Buffaloes and Butterfly Wings

The power of words

2012-01-27T07:25:00.000-06:00

Dear Kind Lady in Bath & Body Works,

Thank you for your sincere words yesterday. You were leaving the store as my 4 children and I were coming in. It means so much to me that you interrupted your day for almost a full minute to admire my little family.

You see, just last week another not-so-kind-~~lady~~ woman tallied up 2 well-behaved big boys, a quiet baby in my arms, and a wiggly (but quiet) toddler in my husband's arms and called us "gluttons for punishment." She may have said it with a smile, but I found her comment to be extremely insulting and may or may not have had the urge to poke her in the eye. Instead I smiled and said nothing, too stunned at her rudeness to know what to say.

You, on the other hand, were easy to talk to and such a blessing to me as you stopped to look into each child's face, admire them all, and say with such sincerity "What a blessing!"

You just might have made my day. And I'm still smiling this morning.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Philippians 1:3

Always learning

2012-01-24T12:22:00.000-06:00

I took another walk down memory lane with my boys the other day.

Dale was fiddling with the digital thermometer that was left laying out on the counter. Instead of just telling him not to play with it, I told him why, by telling him the following (true) story:

"One time I was sitting at my table eating a hot dog. Lying right on the table was a thermometer, but not a digital one like this. It was the old glass kind, that had mercury in it. I decided I wanted to know how hot my hot dog was so I stuck the thermometer in it."

(You know what's coming don't you?)

"The hot dog was much hotter than the thermometer could measure and it broke, spilling mercury into my hot dog. I had to throw the whole thing away."

Dale was duly impressed at my mistake and the exciting ending to my experiment.

"Guess how old I was when I did that."

Dale guessed 8.

I grinned and shook my head 'no'.

He guessed 10. I shook my head again.

Do you have a guess how old I was when I pulled such a stunt?

........

........

I was 21. :)

Fish Tacos

2012-01-21T20:43:00.000-06:00

Marinate fish.

Grill Peppers.

Grill fish.

Wrap in a tortilla with sliced cabbage, avocados, cilantro, and fresh squeezed lime.

Fantastic!

Recipe from Kimberly Murray.

Onions, butterflies, & circus dogs

2012-01-20T21:10:00.000-06:00

Announcement: I an what I like to call... a 'homebody'. I could go, and in fact, have gone, an entire week without leaving home and be just fine with that. I'll be getting in the van on Sunday and think, "ya know, I think the last time I got in this van was... last Sunday. Awesome!"

The rest of my family, however, likes to go places.

The rest of my family had a great day today.

Oh, who am I kidding? I had a great day, too. Once I get out and going, I have to admit I actually kind of enjoy it, too.

So... today:

First trip out put us an hour out in the wind (windy wind!) and sunshine planting onions. It's only January and it's 75 degrees and we're working in the garden! This is messing with my head. On this outing my boys got to see 1 grandparent, 1 great-grandparent, and 1 grandparent dog. Dog uncle? Dog cousin? You can work on that one.

Home for lunch and a clothing change and back out again. This time to see an 80 year old quilt.
Yes! Definitely worth the trip.

At this stop the boys saw 1 grandparent and 2 librarian friends.

In spite of already overdue naps, we stopped on the say home for more visiting and site-seeing. Again, a stop well-worth it.
This stop brought the boys 2 great-grandparents and 1 high-wire walking grand-dog.

Finally home for those naps and more time outside in the beautiful and crazy-unseasonably warm sunshine.

Really.... I think I should get out more. It's good for us all!

Today

2012-01-19T12:28:00.000-06:00

Five years ago today our 9 week old baby boy was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

Four years ago today he was dismissed from the hospital with a life-saving liver transplant.

Today he sang songs to his baby sister.

Today he goes to his second taekwondo class.

Today he had a picnic lunch in the sunshine.

Five years ago today it felt like our world was falling apart. So much of it remains perfectly clear in my memory. The faces, the emotions, the laughter, and the tears.

Today we are different people for the journey God has led us on. For the people we have met, and the grace we have been given.

Today I am thankful.

Martial Artists

2012-01-17T21:28:00.000-06:00

We have talked for at least two years about putting Dale in martial arts 'someday'.

