Bruised Knees

A Boy and His Box

2012-01-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

Jesse has been a bit under the weather lately. Today he was pretty pathetic.

Armed with his beloved blankie he found this box and claimed it. Anyone trying to use the box for anything else had a territorial psychopath on their hands. Needless to say everyone gave him his space.

Don't mind all the school stuff Jesse scattered about before he curled up in his box.

My children look so much smaller when they are sick.

Today was the first day, of 2012, Jesse didn't get into trouble. Maybe Jesse will stay in his box everyday.

A mother can dream big. :)

Treasure Canal

2012-01-30T20:49:00.001-05:00

I took Jesse and Abby to the doctor's office today. We have been dealing with a nasty cough that has been going around and around for a while now. Jesse and Abby were very cooperative while they got weighed, measured, and their temperature taken. Then we were shuffled into another room while we waited for the doctor. Licking the arms of the chairs in the doctor's office wasn't even the embarrassing highlight of Jesse's visit to the doctor. Don't worry I wiped them down with some Clorox wipes from the office.

Immediately the doctor had a concerned look on her face when she went to look into Jesse's ears. "Looks like there's something in his ears" she exclaimed in an incredulous tone. Yes in his earS!!! Plural! Something in both of his ears. She chuckled as she left to the room to get her lighted scope. Hahahaha, yes I think this is hilarious! I am looking at Jesse with the look only a mother can give her child when he has done yet another brilliant maneuver. The doctor easily retrieved two beads from each of Jesse's ears. The doctor thoroughly seemed to enjoy her first time fishing something out a child's ears. Glad my son could give her that unique opportunity.

I have no idea how long they were there, but it very easily could have been weeks. They were not easy to see unless you looked down into his ear canal.

Jesse needs to find a better place to store his treasures.

Unhinged

2012-01-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

Emma had her braces and metal appliance removed today. She has been anticipating this day since the braces and metal hinge were placed in her mouth. Many foods and treats have been off limits since she began this process.

I asked her what she wanted to eat once her braces were off, without hesitating she replied, "bagels."

Loaded with many chocolate chip and cinnamon crunch bagels I went to make a little girl smile.

She will be completely metal free until next week when she gets the retainer. Emma is all smiles.

Pasty

2012-01-22T21:46:00.012-05:00

I walked into my bedroom, which oddly smelled VERY minty. I knew to walk very carefully into my bathroom. There is a pit in my stomach because I am very afraid of what I might find around the corner. I look in and I don't see anything at first glance. The floors clean. Tub and shower are o.k. The toilet is as good as can be expected. Then I see Brian's sink...

I have just been punked by my 3 year old.

What in the world was he doing? I will never know what goes through that boy's mind.

I couldn't hold back from laughing, though. It actually made my day. My standards are very low.

Barber Jesse Part Deux

2012-01-21T21:19:00.001-05:00

This week has been a wild week as you can see. Hair cuts and sickness seemed to be running my week. Jesse decided his part was not wide enough. He found my little finger nail scissors AGAIN! He cut off a lot more this time. I don't know how he got so close to his scalp without cutting it. There are some very bald patches. My plan to let some of his curls grow out isn't going very well.

I think my children are trying to humble me.

Taking pride in my children's appearance is such a lost cause.

Just Like Me

2012-01-20T20:37:00.021-05:00

I am about to banish scissors from our home. Cate had another hankering to make some changes to her hair while she was in her room for "quiet time." She found Emma's pocket knife with the little scissors on it and chopped away. First she gave herself some "layers" on the right side of her head. Then she cut off a chunk of hair right at the base of her scalp, front and center. There is a bit of a bald spot now. LOVE-LY!!! Cate strategically tucks her hair behind her ears so the "layers" aren't as noticeable. Believe me it looks MUCH worse in person.

Happy with the results of her own hair cut Cate decided to make her new doll look like her. OH, DID SHE EVER make her doll look like her! Away with the long braided locks of doll hair. Now we have Miss Butch.

I found a huge pile of doll hair hidden away on the window sill. Cate confessed she put it there so she wouldn't get in trouble. It didn't work out.

Cate must be destined to be a hair artist because she hasn't out grown this fascination yet. She has her own style at 5, and even when she was 3.

(Sigh) Hair will grow back, at least for Cate. Poor dolly.

Sick Days

2012-01-18T23:57:00.006-05:00

Sick days are never fun. They are really yucky when you don't get to do something that you have been waiting over a year to do.

Emma was supposed to get her braces off today, but a stomach bug got her last night. I had to call the orthodontist to cancel her appointment this morning. She had been so excited to get her braces off. There is a whole lot of metal that will be removed from her mouth. She can't wait to chew some bubble gum.

Emma never whined or complained about not getting her braces off today. She is such a good sport even when knocked down by a bug.

I Am A Runner

2012-01-17T00:05:00.011-05:00

I am a runner. Well, I am probably what some might call a fast walker. I woke up before my 6:00 alarm went off to join Tuesday Morning Coffee Runners. My newly purchased running pants and jacket helped encourage me to get out of bed in complete darkness. The fact that it is cold and dark did not help motivate me.

I admit when our leader made it clear, "there is a no runners left behind" policy I thought, "oh crap!" I want to blend into the trees. I don't want anyone to know how ridiculously slow I am and have people waiting on me. There was a small group, but there were various speeds to choose from. I was in the southern-most group.

I did it though! I ran 3 miles with only having to walk for a few minutes to keep my stomach on good terms with me. Having a brutal cough/sinus infection isn't really the best time to pick up running.

A hot drink was my reward and this sweaty ~~gross~~ picture of me, proves I was there.

Looking forward to next week, but hoping all these weird places that are sore on my body will get better. Half way to new running shoes. Oh, yeah!

White Gold

2012-01-16T23:47:00.007-05:00

Milk delivery is one of my newest occupations(I temporarily deliver milk to our homeschool co-op once a week). Brian is excited that I am earning 2 free gallons of this white, wholesome goodness. Mr. White's raw milk, from his jersey cows, is the best tasting milk I have ever had.

My kids are even milk snobs now. I can't blame them. It is hard to go back to other milk once you have tasted milk "the way God intended it to taste", according to Mr. White. I love that I am supporting a local farmer that loves his cows and is passionate about his milk.

A Shelf of Love

2012-01-15T00:25:00.007-05:00

My cabinet that stored all our pottery mugs has been overflowing for quite a while. We ran out of space from all our mini mugs we have acquired from Mud Dabbers. I mentioned to Brian a while back about putting a shelf or something under the cabinet by the sink. It wasn't a good idea at the time.
Today I mention the same thing and I am brilliant all of the sudden. Brian found an old table top scrap we had been "saving" for something and re-purposed it into this shelf. He has definitely proven himself handy around here. He did a great job!

I love being able to see all our favorite mugs every time I go into the kitchen. I drink more tea because I want to use them. They also make cute little ice cream bowls for kids.

Now if I can mention to Brian AGAIN that a backsplash would be really nice! ;)

A Boy's Birthday Party

2012-01-14T23:29:00.011-05:00

Going to one of your best friend's birthday party is fun, but when you get to wear camo and face paint it just became AWESOME! Capture the flag, football, and cake could only make the day even better.

I think this is supposed to be James' scary face. He needs to work on it a bit more.

When Jesse saw Emma and James wrap a gift for their friend, Sam's birthday, he decided he wanted to give a gift to his friend too. Jesse picked out one of his little matchbox cars and wrapped it up with a scrap of wrapping paper and a lot of tape. (Sorry I didn't get a picture of it.) A little while later Jesse's good friend, Ben, brought him back a gift too. They were so excited to give each other the gifts they had picked out and run it to their friend next door.
A Scooby-Doo dvd was a very fun gift for Jesse to receive.

I tried to get a picture of Jesse with his buddy, but he quickly became very silly.

The silliness was a bit contagious. I think this is why these boys are such good friends.

My Fridge

2012-01-12T23:13:00.003-05:00

There are some things in my home that RARELY get cleaned. My refrigerator is one thing that gets ignored. I am not even sure if it was cleaned at all in 2011. I wanted to start this year off a little brighter and cleaner. Having a clean and organized fridge has helped me plan meals better. Any motivation to help feed my family is always welcomed.

Hooray, for a clean fridge. Probably won't be clean again for a long time.

The sketchy stuff in the plastic container is just beef stew leftovers.

Barber Jesse

2012-01-12T19:03:00.056-05:00

Dear Jesse,

You are very lucky your hair is curly, because the hair cut you gave yourself during nap time with the nail scissors could have been much worse. Another plus: you don't have to worry about parting your hair anymore. Voila! It is permanently parted! If you must give yourself a haircut again, maybe next time you can pick another place besides center front.

Oh, please never, ever show Abby how to use scissors. I will always love you in spite of your desire to "beautify" things.

Love,

Mom

A Man's Bag

2012-01-11T17:10:00.048-05:00

Brian has been late exercising his second amendment rights. Here in the South many boys and girls learn how to shoot, well before they are driving cars on the road. The Sports Authority worker could hardly believe there was still a 30+ year old man out there that had never purchased a gun. Brian walked out of the store that day with his head held a little higher.

