching off nights with me so that I can get some sleep, which makes all the difference in the world! With a good 6/7 hours, you can accomplish anything! He is so sweet with Caroline and so much fun with the boys, and helps out with anything around the house!! I'm so grateful for him!

I also have wonderful in-laws! They are a HUMONGOUS help! They will run pick up and drop off for me with the boys at school and take them to their house a few times a week for some fun! The boys love being there. It's like Disneyland to them. Sean and I are perfectly happy with the fact that the boys would rather be with Grandma and Grandpa than us! In fact, we encourage it!

Seriously, though, we tell them this often, but we would not survive if they didn't live around the corner. We are so thankful and grateful to them.

I also have my mom who helps with my sanity and lets me call her at least once a day so that she can give me a pep talk! She listens as I go on about various illnesses and things the kids are doing! I know no one else would be as interested as she is! (or at least pretends very well to be!). Also, when she comes to stay it is like a mini-vacation for me! I love it! ( Only about 30 more days until the next visit!)

Also, Mother's Day out 2 days a week for the boys... Need I say more??

Finally, and most important, lots of prayer. Let's see, I pray for patience about 50 times a day and I especially pray to remember to be joyful and present even through all the chaos! I know it's going to go by so fast and I will be sad about it!

It took us so long to have this big of a family, so we really are thrilled! So, in the end, yes, our hands are very full, but my cheesy response is, our hearts are even more so!

Pumpkin Days!

2008-10-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch in Celina last weekend! We had the most beautiful weather and our favorite company of Grandma and Grandpa! The boys had little colds, but still had fun. They loved looking at the animals and eating hot dogs! Collin could not understand why we had to sit on the hayride, so I spent most of the time trying to distract him (not very successfully!). They also loved just walking around on the porch at the little house! I guess I could have saved some money! We got some good pumpkins and some good pictures. I still can't quite believe when I look at the one of the five of us! How we've grown in a few years!

OOps!

2008-10-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, two of my pictures didn't upload. Here they are... Jack wasn't playing on the climby thing when we were taking pictures! He'll have his moment later!

Up, up, and away!!

2008-10-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our granny, we have a new, very fun climbing place!! It has a slide and everything! The boys love it and now love to go in the backyard! Here are some pictures!

Here's a new one of Caroline too. She's almost smiling...

Also, a HUGE thank you to Grandpa Neil for accompanying the whole crew to the pediatrician! The boys had their 18 month checkup and Caroline had her one month! It was quite the ordeal! We made it out alive though.. shots and all... Grandpa was so patient and great with the boys, as always! What would we do if they didn't live so close???

Caroline is 9 1'2 lbs.! Growing, growing and my monsters are about 25....

They've grown quite a bit since their 3 lb. start!

Baby Caroline Picture

2008-10-08T19:11:00.001-07:00

I think we finally snapped a good one with her eyes open. Go Horns

Football!

2008-10-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of the boys in their Appalachian State jerseys that their uncle Kyle sent! They look like little men in these! And yes, the one picture of the two of them shows a typical play session. Just your usual toys, a costco box, a spatula, and a random star!! The most fun!

Collin and Jack are still loving school and have learned to pray. It is the cutest and sweetest thing. They will put their hands together and Collin says "Amen!". They will do it with me before meals and before bed. They love it! I'm so thankful to their teachers for this wonderful lesson. I pray they keep it up lifelong...

Caroline is a month old tomorrow! She is getting so much bigger! She is so strong and can already hold her head up when she lays on me and turn it side to side!

A very special name

2008-10-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

My sweet Caroline is named after another very special Caroline. Her mother, Monica, (in picture), graciously let me use the name after her precious daughter. My mom and Monica grew up together in San Antonio and have known each other for many years (dating back to high school pranks and all!). We lived in San Antonio for 3 years and became very close with Monica and her family. We spent lots of time at their house, took vacations together, and blended our two families alot! Monica has 4 children and Caroline is the third in line. I so remember when she was little just falling in love with her. I held her ALL the time and just played with her like she was my own little doll. She loved this as well and we were very close. We moved away and we would see the family about once a year as we got older. Caroline grew up in to quite a young woman. She was very active in church, volunteered, and enjoyed her friends. She also had a gift for reaching out to others, particularly those who were hard to reach. As I understand it, in high school when everyone forms cliques, Caroline's only requirement to be her friend was that you were genuine. Very sadly, Caroline died in a car accident several years ago. It still just breaks my heart to think of her pretty smile and sweet demeanor. God has a very special angel by His side. Sometimes I think He thought Caroline was too sweet for this earth of ours.

Her mother, Monica, is also very special. While this is extremely difficult, she always manages to smile and have kind words for others. I'm so glad she got to come visit last weekend and meet "baby Caroline." It was so sweet and I treasure seeing them together.

There's a picture of the two of them and my favorite scripture for difficult times...

Psalm 23: 2-3

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

On my own...

