Destruction and fevers

Active, bossy, dramatic 3-year-old + active, aggressive, strong-willed 2-year-old + teething 7-month-old = crazy, loud family. Last night at dinner Mark made the comment that our lives would be so boring without them. So true. I'm thankful for that. We are sort of a boring couple.

I have always thought I was a patient, calm person... until I had 3 little munchkins. I don't even know who I am. I never use to yell. Now I do. I don't like it. I have been praying that God would calm my spirit. Therefore, you may find it funny that yesterday this happened.

8:30am- my kids are quiet. never good. I walk down the hall to find blue bath paint smeared on the bathroom cabinets, walls, hallway carpet, bedroom carpet, clothes and bedroom walls.
9:15am- walk into the kitchen to find an entire bottle of Italian dressing dumped in the fridge and the floor.
9:45am- found a 2-year-old at the top of our hallway closet trying to reach the nail polish. He climbed up 5 shelves. I thought I was smart putting the dangerous stuff on the top.
10:00am- maple syrup poured on kitchen floor.
11:30am- discovered feminine products stuck to the walls.

What is with the destruction? I tried so hard not to stay calm, but by lunch, my blood was boiling. Once Mark got home, I went to Target. All is well.

We have had an odd virus in our house. The other day, Riley had a fever on and off, but no other symptoms. It was gone in 24 hours. Today I noticed Quinn felt feverish. He had a temperature and I sent him to lay on the couch. Here he is.

Don't let that picture fool you. 10 minutes ago he ate lunch and a cupcake for dessert. After lunch, he was running around the house. It wasn't until I told him he had a fever that he calmed down. I thought to myself, "I'm going to milk this whole fever thing". Over the last hour I have said things like, "You are sick, you should rest on the couch. Do you need any books or water?", "Don't get up, I'll get that for you", "You shouldn't get near your sisters", "This medicine will help you sleep". He did not move for an hour and a half. Shocking for that boy. I guess fevers don't have to be all that bad.

I will leave you with some pictures of those crazy cuties...

We have been getting books on CD from the library. She loves being in charge of turning the pages.

Deers in headlights...

Quinn took a picture of himself. I just keep imagining him saying, "Does this picture make my face look fat?"

Irish twins. Same weight, same shoe size, and 1 inch difference in height.

Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

"Mom, what is wrong with this family?"

Love that happy girl!

Running- A Letter to my Children

I have come home hot, sweaty, and tired a few nights a week. You ask me, "Mommy, why are you so sweaty? Are you tired?". Yes babies, I'm tired. Very tired.

Running is not easy for me. I have never considered myself a runner. I do not enjoy it much. It's hard. Recently having 3 babies has made it even harder. I don't like the cramps and the aches that accompany it. I want to spit on the ground and quit. I get frustrated when I have a goal of running so much further, but can only make it a few miles.

I don't run because I like it, I run because its good for me. I run because I need to do the hard in order to be a stronger, healthier person. I run because God tends to teach us the most when we do things that are not comfortable. When I start running down that long road, I sometimes tell myself that I can't make it that far. God immediately speaks to me and reminds that I am right where He want me to be. So tired and sweaty I run further.

I want you to see me exhausted. I want you to watch me work hard for things that are good. I desire for you to wake up at 7:00am to a mommy that has spent time in the Word and has prayed for your little hearts. I will be tired because 5:00am can be hard, but it is good. I desire for you to watch me clean, wipe dirty faces, and give millions of hugs until 8:00pm, because it is good.  I desire for you to watch me and your daddy make obedient, difficult decisions for this family and still smile at the end of it day. That is good.

Our culture teaches us to be comfortable. Don't believe it. Hebrews 11 talks of some of the most influential people in the Bible. Read it. Study their lives. They worked hard. I am sure they came home tired and sweaty. I am sure God asked them to do things that seemed impossible. They obeyed and they received many eternal blessings.

Throughout my life, I have ran from the uncomfortable too many times. It gets tiring. However, when I do the hard, I receive peace and true joy. I will continue to run because I need to, not because I want to. I pray throughout your lives you will watch me work hard for what is good. I will make mistakes and I will want to quit, but life is like running down that impossibly long road. Its really not that far.

Parks and quotes

We have gone to the same park almost everyday this past week. It has a huge hill. I realized my kids love rolling and running down the hill more then playing on the toys. It makes them extremely tired, so I usually go before naps or bed. Most of the time, I take them by myself and pray we make it out of there safe. Below are some things I have learned about my kids while watching them at the park.

