Whose Shoes are These?

Thorn Goblinsnap

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

It all started at the dentist during our last family appointment in the beginning of January.
I was looking at Cannon's teeth before he went in to have them cleaned by the assistant, and noticed that his adult tooth was already growing in behind his baby tooth.
And when I mean growing in, I mean, almost as tall as the baby tooth.
Apparently I missed this.
And so did Rich.
And when it's all said and done, it's totally his fault because he is the "ok with teeth" guy, and I am the "head between my knees, gonna pass out, not ok with teeth" girl.

Anywho.
When we went in to see the dentist I basically threw Rich under the bus and blamed him for his lack of observation powers when it comes to dealing with the kids teeth.
Sad, but totally true.

The dentist gave us two weeks to get that sucker out, otherwise he would take care of it, to the neat cost of $50 or so.
You can bet that we worked on it.
Or should I say, I nagged Rich, and he worked on it.

Well, last night they got it out.
There was some shrieking.
Some cheering.
And then there was me, pacing like a caged animal, cleaning anything in my path to work out my anxiety.
I have some issues.
Obviously.

I called out some helpful tips (that I have heard about, because I certainly haven't tried them) from the hallway, and with a washcloth, some elbow grease, and a determined dad it came out!

We got to pull out the long awaited tooth fairy pillow, and he wrote a note with a bazillion questions to be answered, and waited for his tooth fairy.

His tooth fairy (Thorn Goblinsnap) answered all the questions (every. single. one) in itty bitty writing, left him a crisp (actually, totally wilty, old and dirty) dollar bill and he is one happy kid!!! Welcome to the world of big boy teeth buddy!

Looks Like...

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

...a new roof is in order for us soon.

Prayers said, and fingers crossed that this one "small-ish" hole doesn't grow anymore. So far we are still water tight, but that could change with one night of blustery wind and rain. That makes for a good night sleep on those rainy nights.... Eek.

Oh-So-Healthy Dinner

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

I think it's pretty sad that my one year old knows how to hold and eat a hamburger. Not just any hamburger either. One from good ol' Mickey D's...

My "I will never feed my kids that" promises have long since disappeared. I don't make those kind of statements anymore. I have learned my lesson. Sometimes a moms got to do, what a moms got to do. Including feeding her kids terrible food, while in the car, parked outside of the toy store, that was used as a bribe to get through the grocery store.....

And I LOVE his reaction when he gets to the pickle. You know, the one pickle that they put on the burger....Surprise!
Just mail my "parent of the year" award straight to me.

We Have a Walker!!!

2012-01-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Loving watching the littlest man toddle around. Diaper sagging, feet spread for balance, arms up... and the most precious proud smile on his face!!!

New Year - 2012

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
Its back to normal around here.
As "normal" as normal can be.
We had an amazing break. It was filled with lots of time with family, lots of time at home, lots of kids running around my house half clothed. The usual.
There were some coughs and sniffles, a trip to to the doc for Cannon for a pretty bad ear infection, a day of fever for Maeve, and one of the worst diaper rashes that we have EVER dealt with that poor Nolan had. As a result, I am out of Motrin and desitin, my fridge is stocked with antibiotics and probiotics, and my carpet has a few more stains from the "air-dry" episodes.

I'm not a big New Years Resolution kind of gal. I never have been, but I do like to make lists, and I added one thing to my "to-do" list for 2012.
Nothing major, just..
~ attempt to cook a turkey

I like to keep it simple. Accomplish-able. I hate to fail..so hopefully I don't on this one.

December Memories

2011-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have a cup of hot tea next to me (a gift from mom for Christmas), just downloaded ALL my pictures, and am now attempting to fill in all the blanks of our last month into one entry.
I *might* actually be able to do it too, since the oldest 3 are fully engaged with the TV, and the youngest is asleep in his crib. Of course, it all depends if my laptop battery can manage to not die on me, cause digging out the cord, and finding an available outlet will definitely take too much work.
The start of December brought us Noll, our elf. He was a little crazy this time. My favorite thing to wake up to each day was the running of feet down the hall and the giggles when they discovered what he had been up to all night long.
Then we had some weird weather....
Like one day it was sunny and perfect to play outside in the leaves,
and the next we had a freak windstorm that ended up shattering our outdoor glass table.
Weird.

We ended up ditching tradition and picking out our tree from the Home Depot lot. Fun, but not the same. I am convinced this one was already loosing needles before we even set eyes on it. As I sit here, it's now about 1 static electricity spark away from burning our house down.

We did our annual "borrow the church van, load up all the kids and car seats, pass out some cookies, or popcorn, and drive around at look at lights" night too. This year we only made it to 3 houses, but I think they kids had fun while it lasted!
(Cannon was really trying to smile here, but he apparently he had missed out on getting a snow globe when his penny dropped in the bucket at one of our stops. He cried for quite awhile. Quite awhile...)

Brynn was an angel in the church Christmas Eve services this year for the first time. She had fun performing up front. I had mixed reactions. Is it normal to be teary-eyed and terrified at the same time? I have terrible stage fright, (which I am so grateful that she doesn't have) and seeing her up there just makes me so thankful that I get to be her mom. Even is we both struggle with it sometimes.
Our church does a really cool "Christmas Town" for the kids after the services. There are little activities, dress up, and some photo ops. They enjoyed their time playing.
Is it disrespectful that my oldest son was trying to strangle Joseph, and my youngest daughter was trying to poke Mary's eyes out? Nolan was fascinated with the small people that were lit up on his level...

We squeezed a quick trip in to see Santa, which went really well. No tears, no fits, and instead of those stinking mini candy canes they usually give out that make every mom's laundry load bigger, they gave out peppermint candy cane lollipops! Genius! Brynn is starting to question who the guy is at the mall though, because (and I quote) "Santa has GOT to be loading up his sleigh right now, there is NO WAY that he has time to be at the mall taking pictures with all these kids".
Then the week of Christmas's began. Every night a different side of the family for 4 days straight. It's a lot, but we have a system down now that is meeting every one's needs, and I love that I don't have to make choices of who we see which year, etc.
Christmas morning at our house was mellow and fun. The kids opened their gifts, and we FINALLY found the gift that Santa had left in the garage. A new (used) Wii! Hours of fun, let me tell you, hours and hours and hours of fun. (Maybe mommy and daddy have used it more then the kids, but whatever.)
Notice all the ornaments have migrated north on the tree...
So now we are just kicking back, enjoying all the new toys, and the time off of school. It's been busy, really, really busy, but I think everyone has had a great month of fun!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's 8am. The kids JUST woke up.
Any other day I would start worrying that they were sick, but after the last few days that we have had I know that they are just exhausted.
I finished wrapped all the gifts yesterday, so today looks to actually be a relaxing Christmas Eve...If you don't count the fact that the one thing on my "to-do" list is clean and organize and purge the kids room to make space for the new belongings that are coming in the next 24 hours....
That, and the fact that Brynn will be dancing two times in the Christmas Eve services at church tonight. We will squeeze dinner in between, probably something super healthy and delicious like McDonald's.
I am not complaining though. I am so grateful to be here in this moment. To be present. To sit with the kids and listen to them chatter about who knows what. To have some time to reflect on the excitement of the upcoming night and morning. To celebrate the birth of the Greatest Gift Ever.

May peace settle your hectic lives.
May joy fill your heart.
May love live in your home.
From my family to yours,
Merry Christmas!

Family Pictures

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the uber talented Melody White we have some purdy new pics
to hang up in our home!

Where All the Dreams Come True...

2011-12-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

Disneyland!!!!!
What a trip! What a great, long, fun, tiring, exhausting, joyful trip. I know it's hard to be all those things, but it really was.
We had the opportunity to go for 4 days, which was intense, but also good because we didn't feel like we had to do EVERYTHING in one day. Of course, just my nature, I wanted to make sure that we did EVERYTHING by the time we left, and even with 4 days we didn't come close.

We piled the kids in the car early Sunday morning, and tried to make them go back to sleep.
It's pretty hard to get 3 very excited kids to go to sleep when they know they are going to go to Disneyland.
No, scratch that.
It's impossible to get 3 very excited kids to go to sleep.
Even if it is 4am in the morning.

The drive down was good. I was so impressed with the kids. They usually have a 35 min drive span. Meaning, after 35 min, they are all whining and wanting out of the car. (We don't travel much, can you tell?) But this time, they did awesome. I didn't have to put on a movie until about 6 hours into it, and that is a record!

Our hotel was great! Free breakfast - a real breakfast, not just pastries and coffee, but waffles, toast, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, coffee and juices! We brought a cooler full of food for lunches, and dinners that I had originally planned to make, but surprise, surprise, the place we stayed also included free dinners! And I am talking, real dinners! Salad bar, pasta, burgers, etc! So, I actually had a bit of a vacation from cooking too! I made our lunches everyday to take into the park, but besides that, I was totally off duty! It was great! (And we saved a ton of money too!) The hotel also had a pool, and free shuttle so we could come and go as we pleased, and swim when we weren't meeting characters and riding rides.

When we stepped into the park on Monday morning, I almost cried. No, for reals, I did. It was so cool to see my kids faces as they looked around! They were amazed at everything! (Brynn later told me - "Mom, when we first walked in, I thought it was just 'ok', but then, when I saw all the rides, and the characters, and all the lights, and all of that, I realized it was going to be really, really fun!")
We spent a considerable time in line waiting to get autographs from all the characters. It was NOT my favorite part of the trip, but since we were there "for the kids" I had to suck it up and smile. Maeve did great with all the characters, and got some hugs from Winnie the Pooh, and was loving it until she met Donald Duck. At one point she reached up to touch his beak, and like the spaz that he is, he made a loud quacking noise and it scared her so badly that she wouldn't even look at any of the other characters. Her all time favorites are Chip and Dale, and she refused to get out of the stroller to see them because of (what we will forever call) the "Donald Duck Incident".