2008-09-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'm very sad this morning as I just dropped my mom off at the airport. She's been here a month and has been a tremendous help. Not really sure how I'm going to do this on my own, but we'll manage! I'm so thankful that she can come and stay so long and is such a big help! Not only did she help me recover at the hospital, took care of the boys, and took care of Caroline, but let me list a few of the other tasks she tackled while here... organized the garage so we have space to actually walk in the house, put a fence up in the backyard to separate a place for the boys and a place for the dogs, hung pictures, redecorated my downstairs bathroom, found a climbing plaything for the boys, hung a ladder, made me install a laundry system, did about 400 loads of laundry, grocery shopped, picked up food, the list goes on and on. I know I'm forgetting things! She also made me go through some "dry runs" of picking the boys up at school by myself and taking care of everybody the last couple of days on my own so I could feel like I could do it! That's really what a good mom does.. does things for you and then shows you how you can do it on your own! I"m so thankful to my mom and so glad my kids have her for their granny!

Now the real fun begins.....stay tuned...

I'm going to try to post a couple of new pictures too! All right, I'm still learning and posted my picture twice! I'll get some more of the boys soon too!

Two weeks

2008-09-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Caroline is 2 weeks old and weighs 7 1/2 lbs. as of today. She made quite a jump, as a week and a half ago, she was only 6.2! Obviously, I don't have to worry about if she's getting enough to eat!
Everything else looked great! She's as sweet as can be!

The boys played tee ball in the backyard yesterday. "Played" is a very loose definition! More like walked around with the bat and ball... They are liking playing in the backyard though. We are currently searching for a climbing structure! The stuff never ends!
Okay, Collin is crying, so that's all I've got!!

Backyard Shenanigans

2008-09-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

The temperature has finally calmed down here in North Texas. With help from their Grandma Melissa the kids played in the Garden of Eden known as our back yard (work with me here)

Still trying to figure out how to make these blogs easier to read...hope everyone is doing well

Three carseats!!

2008-09-16T19:17:00.001-07:00

I definitely had one of those reality moments when I saw all 3 carseats with the kids in them strapped in the minivan! Could not quite believe they are all mine!!
I am glad to be home, although the hospital was wonderful and really like staying in a hotel!! Caroline and I got some quality bonding time!
I am really enjoying her. The second baby (or third) is so different since you are much more relaxed! You can really just stare and enjoy and love on her! She's been very good so far and I am getting some sleep and good naps thanks to my mom. My favorite thing is taking a nap with her in the room in the bassinett next to me!
The boys are adjusting well. They are so young, if it doesn't directly affect them, they're not interested. Jack laughs every time she cries and Collin just does his typical Collin stare at her. He keeps trying to get people who come to visit to take her home.
Thank goodness for my mom! I'm not quite sure how this is all going to work when she leaves, but we'll just go one hour at a time. ... I'm trying to really be present and notice the moments when all 3 are quiet and happy. It really does actually happen quite a bit during the day, but it's much easier sometimes to get caught up when they are all fussy!!
Like right now I'm savoring that Caroline is sleeping in the playpen and the boys are playing in their playroom without fighting. I'm drinking some coffee and publishing this post! And my nice mom is doing my laundry! A very nice morning!!

A baby, some friends and a Jackie

2008-09-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Caroline is home and enjoying herself. Grandma Melissa is doing a great job helping with the boys and Lindsay. Lindsay is doing a great job feeding Caroline.

Our boys were so glad their best friend Haley came over to see them. I hope I am spelling her name correct

Jack is wondering if he can fit in this box. "No Jack, you cannot"

Caroline at Home

2008-09-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Scanlan Zoo is now open for business! Collin and Jack met their baby sister Caroline today at the house. She is doing great and still sleeping and eating like a champion. The boys are very happy to have their Mama back at the house after a boys week with Dad. Give us a call and come by to say hello. Thank you to everyone that has sent their wishes and gifts

Updated Caroline Pictures

2008-09-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

More Baby Pics you ask for...more baby pics you shall receive. Caroline is feeding off her sweet Mother today and doing very well. She can be a feisty little one and we are not sure how she got all of that hair!

Meanwhile - Jack and Collin are keeping themselves busy on the homefront waiting for their baby sister to arrive...

Baby Caroline is here

2008-09-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

Well what do you know? As I looked down to check out the unit of what was to be our third boy it turns out - IT'S A GIRL! Caroline Alice Scanlan was born around 2 O'Clock today on September 8th. More pics to come as she is spending a little time getting the fluid out of her lungs. Lindsay is doing well and getting some rest at the hospital.

Family of Four...

2008-09-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here's our last picture as a family of 4! As of tomorrow we will be 5! We're as ready as we can be!

I'm so thankful to have made it this far in the pregnancy! I had so much wonderful help, especially from Sean's parents and my mom. It has been such a blessing to have family willing to pitch in when we really needed it!

But, really, to get mushy for just a minute, the person who has made all this easier has been my wonderful husband! He works tirelessly and never complains. All through this pregnancy, he has taken care of the boys from the minute he hits the door after work and so much on the weekends. Of course, they adore him and so do I. I'm so grateful that my kids have such an amazing father to look up to. I really can't say enough about him and am so glad I gave out my number to the guy picking me up at the Rangers game so long ago! Look at us now...

