"Daddy can do it!"

I headed out last night to see Daniel's last baseball game of the season. It started at 7 so it was too late to bring the boys with me. As I was leaving the house I heard some screaming. Colin and Ciaran were both standing in the giant bay window hysterically crying and yelling "no, mommy, no leave!" You would think I was leaving them to be tortured. Good God, they were going nuts. Luckily, I called Frank and they settled down pretty quicly after I left. The last thing I saw was Frank scoop them both up and walk away with two screaming kids.

I was curious to see how the night would turn out. If I'm not home will they still say "mommy do it"? Or will it be forgotten because I am out of the equation? I am hoping it will be forgotten and it's only something they will do when I am home.

Well they all went to sleep for Frank. No, Mommy do it. Apparently, Daddy can do it! All was quiet on the homefront until 6:45am. That's a good thing in this house.

Here's a funny one for you. I was getting dressed to run the kids to the mall to the play area before dinner. I was talking to the boys and said "ok, Mommy's just going to throw on her jeans and we'll go." To that, Ciaran turns around and says "no, jeans, Mommy, no, jeans." I say "well I have to wear something" And he grabs a red and blue sundress I wearing on Sunday and says "Mommy, you wear a dress, not jeans!" Lord only knows what was going on in his head. But he didn't want me in jeans that's for sure!

We continue to make progess in our speech. Each day the boys just are talking more and more. Sometimes I have no clue what the heck they are saying but it gets clearer and clearer as each day passes. Cormac continues to progess beautifully. He's so funny now. He is so much more of a loner than his brothers. He loves to play with them but sometimes just needs to do his own thing. He is also starting to catch on he can blame another brother for his not so kind acts. This all started with Colin. No matter what happened Colin would say "ree ree did it". He was so quick to blame Ciaran. Now they just choose whatever name comes to mind and say he did it!

Some days I feel we are really moving ahead with the things I can do with them alone. I really do most things with them but certain things are just not possible. When it comes to their safety I will not risk it. Even if some people think I am over reacting. But I will not bring 3 two year olds to the pool by myself. I will not bring three two year olds to a park to play that does not have an eclosed area. Call me crazy but if they all went off in different directions I would be screwed.

This leads to my next topic. Are me children being deprived of things the average singleton baby does because they are triplets? Are they some day going to think they wish they were able to do these things. I am hoping they are too young to remember and it's just my mommy guilt. But I see so many moms walking around with two year olds. They just are out and about. No stroller. But how can I do this safely? They are getting so much better with understanding they need to stay with me but I am so afraid to take the chance. I think that is partly why they tend to run when they get out. They are just not used to freedom. Trust me, they get tons of freedom. I spend my time making sure I take them places where they can run free with just me. I have found some great spots. Brookdale Park is awesome. Their toddler play area is completly enclosed and the boys love it. I can actually sit down and watch them play. The play area at the mall is another great spot. I was just old about another park in Caldwell I am going to check out. I try to make their lives as normal as possible. They go everywhere with me. We have graduated to walking from the car to the carts at the grocery store or Target. We have done the zoo with no stroller when Frank was with us. I think it will just take some practice and of course, as they get older they will understand more.

So, even though we didn't make the pool much this summer I am trying not to feel to guilty. We did make the beach quite a bit. Next summer will be an entirely different experience. I think the pool and beach will be fine all by myself.

I spent the past hour researching places to take them once the summer ends and we need indoor activities. It's looking like library story time, music class and some sports class!

"Mommy Do it"

Ok, so this is a popular statement in our house lately especially over the last few days. Ciaran is really the one who says it the most but it is spilling over to the other two. The problem??? Well, they WONT let "Daddy do it" if the want "Mommy do it". That means, put their blanket on them at night, get them their milk, feed them their food, change their diapers or pick the up out of their cribs. The list is endless. You get the idea. It's all Mommy all the time. They actually say to Frank "No, Daddy. Mommy do it". If he tries they freak out and until I can do it. Now, of course, this is going to hurt Frank's feelings. He gets frustrated when they won't let him help them. I get frustrated becasue I WANT FRANK TO HELP THEM! I need a frigin' break sometimes!

