Casey:  Gerwer Quads

Funny now, but not funny then, yes probably. Drawing a blank. At one point my kids realized that our chair upstairs spun around, kind of like the one they love to TRY to play on at the doctor’s office. They decided it would be funny to take turns spinning each other on it and then getting down and not being able to walk. They would laugh so hard they had hiccups. While my first reaction was “wait, let’s not do that, someone is going to puke or bang straight into a wall”, my second reaction was “it is pretty hilarious to watch though, let’s just see how this plays out”.

Gen:  McNulty Quads

LOL! Oh yes! Too many to tell. When the kiddos where little they were into everything and always giving me good stories to tell. Now that they are older the things that come out of their mouths keep us laughing all day long. I can’t think of anything too exciting right this second, but the blog is FILLED with funny moments.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Everyday seems like a blooper reel with our family.  You never know what’s going to come out of their mouths or what stunt they’ll pull next! Sometimes we have to laugh to keep from crying!

Recently, my second born Brooks was convinced I didn’t have “a bottom where stinky comes out” because he saw me getting ready in the morning with a long torso skin colored tank that covered my back side. He was genuinely concerned about my missing body part.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Ummm…the most recent “adventure” in the Steece household would be my darling daughter and her new nickname: “savi scissor-hands”. she apparently thinks that she is pretty good at cutting hair—-seeing as how i caught her giving herself and two of her brothers a new do (picture, a buzz cut to the scalp!). This story is a must-read for a good laugh. Go ahead—feel free to laugh at my expense. I am raising a little diva. God help me.

11. What piece of advice would you give that helped keep your marriage going in the right direction?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

MAKE TIME TOGETHER. Most people say, well we don’t have time to be romantic, to have a date night. FIND IT! Whether its 8pm on a Tuesday night and you just got the kids down, your covered in sweat and part of their entire menu for the day, you dust yourself off and make the most out of those 3 hours before you go to bed. Sure the laundry needs to be done but really, if the kid’s clothes get a little wrinkly sitting in the dryer for just one more night, nothing bad will happen. They already fight you on what they wear so what does it matter? Make dinner together. Sick of cooking? Heat up a pizza together. Eat it with OUT the TV on and open a bottle of wine. Fancy, right? Maybe not but just what y’all need. My husband and I struggled with making time for ourselves the first 18 months, thought we had a built in excuse and didn’t need to try. It’s actually the opposite. Because of the built in excuse of 4 kids that stress us to the max, we needed each other more than. We needed us to be the best us we could be. So even today, I may be tripping over toys to get to the kitchen and he may have a bruise on his head from banging his head against the wall at work, we make it happen. Left over pizza and the “wine of the week” at the grocery store, yes please!

Gen:  McNulty Quads

Never forget that before the kids, it was just the two of you. When they leave the nest… it’s just gonna be the two of you! Make time for each other, talk, laugh, play, and always put your marriage first, the rest will work itself out. Also, having a close group of friends, living a similar life, helps in more ways than I could ever explain.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Continue to date your husband.  Take and make opportunities to get away from the craziness of life. If you have an opportunity to get away together for more than 24 hours – go for it!  It will do wonders to refresh and renew your love and commitment for one another.

Continue to work at loving each other. Marriage takes hard work, which I didn’t realize before kids.  Focusing your energy on meeting someone else’s needs is difficult when your entire day has consisted of being needed. Find a quiet time in every day to reconnect and communicate. Don’t forget to verbally encourage one another and confirm your commitment to the marriage.

Pray together and have others pray specifically for your marriage!

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

I’ve said this before—it’s my number one piece of advice: go into your pregnancy with the mind-set that you are bringing your child/children into your firmly established family. Do NOT center your lives around your children. Focus on your marriage. Spend time together. Make sure that your kiddos see you and your husband making time for each other and loving each other. Get friends/family/babysitters to watch the kids AT LEAST once a month- just to get out of the house and be “just the 2 of us” again. It is so easy to get exhausted with the busy-ness of life that you lose track of each other…so; it’s something to really put at the top of your priority list. The absolute best gift you could ever give your children is to have a strong, loving, supporting marriage.

Quadathon Question and Answers 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 2:   Pieces of Advice

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 4: How To Calm the Storm Down

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 6 & 7: The Future of your Blog

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

8.   Have you thought about having more kids?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

If by thought you mean someone asked and it took me about .0078 seconds to respond with NOOOOOOOOOOO. Then yes, I have thought about it. After taking that insightful moment, the answer is a very firm No. My husband and I completely agree that we are beyond thrilled with what He has given us. I think its great people that can handle more than 4 kids, I just don’t think I’m one of those people. While I do actually mourn the fact that I will never get to have a singleton pregnancy and get to fall asleep with someone on my chest and bond like that, I am quite content with giving my everything to the fantastic four I have right now. And I wouldn’t want to mess with the even number of girls and boys in the house, I’m sure we will have many battles of the sexes here

Gen:  McNulty Quads

No. We won’t have any more biological children. But, if we ever meet a kiddo out in the world who needs our family, I can see us adopting.