The first ride we went on was Pirates of the Caribbean. It was one of my favorites (until I rode Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones - and those quickly took the lead for best rides). Let's be honest here. I was just as excited to do all the rides as they were. Maybe even more so. Maeve and Nolan came out of that ride crying. Looking back, it might not have been the best choice for the first ride.
We did as many rides as we could, which ended up being almost all of them, because the crowds were not bad at all! I converted my eldest two kids into roller coaster lovers on this trip. I allowed them to try it once, and they were hooked!
And the park was decorated for Christmas!!!! It couldn't have been more beautiful, and magical, and holiday-ish, and wonderful!

We tried to do all the things that people told us were "must do/must see". The fireworks show, the parade, the rides, the hugs from characters. We were also lucky enough to schedule a visit with Katie, my long time friend. If you compared this picture to one from 15 years ago, there wouldn't be much changed. Except we are both married now. And I have had 4 kids. And her hair was blond, and I had no wrinkles, and crooked teeth. But besides all that.....

I was excited to see California Adventure too. I have never been, and heard it was great. It was a lot of fun! Different then Disney - way different- but lots of fun. And my hubs totally gets "Daddy of the Year" award for this photo shot. No joke, he was walking around like that for quite awhile, and got many stares.

Day 2 Nolan came down with a fever, and a random projectile vomit episode. Day 3 we dosed him up with Advil, and made him suffer through. Day 4 he was feeling much better, but Maeve was so tired from everything that she basically slept all day in the stroller.

Cannon enjoyed most of it, but was pretty much done with each day of Disney at around 2pm, and Angry Birds on my iPhone would keep the peace for him for awhile. We just can't ever escape that game.
I have to mention this, cause I think it will be one of those things that the kids look back on and say "Moooooooooom, what was your deal?" I made these identification badges for the kids. I kept thinking that if they got lost, they needed to have something on them so that people could get a hold of us. These things worked like a charm! I got several comments from random people at the park about it being a good idea. The kids just wore them on their belt buckles. I only put the kids first names, our first names, and our cell number. Thankfully we didn't have to use them, although for about 5 heart stopping minutes we lost Cannon. Actually we lost him twice, but the second time was when I almost passed out from adrenaline and fear....(is that one of "those times" that I will look back and laugh? I don't know. It was pretty terrifying...for all of us.)

The drive home was a N.I.G.H.T.M.A.R.E. After getting our bags packed, and checking out of the hotel, we found out that our car battery was dead. We waited around for someone to come help us jump start it, but it added about an hour to the trip home. There were considerably more tears on the drive home. More clenched teeth, more "Can we get out of the car now?" questions. More fighting, more bickering, more crying, more "That's my pillow, don't put your head on it" types of situations....But that's the stuff memories are made of right?

We're back...

2011-12-11T13:16:00.001-08:00

...from an amazing trip to Disneyland.
If I could muster up the energy to tell all about it - I would.
If I could clear off the counter enough to find the camera to download the pics - I would.
If I could figure out what to wear today since my clothes are all still sitting in the garage waiting to be unpacked - I would.

But...I can't, so I won't.
Give me a minute, and a full night of sleep, and a day to figure out how come Christmas is in 13 days and I haven't done all that I need to do yet.
Wow. 13 days.

*anxiety attack*

He's Back...

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our elf is back again this year, and I got word from Santa that he might be a bit mischievous this year. I can already tell that he is going to be trouble...

Standing Man

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Nolan has been standing by himself lately. He likes to stand up, and cheer for himself. He is pretty proud of this little accomplishment!!!

Cleaning the Shower

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

The most dreaded job on my list.
I saw a supposed "works wonders" cleaning tip and I had to try it.
I think I will literally try anything to get that stupid shower clean. (Including hiring someone else to do it!)

The before - don't judge me.
The secret cleaning ingredient -
The "during" -
The after -
The final solution -
Conclusion: It didn't work for me. I sprayed it on, let it sit and work it's "magic" and then scrubbed it off. My doors still look horrible, and I think I created a death trap shower because the floor is soooooo slippery now. Fail!

Tooth Fairy is Gonna Go Broke!

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brynn lost her first two teeth last year, when the dentist had to pull them. This year, in the time span of about a month, she has lost 5 more. In the last two weeks, she has literally pulled out 4.
She is always really excited to put them in her tooth fairy pillow along with a note full of questions for her tooth fairy.
She just told me that her favorite part of losing teeth is getting notes from the tooth fairy.
The tooth fairy has very tiny handwriting.
Very, very tiny.

The going rate for a lost tooth in this house is $1. Let's do the math on this one. Each child will lose 20 teeth. I have 4 kids, which equals 80 teeth. The tooth fairy better start saving up BIG TIME for this season of life....

Notes from #1

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brynn likes to leave little notes for us. Here are two that I have seen or have been handed to me lately:

Ultimate Bed Head

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

You know its been a good nap when you get up and look like this....

Here's the inside scoop on how to achieve such a great look:
Step 1: eat breakfast and smear in hair
Step 2: have mommy hold you over the sink and quickly wipe out all the big pieces
Step 3: eat lunch and smear more food in your hair
Step 4: have mommy try wiping out most with a wet washcloth as she hurries out the door to pick up the other kids from school
Step 5: fall asleep in the car seat
Step 6: have mommy move you to the crib and blissfully sleep for another 2 hours

And there you have it! You follow those steps and you too, can have hair like that!

Grateful

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Banana waffles, strong coffee with Pumpkin Spice creamer, and the list of things we are grateful for is the PERFECT way to start off this year's Turkey Day!

Rich:
I am thankful that my wife gets to stay home and take care of our house and home - cause she does an amazing job.  (Ok - I might have added that last part)
I am thankful to have a home
I am thankful that I have 4 beautiful kids
I am thankful for a beautiful wife (cue stomach butterflies for me)
I am thankful that God has no "last straw"

Brynn:
My family
My home
My toys
My Daddy
My Mom
My brother
My sister
My other brother
Treks
Legos
Clothes
The world

Cannon:
Mom
Dad
My sister
My brother
My dog
My home
People who love me
My toys
God
Our food
Our money
My Family

Maeve:
My mom and dad
And Nolan
And we can play with Nolan
And also we can, uh, ask mom and daddy if we can have milk
And for Treks
And my Mommy's toes
I'm thankyou for the computer and the plates and ceiling (giggle, giggle, giggle)
I'm thankyou for the whole world.  Bye.

Nolan:
My Orange Blanket
Bath time
Food & Milk
My mommy who holds me - all. the. time.
My daddy

Me:
I am thankful for the quiet of the morning
I am thankful that my husband still sees me as beautiful 4 kids and 15 years later
I am thankful for God's renewed grace, strength and peace
I am thankful for an extended family who shows their love in all different sorts of ways
I am thankful for 4 healthy, happy, beautiful kids who still look at me as if I rule the world

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Party

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Nolan's birthday was mellow. The kids were off school, so we just hung out, did the regular stuff and enjoyed our time at home.
We woke him up singing Happy Birthday like we do on birthdays for the kids. He was a little surprised, but seemed to enjoy all the attention.
For breakfast we had banana pancakes, and he ate a few bites, and then threw the rest on the floor for the dog.
We had Mickey D's for lunch.
As a treat.
Because I had survived a trip to the pottery studio with 4 kids who like to touch EVERYTHING.
And because I am lazy.
And because it was rainy.
I baked his cake that night, and he actually watched it in the oven.
I hoped it would turn out ok, cause it was healthy, and sometimes that stuff tastes like crap.
Then the hubs and I celebrated Nolan's birthday by putting the kids to bed early, putting on a movie and falling asleep at a decent hour.
It was perfect!

We had his party on Saturday.
I found these cute invites at the Dollar Tree! (I giraffe stuff!)
The weather was "iffy" all week, but ended up being gorgeous. There was tons of food, and an a-maz-ing cake from Elissa.

I always make a "healthy" cake for the kids for their first birthday. This one was pumpkin.

He seemed to enjoy it...until he had a taste of the one that Elissa made and most likely thought "Who are we kidding here? Give me more of that stuff!"

We opened his gifts after he woke up from a stellar 3 hour nap, and he played with his new toys.

Happy Birthday baby boy!

Happy Birthday Nolan!!!

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Nolan!
I can't believe you are a year! I mean, I can, but I can't. Every day seems to creep by at a snail's pace, but then when I look back, it seems like just a moment ago I was holding you for the first time!
You are a special kid! You pretty much consist solely on bananas and milk right now. Sometimes I can get you to eat some food off of a spoon, but most of the time, you will have nothing to do with those "baby-ish" ways.
You are never far from me. You are just now getting to the point of being content to play on your own. Some days it seems like you exist only to drive your siblings crazy. Its fun to watch Cannon set up his toys,only to have you crawl nearby so he has to pick it all up in a hurry and move someplace else. You crawl around everywhere, and have yet to show any interest in walking, or standing on your own. You and Maeve are best buddies. She makes you laugh so hard! And you make her cry when you pull all the books off the shelf after she is done picking them up.
You are sort of sleeping through the night. Sort of. I don't know if its teething, or the frigid temperatures in our house, or just the fact that you are still learning to self soothe but you cry out several times during the night. Sometimes I have to go and get you and rock you for a minute, but most of the time, you work it out and fall back asleep. You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your orange blanket, and you rub the bindings as you fall asleep.
You have broken more plates than the other kids...combined. I don't know how you manage but we have lost a few due to your habit of dropping them off the side of the highchair. You are the only one of my kids to mess with the knobs on the stove. You reach on the highest tips of your tippy toes to try to grab the stuff that is supposedly out of your reach. Rules are meaningless to you. The strap on the highchair is nothing for your wiggling ways. You have taken tumbles and falls that would freak me out if you were my first. (Honestly, they still do freak me out a little bit!) If its in a basket, you take it out. If its out of a basket, you put it in. If its stacked you destroy it. If its a mess, you spread it out and make it worse. I don't know how many times I have pulled marbles, Lego's, and crayon pieces out of your mouth. Now when you see me coming you just spit them on the floor and crawl away before I can get you. I have caught you pulling all the toilet paper off the roll, and splashing in the toilet too many times. You get stuck underneath chairs, behind doors, and in baskets. You are "that" kid!
My favorite time with you is right before bed. Sometimes if I am lucky you will stop moving for a second and cuddle with me. I love that! You are the one who is constantly on the move, so cuddles with you are few and far between. Sometimes you fall asleep during nursing and I just stare at your little face. I love that little face! Those eyes that are green when everyone else's are blue. Those oh-so-long and amazing eyelashes. That sweet little perfectly formed mouth. I love to watch you sleep. A few times you have laughed out loud in your sleep, and I wonder what in the world you are dreaming about that could be so funny!
You are the kid that makes daddy and I look at each other and know with 100% certainty that we are done having babies. But don't take that in the wrong way....you make us laugh, you make us mad, but most of all, you make us complete!
We love you to the moon and back!
Mommy

Birthday Week

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

I think EVERY birthday should be celebrated for a week long. Especially MY birthday!

