Watching a movie.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
29 Weeks
A tooth at last. Teething hurts DG SO MUCH. The only thing that makes it even remotely okay is being in Mom's arms. She laughs and lUghs at her siblings' antics when she feels better, and that is so sweet to hear.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!
Quick post. I just have to say that late summer mornings, when the nights actually cool down and it takes a bit to heat up for the day, are fabulous. I have a few windows open, with a cool breeze coming through, and all I can smell is fabulous cut grass and growing things. Ahh, pure heaven. Not to mention 2 little boys play contentedly (um, never mind) while I get started on work for the day.
I forgot to mention our back to school feast. I picked a theme-be a builder-as a reminder that we should be building each other up and not tearing each other down at school (AND AT HOME) and that we should be using our creativity and intelligence to build AND that we should always remember to build our foundation on the Rock of the Redeemer. Lots of building thoughts. I shared a quick little message and then we ate foods that they said were their favorite currently. Green beans-Matt Grilled cheese-Ben Lasagna-Lily. Plus we had to have some dessert with chocolate because I am their mom. We watched the Lego Movie (note Lucas's smooth tie-in to my building theme), and then Lucas gave each child a father's blessing and we sent them merrily to bed. It was a great send off and the first week has gone really well. Though curious me would love to be a fly on the wall in Matt's and Ben's classes. I hear many details about Lily's day, but boys (at least my boys) make whatever they are doing outside of the home a secret society.
P.S. Thinking ofbribing encouraging the 3 school kiddos to memorize Helaman 5:12:
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Seriously, need they know anything else if they know this???
I forgot to mention our back to school feast. I picked a theme-be a builder-as a reminder that we should be building each other up and not tearing each other down at school (AND AT HOME) and that we should be using our creativity and intelligence to build AND that we should always remember to build our foundation on the Rock of the Redeemer. Lots of building thoughts. I shared a quick little message and then we ate foods that they said were their favorite currently. Green beans-Matt Grilled cheese-Ben Lasagna-Lily. Plus we had to have some dessert with chocolate because I am their mom. We watched the Lego Movie (note Lucas's smooth tie-in to my building theme), and then Lucas gave each child a father's blessing and we sent them merrily to bed. It was a great send off and the first week has gone really well. Though curious me would love to be a fly on the wall in Matt's and Ben's classes. I hear many details about Lily's day, but boys (at least my boys) make whatever they are doing outside of the home a secret society.
P.S. Thinking of
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Seriously, need they know anything else if they know this???
Monday, August 25, 2014
Back to School 2014
Well, well, well. It is here. We got a few clothes, A LOT of supplies, met teachers, and have got enough paperwork to drive me nuts for hours (literally) because 5 kids means 5 times as much paperwork (only 3 times as much for now). Sometimes I can't understand why I can't just fill out 1 paper with all their names on it and photocopy it BUT NOOOO. Must have separate forms for everyone and then specific forms for each teacher and, and, and...
My kids LOVE school, so no worries there. I, we, they are excited about their teachers. I am excited about being more involved in the classroom than I typically am. Last year of elementary for my eldest. Why? How? Because...
A few photos of my MOST PRECIOUS CREATIONS!!! I am so blessed to have each of them. I forget it at some point during every day, I am sure, but I love moments when it dawns brightly in my *thick* skull just what I have going on here. This day is one of those moments.
He's ready. So ready. He will have to work...but any time, any time, he is going to fly, fly, fly.
Let's be honest, he already is flying. Hat and happy and hungry have replaced wat and wappy and wungry. Thirteen has replaced the imaginary number firteen. He is so smart. I am so in love with his brains and his ninja skills and that pure soul of heavenly grace bursting forth from his blue eyes when he desperately reaches for one last kiss and hug, one last kiss and hug from me.
And these 2. Mutt and Jeff? Um, not quite. Lily gets to be queen of elementary for the year. Nothing like being an upper classman. It is, as Nacho would say, THE BEST!!!
Matt gets to sit next to his best friend in class, at least for now, and after school they were all bursting to tell me things, lots of things. Okay, I have to drag info out of Matt if it doesn't involve dragons and obscure fictitious game characters, but otherwise they were full of exuberance that had to be shared IMMEDIATELY.
