How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Garden

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Potatoes

Watermelon

Last night we had a salad made from our own lettuce! It was really pretty cool. The kids thought so too. We actually had planted it last year and it just came up this year all on its own. I guess that is how it grows. Our neighbor said we just had a few days to "harvest" it so that is what daddy did when he got home. So we had fresh salad with chicken, tomatoes, cheese, croutons and bacon bits. I am not exactly sure what kind of lettuce it is. I am going to look it up. I know some lettuce has no nutritional value like Iceberg. But Romain is really nutritious. We have one more head that will be ready soon. In the past we have grown green beans, peppers, peas, carrots and pumpkins. Except for the green peppers we haven't had much success with the rest. This year we are growing tomatoes, watermelon, potatoes and possibly an apple tree. We will see how much luck we have with those . . .

Grandma's and the Beach

This is going to be a long one. So, grab a cup of joe and relax :) For our first trip with all the kids it actually went pretty darn well. Of course, I am a glass half empty kind of gal so for it to go better than what I could possibly have imagined it would really isn't all that big of a stretch! Anyway, Friday we had planned on leaving about 10. Right after I fed EG. And we actually were pulling out of the driveway by 10:17 which I thought was phenomenal! The first thing we noticed, though, before making it out of the driveway was that the luggage bag straps on top of the car were making a horrendous slapping noise. No way could we listen to that for 5/6 hours. So, we went down the street a couple of houses, passed the exit of our subdivision so daddy could stop and fix the straps. All the kids were yelling "Daddy, where are you going?" "Daddy what are you doing?" Then he pulled into a cul de sac and got out of the car. Boop said "Daddy, what are you doing?" Daddy looked at Boop and said as serious as can be "We are at grandma's!" Boop preceded to unbuckle his carseat straps and get out of his carseat! We were less than a minute from our house! He seriously thought we were at grandma's. I understand you kind of had to be there but we laughed so hard! We were stopped in front of a house we walk by almost every night!!

Once we got on the road we made pretty good time until we stopped for lunch and then everything started to get a little hairy. Even though we had all the kids go to the bathroom before we got back in the car, Boop had to go potty twice. The first time was a false alarm. But we still had to stop twice. Then we ran into a big accident and then a small accident that had traffic at a standstill for miles. By the time we got to Tampa we had hit Friday afternoon traffic which was moving at a snail's pace. But the kids did great and were so excited to see water, an airport, planes and a big city! We got to grandma's all in one piece and that is all that really matters.

The kids swam literally all weekend. We had plans to spend Saturday at the beach. BUT the winds were incredible. Gusts up to 41 miles an hour. Winds like you would see during a hurricane but with the sun shining and no rain. My mom's house is surrounded with all kinds of trees and the wind whipping through them was such an awesome sound. So peaceful and relaxing. We decided by late morning to try the beach. Sissy and Alex went first. My mom lives about 10 minutes from a really great family beach. Anyway, we got to the beach and got out of the car to put sunscreen on. In less than a minute, Nature Girl got hit in the head with a large, dried palm branch that was being tossed about in the air by the wind. Boop was assaulted with flying sand in his face and eyes and was screaming and crying. We looked on to the beach and the sand was flying 6 feet in the air. It looked like a sand storm from some desert country. We saw families venture out to the beach and 5 minutes later come back to the car covered in sand. As much as we hated to turn back, there was no way we were taking our entourage out there. Daddy said it was blowing as hard as a commercial grade sand blaster. My sister came back from the beach all red on her back. Daddy was pretty sure it wasn't a sun burn but sand burn! Anyway, there was a nice playground at the beach so we hung out there for a little bit.

Later that night we grilled hamburgers and had my mom's good friends over. Of course, the kids swam all night until bed time. Everyone slept great. It was so neat because we left the windows open and you could still hear all the wind rustling in the trees. The greatest white noise. EG even slept 6-7 hours each night!

Sunday we just hung out. Had a good breakfast. Daddy did some chores for grandma then we got on the road. I guess because it was Sunday the traffic wasn't near as bad and we made it home in about 5 hours. We have learned a few things about traveling to grandma's. We are going to try to leave some stuff there that we will need every time. We have to be careful not to hit Tampa in the afternoon. And we probably will try to stay one more day next time. It is a long way to travel with four kids for only one whole day. . .