1. They have an abnormal amount of energy. I blame Mark.
2. If I ran up and down that hill like they do, I would pass out from exhaustion. 
3. Quinn can't stand to lose sight of Riley while playing. He spends half of his time yelling "Ri" then cries because he can't see her. He will be disappointed when he realizes they will be in different classes at school.
4. Riley does not need Quinn. She just needs to be in charge of some small or big child while playing. She can't leave without making a new friend.
5. I need (want) a good camera. I would take more pictures. I don't even bring mine because I know it will miss the moment I am trying to get. I spend much of my time thinking, "This would be an awesome picture." Someday. Maybe.
6. My children are fearless. I am not. They climb the highest rock walls they can find. If they slipped, they would break their legs. I am learning to allow them to be fearless while I close my eyes. Guh.
7. I don't appreciate 10-year-olds chasing my kids with play bow and arrows while yelling "grrrrr". It scares them. I enjoy going to parks while big kids are in school. There is nothing like a park full of 2 and 3-year-olds. Everyone understands. Best of all, all the moms have messy hair and are wearing workout clothes. Don't judge.
8. Lunch, dinner, and ice cream taste better while eaten at the park. Is eaten a word? Probably not. I don't care.
9. Mark and I would like to make millions by inventing a dome that covers outdoor parks in the winter. It would be heated by using solar energy.
10. Reese is cute.

And for your enjoyment, here are a few of Riley's recent quotes...

"Move over there, Alicia"
"Come on and take me to college"
"Lets go ride our tractors and horses"
"Quinn, stop talking. We are getting married right now. You can leave at 8:30."
"I was born yesterday, today, to Sunday."
"Quinn, please stop protecting me."

A few weeks in review

Things have been crazy around here... shocking, I know. Reese's illness, lack of sleep, potty training, and just plain parenting have put me in a funk. I slowly am feeling a little energy returning. This post is just a quick snapshot of what the Richard family has been up to.

• I am always amazed at how different my children can be at times. Below is Riley painting a pretty picture of a princess and Quinn painting a picture of a truck. It took about 10 seconds to clean the paint off Riley and about 10 minutes to clean Quinn.

Reese is doing much better. She is back to her normal eating patterns and she is smiling again! She has been waking up a couple times every night. No fun, but at least she is healthy! 

I loathe potty training. I said it once; I will say it a million times. Don't be surprised if Reese is 5 by the time she is trained. So far, both of my kids protested it. It takes months. I may consider working nights to hire someone to do it for me. 

I love this weather. We are staying busy and spending lots of time outside. I went to the zoo with all 3 kids by myself for 2.5 hours and it went great! No meltdowns, no escaping, no fighting. I actually felt like a good parent that morning.

The kids were all weighed and measured this week. Reese was 16lbs (50th percentile) and was 26.5in long (75th percentile). Quinn was 33lbs (80th percentile) and 38in long (85th percentile). Riley was 33lbs (50th percentile) and 39in long (50th percentile).

Reese is 6 months old! I can't believe it! She is trying to crawl and I think her first 2 teeth are about to come in.

Quinn is no longer getting out of bed 20 times before he falls asleep. What a relief!

Here is a recent conversation with Riley. Mark: "Riley do not talk back to daddy." (Riley begins singing her words) Riley: "Daddy, I'm not talking back, I am singing back." I am glad I was in the other room. It was so inappropriate, yet so creative for a 3-year-old. Oh, the conversations in store for us!

Mark and I took a mini trip a few weeks back. No kids, no schedule, no cooking, no cleaning. I took 5 naps the first day. We talked. There was silence. We ate greasy food. We walked the beach. I showered, dressed up, did my hair, and slept. We needed the break. I am so grateful for the time away and for grandmas willing to keep some crazy kids.

My mom and I celebrated our birthdays. We both gave eachother homemade gifts in remembrance of my dad. Here is the quilt my mom made for me. My dad's shirts and sweet pictures were sewn into it. I love it!

I used one of my dad's ties to make my mom a necklace. I may need to make one for myself soon!

• All 3 kids are napping right now, so I think I am off to take a nap!