I am not sure how this started or how to end it. I guess I should just let Frank do whatever it is they want me to do and we do that alot. (Esp when it comes to changing diapers.) They usually settle down after a minute or so. But I guess this comes with the territory of being a stay at home mom. I do everything. We don't really ever leave them with a sitter other than my mom or Maggie. And that's even rare.

Let me say, it's mostly Ciaran. Cormac RARELY does this and Colin only occaisonally.

Our weekend was exciting. I took the boys to Maggie's on Friday. We played in the baby pool and hung out. We went to the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant and met up with my cousins and their kids. It was the most beautiful night. The boys got pinwheels and loved them.





I went to bed about 12:30am and my lil' Cormac woke up at 1:00am and decided to stay up until 4am. This is SOOOOO unusual for him or for any of them for that matter. I guess he got some quality alone time with Mommy. Finally I went to sleep about 4:30 and Ciaran was awake by 6:30am. I think that means I slept 2 hours.

We headed home and went to Richie's surprise 60th birthday party. Lots of fun. The boys ran wild in the yard from 5 until 8:00. I was thinking I would get a really good nights sleep and catch up from the night before. Not so much. Frank got called into work at 12:30am. It woke my up and I couldn't fall back to sleep for a while. I finally did and a thunderstorm started. The thunder was so loud it woke me and of course, Ciaran. I got him settled back down but he woke up again later on. Needless, to say I slept about 4 hours in two days. But I forge ahead. No rest for the weary. Today it was up at 5am for Ciaran. Not sure why he got up so early. Cormac and COlin slept until 7:30.

Off to the park today to run. We also went to the playground. Again, my attempt to tire their little butts out.

But the HIGHLIGHT of the weekend????

The still unfinished basement has all the electrical work complete! High hats are all working, outlets are all working and switches are installed!!! I LOVE LIGHT!!! Now, it's on to the plumber. One step closer. I am starting to think it might actually be ready by the winter. Wait, did I just say that??? I don't want to jinx myself. I have told Frank if it's not ready by winter I might kill him....suddenly he is working extra hard!

What's worse than tripets getting a hold of glitter??

Triplets getting a hold of glitter and THEN spilling bubbles all over. While I wasn't too thrilled with the glitter it was partly my fault. I left them alone in their room for a second to get something. I didn't know they could open the container with the craft things in it. I do now! When I left the room to get the vacuum to clean up the glitter Cormac managed to open a bottle of bubbles. He unscrewed the cap and it was new so there was a seal on it. He opened the seal too! All in a few seconds. Anyway, once they spilt the bubbles it was just hilarious because they couldn't stand on the hardwood floors. They were laughing hysterically. And what did I do? Freak out and start yelling? No, I grabbed the camera and took a video of the chaos. I did tell them they weren't allowed to do it again but look how much fun they were having....



I will be finding glitter I am sure for the next 2 years! That stuff never goes away. It is stuck all over their bodies. No matter how much you vacuum it will never go away!

Cormac had therapy today. I took a few videos. I really need to start documenting his progress better. I can never go back. It's mostly of him being able differentiate the differences in words. (goat, boat, coat) We have to make sure he is listening to the entire word and not just the vowel in the middle. Of course, lil' Mr. Smarty Pants, got them all right! Check out the faces he makes. He is such a buster! There are three short videos.

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY CORMAC WAS ACTIVATED!!!!

(This is a long post. Make sure to scroll down for the videos)

A year ago today, Cormac heard my voice for the first time. A year ago today Cormac heard me say "I Love you" for the first time. A year ago today, Cormac heard Frank for the first time. A year ago today, Cormac heard his brothers giggle and laugh for the first time. A year ago today, Cormac heard his name for the first time. Basically, a year ago today our lives changed for the better... forever....

Cormac has heard and done so many things in this past year. I know they say the first year of life is where they have the most changes and the most "firsts". Babies roll over, the walk (well mine did), they eat food, they smile, the laugh. I could go on and on. But for Cormac, things were different in some ways. Well, he rolled over at 4 months (front to back and back to front!), he smiled from the day he was born. He has always been a great eater and continues to be. His laugh comes from so far in his belly. Just hearing it can make anyone smile.

