We're still rolling!

Day three report:

The kids decided to wake up earlier this morning. I guess they just can't wait to see what we are going to do next. We ate some pancakes with peanut butter and lots of syrup! They loved them. After that, I remembered why not to put too much syrup on their pancakes for them. All four of them were a big, sticky mess...even Forrest. We hopped into the bath to clean off and head to our first adventure of the day.

Our good friends, Chris Snook and his wife, Donna, invited the kids over to look at his gigantic salt-water aquarium. Chris spent 2 1/2 hours last night cleaning it up and getting the chairs ready for them so they could stand and see in. I am pretty sure that Forrest set a new record with his favorite question, "Wazzthat?" Pius and Forrest were amazed. Forrest made Donna hold him so he could see better and ask her "Wazzthat?" five million times. Pius stood on the ottoman and watched and pointed and talked and pointed and smiled and pointed. Danna and Laine were pretty indifferent until Snook went and fed the fish. All 10 or so of his fish started swimming all over and eating and then all four of them were staring for awhile. Thank you guys so much for letting us come in and watch the fish for awhile. Wazzthat?"

Laine was interested in the fish food.

Now Laine is bored and trying to think of what he can find to break.

Okay, interesting again.

Danna is trying to convince me to pick her up.

Pius was definitely the most interested of the four.

It is a beautiful aquarium that Snook had built into the wall while he was building his house.

Pius could have stood there for hours.

After the visit to the aquarium, we went home to take a nap. When we woke up we ate a lunch of chicken pot pie and got ready for the next adventure...bowling. My good friend Jen, my sister Lainie, and Budda met us at the lanes for all the excitement. Now I have to say, I thought it was a great idea at first and then I talked to Ryno and Moni about it. They thought it was going to be a disaster. So the closer I got to it, the more I started to think it was going to be a disaster, too. My kids have amazed me yet again. I think we have 3 future PBA professionals on our hands. Once they figured out that they get the ball back after they throw it down the lane, they were all about knocking the pins over. Danna sat in the back at the ball return with Jen and laughed at us boys and our stupid hobby. I think Danna must feel the same way about bowling that her mommy does.

Forrest wanted to put every single ball in the house on our ball return.


You can see Laine's gigantic grin as they watch their shot.

Danna says, "You guys are so stupid!"

Once again, notice Forrest's grin and their attentiveness.


They are trying to see if they can read the oil pattern.

Laine giving the ball the push.

This picture is of Laine when Forrest smashed his finger in the ball return.

Forrest was easily the most entertained. When he figured out the ball return's job, he would roll his ball, watch the pins go down, and then turn and run to the ball return.

Forrest is checking out Pius's shot.

Laine fully recovered from his smashed finger in no time. It didn't even turn red. I think it just barely got him and it scared him more than anything.

This is Forrest after we told him that he couldn't carry the ball to the line on his own. I asked our physical therapist tonight if it was normal that our 18-month old son could pick up a 9 pound ball and she said no. We always thought of Forrest as a Bam Bam Rubble type. He is super strong.

This is Forrest two minutes later checking out his next shot.

Laine watching his shot.

Laine getting super pumped about his line towards the pins. Hey Ryno, do you think that is a foul?

Danna trying to make a break for the arcade to see if she can pick up some boys.

Anyways, we made it through 2 games and 8 frames before we finally lost interest (except for Forrest). Our bowling debut scores were: 94, 77, and 80 (through 8 frames). I am telling you guys, the boys rocked it. One time, Bam Bam...err, Forrest, pushed the ball when I was turned away and it made it all the way down the lane without any of my help...he picked up 9, left a solid 10-pin. Yes, we did have bumpers. Yes, i did give the ball an extra push on their shots. The boys were diggin it though. We had a lot of fun.

Tonight when we got home from the alley, I was a little nervous. Moni and I had talked about it with our Rainbows people, and knew it was probably time to start taking the bottle away. Before we hear any crap about them needing to be off the bottle by 9 months, or 12 months, or anything else...WE KNOW. We have 4 toddlers, though, and are going to do it how it works best for us. The kids have at least taken bottles at nap time and bedtime since we have been home. They are getting too old though, so we decided that while Mommy was away, I would try it.

I called our physical therapist, Pam, and told her my plan for "Graf Quad Squad Bottle Removal." (I name everything). She said it sounded good, and she wanted to hear how it went. Let me tell you what I text to Pam, word for word, at 7:33 p.m. "My kids are freaking ROCKSTARS! Twenty minutes in their room, and they are all asleep. I need to make a parenting video." Now that I think about it, I don't need to make a parenting video...my kids need to make a childrening (is that a word?) video. I am so proud of them. Their first night without bottles and they are out like lights after 20 minutes. That first 5 minutes was hard but, they calmed down and fell asleep like angels. I hope that I am not blogging about waking up at 4 in the morning with 4 screaming kids tomorrow.

That about does it for today. I will let you all know how the rest of tonight and tomorrow goes...tomorrow night.

Good Night,

Billy, Pius, Forrest, Danna, and Laine