This year's birthday started with a total unexpected surprise party. I am, apparently, totally oblivious, and our home team, with Rich organizing it all, pulled off an awesome, heart attack inspiring surprise. Rich managed to get me in the house first, and I let out a terrified scream when I saw a bunch of people standing in my dusky kitchen. I was lit-er-ally about to grab the kids and bolt, thinking that we were all going to be murdered. When they all yelled out "Surprise" I almost burst into tears (and peed my pants). The whole group headed to Chevy's for some yummy dinner, never ending chips and salsa, and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday complete with "the hat".

Elissa made a cake for me, so I was excited to dive into that! I love, love, love her cakes! Love the frosting, love the cake, love everything about them! Everyone sang happy birthday, and I enjoyed the evening devoted to me!
On Tuesday I woke up to a chorus of coughing. Everyone, including the baby has some stage of this cold, but it wasn't going to put a damper on my day. Rich took the kids to his parents, and went to work for me in the kids classroom. Translate: I had the house to myself, for 3 whole hours. It was bliss!
I also scheduled myself a last minute massage, that bordered on painful and left me sore, but I enjoyed that too! After some downtime at the house, Rich and I got to go out to dinner sans kids. Again....perfect!
And then, because it can't end there, we went out Wednesday for a girls night out to paint pottery. A candle was stuck into a cupcake, and it became another birthday celebration for me. Good times, good times.
I feel like this year I had the Best. Birthday. Ever!

Halloween

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Halloween was on Monday this year.
Such a nightmare for the teachers!
Nothing like 30 sugared up little sweaty kids filled with anticipation of an evening of fun!
Ugh.

The kids had fun dressing up for their costume parade at school, and then again for a walk around the neighborhood. Maeve kinda tuckered out after 1.5 hours of walking around, and the other kids were excited to get to Bama and Papas so that they could do the annual candy swap with the cousins.

Gigi and Papa came along for the walk, and I think they enjoyed watching the kids do their thing.
And I had a great time...because I knew that the next day would be...
MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Loving that Swing

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Nolan,
Do you like the swing, or the one-on-one attention that you get from me while you are in it?
I love you baby!

Mommy

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

After the two oldest kids got their fill of pumpkin patches through school field trips, we only had to go once more to get Maeve's pumpkin. Cannon and Brynn each tried to work some sneaky deals that they would just give Maeve their pumpkins in exchange that they got to pick out a bigger better one at the patch. Of course, the answer was "no".

We went after the kids last soccer game (hooray the season is over) with Gigi and Papa and Auntie. It was a fun little outing!

Cute

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

These guys are just so cute!

The "Man's" Way

2011-11-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Some people hire tree cutters to come and trim their trees.
Some people prop ladders up and prune their trees with proper tools.
Then, "other" people climb barefoot on top of their 10 foot arbor and cut with dull pruning shears.
We are those "other" people.

What's the point of a bed...

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

...when all you do is sleep on the floor?

Week of Fieldtrips

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Brynn's class went to the pumpkin patch on Tuesday. I was really excited to go to, since last year I felt like I was MIA to all of her class stuff. I almost didn't make this trip either...but mostly because I got lost on the drive out.
Sometimes Google maps just can't be trusted.
I had a panicked text convo with my sister in law about the whereabouts of the pumpkin patch, and then lost reception on my phone.
Sweet.
When I finally found it, 45 minutes later, I was told that I had been assigned a group of 2nd graders, and since I hadn't been there at the start of the day, other parents had had to take on extra kids in their group. I got the stink eye from several other moms at that point.
Awesome.
So, I gathered my 6 kids, no scratch that, my 4 girls, and tried to stop the nervous sweat from stinking up my outfit.
We rode tractors, dug up potatoes, picked pumpkins, milked the cow (oh, that's right, I was late, and didn't get to see my child participate in that part) pet the donkeys - careful, they bite, ate lunch while being swarmed by yellow jackets, and tasted fresh ice cream made from the cream of the dairy.
I then slunked back to my car, and prayed that Cannon's trip would go oodles and oodles better the next day.

Wednesday I left the house in PLENTY of time to find the patch. I got there a few minutes after the kids unloaded off the bus, and sighed with relief. I was assigned my son, and one other boy to watch for the 2.5 hours that we would be there. And then I lost the other boy.
Yep. Turned around for a second and he was gone. Had to tuck my tail between my legs, and go find the teacher to let her know that in the matter of 5 minutes this kid had somehow disappeared.
I did eventually find him at the top of a hay bale pyramid.

We played in corn husk tee pees, fed chickens, cows, sheep and goats, jumped in a jumpy house, and got lost in the corn maze. It was a pretty cool time - until we had to pick a pumpkin (the size of your head) and the other boy refused. "You sure you don't want one?" I kept asking? "Yup" was all he would answer.
Okay...whatever.
Good times, good times.

A Poem by Brynn

2011-10-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Swinter is winter mixed with summer.
Summer is fun,
because we get to play in the sun.
Winter is fun,
because we get to play in the snow -oh.
Summer is fun,
because we have no school - oo.
I am mad, sitting on my dad.

Beautiful Day at the Beach

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sunny, light winds, friends to splash in the water with, a (failed) attempt at crabbing, dinner around a campfire, roasting marshmallows, and a cozy car to climb into when its too cold to stay outside all make for a beautiful day at the beach.

Carpets Cleaning

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Its been 5 years since we had it done.

I didn't know that it was so bad until we moved the furniture out.

Gag...

Looks soooo much better after a good cleaning!

Clearlake with the Cousins

2011-10-15T07:00:00.001-07:00

Whew. When there are 7 kids running around, it's never quiet. Never.

There was constant chattering, yelling, running, laughing, dancing, and the occasional meltdown during the little weekend getaway.

The adults even had time for chatting around the breakfast table, and refills on their coffee, something that doesn't happen too often.

The weather was perfect, and so everyone spent time at the shore of the lake, either playing in the sand, fishing, kayaking, or chasing ducks.

The ones that fished managed to catch 13 without any bait...miraculous as we have been told.

And when they crashed, they crashed hard. Snoring, and catching zzz's like pros!

Although it was short, it was fun, and hopefully, we will get the opportunity to do it again!

"The Destroyer"

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some ways you know that Nolan has been in the room:

1. An entire roll of toilet paper has been unwound
2. Baskets have been emptied
3. Drawers are open...and emptied
4. Something is broken

and the best way to know that "The Destroyer" (as he has been appropriately nicknamed by the kids) has been in a room...

5. Someone is crying

One month till your 1 year birthday....

Fall Time

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this time of year!

It's harvest time for the vineyards. My dad will disappear from our lives for the next couple of weeks as he works himself to the bone to get all his grapes picked. Then he will sleep for a few days, and all will return to normal.

The apple crop this year has been amazing too! The best in decades as the old farmers will tell you. The apples are huge! They are vibrant in color! They taste delicious, and thankfully, I have as many as I could ever want!

The weather has been hot! The poor kids are stuck in classrooms while the temperatures soar to 90 degrees. Everyone looks to west to see if the fog is coming in soon. The dog just lays around and (if it's even possible) is lazier than usual. The kids are grateful for a scoop of ice cream after dinner on nights like these!

Soccer practices are held in the evening, because we still have light, but the temperature is better to run around in.
Sigh.
I. Love. Fall.

Nolan vs The Peach

2011-10-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Nolan wins every time!
After 5 minutes there is nothing left but a pit! Amazing!

Gymnastics

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

One time, when she was almost 2, I watched Maeve jump from the 4th step on a staircase to the floor and land it perfectly. I think that is when I decided she should try gymnastics.
Of course, in the meantime, I had another kid, so those plans were postponed a bit.
She got to start this last week, and I think that she really liked it.
She is in an interesting phase right now.
A phase where she mostly pretends she is a cat.
Sometimes its a mouse, sometimes a bunny, but mostly a cat.
She meows, purrs, walks on all fours, and will climb on your lap to be "pet".
When she is in this "mood" she will completely ignore your questions, unless they are addressed to her in "kitty cat" form.
It's weird, but then again, she is 3.

Needless to say, when the teacher started the floor warm-ups, she insisted that instead of everyone being a bird, everyone should be a kitty cat. The teacher actually did it!

I think she had a good time, although she says that she isn't going back.
Well, little one, yes you are. For two reasons.
Mommy paid for the month,
and mommy is sick and tired of you balancing on ledges, jumping from furniture and hanging from towel bars.

School Pics

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Cannon's first school picture is....interesting.

