Its not Hoarding if you have a plan....

I am not a hoarder, but if you saw this room, you might think so.

This is my crafting/sewing/staging/waiting-until-I-know-exactly-what-to-do-with-it room. AKA - the baby's room. I have a few more months to clear it out, but in the meantime am enjoying spreading all this stuff out. I have been sewing, painting, fixing, planning, and dreaming about all this stuff, and thanks to my "nesting" am slowly but surely getting it all done!


Can you tell that I am REALLY enjoying having a place to do all this????

Preschool and Big Desicions

Sweet, Talkative Cannon,
I hope you can remember how excited you are to start Pre-School! You haven't stopped talking about it since we told you you would start this week. (Although, you rarely stop talking about anything....how can one little boy have so much to talk about???)


I wonder how you will act at preschool? Will you talk all the time? Will you have an answer to every question? Will you make friends easily? Will you be a leader or a follower? I can't wait to hear from your teachers how you do in a "classroom" setting. I can't wait to see you interact with others and watch you learn. You are so anxious to learn! When I picked you up on your first day, you were glowing...(it was also 107 degrees record breaking heat)... and your teacher told me that you were a very intelligent boy. There was some number and pattern work that you were tracking right along with, that none of the other kids could do. I am wondering how smart you really are? How soon will you stop asking me to answer your questions, but instead, start answering mine?


Also, sweet boy, last wed (August 18th) you decided you want to ask Jesus in your heart! We were sitting around the dinner table, and you brought it up...again. You have talked about it several times in the past, and I have done my best to answer your questions, but I never pushed you into a decision. This time, you just kept talking, kept asking questions, kept bringing it up. I asked if you wanted to make a decision, and you said yes. You prayed, in your own words of course, to ask Jesus to come into your life. Your daddy and I are proud of you, and mommy had to wipe her eyes when you weren't looking. I am excited to spend my lifetime with you, and then beyond. You are precious!
A woman at church told me that you said something to her recently, that moved her to tears. She said that you walked up to her, and told her that God was the glue that held us all together. How right you are kiddo....you have no idea how right you are!

We love you to the moon and back!
Mommy

Gettin' Crafty

From this......

To this!
I have been trying to figure out how to add some silhouettes to my home. I love them! I didn't know where to put them, or even how to do them, but after a little google search (OK - way longer than intended due to some seriously cute crafty blogs out there) I found my plan, and even some really simple instructions on how to get it done. I really wanted to do something more than just the classic face outline, and found a plan that encouraged me to do more.

I went through all (yes, every single picture) that I have on the computer and found 9 that I thought would work. A lot of the instructions floating out on the interweb (that is a joke for my mom) tell you how to make silhouettes digitally, using fancy schmancy photoshop programs. I am soooooo not technically inclined, or artistically either, and don't have fancy schmancy photoshop, so these instructions proved to be useless. I printed out my 9 choices (draft quality) on my printer, and then simply cut out the part that I wanted to keep. I tried to be as accurate as possible, but seeing as how my only scissors are huge, and orange handled (know the ones that I am talking about?), and have cut countless flower stems, clothing tags, food packaging, and other random items, they were not as sharp as could be. Then I traced the image (using good old fashioned pencil) onto a piece of black cardstock. Then I settled down in front of the TV, and started to cut.

All in all, it didn't take long. The picture frames were scored 0n clearance at Kmart (shock, gasp - since usually their shelves are stocked with crap - personal issues with Kmart...sorry). I took out the stock matting, mounted the black image on white cardstock and voila'! Done. The whole project cost me $27. I was nervous to show Rich, but he LOVES it!

These are two of my favorites!

We sat on our bed that night, and just stared at the wall. I am amazed that I could actually do it, and he is amazed with how it turned out. (I will change out two of the photos when I have a silhouette of my pregnant form, and one of our new little ones face.)

*pat on the back for me, eh?*

First Grade

Brynn,
Today is your first day of school, and you are in First Grade. (That's a lot of firsts...) You picked out your outfit on Saturday, and it was laid out so that you knew exactly what to put on this morning.
I heard you and Daddy talking in the living room at 6:15am, and knew that you were ready to face the day. You were practicing writing your teachers name, and the names of some of your friends.
The weather unexpectedly changed though (sad that our first day of "real" summer weather is the day that you start school again), and we had to do some last minute adjustments to the clothing. You would have been sooooo hot if we didn't.

