Half-Time Entertainment

This fall Drew started what will probably be his first of many seasons of basketball (and hopefully not hockey). During the "season" they basically just started to learn some skills and then were invited to show off their dribbling at the high school's first home game during half-time. Check him out.

Finger Lickin Good

Or actually finger sucking good. Ryan doesn't suck his thumb, he sucks his two fingers. Here is what he looks like when he does it. And on a side note, this was taken on his 3 month brithday. Click here.

The Baptism that Almost Never Was.

Ryan's baptism was scheduled for the Saturday night mass on Nov. 13. The day before the forecast called for a big snowstorm, so we warned my family to check the weather before they hit the road. Sure enough, as predicted we woke up Saturday morning to a winter wonderland that included about 7 inches of snow. So we told my parents not to come, then tried to get ahold of the church, but didn't have much luck. Finally in the early afternoon the priest called us back and offered to move it to Sunday morning. Craig and I went back and forth about what our best option was and looking back now we are glad to took the Sunday morning option as every weekend since then we've had bad weather. And all the food I bought didn't go to waste!

How do I get out outta here?

I feel like a Chilean Miner. About a month ago we noticed that Ryan got REALLY fussy at night. I did a little research and narrowed it down to what I thought was Acid Reflux. So when we went in for Ryan's 2 month check, I explained to his Doctor what was going on, he agreed and we put a plan of action into place to treat the Acid Reflux. The Dr. suggested we come back a week later to see how things were going. At the one week check we hadn't really seen any improvment so we said let's check back in one more week. During the next week I narrowed down the problem, it was the formula that was bothering him. So I of course told the Dr my hypothesis so then he gave me a can of of soy formula as well as a hypoallergenic formula as a last resort. Well we struck out on the soy formula and the he's only had about 1 oz of the hypoallergenic formula but seemed to tollerate it, unfortunatly it costs about twice as much as the regular milk based formula. So I'm trying to give him as much breast milk as possible, which is leaving me feeling trapped. I'm on the right path and soon I'll be feeling better, but this is one tough job. Perhaps by the time all is said and done I'll be a member of the La Leche League!

School Pictures

We recently received the boys' school pictures. As you can see Matt's photo looks more like a mug shot. The jury is out if we should have them retaken. I'm leaning toward keeping them as it makes me smile/laugh out loud each time I see it. I guess I'll sleep on it!

Which Way to Heaven?

This past weekend we said goodbye to my Grandma Agnes. And while it was sad to say goodbye, she had lived a wonderful, long and healthy life of 99 years. We had just been back home to visit 2 weeks ago and had the chance to stop by to say hello to her so she could have a chance to meet Ryan for the first time. I'm so glad I have this photo of she and I and my 3 boys. I'll cherish it forever as she was one very special lady.

Death and heaven are pretty tough subjects to fully understand even as an adult, but for a 3 and 5 year old it must be even harder to understand so of course there were lots of questions, which actually kept me smiling, which I needed. First the boys were asking why she died. Now they actually get the general concept of something dying. They've had a fish that has died, they've seen dead animals in the street, but a person, that was new. We ended up explaining that Grandma Agnes' batteries wore out (they obviously get what that means), but of course couldn't understand why we couldn't just pull out of the box of batteries and replace them like we do here at home. Then when we explained on Saturday night (after a 6 hour car ride home) that the next day we'd be going to see Grandma Agnes who is now in heaven, Matt asked "Do we have to drive there too?". As my dad pointed out, if Matt has directions to heaven, we should all jump in the car with him. Then of course came the visitation. As we approached the casket Matt started waving to Grandma, but couldn't understand why she wasn't waving back. And then he brought another smile to my face when he said, "Are we in Heaven now?".

I'm not really sure how much the boys understood about it all or even how much they'll remember, probably more than I expect knowing them. For that matter, I'm not sure how much they'll even remember her. But I do know that now they have an Angel looking out for them. Goodbye Grandma, we'll miss you and we love you!

My New Title

Last Thursday was my official last day at Martin|Williams, while it was sad to turn over my key and computer, I've got a pretty good new gig. In case you haven't heard, I'm now the CEO of Mulcahy & Sons. I guess I've probably had this role for 5 plus years, but now it's official. Here at Mulcahy & Sons we have a very casual work place, heck you don't even need to shower before work, in fact some days we encourage it. The commute is great and the staff is loveable most days, but definately know how to keep me challenged. The biggest lesson that I've learned is that I need to adjust my standards. Previously I was acustomed to crossing things off my to-do list, these days it often just a challenge to get a load of laundry folded. But hey it is all worth it. And perhaps I should look into the clone that I just blogged about. Or perhaps I should get off the computer and get back to work.