Soccer Mom

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

I "officially" became a soccer mom this weekend!
#1 and #2 played in their first official soccer game Saturday morning at 9am.
Nothing like bright and early on our only day off...

Here are some of the game highlights:
Brynn was goalie for the first half. She blocked the first goal attempt. Of course, it was mostly because she just happened to be standing in the way of the kid who tried to kick it in. We had to let her in on the secret that goalies can use their hands to pick up the ball when they need to.

Cannon had an assist. Of course, while dribbling the ball down the field, it got out of his control, so he reached out, used his hands to grab it away from another kid, and kept right on going.

Maeve made friends with a dog. Then I turned around and looked at her and she was SITTING on it. Thankfully the dog was friendly, and very used to kids.

Nolan escaped my grasp one time and crawled out on the field only once. I feel like that is pretty good considering I was (at the same time) cheering for the 2 on the field, and pulling the 3 year old off of the little cocker spaniel.

I don't know exactly which team won. I don't think there was any active scorekeeping going on. But, if I was to guess, I would say my kids team won. (Of course)

10 Months...almost 11

2011-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

How did this month fly by so quickly? Could it be because *cue the sound of singing angels* Nolan is sleeping through the night????
Why, yes, I think it could be!
I guess, technically he isn't fully sleeping through the night, but we no longer go get him, and he gets to cry it out in the crib until his 6am feeding. I put him down around 8pm, and don't have to feed again until 6am. What I do in between those 10 hours is sleep. Usually.

Nolan now eats only what we eat.
It causes some problems though, since he tends to shove it in faster than he can chew it, which results in gagging, some awful noises, and food "re-appearing". Then, 2 of the 3 other kids start to gag, and usually have to turn away before their food "re-appears". Its lots of fun.
But, he refuses to eat baby food. Literally bats away any spoon from his face, and won't open his mouth unless it's his fist shoving food in.
When his tray on the highchair is empty, he grunts and pounds his fist on the table, as a signal that he is ready for more.
It's comical...if you are raising a neanderthals.

He takes 2 naps a day, and I really love it when its time to get him up. He is smiley, and easy going, when he is well rested. I love the way that when I pick him up from his crib he automatically tries to bear hug me with his arms and legs so that I won't put him down. Thankfully my back can handle the extra weight for a while longer.

He has taken some spills, mostly down the 2 steps into the garage, but besides tears, no harm done. He loves to play with the kids, and they still love him. Actually, adore him. There is nothing better then hearing him laugh because of the silly antics of his siblings.

He stood alone for a brief second...when Rich set him down, and let go. But that is as far as it has progressed.

I definitely love this little mans smile, and definitely dread his tears.

Maeve's Type of Guy

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Mommy - isn't he handsome?"

I guess we know what kind of guy she digs!
I mean, who wouldn't like a man in uniform..
with a sweet hair do'...
and weird looking hands?

2011 Neighborhood BBQ

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love our annual neighborhood picnic.
We share yummy food, we catch up on a years worth of happenings, we watch the kids run around and play, blowing bubbles and drawing sidewalk chalk pictures over then entire court.
We hand off the babies to the eager teenagers who want to hold them and play with them.
We wave to people driving by, yelling out "hello!" and the occasional "CAR!" when one pulls into the court.
We eat more yummy food, share recipes, and neighborhood gossip.
We pick up the kids that fall down, discuss local schools, most desired teachers, newest pregnancies.
We roast marshmallows. We caution kids not to run while carrying sticks. We enjoy a beautiful evening, one of the last ones of the summer most likely.
Then when the 5 year old trips on the curb, and slams face first into a parked car, we pack up our gear and head on home.
Good times, good times.

Baseball

2011-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

A group of guys from church invited Rich to an A's game on Sunday. He was pretty excited to go, but had a few regrets that he was leaving me behind to take care of a bunch of stuff throughout the day by myself. Not enough regrets to stay however, but just enough to feel bad...
As they were about to leave, one more ticket became available, and so Cannon got to go too!
Like any good wife and mom would, I sent them away with a packed lunch, lots of drinks, some sunblock, hand sanitizer, and made sure Rich knew what Cannon was wearing in case they got separated and he had to describe what Cannon was last seen wearing. Morbid, I know.
Apparently they had a great time. Their seats were really good, the weather was amazing, and the game didn't last so long that Cannon could get bored.
I sent the camera with them, and it came home with some interesting pictures. I have a feeling Cannon might have gotten a hold of the camera.

A chair... and
A closeup shot of some people we don't know...

Making friends with the usher/aisle guy/person that walks around yelling "popcorn, peanuts, cold beer", resulted in a temporary tattoo on Cannon's cheek, and a shirt, and a ball directly out of the ball pen.
Direct Quote from Cannon: The best part was me getting the baseball. And also the best part was spending the time with the boys...and stuff.

Help Yourself!

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well hello there little man!
Make yourself right at home!
Help yourself to whatever you need.
Funny little man!

Birthday Party

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our friend Ben turned 30 (finally!) and his wife arranged a cool "Grease" themed surprise party for him. Part of the party was to have pictures taken out by fully restored truck. It was a great idea, and the party was lots and lots and lots of fun!!!

Tooth

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Brynn lost a tooth at dinner the other day.
Thankfully she didnt swallow it.
I love the gaping hole in her smile now!

Wonderfall

2011-09-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Every year I invite a group of friends out to my parents orchard for apple picking, dirt playing, playground swinging, tractor riding good times.
This year was no exception.

The tractor rides were a highlight for all the kids. My dad always does a really good job of "teaching" as he drives. He stops the tractor, and shows different kinds of apples, and answers questions in the best ways!

When we had kids, my parents invested in one of those great play structures and put it up under a canopy of trees and it is the perfect play spot!

All the kids were able to pick some apples, and take them home. I always get such a great response from moms after the day is over. But, I don't really do it for that reason. I do it for this one....

Weekend Project

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

At a garage sale a few weekends ago, Rich and I picked up this beauty. He was pretty excited about it, and hoping that the kids would love playing with the puppets as much as he does.

Unfortunately they didn't.

I had hoped that it wouldn't just sit in our garage taking up space looking like a sad castoff from the 90's. I asked if I could paint it, but he was pretty opposed to the idea. He thought the decorations on it added to its "charm".

I finally convinced him that I could do it, and make it look cute too. So when we decided to get rid of it, I got permission to update it so that we could possibly earn a little bit of money from the sale.

It started out like this.
A little sad right? It was lovingly painted for some family in the 90's, and I totally respect the time and effort that someone put into the detail of the work.
It was solidly made too!
My first attempt at a color match to the fabric for the new curtains was a total fail. Under the fluorescent lights at Home Depot they matched...but once out in natural light it became very clear that I had not done well this time.
I have been using Rustoleum primer lately, and really loving it. It's expensive, but it works really well. After sanding and filling some holes and dings on the surface, I started priming the theatre.
A coat of primer made all the difference in the world!
After I finally found the right color green (Green Apple - Rustoleum) I painted everything except the shelves. I sewed the curtains (to short the first time - my seam ripper is a well used instrument) and it started to come together nicely!
I also used chalkboard paint for the first time. It was...interesting. Mostly because the roller I bought was so cheap that it kept dropping off of the handle onto the tarp, and collecting dirt. I returned it after I was done.
The last few details of spray painting the curtain rod white, and some ric-rac tie-backs helped finish off the project.
I think it came out really well, and am now attempting to sell it. It can be used for so many things! A puppet theatre, a shelf, a lemonade stand, a little store front for the pretend grocery store, even a TV stand if need be!
I love, love, love working with my hands on this kind of stuff! I really hope to do more projects like this!

Garage Makeover

2011-09-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

Our garage has been a constant project since we moved in.
I loved parking my car in it, but eventually gave that up so that the kids could play.
Then, we went for it, and sheet rocked and insulated the whole thing.
We even painted....

I got a craft area for my own use, and the kids got a play area for their use!
We picked up a couch, and got some free carpet, and it's finally feeling like a cozy play room.
It's been a fun transformation, but I still feel like it's not quite right. I would like to do a few more organizational things, but Rich is convinced the I have a "bin habit" and he doesn't really support it. I might just have to do it, and then when he sees how great it looks he will be won over to the "dark side"...

Here is a photo journey of the transformation....the never ending, ongoing transformation!

Chaos, clutter, and kid stuff....everywhere.

Getting closer to done. Still lots of evidence of our kids...

My crafting area all done. Organized, and ready for some serious sewing, and crafts!

Our new living space...being well used! The couch is comfy, and the kids love having a carpet piece for to make it comfy for all the Lego play!

I am thinking a few pillows on the couch, and a few more bins on the shelf....I just might be done.
Maybe....

9/11/11

2011-09-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
It is a day to remember.
I was always amazed when my parents said they could remember exactly where they were, and what they were doing when Kennedy was shot.
But now I understand.
Because I remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing when I heard.
My alarm woke me up, and instead of peppy music, it was the shocked voice of the radio DJ announcing that something terrible had happened in New York. And then Washington.
It was the first time in my life that my safe little bubble of a world was rocked.
I was an entire continent away from the devastation, but I felt like it was right outside my living room window.

I sat and watched the news for days.
I watched the planes hit.
I watched the buildings crumble.
I watched people scream and run.
I watched people jump out.
I watched the list of missing persons grow, and grow, and grow.
And I cried.

A few months later, when it was announced that we would go to war to fight back against the evil, I remember feeling very, very afraid.
For the first time, my friends, who had signed up for the Marines, the Army, or the Coast Guard for the great money, were faced with the fact that they might have to go and sacrifice their lives for the country.
And some of them did.
And some of them came home, broken, missing parts of themselves, or their friends, their dreams filled with nightmares.

And I admit, I don't think about it that often.
I surely don't think about it as much as parents, spouses and children who lost someone on that day.
Or parents, spouses or children who wait every night to hear from the soldier that they have prayed for all day.