Over the River and Through the Woods . . .

to Grandmother's house we go. The horses know the way to carry the sleigh etc. etc. etc. We leave in the morning to go to Grandma's house in case you didn't figure it out. Our first trip with four kids. We will be gone for the weekend and will be back late Sunday afternoon. Grandma now lives close to the beach and fishing and has a pool! The kids will have a blast. I don't know who is more excited, the kids or Grandma!! I am surprisingly relaxed considering I will spend the majority of my day tomorrow in a mini van filled to the gills with kids and clothes and baby paraphernalia. I guess I am figuring out no matter how much planning I do, it is what it is. So, I will be "back" Monday morning (unless daddy brings his laptop) with many pictures and a few tales of our time with family and friends. Until then . . .

Take Me Out to the Ball Game . . .

FSU baseball tickets: $6.00

Snacks at the game: $3.50

Dinner with Sissy afterwards: $7.00

Boop's first FSU baseball game: Priceless

Thank you Sissy and Shaunna!! Love, Boop

Children Don't Need to Be Taught to Think

I recently read this on one of my favorite blogs - Higher Up and Further In:

"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think. Whereas, if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less showily. Let him go and come freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table, while a sweet-voiced teacher suggests that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of coloured paper, or plant straw trees in bead flower-pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of, before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experiences." - Anne Sullivan

Modesty

Yesterday I spent a little time shopping trying to find the girls bathing suits. One of the biggest challenges I can see for the future will be trying to teach three girls the idea of biblical modesty. In this culture, we are constantly berated with the exact opposite whether it be the magazines we receive in the mail or the commercials that pop up even on the Family Channel. I was shocked yesterday at what retailers consider swimsuits for young girls. Some of the Vs were half way down to their navels. As I tried to explain to Nature Girl she is only 7 and I would like for her to look like a young lady. As long as I am buying the swimsuits, I will buy tankinis or one piece suits. There is plenty of time for other alternatives when they get to make their own decisions. As my 24 year old sister has said (in a nutshell) immodesty is everywhere in her generation. That I guess you really don't even notice how little the girls wear these days. We are slowly being desensitized. I know my girls will have to make their own decisions when they are older. So, in the meantime I am going to do my best to instill some modesty. For school awhile back, we had received a free lapbook that was a whole biblical study of modesty. I guess we will be getting that out! The swimsuits we ended up picking out yesterday (after trying about a dozen on) were so adorable. Hopefully we are on the right track . . .

Places I Would Like to Take Our Children

when they are a little older:

Crested Butte, CO - to go snow skiing and snowmobiling - hubby and I went there on our honeymoon

Grand Canyon - never been

Washington, D.C. - been there numerous times for work and have yet to see everything - so steeped in history

Ireland - beautiful country

Omaha, NE - for the College World Series - preferably when FSU is there

New York City - have been there 1 1/2 times and have not even come close to seeing everything

Something to look forward to . . .

Silent Sunday

Four Month Check Up

Yesterday EG had her 4 mos doctor's check up. The doctor said she looked perfect! She was so good. I always feel so bad because she gets poked and prodded and yesterday she got shots :( She weighed 12lbs 4oz. I was a little disappointed with that. I was sure she had gained a ton of weight. I am still nursing and giving supplemental bottles as needed. The doc said it was nothing to worry about but that we should keep on eye on it. I was really hoping if she had gained a lot of weight I could not worry so much about supplementing. But I fear without the supplement she would not have even gained a pound this month. Because she is not sleeping well at night the doctor suggested we start giving her cereal. So I guess I will try that next week. She is 25 inches long and I was OK with that! The doctor said she is very strong. She was trying to bend her legs to check her hip joints and EG would not let her bend her knee. She kept it straight out in front of her. The doctor had to distract her so she could bend her leg and hip when she wasn't paying attention. I obsess about the soft spot on her head (I have with all of the kids). It seemed still really big to me. The doctor measured that to keep an eye on it as well but she said not to be concerned. They are going to do an ultrasound and the bruised, fatty mass under her arm. Again, they say it isn't anything to be worried about but it doesn't hurt to check it out. All and all it was a good trip. All of the kids were well behaved. When it came time for EG's shots the kids asked to step out into the hallway. They couldn't bare to hear her scream and see her cry. I totally understood because I couldn't hardly bare it myself . . .

