Nugget News

Hey, try this for sh!+$ and giggles...

2011-10-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

Promise four 3-year-olds ice cream for, idunno, a couple of hours.

Then, after they're all buckled in, REALLY talk it up. You know, get 'em good and excited about it.

Bask in those squeals of excitement "I can't wait for i-cream, mommy!" "I want ba-nilla, daddy!" "Prinkles!" You get the drift.

Just when their little hearts can't stand the anticipation any longer, and just as you park IN FRONT OF THE STINKIN' SHOP, realize and announce that you forgot your money and don't have time to go get it before they close!

And, if that experience isn't enough for you, assure them that there is ice cream at home only to find that you're out of that too!

Man! The Walkers are on a roll!

Gettin' it in gear...

2011-10-22T12:02:00.004-04:00

OR NOT!!!!

You know, ya really haven't lived until your car decides to stop shifting into gear while you're out with 4 toddlers, all of whom have missed their nap. I should also mention this happened after a very very active day of playing at the park. I might also add that we didn't have strollers with us. Oh, and we had to walk home!

Jack decided to haul tail full throttle, while Jillian opted to break records for the slowest moving creature on the planet. Truly, her pace rivaled that of a sloth! POKEY PRINCESS! Cash, was particularly difficult, as he didn't want to be carried, and also didn't want to walk. Apparently, his levitation bit wasn't going as planned. Awesome.

By the time we made it home, they/we were hysterical... Two had skinned knees and Ryan and I were covered in blood. Okay, so "covered" is a pinch of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Not pretty.

On a positive note, the weather was glorious. I mean, absolutely perfect walking weather. We just hadn't quite budgeted our time and energy to allow for a walk on this particular day. Oh well. Just a crazy finish to a blissful day:)

**By the way, has this happened to anyone?? You know, the whole car refusing to shift into reverse thing? We have a Chevy Suburban and it flat would not get out of park. Weird.

Rollin' With My Homies!

2011-07-22T21:00:00.003-04:00

The Dirty South will never be the same after the Sweet Sixteen took to the streets!

Back Row: Jenn Suz Moni Amy Jo Sandra Charity Mari Kelly Gen

Front Row: Beth, Jenna Kami Casey Heather Jac Misty

Quad Mommas 2011 Shirts:

Front:

Back:

Have you ever...

2011-07-03T22:34:00.011-04:00

...had the misfortune of picking the most mommy hostile, kid friendly shopping cart in the entire stinking store?! You know the one... 2 big ole' seats with steering wheels, looks like a car but handles a lot like an RV, and veers HARD to the left?! Well, I have!

I was hitting market number 2 - NO, not an extreme couponer, though I wish I was. They just happen to have different things and share a parking lot. I digress. Now, where was I ? Oh! I had finished up store one with relative ease considering I had 2 of the Nuggets with me. We were headed to the second store (the one with the free cookies - No way they would let me back out on that promise. I had used it like a zillion times in store one to get them to behave). Anyway, we head over and spot the ~~dreaded~~ coveted car/cart! Just freaking shoot me! I mean, hooray!

It's the only one in sight, so initially I'm thinking it's a total score. I get just inside the doors and realize, such is NOT the case. This thing is pulling so hard to the left I am LITERALLY walking crooked - My buns were swung out to one side while my guns (a girl can dream can't she?!) are flexed to the max just trying to keep this baby in the ~~road~~ aisle! I paused, thought long and hard about what to do, may have even prayed for another one of these beasts to become available. But alas, it just wasn't happening, and I didn't have a hope that these kids were going to settle for the conventional wire cart like we had back in the day. BRATS! So, I decided it wouldn't be so bad once I got this puppy going. I was wrong. Dead wrong. It sucked the life out of me! I continued on my crooked way around the store pleading with the children to stay seated and wishing they might slide all the way to the right to help a sista out. But, APPARENTLY, that was asking to much from my ~~selfish monsters~~ little angels! ;)

There were times I wanted to turn back. Times when the nearly full basket didn't seem like too much to transfer. Even times when I thought the shrieks that would ensue after moving them to the regular cart wouldn't be as painful as every muscle in my body as I ambled up and down every blasted aisle! But, I just couldn't do that to them. I could handle the pain! After all, their smiling faces and joyful giggles would make it all worth it. Oh wait, NO IT DIDN'T!