Jennifer:  4tunate

The ever loaded question. =) Children are a blessing and we are so thankful for the four lives that God has given us! While the door certainly isn’t closed, our hearts (and hands) are full at the moment!

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

When the kids were 6 months old, Joe had a vasectomy. Definitely no more biological children for the Steeces but as we went through our long and painful journey of infertility, Joe and I had been open to the possibility of adoption. That is still something that is on our hearts and if the opportunity presents itself, we would not be opposed to the blessing of adoption.

9. Has it become more or less as tough as your children have grown older? Why?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

For me tougher on most levels. Though I do enjoy their ability to do things on their own that I ask (IE. go get your socks, put on your shirt, etc), I do not however enjoy their ability to do things that I don’t want them to do (IE. climb up and take stuff off counters, attempt putting an entire tube of toothpaste on their brushes and adjacent mirror, etc.). I will say the activities we do as a family is WAY more fun. The kids get so excited and into things. So cool to see!

Gen:  McNulty Quads

Every age presents a different challenge. Sometimes it’s seems so much harder and then other times, so much easier! The rough patches come and go in phases. However, I will say, life with 4 four year olds (nearly 5), is SO much easier than the early days.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Both!  =)  Certainly the work load has gotten easier from the “survival” days of feedings, diaper changing, and our “Beast” stroller.  However, it’s more mentally challenging and exhausting in several ways.  It’s a HUGE responsibility to parent four 4 year olds at the same time – knowing that they are learning so much through our example.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Hahaha. See question number 1

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 2:   Pieces of Advice

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 4: How To Calm the Storm Down

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 6 & 7:

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon Giveaway:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

6. If there was one thing you wish you knew at the beginning of blogging, what would it be?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

This answer isn’t going to be a nice answer, unfortunately. Beware of the haters! Some people out there are mean. And what is worse, they don’t like you, your parenting style, your writing style, even your new hair cut (I know, seriously) yet they keep reading your blog and comment negatively on it. I wish I would have known at the beginning that people did this, I may have braced myself better. But this is a very small population of people. I have met some of the NICEST people in the world from my blog!

Gen:  McNulty Quads

That people can be cruel and WILL be cruel. Blogging is great therapy but it also means if you aren’t private, you are vulnerable to criticism.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Blogging like everything else has DRAMA.  People have opinions that they are compelled to share.  Some of them are not seasoned with kindness and are judgmental, sometimes downright cruel.  As much as you try to shake things off, and try to focus on what is true and positive, words can still hurt.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Hmmm, that’s a tough question. Not sure if I have an answer for you.

7. What does the future look for you and your blog? Are you going to keep blogging?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

I would like to keep blogging but as the kiddos get older, we get into more activities, my business picks up, my house gets more and more neglected, it gets pushed to the bottom of the list. But I hope it slows down at some point and I’m able to put my heart, soul, complaining, praising, venting and mass amount of photos back into my blog on a regular basis.

Gen:  McNulty Quads

Good question. You know, I’m not sure. Our kiddos start Kindergarten this fall and I think I may stop then. We’ve had the blog for well over 5 years now. We are starting a new phase of life and I’m not sure how the blog fits into that.

Jennifer:  4tunate

That’s something I constantly keep re-evaluating. I enjoy it so much as an outlet and a memory keeper.  I also cherish the friendships forged along the way.  Blogging has allowed us to pursue some avenues I could not have imagined.  Regardless of when it ends, I have nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to share our story of our miracles.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

I will always keep blogging- again, it’s my journal and a great way for the grandparents to see their grandquads. Now, that’s not to say that i have definitely tossed around the idea of making it private at times…but i always come back to the fact that God can use our experience and our words to reach others who are going through a similar situation. When i was pregnant, finding these other quad blogs is a huge part of what got me through and gave me hope. To be able to pass that hope along to others is greater than any need for personal privacy.

