When you are a mom, improvisation is a necessity.

For weeks I have been telling Michael to go get new tires on his car. He drives 45 minutes to work going into the snow belt, so this father of 4 should probably have good tires on his car, no? He had taken his car in over a month ago and they said his tires were bad and he should get new ones. One day of procrastination turned into many and before you know it, we wake up and there is a foot of snow outside and he still has crappy tires on his car.

So, he decided to work from home and go get new tires. In turn, I had to rearrange my schedule and miss a meeting I was planning on attending. But, he needs new tires, so it is worth it.

As I was out running errands that day, my rear back wheel continues to squeal, get overheated, and smell like burning rubber. This has been going on for months. We have taken it to the dealer, where they tell us that they can't find anything wrong with it. Really? Is it normal to have that one wheel twice as hot as the others and smell like burning rubber? They said it didn't happen when they had it.

So, since we were already going to the car shop, I figured, myswell have them take a looksy at my van. I drop it off and make sure I take the car seat out of my van and put it into Michaels car (because, yes this family of 6 only has one carseat for Teresa....yes, I know it is dumb).

Of course they call me shortly after I got home and tell me that they, too, can not find anything wrong with it. This is driving me mad. This does not sit well with me, since we will be driving 1000 miles to Florida in just a couple months.

It is 330pm and my kids get home at 4pm, and we decide to run out and get my van, so that we only have to go with two kids and not all four. Not sure how we would go with all four, since Michael's car can only fit 3, but whatever.

This now brings us to this morning. Teresa most certainly woke up way too early and on the wrong side of the crib! I sit her down to eat breakfast and all she wants to do is scream and slap her hands at me trying to hit the spoon out of my hands. She doesn't want her cheerios or milk or anything for that matter. So, she just screams. Meanwhile, I am trying to get my other three kids ready for school. All the while, they are trying to make Teresa happy.

Finally we are all coated, gloved, and booted up and are ready to head to school. The older kids climb in and I get Teresa and head to the van. But, what's this? Something is missing. Yep, you guessed. The carseat is still in Michaels car and he is already at work (remember 45 minutes away).

What is a mom to do? Quick thinking is a necessity, along with improvisation. I run into the house, put Teresa down and start thinking. How are the kids going to get to school? Do we have another car seat? Hmm...can she go in a booster? No, probably not a good idea! Oh wait! I still have the infant car seat. So, I run to the basement, pull it out of the closet and go to the car to install it. And anyone that has installed an infant carseat knows this is not the simplest of things, especially when you are running late and in a hurry! Thank goodness Teresa is so tiny and able to fit in the infant carseat.

Teresa thinks it is hilarious that she is sitting backwards again and the older kids do, too. Ahhhh....everyone is happy again and actually got to school on time.

Now it is naptime and time for my coffee break.

Conference Time.....oh how different they really are.

Yesterday we had conferences for my two older ones. Kayla is in third grade and Dominic is in kindergarten.

They do them differently then when I was a kid. Although, many things are different than when I was a kid (remember when you actually scored points in sports?....ahh but that is a whole other subject). Now they are student-led conferences. So, my daughter told us how she thought she was doing. She had to fill out a paper stating what she thought she needed to improve on and what she thought she was doing good on. Couldn't I have done this all at home? I did get a chance to talk to the teacher afterwards, though. But, didn't really learn anything I didn't already know. She is a smart kid that needs to be a little more organized. Over the years she has become my "quiet one". The teacher said she needs to talk more in school or at least "talk up" more in school. We don't have that problem when she is screaming at her brother and sisters at home. Mommy never had that problem (keeping quiet)either....not at that age or now.

Then we have my son's conference. The kindergarten conferences are not student-led. So, we actually get to sit down with the teacher and see her point of view....what a novel idea! I was pleasantly surprised at what she had to say. Despite how loud he is and how social he is, he is actually really smart. She said that many times when a child is very social, they lack in the academics. But, not Dominic. He is awesome all around! She said he is impulsive...again, nothing I didn't already know. He just doesn't know how to control his volume and his excitement. She said he shows that enthusiasm with everything, not just his friends. He is always jumping out of his seat to answer questions in class, too.