He didn't, however, know how anything around him sounded. He never heard me whispering in his ear as I held him and told him everything would be alright. He never heard us say good night or I love you. He never heard a bird, a fire truck, an airplane. You get the idea. He heard nothing. He also didn't say anything. He could sign a ton by the time he was one but he didnt say any words.

In this past year we have spent countless hours practicing his listening skills. Twice a week for an hour Joan, his teacher of the deaf, comes to the house. Once a week I bring him to Summit Speech School for a group class for 2 hours. Every moment of every day is dedicated to enriching his life with listening opportunites. I mean, I talk and describe everything around me. I don't just make breakfast, I say "we are having eggs. Eggs are white. Mommy is going to crack the eggs. Crack Crack. Stir the eggs. Stir STir. Mommy will pour the eggs in to the pan. The eggs are cooking." I do this for EVERYTHING I do with the kids all day long. It never changes. When we are grocery shopping I hold up everything I put in the cart. "this is a red pepper" "peppers are smoooth" and then let them feel the peppers.

Yes, it can be exhausting and daunting at times. Yes, people probably think I am insane. Yes, there are times I just don't feel like doing it. But what is the payoff for all this? Cormac speaks. Cormac hears. Cormac listens (different from hearing!). On day to day basis I don't think there are many words I say he DOESN"T understand. If he doesn't understand you can tell in a heartbeat and I take that opportunity to explain it to him.

NOw of course, Ciaran and Colin get the same treatment so they all have wonderful vocabularies. Cormac talks all day long. I have lost track of the number of words he can say. It seems to me to be endless. He tells me "love you" before betime. He says "goodnight, mommy or daddy or Ciaran or Colin". He has the softest sweetest voice I have ever heard. He also has the ability to scream so loud it feels like your ears are bleeding. This is not when he is upset. It is funny to him. I have tried to make a deal that he only uses that scream when he is outside!

Cormac knows so much. His numbers, his letters and the sounds they make, his colors, animals and their noises. He signs the entire alphabet. He also knows many more signs but he is dropping them more and more because he doesn't need them. His speech is understood by others which is huge. Moms always understand their kids. The true test is if others understand them.

Fast forward one year from last year and things are so different. Just this morning it was thundering outside and he said " thunder angels bowling" and pointed out the window. Today he told me he wanted to watch "doggie DVD"(100 and 1 Dalmations).

I am so grateful for Advanced Bionics for the technology they developed. I can never thank them enough for allowing Cormac to be enrolled in their study. He was so fortunate to be able to have both ears done at the same time. Most children do not have this opportunity. I am so thankful to Dr. Anil Lalwani who performed his surgery. I can't say enough about NYU Cochlear Impalant Center and their staff especially Valerie and Rose.

Summit Speech School has been such a tremendous support to our family. Each week is priceless for both Cormac and myself. And Joan, Cormac's teacher of the deaf, well I can't say enough about her. Cormac loves her. I don't know what we are going to do when he turns three and we will no longer see her three days a week. She is a constant help and always full of wonderful ideas. She answers so many questions. She teaches Frank and I how we can best help Cormac. But most of all, she really cares about Cormac. She knows him so well and how to get the most from him.

We ended the day with a little celebration. We will do this each year to remember such an important day in our lives. And it's another excuse for cake! I made a cake. Not my best work but I was short on time. It's the thought that counts, right?

Here's a little slideshow. It is Frank and the boys eating cake. There are a few video clips also. You will hear Cormac talk. Of course, when in front of the camera he doesn't do his best work but I still think it's pretty darn impressive!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I have tried to no avail to upload the video of the first time he was activated. I cannot get it to upload. The video is long and I don't know where I can upload a video over 10 minutes to post in the blog. It was taken on a camcorder and downloaded to the computer but from there I am stuck!

I do have a clip from my camera I took. It's not as good as the entire video but you will get the idea.



Cormac continues to be an inspiration to me. He is only two and has done so much already. I count my blessings every day. I can't believe how lucky I am. I get to be the parent to a child who inspires me.