Your backpack was by the door, and your new lunch box was waiting to be filled this morning with a yummy lunch, and a special note from me.



I think you were excited, and nervous, but you did great!

Me...not so much. I couldn't keep it together, and started to cry when you were lined up on the blacktop getting ready to walk to your new classroom. (Thank goodness for my big black sunglasses!) You wanted to hold my hand all the way from the blacktop to the room, but realistically, I needed to hold your hand more than you know. Your teacher had you line up in front of the door, and asked the parents to wave goodbye and leave. Then you walked into your class. I had to rush to the car to dry my eyes, and wipe away my snot. I cried the whole drive home, and am still leaking tears as I write this.
I miss you! I prayed for you, for this day, before you were even born. I prayed that you would make great friends, have a sweet teacher, love your studies, and be a good example to those around you. Maybe I should have prayed for myself, prayed that it wouldn't hurt so much to watch you walk through those doors into a world that I don't have any control of.
I love you baby, and I promise not to cry every morning that you leave! (Blame it on the pregnancy hormones....that is what I am doing.)
I am excited to pick you up this afternoon and find out how your first day went! And, following our family tradition, we will go out to dinner tonight at the place of your choice (please don't pick Chuckie Cheese, please don't pick Chuckie Cheese) and get to hear you talk all about it.

I love you to the moon and back my brave little first grader!
Mommy

Sweet Sleep

This little one loves a good cuddle.

So sweet.

This is my favorite time to sneak into their room and just stare. It amazes me how much time I actually spend watching them sleep! I love the peacefulness. I love the silence. The look of their thick eyelashes against their skin. I love that each of my kids sleeps differently and I have watched them long enough to know it. I love it that I know when I open the door Maeve will be cuddled with some precious baby. Cannon will have cars and airplanes shoved under his pillow and he will be curled around his nuggy with it clutched in his little boy hands. Brynn will be on her side, with her favorite stuffed animals lining the wall behind her.

Sleep tight little ones! I love you!

Go, Dog, Go

Have you read Go, Dog, Go?
We have.
About a billion times.
If you want my opinion (I know that no one asked), its not one of Dr. Seuss' greatest works, but the kids still love it.

This is the part that I caught them acting out the other day....

"Hello, do you like my hat?
No, I do not like your hat.
Good-bye.
Goodbye."

(Repeat)

(Aaaand repeat again....)

Over and over and over and OVER again! Nice.

Even Maeve got in on the action...although she was kind of in her own world about it all.

These kids. Constant entertainment I tell you!

End of Summer Blues

Well kids, its almost over!
Brynn starts first grade in one week from today, and I am already sad. I have immensely enjoyed having her home, and I can say that without an ounce of sarcasm. So far I have not experienced the "I can't wait until school starts so that you and your siblings will stop fighting" phenomenon. I don't doubt that I will eventually, but it certainly didn't happen this summer.
We have had an amazing summer. The weather hasn't been too hot, but no one is complaining in this house. We managed to squeeze swim lessons, annual doctor appointments and shots, 3 camping trips, family camp, an ear piercing, annual photo shoot, multiple play dates, tons of BBQ's with friends, birthday parties, VBS, day trips and many pajama mornings into the summer.
At the start of the summer, Maeve moved into the kids room, and I struggled with how to get her to nap and deal with quiet time for the other two, and in the mean time, make everyone happy with story time, and time with mom. I finally figured out a routine that works well for all. Maeve now goes down after a story or two with just myself and her, and then the older two kids and I sit and read on the couch while waiting for Maeve to fall asleep. We managed to read through the first two books in the "Little House on the Prairie" series. The questions and conversations that they sparked were priceless! Questions about settler family life, covered wagons, prairie times, prejudice against Indians, etc, have been challenging for me to answer, but I wouldn't trade the time for anything!
So, fall brings the rhythm of schedule once again to our life, and although I usually look forward to it, this summer I am having a hard time letting go of the freedom of summer. The fall will bring the newness of 1st grade ("mmmoooooommmm - did you know first grade is 7 hours a day????!!?), Cannon in preschool twice a week ("mommy, uhm, mommy, uhm. Do they have cars there? Do you think I can play with the cars at preschool?"), some one-on-one time between me and Maeve, and the birth of our 4th child. This pregnancy is chugging right along. I am now in the 3rd trimester...officially! Baby moves all the time, and Brynn got to feel it a few mornings ago. She now sits and talks to my belly, telling the baby to come out a girl....and in the background Cannon is wailing about the fact that he wants a brother....oh boy. Lots of new things....lots of changes.
So, in the meantime, (the next 6 days, 14 hours, 35 minutes and 15 seconds), I plan to really enjoy every moment of my precious family time! I plan to enjoy the chatter of the girls as they play with play dough at the counter, and the amazing sound effects that my boy makes as he crashes cars into walls, the sighing of the dog as he tries to escape the chaos that the kids bring, and the comforting sound of my hubby's work van as it pulls up after a long day of work. I am so incredibly blessed!

