The Daily Grind

It is crazy to try to work when you have 3 little kids and no nanny or family in town...just plain crazy. I have to develop some kind of system to accomplish all the various tasks each day or eventually the adrenaline rush will wear off and I will crash.

Kendall is not a problem. She is in a word: content. But Jackson and Charlotte are showing more of their strong personalities each day. And Jackson has been informing me in the past week that I can simply put a movie on for Charlotte and him, so I don't have to listen to them talk! What?! When did that message get sent? Like I said, I need a good system and fast!

The things Jackson says...interesting how a 4 year old can be so perceptive and so ridiculous at the same time. His latest idea is to pray that God will turn the entire world into candy (furniture, trees, cars, everything) so he can eat candy whenever he wants. He doesn't get sugar very often because honestly he doesn't need any extra "energy," but it is all that is on him mind. Sometimes I just want him to go ride his bike instead of cooking up these elaborate plans to consume as much candy as possible. My biggest challenge with him is going to be deceitfulness. He has a tendency to hide things which is exactly how I was as a little kid. I have my work cut out for me.

And Charlotte. She is the sweetest most affectionate little girl and then flips a switch and an iron clad wall goes up. You cannot help her, touch her, or in any way reason with her. Hmmm...Brandon is going to have to deal with that action!

It is fascinating to me how children change and each year reveals more nuances to their personality. I love having conversations with each of them, but it is hard to have them testing and challenging what I say and mimicking what I do. One more reason to get organized and prioritize my time because the last thing I want is for them to in any way feel as if they are being put on hold while I take care of everything else in life. If anyone has a solution to this problem, feel free to share!

2012 Begins

Obviously I settled into to having 3 kids, or at least have survived. The first few months were a bit tricky, but Kendall is incredible and in many ways my saving grace. I have never been around a baby this content in my life. Watching the kids interact and incorporated Kendall into our family has been wonderful. Siblings are a blessing.

And here we are at the end of another year. Kendall Wynn is 9 months, Charlotte is 2 1/2, and Jackson is 4. They are fabulous and challenging everyday. But probably the best part of being a mom is seeing their little personalities revealed...or I guess I should say BIG personalities because none of our kiddos are lacking in personality.

Jackson and Charlotte have been going to KDO two days a week which has been good for all of us. They love the social interaction and school environment, and I enjoy the one on one time with Kendall. Jackson is smart and energetic. He comes up with the craziest lines of conversation and questions (LOTS of questions). He loves his sisters and is very protective of them, but he also wants to be just like Brandon. He informs me daily that he and B are the same, do everything the same way, and like all of the same things. Very sweet. And even though he is stubborn, he definitely wants to make us happy. A bit of a people pleaser like his mom.

Charlotte looks a lot like B and acts a lot like him too. She likes alone time but is very friendly. She is extremely curious, has to touch everything, will eat anything, try anything, and say anything. Her independence is asserting itself all the time these days and she likes to do things her way in her time. But she also is extremely loving. No one gives hugs like Char...except maybe her daddy. :)

Kendall Wynn...I have no words to fully describe my precious baby. Daily I wonder how she can be our child. She is a good sleeper, eater, and content to be in my arms just observing the activity in our house. Lately she has shown more strength though, letting her brother and sister know that she can defend herself! Basically my biggest challenge with her has been making sure she gets a couple naps each day in the midst of our daily schedule and the high noise level in our house. Lucky for me she is very adaptable. Here are a few pics to bring this blog up to date.

Mr. Cool.

Precious Kendall Wynn

The 3 Amigos

Sweet Charlotte...she is quite the princess.


2012 is going to be full of a lot of changes for us. We are planning to buy a home in March, so we will be moving a few blocks from where we live now. I am excited to be a home owner and to settle in for a little while and the kids are excited to move to a house with stairs! It is two story. Brandon is working hard and enjoying his job. There are many challenges for him as he has moved into a manager role, but he continues to be humbled by where God has placed him with LMI. I am trying to keep our day to day running smoothly and will begin a part time job this month as well, so time management will be of the essence. I always do better when I have a full schedule though, so hopefully it will help me prioritize my time and energy. The past year, my focus has been on adjusting to life with 3 kids and supporting Brandon in various transitions at work. But now I think it will be good for me to work as well so I can drop some habits and time wasting activities that have crept into my days. Going to be an exciting year!