Babies, babies, babies

As I type right now a very good friend of mine, Kathryn, is having baby number three. It is a little girl and we are soooo excited because we are sure she will be good friends with EG. My friend had to have a scheduled C-section so was rightfully apprehensive. But she had such a good attitude. She knew to go to the Bible and write down a bunch of Scripture that God gives us to deal with fear and worry. And I think the plan was to continue to quote it when things got a little overwhelming. She has a wonderful supportive husband who will be there for her through it all! I am actually excited about seeing this baby. Normally I don't get excited about other women's babies. I have always been that way. I remember when we were trying to get pregnant and my sister-in-law had her second child. We went to visit her in the hospital and she asked if I wanted to hold her. I said "No thank you." I really didn't have a desire to hold a baby. I also never knew that other women wanted to hold my babies. So, therefor I never asked "Do you want to hold her/him?" Because I didn't ever want to I just assumed nobody did either. I have since learned differently. Lots of women like to hold little bitty babies. And now, I think, I have developed that desire as well. I have spent a little time over the course of the last few days wondering why the difference in me. Why might I want to hold my friend's baby? (She has held mine numerous times. In fact every time we are together I hand over EG and she gladly accepts.) I have come up with a couple of conclusions. First, I am much more comfortable with babies. I have learned they are not breakable. It is OK if they cry and I think I have developed skills to comfort babies. Second, I have finally realized how quickly they grow. One minute they are newborns and next they are rolling over, smiling, cooing infants. The main reason, lastly, is that I think my baby days are over. I doubt (topic for another post very soon) that I will have any more babies. That brings out a desire in me to marvel at these beautifully wonderfully made creations that God has given us. Can't you tell I have been up many times last night. I have had too much time to ponder in the middle of the night. Rest assured Kathryn, I have been praying for you as well. I can't wait to meet and hold baby girl . . .

Biker Babe

A very exciting day yesterday!! Little Mama learned to rider her bike without training wheels! It was such a beautiful day yesterday that while the littles were napping we played outside. Little Mama decided that yesterday was the day. She had been asking daddy for awhile now to help her. We have had so much going on that there just didn't seem to be enough time. (Pitiful I know.) It is funny how with a little willingness you can carve out some unexpected family time. Usually when daddy is outside with the kids, I will stay inside for a little peace and quiet. But then Little Mama called me out to show me her latest accomplishment and I just had to stay outside. Daddy was going to run errands but I convinced him to hang with us for just a little while. We watched Little Mama go round and round in the cul de sac. Nature Girl got out her ball cap, glove and ball and we played a little catch. The wind was blowing and there were just a couple of clouds in the sky. It made me wish we didn't have anywhere to go. Congratulations Little Mama on a really cool accomplishment. We are proud of you . . .

Geography and the NCAA tournament

So I have posted before that I LOVE basketball. And considering FSU got into the Big Dance, I decided to use the NCAA bracket for geography lessons in our little homeschool. I just love homeschooling! Where else can you watch tons of basketball and use it to learn :) Anyway, so this is how it works: I cut out the NCAA tournament bracket from the newspaper, I noted when the first game was (which happen to be last night) and the two schools playing which were Alabama St. and Morehead. We then looked up both schools on the computer and found out what city and state they were located in. Obviously Alabama State was an easy one to find. We went ahead and found what city it was in. It happens to be Montgomery if you are curious. Then we looked up Morehead. That one was a little trickier. It is actually located in Morehead, Kentucky. We plotted both schools on a map I printed off. One of the first questions Nature Girl asked me this morning was "Who one the game last night?" Daddy looked it up and said Morehead did. So, today we will go back to our map and see again where the two schools are. I don't think the next game is until Thursday. Depending on how many schools play on Thursday we might go ahead and start finding them on the map today. My guess is we will have geography lessons throughout the weekend. Everyone participates because it is exciting. And, they won't even care that it is school!! One of the major philosophies that I subscribe to in our little homeschool is learning things as they happen in life, by reading good books and participating in what is going on around us. Every place we go and everything we do has schooling potential. That if you are forced to learn things, you do for the moment but then it is gone. If a child learns something because he or she WANTS to or it is just a natural part of living, he or she will be more inclined to remember it. I love to learn. I so want to encourage my children to do the same . . .