I could barely get through my list (yeah, I took a stab at organization today). My mind kept wandering. I imagined sparing some other mom this pain. I envisioned her bounding towards me with her two children in tow looking like she just won the shopping cart lottery. I would come up with some fabulous one liner about how she didn't want this cart. How, it was more trouble than it was worth. I might even come up with some great story for her kids so they didn't even want that lame car/cart. Yup. I was going to be her hero.

Then, I realized our timing might be off. I mean, she might not be coming until after I'm long gone. This called for something else. I knew just what to do. I would go to my car and pen a little note using my favorite eyeliner. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures! I would stick it gingerly to the handle bar, warning her that this cart was pure evil. I would sign it "your welcome." And, I might even put a little smiley face on it. Nope. A WINKING SMILEY FACE! Because, she would totally get it.

As my travels through the market continued, I began to get more bitter. Thoughts shifted, and I was now mentally fashioning a boot for this cart out of my hair clip, the gum I was furiously chewing, and a wire hanger I would borrow from the neighboring cleaner. I would be like MacGyver, saving the day for moms and dads everywhere!

Eventually, I abandoned my delusions of grandeur. And, by the end of my journey, I was in a dark place. Thoughts again shifted, and I'm pretty sure I could hear the tune Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangsta in the background. I knew what I was going to have to do. I was going to have to toss this, THIS THING in the back of the suburban and find a field. Yup. I was going to go Office Space on it's @$$. I was going to absolutely wreck this cart! Now, if you haven't seen this flick, then you're totally lost. But, if you have... Well, if you have, then you understand just how awful this particular wheeled torture device was! You understand why I dedicated an entire blog post just to bashing it! I mean, if a girl can't actually smash it, she might as well bash it in blog land, right??

Seriously giving thought to contacting management at the store. Not really my style, but this buggy must be put out of it's misery, it's taking the rest of us down with it.

This shopping trip wasn't totally devoid of amusement. In fact, Cam rather enjoyed one particular moment... As we were walking to the store, we happened to pass a liquor store with a picture of the St. Pauli Girl at toddler height (What the?!). Cameron ran up to it and exclaimed at the top of his lungs "Look at deez! Look at deez!" Now, I can only imagine what "doze" were, but I have a pretty solid guess. Looking back, I can't help but picture how differently this scene would have gone down had his dad been with him. Rather than Cam being whisked away and ignored by a moderately amused and mildly embarrassed mama, I see the two of them pausing in stunned silence, Ryan nodding and slowly saying, "yes, son, look. at. doze..." MEN!

You'll have to excuse me while I hit the tub. I'm pretty sure I pulled something;)

Breaking and entering...

2011-06-23T19:56:00.004-04:00

You have GOT to be kidding me! I mean, REALLY?!

Any guesses as to which crafty nugget hopped a baby fence, went in the office, scavenged and found a FREAKING ~~PROTRACTOR~~ COMPASS (thank you, Suzy:), and picked a lock with it?!

I'll give you a hint, here's his hand reenacting what he did.

What makes this particularly amazing is that this lock happens to be extremely difficult for an adult to pick with the intended picking device! This kid does it in no time with a drafting tool!

On a positive note, that's some pretty awesome dexterity!

Give up????

My little Naughty Nelson

Oh, Jack Jack...

Oh, and for those of you who are considering leaving a scolding comment about my child wielding a pointy metal object, don't bother. I was mortified,and said pointy object is now in a much safer place - you know, since our baby gates are more of a show piece these days;)

Do yourself a favor...

2011-05-18T16:39:00.003-04:00

... and make a batch of these!

We are just back from our annual vacation to Crescent Beach. This year's souvenir? A super simple, totally tasty recipe from our friend Krista!

Five quick steps, and you will be popping jalapenos with reckless abandon!


1. Clean, cut off stem end, slice in half lengthwise, and remove seeds and rib with a spoon.


2. Fill bag with cream cheese and nip one corner with scissors so you can use it as a piping bag. Knead the cheese if necessary to soften.