But today, I will think about it.
I will pray.
I will think about heaven and perfect peace.
And I will hug my little ones extra long.
And hold hands with my husband because I can.
Because today is a day to remember.

A Most Perfect Day

2011-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

We had one of those perfect days on Saturday.
You know the kind?
Where it all seems to go right.
Where the weather is not too hot, and not too cold.
Where there is more laughter than fights.
When the kids are willing to cooperate, and don't complain.
Where there are enough snacks in the cupboard so that there is no negotiating for the "good ones".
Where you find the good deals at the garage sales.
Where you play baseball on the front lawn and frisbee in the street, and everyone has a good time.
Where you get to hold hands with your hubby just because you want to.
Where a dinner that could have been really bad, turns out really, really, good.
And where you get to eat that dinner outside so the spills and dropped food don't matter.
And then after dinner, you get to watch your kids enjoy roasting marshmallows...and eat a few yourself.
A day full of giggles, hugs, play, laughter, and family.
One of those kind of good days.

9 months

2011-08-19T07:00:00.001-07:00

Nollie Pollie is 9 months now. He is crawling all over, and pulling himself to standing along the furniture. He has popped out 3 teeth on top, and I would love to never have to live through that week again.

Here is a sample of our daily routine:
8am: wake up, nurse
10am: snack, (or 2nd breakfast as we call it)
10:30am: change clothes, and nap
12:30: lunch
1pm: change clothes again (usually after a quick bath to get all the food off)
1:30-3:00: pick up various kids from school
3:00: nurse and nap
6:00: dinner
8:00: bedtime

I wish that I could say that I am FINALLY getting a full nights sleep, but so far its still not true. He will wake up usually once, but sometimes twice during the night. I am so. over. it.

We started letting him cry it out during nap times, and even if he wakes up at night more than his normal 2 times. I find that I grit my teeth a lot less now that I am not holding a squirming kid as he fights sleep.

He still eats stage 3 baby food, but really likes feeding himself, and I like a little bit of freedom from spoon feeding him as well. And he eats...a lot. At his last appt he weighed in at 19.9 lbs. And his stats were 75% for height and 50% for weight. I was surprised on the weight thing. We are constantly told what a big kid he is, but to see that in the percentiles he is average is a little surprising.

His favorite things to do right now are to go up steps. He can't go down, so he sits at the top, and pats his hand on the threshold and waits for someone to come and get him. He only does this because he has tumbled down them enough times to learn his lesson. Smart kid, I know.

The kids still love him, although when Maeve plays with him, she gets this crazy look in her eye, and she grits her teeth as she yells right in his face. We think this is normal? The good thing is that he doesn't seem to mind...

Caveman Camping

2011-08-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogger: Rich (aka - Daddy)

I've done a couple of daddy dates with Brynn over the last year, and wanted to do something special for Cannon (and not have to call it a "date"- cause that's weird). Needless to say the girls didn't think this was fair, but we went anyways. Originally I planed on taking him to Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp, which was a half mile hike. Though it was a short jot we were prepped with all the essentials for backpacking. But when we arrived, to my disappointment, the park was closed due to lack of funding. Along the drive I noticed another "Environmental Camp" so we thought we'd try our luck. Their were only 11 sites, and they were all full. As we walked back to the car, I was racking my brain as to what we should do next, for it was now approaching dinnertime, and we had no where to go. Just as we were leaving I ran into a friend from church who said they had camped last night and were planning to leave soon. What a relief.
Before doing anything, we abandoned all responsibilities and hiked down to the river. We spent an hour or so skipping rocks and talking about super heroes. What an amazing part of the river. Not much seaweed, very clear water, and very wide. A great place to swim, fish, or collect rocks.
Though we were geared up for backpacking, the hike was only about 20-30 yards from our car. It was nice to not have to unload a lot of gear though. I had camp set up and dinner made in about an hour.
I had Cannon gather and sharpen our sticks for the hot dog roast. Several times the sticks just "happened to break", so he got to do a lot of sharpening. (Mommy here - What the heck where you thinking giving a 5 year old boy a leatherman knife?!?)

It was kind of a gross dinner, but the marshmallows and hot chocolate redeemed the meal. (Mommy again - *gag*, gross is an understatement).

After dinner we sat at the fire and I began my Pokemon training. Cannon brought his Pokemon cards and Pokemon ultimate handbook. I was instructed on the ways of the Pokemon legendary until the night closed in. By the end of the night I was only two pages away from achieving Legendary status (an honor I was sure I could achieve the following morning). But somehow when we awoke the next day, I still had a 100 pages to go. This is not a task for the faint of heart.
Our morning was a quick fire and oatmeal. Our bags were packed and we had left by 8:30 to be back in time for church.

I love this little guy. A lot of times I fail as a dad. For some reason I become like a child and antagonize him. I don't always love him like he deserves. I wanted to get away treat him like my son. I wanted it to be about just me and him, and not his brother and sisters as well. I wanted him to know that I love him individually, and not just as part of the group I call my kids. And I really do. He is the greatest little boy a dad could ever dream to have. I look forward to many more trips with my son. (Mommy here again - sniff, sniff, wiping my eyes, loving my hubby with even more of my already full heart!!!)

First Day of School

2011-08-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 16th

9am: Me - not ready for summer to be over
11am: Fighting starts, questions about watching TV, "there is nothing to do..." complaints flying at me right and left
11:30am: Me -ready for summer to end
3pm: Kids - fighting, bickering, causing trouble, etc
3:30pm: Me - praying for patience
6pm: Cannon - immature 30 min temper tantrum over something stupid
6:30pm: Me - "not going to miss this part of having him home"
6:45: Me- trying to salvage the rest of the evening, with a special treat made just for the kids....
8:25pm: All kids in bed, quiet house, and second thoughts about wanting summer to end
8:29pm: Fight breaks out in bedroom, #3 comes out for another ice pack and baby is crying in crib....
8:30pm: Me - ready for summer to be over

Wed August 17th

6am: Me and hubs up and ready to start day
8am: On our way to school...no parking, will walk the path with the cousins instead
8:30am: Prying my daughters hands off of my arm, finger by finger, pushing her into line, and wishing her good luck
8:35am: Introducing Cannon to his new teachers (2 this year), and sitting through a painfully long kindergarten orientation as he showed me every single "station" in his classroom
11:00am: End of day 1 for Cannon
2:35pm: Pick up Brynn with the 3 others in tow
6:00pm: Dinner with the cousins to celebrate the first day of school...and the fact that EVERYONE survived

Happenings

2011-08-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

School starts tomorrow.
I have been avoiding the thought, but its inevitable. Tomorrow morning I will rouse my sleepy children, feed them, clothe them, dress them, and drop them off into the care of someone else for 7 hours.
I will then come home, and pray for them.
Pray that they make good friends this year.
Pray that they have a wonderful year in school.
Pray that they don't get hurt..physically or emotionally.
Pray that my older one will learn to love to read, and my younger one will learn that he has lots more to learn.

But in the meantime, here is what we have done for the last couple of weeks:
I have "officially finished" my craft station, and use it almost daily. Its a place of refreshment for me. A place for me to be creative, and get stuff done. Its been wonderful!
I finished a project that has been on my list for literally, years. A growth chart. Its nothing fancy, but I wanted something that can go with us if we ever move, and it meets our needs perfectly.
Although this is basically the only project that I finished this summer, it has been a summer full of great fun. One of the kids favorite things to do (which is not mine), is building these insane forts using every blanket, pillow, etc in our entire house. Here is a recent one.
One of the things I think I will miss the most about the school year starting are the days that the kids spend in jammies. There were quite evenings that Rich came home from work to find the kids still in their pj's. I couldn't tell from the expression on his face if he was surprised or just plain jealous that they managed to go through an entire day of playing without changing their clothing.....
Good bye summer...We will miss you!

Fair Time

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ah....
The fair.
Words can't describe how much I love it, and hate it all in the same breath.
This year there were rides to be too short for, animals to pet, pets to imagine, gadgets to dream about, flowers to admire, and photo booths to shove ourselves in.
And, as usual, we did it all!

Dancing Queen

2011-08-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

She is getting taller and taller...and her personality seems to be growing by leaps and bounds too! She will be the queen bee at home soon when bro and sis are at school all day. Its an exciting time for her...and me!

Summer is a Fadin'

2011-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sniff sniff.
Summer is almost done.
10 more days until school starts.
Cannon already has his room and teacher assignment for Kindergarten.
His backpack is picked out, and all ready to go.

My little buddy is going to be leaving me for the day....

I am interested to see what Maeve is going to be like during the day without big bro directing her in every task. Will she thrive with the freedom, or just mope around and be bored?

Excited and nervous about this whole set of "firsts".

Toys R Us

2011-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had our annual garage sale a few weeks ago. The kids were awesome about going through their toys and getting rid of the ones that they were done with. Cannon basically discarded about 1/2 of his toys, and Brynn willingly went through her stuff as well. Maeve even got into the spirit and donated a few of her thing to the sale as well.
As the toys sold, the kids watched quarter being dropped into their bags and dreamed of the new toys that they would buy.
We took them to Toys R U to pick out whatever they wanted (and could afford with their new earnings). This, by the way, is their first experience with the massive store!

The girls eyed every aisle before deciding on things, and Cannon was set on what he wanted before we were out of the car. Typical.

I was proud of my kids. Proud that they could willingly give up the thing that they don't use. Proud that they didn't demand a lot of me at the amazing Toys R Us store. Proud that they didn't spend all they had on the first trip. Proud that when we asked them to put some in the offering they were more than willing to do so.

Maeve came home with a doll and some some sunglasses. Cannon came home with a new beyblade (just google it...) and a Lego set. And Brynn came home with....a beyblade too. Random, but perfect none-the-less.

Nolan just survived trip in the stroller.