An Extra Set of Hands

For the past several years I've joked that I needed a wife. Someone who could take care of the cleaning, cooking, etc while I was at work. Well now I am at home and I could still use that wife. Ironically last night while I was putting the boys to bed, Drew wanted me to lay with him and I told him he needed to wait till I was done feeding Ryan. Drew then said. "I wish there were two moms and dads", I guess Drew wants a wife too. If only I could clone myself. Just think about how productive I/we could be. But that got me thinking would I just create one clone or should I create a clone for each child, what about Craig, one for him too? And then what about me? How about a clone that could just take care of me and then heck while I'm at it, how about one more that could keep working too. It all sounds very wonderful, but then we'd probably be bored with not enough to do. But it sure does sound nice.

You Be The Judge

Several people have asked us which brother Ryan looks most like, we'll let you be the judge. Below are photos of all 3 boys all taken at approximately 6 weeks. Ryan is in the brown, Matt is in the blue and Drew is in the white.

Who Says Boys Don't Play Dress Up?

The boys kept themselves very entertained the other morning trying on various Halloween costumes, we still aren't sure what they'll be on the actual day, but as you can see we have several options.

My favorite photo is the one of Drew in the dragon costume that is 3 sizes too small. I'm still not sure how he managed to walk up the stairs in it.

Isn't Fall Such a Beautiful Season?

We think so.

Anxiously Awaiting

To say Matt misses Drew during the afternoons is an understatement, however he is starting to see the perks of being the oldest kid in the house. In fact today after the bus pulled away, he proclaimed, "Today is going to be fun, because I don't have school." So we played some games and made a fort in the living room.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Matt attends preschool and we arrive home just before Drew gets home. Matt loves to wait for him so on most days I drop him off 2 houses away (you can barely see him standing by the stop sign) where he waits for Drew and then the "walk home" together.

Whose Birthday Is It?

The other day Drew learned about germs in school and the importance of proper handwashing. Now each time he washes his hands I hear him singing the Happy Birthday song. The first few times he wasn't sure who he was singing to, and now he just sings to himself. It makes me smile each time I hear it, however I have noticed the song is getting sung rather quickly, but hey, he is washing his hands.

Shhh, Don't Tell Craig

but I'm dating again.

A few weeks ago I had a date with a guy who wears glasses, has blond wavy hair and an infectious laugh. Then last weekend I had a date with a different guy who has beautiful blue eyes and great dimples.

Craig actually encouraged me to start dating again and I think I'll keep dating, perhaps once a month. Both guys were given the opportunity to pick what they wanted to do on our special date. The first guy, Drew, decided we should do a craft together (shown below), the other guy, Matt, originally wanted to spend time at a park, but then changed his mind to also doing a craft together (one much less complicated than the first). Needless to say, both boys really looked forward to and enjoyed our time together. In fact, Matt made it very clear to Craig that this was his special time with mom and that Craig couldn't come with. I think it will be a tradition that may stick around for awhile and I know I'll look forward to it. However my little black book will be limited to only 4 names.

(note the Justin Bieber hair)

Drew the Entrepreneur

Today Drew suggested that we start our own lemonade stand, that way Craig wouldn't have to go to work.

The Middle Child

Poor Matt, his world has been turned upside down. In less than 2 weeks he was replaced as being the baby of the family then to make matters worse we put his big brother, playmate, best friend/worse enemy on a bus every afternoon. No wonder the kid has been acting out and jealous. For the most part it hasn't been that bad, but there have been a few moments that have required time outs for either Matt or myself.

However, he really does love little Ryan and recently he was reading to him so I had to snap this photo.

Matt's First Day of Preschool

Matt also started his first preschool class this year. We've been talking about school all summer and he gets very excited when we pass his school and points it out to everyone in the car to make us all aware. However as you can see in the photo, he is not as excited about preschool. He doesn't like getting dropped off and being left there, but he does tell me all about it when I pick him up, so it can't be that bad.

Most nights we ask each of the boys what made them sad, mad and glad during the day. The other night here were Matt's responses: It made him sad that I left him at school. It made him mad that I left him at school and it made him glad that I picked him up. I know it is a transition and that very soon, he'll also be high-fiving me when I drop him off. But boy does it pull on my heart strings when I have to rip him off of my leg and leave him there crying. However I am enjoying the occasional run to Target with just Ryan. Hey there silver lining on every situation!