3. Pipe a thick ribbon of cream cheese into each jalapeno.


4. Using pre-cooked bacon and kitchen shears, cut bacon to fit each jalapeno.


4 continued. Place a piece of pre-cooked bacon on each pepper.


5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

The impending delight happens to make the 25-30 minutes feel like forever!

Bon appetit! Most delicious when accompanied by an ice cold Corona;)

Funny bunnies...

2011-05-01T11:17:00.002-04:00

Easter morning pics:

This would be their version of "bunny ears."

Jack Ryan and the Hunt for Russell Stover...

2011-04-25T10:02:00.003-04:00

Jack Ryan and his siblings attended the most wonderful Easter Egg hunt Saturday! Special thanks to the Clemens Family for inviting the Nuggets:)

My little gear heads helping brother figure out how to get the car going

A man's man...

2011-04-17T11:10:00.002-04:00

It's a well known fact around here that Jack is a man's man. He just likes hanging with the guys - fixing things like his GaGa, breaking things like his DaDa, or helping carry things in for the ladies. In fact, I've decided he must be part ant, because I'm certain he can lug several times his body weight. Stronger than an ox!

Here he is with his main man, Daddy.


...I don't always give hugs, but when I do, I prefer my Dad.

Nothin' says lovin'...

2011-04-13T18:57:00.000-04:00

...like getting kicked in the face while you're on all fours cleaning up a staggering amount of rice!

My tribute to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Ride... You have noticed the dangling dirty pirate feet before, right??

She's kind of a big deal too...

2011-04-12T18:52:00.001-04:00

Turns out Mama's a bit of a rock star after she's been out for a few hours too;) Okay, not really, but I would like to thank my Sweet Nuggets for humoring your Ole' Mums.

Yes, today they're sweet - I mentioned I was out for a few hours, so really, this makes perfect sense.

Riddle me this...

2011-04-11T19:15:00.002-04:00

How does one turn a simple freak show into a traveling circus????

Add balloons to a double-decker stroller loaded with ill-behaved quadruplets at the mall.

Barnum & Bailey ain't got nothin' on the Walker Fam! Just sayin'!

Cue creepy circus tunes... Doo doo doobey doobey doo doo doo do...

A farewell to arms...

2011-04-09T22:13:00.002-04:00

For those moms who have said, if only I had an extra set of arms, I can speak from experience - it's fantastic! That is, until it's time for the extra limbs to make their way home...

Monday will be a sad day for the Walker Fam. Our Papa will be returning to North Carolina for the Spring and Summer. With him go two very helpful and huggable arms. :(

Ever since the babies were born, our Papa (my grandfather) has made it a point to visit and help us every Thursday that he's in town! The day has been lovingly dubbed "Papa Thursday." Now, Papa Thursday can actually occur on any day, depending on our particular needs in a given week, but most often it's Thursday.

Our usual routine is that he arrives at 10 am to a house full of excited kiddos ready to play. He takes them on a walk to feed the ducks, plays on the playground, teaches them to hit and throw a baseball, feeds them lunch, changes diapers, pretends to be a horse, watches endless episodes of Caillou, and puts them down for a nap - ALL BY HIMSELF! Not even kidding! More recently, I've tapped him to join us for our weekly treck to the local open gym. Not sure who enjoys that more;)

We love our Papa dearly and there just aren't words to express how much we are going to miss having him here. But, fear not, Dear Papa, we will be up to visit you soon enough!

Life's a beach...

2011-04-08T15:36:00.003-04:00

Okay, lame title. Pretty sure I spotted that on a tee shirt back in the 80's.

The weather was gorgeous the other day, and the beach was calling our names. So, we loaded 'em up and headed out. The kids loved wallowing in the sand and splashing. Really really precious - and slightly exhausting.

The beach is sooooo relaxing with four toddlers;) Note the death grip I have on that poor juice pouch!

Yeah, my baby can read - just. like. Graham... Okay, mean. I'm sure Graham's brilliant.

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Nah!

2011-04-07T22:06:00.003-04:00

I've been trying to make it a point to cook with the kids every now and then. Usually, I promise to do this in a moment of what I have to assume is pure insanity. Then, I'm kind of locked in because Jillian will repeat "I wanna cook" OVER AND OVER until I've fulfilled my obligation.

