Happy Fall!

Dear puppies & princesses, Tonight we went to the annual SMOM (Sacramento Mothers of Multiples) club halloween party! Joshua & Julia had so much fun pretending to be a puppy and poodle and big sisters looked absolutely stunning dressed up as their favorite: Princesses- Ariel & Cinderella! School has started. Mommy is homeschooling big sisters in 1st grade this year. We are having a lot of fun. It doesn't seem like we are "home" much even though we are homeschooling. With MOPS, gymnastics, piano lessons, sign language class, Science lab and Choir practice- we are pretty busy! Joshua & Julia try to do everything their big sisters do. Joshua is very good at coloring! His favorite color is orange. Julia loves to read (look) at books. She keeps herself entertained for hours reading many books. So I organized the books in "theme baskets". This way, when we are studying something new in school, it makes it easier to find the books we want to read. Joshua's most favorite thing right now: "choo choos". He loves Thomas the Train and will play at his train table in his room for a very long time. He even sleeps with all his trains and takes them to go potty with him! We went on a field trip to the firestation on Friday and Joshua especially loved climbing in the firetruck. All the children (except Julia did not want to) had fun spraying the water hose too. Sarah is really excelling in Math & Science! You especially like to do Science Experiments with Mrs. Ubis and with our friends, Tiffany & Alyssa. The last time they came over, we did an experiment in our front yard melting chocolate with a magnify glass (Apologia Astronomy). I could not believe that Tiffany's chocolate actually caught on fire! Hannah you really love to read and your favorite is reading chapter books like Junie B Jones. All four kids like to help mommy cook. Sarah and Hanah both made dinner ("Bar B Q Cups") for the first time! It is amazing how different God made each of you, especially boys & girls. I thank God that I am your mommy! You are truly a special gift from God. When I'm exhausted, worn out, tired, I never forget how lucky I am to have 4 sweet children.

Homemade Granola Bars- Yummy!

Dear Sarah, Hannah, Joshua & Julia,

One of your most favorite snacks to eat: granola bars. It adds up even buying boxes on sale and with coupons with 4 little ones snacking on them! So when we played at the park with another home schooled family that we know through MOPS (Jennifer Butler), I was thrilled when she gave Hannah a piece of bar that she made from scratch- and Hannah, you LOVED it! I couldn't wait to get the recipe to try it. Yesterday, all 4 of you had so much fun helping Mommy measure the ingredients and bake the bars. You ate the whole batch up in one day that this morning I made more! Here is the recipe:

Oat & Almond Granola Breakfast Bars

1/2 c. veg. oil (I use canola oil)
1/2 c. honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
Mix all the wet ingredients together. I mix it in my 2 cup liquid measuring cup.

2 c. old fashioned oats (it's o.k. if you use quick oats)
3/4 c. flour (I use whole wheat flour)
1/4 or 1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. sliced almonds (I grind it in my blender first so the granola bars are more chewy than crunchy)
1/2 c. toasted wheat germ, oat bran or flax seed
1/2 c. raisins
3/4 tsp. salt

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil- grease foil then lay it in the pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely for about an hour and then cut.
Enjoy!!

Also, I wanted to share with you what I heard at lunch today before you ate. Joshua: "Dear God Amen" Julia: "My turn, Dear God thank you Mamen" It was so cute!! I am so thankful that God gave me four beautiful children! I love you.
Love,
Mommy

Top 10 things to take on an airplane trip with two sets of twins under 5

Dear Sarah, Hannah, Joshua & Julia,

We just took an almost 2 week trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit your Grammie & Grampa Snow and all your aunts, uncles and cousins! You had so much fun. Joshua loved riding on the airplane. We flew back the day before Joshua & Julia turned two- that way you both still flew for free! Here are the top 10 things to take while traveling with you all:

10. books
09. new toys
08. Color Wonder Markers and coloring book- or paints- this is amazing because it only colors on the special paper and won't make a mess.
07. Snacks, snacks, snacks- our airline this time did not give us a snack!
06. Diapers, Wipes, extra clothes
05. Gum, pacifier- give each child something to suck on especially when landing so their ears will pop.
04. lollipops, candy, any special treat they don't usually eat.
03. leapsters, leapster games and extra batteries!
02. portable DVD player and dvd movies!!!
01. An extra person to help you- like daddy, grandma, etc. :)

Whenever you grow up and fly with your kids remember to always pray to God for a safe flight and pray that you will sit by nice people. If your baby cries, don't stress too much. Try to remain calm and relaxed. I know it is hard but you can do it. Someday all four of you will be amazing parents! I love you so much.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Joshua and Julia!