Lake Trip

Rich and I have the privilege of being part of a small group from church made up of couples in their first couple years of marriage. It is an awesome group! Each of the couples adds such a special element to the group, and we feel honored to be "leading" this group.

We had our 2nd annual camping trip with the group to Lake Pillsbury. Everyone made a huge effort to come up for the weekend, and it was a great experience for all!

I love it that the group loves our kids, and it makes it comfortable to be with them, even when the kids are acting crazy, or crying, etc. I know that all of these couples will eventually have their own families, so its fun to watch them interact with my kids, and even more special that they actually enjoy doing it!


We tent camped this time, and I am almost 100% ready to ditch the tent trailer for the more simple setup and care of a tent. I found a used one for $20, and it worked out perfectly for us for this trip! I think it will even fit us after baby is born...hopefully!

The weather was hot and perfect for camping, the lake close by to cool off in, and the nights perfect temperature to sleep. We had rowdy neighbors the first night, and an intoxicated trumpet player the second, but we managed to survive. The kids had their first "pit toilet" experience, and even managed to have a sense of humor about that. The road to the lake was 13 miles of unpaved roughness, and our minivan will probably never be the same again.


And the food! Oh. My. Word....The food! The couples that we went with have pretty high standards, so breakfast consisted of Eggs Benedict, country-style potatoes and orange juice, and dinner was king crab legs with a butter tarragon sauce, Tri-Tip, Potato rolls, spinach salad and marinated carrots. Wow...no really...wow! I didn't know how to break the news to them that my meal contribution for the next morning consisted of home made muffins (from a box mix) and plastic baggie eggs... We went crashing from high class to white trash in a matter of 12 hours! (Although everyone agreed that the meal was a lot better than they thought it was going to be....)




Even though we were only there for 2 nights, we had plenty of down time for catching up on reading all those important magazines, like US weekly, and Parenting. There seemed to always be a card game to join in on, or a conversation to be part of. There were deluxe s'mores every night, and lots of laughter around the toasty campfire! I love this rapidly growing group!!!

Felix (6/2009 - 7/2010)

We said goodbye to our long time friend Felix. He was our Chinese Fighter Fish, or as Cannon thought - the Firefighter Fish.

Felix took an absurdly long amount of time to finally die. He taunted and teased us that he was actually dead for about a month, but eventually did actually die.

I don't get it...when I was a kid, it seemed like one day I had a perfectly healthy fish, and the next day it was floating upside down in the bowl. This was a totally different experience. It was a bit painful to watch, and more than one time I muttered to myself that I was going to flush him regardless of whether he was ACTUALLY dead or not.

This fish managed to lie perfectly still for hours, and then suddenly and spastically swim for a few minutes, only to lie perfectly still for many, many more hours. Weird fish.

Anyways, Cannon was pretty upset about the whole flushing situation, and I actually let that thing just sit - dead, by the way- in the bowl for 3 days as I tried to convince Cannon that it was best to just flush him.

Finally, on Sunday, we had a little ceremony for Felix, and sent him on his way. Cannon managed to cry the entire time (and for a while afterwards). Brynn just smiled and said her nice comment about Felix, and Maeve was actually taking a nap, so we didn't have to explain anything to her...or have her observe us flushing something down the toilet - which might have opened up a whole can of worms.... I can only imagine walking in on her trying to flush one of her stuffed animals down after it "dies"...