All in all, I have really great kids! I have a quiet really smart 3rd grader. And an over enthusiastic kindergartener. Both very different, but both great in their own ways. I can't wait to see how Annabel and Teresa will be once they embark on school. It is great to see their little personalities emerge. It is also great to hear "Your doing a good job" from the teacher to me as a parent. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Teresa...My baby

Teresa is the baby of the family. The other day my husband and I were talking about the day she was born. She came out screaming and literally screamed for an hour straight. Non-stop for an hour straight! While we were reliving that day, our kids in the back of the van were screaming.....trying so hard to talk over one another and screaming! We sat there and said "I bet, she thought that is what you do when you come out...scream". She probably heard my kids screaming all the while in the womb and when she came out, she just wanted to be part of the kids. And she was.

She was probably my most difficult baby. She pretty much continued to cry for her first 6-7 weeks of life. She was not happy to be in the real world. Finally, around 8 weeks or so, she became a little happier. I think she realized she was not able to climb back in, and would have to figure out a way to be happy here. She became content. But, that didn't last long.

She is a momma's girl. Wants momma and momma only. Around 3 months old she became really attached to me. Wanted me and only me. Screamed bloody murder if someone even just thought about holding her. I learned to vacuum holding her, cook holding her, do just about anything with a baby on my hip. Thank goodness for my maya wrap!

When she was 10 months old, I left her with my parents for 5 nights. That was probably the best thing I ever did. Now she loves my mom, too! She finally realized that if mommy went away, she would come back. She is now more comfortable going to other people. This past weekend, was the first time ever she went to my mother in law without screaming. We are making progress.

Even though, she was my most difficult baby. I have enjoyed her the most. While pregnant I made sure to take in every little thing, because I had a feeling she would be my last one. Even now, I can sit and hold her and just smell her forever. I love them at this age. So innocent, so cute, so little!

She has taught me a lot. She has given me more patience. She has forced me to sit down on the floor and see things from her perspective. (I literally have to sit on the floor at all times or she will scream at my feet). She has taught me how to love more than I ever thought possible. I never thought after having my first, that my love could just grow and grow. She has added so much to our family. My older girls just love her. Love to hold her, play with her, hug her, kiss her, and be her other little mommy. Dominic loves to make her laugh. She thinks he is the funniest guy in the world (probably because he is). She has made us a family of 6 and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love you, Teresa. Thanks for allowing me to sit on the floor and be a kid again.

Kayla.....my independent, helpful one

Kayla is my oldest. Oh, how easy it was back when it was just me, Michael, and Kayla. If only I knew then, what I know now.

Kayla was pretty independent from day one. She never was a cuddlier and slept in her own crib from day one. As a new mom, I was sad that she didn't like to snuggle up with me. She could be screaming up a fit, and I could lay her in her crib and she would be happy as a clam.

She has never been a sleeper, never been a big eater, and never been a big drinker from day one. I don't think she ever took more than 5-6oz of formula at a time and when it was time to switch to milk, she never liked the taste. It was a fight from the beginning to give her a set bedtime and naptime. And to this day, she will stall as much as she can to get a few more wakeful seconds.

I realize now that her love language is "quality time". She cherishes the most, the times we spend together. We could be scrapbooking, shopping, watching a movie or just out having some hot chocolate at the coffee shop.

She is my Little Mommy. I can always count on her to jump in and help just when I need it most. If she sees I am trying to cook dinner and I have Teresa pulling at my leg, she will get her and take her into the other room and play with her. She has been known, on more than one occassion, to be at someone else's house and clean up their playroom. That is just who she is. She takes after me in being the one that will go above and behind to help out someone in need.

Here is the perfect example. Ever since she was born she had the most beautiful hair color. It is a reddish, brown, blonde color. We are forever getting compliments on how beautiful it is. Well, she was only 4 years old and she come up with the idea that she wanted to cut her hair and donate it to a child that needed it. So, we went out and got 12 inches cut off and sent it away to be made into a wig for another child that needed it. That is just how Kayla is. She is always thinking of someone else and I love that about her.

She reminds me alot of myself. And sometimes that bites me in the butt. But, oh what a wonderful compliment to know that she wants to be just like me when she grows up. I must be doing something right?