Brian realized that once he had his rifle he needed something to carry his gun stuff in. The reusable grocery bag wasn't exactly what his pride had in mind.

Papa, my dad, came to Brian's rescue. Days after Brian told him that he was going to look for an ammo bag this came in the mail, a beautiful sturdy bag with compartments for everything one would need on a shooting adventure. Thank you Papa for making this son-in-law's day!

If The Boot Fits

2012-01-10T11:20:00.010-05:00

Boots, sneakers, slippers, and dress-up shoes are Abby's newest toys/accessories. I am amazed how coordinated she is wearing them. Climbing in boots 7 sizes too big might be difficult for some, but Abby can still climb even in the roughest conditions. She never sacrifices beauty over function.

Abby takes after someone else I know.

I am afraid when I see glimpses of what my future holds when my little girls become teenagers, wanting to pick out their own outfits. :)

Ingenious

2012-01-09T20:43:00.002-05:00

Our newest game obsession is Ingenious. Matching up color tiles is simple enough for young ones to understand, but takes some skills to win.

I am still trying to hone my ingenious skills so I can beat Brian. I just need some more practice. The kids are happy to oblige me.

Grandparents

2012-01-08T12:16:00.005-05:00

It was nice to have grandparents around for a few days to help tucker the kids out a little extra before bed time. Plus there are always extra hugs and kisses to go around.

I also don't mind that the dishes get cleaned up after every meal. Grandparents are fun.

Lambs Before The Slaughter

2012-01-07T11:32:00.001-05:00

You win some, you lose a lot. When you are a basketball team in the seed planting stage it can be difficult to establish your roots. Our team steps out on the court against kids almost twice their size. Losing a game by 30+ points might be demoralizing. Rebounding might not happen very often, but by golly there are screens and picks set up by these little hustlers. Scrapping his way into a jump ball is a new skill set James has acquired. High fives and cheers are heard when any shot is made. Perspective is very different when you have to work hard to get what you have.

I am so proud that Emma and James still want to go out on the court each week even if they never touch the ball. They are a part of a team. Losing gracefully is a skill that Emma and James have learned quite well. I don't think I would have the same patience and grace that they have.

Bunny Tea Party

2012-01-06T00:03:00.015-05:00

One of Cate's treasured Christmas gifts was an ornate, bunny tea set, thanks to Nana and Papa. To say she loved it might be an understatement!

When Grandma comes to visit there is tea time in the mornings and tea time in the afternoons. Really there is tea whenever a grandchild asks for some. Grandma knows what they like.

Cate brought the tea set out and set it up for everyone to use. She even put the napkins in the mushroom napkin holders. There is a spot of tea along with a lot of cream and sugar in that tiny tea cup.

A favorite tea time activity is scraping up all the sugar left on the bottom of your cup.

Jesse wasn't so sure about this bunny tea set. He prefers his plastic mug. Cate likes it when Jesse has his mug too. She was very worried that someone was going to break something.

Emma, James, Cate and Jesse all love their tea time with Grandma.

Running Hates Me

2012-01-05T00:19:00.008-05:00

Running and I have a mutual dislike for one another. Running left me when I was in high school for someone else and we haven't been friends since.
I am trying to reconnect again after WAY too many years. It has been hard. I knew it would be, but I am beginning to think my dreams of running are just too good to be true.

I am trying to motivate myself with some new running shoes. All I have to do is run 3 miles. Twice!!! I have done 1.5 miles and took me 26.7 minutes. I think there has to be a record for slowest mile while still considered "running." I claim the prize.
I am sure I would be able to run faster with shoes like this. It has to be the shoes that's holding me back.

Running is making me feel like an old loser and it is not very kind. I am really hoping running and I will eventually be able to pick up where we left off.

Word Pirates

2012-01-04T18:26:00.009-05:00

I have a slight obsession with educational games. I want learning to be fun for my children. Any help I can get is a bonus. There are lots of fun educational games out there to choose from, but there are also some duds.

I had a coupon for half off any educational game from Barnes & Noble. I thought "Word Pirates" looked fun and would be great for James. I wanted something easy enough for him to play, but not totally boring for me to play.

We all enjoy it so far. There is one BIG die that you roll to determine your action. You can build a bridge, block someone with a wall, or

roll a number that tells you how many letter dice you receive to spell a word. The object of the game is to be the first person to reach the treasure in the center of the board. It is like Scrabble for kids, but not as boring. There is an element of luck which helps younger children not get too discouraged.

James might need to expand his vocabulary a little bit more. I guess I should not be surprised when playing with a 7 year old boy.

Here is a link if you want to read more about it or have a clearer explanation.

One Girl's Trash Is Another's Treasure

2012-01-03T18:16:00.045-05:00

A frequent habit of Abby's is inspecting what everyone throws into the kitchen trash. Emma finished up the last of the peanut butter and tossed the container. Abby saw an opportunity and seized it.

I am not sure how a child becomes a food snob when sitting in her designated seat at dinner time, but the rest of the day all sorts of nefarious items are consumed with wild abandon.
Maybe I need to try reverse psychology and throw a few green vegetables in the trash for Abby to gather on her own, or I could try hiding her food a bit so it is more challenging to eat it. Breakfast scattered under the table, snack time from the trash can, dinner on the floor in the pantry hidden among the potatoes, and dessert can be way up high in the cabinet. This is going to be brilliant!

Sew Like the Wind

2012-01-02T16:53:00.078-05:00

Okay, I admit that I selfishly bought Emma a sewing machine for Christmas. I am really hoping she will learn how to sew and I won't have to. I have always had an intense dislike of sewing that has been a part of me since my 2nd grade Home Ec. teacher berated me for not having straight stitches. The little picture I was supposed to create with stitches was a mess. Growing up with a father that can sew anything is a bit intimidated for someone whose fingers don't cooperate.
I am basically a spaz when it comes to learning anything that requires hand-eye coordination. I freaked out when I was learning to drive a stick shift. Dad was so lucky there were bushes in front of his shop to help protect the doors from a car running into them. Target practice with the bee-bee gun didn't go very well either. There were more holes in the clothes on the clothes line than on the target. Confidence in my abilities have been slightly lacking.
It doesn't help that sewing involves a machine. Machinery involves an element of technical abilities that must be acquired. I have an older machine that made me crazy whenever a bobbin or thread would come out. I had the hardest time TRYING to figure it out.
Thankfully sewing machines today are made for directionally challenged. There are cute little pictures and arrows telling you/guiding you exactly where the thread needs to go. Now I am ready to ~~learn~~ show Emma how to sew.
After Emma and I set up the machine she set to work on her first project. The 18" doll dress making kit was perfect for her to start with. All she had to do was cut out the pictures along the lines. The cute little dog was a small project to begin with.

Emma was very careful. She had to undo some stitches or go back over, but she didn't get frustrated. She was so happy to have a finished project that she did all by herself. I was very proud of her. I also told her that any mistake she makes I have done much worse with a sewing machine.

Emma has really loved her sewing machine. Two pillows and one stuffed dog are just the beginning.

Maybe one day she will sew like wind...

Making the New Year Beautiful

2012-01-01T16:28:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

If I thought the new year would bring me peace and perfect children I was horribly mistaken.

Not much has changed around here.

Jesse was very busy during his not-so-quiet time. He wanted to make his ladder "beautiful"(his words not mine).

I should have known trying to cover up my imperfections would lead to evil.

Celebrating New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T15:38:00.022-05:00

I know it might come as a shock to some that Brian and I aren't the party animals you thought we were. Enjoying a quiet evening on the couch, while watching the final Harry Potter movie, with "cough tea" in hand was so nice. I think we were still recovering from our whirl wind week traveling with our brood of children. It nice to have calm and quiet evenings.

Today we solved the mystery of Jesse's missing jacket. The same jacket we couldn't find on our trip. We searched the car over and over again. The winter jacket that would have been nice to have in the freezing temperatures.

The new, only 3 week old, jacket some how ended up in the woods instead of in the car the morning we packed up. So for about 6 days Jesse's jacket soaked up any rain and mud that touched its puffy self. I will say I was less than happy to be hauling the nasty, dripping jacket up to my laundry room. Jesse did apologize pretty quickly and expressed that he would never leave his jacket outside again. It did blend in pretty nicely when the lime green is face down in the mud.

Our year has finally come to a close. This was probably one of the hardest years of my life. My exceptionally active, bright children keep me on my toes. Parenting brings out some qualities in me that I would rather keep buried never to show anyone. Alas, my children know that I am far, far from perfect. Hopefully they will see that I need Jesus and they do as well. Our lives are messy, chaotic, beautiful, and funny all shaped into a family of 7. I am looking forward to the new year to know and love my family and my Savior more. I hope sharing our lives with you hasn't been too disturbing or upsetting. 2012 here we come!

Married

2011-12-30T15:45:00.013-05:00

I can hardly remember what life was like before I was married. It seems like I have always been married. Yet, I can hardly believe how quickly 11 years can go by. Five kids, 3 houses, many wrinkles and gray hairs later Brian and I are still here. Love is a choice. It has been an easy one for me(most of the time). I am so thankful for the things that Brian has taught me along the way. He makes me want to be a better wife, mother and friend. I am truly blessed to be married to a man I know as my best friend. God has given us much more than we ever deserved or hoped for. I can't wait to see where our future will take us.