Irish Heritage

My hubby is 100% Irish. I always thought that was soooo cool. I know I don't have all the facts straight about how his mom and dad got here. But I do know his mom went back for a little while when she was a child. I think they have ties to Galway and Roscommon. But I won't swear to that. Regardless they are all Irish!! Did I mention that I think that is soooo cool!! I don't know why it is neat to me. Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated with Ireland. It is one of the places I want to go. The Today Show is in Ireland this morning. The landscape is absolutely beautiful. Lush green land with majestic mountains. They have a waterfall there that is higher than Niagara Falls. They have fallen on hard times just as the US has. But they people they interviewed seemed hopeful. Maybe it is the luck of the Irish thing. They also have a female president which I was a little surprised about. They interviewed her this morning as well. She seemed like a tell it like it is, tough little cookie. Anyway, I make it a point to tell the kids they are half Irish. (For the record they are 1/4 German and 1/4 English, Welsh and a few other things.) Someday, for a school project when the kids get a little older I would like to "interview" all of the grandparents and parents and get their stories. It is important to know where your going but I think it is equally important to know where you came from . . . .Happy St. Patrick's Day . . .

A Trip to the Grocery Store

Daddy is officially off paternity leave :) He has been back to work since the end of December but has kept on some of his paternity leave duties such as baths on days he doesn't work and grocery shopping. Friday he went grocery shopping with a big long list. I think he had Boop with him. (He will take one or two kids.) Anyway, he ran into a friend of ours and she asked him "Do you like to grocery shop?" He said sure because he liked to cook. The friend looked at him with such wonder on her face. He was waiting for a marriage proposal! Anyway, yesterday was my first outing to the grocery store with the kids (well minus one she was at choir.) I have been to the grocery store with the kids before to get a couple of items but not with the long weekly grocery list. We said a prayer before we went in. I explained the rules of not touching, staying by the cart, not asking for things and trying to stay out of other shopper's way. If they succeeded they would get a cookie. I suppose it could have been worse. They have been used to shopping with daddy and I think he might be a little more lenient. It was a little crazy and of course we couldn't help but get in other shopper's way. Little Mama had to hold one side of the cart and Boop the other so we kind of took up the whole aisle. But if they didn't hold the cart they would go dancing and running down the aisle. I had to do quite of bit of reminding. I was a little stressed because in just a few short months they had changed some things around. Some of the groceries we usually get were in strange places. Of course, a couple of people made comments like "Oh, you have your hands full." I wanted to say "Yeah, and I am missing one." The bakery lady knows Boop so had to come over and give him a big old hug so that was cute. Up until having EG, I would never have let the baggers help me out with my groceries. I always felt there was someone more in need. Honestly, now, I ask for help even if they don't offer it!! It is soooo much easier to just load kids instead of kids and groceries. Now if I could just get the bagger to come home with me!! I guess the trip was a success so I am sure we will be going again. One less thing daddy needs to do on his days off . . .

Silent Sunday

Celebrating Life

Today I am having a baby shower for a good friend. This is her third baby and she is having a little girl! I don't know what the etiquette is for baby showers and successive births but it has always been my thought that it is more about celebrating life. So, that is what we are going to do today! It is so great when a bunch of women get together for this purpose. It is such a happy occasion. Usually different generations are present and baby stories are told from a different era. It is always amazing to me what those moms who came before us had to do. When my mother-in-law had her first baby they didn't encourage nursing. They pushed formula and to hear her tell the story of what she had to do to make the formula you would of thought you had to have a science degree. I know my mom used cloth diapers with my brother and me. Just the thought of doing that makes my skin crawl! Now so much of what we do as a mom is taken for granted. Not necessarily a bad thing disposable diapers ;) Anyway, we will have snacks and drinks and talk as only women can do. I am sure the topics of conversation will revolve around families, marriages, babies, and sleep. And heaven knows we can all talk about that! Well, I suppose I need to go and get ready for our celebration of the latest blessing from God . . . :)