Did I ever think I would have a child with a disability? Nope. Was I prepared for it? Nope. Would I change it? Nope. You take on each challenge as it comes along. You educate yourself and try your hardest to be the best you can be.

I also never thought I would have triplets and wasn't prepared for that either! But I know I was made for this job. I have lived every day always knowing I wanted to be a Mom and boy, did I hit the jackpot!

CANNED CHICKEN (It's so hard to title these posts!)

I totally forgot to post this yesterday. On our drive home from the beach I hooked up our new portable DVD player in the car. It is only the second time we have ever used it. I don't want to start the habit of watching DVD's in the car. They barely watch TV at home, no need for the car. Anyway, we were pretty close to home and they were watch a Sesame Street DVD. I realize I hear Cormac saying something over an over again. When I finally paid attention he was saying "Mommy, ears, Mommy ears". His magnets had come off in the car and he was trying so hard by himself to put them back. He is just not able to do it yet. I have trouble sometimes finding the correct spot. He was so upset and frustrated. I started getting upset because this is really the first time he has ever gotten upset and asked for them to be put back on. What did I do? I pulled over on 280w and happily put them back on. I heard not another peep the rest of the way home (except Elmo and Big Bird)!

Ok, I think I have mentioned that Frank is finishing our basement. It was supposed to be done by last winter. That didn't work out. Tonight we have LIGHTS!!!! Yep, the overhead lighting is working. He did a wonderful job even though it took him forever. There is still much to do but man, seeing lights is real progress. Next step, heat!

On to today's title. We went to Costco and they were giving out samples of canned chicken (like Tuna) on crackers. It was mixed with mayo. I never thought in a million years the kids would eat it. I figure why not try at least. DOn't you know they frigin' loved it??? Ciaran who is the pickiest couldn't get enough. I wound up buy it and figure i will probably regret it in the long run because they will change their minds. This would be life changing for me. Lunch of just crackers and chicken salad??? It's portable. It's simple. It's not too messy. Could it really be??

I put the to the test and gave it to them for lunch on whole wheat crackers. WOOOHOOOO!!! They ate it. Of course, this could all change in an instant but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hate mayo and would never think to serve it to them but I guess they like it. I think I will try tuna next. Keep you fingers crossed.

Man, the things that excite me lately are pretty lame. I swear, I am not that boring but being home all day with three two year olds can make you appreciate the little things!

It's off to school for Cormac tomorrow. My mom's will be sitting so I am hoping Cormac has a better day than last week. I think his brothers being at school really through them off.

Oh, I nearly forgot. On Mother's Day this year I took part in a Mother's Day Photo Shoot. THe photographer donated his time and all you did was make a donation to Susan Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer. I was so psyched to be part of the shoot because it is limited to the amount of people. I am sure I posted what a disaster it was that day. Colin puked all over himself in the parking lot of the studio. I had to clean him up and make him look half presentable. They all got freaked out when I tried to take them into the studio. It was dark and small. THey refused to go inside. They really were not acting like themselves that day. Wound up all three had the stomach flu that eventually passed thru our entire family. It was NOT A 24 HOUR BUG. It lasted for days and the adults that had it couldn't even function so I cannot imagine how the boys felt.

All that to say, the photographer finally loaded the pictures for viewing. He has been sick and in the hospital. He eventually took some shots outside on the street because it was our only choice. I have the option of purchasing prints. If you had to choose which would you buy??? Please leave your opinions in the comments.

Click here to view the photos.

We headed down to Maggie's on Friday morning. She was working so me and the boys met up with Uncle Bill and Aunt Lee on the beach. It was a beautiful beach day. The boys had so much fun walking along the beach and finding different shells and creatures in water. None of the them were too into the ocean at first even though they have been there before. By the end of the day Colin was dumping buckets of ocean water over his head, Cormac was going in and letting the water rush up onto him. Ciaran never really went in. He would only get his feet wet. They are fascinated with seagulls. They can't seem to understand the more they chase them the more the seagulls will fly away!

We went to Strollo's for ice cream.

