Letter of the Day is "A"

1. Apples. Well, of course, I had to use that word as that's the first thing the kids learn when they are learning the alphabet. Not only that today is the first day of passover and I've been cooking all night meals for the Seder and 2 recipes I made included apples. These recipes I have never made before so I'm hoping they are good. During passover we are not allowed to eat any breads, pasta or rice dishes for a week. We rely on Matzo to replace those ingredients. The recipes that I did make were Matzo Apple Kugel and Haroset for Passover. Haroset is an apple dish that you spread on Matzo. It is a very sweet dish. There were 9 apples total in both those recipes. I feel like I've been peeling and chopping all night.

2. April. The fourth month of the year. Wow, is it really April already? Time sure flies. It feels like January was just here. What am I doing in April? Well, you could not imagine my schedule of activities this month. The calendar is jam packed with fun things for the kids to do. Some of the weekends are free but the weekdays there is something to do every day. Most of the activities will be either play dates or library activities. We also will be seeing Elmo live this week. I already told the kids about this and, of course, they are asking me when they are going. My dad, my grandmother and my 2 nieces all have birthdays in April.

3. Apron. Okay, why didn't I put my apron on when I was cooking? I stained my shirt again. I am always forgetting that I own an apron. The one that I have is from Williams-sonoma and is a mint green color. If only I could remember to wear it while cooking maybe it would save some of my clothing from getting ruined.

4. Accountant. This is on my mind because I mailed my paperwork to my accountant for our taxes on March 1 and I have called numerous times to see if our taxes are ready. Still they are not done. Yes, I'm starting to panic since they are due April 15. I do not like to wait till the last moment that's why I mailed them in early. Okay, now need to think about something else so I don't get stressed out more.

5. Arthritis. I have arthritis in my hands. Yes, I'm in my late 30's and developed this condition. There are times when I can't squeeze my hands for a very long time. My hands start to hurt if I use them for too long. For example: using a paper punch or scissor for a very long period of time can be very painful. There are also times when I can't open a jar because of this condition.

6. Attitude. "Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day." Author unknown

"If you don't like something change it: If you can't change it, change the way you think about it." Mary Engelbreit

"Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." Voltaire

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." Robert Brault

"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." Annie Gottlier

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

I have to have a positive attitude to make it through the days. Most days I am treading water just counting the moments to bedtime. Raising triplets on my own is really hard work. People ask me, "How do you do it?" My answer is, "I just do. I have no choice, I just do what I need to do day after day." Most days it is just work. I've been trying more lately to enjoy what I am doing. A hug and a kiss from the little ones or just a smile from their face makes it all worth it in the end.

7. Always

Understanding

Naturally

Terrific

(I saw this on an old coffee cup at a garage sale)

My sister has one daughter, Amanda. My Sister-in-law has both a daughter, Alexa, and a son, Jonathan. I have 2 nieces and one nephew. I see Amanda pretty often at least once a month. Alexa and Jonathan I see less often mainly at holidays.

8. August. August is a big month around here. It's the month that the triplets celebrate their birthday. This year they will be three. Where has the last 3 years gone? The first year we had a big party at a hall with Barney and an ice cream truck. The 2nd year we had a ladybug theme. I actually had live ladybugs for their party. They loved it. I stored them in my refrigerator before the party. Of course, my husband thought I was crazy as I had 5,000 of them in my fridge. I dressed the girls up in red dresses that had black dots on them and my son wore black and red as well. I had made up a pin the dot on the lady bug for one of the games and they had a pinata shaped like a lady bug. In less than 6 months we will be celebrating their 3rd birthday. What theme should I choose? If you have any suggestions please comment because I have no clue at this time. I like to plan months in advance so I can research and get lots of ideas ready for their party.

9. Autumn. This is my 2nd favorite season. Spring is my first because I like the warm weather. However, Autumn I like because of the colors. It is so beautiful to see the trees change colors. Of course, I hate when the leaves fall down and you have to clean them up. I remember as a child my parents always volunteered me to rake. I so hated this job. It could be why I don't like to garden.

10. Always. I consistently have to pick toys up from the kitchen floor. This really annoys me. I will pick the toys up and then 2 seconds later another toy will find it's way into the kitchen. I am at the point where I'm throwing things away because I just get fed up from bending down and putting things away. I continuously ask the children to pick up or clean up and they are always telling me, "No" or don't even move from where they are playing. I just don't know why I even bother any more. I just hate stepping on a toy and hurting my foot. The worst thing I have ever stepped on was their alphabet magnets. They have this plastic handle on them and man when you step on it your foot really hurts.