The Faith of a Family

Yesterday afternoon we went to visit one of Little Mama's friends. We had gone there to drop off some gifts for the young girl, Faith. She had been in the hospital two days prior to our visit. During the visit her mom had shared a little bit more about the accident that put her little girl in the hospital. I asked her if I could share their story on my blog and the following post is the story of this little girl Faith and her faithful family. This past Sunday Faith and her older sister Grace were swinging on their wooden swing set in their backyard. The unthinkable and unimaginable happened. The wooden swing set they had been swinging on collapsed with the cross beam falling on top of the little girl Faith's head. Grace stared at her sister with the heavy beam across her head thinking she was dead. Grace (a 8 year old) lifted the beam from her sister and immediately screamed for her mom. Mom was out there within seconds. Faith was taken to the hospital and had 2 CT scans done one in the ER and the other one in the pediatric intensive care unit. And I am sure numerous other tests as well. They found two hair line fractures. One right underneath her left eye. Faith's face was black and blue and her left eye swollen shut. After being in the hospital from Sunday to Wednesday for observation, she was allowed to go home. The doctors had given the mom a list of things to look for that might lead to complications and a list of phone calls and follow up appointments to make. But yesterday when we visited with Faith she was laughing and giggling with Little Mama. Her mom had to remind her not to run and to watch where she was going! Except for the visible bruising and swollen eye this girl was in the best of spirits. God's blessing No. 1. But that is not where the story ends. A day or two later as the whole story from Grace unfolded, the presence of God at that time was undeniable. Grace told how she was able to lift that cross beam from her sister's body and that it was "as light as a feather." On the day before the accident, it had taken 2 women and 1 man to move that beam! As the mom has said, "You hear about children calling 911. Yes, those are children are heroes. But Grace did what she needed to do right then and there and then called for help." God was there! The family has been through a very traumatic experience and are very willing to share their story. They want everyone to know how God was with their Faith and their Grace. To God be the glory. . .

Grandpa Joe

It is that time of year. Yes, spring in the sunny south but also the annual visit of Grandpa Joe. He called last night to make his plans. He still lives in the Frozen Tundra but comes to visit us once a year. Usually in the month of April. It is something the kids have come to look forward to. Grandpa Joe is the greatest house guest! First of all he doesn't stay at the house :) Not that he isn't welcome he just prefers a hotel room and it always has worked out for the best :) He usually comes over a little after lunch and stays through dinner. And he is here for about 3 days. And the best part is, he comes just to see his grandkids (and me of course ;). We don't have to entertain him. He is so content just to be with us. We do usually go somewhere like the Jr. Museum, Wakulla Springs or Lake Ella. A favorite place has been the Mary Brogan Museum. It is a hands on museum with lots of great things for the kids and adults to participate in. Remember the pulley/lever, Grandpa Joe?? Last year when we went to Wakulla Springs they were actually doing an archaeological dig!! I will be pondering over the next few weeks were we will go this year. We usually like to pick a place that "showcases" the area we live in. It seems like just yesterday Grandpa Joe and Nona Kris were here. My how the time flies. Anyway, we all are excited for your visit Grandpa Joe. . .