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 2:   Pieces of Advice

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 4: How To Calm the Storm Down

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon Giveaway:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

5. Has your blog helped you relieve some of the stress that has come with raising 4 kids? If so how?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

Yes but not in the way you would think. I love having a blog, though I will admit, I haven’t been very on top of it lately. I love the fact that some days I will look at the calendar and think, what was I going through 2 years ago today and I can see and it makes me smile.  But the part that has helped me relieve stress is that it leads me to my best friends on the planet, fellow quad moms. The sisterhood that we share was instant and when I am having the most stressful days, I can turn to them and vent and they completely get it. In the hardest parenting times, I turn to them. I would have never met them if I didn’t have a blog. I owe my blog a lot!

Gen:  McNulty Quads

Absolutely!  I’ve made lifelong friends through our blog. I’ve vented my frustrations, fears, happy times, and everything in between. Most recently I poured my heart out about what having quads has done to my body, nearly 5 years later. The blog has been wonderful.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Absolutely!  It’s one of the main things that motivates me to keep it up!  Our readers are more like extended family who have encouraged us, prayed for us, and supported us through and through.  It helps knowing there are moms all over the world struggling with the same things day in and day out, perhaps not on the multiple level, but regardless MOTHERHOOD IS TOUGH! I have made some very close friendships through our blog.  It’s so comforting to know we have each other!

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Absolutely! My blog has always been my online personal journal. I write for myself and for my family—so we will have something to look back on one day. It also helps me to be able to laugh about the ridiculous situations (Sav cutting her and her brothers’ hair; locking my kids in the car; flat tires with crawling quads, etc). I love it when others can laugh right along with me. Also, if i have a question about something, i can ask my amazing bloggie buddies and will have tons of advice within hours. It is amazing. We have met some of our life long best friends (and quad parents) through blogging- which is truly a blessing from God. They are a main source of stress relief to me on a daily basis.

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 2:   Pieces of Advice

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 4: How To Calm the Storm Down

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon Giveaway:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

4. When it gets to be “crazy” in your house, what is the one thing you do to calm down?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

Hide…Just kidding… kind of. When it gets crazy I walk downstairs, walk in my room and sit on the edge of my bed and breathe for just a moment. The kids are safe upstairs and even a minute of almost silence is crucial for your sanity at those times. Mom’s need a time out too. Shoot, I wish someone would send me to my room and tell me not to come out till I was ready to be nice! Also, when the fighting has reached the point that even my dogs are crying, I turn on music. Any type of music. I turn on kids stuff, I turn on pop music. My kids can really rock out to some modern day pop music. That seems to calm them for a bit. At the point you need to calm down, just find what works for you and know it’s a tool that will be used more than once!

Gen:  McNulty Quads

I sit down with my kids and read a book. They LOVE to be read to and it’s one way I can get them to calm down and sit still. If I’m the one going crazy, sometimes I’ll lock myself in the bathroom and count to 50 while the kids bang on the door. Motherhood is so glamorous.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Pray! I don’t do it often enough, but it’s how I put things into perspective and focus on thankfulness.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Crazy? Our house? Nooooooo. Never.

Some days, the second Joe walks through that door- i throw him the peace sign and head out. He is an amazing father and such a great team player. We are in this together and we always make sure that we each get time outside of the house- especially when we get super stressed. One night, i might go out with my girls, and the next night he gets to go out with his boys. We take turns and it saves our sanity. I have also been known to lock myself in my room for a couple of minutes—just to gather my thoughts, pray, cool down, whatever.

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 2: Pieces of Advice

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon GIVEAWAY

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

3. What is one piece of financial advice (or a tip) you would give to parents that have twins or more?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

The obvious things come to mind… clip coupons, sell your baby stuff to resale, don’t get take out as much… but y’all already probably know those things. I would just really say know going into it that your financial situation WILL change. Even if you are still working and you make great money, kids take a BIG chunk out of your piggy bank, let alone multiple kids at one time.

I wish I could tell you “hey when all those babies come out, they also pull out a bag of money in there too for all your hard work”. As much as I wish it was true for money reasons and as part of why I gained 71 lbs while pregnant, it’s not. Should be though!

Gen:  McNulty Quads

Be a team. Be on the same page. Sit down once a week to talk about your budget, common goals, etc. It will not only help your bank account but your marriage as well.

Jennifer:  4tunate

Sales, coupons, buy used, etc! Its work to save money, but it’s an awesome financial contribution to your family! Also, it’s true that the best things in life are FREE! We love frequenting free events and activities in our area.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

When you are pregnant, sign up for AFLAC’s hospital indemnity plan AND intensive care plan. We received checks in the mail, just for my hospital bedrest, and for the quads’ NICU time. It helped out SOOOO much. One of my quad mom friends passed that information along to me when i was pregnant and it was pure gold.