Life with Three.

I may not have to even write anything here because obviously life with 3 children means time to blog is non-existent. But here I am 5 months into Kendall's life and I actually have a free moment. That is pretty much the story around here these days. Having 3 kids totally ROCKS, so don't get me wrong. It just keeps me on my toes. And I am almost certain that the kids have a little powwow at times to plan a 3 way attack where everyone melts down or goes to the bathroom at the same time (remember I still have two in diapers)! So far I have survived these conspiracies though...these munchkins have met their match!

So this summer has been extremely busy for B at work, meaning that he did not take a vacation with us. Kendall and I went to Colorado for a week with my fam while the other two kids stayed with Grandmommie in Midland. Everyone had a blast, but I did feel bad getting a break from the heat while B was back here in SA. Let's see what else...Vacation Bible School (pandamania was pretty sweet), short visit to camp, a few days with Rita and little Max, and a couple trips to Austin. That about sums it up. Of course there was a lot of swimming mixed into all of that.

Jackson turned 4 last month and we had a "Cars" party for him. He is getting so big it is scary sometimes. He is doing preschool with me as well as going to a 2 day program at a church here. Brandon is teaching him to write his letters at the moment, and all I can say is that I had no idea my husband was such a good teacher.
Charlotte is going 1 day a week to the same program and tagging along with her brother everywhere else. She has transformed from a baby to a little lady seemingly overnight. Nobody laughs quite like Char. Or makes other people laugh for that matter...she is quite hilarious and witty like her Daddy.
Kendall Wynn is amazing. She sleeps well, eats well, puts up with her brother and sister with the utmost patience, and pretty much never cries. I did not in any way deserve a baby like her, but I am loving her! This trio makes mothering enjoyable as well as an adventure.

B turned 30 a few weeks ago and I turned 29. Hard to believe how quick the years are ticking by. I am trying to soak up each day now because these kids are growing fast and I don't want to miss a thing.

Newborn Chronicles

Well, they say that the third time is a charm. And I have to admit that so far that seems true. Don't get me wrong, we are still facing the typical newborn dose of sleep deprivation, erratic schedule, and general lack of routine, but somehow I have been much calmer this go around. It helps to be in a house that has plenty of room for all 5 of us, and I think I am generally less anxious about things. Between Jackson and Charlotte, I have seen/experienced much of what babies can throw at their parents.

And little Kendall is already 2 weeks old. A little snap shot into our world since March 26th...

Jackson has been acting up quite a bit. Little man just had his routine, mommy time, and world in general turned upside down. But slowly he is returning to his normal self...thank goodness.

Charlotte adjusted within 2 days. I think she has been so excited to have visitors and most of all more time with Daddy, that she is seeing this older sibling gig to be advantageous after all. :)

B is crazy busy with work but has graciously stayed home several mornings so that I can snag a couple more hours of sleep before tackling all 3 kiddos. Life saver.

Kendall is growing and being adorable. Poor thing has been congested and therefore had some rough nights, but she is so calm overall that I can forgive her for those. :)

And me... I am really soaking up Kendall being tiny while I can, so those quiet early mornings I have with her are precious. Of course unless Jackson hears her crying and comes out to chat it up and ask for candy...crazy boy. I definitly have had a bit of a foggy brain lately though: pouring juice for J and giving it to C, buying seeded grapes when I could have sworn the sign said seedless, and walking into rooms quite a lot only to forget what I was doing. Alas. How is having 3 kids you ask? Well, so far so good, but it is a little harder for me to get the basics done, i.e. eat, sleep, stay hydrated. Praise the Lord for all the sweet families that have brought us meals because I am pretty sure we would all be starved if it weren't for them. Either that or living on smoothies, eggs, and PB and J. These munchkins sure keep life interesting, and I sure love them for it.