Cormac


Colin was a little messy


We stayed over and had a blast on Saturday. Frank wasn't with us because he was home working on the basement. You know, the basement we have been finishing forever. It was supposed to be done by last winter but he swears it will be ready this winter. I am not so sure yet...

Maggie got a baby pool for the back yard and they loved it. Even Raven enjoyed the pool. She really just wanted to take the toys out and play with them but she kept climbing in and out. We wound up not coming home until Saturday night at bed time.

Ciaran

Colin Ciaran and Raven

Colin

Cormac



Sunday we had a Christening. I got ready while the boys napped. Probably for the first time in a long time I actually blew my hair dry and fixed it. When I went to take Ciaran out of his crib he said "Mommy, comb your hair" and he wouldn't come near me. He kept repeating it. Finally, I pulled my hair back in a pony and he said "Ok, Mommy, you combed hair. Is that hilarious?? He is so used to seeing me with my hair pulled back he didn't even want to come near me! Strange little boy.

Each night when I put the boys to bed I always sing a little song. VEry simple but I don't know how to give you all the tune so you will understand. But the words are: Good night Cormac, Good night Colin, Goodnight Ciaran, It's time to go to sleep. We put in different names. (Mommy, Daddy, Duke, Duchess, Jerry (as in Jerry Garcia), Freddy (our new fish). Well, last night for the first time I put Cormac in his crib and he started singing on his own! He sang "goodnight, Colin!" I actually started to cry. He was dancing side to side singing the goodnight song.

It will be one year on July 23rd Cormac has been hearing. I hope to upload a bunch of new videos to show his progress. I, of course, need to take some new videos because every day his speech just improves and gets clearer. I really can understand everything he says at this point. Just amazing!

My Lil' Tees

Most of you know I have started a children's clothing company, myliltees.com, with Nadine. It has been a long process and so far we haven't done too much marketing. Our goal is to have it sold in boutiques across the country. For now, we would settle for New Jersey and New York!

I spent some time today going out to boutiques in the area. Well, don't you know, on my FIRST day of marketing to boutiques we have a boutique who wants to sell our shirts? I am so excited and thrilled.

I was a little nervous about meeting with the stores. I don't have any experience with direct sales. But as Nadine put it, "you believe in the product so you can sell it". That coming from a very talented sales person!

I am hoping this is the beginning of a wonderful journey. Nadine and I have wanted nothing else since we became friends then to start a business together. Our personalities are quite different but I think that is why we make a great team.

I plan to head out once a week to new boutiques. If you are reading this and you know anyone who would be interested in wholesaling our clothing. Please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to take some of the pressure off of Frank. He is such a great provider for our whole family and works hard and long hours for me to be home with the boys. Wouldn't it be nice to such a comfort to him to know I can help. Not that he wants me to but he is rooting for our business to be a smashing success.

Now for the three amigos. They were crazy as usual today. Cormac had therapy with Joan. She did something I never saw her to before and it was great to see. She had cards with rhyming words and put them out. She would say one of the words and Cormac had to choose the correct picture. Obviously, he is too young to know rhyming words she wanted to make sure he was listening to entire words and not just the vowel sounds (like he used to). For example, Moose and Goose. He did really well with all of them. I think he got stumped on Cat and Hat. Not that he doesn't know the difference between the two but that he has to pay attention to the "c" or "H" sound. I was mighty impressed with how well he did. I would never have thought to do an exercise like that. That's why I love Joan. She just knows what to do and has wonderful ideas.

Colin seemed to recover from whatever the hell was wrong with him yesteday and didn't have any freak outs. Thank God, it was just a day and not the beginning of a new trend. That I don't know if I could deal with on a daily basis.

Ciaran, well, he's just Ciaran. He is quite the little monkey and told me he "has the runs". And he wasn't kidding.
RIght now as I type this Colin is walking around in a yellow fireman jacket and to go with it??? My brown patent leather heals. Quite the look if I might say.

Speaking of the fireman jackets, my mom picked them up for the boys. They are so adorable and just loved them. Here's a pic of them wearing them. Mind you, it was almost 100 degrees today and we did have our central air on but let me tell you, they were sweating under those things. Colin wanted to sleep in his but I had to tell him no.