Pretty in Purple

You would think considering I have two girls I would already have an abundance of girl clothes. But when I found out that baby number three was a boy I got rid of every single piece of girl clothing. And because we didn't find out the sex of baby number 4, I didn't have a bunch of new girls clothing to start out with. I also kind of thought that because I had done the girl thing before and because I am really not a shopper (which daddy is thankful for), I wouldn't get caught up in shopping for a baby girl! Well, I was wrong! I haven't shopped for a baby girl in almost 8 years. You figure I had baby girl number two 22 mos after baby girl number one so baby girl number two wore most of baby girl number one's clothes. Of course, I shop for the older girls now and it is fun. BUT, baby girl clothes are addicting!! And so tiny and so cute!! (And she will wear whatever I buy.) I have spent the better part of the past weekend shopping for baby girl clothes. She is growing like a weed. Plus, it got hot quick and I had no clothes for spring or summer. EG looks best in purple just like Little Mama. Their skin isn't quite so fair as Boop and Nature Girl. And it looks like EG will have darker hair like Little Mama. Plus, she has these deep, dark blue eyes. So purple will be the color of choice. I also spent a little time trying to find matching Easter outfits for everyone. I was inspired by my friend Kathryn to do this. When the girls were little I used to buy matching dresses all the time. It was easy then. Now, each girl has their own style so it was a little bit more problematic. Not to mention finding something for Boop and then get a dress in a baby girl size. Finally, my last stop was Gymboree. I was tired and frustrated. The lady asked me if I needed help. I told her I was trying to find matching dresses for the girls. She asked me how many girls. I told her three ranging in size 7 to 3-6 mos. She told me what I needed to do was coordinate dresses. That with three girls matching dresses gets to be a little much. Plus, they are hard to find. She knew what she was talking about because she had 4 girls of her own. So coordinating it was. Poor Boop kept asking when he would get his outfit. I told him "After I picked out the girls." Anyway, I have assured daddy I am done for now. I have bought enough clothes to get us through the next couple of months. Hopefully through spring and part of summer. I try to clothes shop twice a year - spring and fall. But, who knows what I might see when and if I ever go shopping again. . .

Snoring

I love my husband. He is a great husband and father. But, I didn't realize how much he snores until I started feeding EG 2-3 times a night. I have to poke and prod him to get him to change positions. He has asked me why all of a sudden now is it such a big deal that he snorts and snores in his sleep. It is two fold. First, I guess I never noticed it before because I was asleep. It is amazing what you get used to during the night time hours. For 6 years I have gotten used to his alarm going off at 4AM, him showering and putting on all of his law enforcement gear. There were many nights that I never even heard him. (Now while the baby is in our room he gets ready elsewhere.) So, I guess I got used to his snoring. Second, because I am up numerous times in the night, I just hear it. I suppose it really isn't all that bad but I am so worried it will wake EG after I have just spent 20 minutes nursing her back to sleep. Also, if I do manage to get her back down, I have to listen to it until I can fall asleep. I am a light sleeper and it takes me awhile to wind down and I guess his noise making hinders the process. Such is life I guess ;) This to shall pass . . .

I Am Not Ready for Parenthood

Yes, a little late. I understand that. And, I also understand the longer I parent, the less I know. That absolutely flies in the face of any other life lessons! My oldest daughter is like me in many ways but so unlike me in many other ways. It has been this way from the beginning. She is strong willed, confident, a go getter, social, constantly on the go and doesn't take or like "no" for an answer. As I joke with people, she is a lawyer in the making. There is never an issue that she doesn't like to debate. "We are having ice cream for dessert." "Well, what about a cookie?" And so it goes. She challenges me to think outside the box. To look at things differently. These are things I do not expect from a 7 year old. Truth be told, I don't relish telling her she is right. (One of those things she and I have in common :) Anyway, she had been at a birthday party Saturday night. She didn't get home until 8:30. Then of course the time change and we had to be up early for church. Well, she wanted to go to her friend's house on Sunday afternoon after church and the mom would bring them to choir. I told her that I wanted her home. We had had a busy weekend. Sunday's are for family. (Plus, when she is gone I am lost without her!! She is such a great help in so many ways that I can't even name half of the time!) Well, I hear her on the phone with her friend. The friend must have been asking if she could come over and why couldn't she come over. Nature Girl was frustrated and disappointed with my decision and had worked a couple of angles to get her way. To no avail. So I hear Nature Girl say to her friend "Well, you have to obey your mom. What else can you do? Pack your bags??" My reaction was somewhere between shock and laughter! Part of me wanted to laugh out loud because it was funny and so intuitive. The other part of me wanted to cringe BECAUSE SHE IS ONLY 7!! As my hubby and I discussed this last night, we were trying to figure out where she would get something like that from. I told him I think she gets that stuff all on her own. She is incredibly sharp and doesn't miss a trick. She is a "still waters run deep" kind of kid. She files away everything she sees and hears for some future use. The good thing is she doesn't keep secrets and she tells me everything. Maybe not right when it happens but it comes out sooner rather than later. Her conscience for the most part is in the right place. All I can say is I am not ready for this . . .

