.connisonville.

All this for Pre-K?

2012-01-24T12:03:00.000-06:00

Today was quite the experience…Jen and I went to an open house for Owen’s Pre-K class at St. Jude. No he hasn’t been accepted yet. You read that right, you have to be accepted into Pre-K. I thought that was only for movie stars who live in NYC, but apparently it is also for IT guys who live in BR. This application and acceptance process is stressing us out, but we just keep in mind that whatever happens will work out and we have to acknowledge that these are some of the trials and tribulations of being a parent.

So we go to the open house and see some faces we recognize from Jefferson Baptist and around BR and that was comforting. We took a tour of the school, talked to some parents and teachers and really like the school, even though one administrator left a bad taste in our mouths, overall, we feel good about St. Jude.

Now the bad news.

We found out that out of 48 spots for Pre-K, there are about 12 for outsiders who don’t have an older brother or sister already at the school. Awesome. So we have to have a backup plan (or 2). The program that Owen is currently in requires a $160 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit to reserve his spot at Jefferson Baptist and this is obviously due prior to when we find out if he is accepted to St. Jude. Awesome #2. So, we are now considering a 3rd option and yet another non-refundable deposit (is this even legal for churches to do????). St. George which has a Kindergarten class designed for kids like O whose birthdays fall on the cutoff line and could probably make it in Kindergarten, but would benefit from another year, resulting in them being the older kids in class, essentially, holding them back a year. Great, sounds perfect. St. George is on my way to work, is only about 5 minutes further away from our house that St. Jude, and sounds like a good fit. They require a $100 non refundable application fee, and due to the fact that we are “out of the parish” and “not a recognized donor” to the church, we would have to get approval from our parish to go there if accepted and pay more tuition because who really has enough money to be recognized as a donor for every church in the city of baton rouge? I am fuming at the situation as I am sure many other parents are, but there simply isn’t any other choice as the EBR public school system is horrid at best. I am slowly beginning to accept this as our new normal, entering into the world of Catholic education. This is really the only year that I think we will have issues with the process as once Owen is enrolled somewhere, P, J, and B are all accepted by default.

So to sum it up, we have 3 options – St. Jude, Jefferson Baptist, and St. George, we have who knows how much money will be tied up in non-refundable deposits, and we are basically leaving it up to God (and various admissions personnel) to decide where Owen will end up for Pre-K.

Oh, and I somehow have to figure out how to pay for actual tuition. Awesome #3.

Same but different.

2011-12-16T09:06:00.001-06:00

Parker and Jack came home with their Christmas photos from school the other day. Owen was looking at them so I asked him who was who. Of course he named his bros correctly so I asked him how he could tell them apart. He replied:

"Dad, they have the same face, but Dad, they don't have the SAME face."

Exactly son, that is what we have been trying to tell everyone this whole time!!!

7 years ago

2011-12-06T10:28:00.001-06:00

On this day in 2004, I received this note when I went to pick up Jen for dinner at her apartment. We were going to The Melting Pot and celebrating her acceptance into nursing school...or at least that is what she thought.

During dinner, she told me that we should definitely wait to get engaged/married until after nursing school so she can just focus on school. After internally freaking out because her engagement ring was in my pocket, I decided to ignore that suggestion and ask her anyway. I figured a diamond would change that tune real quick!!

After asking her to marry me and Jen responding with "I don't feel so good" I had to ask again...when she FINALLY said yes! That was a pretty long 9 seconds if I have to be honest with you. In her defense, after that initial conversation, I think she was caught a little off guard.

Jen forgot all about saying that she wanted to wait as we called our parents to tell them the big news. When Sissy found out, she yelled so loud in Middleton library that they asked her to leave!!!!!

That night was one if the best memories I have. I am so thankful for my best friend and all the happiness she continues to bring me.

I love you Jen. Thanks for saying yes.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-01T16:14:00.001-06:00

This Turkey Day adventure starts out with a 14 hour ride to SC with 4 kids. Yes, I am thankful…thankful that it is over.

Actually, it really wasn’t a bad drive to see MawMaw, PawPaw, Nana, and Aunt Kelly. Ignoring the 4 year old who averaged an “Are we there yet” type of statement 6 times an hour for 14 hours and it really couldn’t have been better. We didn’t hit bad traffic; didn’t have any explosive diaper situations, there was minimal crying from me Ben and we arrived safe and sound.

On Sunday, Jen and I were able to take a mountain retreat, sans children, to see Mimi and Uncle Jack. With BOGO Starbucks holiday drinks in hand, we got back in the car and drove about 2 hours west toward Ashville to Flat Rock, NC. We went on a chilly dusk boat ride, had terrific BBQ, saw a deer in the driveway, hiked up Glassy Mountain, and ate outside at the Wrinkled Egg, it was great. Oh yeah, then there was Jen’s terrible allergic reaction to the 7 cats at Hillgay…but other than that, it was great!!

Back to reality on Monday, everyone was good while we were gone and over the next couple of days we crammed in as many relaxing activities as we could:

1. Numerous trips to the Grandparents Park playing on the swings, slides, and jungle gym.
2. O’s trip to “Rescovery Place.”
3. A Trip to Caribou Coffee.
4. Walking and running the hills of Sun City Carolina Lakes.
5. Golf cart rides on Lucy.
6. An Excellent Thanksgiving Day Feast.
7. An LSU Tiger victory over Arkansas.
8. Late Night/Early Morning Black Friday shopping adventures.
9. A Chinese lunch date with Nana.
10. A Visit with Aunt C.
11. Countless shopping trips to Harris Teeter.
12. Mani/Pedi trip for the girls.
13. A few naps.

Another 14 hour ride home but this time, Jen found it effective to let Owen know quickly that that she didn’t want to hear him talk about “not being able to see our house yet” which surprisingly kept him pretty quiet until around Mobile (a solid 9 hours). We participated in 3 trips to the McDonald’s play place (which apparently sponsored our trip) and consumed practically a full bottle of Germ-X due the that very sponsorship, but we all survived until Denham Springs. How does this place, or what I like to call “Baton Rouge’s armpit,” have traffic at 6pm on a Sunday night, heading INTO the city? I was about to lose it, Owen had to pee, it was dark, and we were all tired and READY to be out of the car.

Thankfully, we finally took the back way and got off the interstate. GaGa and Pops were waiting for us when we got to the house, dinner prepped and fridge stocked with milk and bread so we didn’t have to run out that night. The kids were fed, bathed, and put to bed so Jen and I were able to relax after that car ride. That was definitely a huge help!!

All in all it was a great trip, just a few hiccups here and there, but we made it and hopefully as the kids get older, it will continue to get easier. Next item on the to-do list for our summer trip: Cracker Barrel. Yes, we might actually be insane.

Ben’s Best Friend

2011-12-01T15:24:00.001-06:00

Ben is 15 months old and has a best friend…his name is Elmo. He cannot get enough of Elmo. I am afraid that Ben will begin speaking in the 3rd person as Elmo does because that is how much Ben is in love with him. Anywhere he sees Elmo, Ben will point him out - on TV, in books, petting a stuffed animal, looking at the Pampers diapers with his picture on them, and most recently, staring at a random balloon at the grocery store so far away that Jen insisted to Ben that there was no Elmo around. Its gotten so out of control that the first 3 people that Ben asks for when he wakes up and wants to get out of his crib are:

1. Mommieeeeeee
2. Daddieeeeeeeee
3. Elmoooooooooo

The kid is obsessed with Elmo.

Fosstule Bosstule Returns

2011-12-01T15:16:00.001-06:00

Our magical elf has returned from the North Pole and Owen is even more excited about him this year. P and J just repeat his name and point to him unknowing what significance he has for Christmas. Awesome. Maybe next year he will earn his keep with those two, until then, we apparently can’t hold the idea of not having Christmas presents over their heads so they will behave.

Anyway, we pull out the book and read it again while not one of our children had absolutely any interest in it. Fortunately, Owen did remember that:

1. You can never touch him.
2. He goes to the North Pole and tells Santa if you have been bad or good.
3. He is magical.

Hopefully this year, Fosstule will remember to fly to a different location in our house everyday so that Owen knows he went to the North Pole the night before. Mommy and Daddy don’t want to have to tell Owen that he just chose the exact same spot as the day before. That was kind of a tough sell last year, not sure it will go over at all this year.

PS, we have discussed, but are unsure what the answer will be, when Owen sees Fosstule at Target and wonders why he is there, sitting in a box, instead of staying at our home. Any suggestions?

O's Thanksgiving Feast 11/18/11

2011-11-22T22:04:00.000-06:00

Our little Indian.

Sidewalk chalk

2011-11-17T10:21:00.001-06:00

We play outside in our driveway an awful lot. O, P, and J have been coloring with chalk for a while now, mostly scribbles, but O can now draw his letters. Usually it is Momma or GaGa drawing letters, pictures, or hopscotch squares, but the boys do their fair share of coloring. I have found sidewalk chalk on our cars, the front door, the garbage/recycling bins, the mailbox and even on our walls when we forget to confiscate a piece after heading back inside.

Now Ben is big enough to get into the mix (although I did have to remove chalk from his mouth on more than one occasion). Our littlest dude is getting so big!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

After much questioning, Owen decided he was going to be a police officer for Halloween so we thought we were set for a costume. Come to find out that Aunt T acquired a bargain basement dog costume for Ben and Vince for next year, but Owen tried it on and happen to fit into it and LOVED it. Parker and Jack were not quite enthused when trying on their costumes. Well, Parker did ok with the firefighter, but Jack was having none of it. N.O.N.E. Everything Jen put on him, he immediately took it off, even the simplest of outfits (a cape). This was obviously not going to work when we were out and about with the guys so Jen decided to make them costumes they wouldn't/couldn't take off. Something simple, cute, and easy, so she made them Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Suess books. She got some red shirts, some cardboard, and fabric glue and went to town. The finishing touch was the blue hair spray. I kept trying to snap a good picture, but they were not having any of it (as you can see).

Ben was dressed as a pumpkin which is apparently the traditional one year old costume in Connisonville as Owen, P and J have all been pumpkins before.

We went over to Katie and Rob's house, had some dinner and hit the streets trick or treating. Always apprehensive at first, Owen warmed up after the first house or two and kept bragging about all the candy he was getting. Parker and Jack were holding hands with me pretty much the entire time not too eager, but not yet scared of the the whole situation. Ben was good in his stroller the majority of the time, until the end when he was just worn out. After all the treats, Parker learned how to ask for a sucker, even though he originally was saying "peppa please" instead of actually asking for it by name. It took about 15 minutes of him rolling on the floor and finally pointing to Owen's to get us to realize he wanted a sucker. Overall, Halloween was a win, and I think they all had a good time.

Ben's First Kiss

2011-10-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

This is Ben's pucker up face. Anytime you ask him to give you a kiss, he gives you the Bubba Gump lip.

Carpooling

2011-10-03T12:28:00.001-05:00

I can just hear the conversation now...

Me: Hey O, can you go pick up Jack from soccer practice for me?

Owen: Yeah, I guess, but can I take the Hummer?

Me: Sure, but you break it, you buy it.