Big Cup of Chocolate

2011-08-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

My my Maeve.
That is a big cup "o" hot chocolate!
You go right ahead and enjoy every last drop!

Camping

2011-08-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

7 couples
3 infants
4 kids under the age of 7
and one very pregnant soon to be mama made for an interesting weekend of camping.

Not to mention the campground was hosting a Pomo Indian festival complete with tribal dancing all day Saturday.... this trip was one to remember!

It was a short 20 minute drive to the campground, and when we got there, Maeve sat in the car and pouted because she didn't have her "cute" shoes.

It took awhile (it ALWAYS takes awhile) to set up our site. The kids helped while Nolan hung out in the pack and play.

Although the campground was not my favorite, the river was amazing!!!
Brynn and Cannon and I hiked up the river a bit and floated down, while Rich, Maeve and Nolan played on a cute little beach. It made for perfect afternoons!

Back at the campsite, Cannon put on a "gun" show for our friends. That kid cracks me up!

We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. I have wanted to try this for awhile, and decided this trip was as good a time as any. I roasted Peeps. I thought they were amazing, but no on else did.....
And of course, no trip is complete without an obligatory "camping potty" picture!!!

Crafty Nook

2011-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Nolan's room finally is finished.
When I say "finished" I mean that I finally moved my craft table, sewing machine, material, etc, out of his room.
It was getting a little ridiculous. I mean, the kid is crawling now, and a sharp pair of scissors in a sewing basket are not the best toy...
So I moved the table out to the garage to my new "craft nook".
Rich gladly gave up a small part of our newly sheet rocked, textured and painted garage for a little workstation for me. I couldn't be more grateful!

I bought a shelf that had seen better days, and used 6 cans of spray paint to transform it from white and green crackle (yeah, crackle paint) finish to a soft yellow and white. The hubs told me to hang a curtain, so I went for it! I also found the perfect table at a local thrift store.

I haven't finished organizing my shelf yet (funding ran out...have to wait until next month when the money tree blooms again) but its a much anticipated upcoming activity.

So, I finally have a small little nook in our small little house for my small little habit of crafting.
*Sigh*

Ready, Set...

2011-07-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Crawl!
He is crawling!!!
Guard your hotwheels, and power cords! The little guy is on the move!

Funny Boys

2011-07-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

These boys make me laugh! From their conversations, to their play, to the way that they interact with each other, there is never a dull moment when they are together!

Bath Fun

2011-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Bath time has got to be a favorite in this house! My kids love, love, love the bath!

Kinda reminds me of these two!!!

Movie Fun

2011-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

The arrival of Cars 2 in the theatre has been long awaited in this house!
We were online one day looking at the characters from the movie, and saw that a second one would be coming out.
That was a year ago.
He pretty much has asked weekly since then, when we would be seeing the movie.
Its been a loooooonnng year.

Thankfully, since most of what the kids watch on TV is netflix episodes, they didn't know exactly when it was coming out and Rich and I were able to surprise them with an entire day devoted to Cars.
Breakfast started out with Cars cereal (which turned out to be red and white cheerios) and a little gift that I picked up for each one at Target. The gifts were 3 of the movie characters, and thank goodness Maeve opened up the girl one otherwise the whole meal could have been ruined.....

They spent the morning playing with their new cars, and then went to the beach with uncle and the cousins - nothing to do with Cars, but fun none-the-less.
Then we surprised them with the movie, complete with the cousins! Brynn actually guessed where we were going about 2 minutes before we got there. She is pretty good at that, and also HATES not knowing what is going on. (She totally gets that from her dad.)

While we waited for the movie to start, I handed out the Cars gummy snacks that I had picked up specially for the movie.

The family took up almost an entire row, and we didn't even bring #3 and #4!
I happened to look over at Rich at one point and he WAS SLEEPING, so I tried to snap a picture of him, but it didn't come out too well. That absolutely made the movie for me! It was pretty funny!
All in all, it was a really fun day! In hindsight, we should have planned dinner with the cousins, since that is the first question they asked when the lights in the theatre came back on, but besides that, I think they had a great day!

8 months

2011-07-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

Wow, this last month actually flew by!
Nolan is now 8 months.
He gave us a few good nights of 8 hours continuous sleep, and then he started getting his top tooth.
That just threw us back into a horrid sleep routine.
He has been napping 2 times a day, or one really long nap, and one short one (usually in my arms).

He weighs 19 lbs. I know this because he somersaulted off the bed the other week and I had to take him to the doctor because I didn't think he was using his right arm as much as he usually does.
Turns out he is fine..no broken bones, maybe a little sore and bruised but that is it.
Its amazing what piece of mind a $60 doctor apt can give.

Some "firsts" this month:
Stage 2 baby food
Eating strawberries through the little strainer thingy
Scooting backwards (but not forwards yet)
Playing with more sounds "da-da", "ma-ma", "ba-ba"
Camping with the cousins
Sleeping through fireworks show
..and of course the tumble off the bed.
(which I will not treasure in my heart forever....)

He loves, loves, loves swimming, and eats most foods, except green peas. Still can't sneak those in anything for him.

He is still needy, still looks for me across the room, and tends to cry more than the others. Could be just his personality, or could be the fact that he has learned that the squeaky wheel gets the grease...especially in this family of 6!

And just for kicks, here is an 8th month photo comparison of the kids:

Brynn
Cannon
Maeve

They are each so different in looks....and personality!

Playing Together

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love this view....

VBS 2011

2011-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was Pandamonium at church this last week. 275 kids showed up and a very patient, amazing group of adults supervised them for 3 hours every day while they played, sang, crafted, and learned more and more about how much God loves them! It was a great vacation bible school week!

I thanked each of my kids teachers today when I picked them up. I could not have handled the chaos of the week. Man, I can't even handle the chaos of my own 4, let alone 275.....
Anyways, the kids had a blast, the weather was perfect, and I had a week of mornings with just Nolan. Don't be jealous...he is my most difficult, so it wasn't like I was just kicking back with my feet up catching up on all my Netflix que....

* All I wanted was to snap a picture of the kids on their last day of VBS. For whatever reason, Brynn refused to smile, and Maeve just looks miserable. Ahhhh. Memories.

3rd & 4th of July

2011-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

We did stuff differently this year.
Usually, we go out on the 3rd and watch the fireworks.
This year, well, lets face it, it wasn't gonna happen.
I have 4 kids.
I am tired, and I just didn't get my act together to get it all done.
So, instead, we had a yummy BBQ with some friends, swam 'till dark, ate homemade ice cream, and were asleep by 10pm.

On the 4th Rich always picks up the on-call shift, and the same was true this year.
I packed up the kids, and their stuff (a huge bag of stuff - for 6 hours away from the the house), and we went to the cousins house for BBQ. We had a yummy dinner, courtesy of church leftovers, and spent the evening outside enjoying the perfect temperature. The kids played, swam, and just had a great time. Rich stopped in and ate, and then had to leave and rescue some poor sucker who lost his keys in the river.

We got the kids all in their jammies and drove to a street where we could just park, and watch the fireworks at the fairgrounds from inside the car. That was a dream come true for me - especially when I looked back and saw that #4, and #3 had fallen sound asleep on the drive.

It was a little lonely not having hubby with me, but the kids chattered the whole time about how great the fireworks were, which one was their favorite, and how they would do it "if they were in charge", and its always fun to share these kinds of experiences with them. They watched most of the show through the sunroof of the van, while Maeve and Nolan snored in the back.

Swim Party

2011-07-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Brynn wanted a swim party for her birthday this year.

Uhm, we don't have a pool, well, not a "real" pool anyways.
Always aiming to please, we had her party at the local pool.

It was just us..... and 289 other local residents.

The kids had a blast. They went down the water slide, and "frolicked" under the water features.

This was definitely the easiest party that I have ever done. I literally didn't have to do anything except bake and decorate a few cupcakes, and make a few goody bags. I made sure each kid had an adult there who was responsible for them, and called it a day. Besides the fact that the swim center was filled to max capacity, and I did watch a small child throw up on the side of the pool, it was a great day. My kids fell asleep before their heads hit their pillows, and I did a happy dance because I didn't have to clean my house.

Happy 7th Birthday

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Brynn's 7th birthday.
Its a big deal for her. She gets to wear dangle earrings.
Sweet, simple joys of turning 7.

She is growing like a weed. Every time I look at her she seems taller.
Her summer freckles are back, and she even has a little bit of a tan this year.
Strangers still stop her and compliment her on her amazingly blue eyes.

She loves a good joke, and is getting a sense of humor that resembles her dads....a lot.
She is spacey and dreamy, also traits like her dad.
She loves to carry around Nolan, loves to dress up with Maeve, and can build Lego's with Cannon like nobodies business.

Happy birthday to my Brynn!

*Side note: tomorrow also marks the 7 year anniversary of me not getting a full night sleep....nice.

Family (minus 1) Pics

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

My gift for Rich on Fathers Day was a picture of me and the kids. Melody took them, and as usual she did amazing!

And these cute faces now hang in my hallway.