Looks like 'someday' has arrived!

Our family is embarking into completely new territory. We are learning the lingo and belt-tying and how to do push-ups and how to get in line. Yes, my homeschooled kids were the ones that were -momentarily!- lost when all the kiddos scurried to line up single file. (They recovered just fine, by the way.)

Already I love watching them interact with their instructor and being pushed to try new things - and succeed!

I've always suspected it would be beneficial, but I'm beginning to think this martial arts stuff just might be fun, too!

Her own best friend

2012-01-16T20:24:00.000-06:00

Remember "this changes everything?"

We knew having a girl would be different, but Brooklyn is reminding us that girl or not, she is going to be her own little self.

I've had two babies that used pacifiers, but never one that's done this:

Right now I think it is absolutely adorable and quite handy (pardon the pun).

Ask me again how I feel about it in about 18 months. ;)

Ever had any thumb suckers in your family?

Thankful thoughts from the breakfast table

2012-01-15T09:02:00.001-06:00

Alan: What?

Me: Nothing. Why?

Alan: You were lookin' at me.

Me: Was I smiling?

Alan: No, you were just lookin' at me like you were going to say something.

Me: Ah. In my head I was saying 'Thank you, God for cinnamon raisin biscuits.'

Tyler: A-MEN!

Fun and Games

2012-01-12T21:02:00.000-06:00

Dale is a little game crazy these days.

Recently he and Alan made up a game of their own using chess pieces and a Scrabble board.

I didn't even know we owned chess pieces.

Then they taught Daddy how to play their new game.

It seems to have some elements of chess, some of Chinese checkers...

...and some of the board game "Sorry"

The pink and blue squares of the Scrabble board come into play, but seein' as how I haven't learned yet, that's about all I know.

Are you game players at your house? What are some of your favorites?

Odds and Ends

2012-01-11T21:27:00.001-06:00

1 - The whole family went this afternoon to check out a martial arts place with thoughts of enrolling Dale and Alan. I really liked the facility, the instructors, the curriculum... just not sure I'm ready to be a family involved in extra-curriculars yet. The boys enjoyed it, even though they didn't learn a Sponge-Bob style karate chop like they thought they would.

2 - I woke up this morning from a dream that one of my children had died. Off and on throughout the day those real feelings of grief and devastation from my dream would come back to mind. It certainly changed the way I approached my day. More smiles, more cuddles, more thankfulness.

3 - I finally, finally finished my first quilt top today! I can't believe how close I was to finishing the last time I worked on it. This has been a project that comes in spurts followed by months-long breaks. I hope I can spurt my way to being done with the whole quilt this time!

4 - Really? Three? That's all I can come up with? Lemme see... aha! Here we go:

Maybe skin deep isn't always a bad thing.

2012-01-10T12:10:00.000-06:00

I never was a big fan of Oprah, but I did see a handful of shows through the years. A few minutes from one of those shows I will never forget, probably because I have replayed it in my mind over and over again.

The theme of the show was women who looked and acted younger than their age. In a good way. The guests were mostly in their 60's-80's, and looked like they were in their 30's-50's.

Oprah would bring out a guest, introduce them, and, after visiting for a few moments, reveal the guest's true age.
At which point, the entire audience was amazed and astounded and the guest would share a few bits of wisdom about how to best live your life.

Of course, each guest looked more amazing than the last. Finally, one attractive, well-spoken lady came out. After the age reveal Oprah picked her jaw up off the floor and asked how the woman did it.

By the way the question was worded and the nature of the show, every one was expecting some deep, inspirational answer.

Not so.

"Moisturizer," the lady answered. "I have faithfully applied moisturizer to my skin every morning and every night for decades."

Oprah went fishing for more. Something more mystic or difficult. "No," the lady smiled, "just moisturizer."

So YES - drink your water. YES - live clean. YES - don't tan yourself silly. But hey... don't forget the moisturizer! :)

Happy Birthday, Tyler!

2012-01-09T07:46:00.001-06:00

Tyler is two!

We don't believe in the terrible twos.... 2 is one of our favorite ages around here!

And Tyler is certainly perpetuating that opinion.

He's our 'funnest' most hilarious 2-year-old yet.