Here's to many more years of wedded crazy bliss with this fella...

Capitol Day

2011-12-29T23:48:00.004-05:00

Jefferson Memorial in the morning was even prettier than I thought possible.

The Capitol is a beautiful building for the family picture backdrop. A family picture would make Dad's Christmas complete.

Ruth gets the photo op started.

Dad does his best to get everyone in their place and smiling. Only a patient man could do this.

TAH DAH! Success!

La Casa de Presidente

We had a great time enjoying the sights in D.C. and spending time with family. The trip wouldn't have been nearly as wonderful without our amazing hosts. Thank you for all the work you guys did getting everything to run smoothly.

Not so sure if we are ready for the looooong drive home.

We drove through snow...

and then onto sunny skies.

THE END

COLD, Cold, Cold

2011-12-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today is was very cold! Not the best day for walking around outside, but we did have sunny skies. Fierce, cold winds could not deter us from venturing out to the American History museum. This museum has SO much to see. I loved the American flag exhibit and the war exhibit. The war exhibit went through the Civil War all the way to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Seeing pictures of war torn people and places broke my heart.

These were two of my favorite posters.

I am surprised this one hasn't made a comeback since car pooling is so popular these days.

Sobering to think of people behind these weapons and in front of them.

Steel columns from the the World Trade Towers are a part of the September 11th display. Powerful images make it almost impossible to not be over come with emotion.

It didn't help that we went to the World War II memorial next. The monument was beautiful! The construction in the reflecting pool made the view less attractive, but it was still pretty cool.

The Washington monument is very impressive. We couldn't stand out there very long, because the wind was whipping up wildly.

This is Abby towards the beginning of her Oscar worthy meltdown.

Old Abe was very BIG! I stayed down below with the stroller since there wasn't a quick way to get all the way up there. Abby wasn't excited by it.

Cate was a good sport. She walked more on the trip than her whole life combined. Just kidding! Walking isn't her favorite pastime, but she survived it.

Jesse never seemed to run out of energy. He was ready to go and look good doing it.

These two were always entertaining. I was glad to have them along for some funny banter.

This is the face of a baby after at least 30 minutes of protest. She wanted to get down and run into the roped off areas. I loved her too much to let her get into that kind of trouble, but she did make me wish I had brought some ear plugs.

It was a day to remember!

Planes, Monkeys, and Mustaches

2011-12-27T17:19:00.180-05:00

Driving around D.C. is not for the directionally challenged or faint of heart. Thankfully I am married to one who can navigate very well. I loved seeing all the beautiful monuments and buildings with their amazing architecture on every street. The bridges were even fancy.

We never made it to the Jefferson memorial, but we were able to enjoy it from a distance. It was really cold out and walking all the way over there did not seem worth it at the time. I must say I think we made the right choice.

We were really ambitious in our plans to visit at least 2 museums a day. Our plans went out the window once we got to the Air and Space museum. There was so much to see. You could spend two days in this one museum. We didn't even go to the space area.
We left Abby with my parents and brought the older 4 with us. Jesse was excited to see all the airplanes.
The kids were in awe that Charles Lindberg's plane, Spirit of St. Louis, was right in front of them. It was fun to have some of our history lessons on display in front of us. Everything seemed a little bit more real.

Somethings were interesting to the kids... other things not so much.

While we waited for Brian to find a parking spot the kids rode the escalator and perused the gift shop over and over again.

This was one of Amelia Earhart's airplanes. James is always so helpful getting a great family picture!

The Wright brothers exhibit was really informative and interesting. Their bicycle business prepared them for a future in flight. These guys were crazy! They look so proper, but they did some dangerous things to fly.

I am thankful for the airplanes of today. I don't need to feel the wind blowing in my hair.

I loved the old artwork they had on display.

I can't imagine how fearless the first pilots had to be. This airplane had no front or back on it, so it would feel like the pilot was landing face first.

The war planes kept records of their missions. How many bombs were dropped? How many planes did they shoot down? Bragging rights were painted on their planes for everyone to see.

Jesse in his own little world pretending to fly. When he went to sleep later that night he told Brian, "I want to fly in the sky." I wouldn't be surprised if this little stunt boy became a pilot one day.

Now it's time for Cole's birthday party!

The theme was appropriately monkeys.

The cupcakes were taste tested by one of the little monkeys at the party.

Cate really wants to have her birthday in D.C., because Cole's party was so much fun.
The kids decorated their own cup with Mr. Potato head stickers and a sharpie marker.

Everyone was very proud of their cups. They didn't lose them or mix them up.

Mommy extraordinaire made an awesome cake along with sister Hannah. It was some kind of good.

The little birthday boy couldn't wait to open his presents.

Best party favors ever were the mustaches. The kids loved them! It was also entertaining for the adults to watch.
Emma's stache looks like a Marx brother style.

James has a distinguished professor stache.

Cate has a villainous stache. If she put it on right side up it might not seem so evil.

Jesse's mustache just looked goofy. He was hilarious!

There was lots of clowning around with their furry disguises. Who knew facial hair could be so much fun?

Beans and Bathing Beauties

2011-12-26T16:33:00.094-05:00

Ellison had a lot of fun with Aunt Roo's iphone and the aging booth app. Jesse loved being her muse.

My family grew up on beans. We are made of beans. Beans are a part of us. We had to have beans and tortillas at least once while we were together. The guacamole and insanely hot, hot sauce make it a meal we all love and dream about.

Kids table was always filled to the max.

Beautiful siblings that helped out with the many nieces and nephews. You guys are awesome!

Nana and Papa tirelessly cooked, cleaned, dog sat, and child sat with lots of grace.

Aunt Roo slept a lot. We had to take advantage of our time with Ruth when she was around and awake.

The little bathing beauties getting ready for bed. Abby is the wildest. Don't ask me how I know. If we kept a tally of all the damages it would be long.

The magna tiles were a favorite toy to play with. Cate and Brian spent a long time creating many things with them.

Cate's house and Daddy's house.

We also went to the zoo and the National American Indian Museum, but I forgot my camera in the rush to get everyone out the door. I won't make that mistake again.

Road Trip

2011-12-24T23:13:00.012-05:00

Road trips can bring out the worst in children, or it can make you think you have perfect children for those few brief minutes.

Emma sits next to Abby so I am hoping some of Emma will rub off on her. Emma kept Abby occupied with something new every 10 minutes or so. Sketching was first on the list. Then snacks and diaper soiling for the next 8+ hours. Lots of coffee, snacks and potty breaks for the rest of the van's occupants kept things interesting.

License plates can be interesting.

The farms we drove past in Virginia and Tennessee were beautiful!

The long road trip was definitely worth it, since chef/sister Rachel had an amazing Feast of Fish waiting for us.

D.C. ready or not here we are!

Christmas Part I

2011-12-23T17:04:00.019-05:00

We had our Christmas two days early, since we would be in Washington, D.C. on Christmas morning. We didn't want to bring anything extra in a car filled with 7 travelers and their belongings for the week. There is no room to spare!

The early risers couldn't wait to pillage their stockings. Abby was so cute holding onto her stocking like a big girl.

She loved pulling out all the loot from her stocking.

The punch balloons were one of the kid's favorite gifts.

Jesse was very dramatic when he saw a pile of gifts were all for him.

We all waited for Abby to open her gift very, VERY slowly.

Someone couldn't take it any more and had to offer his assistance.

Abby loved her Dollar Tree gift from Cate!

Cate is awed by her beautiful new ballerina doll from Grandma.

A ballerina doll couldn't be more perfect for Cate.

James loved his race car track.

Emma loved her whoopee cushion from James. There were many pranks and laughs all morning thanks to this gift that kept on giving.

Emma made me a picture frame with a picture she colored inside. She was pretty sneaky to keep it a surprise for me.

Emma and James loved their new pocket knives from their Daddy.

Jesse loved his new superhero mask and cape. Don't let the face fool you.

Emma's gift is one that I hope will pay off BIG. I am hoping she will learn how to sew and then I won't ever have to learn. :)

The house was destroyed after all the presents were open. Now to pack bags for our road trip.

This is what Jesse wore for the rest of the day while he played with his punch balloon.

Blow up the balloon then...

let the air out into your face. Jesse did this repeatedly all day long. It really is funny how the cheapest gifts are the ones children often find the most entertaining.

A Little Tradition

2011-12-22T22:47:00.057-05:00

Opening a small gift on Christmas Eve is a family tradition that we have established. I have enjoyed watching the kids pick out the gift they are the most curious about. I love the quiet of Christmas Eve enjoying the beautiful decorations, reading our Advent book by candlelight, and then enjoying tea by the fire. I never knew Christmas could be so much fun as a parent! I think I am more excited about watching my children open their gifts than they are.

It is only one gift, but the suspense is palpable!

Daddy broke some of his gift as he tried to figure it out by feeling it. He still ate the broken peanut butter pretzels with pleasure.

The gift Jesse chose to open was a ball of wrapping paper he taped up into a ball. I tried to convince him to pick another gift, but he wanted that one.

Jesse was very excited that he had picked the best one.