Brynn (7)

Cannon (5)

Maeve (3)

Nolan (6 months)

*All photos courtesy of Melody White Studios

Cousin Campout 2011

2011-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

This trip was dubbed "Cousin Campout 2011", and it was 4 days of sweating in the heat, pool swimming, tent sleeping, marshmallow roasting, kids running rampant, wild animal spotting fun.
Here are some "highlights" of the trip:
Rich and I spent 2 hours trying to put up a tent that we had no instructions for, only to have to take it down again when it was decided that there was a better campsite to be had. (Bummer)
It was about 100 degrees while we were doing the aforementioned set up. (Bummer)
*But that is neither here nor there*
My nephew fell into a fire pit that had some still hot coals under a layer of ash. (Bummer)
Thankfully his hand, although covered in burns, didn't ruin the trip for him. (Yeah!)
6 of the 7 kids slept in a gigantic tent (same one that had no instructions for set up) and they did amazing! (Yeah!)
We swam all. day. long. in the pool. Literally changed out of pj's into swim suits, and then back into pj's again when it got dark and the mosquitoes were thick as fog and feasting on all the kids. (Yeah & Bummer)
Brynn learned how to dive. (Yeah!)
The cousins played, and played, and played, and played, and never really seemed to get sick of each other. (Yeah!)
Maeve was more than willing to strip down to go camping potty. I think we are moving in the right direction of potty training...(Yeah!)
There were two incidences of "Help, my hair is caught in the zipper of the tent", and both were resolved without scissors. (Yeah!)
With generous application of 100 SPF sunscreen, my kids managed to go the entire trip without getting sunburned. (Yeah!)
We managed to pack up, swim, eat lunch at the pool, and start our drive home with only #3 putting up a fuss about leaving. (Yeah!)
A new s'mores recipe was discovered. Graham cracker, marshmallow, nutella, and sliced banana is now the preferred way to eat sweets while camping. (Yeah!)
And, since no one else will say it: A special thanks to the two hard working moms who made this trip possible with their cooking, cleaning, packing and planning.

The Cousin Campout 2011 Group shot.

Fathers Day 2011

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

The kids excitement for Fathers Day this year made the day for Rich. He was appreciative of all the little things that we did for him, and I think it was his favorite one yet.
Our day "all about Dad" included

Gifts in the morning,
Doughnuts for breakfast,
Church with the family,
A surprise bike ride for Rich and his brother,
BBQ pizza dinner with the extended family,
and time spent enjoying and honoring the dads.

Q & A

2011-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today's Question:
How does one get bicycle chain grease off the body of a 3 year old?

Answer:
Hot water, rough washcloth, entire bar of soap, and a lot of hard scrubbing.

7 Months

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

We have made it 7 months.
I feel like I should get an award.
Seriously.

He still prefers my arms to the floor.
He eats baby food and rice cereal or oatmeal at lunch and dinner now, but somehow that hasn't given me much of a break with nursing....not sure how that is happening.
He goes to bed around 8:30pm, but then is up again around 12am, and then again at 4am.
And then the other kids are getting up at 6am....cause its summer and it makes a TON of sense to be up early when we DON'T have to be at school.

Nolan isn't crawling yet, but does manage to roll his way into some funny places. He sits fine by himself, and does enjoy emptying out his toy basket in his room.

He always has a smile for me. Rich is really convinced that he says "mama", and I want to believe its true, but I know that its probably not, considering he says "mamamamama" all the time.

Thank goodness that I love this little one to pieces!

First Injury of the Summer

2011-06-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Cannon on the swing + Maeve not paying attention + Tile patio = Split lip, chipped tooth, bruised chin and a whole lot of blood.

Smile

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I heard two little feet running down the hall.
They stopped outside of the door to the bedroom.
I looked up and a little hand was holding out a flower for me.
"For you Mommy" she said.
Then she ran outside again.

A few minutes late I heard her running back again.
She had another one for me, along with a little cheeky smile.
"Here's another one Mommy".

A minute later she was back.
One more flower in her hand.
"I love you Mommy."

Oh sweet Maeve....I love you too!!!

Swim Lessons

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well hello summer!
Its nice to see you again...finally!
I am glad that you showed up this week.
Just in time for swim lessons!

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-06-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Chubby baby hands.....
Goggles in the bathtub....
Kids falling asleep during car rides....

Daddy dates....
Bacon....
Naked buns after pool time....

Sleepy Girl

2011-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Maeve is one of the most dramatic, daring, crazy kids that I have. She pushes the limits, and is the one who is constantly jumping off of furniture, dressing up in absurd outfits, and getting her way by flashing her little impish grin. She is also the only one of my children that will find a sunny spot in the house and fall asleep if she is tired. I found her in the rocker in Nolan's room the other day. Such a sweet squishy face when she is sleeping!

The "Not-So-Great" Start of Summer

2011-06-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Round 2 of the 5 day stomach flu is in full swing at our place. Cannon is the lucky winner this time. So far his bedding, clothing, and almost all things fabric (towels, robe, rug, shower curtain) in my bathroom have been casualties of today. My washer has been spinning non stop, my dryer too. I am sick of this stupid flu.

It has put a huge damper on all of our planned weekend activities! I had the kids annual photo appointment scheduled for this morning, (Cannon would have puked all over the backdrop), and we will be missing his preschool graduation tonight. I am more sad about this than he is. I was really looking forward to it, but I am sure that no one wants us there.
We have (or should I say "had") a wedding on the books for tomorrow that is looking like we won't be there, and a birthday party on Sunday that is also fading from reality.

Brynn's last day of school was yesterday. I imagined myself greeting her with flowers, a big hug, and maybe even taking the kids out to get a yummy cupcake or treat. Instead I was late picking her up, had to park super far away, run to get her, throw her in the car, and race home for fear that Cannon would get sick in the car. It was not the happy day that I had imagined.

My hubby sent me out of the house for a bit and I went to Target to buy fun things like diapers, and rice cereal and an electric pencil sharpener. I found out that sharpening pencils was actually pretty therapeutic to my frayed nerves, and was happy with my purchase until it broke halfway through my obsessive sharpening of the kids color pencil bucket. *sigh*

Pity party at my place....

PS - Antibiotics and Nolan's tummy are not mixing well. Poopy diapers and fussy baby. 'Nuff said.

May Happenings

2011-05-31T19:50:00.001-07:00

Here's a summary of our month:

2 sucessful birthday parties for my May babies.

Maeve experienced her first bout of the stomach flu. She had it FOR-EV-ER!!! 5 days to be exact. And in those 5 days, she threw up 4 times. Sounds pretty nice right? Well, she literally threw up every 24 hours, so I would get my hopes up that she was all better, plan out my activities for the day, and then she would barf. I was housebound for 5 days. I cleaned out a bunch of closets, organized a bunch of paperwork, and even attacked my sewing pile. (Trying to see the silver lining here...)

During that time I was desperate for a book to read. So when I went to a garage sale this last Saturday and found a bunch of (10 to be exact) books from an author that I am enjoying right now for 50 cents apiece, I bought them all. I am pretty much set for the next few months with reading.

But to be realistic, I am too tired to read. I haven't been sleeping much, due to a little guy who has been a fussy baby for the last 2 weeks. I couldn't figure it out, thought maybe he was having a growth spurt, new teeth coming in, etc, until I was cleaning out his ears and smelled a stench that I can only describe as stinky socks-combined with laundry left in the washer too long-combined with toe jam. It stunk. I cleaned out his ear with some witch hazel, thinking maybe he had spit up while sleeping. I finally called the doc and brought him in. The doc assumed that it was an ear infection that had started draining, but I assured him that nothing had actually come out of his ear. The doc had to clear out some wax to see his eardrum, and as he was doing it, he apparently cleared the plug holding back the draining fluid and the horrific smell. The whole office stunk. I felt horrible! Poor kid has had an ear infection for who knows how long, and the only reason that I paid attention is because of a funky smell?!?! Sad. The doc did say that he was one of the happiest babies with an ear infection that he had ever seen. Nolan even giggled as he was cleaning out the wax, and apparently that doesn't happen too often either!

I made my last school lunch for the year! 2 more half days, and we are in the clear for summer!

Cannon also finished preschool today. I can't wait for the graduation ceremony on Friday!

I am soooooo ready to tackle summer! I am brainstorming ideas to do with the kids, and can't wait until days in the pool and nights of roasted marshmallows!
*sigh*

Nolan's Dedication

2011-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

We dedicated Nolan at church a few Sundays ago. The pastor charged us to commit to raise our children in the church, to pray for them constantly, and trust God as they grow. We have done it with all the kids, but this time, we got a really sweet gift basket after the event. Being a parent is hard, but knowing that we have support from our friends and family, and our church really help relieve some of the stress.

Pretty in Pink

2011-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I think this is one of the reasons that I love this little one so much....

Dress up, crown, and a good book! It's what every girl wants!

Princess Party

2011-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Maeve!!!
When you woke up this morning, Brynn decided to read you your favorite book as a birthday present. I don't know if Brynn was really reading it, or just making up stories to go with the pictures, but either way, you were one happy camper to get full attention from her for a bit!

The theme this year for your birthday was "Dress Up Princess". Daddy and I could not have chosen a better 3 words to sum up your life so far! You LOVE dress up! You usually get yourself dressed in dress up right after jammies are taken off. Both sets of grandparents have bins of dress up, and when you visit, there is usually a trail of your clothes leading to the dress up bin. You take them off as you run to it, and you are always so excited to put on something fancy!
Your birthday was the first time you have ever gotten to use the "red plate". I think you were pretty excited!
I tried to make you a special dress up dress for your birthday, but it was too big, and you said, "This looks silly", and then refused to wear it. You spent the day playing with some of your new toys, and I got the stuff for your party ready. I decorated your cake (its the thought that counts right babe?), set up the garage for your "dress-up" party, and tried to get the house ready.

We had dinner with the cousins, grandparents, your 3 friends, and their families. When each of your guests arrived, they got a bracelet, necklace, wand and tiara to start the dress-up fun. We ate pizza, carrots, salad, and watermelon. You wanted BBQ, but it was raining, so we made do with pizza.
After dinner, the little girls were able to get their nails painted, and Auntie Christi painted faces. The boys loved the face painting option!!
After all the fun, you got to blow out the candles on your cake. Unfortunately the cake looked pretty bad by this point. The frosting melted due to the humidity in the air, combined with the heat from the oven. Also, the sparkler candles that I thought would make you smile, didn't really sparkle....at all. Sad.

You got a lot of really great gifts this year! Tons of girly dress up type things, as well as Polly Pockets, which you love to play with right now!