The first time we cooked was on one of Ryan's days off. It was actually a lot of fun and totally manageable with two adults. We found the activity to be full of teachable moments (and, not just for the kids;). There are letters to find, things to count, directions to follow, taking turns, patience, sanitation practices, naming of utensils, motor skills, safety, etc. So, it's a delicious means of cross curricular education if you ask me:)

Today, I decided to try this mission stag. A little more frustrating on my end, but overall, a tremendous success. In hindsight, I should have done our little chef hat project on a different day from the actual cooking. Um, yeah those are supposed to be chef hats. And, yes, I realize they look more like bishops' mitres than chefs' hats. Anyway, it was a pinch too long for them to be a captive audience. And, I mean "captive" literally, as I had them sit in their feeding tables for both activities.

Some shots of cooking 101:

Secret to my success: Divide everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, into fourths.

He's kind of a big deal...

2011-04-06T20:49:00.001-04:00

One of the sweetest things these days is returning from an errand to a house full of elated toddlers. No matter how naughty they may have been (and, believe me, it's pretty naughty these days), you just forget all your worries as they are shrieking "Daddy's home!" or "Mommy's home!"

The other day I managed to get some photo's of such an occasion. Ryan had only dipped out for an hour or so to hit the gym. But, when he returned, you would have sworn he was back from a month abroad!

A month abroad... Now, that has a nice ring to it;) Maybe in another 20 years or so.

Mounting anticipation as they see Daddy's car pull up...

Greeting Daddy at the door

Screaming "Daddy's home!"

Pint Sized Picassos

2011-04-05T10:21:00.002-04:00

Can you believe they make a 4 way easel?! Well, they do, and it's a pain in the keister to put together. But, it was totally worth it because the Nuggs LOVED painting!

Note to self: Bigger tarp under the easel next time.

Refreshed

2011-01-19T22:20:00.003-05:00

Hello Blog Land! Ma Walker here! Yes, yes, it's been a while. Sorry 'bout that.

I'm just feeling all jazzed up after this morning's MOPS meeting! I've been to three now. They always manage to renew my faith and refresh my soul.

Plus, I got to make a totally awesome craft whilst chatting with ladies - yes, ladies - as in, grown-ups, non-two-year-olds, PEERS!!

Presenting... My message board! Thanks for the tutorial Jessie!

This particular one is actually going to be a gift for my aunt. It matches her place better than ours. But, I'm seeing more of these in my future.

If I'm being completely honest, I usually have second thoughts about going (to MOPS or anything WITH the children these days), and end up in a foul mood just trying to get the kids there. It's not that I don't want to go. I do. It's just such a chore to get everyone moving in that direction in a timely manner. Coincidentally, after said "foul mood," this meeting is EXACTLY what I need, and I am always always glad I put in the effort to get there.

I'm embarrassed to admit that this seems to be a pattern with me and church lately. I'm so worried about getting everyone's teeth brushed, hair combed, and finding their shoes, that I typically have a mini meltdown (okay, it's not always a mini one). But, after a few less than choice words and an unsavory thought or two, I can usually rally, and get it in gear. It's these days, that I find I particularly crave church. You're a clever one Big Guy:)

Fight For Preemies // Bloggers Unite

2010-11-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

Fight For Preemies // Bloggers Unite

Dem Bones!

2010-10-31T23:16:00.003-04:00

I found these glow in the dark skeleton jammies for the kids. Well, I lost my mind, and decided it was time to take pictures of them. Stupid, stupid Jenna...

Anyway, here the are. Not terribly impressive shap shots, but if you saw the effort that went into capturing them, you would really think they were something special.

Trying to get a picture of Jack is downright painful!

"WHYYYYYYY ME?!" Jack, on having his photo taken.

"One blue steel mom. That's all you're gettin', so make it count!"

Jillian was feeling particularly agreeable.

Trying to cheer up Jack...

"tickle, tickle, tickle!"

Yeah, it didn't work:(

Cheesing it up with Cam.