After he had finished opening his ball of wrapping paper Jesse seemed a bit disappointed. He only got a ball of paper and a piece of plastic. :(

These happy faces bring me so much joy!

Redneck Stocking

2011-12-21T17:43:00.001-05:00

I bought five stockings a few years ago for our entire family. Since then our family has outgrown the number of stockings. Now only the kids have stockings. Brian and I have become "resourceful" in our stocking replacements.
Aesthetics have never been one of Brian's gifts, but I couldn't help laughing at his ingenuity. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a stocking from the Dollar Tree!

Anticipating Christmas

2011-12-20T17:22:00.006-05:00

Presents are beginning to spill out from under the scented evergreen. These are the same presents that have been shaken, stepped on, measured, and declared whose gift each and everyone belongs to. Each day I am asked how many more days till Christmas. The excitement is building!

Every year our tree looks totally different. This year I let the kids decorate most of it. There are gaps and holes, but I still think this was a beautiful tree filled with many memories.

Garden Expansion

2011-12-19T16:36:00.000-05:00

Brian has been wanting to expand our garden for some time now, but getting started seemed to be a bit daunting. When our neighbor had a bobcat doing some work in his yard I told Brian he should find out if the bobcat could do a couple digs for the garden. I think it was one of my better ideas, because Brian grabbed his jacket and ran out the door.
A few minutes later...

my yard was being torn up. Yay!!!

Now my little worker has lots of man labor to do.

Lots of digging burns lots of energy.

I think Jesse is mentally preparing himself to lift the wheel barrow. Boys think they have superhuman strength.

Family Picture at Last

2011-12-18T16:27:00.009-05:00

We were finally able to get our family picture that I had been wanting to get for many weeks now. We had almost gotten a picture taken, but Abby busted her lip. A bloody family picture just didn't seem right.

SO here it is...

The Deadwyler family picture!
Marshmallows, entertainer, and an extremely patient photographer helped make this possible. I am forever grateful to Judy Kay and her willingness to capture our family.
I might need someone to do hair and make up for the kids next time. Brushing sticky things out of hair or trying to get marker and food off little faces takes a lot of time. This is the cleaned up version Deadwyler family!

Christmas Sale

2011-12-17T16:10:00.009-05:00

Our driveway/ sidewalk has frequently been turned into salesman's row. My little entrepreneurs and their friends weren't about to let a money making opportunity get away from them.
Emma had been making necklaces and cards for weeks, maybe months, in preparation for this HUGE sale.
Signs were posted on every corner and at the front of the neighborhood. I had no idea at the time that the advertising committee used up quite a bit of my paper and tape supply.

The kids were hard at work creating and selling their wares.

Candy cane ornaments anyone?

Necklaces beaded or knitted? Hard to choose.

Hand crafted ornaments would make any holiday more beautiful.

Our generous neighbors made some kids very happy.

Dinner & A Movie

2011-12-16T00:34:00.001-05:00

Pizza is perfect for a Friday night dinner. Abby sure thinks so!

A movie with some warm pajamas completes the wonderful evening.

Another One Bites The Dust

2011-12-15T01:17:00.000-05:00

I am disappointed that we lost another plate tonight, but not too sad since my 3 year old child obeyed. He did put his dirty plate in the sink like I asked. :)

Potty Training 101

2011-12-13T23:23:00.000-05:00

Step #1: Make sure seat is down before you sit!

Step #2: Make sure you have removed your pants before you sit down on the toilet.

This is going to be a long process!

Crafting Controlled Chaos

2011-12-12T22:30:00.004-05:00

This year I helped organize the Christmas craft party for the Upstate Homeschool Co-op. A lot of work went into the event. I had so much fun watching the children make their crafts and see everything come to together.

The theme was Christmas Carols: "White Christmas," "Jingle Bells," "Nutcracker," "Angels We Have Heard On High," and "Go Tell It On The Mountain."

"White Christmas" went with the snow globe ornaments.

The kids were very careful as they painted their nutcrackers.

Trying to keep 80+ people at the correct tables and switch every 15 minutes was a bit chaotic. It worked though!

The kids made cards for the local soup kitchen.

I thought they turned out beautifully!

There were even little boys that pretended to be asleep so they wouldn't have to participate. I couldn't help smiling knowing that is something I could see Jesse doing.

Boy: "Hey look guys I just ate his eyes off."

One might say Emma is particular.

James might be called impulsive. :)

I was worn out from baking cookies, making frosting, gathering supplies, setting up, and cleaning up for the craft party. It was worth it, though! We all had a great time.

Christmas CG Style

2011-12-11T21:49:00.016-05:00

Our community group/small group, from church, meets every Sunday night in our home. I don't always look forward to cleaning my house in preparation for guests, but I look forward to being with our small group of friends. This week we had our white elephant gift exchange.

There was a lot of finger pointing and ooos and ahhhhs.

Jennifer looked a little skeptical at her gift.

Melissa got the Yogurt Mountain gift card that had every child in the room almost drooling.

The little, gift elves were fast and very enthusiastic.

The Trader Joe's cookies and coffee gift got stolen quickly.

The Marley and Me movie and Trader Joe's gift card was swiftly and proudly stolen from Scott, by ME!!!

Jesse resorted to his booty shaking to help him pick out quality gifts.

The crazed look in the eyes of my child isn't from the camera. He really looked like that. I don't know if its wrapping paper that makes children excited, but they are like cats with their catnip.

See what I mean...sharks to the meat,

or kids around presents!

The engaged couple, Brooke and Bennett, appropriately ended up with the scented candles.

Poor Scott had every gift stolen from him, but he was a good sport.

Everyone chipped in to wrap the gifts for the elementary school students our church helps out.
Wrapping masterpieces were made.

Don't let this picture fool you there was some wrapping mayhem going on. We had a wonderful time, but I think next year we are going to have to add some charades to the party. :)

Merry Christmas!!!

Basketball and Tradtions

2011-12-10T20:53:00.106-05:00

Saturdays have become our busiest day of the week now that our children play sports. We had a basketball game this morning against a team that had some BIG boys? I think they were boys but they were not little. Our team had a time getting a rebound since the other team towered over us. They didn't even have to jump. What the other team had in height we had in scrappiness. :)
It was fun to watch James fight to get a lose ball. He wasn't going to let them steal another ball from him. Emma is beginning to learn to rebound. Basketball has been challenging for her since she has been playing only soccer for so long. She feels a bit out of her element.

The kids have great attitudes and enjoy playing as a team.

Then off to the mountains we went for our favorite, holiday tradition, Mud Dabbers Christmas Open House. The weather was perfect, cool and sunny. It is so beautiful in the mountains. My mood seems to change when we get in the mountains. When you are surrounded by such beauty it is hard to be stressed out by petty annoyances. The sun seemed to melt away kid's crankiness, and mommy's too.

My children love watching the potters create their masterpieces. Everyone there is so sweet and friendly with the children. You don't often hear people treat little ones with joy and excitement when they walk into a shop with hundreds of breakable pieces, but they do! I love them if you couldn't tell.

The kids even got to try their hand at working with some clay. Cate took her time figuring out what she wanted to do.

Muscles are required for sculpting clay.

Jesse wanted to roll his clay into a ball. He apparently couldn't be bothered to take off his jacket. He takes after his mommy.

Stamping clay requires some work. Jesse spent some time trying to make some sort of imprint on that clay.

We all had a great time enjoying cider and treats. Picking out new mini-mugs/bowls is the best part. Everyone picked out their favorites; seven more beautiful cups to add to our pottery collection.

(Abby, Jesse, James, Cate, Daddy, Mommy, Emma)

A wonderful end to a busy, but very fun day.

Giveaway

2011-12-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

I have an extra set of The Jesus Storybook Bible cds that I would like to give away to one of you. All of my children have loved this special Bible. The cds are a fun way to follow along with the book.

If you would like this for yourself or a friend leave a comment on this post or on facebook. "What is your favorite Christmas book?" I will randomly select the winner Sunday night.

Christmas Stories

2011-12-08T14:36:00.026-05:00

I love snuggling up with my kids under a blanket to read our collection of Christmas stories. Today Jesse and I read Stopping By Woods on A Snowy Evening, Winter Days in the Big Woods, Madeline's Christmas, and The year of the Perfect Christmas Tree.

(I am putting the Amazon link on here so if you want to see them or read reviews all you have to do is click.)

This is an occasion where the poetry and pictures tell a story beautifully. Jesse liked pointing out all the animals to me as I read.

I love the simple pictures of a time when things were simpler.

"Wash on Monday,

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday."

Ludwig Bemelmans rhyming sentences in his Madeline books make me feel like I am singing when I read them aloud. Jesse even sat through it!

I love finding books where the setting takes place in our neck of the woods. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree is set in the Appalachian Mountains not far from where we live. It is a story that has been passed on from generation to generation. There are no profound mysteries solved or an abundance of treasures received among these pages. Life is rarely fancy and extraordinary. Reading stories like this one makes me appreciate the abundance I have.

In the evenings we have been reading Bartholomew's Passage as a family. We have enjoyed using this book as a way to focus our hearts and minds on what the season of Advent is about. There are many nights when the words seem to go above everyone's heads. The cries of selfish hearts drown out the reader as squabbling begins. I pray each one of my children will KNOW what this season is about.