P/J Mother’s Day Out

2011-09-09T21:08:00.000-05:00

Last week, Parker and Jack startedtheir Mother’s Day Out program at Jefferson Baptist. They aregoing two days a week (Monday and Friday). We have really liked theMDO program and we are really happy that we can send them there whileOwen is in their preschool program. At the open house, we got tomeet their teachers, Ms. Bonnie and Ms. Nancy, and the boys got tocheck out their room and some of the other kids.

First Day of School!!

They are in a classwith other kids whose birthdays are right around theirs and we arehappy to have them get some more time with kids their own age. Theirteachers are great and we expect that they will fall right in linewith the routine of school. They did great on their first two days,with a minor/major meltdown when the other mommies were picking uptheir kids. Those mommies were early by comparison and P/J didn't understand that Jen was coming in a little bit. Jen had a disasterpicking them up while they were sobbing, but they were soon over itand she was told they had a great day…up until the end.

Hopefully we will avoid these meltdownsin the future, they start staying later and having lunch at school onFriday so we will see how that goes.

As the weather gets cooler…

2011-09-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

We have migrated outside!! Finally,after having the Labor Day weekend filled with rain and TropicalStorm Lee, we were able to venture back outside. The weather hasbeen great this week and we are trying to spend as much time outsideas possible. The A/C is no long on overdrive and we couldn't behappier. I got home from work yesterday to the boys playing outfront (Ben was chilling in his walker). Owen spent a large amount oftime jumping off of the cable boxes in the front yard, laughing andhorsing around with his bros. They absolutely loved it and couldn't stop laughing.

Owen wanted to be thrown in the airlike the old days and Parker and Jack followed suit. They werecracking up laughing when I threw them in the air…it reminded me ofthis pic. O/P/J are a little bit heavier than I remember, I wasgetting a workout trying to throw them higher and higher!

We know the heat isn’t totally over,but we are so thankful for the break this week and hope to spend asmuch time as we can enjoying the weather.

LSU Lakes

2011-09-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

Back in our pre kid days, Jen and Iused to walk/run/bike around the LSU lakes a lot. The view aroundthe water is great and it is such a friendly environment where itmakes you want to get out and be fit. During our own personal BabyBoom, venturing to the lakes has been somewhat non-existent. Withthe nice weather this week, we took all the guys out there this pastSunday. Owen rode on his “4 year old bike” for the first timeoutside of the neighborhood. He was a little apprehensive at firstdue to the change in terrain and the dropoff from paved road to dirttrails, but he adjusted nicely learning that he needs to push hispedals more on the uphill and less on the downhill (NOTE: These arenot really hills, more like small inclines, we don’t have any realhills in BR). Parker and Jack were pretty happy to be strolledaround when they weren’t fighting over some toy or theirCheese-Its. Of course, Ben was perfectly happy getting pushed aroundas well. We stopped for a juice box break and were able to snap thispic. Now that everyone is a bit older and much more mobile, we planon making a habit of heading out to the lakes more often.

All grown up

2011-08-31T22:07:00.003-05:00

After Owen's 4th birthday and Momma's weekend trip to the beach (read: the outlet mall in Foley), Owen got a few things that made him seem a little grown up for his little 4 year old self:

a button down collared shirt
new jeans
a belt
Sperry boat shoes

Seriously, he looks like he just turned 17, and I am pretty sure that is something similar to what I wore to work last casual Friday.

Ah, the comments

2011-08-31T21:44:00.001-05:00

We get many comments about having 4 kids, especially so close together. LOTS of comments. Unsolicited comments. Rude comments. Nice comments. Why on earth would you do that comments.

The most common is everyone trying to be funny asking "Don't you know how these things happen?" Why yes, actually, we do... The best comment I have heard to date, has to be a co worker of mine. When he found out that we had a 4th boy after our twins, his reaction was:

"Dude, y'all need to get cable. No, I'm serious, they have some good stuff on TV nowadays, you should check it out."

Compared to all the other things people say, it caught me so off gaurd and I couldn't stop laughing.

Ben in a Big Boy car seat

2011-08-30T20:52:00.000-05:00

Our baby Ben has graduated to a big boycar seat and he finally gets to see the world now. No longer ridingbackwards so we have reconfigured the Swagger Wagon once again. Weremoved one bucket seat with no middle and placed 3 car seats acrossthe back. It gives us a makeshift changing table, easy access to therear seats and Jen loves it. Nuff said. When Momma is happy…weare all happy.

Mommy Vacation/Daddy Weekend

2011-08-22T20:46:00.000-05:00

Jen went on a well deserved trip to bebeach sans kiddos. The family condo in Perdido Key was available andshe took the opportunity (with Dad and grandparent’s assistance) tohead out of town to get some R & R. MawMaw and PawPaw were intown for night number one, with Sissy and Gaga coming to the rescuefor day number 2 (and the rest of the weekend). We split the guys upand I took P and J for the weekend while O and Ben went to NOLA.

It was really nice to spend somequality time with Parker and Jack as they rarely get time alone(well, no one gets too much one on one time, we have to work onthat). Having two 2 year olds might not sound like the most excitingweekend, but I was great. I felt like I could go anywhere with just2!! We went to the LSU Lakes in the midst of 95* temps (not terriblysmart) but I was prepared with plenty of juice, water and snacks tomake them happy. It has been quite some time since I went runningwith them in the double stroller...and pushing around 70 lbs plus thestroller is quite the task!! I made it about 2 miles which,considering the weather was pretty good. We ran some other errands: went to Target, had lunch at McAllister’s Deli, and went to visitLod Cook while I looked for our anniversary brick (after 20 minutes,I still failed to find it). The house was much quieter without big(and little) bro around, but both P and J were much more verbal whenOwen wasn’t around to speak for them. They did look around thehouse and say “Owie?” with a puzzled look on their face…so Iknow they missed him.

Jen came back relaxed and rejuvenatedand I know she had a good time, but we definitely missed our Momma.

First day of swimming lessons.

2011-08-08T21:45:00.001-05:00

Or pool school, as O coined.

We went, we cried, we swam, we got ice cream. Just look at that face....

Makin' groceries.

2011-08-08T21:42:00.000-05:00

If one more friend with their one or maaaaybe two babies tells me its hard to shop with kids, I'm going to rip every last hair off their head, k?

Never too early.

2011-08-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

From the womb to the laptop in this family...

Balloon Championship

2011-08-08T21:38:00.001-05:00

On Friday after work, we went for an adventure to watch all of the hot air balloons take off from Pennington. We ate a quick dinner and packed up the guys, grabbed snowballs, and went to park the car. We were right on time at 6:30 for all the balloons to inflate and take off...so we waited, and waited, and finished our snowballs, and kept waiting. The air deflated and the balloons went away with an anti-climactic fizzle. Finally we headed home towards the black storm clouds and figured out the they had to cancel the festivities due to the weather.

Big bummer. It was especially a bummer to have to explain to Owen that the balloons "popped." We would have planned to come back later in the weekend, but it was going to be 1000 degrees so friday night wad the only way we were venturing out. Oh well, maybe next year.

Cousins.

2011-08-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

About once a week, we have a little get together for 7. Would this stress some people out? Not us. The more disastrous the house is at the end of the play date, the better.

I guess they're twins..

2011-08-08T21:34:00.001-05:00

And sometimes they just don't wanna hear it.

Our feathered friend.

2011-08-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

We've been taking a walk in the mornings this summer before the devil's breath burns up the day-- and there's a house in the neighborhood that strangely houses ducks. Their garage is slightly opened at the bottom for the little fellas to go in and out. And Parker has befriended one of these pals as his very own. He cracks up laughing upon sight of him. So I let him out of the stroller and they play chase for a few minutes before he needs a water break and then we tell the Duckie goodbye. It's way cute.

Bye Mrs. Marilyn!

2011-08-08T21:20:00.000-05:00

This was owen's last day of class with our beloved Mrs. Marilyn! I could have not asked for a better teacher for Owen for his first time away from his mama! He (we) cried for about the first six weeks of Mother's Day Out-- but Mrs. Marilyn and her co-teacher Mrs. Anita were so positive and encouraging. We are so thankful to have found Jefferson Baptist and to have had a wonderful first year of preprepre-school :)

Just like Daddy

2011-08-08T21:02:00.001-05:00

For Father's Day, Jen spent an afternoon having a photo shoot with the dudes playing dress up. She put them in my work shirts, dress shoes and sunglasses and put them to work on the laptop! She framed all the pics so I could have all my guys at the office with me all the time!

Little does she know that we are starting our in consulting firm soon. We will specialize in shape art and color designs with sidewalk chalk!

Eyes Wide Shut

2011-08-04T11:30:00.001-05:00

Apparently I have been known to sleep with one or both eyes slightly open. This is very creepy to those who have ever seen me sleep. Sorry, there's nothing I can really do about it...I assume that this is just a flaw in my genetic makeup as I seem to have passed this little "quirk" down to all 4 of my boys. Back in our college days when I lived with Uncle Joe, he would catch me napping on the couch, see an eye open and not know if I was sleeping or not. He would then proceed to get REALLY close to my face and scare the ever living daylights out of me as I woke up with his mug in my face saying "You were doing it again, that's really weird."

A while back, I was rocking Ben to sleep when Jen was at work. Since Jen always puts him down at night, I guess it has taken me this long to notice that he also falls asleep with one eye slightly open too. I have witnessed Owen, Parker and Jack all do this and now it has been confirmed that Ben inherited this trait as well.

Sorry buddies for passing this one down!!

A big boy transition

2011-08-03T22:27:00.001-05:00

Look at our big boy Ben who is starting to use a sippy cup. What did Jen put in there, he is really putting it back!

Geaux Ben!

Daddy's a pimp, Daddy's a pimp!!!

2011-07-28T12:24:00.001-05:00

I have fallen off the radar when it comes to blogging. My apoligies. I have a lot to catch up on. I have spend the recent past in deep studies for my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Who doesn't want to be a certified pimp?

After long nights and seemingly short naps that I used to study, I took the test and passed. What does it all mean? Well, as of right now, it is just some initials and a line item on my resume. I am hopeful and looking forward to more doors opening and more dollar bills rolling in, but we will see how all that plays out.

After successfully passing the test, I walked into the house to see Jen, P, and J all yelling and Owen holding his sign and cheering "Daddy's a pimp, Daddy's a pimp!!!"

It was awesome and hilarious.

Splash Park

2011-06-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

On these ever so hot weekends in SouthLouisiana, we have headed out to the Gonzales Jambalaya Park wherethey have fountains, buckets, and other water park features. If weget there early enough (before 9am), we basically have the place toourselves. We make arrangements with Katie, Rob and their boys, andget a good 60-90 minutes of outside time where you don’t want tokill yourself due to the heat. The boys play nice for the most part;Owen was a bit apprehensive at first, but warmed up to running aroundand getting totally soaked. Parker and Jack are still feeling theirway around there and seem more to enjoy the goldfish and apple juicesnacks instead of the water.

By the time we leave, everyone issoaking wet, getting hot, hungry, needs to be changed, and/or whiningbecause they want to leave and it turns into a semi meltdown as wemake our way to the car. All of the adults then turned to each otherand wonder why we do this to ourselves…

Add another thing to Dad’s toolkit

2011-06-23T15:06:00.001-05:00

As a dad of 4 little dudes, I realize that I need to be prepared for a variety of events. Items in my toolkit that I should never be without: cash, a handkerchief, a pocket knife, and now…an umbrella. I have never had a great love affair with umbrellas. Why? I would have to guess it has something to do with how I can't seem to get in a car and close the umbrella without getting totally wet. Umbrellas are very useful, but I never liked carrying them and always preferred running into/out of a building or car to get out of the rain as fast as possible so I wouldn't get wet. I now have learned that this is not sufficient when children are involved.