Photobomb Shawn. Wassup lil Dude!
Highlights of my day!!!
1. Making myself get out of bed to wake Lily who was insistent if she wasn't out of bed by a certain time I must rouse her.
2. Chipper moods during morning routine and everyone being all set. There was a pair of missing shoes but that was the PM kindergartener, so no sweat...only a little bit of a raised voice from moi.
3. A relatively clam morning. A counter was degunkified AND disinfected. It sounds like nothing, but you have no idea how much it meant.
4. Learning that a 10 minute walk can EASILY take over 30 minutes with a cheerful and curious 5-year-old and his amiable 3-year-old sidekick. Can anyone say rolly-pollys???
5. Learning that though the walk back with a 3-year-old is quicker than 30 minutes, it can involve a little drama, just a little, and lots of exhaustion. He has little legs and it WAS almost 2 miles round trip.
(incidentally, that was a magical walk BOTH WAYS) With 5 kids, lively, talkative types, not everyone gets their fair share to shine in a group setting, so hearing what Ben had to say and noticed on our walk was eye opening. Then, on the way back, to actually hear what Shawn heared-he asked me if I heard this sound and that sound, etc. It was a precious walk. We even saw a bunch of big chickens which I think Shawn would have watched for hours, but alas, work called and off we went).
6. Poop...in the toilet...man, I did go there, but it was so...beautiful? Thank you Steve Jobs for the iPad and Netflix for Netflix. And then we rejoiced.
7. Ben blushing red when I asked him about his day. He gave me a thumbs up and thumbs down. The thumbs up was that they got to go on a gingerbread cookie hunt. The thumbs down? "A girl has a crush on me!" I asked how he could tell. Completely exasperatedly, he replied, "Because she followed me everywhere!!!" There are worse things in life, my little friend.
8. Smoked turkey.
9. Family Home Evening. We did some test runs of air rockets for Pack Meeting that Lucas is in charge of on Thursday...and ate Oatmeal Cooke Bars.
10. Falling in love all over again with my wee ones...and not so wee ones. They are messy, sometimes smelly, sometimes moody, sometimes mean but always beautiful, mostly brave, shockingly smart, and full of all the goodness all children are originally full of...unless the world/rotten people snuff out the sparkle.
This is the life...except for the relative (I said relative, don't go hating on me) poverty, little rest, and wanting very much to do the best for each of my kids and each of the parts of my life and my husband but struggling to feel it's anywhere near good enough. I think that will pretty much be an always feeling. Sometimes I feel like I hit the nail on the head. Sometimes I wish I could do a moment or a day or a week over (or have it erased from my memory), but I am always trying...so if effort counts, which it does, and if the Lord knows my heart and desires (which HE most definitely does), I guess it's worth it. I may not get to live out half the dreams I had for this life, but I am definitely living the ones I wanted most, so that will do for now.
My kids LOVE school, so no worries there. I, we, they are excited about their teachers. I am excited about being more involved in the classroom than I typically am. Last year of elementary for my eldest. Why? How? Because...
A few photos of my MOST PRECIOUS CREATIONS!!! I am so blessed to have each of them. I forget it at some point during every day, I am sure, but I love moments when it dawns brightly in my *thick* skull just what I have going on here. This day is one of those moments.
Highlights of my day!!!
1. Making myself get out of bed to wake Lily who was insistent if she wasn't out of bed by a certain time I must rouse her.
2. Chipper moods during morning routine and everyone being all set. There was a pair of missing shoes but that was the PM kindergartener, so no sweat...only a little bit of a raised voice from moi.
3. A relatively clam morning. A counter was degunkified AND disinfected. It sounds like nothing, but you have no idea how much it meant.
4. Learning that a 10 minute walk can EASILY take over 30 minutes with a cheerful and curious 5-year-old and his amiable 3-year-old sidekick. Can anyone say rolly-pollys???
5. Learning that though the walk back with a 3-year-old is quicker than 30 minutes, it can involve a little drama, just a little, and lots of exhaustion. He has little legs and it WAS almost 2 miles round trip.