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 2: Pieces of Advice

Question 4: How to Calm the Storm Down

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon Giveaway

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

GIVEAWAY:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

What  3 pieces of advice would you give to other mothers of multiples?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

1. Do everything you can to try to get some one on one time with your kids! While I dish out this advice, I struggle to always do it. It’s tough, there is one of you and a million of them (okay not that many but it feels like it). I carry a lot of guilt that I don’t get a lot of one on one time with my kiddos. But you have to try to find it. Take advantage when you can!

2. If you’re offered help, TAKE IT! I am not one to ask for help, never have been. I struggled big time letting go of some control when my kids were born but I was a better mama when I did have some help. I couldn’t do everything. We are super moms, yes, but we aren’t super human. You have to sleep and eat and the house doesn’t clean itself (grrrrr, that Jane Jetson, so jealous). Your family and friends love you and are offering help because they genuinely want to give it. Take them up on it, even if it’s just to sit next to sleeping babies so you can shower for 5 minutes.

3. Try to take judgment with a grain of salt. There are a lot of great people out there that say super nice things about your kids and how amazing you are. But unfortunately, there are people out there that aren’t that way. Some people are judgmental and pry and ask inappropriate questions. Don’t take it personally, nod and smile. Perhaps they are just jealous .

Gen:  McNulty Quads

1. Laugh, a lot. Don’t ever lose your sense of humor, it’s your best tool for survival!

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff, SERIOUSLY, not worth it.

3. What works for one of your babies may not work for the other(s). Always remember they are individuals. Make a point to spend one on one time with each child as often as you can- this gets MUCH easier as they get older.

4. Sorry, I know you said 3 but I have to add just one more. FRIENDS. Make friends with other moms in a similar situation. They will save your sanity and you will save theirs.

Jennifer:  4tunate

1. Quit Comparing – you can’t compare your multiples to another full-term singleton friend’s baby. It’s a whole different ballgame.
2. Be Confident – God gave you these babies for a reason – YOU are their mother and YOU know them better than anyone on the planet. Don’t for a second doubt your instincts and your abilities.
3. Cut Your Self Some Slack – Make that A LOT of slack.  While you might appear to be Supermom from the outside, you can’t do it all.  Be okay with admitting that you need help and be specific with your requests. Be willing to change your expectations for yourself as a mother.

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Well, for any parent really:

1. Focus on your marriage first and foremost…understand that you are bringing children into YOUR, already established family. Don’t center your lives around your children or you will wake up one day, 18 years later, when your kids have moved out of the house and look at your partner and say, “who are you? Have we met?” lol.

2. Find a support system of other women who are going through the same situation. I don’t know what i would do without my other quad mom best friends. We laugh together, cry together, vent together….we can completely relate to what each other are going through and it is so incredibly refreshing.

3. Laugh. When you want to cry and can’t think of anything that would make the day worse than it already is…find something to laugh about. Don’t take yourself or life so seriously. Sure we are all gonna mess up at times, we are human….but try to maintain a positive attitude, laugh at the ridiculous situations, and don’t sweat the small stuff!

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 1:   Toughest Year

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 4: How To Calm the Storm Down

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon Giveaway:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

A Decorative Pillow by Whistle and Wink

Go to the link and all you have to do is comment on the post to be entered into the drawing!

Whistle and Wink Website

GIVEAWAY:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

And here we go!  

From when your kids were born to now, what age was the most tough and why?

Casey:  Gerwer Quads

Now, FOR SURE now. 3. And the best (sarcasm) part is I’m only 2 months in to the wonderful 3′s. It’s physically exhausting but its more mentally and emotionally exhausting for sure! Tantrums, their new found love for saying no, having an opinion about everything (that is usually opposite of mine), the FIGHTING… Seriously, constant fighting. While I am proud that they got competitive drive from both their mom and dad, I don’t enjoy the quality at the moment.

Gen:  McNulty Quads

Oh boy. Well, the first year was a blur and so incredibly hard. Holy cow was it HARD. But, age 2-4 nearly killed me. My son, Russ, was a holy terror from age 2-3. The girls, Ally, Molly and Libby, were a drama filled nightmare from age 3-4. I know, I know, just wait for the teen years!

Jennifer:  4tunate

While each stage certainly presents its own challenges and difficulties, I think the sleep deprivation early days were some of the hardest.  Feeding four babies through the night left us very few hours for sleeping ourselves, and it took quite a toll on both of us. It’s only by the grace of God and through some amazing helpers along the way that we survived those first few months!