I love you, Kayla! I love spending time with you, too. I love that you enjoy scrapbooking with me and just sitting with a cup of hot chocolate (or coffee in my case). I love that you enjoy helping me out and jump in right when I need it most. I know I can always count on you and I hope you know you can count on me, too.

Dominic....my happy boy

Dominic is my second child. He almost always has a smile on his face. He loves to make you laugh and smile. He brings joy to nearly everyone he meets.

He makes friends so easily. Sometimes I am envious of that. We can be anywhere...Target, church, going for a walk....and everyone knows Dominic. He has more friends than I ever did. I will say "Dominic how do you know him?" He will continue to tell me from baseball or summer camp or soccer or school or wherever he recently was. And her remembers all of their names! This boggles my mind. We had one baseball practice and the next day, he was going around giving high-fives to every kid and calling them by name. He knew the whole teams name! Now, Annabel on the other hand, if I ask her who she likes in school (which, by the way, she has been going to for over a month now), she couldn't tell me any names.

He will never be left standing in the corner all by himself. Most other kids just flock to him. It must be his goofiness and his constant smile that makes other kids want to be his friend.

Boy is he goofy! He is constantly falling down on purpose just to make you laugh. Last year at his preschool graduation, he was first in line processing in. They were holding up American flags and singing Yankee Doodle. Well, Dominic was holding that flag up high and screaming "YANKEE DOODLE WENT TO TOWN, RIDING ON A PONY". I can still hear the way he was singing it in my head. He had me smiling and laughing so hard, that I was crying. The camera and video was so unsteady from my shaking so hard. I think most of the parents were watching my kid more than their own because he was so funny!

I was telling my brother this story afterwards and he said "I have always said that Dominic will end up on stage doing something to make people laugh some day". I didn't believe it, until that day.

Every day when he gets off the bus (every single day!), he comes running from three houses down, drops his bookbag, and jumps into my arms. He has the biggest smile on his face the whole time! Boy does that make my day.

Dominic, I love you, thanks for bringing me tons of smile and laughter to my days!

Will you have anymore?....

"Will you have anymore?". Why is this the first question people ask once they know you have kids? You just have a newborn....."will you have anymore?". You can have one child or 10 children and people still want to know "will you have anymore?". What is the obsession with this question?

If I had a nickel for every time someone has asked me this question, I would really be rich. I probably have someone ask me this at least once a week. Especially, once they hear I have four kids already. The more kids you have, the more often people ask you this question.

I will admit, I have been known to ask this question myself. I love big families, so for myself, I just really want to know who else is as crazy as myself.

So, when people ask me this and I say "I don't know, maybe?". Half the time I get the look like I am crazy. And the other half of the time, they think it is great.

Will I plan on having more? Probably not. But, I can't say that God doesn't have other plans for us. I would love for Teresa to have a close sibling, but I really don't know if I want to take that leap or not? If I did, I would really get crazy looks. I know a lot of people with 4 kids, but only one with five. Although, I do know two that have 7 (actually, 3 if you count my mother in law....yep, my husband is one of 7).

So, Will you have anymore?..............

"Someone made me pee the bed"

Annabel, being the middle girl, often gets lost in the shuffle of things. So, here is yet another blog entry on my Annabel.

We are in the process of trying to get Annabel out of pull ups at night. This has been a battle from day one. She was my hardest out of all of them to potty train and it continues to be a battle.

We have tried every incentive imaginable. Stickers, treats, trips to Chuck E Cheese, sleepovers, you name it.

One morning, after having a full pull up she says to me "I don't know how not to". How do you teach a four year old to get up and potty in the night? We have tried waking her up in the middle of the night......but how does that actually teach her to wake up? We have tried no drinks after dinner. No juice. You name it.

The most recent excuse........"Someone made me pee the bed". Of course, she blamed her brother, Dominic.

She said to me one day "I will stop peeing at night, if you let me wear underwear to bed". Wow! Could it really be that simple? Um NO! I have changed wet sheets every night since. She wakes me up in the middle of the night when she wets the bed. So, maybe this is a start? Now that she realizes she is doing it, she will now start getting up? We will see.