"Love came down at Christmas."

Villain In Training

2011-12-07T11:40:00.003-05:00

Abby is officially a copycat now. Her older siblings have used this new talent for their entertainment.

One would hope their children would teach each other admirable qualities, but I guess every toddler can't go through life without a villainous laugh.

My Minions

2011-12-06T11:03:00.001-05:00

Today I put my little minions to work. The sticky spots on the floor outnumbered the non-sticky spots. I couldn't stand it any longer. First we had to tidy up all the trash, toys, shoes, and clothes that were all over the floors. Then I had to vacuum the carpets, otherwise the dirt from the carpets gets tracked back on your freshly mopped floors. I also had to wipe off the counters, because I don't want crumbs falling on the clean floors after mopping. Anyways, it turned out to be a day of cleaning. My favorite kind of day! :)

James really wanted the mop. I wouldn't want to deprive him of any kind of cleaning joy. My floors took a bit longer to dry, though, because of his soaking technique. He did a great job finding lots of sticky spots.

Emma would scrub the especially stubborn, gooey messes. Believe me there are no shortage of these on my floors. Mashed bananas, dried juice, milk splatters, and red clay are a few of the distinguishable substances we found.

I love my little, hard working minions. My feet appreciate them too.

My Life Doesn't Need Any More Mysteries

2011-12-05T21:05:00.015-05:00

I went to get some cheese out of the fridge and I found a dirty sock in my cheese drawer. I am not sure why any of my children would put their sock in the fridge. I finally get them to clean up and they decide to put their dirty clothes away in the fridge? I am really not sure what happened. Maybe this is why my cheese smells like dirty socks.

I do know that the sock was most likely placed in the cheese drawer by a little boy, who likes cheese sticks. In his haste to get a cheese stick and keep his younger, equally mischievous sister out of the fridge, he left his treasure. The sock was loaded with all the Clue pieces that Emma and James had been looking for. Jesse enjoyed playing with all the little weapons. I am sure he didn't mind keeping it to himself while Emma and James searched everywhere for the pieces to their game they set up.

It was Jesse. In the kitchen. With his hands.

Bruiser

2011-12-04T21:30:00.012-05:00

I have lamented here on my blog how active Abby can be. It looks like I will have plenty of blogging material with Abby around.

I have been trying for weeks to get family pictures taken for the holidays, but life seems to have other plans. I thought Sunday after church would be a great time to catch everyone at their best. Hair done as best as can be expected, clothes coordinating well enough, and brushed teeth help make a family picture a bit nicer.

We were minutes away from getting our family picture taken, when Abby fell inside the van. She tripped on something and fell lip first into the center console. Abby was a bloody, screaming mess. I wasn't sure if we were going to have to take her to the emergency room. It is hard to tell when there is so much blood everywhere. My stomach was turning. I don't do well with blood! I tried to hold Abby but she was flailing and thrashing around from the pain. She was a pitiful sight.

Thankfully after 15 minutes she had calmed down and the bleeding had subsided. Just a bit of a flesh wound. She still hasn't let it slow her down.

It looks even worse though Day 2. Hopefully we will get these family pictures eventually. :)

Pretty Spoon

2011-12-03T00:30:00.001-05:00

In our silverware drawer we somehow ended up with an extra spoon. It is called "the pretty spoon." The spoon itself is very plain, but somehow it has become the illustrious must have spoon when you eat your cereal in the mornings. There are many negotiations and underhanded tactics used to get control of the spoon.

Jesse is usually the last one up the mornings, so he rarely gets first dibs on "the pretty spoon."

He got the pretty spoon today! Thanks to his quick thinking and planning ahead Jesse kept the spoon up in his bed. After the breakfast dishes were clean Jesse grabbed it and kept the spoon in his bed overnight. He was one happy boy!

Clearing Off The Table

2011-12-02T22:30:00.003-05:00

I found Abby "helping" clear off the table after dinner. She couldn't bear to see the leftovers wasted.

What a sweet girl! Now if we can just teach her not to put her feet on the table.

Basketball Has Begun

2011-12-01T22:23:00.004-05:00

Basketball season has begun. The kids are so excited! Their uniforms are here and they have asked to wear them every day since.

James and Emma have been practicing as much as possible. I like to think that I might be able to teach them something in this sport since they are so new at it. It will be short lived, but I am enjoying it while I can.

Saturday's game is going to be fun...

A Little Doll

2011-11-30T22:19:00.001-05:00

What happens when you have older sisters? They dress you up and you get the perfect pictures to show your girlfriend one day.

Mmmm Hummus

2011-11-29T22:14:00.009-05:00

When Jesse likes something, he really likes it!
Jesse loves hummus.

I have a hard time discouraging his enthusiasm for such a healthy protein. There are limits though! I guess I should be thankful he is using a chip this time, instead of his hand, in the hummus tub.

Projects With Daddy

2011-11-28T21:56:00.004-05:00

My skills set is very limited when it comes to crafting things. Thankfully, where I am lacking Daddy can step in and take over. Emma had a project due this morning for her Geography class at co-op. They had to pick a page out of the book Paddle to Sea, by Holling, and create a diorama of it. This was the page Emma chose to replicate.

After a couple hours the night before with her Daddy, a pile of branches, a glue gun, and colored pencils they were done. They were both pretty pleased with the results. I enjoyed watching them work so well together.

I am proud of them both. :)

New Kid On The Block

2011-11-27T21:44:00.006-05:00

Today we met our newest, cutest neighbor. He is absolutely adorable and super sweet too!

If there was a popularity contest right now he would win for sure.

Welcome to the neighborhood "Chesty."

Gingerbread Housepalooza

2011-11-26T16:48:00.003-05:00

I am not sure if we have ever completed a gingerbread house as a family before. We definitely don't eat them. Since we have restricted certain dyes, preservatives, and artificial flavors from our diet it is difficult to find treats that we can all enjoy. Well that was until Trader Joe's came to town. I have mentioned a few things I love from Trader Joe's. Some things I might have conveniently left out so there are fewer people to take from my supplier.

One of the funnest things we have gotten from Trader Joe's to date has been the gingerbread house. You can't beat the fun and simplicity for under $10.

We all had a job. My job was to make the sticky icing with an egg white, powder sugar(provided), and a lemon. I also had to take pictures and try to keep Jesse out of the icing when no one was looking.

James applied icing to one side of the house to apply the roof pieces.

Jesse licked his fingers, after he mysteriously found icing all over them, repeatedly.

Daddy was there for support and guidance, as par for the course, when a project involves the kids.

Cate was our roofer. She created a nice thick layer of icing to top it off.

Emma carefully applied icing dots for Cate to apply our treats to.

I loved the subdued natural hues of the candies for a change.

James got the hang of using the icing bag. It wasn't as easy as it looks.

Jesse carefully placed the candies on the icing. He looked like he was struggling with each one whether or not he should go ahead and eat it or place it on the house.

The temptation was great! He managed to resist somehow.

The dog was even cute!

Then it was Daddy's turn to fancy it up.

Jesse continued to help clean up any candies that dropped on the table.

He found a few.

House completed within 30 minutes.

Gingerbread housepalooza was a success!

O Christmas Tree

2011-11-25T15:57:00.003-05:00

We have our tree! Abby was so helpful picking out a great tree.

My little elves decorated the tree this year. I had a difficult time letting go of my control of things. There were many ornaments, that I used to decorated the backside of the tree, hung on display proudly on the front of the tree. There were three ornament casualties that were repaired as good as new, thanks to a skillful husband.

Broken ornaments aren't worth crying over. We are making memories.

Our tree isn't decorated with eye for detail, but I love that every hand helped. Some hands continue to redecorate/ move ornaments around every day. These are the memories that I will have with me for a long time. :)

I love getting out all the Christmas decorations. The ornaments are my favorite though.

The beautiful,

the handmade,

the fun,

the simple,

the ornaments that remind you of friends,

the intricate(hand painted on the inside),

the old fashioned,

and the children's ornaments all make our tree beautiful to me.

Everyone loves the beauty of Christmas. It makes it feel magical somehow.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T12:29:00.014-05:00

The weather today was amazing! Brian couldn't resist the urge to mow the lawn. It is therapeutic for him. When I mow the grass it is painful for Brian to see, because my lines are rarely straight. Jesse is Mr. Mower in training. He even has ear plugs just like Daddy.

Jesse doesn't mess around when he has a big job to do.

He looks so big helping his Daddy.

Abby kept trying to escape to places where I wouldn't be able to find her. My cooking was interrupted many times trying to find her over and over AGAIN.

Grandparents arrived, bellies were ready to be filled, and the food was finally done. Turkey, homemade dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, rolls, and asparagus filled our table to overflowing. I managed to not ruin the turkey, but I did forget to get the cranberry sauce out of the garage fridge. DOH!!! Brian complimented my turkey "it is as good as your dad's." I will take such a high compliment any day.

Abby liked it too! I couldn't put turkey on her plate fast enough.

There were many toasts of thanksgiving: for Cheerios, marshmallow cereal, rockets, family, dogs, delicious food, and grandparents.

I am so blessed. I am thankful for all my little turkeys...

even the silly ones.