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Cordova Christian Camp and VBS!

Dear Snow Kids,
Last week, Sarah & Hannah and your cousin Tristan had so much fun at our church's version of Vacation Bible School- called Cordova Christian Camp. It sure was quiet at home without the older ones. You were there from 8:30-3:30. You were introduced to the robot Reflektor who helped you learn to reflect God's glory. You learned about being a transformer and going from bad to good. On Tuesday, you learned about being a redeemer and fixing things that are broken. Wednesday, the theme was truth-teller. Thursday police officers came and did a demonstration and you learned how to be helpers. Friday was a water day and you had so much fun! I wish I could have been a "staff" for your first week of camp. I know you were in good hands though and that you had a lot of fun. This week, you joined your friend, Marcelyn, that you know from your homeschool choir and attended her VBS from 6:30-8:30. Even Joshua and Julia were able to go! Their teachers said they were so good. They said, bye bye mommy when I dropped them off and didn't cry at all. I'm so glad you had a fun week learning about heroes and a bible story about a boy and a fish. Hannah and Sarah learned a memory verse and I have it on a little video clip that I will post. I am so blessed to have you four children. I pray you will grow up always loving God and serving him. I love you.
Love,
Mommy

Crib Basketball!

Dear Joshua,
Tonight Daddy was getting you and Julia ready for bed while I was reading books to your big sisters. I heard a lot of laughing and it did not sound like you were going to bed. We went to find out why you all were laughing so much and decided to capture it on video... playing a new sport: crib basketball! It was so cute. You love balls. You are already an athlete at 22 months old. Daddy lowered the side of your crib so you could climb back in to get your balls. It is truly amazing how different God created boys and girls. Julia, your twin sister, was not interested in throwing the balls in the crib and would not try to climb in the crib. She loved watching you play it though. You are loved by your family. We are so thankful God gave us you!
Love,
Mommy

Happy Kindergarten Graduation!

Dear Sarah and Hannah,
I can't believe it is already the end of your school year. It seems like yesterday I was nervous to start homeschooling you in kindergarten. We have had so much fun this year! You both are such a joy to teach. It is amazing how much you have progressed. Now you both know how to read! I am thankful for Visions Charter School where you were able to take classes on Wed. mornings. You said your favorite classes were: Art, Science Lab, Reading & Puppetry and Spanish. Every week for P.E. Visions paid for your gymnastics. Today was your gymnastics performance and you both did an excellent job! Daddy spoke at your graduation. Here is a brief summary of what he said:

"Kindergarten means "children's garden." Children attend kindergarten to learn to communicate, play, and interact with others. You've learned a little bit about lots of different things: all the subjects, electives and field trips. As you grow up in first grade and beyond I want you to have fun trying lots of different things. God created everybody different. Honor God, and Honor your parents. Obey, help out around the house, practice good manners, be kind and become the person God made you to be. You've started in a children's garden. Grow up to be the special plant God wants you to be by Having Fun trying different things, remember that everybody's different and Honor God and your parents."

After daddy's commencement speech, each parent blessed thier children. Here is what we said about you.

Sarah: You are a protector. You help to protect and take care of your baby brother and sister. You are joyful. Ever since you were a baby, everyone loved you big, jolly laugh. You are intuitive. You ask a lot of questions that starts with, "why?" You are an excellent singer. We often hear you and Hannah singing your heart out making up songs in the back of the van while driving places. Sarah, you like to make things with your hands. You like to help daddy with tools, draw, etc. We love you Sarah and thank God for the gifts he has given you.

Hannah: You are a leader. You also like to help lead your baby brother and sister. At the grocery store, if one of them goes the wrong way, you will say their name and tell them to come back or lead them back. Among your friends you are a good leader too. Hannah you are a very thoughtful person. If mommy gives you a special treat you will want extra for your sisters and brother. You often think of others. You are also humorous. You like to say jokes at the dinner table. Hannah, we are proud of you for learning how to read this year. You are able to read almost anything now. We appreciate you reading stories to your little brother and sister too. We love you Hannah and thank God for the gifts he has given you.

Then during the graduation we asked you a couple questions.
Sarah, What do you want to be when you grow up? Sarah's answer: A cook.