When it was time for everyone to go, they each left with a lollipop that was decorated with a sparkly hair clip that I made for all the guests.
I hope you had a great birthday baby! You are a joy in our lives!

Countdown

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

It has begun.
8 more mornings until school gets out.
8 more mornings of shaking awake our eldest who doesn't like school.
Not. One. Bit.
8 more mornings of trying to make a healthy breakfast that the 3 kids can all agree on.
8 more mornings of packing a lunch that most likely gets tossed anyways.
8 more mornings until we get to have a little more say in determining our schedule for the day.
8 more mornings until cousin play dates when my sister in law and I attack our to-do list, and the kids run amuck, eating us out of house and home.
8 more mornings until sunburns, and the smell of chlorine in sleepy kids hair when I kiss them goodnight.
8 more mornings until SUMMER!
I think I might be more excited than them!

Sibling Love

2011-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

These two make me laugh!

3 Years

2011-05-17T07:00:00.001-07:00

Here is my 3 year old. She is the girl of many faces, who makes me laugh! She has a quick wit, and has been called the "old soul" of our family since she was a baby. She is easy going, but can ruin a trip if she wants to. She loves frilly dresses, polly pockets, dress-up, and all things girly.
Happy Birthday to the little one who makes me smile...even when she doesn't know it!

6 months

2011-05-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

The littlest man is already 6 months old. I would love to say that time is flying by, and I am cherishing every second, but truth be told, he is a hard one to figure out and keep happy. I would love to blame teething, growth spurts, colic, ANYTHING on why he cries all the time, but realistically, I have no idea. He only naps if I am holding him. I have 4 kids. I can't hold him all the time.

He has two teeth, and is eating oatmeal or veggies once or twice a day. He has no schedule, sometimes sleeping in until 9 am, and sometimes getting up at 6am. He has been getting up 2 times a night to nurse. The first time around 2 am, and the second time around 5am. He does LOVE to sleep in the car, so every time we drive anywhere he conks out and gets a little cat nap. He won't sleep in the swing, and won't nap in his bed, so I look forward to running errands, and have found myself loading up the kids to take a "drive" when I can't handle the crying anymore.

He rolls all over, and when he is content on the floor, I find him in all sorts of weird places. Under the coffee table, squished up near the couch, in the kitchen...etc. He is starting to be able to sit up, but has to have a crash zone all around him when he leans too far over to stay balanced.

Brynn has been given the privilege of carrying him around. It is awesome for me, cause she likes to do it, and he usually stops crying if he is being held, so its a win win!

I can't wait (for many reasons) to see what he is like as he gets more and more of his personality. I think he is going to be loud like the others, and be strong willed. I can tell that he has a bit of temper too, which is funny now, but will drive me crazy in a year no doubt. He loves to watch his siblings, and gets really excited when they play with him, even if it is just to put barrettes in his hair..... I am hoping that when he starts to crawl he will be happier on his own, and won't require me to lug him around so much. My back is hoping for that too!

6 Month Stats:
Height: 50%
Weight: 17.8 lbs 60%
Loves: Bath time, car rides, being tickled in his armpits, and being held
Hates: Naps
Nicknames: Nollie Rollie Pollie
Vaccines: 3 injections, one oral (all done for 6 months now!!!!)

Haircut

2011-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Maeve got her first haircut! I kept scissors away from her shaggy 'do for almost 3 years, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to even it out. I think that she might have been a bit dramatic in the "before" shots, but she looks cute with her new little hair do!

Before.... and after!

I didn't notice, until I looked at these pictures, that there is an absurd amount of ear wax in this kids ear! Sorry....

5 Years Old, and Just a Few Legos....

2011-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cannon turned 5 on the 5th of May. My little Cinco de Mayo baby!
The weather was absolutely beautiful, and we had a great day! Cannon chose the menu for the days meals, and we started off the day with cinnamon rolls, eggs with cheese, bacon AND sausage. He got to use the special Red Plate (which is by far the most desired thing in our house at this point....). I did his birthday interview from the birthday book, and started off our day that was all about him.

He opened his presents, and spent a few minutes putting together his first of many Lego models. He then spent the rest of the morning playing with the dollar store ninjas that his sisters got him.
Its my tradition to take the kids to the movies for the first time on their 5th birthday, so we went to see RIO. I love the looks of amazement they have when they walk into the dark theatre, and see the huge screen! At one point he climbed into my lap cause the "bad guy" bird was a little intense....it made me laugh.
He had his birthday party in the evening, and we were going to have a party in the park, but ended up having it on our front lawn instead. We don't have a great play structure like the park, but to make up for it, we rented a jumpy house! The company was nice enough to deliver it 2 hours early so my kids had a ton of time by themselves in it to jump and go crazy.

The theme of his party was Lego, and I kept it super simple!

We bbq'd hamburgers and hot dogs, fed all the kids and their families, and had a great time!

Happy Birthday Cannonball!

Easter

2011-05-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

I am FINALLY getting my Easter pictures up!
I can't believe it takes me so long to catch up.
Ok, well actually, I can....

We dyed eggs on Good Friday. They had fun painting, dipping, and decorating the eggs, and I hovered with paper towels, wet wipes and all other necessities to keep the dye from getting everywhere. They did great....I am lame.

On Saturday we went to church for the egg hunt and petting zoo, and festivities. The kids all got to gather as many eggs as they could in the few minutes of chaos. Our church always goes big with the Easter eggs. They collect thousands and thousands of eggs, and stuff them, and then "hide" them on the lawn. The kids look forward to it every year. Just like Halloween the cousins set up shop and start to swap out their candy. Its really funny to watch them trade, barter, and exchange their goodies!

Sunday we went to church, got a few pictures with the family and came home.
Then Cannon started barfing.
Nice.
We had to cancel our plans to go to Rich's aunt and uncles house which was disappointing for everyone. I took the girls and Nolan to my aunt and uncles instead, and we had a mellow afternoon with them. They hid eggs out in the pasture, and the girls collected eggs. My mom ended up finding the "golden egg" worth $10 and gave it to Cannon, as a consolation prize since he was home missing out on the fun.

**Barf story alert: Rich and Cannon spent most of the day lounging around in the garage, playing card games, watching TV, etc. At one point, when he knew he was going to hurl again, Cannon ran to the "inside out bowl" (our barf bucket) and got himself ready. He turned to Rich and said, "Daddy - you might want to leave. This is going to get pretty gross". Then he puked. Rich said that it was probably the funniest thing he had heard all day! Poor kid.

Daddy's Birthday

2011-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rich turned 34 this year, and his one request was to go ice skating.
So, I upped my health insurance coverage and planned an evening at the ice rink for him and the kids.
I didn't know how it was going to go. Last time we went skating Brynn cried the entire hour and a half. I was pregnant (surprise) so I didn't skate, but I remember being miserable just watching her!
Needless to say, this time it went much, much better!
Rich basically had to take turns skating with each kid, but he had an amazing time! I opted out...so that I could hold the baby of course!
After the skating session, we headed home for soup, salad, and cheesecake with the family. I think he enjoyed his day!

PS - did you see how tall my eldest is getting? Wow....

St Patty's Day

2011-05-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is so long ago, I am almost embarrassed to post! St Patty's day is a newly celebrated holiday for me! I used to just try to remember to wear green so that I didn't get pinched, but with the hubs, who likes to over-embrace his Irish culture, we talked up this holiday a lot!
The kids each built traps to catch a leprechaun, and somehow the leprechaun managed to get away, but left little gold coins behind to let them know that he had out-tricked them. They were pretty excited to check the traps in the morning when they got up!
I made an entirely green breakfast for them, which included green pancakes, green eggs, and green milk.
And then I waited for the inevitable.....

....green poop.

Cannon (panicked) " MOOOOOOM!!! My poop is green!"
Me (laughing) "Yeah! Remember we ate all green food for breakfast?"
Cannon " I don't think we should do that anymore."

Ahhh, its the simple joys of motherhood that get me through the days!

Buddies

2011-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Cannon and Maeve are pretty good buddies while Brynn is at school. They manage to come up with some crazy games during the day. I caught them "fishing" and "rowing their boat" on this day. Maeve in her princess dress up, sticks in hand for my constantly creating son. I heart these kids!

Happy 5th Birthday Cannon!

2011-05-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

He came out screaming and hasn't stopped making noise since!

He is my little man who knows more words than I do!

He says things like "underpants" instead of undies, and "theatre" instead of movies!

He has a strong stubborn streak, yet can be tender like no one else.

He is dramatic...and not always in the best way.

His smile lights up my world, and his tears drive me to insanity.

He is more than willing to tell everyone else what they are doing wrong...yet has a hard time accepting what he has done.

But in spite of all his quirks and weirdness, he is a joy to my life!

Happy 5th Birthday to my little wordsmith!

(Ok, now back to decorating for his crazy Lego party!)

Springtime

2011-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had a little break in the weather, and it actually got warm enough to go get some frozen yogurt! And eat it outside! Don't let Rich and the shorts and t shirt fool you though. He wears shorts and flip flops in the snow....that's just how my beach loving, surfer rolls!

Crying.....alot

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I feel like lately, this is all he does.

I am hoping that it has something to do with teeth....

Flapjacks

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

He finally got to wear this apron! We cooked Brinner (breakfast for dinner) for our small group, and nothing was more appropriate to wear than his handmade Flapjacks apron!

Rich is the king of pancakes! We eat them (way too) often! He has perfected the "mancakes" which involve equal parts of oatmeal, flax meal, and pancake mix. They are "hearty" and thick. When he adds banana, it almost puts me over the edge. A normal sized adult can eat one. And they sit heavy, let me tell you!
But, who am I to complain? He makes breakfast for me and kids almost every morning! I am one lucky gal!

Home Sweet Home

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love coming home after vacation. My bed, my house, my familiar chores and activities.
I don't love the mountain of laundry that comes with it.