Off To Great Grandma's House We Go

2011-11-23T11:41:00.003-05:00

We took a quick trip over to Atlanta to visit with Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins. When we arrived the cookie decorating session had already begun. Great Grandma is a brave woman to have seven kids in her kitchen.

James looks a bit discouraged that his cookie wasn't turning out the way he hoped. If it helps he wins the award for most covered in flour.

Great Grandma helped Megan roll her cookie dough with the tiniest rolling pin I have ever seen.

Jesse doesn't know how to respect the dough. He just banged it, smashed it, squashed it, licked it, and picked it when no one was looking.

Emma finds her quiet place and concentrates on making her cookies.

The brothers discussed finances. Actually I am not sure what they were talking about. I think they were trying to hide from the kids and all the noise.

Beautiful weather lured us outside for some fun in the leaves.

Abby and Hadley were intrigued by one another.

Abby showing off her leaves to Hadley.

Aw, she is sharing with Hadley!

The little girls were so cute together I couldn't choose just one or two pictures.

A praying mantis made our time outside even more exciting.

Cate just ran away screaming when she saw it.

There were so many other people with us that I never took pictures of. There is not enough time in the day to document all the wonderful people around us. Our memories of that day will have to do. We had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing everyone again.

Bananas for Dinner

2011-11-22T00:01:00.006-05:00

Our family can eat some bananas! We buy 3 bunches of them from Costco or Walmart and within a week they are usually gone. On occasion we have a few that ripen too quickly. One child in our home likes the speckled bananas, but these ones were too spotted for even her taste. I called my assistant, who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty, to help me out.

Daddy likes to have lots of frozen bananas for his smoothies.

I also like to make, my personal favorite, banana bread.

No dinner tonight, but we have banana bread!

Soccer Championship

2011-11-21T23:40:00.010-05:00

Emma's last game of the season was a doozy! Abby, of course, kept trying to run on the field during the game.

Jesse got as dirty as he could by rolling around in the grass and making dirt mountains.

The score was 0-0 at the end of the regular game so we went into overtime. Emma scored in the first 5 minutes. The goal was beautiful! I was so proud of her that I might have even teared up. Then with less than a minute left the other team scored to tie it up. Ugh!!!

Now on to penalty kicks. The girls all lined up. They were all so nervous.

The parents were all nervous too. Our team completely missed our first three shots. Then Emma was up...

great shot, but it went right to the goalie!

We lost 2-1.

The face of disappointment and exhaustion after playing the WHOLE game.

We were very proud of Emma and her team for coming in second place in their division.

Way to go Lollipops!

ABBY

2011-11-20T23:24:00.007-05:00

Active

Busy

Boundless Energy

Young

Most of my day is spent corralling Abby from danger or major messes. It is a full time job! She keeps all of us on our toes. You blink and Abby has already unraveled a whole roll of toilet paper, climbed on the kitchen counter, gotten in the bathroom sink, or worse the bathroom toilet. This is the child that moved more in utero than all of my previous children combined. I knew that couldn't be a good sign.

All signs point to an incredibly agile child with special gifts that include climbing, copying what she sees, and running very fast with little legs.

She has also been gifted with a beautiful smile. It helps make my job worth it! :)

Jesse's Disguise

2011-11-19T21:38:00.001-05:00

The Happy Salesman

The Nerd

The Grandfather Look

My mom just made soup face.

Horsing Around

2011-11-18T21:17:00.022-05:00

Fridays are good days for horsing around. These two think everyday is good for acting a bit wild.

I might agree with them 5% of the time. :)

Pets

2011-11-17T00:37:00.003-05:00

My kids want a pet so bad! It hasn't helped that their best friends are about to get a puppy. Then our other friends had a litter of the most precious kittens.

A parent is barely able to withstand such pressure.

I mean look at this face...here is raw joy.

Tenderness like this I have never seen from Jesse before.

Emma has been putting all her tricks on the table to see if she can weaken her stubborn Daddy. She has a tough road ahead of her.

So does he!

Be Thankful Dangit

2011-11-16T23:56:00.018-05:00

There are some days when you wish everyone could just go back to bed and wake up in a wonderful mood. There are no rewind buttons. Occasionally, I remember the way I react on a bad morning has a huge impact on the way our day ends up. My yelling and rantings rarely make anyone feel better or smile.

Today looked like it was sibling feud championship day. It was ugly! I separated the feuding parties and allowed them to spend some time thinking about their actions.

Then we made some envelopes for giving thanks for one another. I took the idea from the Happy Home Fairy. It is hard to stay mad at someone when you are being thankful.

I am thankful for repentant hearts that forgive one another.

I am thankful for little hands that love markers, even if the markers love getting all over little hands.

I am thankful for quiet, busy kids.

I am thankful for proud little boys and a job well done.

We celebrated our thankfulness and appreciation for one another with Trader Joe's cinnamon rolls and milk.

James was VERY thankful!

My math is so bad that there were 3 cinnamon rolls left over for me. Oops! :)

I was thankfull!

Boys Are Dirty

2011-11-15T23:45:00.008-05:00

My boys are dirty on a regular basis. The dirtiness knows no limits. The piles of laundry are at least double than those of their cleaner sisters.

When James came home from school, I went to unpack his lunch box and found a nasty mess. I don't think I could make it look that dirty even if I tried. The girl's lunch boxes are very clean. I don't even need to wipe them off. James', on the other hand, needed a pressure washing.

If dirt gives you a stronger immune system, my boys will be superhuman any day now.

Mondays With Jesse

2011-11-14T00:00:00.033-05:00

Mondays are a special day for me to spend most of my time with Jesse. He has me to himself for a good two hours. We can paint together without worrying about Abby getting into them. I don't have to help older siblings with school.

Jesse loves to paint! He, however, doesn't like to color. He gets frustrated when there is any white showing through. Painting is easier to cover a blank canvas. Lay it on nice and thick.

After we painted Jesse had to clean up the brushes, stamps, and palettes. Cleaning up is not Jesse's favorite thing to do. My boys rarely like to clean up. It brings me great joy when I see them happily working towards a cleaner goal. This is usually the face I get when I tell a child to clean up.

Once Jesse saw bubbles were involved he happily "cleaned" up.

We decided to treat ourselves to some cookies after doing such a great job cleaning up. I cheated and bought these...

Not as good as homemade cookies, but they hit the spot.

Jesse put them on the cookie sheet all by himself.

I am trying to teach Jesse to count from 1-5 without skipping any numbers in between. He practiced counting each ball of dough as he placed them on the cookie sheet.

If counting cookies and licking your fingers doesn't motivate you I don't know what will.

He counted 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. all in order for Brian when he came home for lunch. It was a small victory!

This little chef couldn't wait for his cookies to be done. He takes pride in his work. Ready to taste each one to make sure it has met his quality assurance.

Milk and cookies are yummy.

Delicious to the very end.

But don't try to steal this girl's cookie. You will be sorry.

She bites!

Sunday Best

2011-11-13T16:14:00.007-05:00

Brian and I had the ~~challenge~~ pleasure of teaching the 3 year old Sunday school class. It is spirited group of children that will make you laugh and test your mental strength. I came prepared with some princess stickers for the girls and some fancy bug stickers for the boys. The girls also enjoyed some bug stickers.

This is as much as Jesse participated.

They were all excited to have their bug stickers.

Trying to decide which one to pick was a challenge.

I am not sure why EVERY single boy put their bug stickers on their body, but they did so proudly.

These boys are the future. Hang on. :)

(Not pictured: Caleb and all the girls that sat coloring their pictures quietly. They didn't need as much direction.)

Bath Re-do

2011-11-12T15:42:00.011-05:00

All of our children have loved bath time when they were young. Abby has followed right along with others. Now that we have older children that can bathe themselves it feels a little less like a bathing assembly line. Wash, rinse, dry, and dress. Repeat again and again and again. It gets old quickly.

Abby had her pajamas on, but wanted to have another bath. My back was turned as I heard Abby running back into the bathroom while I was getting Jesse dressed. She climbed over the side of the tub like a professional mountain climber. Then I heard the splash along with squeals of delight. My face did not mirror Abby's enthusiasm for a second bath.

This little girl is always plotting trouble.

She loved playing in the 3 inches of water that were left to stomp around in.

I couldn't stay very upset with this happy face.

Veteran's Day 2011

2011-11-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

Veteran's Day feels much more poignant for me this year. I have been teaching Emma and James about World War II just this past week. Reading about the beginnings of Hitler's rise to power fills me with such sadness. Evil on such a grand scale that took the world by surprise. Many, many men, our men fought against such evil. They still do.

I don't know why my grandfather dropped out of West Point to join the fight. There are so many things I would love to ask him about the war. He never like talking about his war experience. He was pretty adamant about it. He always made sure we understood that war is HORRIBLE.

I cannot imagine the things he saw as he flew his missions.

My Grandpa was one of the lucky ones that survived and came home to his family. He flew 38 combat missions in Europe and two in Japan. Grandpa always did have a hard time liking a German or Japanese after the war. No one is unaffected by war.

Thank you to all the men and women who have fought to defend our country.

I am so proud of our troops.

In addition to our history books I downloaded an incredible World War II iPad app that is incredible. If you have the chance you should check it out.