As I go to pick up Owen from school yesterday, I find myself in the middle of a torrential downpour, complete with thunder and lightning so close, I'm pretty sure that if I had hair, it would have looked like Doc Brown from Back to the Future. I am in the parking lot planning my attack to get into the building and I have a good parking spot close to the door, but it is still a ways away. I catch a lull in the rain and trot for the door without getting terribly soaked. As I get Owen from class, the rain picks up so much so that I can barely see the parking lot anymore. With a semi-laughing spectator (another MDO parent) in the foyer, I prep Owen getting him psyched up that daddy has to hold him and run and run and run and get to the car as fast as we can, even though we are going to get wet, VERY wet. I told him that it's going to be so much fun getting wet and made it a cool thing that "daddy forgot the umbrella," (i.e. I am ill prepared as a parent). Owen couldn't stop laughing after we ran to the car and got him buckled. He thought it was hilarious and really fun, but he did mention multiple times that he was a cold with the A/C on. Daddy was sorry for the afternoon shower!!

I have since acquired an umbrella that will remain in my car from here on out.

Coloring

2011-06-12T16:26:00.001-05:00

We have been playing with a lot of sidewalk chalk on the driveway recently. If you mistakenly think Parker has a wooden circle when you put him down for a nap and realize later that its actually red chalk, this is what you find when he wakes up. Awesome.

Rub a Dub Dub

2011-06-09T22:21:00.001-05:00

Rub a Dub Dub, three dudes in a tub, and who do you think they be? No seriously, this is a test...can you pick out who?

Owen and "the bros" enjoying some tubby time

This is an easy one...
.
..
...
....
.....
......
.......
........
.........
..........
It's P!!!!

Lunch for the Big Dude

2011-05-26T14:37:00.001-05:00

During week 2 of Pool School, I had to meet Jen for lunch in the parking lot at the pool so she could escort Owen in while I stayed with the little dudes in the car (otherwise how would Jen have been able to walk all 4 dudes into class to drop Owen off). Jen packed a lunch for all of us and we had a Swagger Wagon picnic. We had the following:

PB&J sandwich

Grapes

Goldfish

Nilla Wafers

Bubble gum snowball

Yes, I'm 30 years old and had the lunch of a toddler, including a blue snowball. I then proceeded to go back to work with a bright blue tongue. I didn't have any meetings, but really that wouldn't have stopped me anyway.

It may sound strange that I had to go eat lunch in the car in the parking lot but I consider this one of the many advantages of our crazy life...I got to have lunch with my fam and see my dudes during an otherwise boring workday.

Hey Mommy, Hey Mommy

2011-05-26T14:12:00.001-05:00

Thia is by far, Owen's new favorite phrase. It is sometimes followed by a question, remark, or observation, while other times it is just said out of habit and he doesn't know what to say after it. In the latter case, he spends an enormous amount of energy trying to get Jen's attention only to have nothing to say!

This is really cute for a curious little boy who likes to have his voice heard, until that voice is heard 5,000 times a day...

Parker's circle

2011-05-26T09:47:00.001-05:00

Parker loves holding something at all times. ALL TIMES.

Eating, sleeping, running, playing, and even swimming, Parker will be holding his circle. He has a few specific ones he likes, they are little wooden blocks and he never wants to be without them. I guess it is like Linus and his blanket, just a little security for him.

It is cute but can be downright frustrating if he is yelling and fussing because he dropped it in the car or he left it in his crib and can't reach it or if big bro O takes it to mess with him.

He will even switch hands with it if he needs to eat or hold hands to cross the street but he certainly won't let that circle go. This has become a defining trait for those who can't tell P and J apart. You can bet money that it is Parker and not Jack if one of them has a circle in his hand!

I'm not sure how long this phase will last but it is a funny little quirk that Parker has picked up along the way.

Pool School

2011-05-19T19:30:00.001-05:00

Owen has started taking swimming lessons at Crawfishu Aquatics here in Baton Rouge. We have had mixed emotions from Owen...day one he had so much fun, day two we had a bit of a crying fit, and day three he was the best swimmer in his class!

How do I know all this? The teachers keep the parents well informed and my crazy wife was watching through a construction fence. She took the picture below while laying on the ground in the parking lot.

Momma bear also sent me this text:

"They're making him put his head under and swim back and forth between two people like two feet apart. We're approaching sobbing hysterics. Him. Not me.

He using goggles. Sobbing sobbing sobbing.

I'm about to go smack these people."

Obviously, momma is a bit protective of her #1. So far he is doing great with no floaties and I'm sure by next week he will be competing with Michael Phelps.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-17T19:56:00.001-05:00

This is an uber special day in the Connison household. These 5 dudes would be lost without our momma. Everyday should be Mother's Day where Jen gets any and everything she wants. She deserves that treatment WAY more than just once a year.

For a special dinner, GaGa, Pops, Sissy and Uncle Doose came over and we had steak, shrimp, and chicken kabobs, bacon wrapped asparagus, and onion potatoes. Jen and I prepped everything while the dudes were napping. Jen topped it off with awesome fruit pizza. It was delicious!

It was a really nice day to celebrate my wife, best friend, and best momma we could ever ask for. Thanks for all that you do for us. We love you!

B, O, P, J, and B

The FUNK

2011-05-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

After running the Crescent City Classic, Jen and I got "the funk." When I anayzed it, I am actually happy about this considering how bad I felt after running 6 miles. It is good to know that I might have just been sick. We both thought it was just allergies as we were all congested and just didn't seem to recover like we should have. A few days later, Jack got it, then two days after that, Parker went down. Another day or so later, and Ben was congested and filled with boogers and this funk turned into his first ear infection. Only Owen has been safe so far, and he started coughing the other day...

Thankfully, Parker and Jack's tubes have been lifesavers. I think they have easily saved us for a number of ear infections. They saved us this time too, but we couldn't avoid passing around germs in our own household. Something tells me it is going to be that way for a long time to come.

Ben's Tooth Update

2011-05-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

Ben has progressed into 3.5 teeth. Yes, three and a half. His first two bottom teeth have been out for a little while now and his top right tooth is pretty far along as well. The left front tooth has broken the skin but it isn't really out like the other one so it looks like he has one Chicklet.

You can kinda see that top tooth poking out.

Doing a little light reading.

We went through a rough patch with his sleep patterns due to this new tooth, but I think we are past the tough part and only have to deal with ALL the others coming in... Ben was waking up frequently during the night, and the only thing that would sooth him was Momma. Thankfully we are over that now, but Ben has been starting to enjoy to early morning hours and has been waking up in the 5s. This especially isn't great since I am usually at the gym by this time and Jen is on her own and forced to get up.

Having gone through this a few times before, we know this little routine change will be shortlived, but until then...it is quite annoying until little Ben gets on the same schedule as his big bros!!

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

2011-05-03T16:49:00.000-05:00

As you are well aware, Jack loves letters. A LOT. We have letters all over our house, all of which he likes to point out, randomly shouting the alphabet or spelling his name. We have these foam letters that connect with each other to make an alphabet mat that all the boys like playing with. Frequently, Jack likes to hold two of these letters in his hands, he puts one behind his back and says the letter in his hand, and then alternates them. Yesterday, he decided to pick up the U and the F.

F - U !!!
F - U !!!
F - U !!!

He kept shouting it and shouting it and shouting it. I was cracking up laughing as he is cursing at me. Instead of scolding him for his potty mouth, I reacted like any parent should, I scrambled to try and record a video from my phone. Of course it didn't work fast enough and the picture came out fuzzy. Thankfully, this morning he did it again so at least Jen was able to hear him swear at his dad.

Jack, in a few years when you know what these words are and what they mean. You are grounded mister.

NOLA Sleepovers

2011-04-29T14:05:00.000-05:00

Here is the configuration for all previous NOLA sleepovers:

Owen in Sissy's room

Parker and Jack in Jen's back bedroom

Jen and I in twin beds in Dave's room

Ben in pack-n-play in Dave's room

If and when Dave has been in town, we (with Ben) have bunked in with Park and Jack in the back bedroom. Ben has slept very well and those guys are used to sleeping through some noise since they have roomed together since the womb. With his teeth coming in, we have had some rougher nights waking up a few times here and there, so we decided to switch it up. Also, due to the anticipated move for the 3 older guys to bunk together so Ben can get out of our room and into his own room, we decided to test the waters at Gaga's house.

Owen, Parker and Jack went to bed at the same time, and all woke up at the same time. We expected some chattering in order to fall asleep, but they were quiet and fell asleep almost immediately. Owen was so excited upon arising, however, that he jumped so hard on the bed, that the hardware came out and the mattress came crashing to the floor. Wakeup call ~ 6:15am. The next day, Owen and I were out during naptime, so naps weren't an issue and the second night went good as well. Jen and I were getting excited as this potentially meant that this could work at our house and we might soon have our room back when Ben moves out.

Then naptime on Sunday came. Owen is still in a crib at Gaga's house so we weren't quite sure how this would play out since he can't just get up and walk out of the room. Well, he was singing, yelling, etc. and nobody was headed toward dreamland. This is NOT GOOD. 45 minutes later and 3 visits to calm everyone down, P was asleep, but J and O were still up. Finally O had to be removed in order to not wake everyone up and went without a nap. While this isn't the most terrible thing in the world as he only naps about 3-4 days a week at home, Jen is alone in BR and trying to take this on at our house might cause her to have an aneurism if they all don't nap…

Needless to say, we haven't permanently moved any beds in BR, but we have plans to continue this in NOLA and get them used to their new shared room.

Observations of a child

2011-04-14T09:51:00.001-05:00

Lately, Owen has been arising somewhere between 6:15am - 7:00am. With my morning workouts, I am usually back from the gym and in the shower by then, or in the process of getting dressed for work. In order to occupy his time and not cause too much noise, he usually plays quietly in our closet until I'm dressed and we are ready to get breakfast.

Today, our conversation went something like this:

Me: "Good Morning big guy. How was your rest?"

Owen: "It was good. I dreamed about Tigers and Lions and Alligators." (this is his standard answer about what he dreamed about, though he sometimes substitutes various animals)

Me: "That is good."

(Owen looking at me in my towel)

Owen: "Dad, you are all wet and you need to put some pants on. Where are your clothes?"

Me: "I know buddy, I just got out of the shower and need to get dressed."

Owen: "I still have my jammers on!!"

(Owen looking around the closet)

Owen: "Dad, Mommy has a lot of shoes. Why does she have all of these shoes?"

Me: "Well, you have shoes to go outside, and your sandals and Crocs for the summer time, so mommy has shoes for different things too."

Owen: "Dad, you have many shoes too. But Mommy has many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, MANY shoes."