Sarah, you are a good little cook helping mommy bake and prepare dinners in the kitchen. You recently said you want to open a "cupcake shop" and have ponies and horses for the kids to ride while waiting for their cupcakes. I know you will be successful in whatever you decide to do when you grow up.

Hannah, What do you want to be when you grow up? Hannah's answer: A gymnastics teacher.

Hannah, you are a great gymnast. It has been a joy to watch you excel at this sport during your kindergarten year. I know you will make an excellent gymanstics teacher if you choose to do that when you grow up. You are great with kids and great at Gymnastics!

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice- that's what Little Girls Are Made Of!

Dear Sweet Julia,
We made homemade scones for breakfast for the first time this week. You had a lot of fun helping your big sisters mix the batter. Afterwards, you climbed up on the kitchen chair, leaned on the counter to get the sugar. When I found you, your chubby little hand was in the sugar container and you were having the time of your life eating it! Sugar was everywhere. It was a mess but I was reminded of the poem- What Are Little Girls Made Of? Sugar and Spice and everything nice. You are a sweet girl and are completely different from your twin brother. Your favorite things are shoes, purses, lipstick, baby dolls and now sugar (although now I will be sure to put the sugar way up high in the cabinet and not leave it on the counter)! I love you sweet Julia. I can't believe you will be two years old in July. You are growing up fast and aren't my baby anymore- but my sweet toddler. You have a joyful, sweet, happy, fiesty personality. I thank God for blessing me with a sweet daughter like you.
Love,
Mommy

Saying GoodBye to Friends

Dearest Sarah, Hannah, Julia and Joshua,
Tonight you said goodbye to your best friends Emily and Abby Anderson because they are moving to New Mexico tomorrow. For the past year you have gotten really close because I babysat them every Monday and Friday. It is so cute watching you play (and sometimes fight) with your good friends. You will always have sweet memories to look back on of being 5 year olds and 1 year olds with Emily & Abby. Memories like, super girls, MOPS, playdates, playing in our backyard in the hammock at our Merribrook House and on the swingset at our new home, Oki park, swimming lessons at the YMCA, ballet when you were 4 years old, Joshua marrying "Babby" when he grows up, Emily wanting to change her last name to Snow, coloring, dress up, make up fashion shows, etc... the list can go on and on. Thank you for being such sweet children and sharing your toys. I am sad that our good friends are moving. It's hard to fathom because you are so little now that one day each of you will grow up and move away. I pray that you will put God first in all you do because friends will come and go but God is a constant best friend who will always be there for you to lean on and pray to. I love you. Always remember that Best Friends (like Emily and Abby Anderson) are truly a gift from God.
Love,
Mommy

Our Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day but Wonderful Evening

Dear Sweet Children, Our day Friday, May 7th started out bad when mommy went to the post office to mail Grammie's Mothers Day present and hit a parked suburban while trying to squeeze into a parking space. Luckily, nobody was with me and no one was hurt. Well, our van has a dent now... Then while I was trying to get everyone ready for Sarah & Hannah's Spring Choir Performance so many crazy things happened. I fed you all rigatoni and Hannah started crying because she did not like the "white dots" in it (cottage cheese). Joshua loved it so much that now he is covered head to toe with spaghetti sauce. While mommy is trying to clean Joshua up she made a mental note to herself not to get dressed first but last since my new brown skirt now had Joshua's little red handprint on it with spaghetti sauce and next time don't feed them spaghetti before a performance. While I stripped Joshua down to his diaper and was cleaning him up I hear Sarah crying very loudly in the bathroom. I quickly go to her and realize she has touched the curling iron I had plugged in to fix the girls hair pretty for their performance and realized she burned her hand pretty badly. So I told Sarah to put her hand under cold water while Hannah ran and got her an ice pack and I proceeded to fix her hair and still curl it. When it was Hannah's turn to get her hair fixed, Sarah sat down holding the ice pack. Next thing she says that blue is all over her dress. Sure enough, the ice pack leaked and her dress now has a huge blue stain on it. I took Sarah's dress off and didn't have time to wash it and dry it so I sprayed "Folex Carpet Cleaner" on the dress and wiped the stain right off! Folex is amazing! Maybe I'll start using that for stain remover instead hee hee! Daddy saved the day by coming home from work then and getting Joshua and Julia ready. Mommy made up a silly song about having a bad day but we were going to have a wonderful evening and all the kids laughed and laughed. Your cousin Michaela told me this quote when she was in 1st grade from her teacher and I try to remember it on crazy days: "When bad things happen, we can either laugh about it or cry about it and I choose to laugh". We made it to your choir performance on time and you did an amazing job. Sarah and Hannah you are both natural performers and God has given you both such a beautiful singing voice! Mommy is so proud of you!