Here they are: I know they are my kids but are they cute or what???

BabySitterless...

Well today was quite the day. At least the first half. I had no sitter in the morning and was forced to take Ciaran and Colin with me to school with COrmac. They were very excited about the idea. But once we got there, not so much. Cormac, who never cries when I leave him in group, get hysterical. I guess because he saw me leaving with the other two.

Ciaran just kept repeating "cormac crying". I felt bad for all of them. We stayed with the parents for about 20 minutes but that was about their limit. There were a lot of parents today and I wish I could have stayed for the meeting. The search is on for a sitter for Wednesdays for 4 hours.(any takers???) Grandpa went to Florida for a couple of months and he is out sitter.

Colin melted down when we went back into group and saw Cormac. He wanted some yellow school bus and wouldn't stop crying until Miriam got it for him. I am sure Summit will be glad if they don't return! I was in a jam and hate for Cormac to miss his class. He loves going. The whole way there he names all the kids in his class. This week he was partial to Emer and kept saying "Emer school".

I come home soooo ready to plop the boys in their cribs for nap. But, of course, I walk into a disaster from Duke and Duchess. I can't even walk into the kitchen because the garbage is everywhere. I swear, some days I don't know why we have these stinkin' dogs. They really don't listen to anything. I can't walk them on a leash because they are too wild. They eat garbage and dirty diapers any chance they get. Three toddlers are less destructive than those two. But, we did have them first. My next dog is going to be little!

Now I can predict Frank will be working late because any day I REALLY would like him home, he has to work late.

The rest of the day was OK. We went to feed the ducks at the park. We saw a ton of fish swimming in the lake and they even at some of the crackers for the ducks. This was just pure heaven for the boys. I jogged a couple miles with the boys in the stroller.

Cormac's one year evaluation and BON JOVI!

I went to see Bon Jovi last night at the Garden. It was so much fun. I have always been a fan of Bon Jovi but I'm not some uber fan. Well, I think I am now! His show was amazing and I forgot how many songs you just love by them. I think I knew almost every word to every song. Frank was kind enough to go with me. Those who know Frank are probably getting a chuckle out of this because they can't imagine him going to see Bon Jovi, but hey, Jerry Garcia is dead so that party is over! He actually said he enjoyed it. Thought they did a great live show. We stayed out late and I had probably a beer to many.....

I officially taught my first class for Stroller Strides today. (Note to self: don't drink and go to Bon Jovi the night before you teach exercise class!) I really enjoy it and love getting together with all the moms and you get the benefit of exercise and if your kids act up it doesn't matter.

On to the important stuff. Cormac had his one year post activation evaluation with the audiologist yesterday. He still has to have his speech eval because we can't do it all in one day. The audiologist works on his receptive language (what he understands). Cormac did not disappoint. He did 100% on all the tests he was given which means he understands all that was said to him. He was also asked to repeat many words while he was in the booth. The audiologist is talking to him over a speaker. He repeated every word she said! All his hard work is paying off! Now, the ladies at NYU Cochlear Implant Center just love Cormac. There is a never ending line of women who come by just to say Hello to him.

We did get some sad news. Valerie, Cormac's audiologist is leaving NYU. We will miss her terribly and wish her all the best. We will be switched to a new audiologist for our next appt. It wasn't too hard since the ladies were lining up for him!

I am excited to see how he does with his testing for his speech evaluation. He is really talking now. Funny, it seems sometimes his thoughts come faster than he can say it and it will sound like gibberish. But it's because he is trying to use many words together. It's all a process. When he only said one word we really understood him. When he decided to use two words he talked gibberish for a few weeks and then he spoke two words beautifully. Now he has decided to use 3,4,5 or who knows how many words. I usually understand him unless he is really excited. If you ask him to repeat it he will usually slow down and speak clearly. He is only two!

Today I was making a salad and cutting apples to put in it. I was snacking on some apple and he says "mommy's eating red apple". and "mommy's eating lettuce".


Check out the boys with my mom and Frank on this Old School Merry go Round!

Another miracle!