Me: "I know she does buddy, I know she does..."

old man goes to a wedding

2011-04-10T12:03:00.001-05:00

Let's talk about a few of my darling dears ailments after two nights of some friendly beverages, staying up way past kiddie bedtime, and not being able to sleep late due to old age. Hmmm....
Can't stop pooping
Or groaning.
major vacation stomach.
Emergent purchase of execedrine at overpriced airport kiosk
Stated he missed being away from his own toilet paper.
Morning oj gave him heartburn.
Continues to mildly grunt and sigh followed by a yawn.
Refused coffee upon waking and asked for water (have you met Brett?)
Expressed various body aches.
Reporting legs and feet are sore from walking too much in dress shoes (or was it his professional dance moves? Unknown...)
Continuous eye rubbing
Unable to finish burger at lunch because "there's no more room"

I love my little spring chicken. Whens the next wedding?

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Peeing all over Baton Rouge

2011-04-06T16:31:00.000-05:00

While we were out last Sunday, Owen decided that he would take the opportunity to reinforce his excellent pottying skills. We drove to see Mike on campus, and just as we were leaving to go to the outlet mall, he decided that it was the opportune time to pee. We then proceeded to the outlet mall, where we had to stop on the way; we ended up at the mall, only to pee one final time. I felt like Jen was preggers again and we couldn't drive for 5 minutes without having to stop.

Stop #1 – LSU's campus at the corner of Highland and Tower Drive - Sorry LSU, but this isn't the first time a male Connison has ever peed on campus…and I'm sure this won't be the last.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Highland+and+Tower+Drive,+baton+rouge&aq=&sll=30.407275,-91.175451&sspn=0.006098,0.013915&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Highland+Rd+%26+Tower+Dr,+Baton+Rouge,+East+Baton+Rouge,+Louisiana+70808&z=16

Stop #2 – Hwy 30 Truck Stop and Services Center - Yes, they have a small casino attached and no, we did not go in.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hwy+30+Truck+Plaza+Services+Center,+Louisiana+30,+Saint+Gabriel,+LA&aq=0&sll=30.248928,-91.079793&sspn=0.012215,0.027831&ie=UTF8&hq=Hwy+30+Truck+Plaza+Services+Center,&hnear=Hwy+30+Truck+Plaza+Services+Center,+4001+Louisiana+30,+St+Gabriel,+Louisiana+70776-4605&ll=30.248354,-91.073656&spn=0.023504,0.055661&z=15

Stop #3 – Tanger Outlet Mall – Approximately 5 minutes after getting to the first store at the mall, Owen had to go…AGAIN.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Tanger+Boulevard,+Gonzales,+LA&aq=0&sll=30.248354,-91.073656&sspn=0.023504,0.055661&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tanger+Blvd,+Gonzales,+Louisiana&ll=30.213036,-90.950704&spn=0.01222,0.027831&z=16

I guess these are the things that you have to reinforce good bathroom behavior and avoid accidents. It spawned the conversation for this summer and Jen and I are just wondering how long it will actually take to get this travelling circus to the Carolinas…

Time to go inside

2011-03-23T10:50:00.001-05:00

Parker and Jack love being outside. They get mad when the garage or backdoor is opened if they can't go out. We sometimes have to sneak out to run or cut the grass just to avoid a meltdown. I should be happy that they love being out there so much and they aren't totally glued to the TV. The flip side is that they break down in tears when we have to go inside.

Note: No twins were harmed in during this photo shoot.

Which one is that?

2011-03-21T10:53:00.001-05:00

Owen is very good at telling his brothers apart. He is on a short list of those able to tell apart Parker and Jack. Understandably, it is difficult for others as Parker and Jack are identical twins but their differences are just so striking to us. Their personalities and mannerisms are so distinct that it is just so obvious to Jen and I. I wish that Owen would be able to voice to grandparents, loved ones, and perfect strangers how he is able to tell them apart, but I think it is just a function of time spent around each other. Basically, if you don't take the time to tell them apart, they are definitely hard to distinguish from one another. Occasionally, he has his moments when he is confused too.

In two different episodes, Owen has asked me who was who. The first time, I made him go around Jack and look at him in the face and then he told me who it was correctly, "oh, that's Jack."

Then the other day, Owen was watching TV and comes running in the kitchen and he pointedo both of his brothers and asked me "Dad, Dad, Dad...which one is that? I said "Who?" asking which twin he was referring to since they were standing next to each other. Owen replied, "the one standing next to Jack." He then answered his own question, realizing that he knew who Jack was and said "that's just Parker silly!!" Even in his own confusion, he knows who is who!!

B-e-a-utiful weather

2011-03-20T21:43:00.001-05:00

For the past couple of weeks we have been enjoying crazy awesome weather. We take walks at night, mornings and afternoons are spent in the backyard, and lunch is served outside for the dudes. We have really felt like we live in southern California.

Today from the backyard, I probably saw a dozen Jeeps with the top down and more convertibles than Parker can shake a stick at (he really does shake all the sticks he finds in the garden).

It got me thinking about our limo bus that will cart these guys around for years to come. I haven't searched the interwebs, but I don't think anyone makes a 6 passenger convertible. The Swagger has a moonroof but come on, with todays advances in automotive technology, we can do better than that. Have you seen the ridiculousness they configure on Pimp My Ride? When I hit the big time (or when Xhibit comes knocking on my door) I'm custom building a Suburban with a removable hard top and waterproof DVD players. This weather is so great, it needs to be enjoyed by dudes in car seats too! We have to take advantage of it while we can...100% humidity and oppressive heat is just around the corner.

happiest baby ever award goes toooo...

2011-03-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

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luckiest girl.

2011-03-10T10:25:00.001-06:00

Its probably one of the most beautiful days of the year. And I would be so so miserable if my babies were stuck inside in a daycare somewhere. these are the hardest years and the best years of my life ...
I've had two dear friends say two different awful things to me since I've been a stay at home mom... One from a working friend without kids say, "I'm too driven to ever stay home". And another from a friend on maternity leave say, "I can't wait to go back to work so i'll have some meaning in my life".
These are the most heartbreaking words.
And I actually can't even find a way to respond tactfully without ripping apart their character as human beings.
Anyway... Thank you daddy. Thank you thank you thank you. I love our life!
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Mardi Gras Madness

2011-03-07T22:13:00.000-06:00

We had big plans to take the big guys on Saturday and watch the Krewes of Iris and Tucks before the craziness that ensues for Endymion. Last year, we made it out with O and he had a blast, but it was quite the experience leaving during all that with a 2.5 year old, a prego wife, and a ladder with a toolbox attached to it.  The weather didn't quite hold out for all that, so we had high hopes for the Sunday day parades. That didn't quite work out for everyone either. Long story short, Owen and I ended up heading out with T and Vincent, Josie, and Timmy.

Well, to say it was crowded is like saying a few people go to Mardi Gras. We had to manuever our way across the street to the "Sidewalk Side" where we actually could get a spot with Vincent's brother and his family. This was no small feat but we made it happen.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Owen was ready to go home. Wonderful.  Distraction and marching bands and beads and cheering and PB&J sandwiches let him last a long time. 3 parades later, we were still there and not one of us thought we would ever last that long with two 3.5 year olds. It came down to the fact that we couldn't leave. There was Okeanos, then Mid-City, and then Thoth (followed later by Bacchus and Endymion back to back). We misjudged it that Thoth was actually so big. Float L came passing by and then we saw float #1. Oh wow. After asking around, there were 24+ more to come so we had to figure out a way to make our great escape. Vincent found us an outlet to cross the street and make our way through then entire crowd gathering for Bacchus and a rescheduled Endymion. Let me paint you a picture:

Vincent carrying with our wagon on his head (filled with beads) leading the way.
Timmy behind him with the ice chest on rollers.
Antoinette behind him with Josie in one arm and Owen in the other.
Me brining up the rear with a 6ft ladder

We should have never attempted this. It was terrible. Once we made it through the neutral ground and into the street, lovely NOPD decide at that specific time, it was appropriate to blare their sirens forcing everyon to clear a path and get out of the way so they could make a right hand turn in the middle of a sea of people. Turns out that Owen and Josie had just been put down with their ears basically on the NOPD siren...so both of them had to cover their ears. Next, one of the bags of beads falls out of the wagon and breaks as Vincent is crossing the street and we are surrounded by people. We then have to get O and J in the wagon to get the heck out of Dodge. It was a sight for us, though I'm sure hardly anyone noticed, maybe only a select few who felt the wrath of the wagon, ice chest, or the ladder in their face. Sorry everyone, and thanks for letting us through. 10 blocks later, we ended up at the car, still intact and ticketless so that was a win.

After these shenanigans, Antoinette had a few choice looks that basically said...

Was this really worth it?
I can't believe we just did that.
I'm not sure I ever want to do that again.
Why oh why did we think this was a good idea?

All in all it was fun and the kids had a good time, but Mardi Gras is definitely an ordeal...

Birthday Party for 2 Little Princes

2011-02-25T22:11:00.000-06:00

2 years old. UNREAL.

We had some family and friends over to the house to celebrate Parker and Jack turning 2. Jen made cute t-shirts to help out everyone distinguish who was who. The tent was up, the tables were out, and it was a gorgeous day outside. The boys didn't even realize or care that it was their b-day, but whatever, we all had fun anyway!! The garage was set up outside so any and everyone had a bike or car or something to ride and everyone was just happy playing and running around. When it was time for cake, Jen had the brilliant idea to break out the bubbles as P and J LOVE bubbles. Well, when you put them away to sing/take pictures/eat king cake, they both spazzed, as noted by the pictures. Again, awesome idea Jen…

These two years have flown by, with the latter one being substantially easier than the first. Nonetheless, we have survived, and we can't wait to see what the next one brings!

We love you Parker. Happy Birthday P!!

We love you Jack. Happy Birthday Buddy!!

Tough Day at the Office

2011-02-17T22:23:00.001-06:00

My mom had pictures of me on the potty when I was little and showed anyone who was willing to look at them...and so the tradition continues. These are the types of shenanigans that I live for.

Ben's First Tooth

2011-02-16T22:27:00.001-06:00

4 days before his 6 month birthday, Ben has sprouted his first tooth!! It has just broken the skin, but it is still there...

He has been a drool machine lately and constantly has his hands or something in his mouth. I was finally able to feel the first little one break the skin on the bottom right side of his mouth. Ben was sleeping through the night from 2-5 months and he is still sleeping pretty good with his tooth pain. Since his teeth are bothering him, he has now formed a little habit of arising to eat in the middle of the night. Hopefully we can break that habit soon and the tooth pain will subside and we can all get back to uninterupted sleep!!

Grandmaster No Nap

2011-02-15T15:15:00.001-06:00

He comes out today for the 7th time...and at first is silent. (exit number 4 included a poop filled pull up). Comes to sit on the couch and says, "Mommy, I'm something else".
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The Traveling Duo (again)

2011-02-03T21:51:00.001-06:00

Well, MM and PP came to our rescue once again, and took Parker and Jack back to SC for an entire week. To me, it was a logistical nightmare, but to MM and PP, it was an adventure. They drove down to BR, flew back home with the boys, rented a car (and carseats), flew back to BR, then drove back home to SC. WHEW. I am exhausted just writing that!!