Drew's First Day of Kindergarten

It is hard to believe that Drew has started Kindergarten. He of course was very excited for the start of school and could hardly wait for the bus to arrive on the first day, and still can't wait. I think he started asking around 10:00 am when the bus was coming (it picks him up at 12:33). So far he is enjoying school. His favorite things about school are; riding the bus, the chocolate milk at snack time (he has informed me that he'll be picking chocolate milk EVERY DAY!), library day and walking home with the neighbor girl. Hopefully he'll develop other interests that are more academic as the year passes by.

As for me, I did better than I had expected. I was completely composed till the bus pulled away and then my eyes swelled up with tears, even a week or so later I would still tear up as the bus pulled away, however it is hard to be sad when he is so excited to go.

I have two strong memories from Drew's first day of school. It is the high-five that he gave me as he got on the bus, no sense hugging your mom in front of all your friends ya know. And the other memory is of the look on Matt's face as the bus pulled away. He was standing up against the garage with his boo (his blanket) with the saddest look on his face. I really wish I would have taken a photo of him so I'd never forget the look. I honestly think he was most sad that he couldn't ride the bus, but I do know he misses Drew while he is away. But luckily school is just a short two and a half hours so Drew is back before we can really miss him and he and Matt can get back to where the left off which often means fighting over a toy - oh brotherly love!

Wondering What the Future Holds . . .

The other morning while feeding Ryan I starting thinking about the future. I had random thoughts running through my head (sleep depravation can do strange things to your body & mind). Anyway, I was wondering which older brother Ryan will look most like, what the dynamic of the family will be with 3 boys, I even wondered which brother each boy will pick to be his best man in his wedding. Hard to believe that some day these special little boys will be all grown up. I know the time will come faster than we expect. So I guess in the meantime we'll take each day one day at a time, get through this sometimes challenging newborn stage, send Drew off to school and worry later if I'll approve of their future wives. But seeing I am the mother of 3 boys perhaps I should start thinking about becoming a manager of a potential boy band or at the very least a trucking company.

Baby Ryan Up Close

Here is better photo of Ryan incase you wanted a closer look.

Mulcahy, Party of 5

On Saturday, August 28, 2010 we welcomed Ryan Jacob to our family. He arrived at 2:13 p.m. weighing in at 7 lbs 10 oz and was 21" long. Drew and Matt are pretty excited about getting to know their little brother. We are slowly getting to know each other and are starting to establish a routine if you can even call it that.

Anxiously Awaiting

Even the boys are ready for this baby to arrive. This morning Matt asked if they were going to Grandma's house today. I said no. Then he said in his saddest voice, "When is the baby going to come?"

Religious Education

During church yesterday we gave both boys some coins to put into the collection basket to prevent fights over the envelop which prompted them ask what the money was for. Here is the conversation that followed:
Cindy - The money is for God.
Matt & Drew - Where is God?
Cindy - He is in heaven.
Matt - Like the squashed turtle? (a dead turtle they saw last summer)
Cindy - Yes
Matt - Is God squashed?

Craig and I had all we could do not to laugh out loud.

No Fashionistas Here

While trying to get Matt dressed the other morning, I was trying to put dressy shorts on him. He refused to wear them and proclaimed, "I don't want to be cute today." I let him win, but no matter what he wears, I still think he is cute.

MulcahyFest - 2010

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Some favorite moments from MulcahyFest.

Happy 4th!

While waiting for the fireworks, we passed the time with sparklers. I just LOVE this photo of Matt.

Look Mom, "No Feet!"

While my parents were in town for the boys' bday celebration, my dad taught Drew how to do a handstand. He is pretty excited about his new trick.

My ice cream sundae is bigger than your ice cream sundae.

Not to be out done by his little brother, Drew picked Famous Dave's for his birthday dinner (with a little bit of influence so we didn't have to go to the same Mexican place twice in the same week). Needless to say, he was pretty excited about the treat they brough him.

dos hermanos

In our house on each person's birthday they get to pick where they get to go for dinner. For Matt's birthday he picked a local Mexican resaurant. (I think he had some influence from Craig). The look on his face when they put the sombrero on his head was priceless and of course Drew had to try it on as well.

Go Twins!

We took the boys to their first Twins game at Target Field a few weeks ago. They had a great time and sat through most of the game. Here are some pictures of our adventure.

The Name Game

I've got lots of pet names for the boys, I'll call them anything from Matt-Man and Drew-Drew to Sweet Pea, Honey, etc. This past weekend I called Matt "Honey" and he was quick to say, "I'm not Honey, I'm Matt!". I guess he's too cool for that.

A Lesson About Growing Up

This past Christmas, Drew received this birdhouse in which he enjoyed painting. Then this spring we placed it in the tree by our front window so we could "Bird Watch".