(incidentally, that was a magical walk BOTH WAYS) With 5 kids, lively, talkative types, not everyone gets their fair share to shine in a group setting, so hearing what Ben had to say and noticed on our walk was eye opening. Then, on the way back, to actually hear what Shawn heared-he asked me if I heard this sound and that sound, etc. It was a precious walk. We even saw a bunch of big chickens which I think Shawn would have watched for hours, but alas, work called and off we went).
6. Poop...in the toilet...man, I did go there, but it was so...beautiful? Thank you Steve Jobs for the iPad and Netflix for Netflix. And then we rejoiced.
7. Ben blushing red when I asked him about his day. He gave me a thumbs up and thumbs down. The thumbs up was that they got to go on a gingerbread cookie hunt. The thumbs down? "A girl has a crush on me!" I asked how he could tell. Completely exasperatedly, he replied, "Because she followed me everywhere!!!" There are worse things in life, my little friend.
8. Smoked turkey.
9. Family Home Evening. We did some test runs of air rockets for Pack Meeting that Lucas is in charge of on Thursday...and ate Oatmeal Cooke Bars.
10. Falling in love all over again with my wee ones...and not so wee ones. They are messy, sometimes smelly, sometimes moody, sometimes mean but always beautiful, mostly brave, shockingly smart, and full of all the goodness all children are originally full of...unless the world/rotten people snuff out the sparkle.
This is the life...except for the relative (I said relative, don't go hating on me) poverty, little rest, and wanting very much to do the best for each of my kids and each of the parts of my life and my husband but struggling to feel it's anywhere near good enough. I think that will pretty much be an always feeling. Sometimes I feel like I hit the nail on the head. Sometimes I wish I could do a moment or a day or a week over (or have it erased from my memory), but I am always trying...so if effort counts, which it does, and if the Lord knows my heart and desires (which HE most definitely does), I guess it's worth it. I may not get to live out half the dreams I had for this life, but I am definitely living the ones I wanted most, so that will do for now.
Potty Talk
Yes, I went there, on a blog that anyone could read. But...potty training my boys, it's ridiculously hard and gross...and it makes me that much more thankful when they finally get it. I'm not kidding myself. This battle, tug of war, journey?, is not over yet BUT we had a major, major breakthrough develop today...and that's all I can say about that. Squirmy boy is hard to get a shot of, but he had fun and wanted me to keep taking more pics.
Oh those days of no pants so that we can be speedy to the bathroom. I am assured in some cultures you just let the kids run around naked until they get it, so we are relatively civilized.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
28 Weeks
SHE'S ONE OF THEM! I mean I knew D was one of my kids....but now she is starting to act like one-rowdy and with a GREAT desire to cause chaos on a larger than personal scale. I was expecting it, yet her seemingly mild manner had lulled me into a state of thinking perhaps, perhaps, I was capable of rearing a timid child. Nope.
Look what Daddy did again! For this (among many other things), we love you.
Lil Miss has gotten super attached to Mommy AND being awake the last few days. Um, I'm exhausted, but needed. Here we are enjoying a late night kitchen session as Dad prepares for Work Iron Chef.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
27 Weeks
Daphne likes cats! Okay, she likes to try to taste our cat's tail, but she LOVES kittens.
Cattails, anyone? Bwahahahaha!
She still loves to hide her face with a blanket and then play peekaboo.
She chooses to lift her bum and push off with her feet to propel herself across a room. Unique, as her sibs all would at least roll around until they could crawl.
I love my kids. Five different souls who make every day an adventure and a life lesson.
L-so concerned about dressing and looking her best for school this year. It is so odd to see your little baby girl grow into a rough tomboy and then her alter ego (we'll call her nonchalant fashionista girl) duke it out daily with the tomboy.
M-that kids soaks up facts like a sponge and spews them at me like a geyser. I so often forget how his mind works. I asked him today about his King David Sunday School lesson. He said he would not try to marry a girl who was married already and that when he was married he wanted it to be to someone who hadn't been married before so they could have all their firsts together. He said the advantage of marrying a divorced girl would be she could tell him what is was like but that he would never want to get divorced and wants a forever family, like his mom and dad. He thinks and thinks. Whew! All that from me asking about King David as I was curious how his teacher handled teaching the indiscretion of King David. Lily's teacher was more blunt, which makes sense because if your 11ish year old has no clue about birds and bees ya better hurry up.