We were a touch apprehenisve becuase we ended up havng to take JAck to the doctor the morning of the flight with a fever. He just had a little virus, and Dr. George gave him the all clear to go. He was back to his old self in a day or so. He and Parker had a blast at "camp," even though the weather was a bit colder than it was here. I think they liked having some quality time away. They got to visit Nana, go to the library, out to dinner and for coffee, and they went on numerous playdates. Thankfully they were good on the plane for MM and PP and they didn't run into too many issues during all the winter weather that blanketed the rest of the country.

Jen, Owen, Ben and I were able to get away to the condo in Florida since we only had to manage only 2 kiddos! That was nice and let us clear our heads, but it wasn't quite the same without all of our usual choas. Owen had a good time while his bros were away, but you could tell that he missed them...or at least missed bothering them and swiping their toys!

It was a strange week while they were gone. The mornings were weird and quiet and meals/bathtime/bedtime was easy. It was something strange since our guys were missing, but it sure was a nice change of pace and it put a little perspective on our daily lives. We were defnitely ready to see them when they flew back to BR!!

Rise and Shine!

2011-01-19T16:40:00.001-06:00

Normally, I get up at the crack of 4:50am (READ: the alarm goes off at 4:50am) in order to go to the gym in the morning before the boys get up and the choas ensues at our house. I am able to get a workout in, come home, shower, get dressed for work, and around the time I am ready for breakfast, our #1 is rising and ready to start his day. #2 and #3 follow shortly after that, then breakfast for all, and then Jen gets up with #4 and joins the rest of the crew. Even outside of the gym, our morning routine has been this way for a while. The early morning gym has become a nice little addition and I am glad that I have stuck with it because I don't have to will myself off the couch to run or go to the gym after the boys go to bed.

Yesterday, I returned from my Tuesday spin class and instead of a dark, quiet house, I walked in the door to see the following image:

1. All the lights on

2. Jen sitting on the floor, coffee within reach

3. Parker laying down getting changed and dressed

4. Jack already changed and dressed (with shoes on)

5. Owen (changed and dressed) sitting in his chair eating cereal

6. Ben in the jumper

Apparently Owen awoke at 5:20am, proceeded to enter "bro's room" and got them up, forcing Jen to get out of bed to attend to everyone, and somewhere in the mix, Ben decided it was also time to get up. Needless to say, there was NOT an expression of joy on Jen's face.

Photo Shoot

2011-01-17T21:52:00.003-06:00

While in NOLA this past weekend, the Dougherty's stopped by Gaga and Pop's house to say hey. Kaitlin had her shiny new camera and was itching to take some pics. We graciously threw matching outfits on the guys and started posing them in ridiculous ways in order to try to get a modeling contract.

Thanks to the newly formed Kaitlin Dougherty Photography for our afternoon session!!

Take a look at some of the pics here, they are awesome!

Where did all these kids come from?

2011-01-17T21:38:00.001-06:00

One day a while back, when we had Katie and the boys over, it was a madhouse during lunchtime. I turned around to Jen and Katie and asked them "Where did all these kids come from"? Just 3 years prior, they were two pregnant cousins awaiting their first born. Fast forward 3 years and we had 5 boys under 3 and each of them were pregnant with what turned out to be...more boys.

Jen used to have a conversation with Owen about where he came from and mimicking mommy, he always replied "heaven." This past weekend, boys were falling from heaven...good thing I was there to catch them!!

Food Wars

2011-01-10T16:29:00.001-06:00

Another Food Network TV Show?? Nope, just another meal in Connisonville. Parker and Jack have all gone through many phases of food, where some meals are fine and others cause excruciating pain to get through. Picky, not picky. Sometimes they will eat anything, and other times, they will eat noting. The good phases have lead us to affectionately referred to Parker as "Truck Stop." Not sure why that stuck or how it is really relavent, but he seems to be the most willing to eat anything and everything, including Jack's meals...until recently.

Jen has been trying ever so hard to get the boys to branch out and eat different stuff, making it easier to feed them and avoid the many containers of "Gerber Goo" that we go through. They will eat her red beans one day, the next day they hate it, turn their nose up at it, spit it out, cry until they are removed from their seats. Yeah, its that bad somedays. The same thing goes for bananas, cereal (in milk), and just about anything else right now. They love peanut butter and jelly, until they hate it. I am unsure how any humans can have such varying tastes in such a short time period. It truly baffles and frustrates me. It is a constant battle, where the rules change almost daily and we are left unarmed with an appropriate weapon - a meal they will eat peacefully.

We are always adapting our tactics which have provided victorious celebration and agonizing defeat. We have waited until they are super hungry, sat them in front of the TV as distraction, used alternating good food/bad food, mixed in veggies, smothered everything in applesauce, you name it, we have tried it, but it is what it is...feeding time at the zoo. We have moved on to our hopefully our last attempt, making something specific for them (beans, homemade spaghetti and sauce, whathaveyou), but keeping a backup on hand (oatmeal, mac and cheese, grapes, yogurt, Gerber goo) and hope that is enough. At this point, we are open to suggestions, but I guess trial and error is the only way to go.

Date Night with my Sugar

2011-01-05T16:34:00.000-06:00

A date night in the middle of the week, including college football and $9 beers? Count us in!!

Jen's cousin, Christine, scored some Sugar Bowl tickets from her boss and she offered us the opportunity to come into town and go in her place. With a little last minute switcheroo at work, I took off and we drove in from BR, hung out, got the dudes ready for bed and handed them off to Gaga and Pops so we could head out. Pops was able to drop us off close to the dome, and we were on our way. Anytime we can get out of the house together, we try to take advantage of it, so the Sugar Bowl game between OSU and Arkansas was as good an excuse an any. It is funny going to a game that you have no real care on who wins. You get to do some real people watching and see all the Arkansas fans chanting "Woooo Pig Sooooooeeeeee!!!!" Sure we were rooting for Arkansas and the SEC, but that is still a ridiculous chant. We had great seats in the 300 level and sat next to some nice OSU alums from Metairie who were in the band back in their younger days. There were way more Arkansas fans, probably about 70%, but they still couldn't pull it out in the end. That one hurts fr the SEC...no one likes losing to the Big Ten, especially Ohio who had previously never beaten an SEC team in a bowl game. Oh well, we still have a few more days to kill before LSU takes on Texas A&M...more important than an SEC win - we got out of the house!!

Thanks Christine (and your boss) for the tickets, we definitely owe you for that one!

New Year's Rockin' Eve

2011-01-01T21:34:00.001-06:00

We had a New Year's party at our house this year, here were our stats:

11 people in attendance

9 boys, 2 girls

2 families

The last guest (all of them) left at 7:30p

The boys were in be around 8:15ish

I made it to about 11:20p

Jen made it to midnight, but was asleep shortly after

Ok, I know this isn't what most would consider a New Year's party, but it is the best we can do right now and we will take what we can get. Not many people want to come visit the chaos that ensues in our living room, but those who do, usually stay for drinks!! Katie and Rob are the closest thing to crazy that we know (having so many kids so close together - they have 3 under 3) . We are able to share stories, experiences, tips, tricks and laugh about all of it with them. We make having 5 boys running around (and two sitting around), an interesting time, especially during a meal. It was nice to have them over to celebrate a new year that isn't going to be filled with more babies!

Happy New Year from Connisonville!!

Christmas Eve Mass

2010-12-29T09:52:00.001-06:00

Armed with goldfish and sippy cups, we attempted to continue our tradition of Christmas Eve mass with the entire crew. Owen was an angel, stopping in the middle of mass to turn to Pops and tell him "I'm being a REALLY good boy." When awake, Ben was great. He was a little tired but Jen was able to rock him to sleep instantly. Parker and Jack, well, they were a little different story. I prefer to stay in the cry room as it is just better than attempting to join the general public which requires making a great escape when things start to get crazy. Well, I gave in and we attempted…

Let's lead into this story and say that Jack and Parker aren't terribly fond of having long, in depth conversations, but they love letters. LOVE THEM. Whenever they see letters that are distinguishable or ones they are preferential to, they shout them out (the X on an EXIT sign, the N from the NBC logo on TV, the O on everything, etc). Why oh why did we not remember this before going to a church filled with crosses that look like T's?

"T" Jack shouted, "T, T, T!!!" Shouting and pointing at all the crosses. If we weren't supposed to be celebrating the birth of Christ, it would have been pretty funny; but instead, it was a little bit embarrassing. We definitely had our fair share of dirty looks, the "I'm glad my kids aren't acting all crazy like that" expression, and a couple of "I remember that phase" smirks. We had to immediately leave the general population, enter the cry room, eat all the goldfish we brought, and then bring P and J outside to walk around and point at the letters on the church sign. As a whole, the church outing wasn't necessarily a win or a loss, it was more like we just stopped playing in the 9th inning, took our ball, and went home.

The Jumper

2010-12-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

There is a new movie now showing in the Connisonville backyard theater…

Title: The Jumper

Rating: G

Starring: Owen, Parker, and Jack Connison

Storyline: Purchased to serve double duty to give Mommy another outdoor activity for the dude ranch and as a "let's wear out the kids until exhaustion" toy; this Little Tikes bounce house will provide hours and hours of entertainment as all the kiddos jump to their hearts content.

Soundtrack: Jump Around by House of Pain (hopefully this is not a self fulfilling prophecy)

meanwhile..

2010-12-21T11:09:00.000-06:00

Its frat day at the clubhouse

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ben is 4 months already?!

2010-12-21T10:59:00.000-06:00

Hi I'm Ben. I rarely cry. I barely fuss. I never beg to eat. I'm by far the least neediest human in the entire house. I coo. I laugh. I'm adorable. I constantly smile. I'm totally go with the flow. I've slept through the night for the last 2 months. Just rolled over for the first time this morning. I'm the best baby who ever lived. Shh don't tell the others. Good thing the babymaking party is over in this house because it doesn't get any better... Just sayin..

.
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Fosstule Bosstule and other Christmas stories

2010-12-20T21:30:00.000-06:00

If you don’t know who Fosstule Bosstule is, don’t be alarmed. He is our Elf on the Shelf that goes back to the North Pole every night and reports to Santa on how good the boys were during the day. He then comes back to our house in a different location to watch the next days activities. Many of Santa’s elves have funny sounding names, but we are completely unsure of where this name came from, except Owen’s little noggin. Who really knows what is going on in there or what he was trying to say when the name Fosstule Bosstule came out.

Owen is very anxious to find Fosstule everyday when he wakes up and the one day he “left his elf hat at the North Pole,” Owen was very distressed because his head was cold. Good thing he goes back to the North Pole every night and was able to retrieve it. We don’t necessarily see a dramatic improvement with Owen’s behavior with the addition of this magical elf at our house, but it is a consequence that Owen has to deal with when he knows that Fosstule saw him do something wrong…

This weekend, Pops dropped all of us downtown. We took Parker, Jack, and Owen to see Santa at the Miracle on Fulton Street. With manufactured snow (read: Dawn bubbles) dropping down from overhead, Parker was a little apprehensive about the entire thing. He quickly got over it and decided to watch the rest of the sights from his front row seat in the wagon while he and his brother were chauffeured around the place. They have live reindeer and the boys all got their picture taken with the antlers and we were able to take a decent pic with Santa (which by the way, is only available via printed picture so I now have to scan it in order to post it here...). The lines weren’t very long and we had some goldfish keep the little guys occupied for a while and then were able to get everyone looking in the same direction.