Thankful

Today I am thanking God for my little girl. I am amazed at medical technology. I know not every parent has the option of taking their child to the hospital when they are sick. I am aware that if I did not have the resources such as doctors, clean water, and oral rehydration drinks such as pedialyte to give my baby, my little girl may not be here today. Did you know 10,000 children each day die from dehydration? That is about 7 children each minute. Think about that.

Reese has been throwing up and having diarrhea for several days. Yesterday, I walked in her room to wake her up. When I looked in her crib, she was lying in vomit and diarrhea. Her skin was colorless. She had a bluish tint under her eyes. When I picked her up, her eyes half-opened and her body was limp. She was breathing, but was obviously distressed. I packed her things, had family pick up the other 2, and headed to the ER.

She was dehydrated. In fact, so dehydrated that after an hour and a half of holding her down to find a vein for an iv, it was decided to put an iv in her scalp. She cried the entire time and not even 1 tear fell. It was scary. All I could do was cry. Many tests were performed and it was decided she probably had a nasty virus that her little body couldn't handle.

Yesterday was tough. Watching her go through many painful tests was difficult. I felt helpless. I wanted to punch the nurses in the face. However, after 10 hours of receiving iv fluids, she was rehydrated and sent home. She is not quite yet healthy. She is still drinking very little, but we are working on slowly introducing bottles. If she becomes dehydrated again, I will take her to the ER. I will go buy some pedialyte. Most likely, something or someone can help her.

Obviously, I am praying for my child. It does not take any conviction from God to do that. It is natural. Since our time in the hospital, God has continued to convict me to pray for all those parents that don't have the resources to do something so simple to help their children. It must be awful to watch your child suffer. They must be exhausted. They probably wonder why babies like Reese get a chance, but their baby doesn't.

Please join me in praying for those 10,000 children that will die from dehydration by the end of today. Pray for their parents that have to helplessly watch them suffer. I can't imagine the pain.

I am blessed to hold my baby girl today.

10-4 Good Buddy August Answers

My friend Abby hosts a fun, monthly "10-4 Good Buddy" link up. You can go here to join the fun, or to see others answers.

1. What is your favorite makeup product?

I love my physicians formula light bronzer. I am pretty fair skinned so I like adding some natural looking color to my face.

2. What foreign country would you like to travel to?

Greece or Bali 

3. What is the last package you have received in the mail?

Contacts from Walgreens.com. Exciting, I know. 

4. What is your favorite picture from July?

My kids had so much fun dressing like cows with their cousins.

5. What is your favorite board game?

If you know me, you know I don't like games. I sometimes have fun playing trivia games, but I'm not good at them.

 

6. What is your favorite Bible story?  Why?

I love the story of the woman at the well. It is such a good reminder of the grace and forgiveness God can give to any of us. It is also a good reminder to love even the "outcasts". 

7. What is your favorite non-fast food restaurant? 

That's tough. I would probably choose Olive Garden or Texas Roadhouse.

 

8. What summer Olympics event do you enjoy watching the most?

Gymnastics. I am always amazed at their skill and focus. I get so nervous watching. I'm in trouble if my kids ever make it to the Olympics. I would be a mess.

 

9. What is your favorite post from July?

This one. Kids have a way of making life interesting. 

10. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? 

If I can pick a historical figure, I would pick Jackie Kennedy. I am intrigued by her life story and would love to give her a big, fat hug.

The things kids say and do

Riley (I know, she looks 12 in this picture)

*Yesterday while at a restaurant, she opened and held the door for a 6 foot 200 lb man. You should have seen the look on his face
*She has this awful, but funny fake laugh. It is similar to an adult pretending to laugh at a bad joke. She does that in public often.
*After asking her to eat her vegetables, she responded with, "But mom, remember, I already ate my vegetables tomorrow."
*She has been starting many of her sentences with, "When I was young...".
*While waiting to pick up her cousin who was getting out late from practice she said, "Mom, I am frustrated. He should be out by now. I can't believe how frustrating this is."

Quinn (Best picture out of 10)

*When he prays for meals he always says, "Jesus, thank you for this foob."
*He calls Riley, "Ri".
*He said to Mark, "Dad, I need an airplane so I can fly to Papa".
*He has been pooping in his diaper, taking it off, then bringing it to me. Needless to say, we have started potty training. Again.
*He tries to take apart all his toys with a screwdriver. It hasn't worked yet, but it keeps him busy.

Reese

*She obviously doesn't talk or say much, but I think her main job right now is to just look cute and be a baby.