Dishes?

2011-11-06T21:52:00.004-05:00

My value as a person doesn't come from what my children think of me. It is a good thing, because this might really destroy a mom in a fragile state of mind...

There are many things disturbing about this, but I am just going to stick with the fact that my son wrote "dishes" next to my name. All my mom is good for is doing dishes. First thing that comes to mind when I think of how much I respect/ admire my mom is dishes? Seriously!!! Yes, I feel like I am always doing dishes or laundry, but that's not what I want to be known for. I guess I should be thankful that my child appreciates it.

The next assignment made up for any of my bitter feelings for not being recognized as completely wonderful. Check out the synonym for "naughty."

Hey it made my day! :)

One Soccer Season Completed

2011-11-05T21:16:00.003-04:00

James had his last soccer game of the season today. The little "Chargers" did a great job winning 5-0!

James scored a goal! My camera skills leave a bit to be desired when I am trying to stay warm.

Score!!! No one needs to tell boys how to celebrate.

My boy usually needs to be told to pay attention though. :)

"Good game, good game!"

The Charger Champions of 2011

The strong and fearless boys led by their coach.

Getting their trophies is always the best part.

James loves having his Daddy as his coach. I think it is pretty sweet too.

One Step Forward, One Step Backward

2011-11-04T23:18:00.001-04:00

Abby's newest form of entertainment is to stomp around in our shoes.

She thinks it is pretty hilarious. I am surprised she can move in them. The strength of a toddler is no small thing.

Abby continues to be a joy to our family. She is talking more and understands so much.

Her facial expressions crack us up.

How could we not love having this little girl around?

School Projects

2011-11-03T20:43:00.005-04:00

One of the first things to fly out of my proverbially window of things to do is crafty projects with my kids. Life tends to get in the way of some of the messier, funner things to do with your children. Having Emma, James and Cate in Upstate Homeschool Co-op has given us opportunities to work together on some unique creations. :)

Cate's class has been learning about our community and its helpers. Each child was asked to create, using a shoes box, a community building for their town they were going to create in class. All Cate wanted to make were some parking lots. Oh, did she make some parking lots. I have sheets of paper with black crayon scribbled all over them for a parking lot. I decided to go a little more upscale: black construction paper with strips of yellow paper for the lines. She loved her parking lot!

Daddy came up with the idea to make the Travelers Rest History Museum since our box was little(just like the TR museum).

Cate enjoyed painting the box with many thick layers of paint. The roof, doors, and windows were carefully added with her black marker.

Here is Cate's class and their finished community.

They even made cute little cars out of blocks taped together. I thought it was absolutely adorable!

Emma and her engineering Daddy made a glider for science class. Emma has been learning about birds, their flight, and feathers. Thankfully I am not the one my children have to rely on for assistance on their school projects.
Fifty cent was a show stopper. She didn't win any awards for flying the longest distance, but she was a looker.

I can't wait for my kids to get an assignment on how to clean or make lunch for an army. That I can do!

Jesse's Stash

2011-11-02T20:33:00.003-04:00

I decided it was time to clean out the back of the van today when I couldn't find any of Jesse's shoes. I found three pairs of shoes, lots of Duplos, pieces of granola bars, lots of rocks, and plenty of wrappers.

He had everything he needed all around his car seat.

Can You Feel The Love?

2011-11-01T23:50:00.004-04:00

Our children LOVE their Daddy. I mean who wouldn't. He is a great dad. Once my babies get mobile they want their Daddy more than me. It is hard for me not to get jealous when I hear the sweetest little voice call out "DAADAAH!" and run towards him to throw her arms around him. I don't get that kind of greeting since I never seem to leave.

I think this little girl is pretty smitten.

I wish she could stay our little girl forever!

Little Tricksters and Lots of Treats

2011-10-31T22:36:00.020-04:00

The biggest trickster of the night was Mr. Incredible. This is Jesse's daily uniform. We added the high tech Crayola mask to complete his costume.

This boy has trouble written ALL over his face!

These are my 2011 Halloween treats. I think they are all pretty sweet, especially that little zebra.

Jesse was a persistent knocker once he realized he got candy at every house.

Licking his lips in anticipation of all that candy.

Abby received her first treat. I can't believe she is old enough to walk around and get her own treats.

My favorite part of Abby's costume was the little tail. She was so cute!

After we thawed a bit and sampled some candy we had a cut-throat game of Yatzee.
This is some Yatzee high fiving. Cate rolled Brian the only yatzee of the game. I was happy for them on the inside.

She got a dollar for obeying her daddy and rolling a yatzee for their team. Next time I am getting Cate to roll for me instead of Jesse.

All good things come to an end...
somebody couldn't keep his hands out of the candy bowl.

It was a night of tricks for this boy. He thought you could eat all the candy in one night. Maybe if you hide in the other room with your candy no one will know. Oops!!! Mommydar was on and I heard the rustling of candies. Caught again and again and again. This boy doesn't give up.

We had a wonderful time with family and friends. Hope your Halloween was as much fun as ours even if you didn't get to eat all of your candy. ;)

Search and Scatter

2011-10-30T21:47:00.005-04:00

Little Miss Independent loves searching the kitchen drawers and cabinets for whatever she is in the mood for.

Abby finally found what she was looking for now that half the drawer's contents are scattered about.

Simply Magical

2011-10-29T21:13:00.001-04:00

Miss Mollie Magic came to our little Travelers Rest ice cream shop for some Halloween fun. The kids were spellbound by her tricks.

Abby was more mesmerized by the giant ice cream cone.

I love the colors of fall. They make for a beautiful backdrop.

Mollie Magic made a balloon creation for almost every child there. She was very popular.

James loved his sword!

He gave it to Jesse since he didn't get a balloon. Sometimes I am blown away by the generosity of children.

What's For Dinner?

2011-10-28T15:40:00.001-04:00

I thought I might start admitting to you out there what I feed my family for dinner. It might help improve the quality of meals around here if I have to admit what we are eating. :) There are many cereal, frozen pizzas, and busted dinners when I don't plan our meals. I am not naturally someone who loves to cook. When I can take my time in the kitchen making something delicious I love it. However, life rarely gives me opportunities like that. I am usually scrambling around 5 o'clock trying to figure out what we are going to eat. Planned meals make me so happy I don't know why I don't do it every week. Here's a list of this weeks contenders.

Monday Night
Chicken Cordon Bleu with roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. Don't forget to put water in the steamer basket pot, because it smells really bad when you burn the broccoli. Next time just let the three year old fend for himself down the road instead of burning the broccoli. What kind of trouble could he possibly get into?

Tuesday Night
Homemade Pizza with basil, tomatoes, onions, and ham. One of my favorites, because it is easy to throw together if you have a good mixer.

Wednesday Night
Zuppa Toscana with bread. I modified this recipe a little bit. I use andouille sausage to spice it up a bit. I double the potatoes, omit the water, and add 2 boxes of the chicken broth. Then I top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. This has been one of our favorite soups for a long time.

Thursday Night
Black beans, rice, tomatoes with basil and olive oil burritos. Quick and easy meal since we had to eat quickly. Canned beans have saved me in a pinch.

Friday Night
This Pioneer Woman's recipe, beef short ribs with mashed potatoes and salad. My ribs will not look like this, but hopefully they will taste half as good as hers look.

Saturday Night
Some sort of pasta. I haven't decided yet. I am not opposed to going out to eat. ;) I will let you know how it goes.

Happy Birthday Roo

2011-10-27T22:32:00.001-04:00

Ruth,
I wish I could be with you on your birthday. I would love to give you a really nice sweater, some cool jewelry, or some pottery. Really, I think it would be fun just to hang out with you over a really good dinner and catch up with each other.

I have always loved having you as my sister. You have been adored since the moment you were born. You are like a magnet. Everyone loves to be around you, except when you first wake up in the morning.

You are always honest and tell people how it is. Your sense of humor is quality. You could even melt the heart of a grouchy, old bear like Grandpa.

The struggles that you have gone through have made you the person I know and love.

You are gifted at so many different things. You played every sport our school had to offer and looked good while playing. Cooking, painting, pottery, making shoes, making purses/ wallets, and taking care of sick people are an impressive skill set.

I have always admired your sense of style and confidence. You never seemed afraid of anything, while I wanted to run and hide.

You always know how to have fun. Your smile is contagious. Some of my favorite memories from high school are sharing a room with you and talking till we would fall asleep. I think that gave us the edge to win the "Sibling Rivalry Game" of 1999 in Peru.

I still think I should have been able to pick which bed I wanted, though, since I was older. I hated the trundle bed, but you were so stinkin' stubborn. I was too weak!

You are an amazing sister, aunt, daughter, and friend. I love you bunches and hope your birthday is awesome!

Love,

Your Sister Sarah

Caught

2011-10-25T22:40:00.001-04:00

Uh oh! Mommy caught me!

Nothing is left unscathed in a home with many kids, especially the screens.

Mr. Green the Grasshopper

2011-10-24T22:00:00.012-04:00

Jesse is a totally different child one on one. He resembles an obedient, kind, and patient child when he is alone with me. These are not normally words that one would associate with Jesse on a daily basis. Our time together has been so much fun for both of us.