We'll have pictures out of our new little Scanlan in a couple days. We pray tomorrow we are blessed with a healthy baby! Thanks for everyone's well wishes!

What were we thinking???

2008-09-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is what I was asking myself as I'm dropping my two boys off on their first day of Mother's Day Out! As they, along with the entire building it seems, are screaming, and looking at me with what can only be described as total panic. You really do have that moment where you just want to pick them up and say "never mind!". They can stay home with me until they are able to read novels right?? Then I remembered that I am having another baby in less than a week, and, in order to keep my sanity, they need to go. I also remembered all the wonderful things they will learn at school! So, I made myself leave and fortunately, found another mother in their class who also needed to calm down! We went and had some coffee, told our life stories, and felt much better!
The report at the end of the day was not too bad. They cried on and off. Loved the buggy ride, eating (of course), and singing songs. They wouldn't go down for a nap there, so the director called to see if I wanted to pick them up a little early. When I got there, the entire building wasn't napping!
God bless their teachers and the sweet director and I pray for their continued patience as I'm sure this will be quite an adjustment for my boys.
I called my mom from the car after I dropped them off (trying to hold it together) and she said "Well, how did it go?". I said "Let's see, the director's already walking around with Jack!"
I am bracing myself for tomorrow morning as I know it will be worse since now they know what's coming!
To be continued....

Getting ready for school!

2008-08-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

The boys start Mother's Day out on Tuesday so this weekend has been all about getting prepared! We met their teachers last week and they seem very sweet! God bless them for taking on 8 toddlers who I'm sure will all be screaming on the first day! We are busy buying last minute things and labeling EVERYTHING!

We finally got a new camera, so I am going to attempt to post some pictures. These are just fun times around the house! Collin is officially a toddler overnight! He does not like to be told "no", doesn't want to hold our hand when he walks, and you can't take your eyes off him for 5 seconds!

He also likes to go, go in the car. I think he is more than ready for a couple days a week at school. Jack is happy go lucky as usual and entertains himself very well. He smiles that million dollar smile and dances all the time. He seemed to really enjoy Hall and Oates "Private Eyes" in the car the other day! Anything with a good beat!

Still hanging in there!

2008-08-25T09:23:00.001-07:00

Well, after a very painful day yesterday, I thought this baby may make an appearance very soon. Went to the doctor this morning, though, and found out he/she has just dropped! So, that would explain the extreme uncomfortableness!!
No other changes, though, so we are still on schedule!
We finally got a new camera, so as soon as we figure out how to work it, we will post some new pictures of the boys!

Shoes!!

2008-08-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

I thought that being the parents of two growing boys meant that food would break our budget (we do go through 3 gallons of milk a week!), but I really think the culprit is shoes! I noticed that I was stuffing poor Jack's feet into his sandals, so I decided to head to Payless to get them some new tennis shoes for school. There is a wonderful woman who works there who helped me wrestle them in order to measure their feet. Jack had grown from a 4 to a 5 1/2 in just a little over a month! Collin's feet had also grown 1/2 a size! Thank goodness for buy one, get one half off! Also, I realized there would be no trying on shoes in the store without going into labor trying to hold my children down! So, we came home, put them in their high chairs for lunch, and tried the shoes on there. It was successful, though, and we got 3 pairs each. Some bigger for them to grow into! I just hope I don't have to be back there in 30 days.....

3 weeks!!

2008-08-18T12:41:00.001-07:00

Had a great doctor's appt. today and it looks like we scheduled a c-section for September 8th! We hope our little one will hold out until then! My mom will already be here by then, so we'll have 3 sets of grandparent hands to help during the crazy week!

The boys are doing great and of course, have no idea what's about to come! Collin has really turned into a Daddy's boy and follows him around copying what he does. He grabbed an empty bowl and went to our backdoor to feed the dogs just like daddy. We all ate out on Friday night and Jack was the official greeter. He danced in his high chair and waved to everyone that came in.

And I would sincerely like to thank God for the cooler weather and beautiful rain!!

Fun with the Owens

2008-08-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

The Owens were in town this weekend (Grandpa Gary, Grandma Ellen, Aunts Claire and Katie) and we had a great time! Out to eat, swimming, and a little shopping! The boys love playing with their aunts!
We would have pictures, but our camera is mysteriously missing! We will go on a major hunt this weekend as it will be very necessary here to have pictures in a couple weeks!
I am 35 weeks pregnant now! Just a little longer. We are talking with the doctor and discussing when to schedule the c-section! I'm so happy that all is well and ecstatic to still be out and about!

Swimming fun!

2008-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

We have joined the blogworld! We figured this would be an easier way for family and friends to look at pictures! We are trying to survive the hot summer and keep our boys entertained! They love swimming, playing at the mall, and running around at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Of course, they also love to eat! (see picture of Jack).

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and now we have started our countdown! We are still waiting until the big day to find out what the baby is. Here are some pictures of the boys having fun in the pool and enjoying their food (Collin in pool, Jack with the big mess!)