Silent Sunday NOT

Last night EG rolled over for the very first time!! She has been trying for about a week and last night she succeeded . . .

I Love Boop This Much

He laughs like a hyena.

When you ask him to do something he says "Yeah, sure" like he is from Jersey.

He puts a grape on his nose and sings Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer.

He says please and thank you and sorry all the time.

He does something silly and says "Just kidding."

As Daddy is going from one room to the other trying to get stuff together for a project. Daddy says: "Boop, what ya doin'?" Boop says: "Followin' you."

He gets dirty just looking at dirt. He has to have a bath before his bath.

He is sweet and sensitive and all boy.

He loves his mama and worships his daddy.

What's not to love . . .

The Age of Technology

I have gone kicking and screaming into the technological age. And now that I am here I am addicted!! It started out about three years ago with email. We didn't have a good computer then. We had a 10 year old computer with dial up. There were easier ways to communicate!! But when we got a newer computer and faster Internet that became my way of communicating to just about everyone. I am not a phone person. Truth be told, I hate talking on the phone. I don't answer the phone during school and I don't answer after 8PM. Also, I am a "to the point" kind of person so email works better for me. Not to mention, with a house full of kids it is almost impossible to carry on a conversation that lasts more than 2 minutes. I have tried to teach them some manners and that if I am on the phone they need to wait to talk to me until I am through. Or, if it is something important, to at least say "Excuse me." But, just like my phone call yesterday with a long distance friend I had to call her back because someone came in the house screaming and crying because they hurt their foot. So, when I have something to communicate to someone, it is usually by email. But, now that is even old school for me. My 20 something sister has introduced me to texting and Facebook. Now, there's an addiction. My original excuse for buying into these trends was it kept me in touch with my sister. But, truth be told, now, I love both of those things!! Because I am a person of few words texting is perfect. It is straight and to the point. I can receive messages and send messages and take hardly anytime doing it. Things get done. Questions get answered. Thoughts are conveyed. All in less than a minute. My kind of communication. The Facebook thing is great because you can keep up with people even if you don't have time to see them or even talk with them. You know what is going on in all of your friends' lives. And for me (because I really don't get out much socially these days) it is a perfect avenue to keep in touch. I knew the wife of our youth pastor had her baby girl and she was under the billie lights. Not because I could go see her but because her husband posted it on Facebook. Because I had posted that Nature Girl was sick yesterday a friend from tumbling knew we wouldn't be there. Then there is the blogging thing. I do it because it is therapeutic and it is a way to keep memories but it has now also become a way for me to keep in touch. Nowadays family and friends are scattered all over the United States. And blogging is a huge way for me to keep them updated on what is going on in our family!! And the beauty of it is, is that they only have to read it if they want to. I suppose in some respects it is a colossal waste of time and it hurts the ability to communicate in person. But for me and given the fact that I wouldn't communicate in person anyway, all of it is just more ways to stay in touch with loved ones. Ultimately it brings us all closer together . . .

Last 12 Hours

It all started about 8 o'clock last night. Daddy was trying to clip EG's nails. Well, we all know how hard that can be. We were all laying on the floor and I was reading. All of a sudden I hear a wail and I see blood. Lots of blood. The tip of EG's thumb was covered in blood and she was hysterical. No need to say what happened. It would only make daddy feel worse. After sending the kids to bed I walked around with EG for quite some time. The little thumb just kept bleeding. So finally I gave her a bath and she settled down. I knew it was going to be a long night. She would probably bump her thumb or suck it and she has also been real congested. Not the kind that runs out but the kind that runs down the back of the throat and you can't get it out with a bulb syringe. So finally at about 1:30 AM EG fell into a sound sleep. About an hour later Nature Girl came in frantic. "I gotta puke, I gotta puke." "Well, go in the bathroom and puke." And she did and did. TMI I know :) Anyway, I rubbed her back, got her a puke bucket and a towel, woke daddy to give him Nature Girl duty because I knew I had EG duty and back to bed we all went. According to daddy Nature Girl got up once more during the night. EG got up two more times. Finally at 7:30 AM everyone was up and moving. Daddy was on his way to work. Mommy was on her knees praying that it doesn't spread and EG's thumb is a little better. The bleeding had finally stopped. Oh what today will bring . . .