Girlfriend loves her "ske-tin" jammies by day. But, she totally FREAKS OUT when we turn the lights off and she sees the bones glow in the dark!

Halloween pictures to follow in the next day or so! But, for now, I have to hit the sack. I have a Monday morning gig as a puppeteer!

What's in a name (part 2)

2010-10-15T13:51:00.003-04:00

I've talked about Jillian's crazy long name before, but I thought it was time to share Cam's story. Ryan and I have always wanted a Cameron. It was the name of an adorable little guy I taught my very first year in the field. Ryan used to help me in the classroom and the name stuck with him too. So, that part was pretty easy.

Now convincing a modern day fella like Ryan that "Loyd" is an awesome choice for a middle name wasn't quite so easy;)...

Cameron's middle name is for my Papaw Loyd, and that's with one 'L' folks. Papaw was a very very special man - A kind-hearted hero who lost both legs to injuries incurred in WWII. He never met a stranger and would have given anyone the shirt right off his back. I was actually on the phone with Ryan for the very first time when I got the call that my Papaw passed away. Now, that might sound like a bit of a "bad omen" to some, but I always thought of it as my Papaw saying "It's going to be okay, and this one's a keeper." Ryan and I barely knew each other, but I remember that he was very sweet about the whole thing and even gavet me a card - 2 cards actually - a sympathy card and a birthday card. Both events occurred in the same week.

So, while Loyd is a bit unconventional these days, after a little prodding, Ryan knew it was just the right name for our Cam Man and agreed to it.

Yesterday, Cameron and I went to visit Big Loyd, and he even let us take a couple of sweet pictures. Children were always drawn to my Papaw. I think they could sense his sweet nature. I know in my heart that these precious Nuggets would have melted his heart and brought him such joy!

Cameron Loyd Walker

Makin' a splash!

2010-07-30T01:03:00.005-04:00

Ryan and I took the kids to the Aquarium! It's a really amazing facility teaming with all kinds of wildlife. And, though the animals were great, the sitting in a stroller thing quickly lost it's luster. So, we sauntered out to their splash pad.

BIG. HIT!

Before you play this bad boy, let me just say that I am well aware our judgment on the slide may have been a little off. It seemed developmentally appropriate, but after a few less than graceful trips down, we began to rethink things. Okay, okay... they shot down the thing like greased pigs!

In any event, you're going to laugh your tail off at the footage of poor Cash - at least I do! Is it messed up that I would like to slow mo. it?? Actually, if you pause the montage somewhere around 1:29, you'll get the idea. Yep, Mother of the Year here;) Whatever - sometimes you just have to chuckle at your missteps:)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Florida Aquarium is situated right by The Port of Tampa, so the kids were also able to gaze at some super sweet ships!

They were pretty wiped by this point, so we headed home for a little r&r. It really was a beautiful day:)

And with that, I bid you adieu until my next burst of blogging energy.

The Piano Man

2010-07-18T22:41:00.002-04:00

You know those artsy types can be a tiny bit temperamental...
Cam is NOT big on sharing the piano. Any tips on how to extinguish hitting in toddlers? It seems to be their favorite way to communicate frustration these days.

Smile 4 a while...

2010-07-04T02:16:00.002-04:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, right????
If that's the case, then here are about 45,000 words about the best quad mom-cation EVER! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

mom·ca·tion [mom-key-shuhn]

2010-07-01T11:00:00.005-04:00

16 Best Friends

Front (left to right)

Kelly, Heather, Amy Jo, Misty, Casey, Beth, Mari

Back (left to right)

Charity, Suz, Sandra, Kami, Jenn, Jenna, Jac, Gen, & Moni

mom·ca·tion [mom-key-shuhn]

–noun

a period of suspension of all mommy duties, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: 16 moms of Quadruplets met in Austin, Texas for a 5 day momcation

a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of wiping bottoms, administering time outs and referring to yourself in the third person are put aside

freedom or release from preschool activities

an act or instance of vacating with 15 best friends who are collectively called mom by 67 children

Quad Mommas 2010

We, as always, had the time of our lives and encourage all of you ladies to do the same. When you have unconditional friendships like these, life is so much sweeter. We can't wait for next year!