Sweet is What Little Boys are Made of

sweet drippy popsicles that is!

 {liam}

 {aiden}

 {beckham}

{griffin} 

{E, in his own tie-dye creation}

The Glad Game

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Well I would be in trouble.  My progress toward one thousand gifts was stalled, taking an unplanned summer hiatus, but I need it back and am linking up here today.  

It is also the perfect opportunity to share some of our summer-so-far highlights and progress toward our 

summer bucket list

100.  dad and son working together

101. wild rumpus before little boy bedtime

102. zoo life
{up close but not too close}

103. 5 giraffes together playing like our boys

104. boys making up their own game without speaking a word
{quad love}

105. play-doh in nothing but sunglasses and a diaper

106. drive-in movies

{we made it halfway through and then took E the next day to finish it}

107. a fun-filled 6th birthday party
and the result...4 happily tired toddlers and 1 ecstatic birthday boy! 

108. 5 years cancer-free 

celebrated again at Relay for Life

{amen}{alleluia}{etched in our hearts forever} 

So tonight, before I drift of to sleep, this is just part of what I will utter my gratitude for.  Glad to share some of our joy with you, as I try to remember to be grateful all the time in all circumstances.  

My Thoughts on Blogging

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I don't know if it's the rain, the fact that my boys have been super sick for days, or that I woke them up this morning by dragging them into the basement to sit through the storm, right before our beloved kids pool was blown clear to Kansas.  I have been holding onto this post for a bit, and today seems like the right day to share it.  It also comes on the heels of asking for support with my blog from a group of people whom I admire and share a common bond with and well that just wasn't meant to be.  

My husband gently reminds me that this being good for me, fun, an outlet, has to stay at the heart of it and he is right.  Yet this blogging thing has been on my mind for awhile now.  If it is what I should be doing right now, where I am meant to be, will I regret that I am giving time to it?  I have a hard time keeping a journal, but I have always loved to write, it is cathartic.  While I am not new to blogging, I even blogged a little with my oldest, I have always felt it was a bit narcissistic, but maybe that is because I tend to not like the limelight.  I also tend to not want to jump on a bandwagon unless there is a super compelling amazing reason.  I want to keep the right things at the heart of my blog and not do it for my own ego.

I would be lying if I said I thought it would be easy. While I absolutely love my new blog layout and feel at home in this space, I think it would be common to feel defeated from the onset looking at all the shiny, pretty blogs out there.  I am also a bit discouraged that it seems there is only room for one type of blog or maybe it's just trying to find my space in blogworld.  This is about my life, our life, and all that encompasses including, motherhood, raising boys, quadruplets, childhood cancer, kids spaces, projects, ideas, inspiration, and more.  I love that it speaks to who I am right now, who the seven of us are together,our world.  I couldn't do it any other way.

Well, what did you think I would give up that easily? I have too much of a track record...putting myself through college...giving birth to 4 boys within minutes...I could go on for days.  It'll take a lot more than that, but I am glad to finally get it all out.  I thank you for being here with me.  Ahh, what do you know the sun is finally shining {thank heaven}and I feel free to be doing this for all the right reasons.

Our First...Boy Wonder Toy Awards!

{this information can also be found on my page All Things Boy}


BOY WONDER WINNERS

Toys

When I was younger I had aspirations of being a toy buyer, little did I know my employers would be 5 little men.  Coming from a world of girls {3 sisters and me}, I loved diving into the world of boys.  I am a researcher through and through, so, I would like to say I know a thing our two about what makes a toy not just good, but great.  I probably get just as excited about a new toy as my boys do, and thought it might be fun and helpful to share that with you based on five criteria:

*fun/wow factor

*age appropriate

*educational

*durable and safe

*longevity  

All toys mentioned can be found in our home right now {c'mon over and play}, so our testing is real as it gets friends! Our boys are now 22 months so most fall within this age range.  

  The following toys are boy wonder approved {grin} and receive the highest

5 little monkey rating from this most adorable panel of experts...

{in no particular order below}

1. made by Viking Toys

found at our local Chalkboard Store or online at International Play Things These colorful molded plastic vehicles are dishwasher safe, great for travel, perfect for small hands and creating that first memory of him saying whoosh with a little yellow airplane.  