Felix the Fighter Fish....you were fun to watch, always a conversation piece, and hours of entertainment for the kids. We will miss you..... sort of.

A link...

This is the link to one of my old students blog. She is hilarious.

I hope you are OK with this Kristen....

http://kristenridgway.wordpress.com/

Personally, I think she needs to just give up school at Georgetown, and become a writer for Tina Fey. This is just my opinion...

Also, I feel honored since I am "the Biology Teacher" mentioned in her post. And yes, she does have quite a problem with blood, and bodily function. More than one time I sent her out to put her head between her knees. The paleness of her lips was always a sign to me that she would be passing out shortly...

Drama...

I never thought that my boy would be the dramatic one, but as it turns out, he is...

Just a Few Examples:

1. He is the one to sink to the floor and sob when things don't go his way.
2. He is more sensitive to his sister's teasing than anyone could imagine.
3. If any one's balloon is going to pop, fly away, or get loose it will be his. This will be followed by a lot of tears...
4. He declared Sunday to be "His Worst Day Ever" due to the fact we had to flush the 3 day dead fish down the toilet.
5. The next day (Monday) he was filling his cup from the water in the fridge dispenser, and it was crushed in the fridge door. He then collapsed on the floor and declared MONDAY to be his "Worst Day Ever".
6. On Tuesday, after attempting to draw a picture several times, he threw it on the floor, declared TUESDAY to be "The Worst Day Ever", and swore that he will never ever color anything ever again in his whole entire lifetime. Ever.

That sweet boy Cannon. Hard to believe that the same boy who jumps from coffee table to couch multiple times a day - even after being yelled at by me (several times a day), races cars up and down the hallway walls, and loves to catch bees - just to hold them, can be reduced to a limp noodle of blond curls, tears, and dramatic fits when balloons fly, drawings fail, and pets die. I have sooooooo much more to learn about this boy!

What I Learned at "The Fair"

1. It takes 2 hours of planning, 2 large bags of stuff, and one very sturdy stroller to survive 3.5 hours at the fair.

2. This is the last year our kids will be free. This will not, however, be the last year we go.

3. Don't only bring $6 for rides. There will be tears, there will be anger, and there will be the inevitable lecture of "mommy and daddy don't have a lot of money to spend on carnival rides".

4. The smallest kid will probably not take a nap, and therefore have the first meltdown on fair day.

5. It will be cold when it gets dark. So cold in fact, that you will need your snow parka, and hats, and kids will not be "OK" (even if they swear they will be) in just a sweatshirt.

6. A family picture will never be easy. Someone will always be frowning, eating, making a silly face, refusing to smile, or in general being a pain. This is how it goes. No amount of bribery will work.
7. The signs posted all around the petting zoo to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 30 seconds under warm water, taking care to wash between fingers, on the backsides of the hand, and up the wrists, then dry with a clean towel are probably there for a reason. I don't really want to know why, but I do know that we followed these rules closely, and then added the hand sanitizer option on top of it.


8. The petting zoo might also prove to be your first opportunity as a parent to discuss the "birds and the bees".

9. Getting 5 people into one of those small photo booths is not as easy as it looks. But, it is a great exercise in communication, patience, and quad muscles stamina.

10. Glow sticks and chocolate cake are the answer to every problem at the fair.

Coloring

Dear Maeve,

This is what you are really into right now and I adore it! You will sit at the table for a really long time and color, and color, and color! I have removed all markers from your reach, because those are the medium of choice, but you are still content to work with colored pencils and crayons!

I am trying to figure out a way to keep some of your drawings around, but I have to confess, when you are asleep, I throw a lot of the pictures away. I can't open the fridge without many falling, and I don't have a binder thick enough to keep them all. I have saved a few that I love. Ones that you filled in with soooooo much color. They are bright and vibrant and remind me of your smile.

I love it that you sit and hum quietly, or sing while you color. My dad once told me that when I was a kid he knew that I was content because I would hum quietly when I played. I know the same about you. You ask every day to color, and when you occasionally stick a "please" in there, I just love to make your wish come true!

Daddy hopes that you continue to draw. (He is pretty good himself, and if you ask him nicely, he will draw you some really nice pictures!) I hope that our kitchen table will last a few more years after all the scrubbing that I have to do to get it clean after you are done coloring....

I love you to the moon and back!
Mommy