Tumbling

One of the greatest things I have done with my kids is enroll them in the local tumbling gym. They have parent participation classes as young as 2 and all of the kids thus far have participated. The girls are now on the big floor and Nature Girl is on a Flight Program team. They LOVE tumbling! They look forward to class every Tuesday and Thursday. Boop goes every Tuesday for a 1/2 hour and loves it as well. As with everything else it has been so interesting to see the difference between the girls and Boop when they were in the preschool class. He is much more energetic. I never once had to tell the girls to listen to the coach or we would leave. I have to tell Boop that every time. I don't think he is being disrespectful he is just eager to get started. I love taking him though because it is our time alone together. The girls have different skill levels and strengths in tumbling as well. Little Mama moved up to Beginner 2 right away. She would normally still be in a once a week Kindergarten class. But because of her flexibility and her ability to listen and obey they have moved her up to a big girl class. She is the youngest in her class and the coaches love her. For one semester we thought she would pass up Nature Girl but thankfully that didn't happen ;) Nature Girl on the other hand loves to socialize during class time. She is not as flexible as Little Mama but is graceful in the things that she can do. And, she is very determined. She practices on the trampoline daily. To watch her on the balance beam is grace in motion. Nature Girl has her first competition in April. They have been learning it during class and will compete during class time before parents. I am excited for that! Both girls excel and I love to watch them. Which is good because we are there for an hour and a half two days a week. . .

Happy Haircut

Your probably thinking "Big deal, hair cuts." Well, around here it is a big deal!! They so seldom get one. Up until yesterday poor Boop could put his hair into pigtails (which the girls did and I am pretty sure it was the straw that broke the camels back as far as daddy was concerned.) So yesterday our family outing was to go get haircuts for the kiddies. They of course did great. Nature Girl threw daddy a curve ball in that she wanted short hair. Daddy is adamantly against short hair. Go figure :) Anyway, I asked Daddy if he brushed her hair and he said "no." I suggested to him that I thought it would be easier for all of us if the girls could fix their own hair every morning. My children are blesses with very fine hair. You would be surprised of the little tiny knots it can get into. And, how long it takes to get those little knots out. The shorter the hair, the fewer the knots. We went to a place that is more like a barber shop. It is cheap and quick and you don't need an appointment. There is usually a couple of older men in there. As one of them was waiting to have his hair cut you could see him looking back and forth at me, my hubby and the kids. Finally he said "You can't deny who those kids belong to." We get that a lot! I always like it when someone is checking out our family and everyone is behaving. I think it is such a testimony. Anyway, the haircuts were awesome and I was glad we got it out of the way. We weren't such a great testimony at WalMart . . .

Snow Day

No, we didn't have one. But it seems like we are the only state surrounding us that didn't! My kids are dying to see snow. It is unbelievable to me that they have never seen snow. I grew up in the north and snow was a given. I have a friend who lives in the north and she has posted on a number of occasions about the snow. Yesterday I received an email with pictures from a friend who lives in Alabama. The pictures were of her kids making snowmen!! FSU's baseball game got snowed out. (They were playing in Alabama) New York City has had its first snow day in 5 years. Our neighbor told my kids that this weekend we might see snow. Actually we heard it from two people. So, Saturday night when the girls woke up in the middle of the night they would peek outside to see if they could see some. No such luck. It never got cold enough. Today, which is cold enough there is no precipitation in the forecast. Such is life! I have made a promise to them. Probably not this coming up winter but maybe the following winter, we will travel up north in the middle of snow season. Just so they can play in the snow (and visit family and friends of course :) What the heck, I think I would even like to see some . . .

Silent Sunday