2.  made by Radio Flyer

 In our house we call it the Red Flyer Gang.  Our boys absolutely love these.  Not only are they super fun and great for the indoors, they are the same, so with multiples, there is no fighting over which car is better.  They also stack on top of each other, genius!! Since they do not make noise our boys come up with their own, which I love.  Who knows Vin Diesel may just come calling looking for some guys who know a thing or two about drifting.

We, err Santa, picked these up at Wal-Mart for under $20 a piece.   

3.  from the smart folks at Melissa and Doug

Not only have so many of our Melissa & Doug toys lasted for so long, we love how they are made.  They also offer the option to repurchase puzzles with missing pieces for a percentage of the original cost.  Both are so good for fine motor skills, matching, and memory.  

4. Lauri Toys 

crepe foam puzzles and stacker pegs are awesome.  The toddler tote is great for travel, the pieces can also be replaced if you contact Lauri and overall they are inexpensive, washable, long lasting.  They can help with fine motor, color sorting, and are great for lengthening attention spans too.

5.  Fisher-Price

Shake n' Go Cars, while we only have one ka-chow Lightning McQueen {hint big 2nd birthday coming up} these are great for teaching cause and effect.  

6. Hats

 any shape, any kind, usually the whole costume isn't even necessary.  My boys put these on and take them off all day long..  Ours have typically been purchased at our local learning/educational store or the party store.  Again a really inexpensive way to add some fun to a day indoors.  

7. Trains

from Melissa & Doug and Fisher-Price Geo Trax.  We apparently have the classic GeoTrax, in the past few years they have made all sorts of additional cars and themes.  We have yet to bring out either of these sets for the little boys, but we will this fall once we're indoors again and they are sure to provide endless hours of entertainment again.  We love the Melissa & Doug railway because it is interchangeable with other wooden sets and it is inexpensive, but still very well made.

8. The NILO table is amazing.

Again something our boys are almost ready to play with, right now they would probably take everything off and climb on it.  It is so versatile because you can get different inserts for it...lego, train mat, and it is the perfect height for a kids table at a party.  There are holes all around the table that you can also hammer pegs into.  Some really cool features and very well made, our oldest used it for years.

9. Play-doh

what kid doesn't love playdoh?   Our favorite so far came in a little beach bucket by Play-doh and it had one container that smelled like the beach with little sand particles in it.  There are so many amazing versions you can make, but we always come back from Ethan's former preschool.

• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
• ½ cup salt
• 1 to 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup water
• food coloring

Mix flour, cream of tartar, and salt in a pan. Mix desired coloring with water, add with oil to dry mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick. Mix in coloring later if preferred.  

While we have collected most of our tools from over the years, this is a great starter set from Discount School Supply.  

10. Water & Sand Toys

We have this Step 2 sand and water table.  We also have a sand box.  The key to outdoor play is keeping clean sand and organized toys.  Here is a post with an idea for sand toy organization.

Are these some of your little boys favorites? 
What else would you include on the list of must haves?

Next up in this series...A trip to American Science and Surplus {a store that carries everything under the sun} with Ethan and his picks for best boy toys 5-8 years.  

We have not been compensated for these reviews, just my honest opinion as a mom of 5 boys.  Girls would love these toys too {we know they do}.  Please do not copy or print opinions here, but you can link to this post and give credit to Our Wonderfilled Life  Thank you!!

Outdoor Project Preview

Here's a little sneak peek of what Matt has been working on in all of his "free time."  I don't know that we'll be able to finish our whole plan this summer, but after 5 years of living here it feels really good to be working on our outdoor space.  As with everything, never for a lack of ideas.  We have plenty of thoughts on what to do with our home, just major time and money constraints.  When we share the reveal, we will share how we have made this happen! 

So far it's required a lot of patience, which I haven't always had, a lot of planning, learning {mostly Matt}, a few date nights at Menards {maybe not the trendiest spot}, prayers, blood, sweat {again Matt}, and tears {mine}.  We end up loving something, but have to figure out how to {very creatively} do it ourselves.  

Hope we'll be able to share more soon!  Oh, I must note that this is completely still in-progress, unfinished stairs, blocks still being cut, and all.  Like I said, just a little peek...

S'Mores Kits

Ethan's favorite summertime treat is a s'more.  I would be lying if I said it weren't mine too.  So, for his 6th birthday party, a twilight swim at a new waterpark in the area, I made s'mores kits for his guests to take home.  I had to bring in a Wild Kratts theme too, per the birthday boys' request.  We also had about a half hour to shop for supplies and naptime to make enough for 10+ guests.  They were quick, easy, inexpensive, and a hit!  We added them to buckets that included a glow whistle, swim goggles, and a pool toy all tied in to the Wild Kratts theme {new PBS show by the Kratt Brothers that E loves}.