The big stage had a band playing Christmas carols and room for Owen to dance around. They boys all had a good time, but we were definitely sad that we left little Ben at home. We weren’t sure of the crowds and effort it would really be to take a Santa picture, so we are definitely getting one of our WHOLE family next year. Sorry Ben!!

This was better than the previous two years where we didn’t even make it out last year as we were still in survival mode with twin 10 month olds who were constantly fighting ear infections. Then there was the year before with Jen uber prego with the twins, Owen was 16 months old, and there was a line at the mall a mile long. We did get this shot that year…Santa is about 40 yards in the background, but he did make the pic.

I love Christmas time and can’t wait until the big day when the boys get to open their stuff from Santa. They have all been good boys this year, so I think they will have lots of presents (I also know this because I check our credit card statement...good thing I love Mrs. Claus)!

I’m pretty sure Dora’s hitting the sauce

2010-12-16T16:00:00.001-06:00

All the boys really like watching Dora the Explorer (a little too much if you ask me), but we are still in survival mode so the TV helps entertain the kiddos when things actually need to get done in Connisonville (dishes, laundry, dinner, adult conversation, what-have-you). Well, Dora likes to teach Spanish to her children viewers. Owen has picked up on “hola” and “si” and “vamanos” and especially on “delicioso.” Anything and everything he eats is delicioso.

In true holiday spirit(s) the other night, I recommended that Jen and I wrap all the presents while watching TV (I'm sensing where the boys get there TV watching skills) and drink hot chocolate spiked with Kahlua. As I was pouring our glasses, I noticed that “Delicioso” is printed right on the label. Apparently Kahlua is imported from Vera Cruz, Mexico and this is part of their marketing campaign.

I think I now understand why Dora is always in such a good mood, but also why she needs you to repeat things multiple times…

mr happypants strikes again

2010-12-15T22:19:00.000-06:00

I go check on Ben during his "nap" to find him quiet as a mouse, wide awake, leaning up on his little arms looking like he's saying some prayers. Always always smiling. Love this kid!
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living the dream

2010-12-15T11:20:00.000-06:00

One of these things just doesn't belong. another day in paradise.
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Video from Santa

2010-12-15T08:28:00.002-06:00

Santa Claus sent Owen this video from the North Pole:

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/LVHuGlqmhmCQWdiIuqJC5w

He watched it for about 15 seconds and thought it was cool, but lost interest in Santa quickly...maybe next year he will like it better.

2010 Christmas Card

2010-12-14T15:59:00.000-06:00

This is our 2010 Christmas card. Jen is awesomely awesome at creating beautiful cards of our family (with a little help from Shutterfly of course).

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Connisonville!!

-Brett, Jen, Owen, Parker, Jack, and Ben

A day of firsts.

2010-12-09T23:34:00.001-06:00

Today Ben giggled for the first time playing peek a boo with me. Not just a coo and a smile. A full on adorable baby giggle.

Jack decided today he'd crawl uP the slide and then slide back down. He'd be so proud when he got to the top he'd clap his hands and say "yay!" then head on down... Must have repeated this new skill 20 times.

Owen walked into school with katie and Mack today. Mack isn't adjusting to being back to school since Joseph has arrived and has started crying crying crying upon drop off. And since owen is now totally happy about going to school (after crying for six weeks when he started), today he told Mack "i'll take care of you this time buddy".

Parker's first is borderline vile. Apparently when owen got home from school he went to the potty without telling anyone. and I didn't happen to go in the bathroom all afternoon to notice. But as I was fixing the boys dinner I realized I hadn't seen park in a few minutes so I went to find him and oh yes. He broke into the bathroom, potty turned over, contents everywhere with Parker laying in contents snow angel style.
Immediate bath commenced following immediate cloroxing of bathroom. (sigh)

Daddy and I even had a first. We went to a christmas party tonight and left all four of you with sweet dear Louise without putting anyone to bed first. Whaaaaat?

just like elmo says, "you did something new today... hooray! hooray! hooray!"
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2010-12-08T13:51:00.000-06:00

this about sums up the year! and what a year its been....

Ben’s Bad Night

2010-12-07T14:58:00.000-06:00

Newsflash: Ben isn’t perfect. I know it is tough to believe, but we had a not so great time the other night. He’s got the boogie-woogs and it pretty congested, so it isn’t his fault, but it still wasn’t pretty for us. It started with a 12:30am wake up call to feed him, another one around 2:50-3:45am which ended with me rocking him in the chair, and the last one was an hour and a half sleeping/feeding on and off with Jen around 5am. We were both exhausted and at that point realized how lucky we were that Ben usually sleeps from 8 or 9 something into the 6 o’clock hour. He is 3.5 months and sleeps like an angel, and so do we because of it.

I guess we have to take the occasional bad night in exchange for the peacefulness that usually takes place.

On a similar note of Ben not being perfect, the times that Ben is usually the fussiest is when he is OVER tired. If we miss that window of opportunity to put him down, he kind of goes berserk. We recently had one of those nights too when everyone else went to bed, he screamed for about 25 minutes. He fought me tooth and nail and eventually had to be soothed, rocked and passed out in my arms rocking in the chair…it was pretty pathetic.

Ben, let's try not to do that again. Love, Dad.

A Special Date

2010-12-07T10:17:00.001-06:00

Snowman sippy with hot chocolate

We took Owen on a “special date” to see all the lights at the Baton Rouge Zoo the other night. They have a Celebration in the Oaks type deal (but not quite as dramatic) so we figured we could take him while MM and PP were in town. I think Owen just liked the idea of having some one on one time with his Mom and Dad. We had hot chocolate (in the special snowman sippy seen above) and shared a pretzel, and walked around the zoo bunded up in our winter garb…it was pretty chilly. After a run in with the anteater and a pretty ornery yak, we headed home because the “train was sleeping” so we couldn’t ride it.

Days later, he is still telling me about that “late car ride” and how we were up way past our bedtime. I think he had a pretty good time...I know Jen and I did.

Previously our party of 3

Too Cool for School

2010-12-03T10:47:00.002-06:00

Field trip to the BR Zoo

Since I haven’t been consistently updating on Owen's progress at the Mother’s Day Out program, I am choosing to wrap it all up into one post.

After a lengthy period of adjustment, Owen has finally accepted that he goes to school on Monday’s and Thursday’s. Almost daily, he says…”no school today?” regardless of what day it was. He just didn’t want to go. At first, he would melt down, then he got over that, but just got sad about the morning and would whine (Side note: 3 year olds whine...a LOT). We would do our daily dance of explaining how great school was and on and on and how we love to pick him up and drop him off, etc. Eventually he didn’t have tears and would go without a fight. He loves to have me pick him up in the afternoons – probably because I tell him that he should love it...

We had about 6 weeks of tears, some days were bad (2-4 hours of crying) and some days were much better (5 minutes-30 minutes). Owen got used to the routine and he is now tear free. As a matter of fact, we have had some fun outings that he was able to look forward to: a trip to the fire station, a Thanksgiving Feast, and a trip to the BR Zoo. They have music class, play on the playground and have even helped tremendously with potty training (more on that later).

We have been very happy with Owen’s teachers (Ms. Marilyn and Ms. Anita) and they seem to love him too. Overall Jefferson Baptist has been great and we would highly recommend them to anyone. There was a spot that opened up so they can now fit Owen in 3 days a week. We are starting that in January after the holidays and we are pretty confident that he will adjust fine. It will be a break for Jen another day of the week so that will also be nice. After we thought about putting Parker and Jack in a 2 day program starting soon, we considered the cost – which would equal about $450/month! Hopefully, Daddy will learn some creative accounting between now and the fall and we can send them all over there without breaking the bank.

Thankful.

2010-11-25T14:32:00.006-06:00

We started off Thanksgiving Day with our own makeshift Turkey Trot, both Jen and I were able to get out for a good run before we spent the rest of Thanksgiving with everyone in NOLA. When we got in town, we put the little kiddos down for a nap and went to town on the turkey. Owen stayed up with us to eat, as we figured there would be too much excitement for him to nap. Since he didn’t really go to bed the night before until 11pm due to a lengthy nap on Wednesday, he was exhausted and asked us if he could take a rest. WHAT?!?!?! Sure buddy, go ahead. GO RIGHT AHEAD.

Stuffed, we proceeded to watch the Saints comeback win against Dallas, while we enjoyed drinks and family (and of course more food).

We have so much to be thankful for, here are just a few of my top things this year:

My beautiful, lovely, and wonderful wife, Jen. She is my teammate, my soulmate, and my rock. I thank God for her every day, but especially on Thanksgiving.

Our boys. I can’t imagine our lives without them. Jen and I love being parents. The guys make us laugh and smile and happy and proud. Sometimes, they make us frustrated and angry too, but its the ups and downs that make our lives so fulfilled. We look forward to all that God has in store for us as parents.

Our awesome family. With two wonderful sets of grandparents, along with sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins (some near and some far), we couldn’t ask for a better family. They are a tremendous support system and role models for us and our boys. We are so very thankful for all of them.

A wealth of Health, Happiness, and Love. These factors help make is easy for us to manage the sometimes chaotic lives. We have been fortunate to avoid chronic ailments; have strived to show those around us our happiness; and proven that we can get through anything with our love. We are so grateful to have full and happy, healthy lives to share with everyone.

And everything else, AMEN. God has blessed us in so many ways: great friends, Daddy’s good job, a wonderful home, food on the table, and too many other things to count. We are thankful for everything in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving from Connisonville!

-Brett, Jen, Owen, Parker, Jack, and Ben

What a Turkeyhead

2010-11-16T08:35:00.001-06:00

Owen had a Thanksgiving feast at school yesterday. Jen met me there on my lunch break and we got to see our little Pilgrim with all his school friends. They said a nice prayer saying they were thankful for their food, then Owen dug into the cookies and cupcake first...yeah, he's mine.

We found this on the wall outside of Owen's classroom. *tear*

On our way to see the Tigers play!

2010-11-13T23:59:00.019-06:00

View from our seats.

A little blury and my head is cut off, but O looks like he's having fun...

After having LSU Football season tickets for the past two years, Vincent and I gave them up this year due to the new additions to our families (Ben in August and Little Melerine in December). We frequently spoke about how dumb it was to bring young kids (who we would later see sleeping) to the game knowing that they weren’t going to enjoy it nearly as much as they should. We also talked about how much fun it was going to be once they were old enough to enjoy it. Apparently that would come sooner rather than later for Owen…

On Saturday, Owen and I went to his very first LSU Football game. We got tickets from Aunt Karen and Uncle Tommy and all the stars aligned as were able to swing an early kickoff, a small crowd (because LSU was playing UL-Monroe), and perfect weather. We had 6 tickets so Rob and Mack and Dave and Daniel were able to come too. We parked and started to walk closer and closer to Tiger Stadium, Owen was just enamored with all the people, all the lights, and how big the stadium was. With the boys in tow, Rob and I made our way to the gate where we met up with Uncle Doose and Uncle Daniel before heading in to the game.

