Accidental Discoveries

Sometimes it's more fun to improvise in certain situations.

Balloons provide great entertainment.

Bows make great blindfolds.

A cold carrot is a perfect teether.

Handicap stalls make perfect hideaways from overly curious customers. 
Note to self: Avoid bringing four kids with you to get the oil changed.

Cookie cutters can serve as bubble wands.

Cookie cutters also make great stamps.

Amelia loves Mr. Nibbles.  (Note to self: Make sure the back door is closed!)



A large pot is the perfect seat for Maddie.

Awesome Mail Delivery

I received three completely unexpected items in the mail that have totally made my day.

1. I was caught off guard to open an envelope from our lawyer, which contained a very large refund check.  It was nearly a year ago that the police removed me from my classroom to discuss insurance fraud.  Out of utter fear, we rushed to a lawyer, paid an inordinate fee, and twiddled our thumbs.  I guess the coast is clear.

2. My hands-free pumping bra finally arrived.  I ordered it over a month ago when they were offering a free promotional bra.  I only had to pay S&H and got a $30 Simple Wishes bra for free. 

3. My fellow triplet moms and I are participating in a secret sister gift exchange throughout the year.  The idea is to anonymously send cards and gifts at random times throughout the year, in addition to birthdays and holidays.  We all signed up using Elfster and created wish lists of things we'd like to receive or interest ideas.  I received a package with the following contents:

Ten Life Lessons

FYI, this is my 500th blog post!  Crazy!

Here are some things I've learned in the past week:

1. Home Owner's Association has way too much power.  Jesse received an e-mail saying we had two weeks to have the exterior power washed to remove mold and algae build up.  If it is not cleaned within two weeks, we will incur fines of $25 per day.  We have no choice since we signed a legal contract with HOA.

2. Those awesome Glad OvenWare dishes can resist heat of 450 degrees.  However, they will completely melt under the broiler.  We almost had a plastic pot pie for dinner.

3. Moving fragile ornaments to the top of the tree does not keep them out of reach from a persistent toddler.  Jackson pushes chairs around to climb up and play with the ornaments.  We've got quite the pile of broken Hallmark ornaments accumulating. 

4. The measurements of the frame of a stroller don't necessarily include the width with the wheels attached.  The Foundations Quad LX stroller is a beast and it doesn't fit through standard doorways.

5. Just because a formula is hypoallergenic does not mean it will taste good.  Maddie refuses to drink the Similac Alimentum, even if it is mixed with breastmilk.  Thankfully, she doesn't mind 4 oz of breastmilk fortified with one scoop of Enfamil Gentlease. 

6. Don't let your demented husband be in charge of hiding the family Elf or this might happen:

7. Cats are loyal and they will stick around FOREVER.  Even after evicting the cats, removing their litter boxes, and refusing to feed them, they still wait by our doorstep all day.  We can't get rid of them.

8. When you let your toddler sleep in the bed with you once, it can quickly become a habit.  Gone are the days of reading stories and tucking Jackson in his bed.  He regularly falls asleep in "our bed". 

9. Instant grits and quick cook grits are not the same thing.  After three failed attempts, I gave up on the cheaper canister of quick cook grits.

10. It's hard to enjoy a girl's night out when you're staring at the clock making sure you're home before the next feed.  Nothing ruins a cute outfit more than leaking boobs.