I guess all the praying I asked for last night paid off! My Dad came over today to watch the boys during Cormac's therapy and have some lunch. He finishes his sandwich and asks where I was when I lost the magnet. He leaves and is back in less than ten minutes WITH THE FRIGIN' MAGNET! I swear it's a miracle. I searched twice with the boys and went back again last night without the boys and couldn't find it. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes?? Who knows but I am so stinkin' happy!

For those that don't know what the magnet looks like check out the picture below. It is smaller than a quarter. The coil attached to it was not lost. Somehow, the magnet detached from the coil too. That's Cormac feeding a sheep.



Our plan is to buy a fish this afternoon. Not sure if I will come to regret this decision but I thought it would be fun. We shall see....

What's for dinner?

I have to come up with something to eat for dinner 7 nights a week. It is a task i cannot stand. I don't mind cooking, even enjoy it, but having to think of what to eat drives my insane.

I thought I would take the opportunity to see what others are eating for dinner. If you are reading this I want you to post in the comments what you had or will have for dinner tonight. Post the recipe along with it if you like.

I would love some new ideas.

I'll start.

We had penne and meatballs with gravy homemade by me! I also made the meatballs.

On a different subject all together can you please say a prayer to whoever it is you pray to when you lose something? I have lost one of Cormac's magnets. Luckily, we have a back up so he still has two but it is driving me insane. We were out for a walk when we lost it so the chances of finding it are pretty slim. I retraced my steps 4 times now and it is nowhere to be seen. Those little magnets are pretty pricey to replace and I hate not have a spare.

This is the first one that I officially lost. I spend my entire day keeping track of them and making sure we don't lose them. I guess it's not too bad. Frank says he shocked we haven't lost one already. It is driving me nuts!

How can I decide?

Each Wednesday I take Cormac to Summit Speech School and each Wednesday when I leave I start to doubt my abilities as a parent. It has nothing to do with Cormac. He is doing exceptionally well. It has to do with his future. Several other parents are now going thru the IEP process. FOr those unfamiliar, it is an Individual Education Plan. Basically, it determines where Cormac should go to school and which services he is entitled. Therea is no reason why Cormac won't be in mainstream school with his brothers

I feel like I have no idea what should be in this plan. Who am I to determine what services he needs? The local school district is going to want to do the least amount as possible due to costs. I want Cormac to attend mainstream preschool with his brothers. But am I being selfish? Should I try and get him in Summit for a year to ensure he is ready by Kindergarten?? I honestly feel he will do fine in mainstream but again, who am I? I am not a teacher of the deaf or a speech language pathologist. I am terrified of making the wrong choice. He is not delayed cognitively or in any way. He just can't hear without his implants. And he didn't start hearing until he was 14 months old so he is playing catch up.

I don't feel overwhelmed often. Most days I am not even close to it. But some days are really hard. Not because of the boys themselves but having to make decisions that will effect them for the rest of their lives. The decisions about Cormac weigh on my mind. They keep me up at night. I worry constantly about our choices and the impact they will have on the rest of his life.

Cormac is an amazing child. I know so far, the decisions made are the correct decisions. The hardest decision was to implant him. And to me that was a no brainer. Why would I not implant him? Why would I not offer him the opportunity to hear? Many disagree with implantation but they have the right to their own opinion.

I remember holding Cormac as a little tiny baby once we found out he was deaf. I can remember telling him even though he couldn't hear my I would take care of him always and try and do my best for him. I think I really am achieving this goal but sometimes I have a ton of self doubt.

I have never once said "why did this happen to Cormac". It is what it is and he is who he is. I know as Cormac grows I will come to realize the reason he was born deaf and so will he.

I just want him to be a kid and enjoy his toddlerhood. I feel bad for him sometimes because it seems he is constantly in a state of being taught. Every experience in our lives turns into a "hearing or speaking" opportunity. It is just our way of life now. It is how I talk to him (and Ciaran and Colin) constantly. I am sure it's not harming them and hopefully they will all have amazing vocabularies but I think every once in a while he should just enjoy the moment without having to say something and ask him to say it better.

Yep, most days are just brilliant but these thoughts are never out of my head.