Jen and I kept telling him how loud it was going to be and how there were going to be a lot of people and he was going to stay up way past his bed time. He was super excited. I think the initial shock of loudness startled him, but he then got into it and was able to contribute his own high pitched yells. He even joined the crowd and put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem. Dave and I tried to help Owen learn a few of the dances from the band, specifically the first and second down chants and the praise the defense bow. He also helped us do the wave, though I am not really sure that he understood what was going on, but he was all smiles.

Since we always read Owen's Born to be a Tiger book, he kind of knew what was going to happen at the game. We grabbed a Tiger Dog, just like the book, and Owen scarffed it down. He asked for another one before the 1st quarter was up and I thought he was just trying to be like the book, but after about 10 times and him whining “I’m hungry,” I realized that he actually was hungry…sorry about that buddy. After a second Tiger dog, Owen was good to go again. We sent a few pics to Jen and she was worried that Owen was getting tired, but his blank stare was more shock and amazement of the sights than anything else.

We cheered on the Tigers (and their terrible offense) until halftime where it was 23-0 in LSU’s favor. We walked back down the tunnels and paused to take some pictures closer to the field before leaving and heading back to the car. With O on my shoulders, he proceeded to use my head like a drum and beat it until we could no longer hear the music from the stadium…thanks big guy.

It was a definite “W” for Rob and me, and of course for LSU (final score of 51-0). Our offense was terrible, but that is another story…

Some of Owen’s quotables:
“I’m all done with Tiger Stadium.” (after the first quarter)
“I’m all done with the football game.”
“I want another Tiger Dog, please.”
“I love Tiger Stadium.”
“I love Tiger Dogs.”
“I want to go closer on the grass.” (yeah, me too buddy)
“Look at all those men on the grass.”
“It’s dark outside, but the lights are bright in here.”
“We are up WAY past our bed time.”
“It’s gonna get REAL LOUD!”
“GEAUX TIGERS!!”
“I see the cheerleaders; they spelled L-S-U.”
“We got to get that fumble!”

It was awesome to take Owen to his first LSU game, but I wish Jen would have been there with us. I can't wait to take the rest of the guys to their first Tiger games and to take them all as a family, but that is going to be a few years from now. Regardless, I'm sure this whole family is going to bleed Purple and Gold (whether they like it or not!).

UPDATE: Every couple of days since last Saturday...Owen has thanked me mulitple times for taking him to the Tiger game. I just love that kid.

Babbling Boys

2010-11-12T14:55:00.000-06:00

I just read an article about how twins have delayed speech, potentially months behind singletons, especially for boys. We are officially witnessing this firsthand. I don't think Parker and Jack don't have the vocabulary they should for their age.

Because there are two guys to focus on, they obviously don’t get enough one on one time. Jen and I do our best to spend individual time with both Parker and Jack, but they just don’t get the same amount of time that Owen had at their age (since there was only one). We read every night to them and try to do as much teaching and learning throughout the day, but the simple fact is, the one on one time is crucial to speech development. Parker and Jack are competing for time, not only between each other, but with Owen, AND Ben. Poor guys, they have a clown to the left and a joker to the right, and they are stuck in the middle with each other.

As far as their development, the boys know certain words, but are not always ready to express them. Owen repeated EVERYTHING, but Jack and Parker only try to repeat specific things. For some reason, they prefer more complex words…Parker loves to say “volcano” and Jack always says “exercise” but they don’t always want to say the easy ones like “mama” or “tubby.” Jack tends to babble way more than Parker, but says less things clear. Parker babbles less, but annunciates better. That all happens right now, I’m sure in two weeks, they will flip-flop and do things exactly opposite. I just think this proves that all children are different and they are going at their own pace.

The boys know their alphabet already and are really picking up their numbers too. They aren’t even 21 months, I can’t remember when Owen learned this, but I know it wasn’t this early! Regardless, I know those little brains are working hard trying to learn all they can. I know that they are developing at their own pace, but it is so cute when they talk that I want it to be all the time. I will probably regret that when our house becomes exponentially louder than it already is…but oh well.

Update: Just today, Jen was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to Jack and he was saying the last word of each phrase (star, are, sky, high). Out of the blue, he knows this? I guess they really are picking up every bit of information that we are putting out there and they will express it whenever they darn well feel like it. Way to go Jack, you made an awesome face when you said each word...you were so proud of yourself.

My Little Computer Nerds

2010-11-09T11:23:00.000-06:00

Just watching some vids

See Jack, this is how you download music.

Owen has always had a fondness for technology, tapping away at our phones and laptop that used to live on our end table. He used to say it was his and he had to "go to work" so we would open it up and he could type on it. Once we replaced the old laptop, Owen frequently got mad when we didn't let him play with our new one. He knows what a mouse is. He used to help PawPaw "work" by typing different letters into a command prompt. At an early age, he could say "unrecognized command verb" because that was the error message that came up when typing with PawPaw. At school, they have "computer class" but neither Jen nor I really know what they are doing in there...but we think it is funny that a 3 year is taking computer classes.

Owen got a play laptop from Emily and Adam (our two most computer friendly friends) and he loves playing with it...and taking it away from Parker and Jack who also love to play with it. It is a really great toy but it causes many fights in our house, so we may need to get another one (or two, or three). I guess Parker and Jack are following in Owen's footsteps...

It is funny to see how they are growing up with all the technology in their lives...just think, they won't know the world without the internet, TiVo, and smart-phones. Now that is awesome.

UPDATE: Jack is now bringing me the laptop and asking me to "o-pa" after Owen closes it on him.

Ben's Baptism!!

2010-10-31T15:16:00.000-05:00

Ben was baptized this yesterday at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church by Father Paul Schott. Father Paul married Jen and I, and performed the baptism ceremony for each of the boys. P and J were co-baptized in BR with another Priest at St. George Catholic Church (and also with their cousin Kevin).

What I like about HNJ, is that the ceremony is after mass, where it is just your family and the priest. This is nice because you get to focus on it being a ceremony and not the fact that they are squeezing it in the middle of mass with everyone looking at their watches (oh, am I the only one who does that?). I know there is good reason to bring your child into the Catholic community during mass and all and I like that concept, but we have 4 kids, and corralling them all for the ceremony is no small feat.

Owen and Parker were in attendance while Jack proceeded to have a fit and was ushered to the church nursery by Pops (though we are pretty sure that it was probably his full diaper that was causing his fussiness). Park decided it was time to smack my bald head like a drum and spittle all over me as he chirped out some words into the echoing empty. Thankfully Owen and Ben were angels as Father Paul went on with the ceremony.

We all went back to GaGa and Pop’s house for a little party where we dogged out those delicious BLT finger sandwiches and awesome cake from Whole Foods. Vincent and Antoinette were excellent Godparents performing their duties for Ben, but I am still unsure why they left with Ben’s most awesome baptism present ever…a 2010 Chevy Avalanche. Vincent, I’m gonna need you to bring that back, I plan on teaching Ben how to drive soon!!

Here are some pics of the blessed event.

Halloweenies

2010-10-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

I think we need to give some credit to Sissy for coming up with this idea, but much credit goes to Jen for designing and making these costumes a reality - One Dat (Parker), Two Dat (Jack), Who Dat (Owen), and New Dat (Ben).

We were all in NOLA for Ben’s baptism and thought it would be easier to have some help hitting the streets so we stayed until it was time to go Trick or Treating. We all took the dudes walking down Octavia ready to get some treats. Jen had been practicing Owen’s routine over the past couple of days and when the pressure was on, he shined. He went right up to the first house and said “Trick or Treat” with his little pumpkin out ready for some candy. He needed to be reminded (as he does with so many other things) about his “Thank You’s”, but he did great. We went to a few houses, and ended up at a block party on S. Rocheblave where they had the street blocked off and everything.

Owen cleaned up, which means I cleaned up. You see, I’m five years old and I love candy. Since Owen only likes DumDum lollipops (and of course M&Ms for pottying), we don’t need to give him any more sugar so I pretty much get to take the rest of the candy to work. WAHOO!! I guess Sour Patch Kids and Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups are an acquired taste.

He really loved the whole event, he was so excited to show us his candy. After we put him to bed last night, a few minutes later, he came out because he “had to check on his treats.” The same thing happened in the morning; he just carried around his basket of treats and didn’t even care to eat them. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if he is even related to me…

More Halloween Pics!

Two Are Better Than One

2010-10-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

Here is a quote that I found on a twin mom blog and I really love it, not only for Parker and Jack, but all of our boys.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down,his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
--Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Doing Life

2010-10-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

Jen and I are running the Crescent City Classic. There, I said it, now we have to do it. I feel better about it already. More importantly, we are "Doing Life", like this guy. He is awesome and inspiring. Reading his blog, watching his video, and seeing him all over TV and on active.com. has been super motivating. He just decided to do something and did it. I have been starting to run more and more and quite possibly, I am catching the fever. It is addictive when you start running and you get better and better at it because you want to run more and farther and faster and you can’t wait until your next run. I want to get back to that point. I was there right after Jen and I got married, running the lakes after work, entering 5K races...I was addicted.

It certainly isn't easy with a newborn, but now that Ben is sleeping longer, I want to get back to a good running routine and working out consistently. Jen and I have been making the time to let each other get out to run or go to they gym or whatever. It isn't always easy or convenient, but we are making it happen. Today was day #1 of getting back to the gym in the morning (I have only been one other morning since Ben was born). Needless to say, 5am was pretty early...but I know it gets easier.

Let's hope this doesn't jinx it.

2010-10-28T11:03:00.001-05:00

Ben is awesome, really awesome. We have always had good babies; Owen, Parker and Jack have all been great, but I think Ben takes the cake. For each kid, the dynamic obviously changes; we had to only care for one baby, and then needed to worry about two babies and one toddler, and now we have a baby, two toddlers, and a legit big boy. First, we were new parents who didn’t know anything, then it was a learning experience with P/J at the same time, and now that we are professionals having such an easy baby is a blessing from the Big Guy. It isn’t all peaches, he has his moments, but it is usually related more to what else has to be done when he is getting fussy (all the meals – kiddo and parent, bath time, nighttime, potty breaks, injury timeouts, whatever). If Ben is tired of hanging out and wants to be held, by all means, he deserves some quality time by himself (but he doesn’t always get it).

Even at nighttime, he doesn’t wake up fussy and screaming FEED ME MOMMA!!! It is more of muffled grunts that are just enough to wake us up. The point is he eats and goes right back to sleep. He is two months old and sleeps from about 9:30pm-5:00am. We couldn’t be happier with that because we know that the key to our sanity is definitely getting enough sleep. That gives us enough sleep to be able to deal with anything that our days bring us. Again, he is awesome.

Thanks Ben, Mom and Dad really appreciate how accommodating you have been in this crazy house filled with dudes.

The Card Queen

2010-10-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Dats a lot of Dats

It takes a half hour just to write down all the Masters in the house!

Sissy is ridiculously good at giving cards. We got one for Halloween…a week early. Now that is impressive. What is even more impressive is that she inserts her awesome artistic ability into all her cards for a personalized touch. She has the uncanny ability to draw stick figure representations of all the Connisons. She even dressed us up in Halloween costumes! Somehow in the past 3 years, it became hard for us to find the time to get to Walgreens to get cards for holidays, birthdays, etc. let alone have enough luck to find a stamp in the house and send it on time. Yet, Sissy gets them, draws all over them and sends them early! Needless to say, we are thoroughly impressed by her card giving/drawing skills.