Today we spent some time looking at grasshoppers. Jesse searched our bug book for some grasshoppers, and examined them with his magnifying glass.

Then we colored our grasshopper. What color is a grasshopper? Jesse knows he has seen some green ones.

Finally we went searching in our backyard for our own grasshopper. Our efforts were rewarded soon after we began looking in a sunny patch of grass. Jesse helped name him Mr. Green. We let him go back to his home after we looked him over. Jesse liked his big eyes and funny ears.

After freeing Mr. Green we counted some grasshoppers. Jesse's counting needs some work as you will see.

Hopefully he will be able to count and listen by the time he is ready for kindergarten.

A Low Country Boil in the Foothills

2011-10-23T00:33:00.003-04:00

I love our church for many reasons. They gave me yet another reason this weekend. Low. Country. Boil. I had never been to a low country boil before in my thirty + years of life. I feel like I have been robbed of many good meal opportunities. My food snobbery is probably to blame for never partaking in a low country boil. I have had an aversion to seafood for as long as I can remember. I am slowly acquiring a taste for the meats of the sea.

Many hands were involved in making the event run efficiently and smoothly. They did a wonderful job.

The smell coming from these cookers was awesome.

I was getting hungrier and hungrier.

While the cookers worked their magic kids played, adults played, and talked. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Abby decided she would play football. I think she was hungry.

Cate, Jesse, and Brian played frisbee.

Five minutes later...

Daddy should teach son not to catch frisbee with face.

All superheroes heal quickly. Nothing can keep them down.

This is one of the only safe places for Abby to be. Brian sacrifices a few clumps of hair. In return he gets a greasy, sausage scalp treatment. Totally worth it!

There was lots of corn hole. Fierce corn hole.

There was even corn hole tutorials given to some who might not have attended the corn hole training school. Let's just say for the record once I warmed up I did fine. It took a while, but I killed it once I warmed up.

This face is serious about corn hole.

Ahhhhhh, there it is! Dinner is served. Dig in!

Soccer Love

2011-10-22T23:12:00.002-04:00

The end of soccer season is almost here. I thought I would be so excited to have my weekends freed up and all the soccer socks, balls, cleats and shin guards put away for a time, but I think I am going to miss watching my kids play soccer.

Watching Emma play is so much fun. My mom used to kick and flail her arms as she cheered and watched me play sports in high school. Now that I am a mom I know how it feels to want to kick the ball for your child. I am now a flailing mom cheering for my daughter on the sidelines.

Emma is a reliable player. Coach gives her some last minute instructions before the game starts.

I don't know how Emma can stay so calm and focused when she is playing. I was (and still am) a spaz when I play sports. I cringe when I think back how I used to shoot a basketball in high school. It wasn't pretty.

Getting around the other team's defense not a problem.

Excellent form.

A fast breakaway is one of Emma's not-so-secret weapons. I am probably screaming very loudly here.

And here!

Now I am screaming and jumping up and down. Joy swells up in a parent's soul when you watch your child succeed. It is a great feeling.

Emma is fast! I hope I never have to run her down, because I will be in trouble.

I like to think that some of my genes created this athletic child. :)

Eating Skills

2011-10-20T11:22:00.010-04:00

When young ones eat it often looks like a food bomb exploded. Abby is exceptionally gifted at eating and scattering food that somehow doesn't pass her sniff test. I am not sure how anything is rejected by her since her palate is not the most discerning. ;)
Hopefully her little spork with help her eat without creating a 2 foot diameter of food particles beneath her.

Abby loves being able to do things on her own. She feels like one of the big kids with her very own spork.

Yet another sign that my baby is not really a baby anymore.

Wormy Wednesday

2011-10-19T16:38:00.010-04:00

Jesse decided that today he would no longer be afraid of touching worms. Guess what I got in my house? Mr. Earthworm from Jesse. He spent quite a while digging outside trying to find more. He was so excited to show me each one. Awesome!!! Let's make sure we put them back in the dirt.

I am glad our study of nature has led this little boy to be curious of the world that he is a part of.

Harry Potterville

2011-10-18T16:05:00.004-04:00

Our woods have become an imaginary world of Harry Potter. You can buy your wands, or any of your Hogwarts school supplies here in our very own backyard. Galleons, a.k.a. leaves, are what you must have if you want to shop here.

Emma read the last of the series a few months ago. She fell in love with them as much I did. James wasn't one to be left behind. I wasn't convinced that it was the best thing to let a seven year old read them, but I really didn't want to discourage him from reading. I am thankful that we have been able to have some good discussions from the books.
James doesn't show an interest in reading too many things. If he is interested, though, he will read and read. This is what he did when he read the third book in the series, Harry Potter And the Prisoner of Azkaban. We told our kids they could watch the movies with us once they read the books. James was plenty motivated. I think it took him three months, but the boy remembers every detail. I enjoyed watching him laugh while he read a hilarious part in the book.
Today James finished his book so he got to watch the movie while the younger ones slept.

Happy to be watching his favorite characters in a movie.

A Spot of Cream

2011-10-17T15:40:00.010-04:00

Monday afternoons in carpool line just got a whole lot tastier (thanks to a thoughtful friend). I love a surprise I can eat!
I take my coffee shot with A LOT of sugar and cream. I like knowing that the coffee is there, but masked by all the other deliciousness that I taste.

I am sorry to those of you that I have probably offended with my disregard for good coffee. I am slowly coming around. Maybe when I am old I will be able to drink coffee black like my husband. Till then I will enjoy my hot chocolates, lattes, and frappuccinos like a greedy child.

Fall for Greenville

2011-10-16T11:39:00.015-04:00

Every year downtown Greenville has a big event called "Fall for Greenville." There are rides for kids, lots and lots of different foods to eat, and music for your enjoyment. We went Sunday after church with some friends. The weather was beautiful! It was actually on the hotter side, but I will take it.

The kids got tatted up before we ate lunch. We had a variety of foods for lunch: pizza, burgers with pimento cheese, some bbq pork sliders, crab cakes, corn chowder, and caramel apple cobbler. Sorry I didn't get a picture of any of the food. I had to eat fast if I wanted to get any. :)

After we scarfed down all our yummy food we were pulled along by our kids to the rides. Jesse had never been on a ride before so we tried to pick something that wasn't too crazy twirly but still looked fun. We picked the swings on steroids. Now mind you his daddy would not be able to ride on these AT ALL. He would be dizzy and sick within a few seconds.

Jesse is ready for the ride to begin. We tried to get Cate to go on it with him, but she wanted to ride on the carousel.

Jesse looks like he is enjoying it. He doesn't look comfortable though.

I don't think he moved at all yet.

OK now we are warming up.

There he is.

Now there's my boy.

Yes, we see you flying!

Up, up and away!

Abby's only ride was her stroller.

She played peek a boo.

There she is!

Onto the carousel ride...
Jesse and his horse bonded quickly.

I told Cate to get on the pretty giraffe near Jesse's horse.

Apparently the giraffe was the only animal that didn't move up and down. Once Cate realized her giraffe was a carousel dud she was about to begin the ugly cry. Thankfully Brian was on the ride with her.
Daddy took care of that problem.

Hooray for sharing!

Emma and James had to pick the most dangerous ride there. Spinning around upside down in a metal cage of doom makes me want to hurl. I might get on one of those, but I would have to be paid a hefty sum of money.

My favorite part is when one of the girls on the other side of James and Emma screamed "we're gonna die." I am sure that made my kids feel really warm and fuzzy. James told me later he thought he was going to be sick while he was on the ride. I am so glad he wasn't. We all had a great time and wore ourselves out. Nap time was good too!

A Kite for Two

2011-10-15T23:00:00.012-04:00

Watching my oldest daughter hold my youngest daughter makes me so emotional. I know that it won't be long and Abby will be as tall as Emma. These two have a special bond. There are many times when Abby only wants Emma. I think Abby says "Emma" more than she will say "momma." Her heart is broken when Emma leaves her to go play outside.

Today was not one of those days. Emma brought Abby outside to fly a kite with her.

Holding a 30lb. weight on your hip while running takes some skills.

Little Abby had so much fun. She especially enjoyed the freedom of running with the kite on her own.

Historical Dance Party

2011-10-14T16:18:00.071-04:00

We commemorated our first 9 weeks of school by throwing a roaring 20's dance party.

We studied the "Dawn of the Twentieth Century." We met lots of interesting characters along the way. Wright brothers, Einstein, Babe Ruth, Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart, Jane Addams, and Charles Lindbergh were some that we learned about that shaped American history.

Speaking of interesting characters...

these two hams couldn't stop showing off.

It was a night of jazzy music pumpin' and kids rollicking on the dance floor.

Cate pretended she was Louis Armstrong playing her trumpet for an eager crowd.

Oh, how the fringe moved and swayed. Fringe should have never gone out of style. :)

Cate would have fit right in with the bold, brash girls in the 20s.

We couldn't have a party without the servicemen.

They heated up the dance floor with their moves. Just use your imagination. They were that good!

Nobody was left out of the fun.

Cate's Dancing Debut

Sorry it is so long. I had a hard time editing it down. She cracks me up.

I love that we can study history as a family and celebrate as a family.