Pictures from Vermont

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

Ahhh.... the simple life

Life in Vermont is good! No hustle and bustle. Just beautiful green mountains, fresh air, lakes, farms. Sometimes I wonder why I live where I do but it's what keeps most people where they are: Family. I couldn't leave mine if I tried. I wish I could get everyone to transplant to another location. I would make them sign a contract stating they would follow within a year! Wouldn't it be nice? New Jersey is great, don't get me wrong, but it is so conjested. The taxes are out of control along with the house prices and don't get me started on our car insurance rates! I think I could give it all up and become a country girl! Ok, maybe a country girl close to a city!

It was great to spend the whole weekend with my sisters. All the kids had a blast. Aunt Lee and Uncle Bill were great as usual. I am sure they need to get some sleep after this lil' vacation! 8 kids running around for a few days can wear anyone out! The boys play wild together ( 5 of them, Michael will be old enough next year to contribute to the craziness). The girls are quiet most of the time.

We went to a parade on the 4th of July. We went to a farm. We relaxed on the deck. We drank some beers (well, at least the adults did, don't call DYFUS on me yet!). The boys did really well. The first night Ciaran woke up super early but it was my fault so I can't blame the kid. They took their naps and slept all night the next two nights. I think they are getting too big for Pack and Plays. They are tented into them because they can all get out. Ciaran learned to unzip his and he freed his brothers the first night! All of a sudden all three came running into the living room. I nearly fainted! I couldn't believe they all escaped. With a little work we kept them contained and they slep like champs.

All of the kids got some type of injury.(nothing serious) but Devon claims she is the only "survivor" who didn't get injured. Daniel got scratched by Ciaran under his eye while playing. Cormac hit his head on a cooler and got a black and blue. Ciaran tripped and hit his mouth on the bed frame and got a fat lip, Colin hit his nose on the same bed frame and got all scratched up. Cormac clocked Christopher in the mouth with a Doodlepro(accidently). But from what I am learning this is all normal for boys! Michael is teetering around so he just bumps into everything and keeps getting boo boos!

I took something like 350 pictures over the weekend. (yep, you read that correctly!) No, I will not bore you with all of them but I will upload a bunch into a slide show for you all to enjoy!

Ok, pics will have to wait until tomorrow. Not enough hours in the day!

Vermont...Here we come

We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for Vermont. It should be a fun trip. Both my sisters and all the kids are also coming. That's 8 kids with the oldest being 9. Needless to say we are also bringing along alot of beer! This is our annual trip to Vermont for 4th of July. We are lucky to have Uncle Bill and Lee invite the whole crew up to their vacation house in Killington. (well, I am not sure they have invited us in years but we all just keep coming back!)

It will be nice to have a few days of nothing. I thought we were going to leave earlier but it didn't work out that way. Instead, we went to Maggie's yesterday to see Aunt Juanita and the beautiful Miss Corinne (or Baby Rinne as the boys like to call her)

Some of Maggie's relatives were over from Ireland and we went to visit them. They brought them over the cutest Irish Soccer outfits I have ever seen. We got them on Saturday so the were able to wear them yesterday. The only problem??? The shorts are white. Yep, white. And yesterday they decided playing the dirt piles was there favorite past time. NEedless to say, after dirt piles and ice cream they were no longer white. But I was able to bring them back to their clean state with a little work!

I took the boys for haircuts today. This is the first time Ciaran and Colin got haircuts without a complete meltdown. I was shocked and so happy especially since I was by myself. They look so cute. Poor Cormac, he wanted a haircut but doesn't need one so we pretended to cut his so he didn't feel left out.

Here are some pics from yesterday at Maggie's house.

This is the three in the morning at our house. I tried to get a pic of all three (i should have gotten out the doritos!)



That's Cormac being silly!


Corinne in her bikini! How stinkin' cute is she???


Colin after the dirt pile. HE actually ate it!


Those are sprinkles on Cormac's face from his ice cream. Neatness is not his specialty!


Ok, I am off to start packing for our trip. Lord knows how much CRAP we will bring with us

Have a happp and safe 4t of July!