If I were to have a conversation with Drew Brees

2010-10-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Me: Hey buddy, congrats on your new addition Bowen! Glad everyone is doing well.

Drew: Thanks man. We are really excited about the newbie.

Me: I bet, but now we need to talk about his name...I understand your hesitation to use Brett Owen, but I would have been honored if you named your second child after me.

Drew: Yeah, we wanted to, but thought it would be a little weird with you and Owen and us always hanging out and stuff. We didn't want anyone to get confused or think we were trying to copy off of you.

Me: Now worries, but if it’s cool with you, Jen and I are just going to call him "Bo" for short.

Drew: Sure thing, we are probably going to call him that anyway.

Me: Well, congrats again! We are really happy for y'all. Jen and Brittany can set up a play date with our dudes when we come see you at the Dome on Sunday.

Drew: Definitely. We will see you then.

The High School Years

2010-10-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

In my obsession with planning things I plotted out when all the boys would be in school together. I worked the numbers and different scenarios that could take place depending on our decision when to send Owen and Ben to kindergarten. With their August birthdays, if Owen and Ben are to start kindergarten after just turning 6, we will have all 4 boys in high school at the same time for one year (unless they go to a high school with an 8th grade, then it will be two years).

There are 4 different scenarios that can happen. Parker and Jack are smack dab in the middle of the school year, so they are going when then are 5:

1. Owen and Ben start school at 6. (grades = 12, 11, 11, 9)
2. Owen starts school at 5 and Ben at 6 (grades = 12, 10, 10, 8)
3. Owen starts school at 6 and Ben at 5 (grades = 12, 11, 11, 10)
4. Owen and Ben start school at 5 (grades = 12, 10, 10, 9)

This discovery prompted me to cruise the interwebs and look up Catholic school tuition…I want to throw up now.

Moving up to a Big Boy Bed

2010-10-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

We bit the bullet and put Owen in his very own big boy bed. He is over 3, but has never tried to get out of his crib so we never pushed the issue. Now that Ben is in our room we knew that we would be making this transition soon, eventually putting all the big guys in the same room (2 cribs and one big boy bed). Gaga and Pops got Owen a new mattress and box spring for the transition (it is currently on the floor because we want to wait to put in on the actual frame since it is pretty tall). So we just decided to try this out, well, there is no going back since I am not moving all the cribs to and from each room in our house again, so we are just doing this and making it work.

After Owen fell asleep on the car ride back from NOLA Sunday (following a lengthy excursion with Gaga to the Aquarium/French Quarter and no nap), we were a little worried about how the nighttime switcheroo would go. Jen read O some books and said their prayers and then he was out like a light. Midway through his prayers though, he asked Jen to "turn the light off cause I want to go to bed now." He sure is something... At 7am, he ventured out of his room when he heard Parker and Jack get up and told me that he LOVED his new big boy bed.

Night #1 = SUCCESS!!!! Let's hope the rest of the week goes just as smoothly!

UPDATE - Owen required to be tucked in twice last night before falling asleep and then he came into our room about 4:45, telling Jen that "he needed a hug." Sure thing, big guy...I carried him back into his room and snuggled him up in the covers and he went right back to bed. I think this is going to work out just fine...

The Next Top Food Toddler

2010-10-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

On those occasions where Owen decides that he doesn’t feel like taking a nap, Jen puts his behind to work in the kitchen!!!

Note to Owen: Opt for the nap buddy, you will thank me later.

Ms. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-09T16:50:00.000-05:00

They will never all be looking at the same time.

Pumpkin Head

Pumpkins!!

Jen is surrounded by dudes

Saturday, we packed up the troops and went to Hammond to visit the Pumpkin Patch!! Last year, Owen and Josie had a great time, but P & J were under the weather (and a bit small to enjoy it). This year, only Ben was too little, so the big guys played on the hay, in the patch, and on the big inflatable jumper. Jack absolutely loved that thing. He found himself a cougar (ok, she was a 7 year old, but still a much older woman) who wanted to jump with him and he was having a blast, a smile from ear to ear.

We ate lunch out there, though the weather was a bit warmer than it has been lately. The boys got to run around and play, we took home some pumpkins and got some great pictures. It was definitely a win and I think we will be back again next year!

Surprise…you’re 30!

2010-10-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

My wife is a liar. Jen told me that she didn’t have anything planned for my birthday. She said “I’m sorry, but when do you think that I would have had time to plan ANYthing?” (with quite a tone in her voice might I add). We had already discussed no surprises and I didn’t really want anything because I just wanted 30 to come and go and it not be that big of a deal.

I got home from work on Friday where I was surprised with my sister, her boyfriend, and MM and PP at the house. She got me, I didn’t expect that. The next day, we grabbed Ben and packed up a few adult beverages to peruse campus and see the sights for the Tennessee game while MM and PP watched the big kiddos. “Let’s go visit Katie and Rob over at the Parade Grounds first” she says…another lie. We walked up to a big tailgate filled with a bunch of my friends and food and the whole works – SURPRISE!!! She got me again. Jen was able to round up as many of my friends as she could and with the help of David and Regina, was able to pull it off. She must have also coordinated with LSU and God to have a home game with spectacular weather on my birthday. She is good, real GOOD.

We were out there tailgating for a while when we closed up shop to head to La Carreta to eat and watch the game (and have cookie cake). 4 quarters later, a ruckus ensued where LSU lost, then…SURPRISE, LSU won the game!! It might have been the most retarded 30 seconds I have ever seen in college football. I told you she was good, Jen wanted to give me that one last surprise on my birthday, an LSU win.

I said it in my last post, but I will say it again. She is amazing. Thanks so much Jen, for all your planning and everything else, and also my family and friends, I had a great 30th birthday!!

SAHM/Homemaker/Superwoman Extraordinaire

2010-09-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

If Jen needed to write a résumé, this would be an appropriate job title, though I don’t think the last one does her enough justice.

Jen is amazing…AMAZING. She has the toughest job in the world and she seems to do it with ease. Jen’s 4 bosses are way more demanding, unreasonable, and unforgiving than mine. She handles them like a champion and I really don’t know how she does it. Regardless, she was meant for this job. Don’t get me wrong, she is a terrific wife and excellent nurse, but her mom-a-bilities are phenomenal.

I could elaborate on a hundred different instances of how she makes our lives better, but I will spare everyone the details. It boils down to this: I love that Jen stays home to raise our boys. Almost daily, I get different picture messages of them doing whatever they do all day and it is great knowing they get to spend all day with their Momma. I know it isn’t an easy job, but having Jen around is the best thing for those little dudes. I can’t thank her enough for all that she does and I want EVERYONE to know that she is the center of the universe for all 5 boys in our house.

We love our Momma and all that you do for us!
B, O, P, J, B

Toddler Tailgate

2010-09-30T15:36:00.000-05:00

The boys are huge Russell Shepard/Joseph Addai fans

Ok, so it wasn’t exactly a tailgate, but we did all venture out to campus last Saturday. We parked at Uncle Doose’s house and walked the guys around campus. We stopped for some photo ops with a stuffed Mike the Tiger and again for a juice box break at the amphitheatre.

Owen got to see the LSU clock tower, the parade grounds and the tailgaters eating jambalaya just like in the Born to Be a Tiger book. It was a short lived trip to campus, about 90 minutes total, but it was a win and it was fun to soak up the atmosphere and the smells of football season. Now, we need to figure out how to buy that RV so we can make this happen on a regular basis!

Here are some other pics of our guys in their LSU gear - http://picasaweb.google.com/brett.connison/FutureTigers#

School Days

2010-09-30T08:28:00.001-05:00

On Monday's and Thursday's when he goes to school, Owen makes sure I take my lunchbox and sippy cup to work too.

just the twins.

2010-09-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

So today was the first day I brought Owen to school with all the offspring in the car by myself. Previous school days I've had the wonderful help of grandparents.

This is what I learned about doing it all alone: start getting ready for departure as soon as my eyelids open. We did somehow make it on time. Just in case I forget the logistics of this procedure one day.. allow me to elaborate.
Daddy out the door. Breakfast over. 7:45am.
Owen to potty after moderate coersion. Owen dressed. Smiling and crying at the same time when he realizes its a school day.
Jack and Parker dressed and changed.
Mommy dressed listening to Ben fuss.
Nurse Ben while watching each twin poop in new diaper. Perfect.
Change dudes, again.
Ben in carseat.
Park in car first. Owen second. Jack on the hip while carrying Ben in carseat.
All buckled.
Run back in house to get Owen's stuff, my stuff, COFFEE.
Throw Owen a banana in backseat for brainfood on the way.
Mommy buckled. 8:29am. Thank you Lord.

Nearly impossible to get Owen to his second story classroom by myself with all 4 in tow. Could be done with the double stroller, and sling for Ben, and Owen holding hands but seriously? By the time I did all that, dropped Owen off, went back down the elevator, and got them all back in the car.... it would be time to go back inside and pick up owen. So I need a helper. Katie drops Mack on the same school days at the same time but today Mack was sick and wasn't going to school. I bribed my poor cousin with CC's coffee delivery to throw the sick kids in the car and meet me at school so I could have her watch my kids sit in the car while I walk up with Owen.
IS. THIS. ALL. WORTH. IT!???
Yes. yes it is.

Never you mind about all that.
What is the point of this blog?
The point is my sweet little independent twins got to hang with their mom when we got home all by their lonesome. Well, after Ben went down for a nap.
The last time this occured was during the summer when Owen was with MawMaw and PawPaw. But they weren't talking yet. And since they've really commenced utilizing the English language, I have had yet another child, was unable to pick them up for two weeks, always have a baby suckling the teet, or a 3 year old who requries more attention than all 4 kids combined. So for once, the baby was asleep and the human constantly answering for them was away. and it was just us chickens. So we turned off the ~~nanny~~ tv. and read books. played with toys. tickled. laughed. ate cheerios. built a tower.

and then a miracle occured.

i picked up the doodle sketch. and began writing the alphabet. one letter at a time. I'd write one. then erase it and write the next one. and guess what? those two little people knew all but a few letters. i'd write it. and they would say it.
so i'm laughing because i was so surprised and so proud of them. and also i'm crying because i feel so guilty that i didn't know they knew the alphabet. how long have they known it? what else is in their heads and i don't know its there? is this the ultimate curse of having 600 kids in diapers?? i need more minutes in a day. i hate that i didn't know this and it took until now for me to realize it.

i knew they that knew SOME of the letters when MawMaw would sign the letters which started last week. but they knew almost every letter when they actually saw them written. and no one had ever asked them. and i felt so terrible about that. there's always so much action around our house and if its not the baby needing me, owen needs something and the twins are literally the least needy little souls and they end up left in the middle. at least they are together in the middle? poor guys.

no matter how much fuss it is to get owen to his little preschool for a measley 8 hours a WEEK... i will be so grateful for that time with the twins having my undivided attention.
what a crazy wonderful life =)

Diaper Trouble...

2010-09-21T16:18:00.000-05:00

MawMaw didn’t put pants on Parker OR Jack for their nap the other day... It also happened the next day with PawPaw!! Lesson Learned: Put pants on P and J for naps.

Outfit and sheet changes were needed all around, but it was totally worth the pictures to show their prom dates.

Parker

Jack