One day last month, we came home and Drew had noticed his beloved birdhouse needed to be adjusted so he ran over to the tree to straighten the birdhouse and when he happened to look into the hole, a bird was looking back at him. Words can't explain how excited Drew was about the bird living in his birdhouse. So much so that he took the house out of the tree and brought it over to me, so when I took the roof off the house to look inside not only did we find the bird but a nest with 4 eggs. We spent the next few weeks checking on our mamma bird and eggs only then to see a BABY BIRD! Again, Drew was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. We then spent the next several days checking on our baby bird, watching it grow. Then one day when we went to check on the baby bird only to find out that he had flown away. Again, Drew was over come with emotion but this time he was sad. He burst into tears so upset that his baby bird was gone. So we talked about how the baby bird was growing up and had learned to fly. Very appropriate as we prepare to send Drew off to kindergarten this fall.

Going Out With A Bang!

I've spent the last 9 years working at Martin|Williams specifically on the Syngenta Horticulture account. With the upcoming arrival of Baby #3 I've made the difficult decision to leave my job so I can focus my time on raising our kids.

A few weeks ago, I had my last business trip to Greensboro, NC to visit my clients. During my visit, they showered me a wonderful send off, a service award, they even declared it Cindy Mulcahy Appreciate Day! My MW team also sang a song as part of the send off. I'm sure they'll be pleased to know that I've posted it to You Tube and my blog. Enjoy!

Bowling Fun

We took the boys bowling this weekend. This was Matt's first time bowling and boy did he have fun. It was entertaining just to watch him watch the ball roll down the lane. Check it out.

A Wet Weekend

We celebrated the end of tax season with a quick weekend away for the family at a water park in Duluth. The weekend was cold and windy but we had a blast. In addition to the water park we also enjoyed checking out the big ships and chasing seagulls. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Abracadabra

Last week during preschool, Drew and his class attended a magic show and learned how to perform a few tricks. Here is Drew performing a trick.

The First of Many

On Friday, Aprl 16th we attended the Singing Program at Drew's preschool. I'm sure we will attend many more of these, but I doubt we'll ever get bored with them. It is so much fun to watch your own child perform as well as watching all the other kids. Especially those who haven't perfected the moves to each song. We were able to record a few of the songs. I think you'll enjoy these: The Alligator Chomp, Music, Music, Music and It Is Time To Say Good Bye. I'm sure they'll leave you smiling and possibly with the song stuck in your head.

P.S. Drew is in the back row in the gray and red shirt.

Scooter Boy

To say Matt loves riding his scooter is an understatement. He received this scooter from the Easter Bunny and has taken every opportunity to ride it. Yesterday we headed to the park to log a few more miles. Check it out.

Making Progress.

We recently attended Drew's preschool conference. During this conference his teacher shared the pictures below that Drew has made at school. The first is of Drew on his first day of school, the second is of himself in Nov. then the last is one that he made in March. Notice how he has "evolved" not only in his drawing but also with writing his name. Pretty cool huh?

Shh . . .

Recently I had Drew come with me to work for the afternoon. On the way in we talked about how this was special and that Matt would be sad if he knew so we couldn't tell Matt. Again on the way to pick up Matt I reminded Drew again that he couldn't tell Matt about our day.

We had gone about 3 blocks when Drew announces that he "really wants to tell Matt where he was today", I remind him that isn't fair and that would be teasing Matt. Drew then turns to Matt and says, "Matt, did you know there is a girl named Heather at Mom's work? But I wasn't there today!". Ha! I'm still laughing about that one. Luckily Matt didn't really get what Drew was telling him.

In case you haven't heard

We are expecting our third child at the end of August. We are course are excited as well as a little nervous about being out numbered. I'm finally starting to feel pretty good but I can't ever forget that I'm pregnant as Drew keeps reminding me that "I'm going to be getting huger and huger." Spoken like a true man. Thanks Drew!

28, 29, 2010

So this new year, new decade must really mess with children and those who teach them. In early Jan. Drew celebrated the new year at school and kept talking about how we are now in the year 2010. So then the other day when we were counting he of course now thinks that is part of the number system, so he counted, 28, 29, 2010. Poor kid, it must be hard to keep track of some of these details!

Sledding Fun

We had fun testing out some of the new snow a few weeks ago.

2009 Holiday Memories

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Farm Fun

Just a few photos highlighting our Thanksgiving trip to my parent's farm. As you can assume the combine ride was the highlight of the weekend. My guess is the boys will have a hard time understanding that the combine is only used in the fall and may not be available for rides the next trip home. Wardrobe courtesy fo the Goodwill.