Snails!

Dear Joshua, This poem below describes you perfectly! What are little boys made of? What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails And puppy-dogs' tails, That's what little boys are made of. You saw a baby snail outside and picked it up. Then you put it on a play dish and brought it in the house to show Daddy. We went back outside and you said, "bye bye baby snail" when you put it back on the grass. Your 3 sisters would NEVER pick up a snail. You are so special and we are thankful that God gave us you! Love, Mommy

Sarah and Hannah saying their memory verses

Dear Sarah and Hannah, You two are a joy to teach. Here is a little video of you both saying (actually singing) two Bible verses that you memorized. I love you. Love, Mommy

Reading Mr. Brown Can Moo by Dr. Seuss

Dear Hannah,

When we moved to our new home back in December, the tree in the front yard had no leaves. Now that it is spring, it is covered with green leaves but I never imagined it could be a fruit tree. Today you picked a fuzzy, green ball off the tree and asked what it was? After carefully looking at it, your daddy and I think it must be an apricot tree. We will have so much fun picking the apricots and making jam when they are ripe. Our backyard has an orange tree too! We are lucky to have *free* California fruit growing at our new home! I have had so much fun homeschooling you and Sarah in Kindergarten this year. I am so amazed at how well of a little reader you have become! I made a little video of you reading that I hope you will enjoy watching! :) I love you.

Love, Mommy

Love Shows Itself In Random Ways!

Dear Sarah,
Today was a busy day. I took you and Hannah to Gymnastics. Then before your choir practice I stopped at Wendy's and bought all 4 kids chicken nuggets. One of your chicken nuggets was shaped like a heart. You said, "Look, this is a heart and I am going to give it to Eli. He is who I'm going to marry and I love him." I told you that was so sweet. Then you said to Hannah that you changed your mind and was going to save your heart chicken nugget for somebody else. Hannah asked who and proceeded to name all your friends and your answer was no to all of them. Then you said that you wanted to give the heart to your Mommy because you love me and wanted to share your lunch with me since I didn't eat. You have such a sweet and giving heart. I love you sweet Sarah Grace.
Love,
Mommy

Worms, Worms and Yes... More Worms!

Dear Sarah, Hannah, Joshua and Julia,
Today, while I was in another room, I heard a blood shrieking scream. My heart jumped out of my chest while I thought to myself, who could that be? I was thoroughly surprised to find out it was Julia crying with a high pitched scream because she hardly ever cries and is such an easy, happy baby. Then, I hear Sarah shouting, "MOMMY JULIA HAS WORMS ALL OVER HER!" I thought, "Worms? What is she talking about?" I ran to the living room. Sure enough, Joshua was pouring the fish food titled, "Freeze Dried Blood Worms" all over her body. She was sitting on the couch and was covered from head to toe with this nasty fish food that looked like sand from our sandbox. I then picked her up and shook the worms off her and immediately told Joshua that was a No No and he was not to pour fish food on people. Next, all on his own, he went to his crying twin sister and gave her a huge hug and held her until she stopped whimpering. Last, we put the worms back in the container and vacuumed the rest up that was on the couch. Now, I am reminded of why I didn't want a pet while having 4 children ages 5 and under. But when Daddy's work was getting rid of their fish tank, we thought it would be the perfect Easter present this year for you to remember Jesus is Alive and rose from the grave just like the fish is alive. I love you sweet children.
Love,
Mommy
P.S. Today is the first day that Joshua and Julia have said their big sisters names more clearly. Hannah sounds like NaNa and Sarah is Rahrah.

Two Sets of Twins

My friend Amy, http://www.spergerswoman.blogspt.com/ came to my MOPS group today and inspired us all to start a blog. So here I am! I am a stay at home mom to two sets of twins. Yes, you heard me right 2 sets. Many people (especially strangers) tell me that, "I have my hands full". I like to think that "I am doubly blessed" which is why my blogspot is doubleblessingsx2@blogspot.com My first set of twins are girl/girl and are 5 1/2 years old. My second set are boy/girl and are 21 months! They are truly a blessing and gift from God. I plan on writing letters to my children with this blog. Hope you enjoy it!