You could definitely dress these favors up or keep them basic as we did for the party guests.  In either case, there is always room for s'more right?!

I would suggest using the prepackaged graham crackers to avoid breaking and the huge marshmallows are just plain fun.  

The Second Time Around...and Third...and Fourth...and Fifth!

It has always been a sort of running joke or some version of this..First child you pick up the pacifier, sterilize it, examine it under a microscope for germs and then give it back to the baby.  Second child you rinse it off, give it back to them, maybe sterilize it later that night, or the next.  Third child you dust it off on your pants, see a speck of dirt, think eh, they needed a little extra roughage today and give it back.  Fourth child, you pick that dirt-covered, germ-infested pacifier back up and without thinking twice, you just plug it right back in their sweet little mouth and continue on with your conversation or better yet their big brother does it for you {true?}

Today I was thinking, how does this apply in my case?  It's my second time around at this paid in slobbery kisses motherhood gig, but really my third, fourth, and fifth too.  It really hit me that I did not have five different chances at the newborn stage, I had one and then another that was blown up to the fourth power!  How much do I let slide?  Am I getting too complacent?  Okay those that know me know my version of complacent would probably be normal life {reformed Type A that I am} but I have really taken it down a notch, or two.  Is it because I am more tired...more everything?  More than that I think it is just simply experience, confidence, being comfortable.  It's nothing that I could have learned, studied, or changed having not gone through every minute of my motherhood experience.

Eleven months in to my first run, Ethan was diagnosed with testicular cancer.  Our world was turned every which way, God held him, held us, but it did make me see something I could never ignore again.  Something like that has to change you.  While I cherished motherhood before then, I first hand felt that I could someday not be holding my child, and it was not the fear that drove me to taking it with greater significance, but the realization of the fragility of life and the gift of being a mom.  At times maybe I think about it too much, but I need to because the minute I don't I can lose sight of what this all really is, no it doesn't always have to be so serious, what fun would that be?, but I need to take the impact I have on my children seriously.  More than that I need to always run back into the arms of gratitude {thank God above} to keep myself in check when things get to be just too much.  I also remember Aiden, Beckham, Liam, and Griffin born at 33 weeks, fighters from the beginning in the NICU and that's about all I need to bring it back home.

By nature I am completely stubborn, so my thinking has always been what you do for one child you should do for every child, their experience should not be different because I am older, more tired, less patient, none of that is their fault.  Sometimes, usually when I am not praying enough, not asking for enough help from above, I will get a pang of guilt, the one that says each one of my boys deserves my complete and undivided love and attention...and then I usually dramatically add that they will somehow feel that they haven't been given all of me...and even more dramatically {knife to the chest motion} they will be ruined forever.   Maybe it's because I know what I did for our first child and somehow I am not doing less for each of my kids, but they are still getting so much especially from each other.  I know this will only grow along with them.  I love thinking about how my house will be full of boys who will learn to take care of one another.  Is it a hard transition to understand that someday it may not be me that my children first run to?  Sure that may sting a little at times, but who better to run to than another version of you?

I want to pause here and say if you have one child, God bless you.  I was considered a mom of an "only child" for four years and it was equally amazing to my version of motherhood now with five.  It is different, but was no less, and a very treasured time in my life and God just simply had other plans for us and I love our life now as a family of seven.   

Certainly I would be the first to say that you can still turn out so different from those living in your home, I can attest to this based on my own life.  Yes each of my children have their own mind, opinions, free will, and plan from their Father, which will play hugely in who they will become .  While that may be true and while I still may let the tater tots slide into qualifying as a vegetable {my oldest still won't touch them}, while I may declare that we don't need to change clothes unless 51% of the shirt is compromised, or mealtime may shift a half-hour each way, give or take, depending on the day, there are things I know are important enough to sink my heels into the ground over no matter how run down I am.

When our oldest was baptized we were given The Parents Creed and while I struggle with it, while I fail at it, I will keep on digging my feet in because these are the things that will turn my boys into good men....

If a child lives with criticism he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child loves with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

the words of Dorothy Law Nolte. 


Thank you for letting me share this heartfelt post with you.