Suzanne: Steece’s Pieces

Hahaha, funny question—because at the moment, I would definitely say THIS AGE! (3.5yrs). the attitudes, the fighting, the temper tantrums…holy COW! lol. The beginning was very physically demanding with bottle feeds every 3 hrs. I can take the “busy work” with no sleep, you kinda just fight through it like a machine. But the hardest part about this age is how mentally challenging it is. The children are learning to be independent little people…very opinionated, independent little people and some days it just wears me out! but the conversations that you can now have with them are priceless. They make me laugh every day.

Quadathon Q&A 2011

Question 2:   Pieces of Advice

Question 3: Financial Advice

Question 4: How To Calm the Storm Down

Question 5: Is Your Blog A Stress Reliever

Question 8& 9: More Kids?

Question 10 & 11: Advice About Marriage

Quadathon Giveaway:

$50 Gift Certificate to Designed For Babies!

A Decorative Pillow by Whistle and Wink

Go to the link and all you have to do is comment on the post to be entered into the drawing!

Whistle and Wink Website

Click here if you missed the rest of our “Q&A with the Quad Moms” series or just keep scrolling down to catch up on it all.

We’ll write up a thank you to everyone involved in our Quadathon next week, when I catch my breath, but for now we want to especially thank Suz, Jen, Gen and Mari for their time, humor and inspiring words.

12. What’s the best thing about having quads?

• Suz Steece – jeez….do you have all day to sit and talk with me, b/c i could go on and on and on and on about this one! there is so much i could say here! number one, we are MORE than beyond blessed to just have ONE child period. we know what it is like to struggle with infertility and that aching desire to get pregnant with a healthy baby…so, what a blessing that God has entrusted us with four at one time–it is truly amazing and humbling.

  as my babies grow and develop, i am watching them interact more and laugh with each other–that just makes my heart melt into mush! what an incredible bond and friendship they will carry with each other for their entire lives! their best friends were formed right there with them in the womb and they have been together ever since! i cannot begin to imagine that type of bond and absolutely LOVE watching their closeness.
  
  other things i love about having quads: 4 smiling faces in the morning, 4 babies crawling all over me at once, slobbery wet kisses, 4 babies simultaneously laughing, watching my husband become this amazing father, watching joe play with the kids & making them laugh, having an instant family–”just add water”!

• Jen Murray – Knowing that I get to watch 4 MIRACLES grow up together….
  Watching them make each other laugh…
  Milestone Moments x4!….
  Seeing Brad as an AMAZING father….
  Saying Goodnight to 4 Little Sleeping Bodies….
  Watching them Be a Source of Joy for Others…
  Feeling Blessed Beyond Belief!
• Gen McNulty – Being able to sit back now, and watch them laugh and interact with each other. They really are hysterical to watch: One second they’re laughing, one second they’re screaming, and the next they’re kissing and making up.

• Mari Goerlich – There are lots of babies to go around – no one feels left out from getting some cuddle time. And oddly enough, I think it makes you a little more relaxed as a first time parent.

…INSPIRING is right.

• Suz Steece – hee hee, nice one Gen! we will definitely be using that one of these days! duct tape is my best friend! ha

  LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH! i believe in any situation you can find humor. sometimes when you are at your very lowest and don’t think you can go on, 1st pray, then LAUGH. find SOMETHING in the situation to laugh about. grab your camera, snap some shots–it might not be funny now, but give it an hour, day, week, month, year–and i’m sure you will be able to laugh about it eventually!

  you have to constantly make an effort to stay positive throughout everything–from the pregnancy to the NICU to the sleep-deprived nights to the temper tantrums–or you could easily lose your mind!

  make your husband a priority and really work on spending one-on-one time with him EVERY day–it can be something as little as sharing a cup of coffee before the morning feed…but you must really make the effort to keep your marriage strong. beg people to watch the kids for one hour so you can grab some food with your hubby! it is SO important!

  and last but definitely NOT least, i don’t know what i would do without God or my faith, friends and family who have helped us out TREMENDOUSLY throughout this roller coaster ride called: “life with quads”. Lean on those positive influences in your life and do NOT be too prideful to ask for- or accept help!

• Jen Murray – Be confident. You are the parent – you have God-given instincts – use them! Although people have great intentions when offering you their advise, you know your own baby better than anyone else in the world, so don’t be afraid to be bold about what’s best for him/her when it comes to sleep, food, schedules, etc.

• Gen McNulty – RELAX!!!!!!!!! CHILL OUT!!!! Don’t sweat the small stuff. Being a parent is hard enough. Don’t worry about the little things that you can’t control. You’re blessed just to be a parent – enjoy the ride.

• Mari Goerlich – Your children are teaching you more about yourself than you are teaching them – take time to reflect and learn all that you can.

One more tomorrow…