B-I've had 3-4 people say his speech is getting better. He is a ninja fanatic. He is the original ninja at our house, to be clear, and he is ridiculously good at what he does. He can bide under my bed and I haven't a clue, or jump out of my closet, appear from nowhere. He is my BONAFIDE little ninja. 2 weeks to kindergarten. Deep breath. "Mom, you happy at me?" Very, my precious boy, very.
S-3 may be a rotten age sometimes simply because I can't logically reason with him on a consistent basis and because he WON'T poop in the toilet (Tmi, I know, I know), but if I'm not stressed out, it is all quite comical and I laugh and laugh. "I not poopy....I is, I is poopy." "I is a good boy. I a little boy, not a big boy." "Nes" (no/yes). "I cute." "I not ebil" (Ben tries to convince him he is evil). Oh, essentially each day, whatever I want him to do, he casually argues to do the opposite; however, reverse psychology makes him quite manageable....for now.
Cattails, anyone? Bwahahahaha!
She still loves to hide her face with a blanket and then play peekaboo.
She chooses to lift her bum and push off with her feet to propel herself across a room. Unique, as her sibs all would at least roll around until they could crawl.
I love my kids. Five different souls who make every day an adventure and a life lesson.
L-so concerned about dressing and looking her best for school this year. It is so odd to see your little baby girl grow into a rough tomboy and then her alter ego (we'll call her nonchalant fashionista girl) duke it out daily with the tomboy.
M-that kids soaks up facts like a sponge and spews them at me like a geyser. I so often forget how his mind works. I asked him today about his King David Sunday School lesson. He said he would not try to marry a girl who was married already and that when he was married he wanted it to be to someone who hadn't been married before so they could have all their firsts together. He said the advantage of marrying a divorced girl would be she could tell him what is was like but that he would never want to get divorced and wants a forever family, like his mom and dad. He thinks and thinks. Whew! All that from me asking about King David as I was curious how his teacher handled teaching the indiscretion of King David. Lily's teacher was more blunt, which makes sense because if your 11ish year old has no clue about birds and bees ya better hurry up.
B-I've had 3-4 people say his speech is getting better. He is a ninja fanatic. He is the original ninja at our house, to be clear, and he is ridiculously good at what he does. He can bide under my bed and I haven't a clue, or jump out of my closet, appear from nowhere. He is my BONAFIDE little ninja. 2 weeks to kindergarten. Deep breath. "Mom, you happy at me?" Very, my precious boy, very.
S-3 may be a rotten age sometimes simply because I can't logically reason with him on a consistent basis and because he WON'T poop in the toilet (Tmi, I know, I know), but if I'm not stressed out, it is all quite comical and I laugh and laugh. "I not poopy....I is, I is poopy." "I is a good boy. I a little boy, not a big boy." "Nes" (no/yes). "I cute." "I not ebil" (Ben tries to convince him he is evil). Oh, essentially each day, whatever I want him to do, he casually argues to do the opposite; however, reverse psychology makes him quite manageable....for now.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
26 Weeks
How could she turn 6 months old already? My marvelous girl went to her first movie yesterday, poor thing. It was dark and loud, but she did great with just a little nurse talking and a small bout of hiccups. I do think Little Miss got a little scared/overwhelmed and hid her head against me when she woke one time, but she fell back asleep speedily. She didn't cry or fuss once. As exhausting as it can be at times, there is something very rewarding to know your baby can handle anything as long as she knows she is safe in Mom's arms.
Funnily enough, Daph trained herself to use a binkie after the movie. I put it in her lap because she HAS to have something to teeth on, and at our next stop she was sucking away. I hesitate to use it too much because I don't want her to have to be weaned but she likes it; she actually likes it!
Funnily enough, Daph trained herself to use a binkie after the movie. I put it in her lap because she HAS to have something to teeth on, and at our next stop she was sucking away. I hesitate to use it too much because I don't want her to have to be weaned but she likes it; she actually likes it!
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