He likes to sing, he likes to play, he likes to eat, he likes to share, he likes to make us laugh. He loves his stuffed lamb, his dum-dum, Lightening, Buzz, and Woody, "Baby Book'yn", and whatever his big brothers are doing.

Happy Birthday, Ty Ty! We're pretty crazy about you, too. :)

Growing Up

2012-01-06T20:43:00.001-06:00

My baby boy lost his first tooth.

The boy that once was a little snuggle bug but now wrestles rambunctiously.

The boy that once was terrified of the vacuum but as I type is busy vacuuming his sister's room.

The boy whose only chance at life was an organ transplant and is now a healthy 5 year old.

I'm feeling thankful for the little things like lost baby teeth.

And thankful for that precious face, new tooth-gap and all. :)

Little Stories

2012-01-05T12:01:00.001-06:00

A childhood memory bubbled it's way up in my mind today. I enjoyed telling it to my boys, and now I am going to retell it to you, just as I told it to them.

When I was a little girl, I carried my lunch to school almost every day. My mama would put a sandwich in a baggie and pack it in my lunch box.

A very few times through the years I spent the night with my Nana and PawPaw on a school night. On those school mornings, Nana would make my sandwich for lunch that day. Instead of packing it in a baggie, though, she would wrap it just like a package in a square of shiny, slippery plastic wrap. I always thought it was the neatest thing to have my sandwich wrapped that way! I don't remember much else about school-nights at Nana &PawPaw's but to this day, a sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap brings back warm and happy memories of special times and "Nana Ways"! :)

Isn't if funny the things we remember?

100 years and 4 recipes

2012-01-03T21:19:00.000-06:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of participating in a Centennial Celebration for my parent's home.

Built in 1911, the house has been through two World Wars, the Great Depression, numerous presidents, countless droughts, snowfalls, and ice storms, seen several owners and countless guests.

Sounds cliche, but oh if walls could talk.

It seemed fitting to throw open the doors when the house was dressed up in its Christmas best and celebrate the history and the blessing.

Although I only lived there for a couple of years and a couple of more summers, my parents have been there for 15 years now, so it is very much like home to me.

I was glad to help out in any way I could in preparing for the big day, and a lot of my part turned out to be cookie baking.

Which is kind of scary considering the kitchen disasters I created just a week before over Christmas, but we won't go there.

I decided on 4 varieties of cookies, and each was a big success!

Orange Slice Cookies are a new favorite of ours. I added about a 1/3 c shredded coconut to the batter with the orange slice pieces. A pair of greased kitchen shears works pretty well for cutting the candy into bits, then coat the pieces with powdered sugar to separate them.

Per the request of the Lady of the House, I made sure to keep these Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies small. Actually, she wanted all the cookies small, but I followed through best on these. They were such cute little things!! And I think these win the prize for best tasting after a few days. Alone they won't last that long, but with the 12-14 dozen we had (all together) there were some leftovers. :)

These Snickerdoodles are simple and a classic, and also work well in a just-bigger-than-bite-size version.
(Just be sure to shorten cooking time on anything you make small.)

Rounding out our selection (ha - pardon the pun... these are shaped into balls) were Christmas Casserole Cookies. Packed with goodies like dates and walnuts, this is such a fun recipe because you bake your batter before shaping your cookie, then stir it all up into one big mess right out of the oven. After it has cooled some THEN you shape it into balls.

Thanks again to everyone who came to the Open House, and for your kind compliments on the house and the cookies. :) It was truly an honor to be a part of that day!

To read more about the house and see pictures (coming soon!) you can visit Mom's Blog.

Quickie Christmas Recap - In pictures (mostly)

2012-01-02T20:31:00.000-06:00

Twas the week before Christmas and, visiting Arkansas, we made cookies with Kristin...

...and opened a baby doll from Grandma.

Back home on the Eve we read books in a snuggle...

...and woke the next morning (and... sat in a huddle?)

This poem isn't working; I give up the fight.
Merry Christmas to all...

...and to Christmas (2011).... Good night!

New Every Morning

2012-01-01T22:59:00.000-06:00

Just a few hours into a brand new year, the baby was hysterical, the boys were uncooperative, I was yelling, and the whole lot of us were running late to church.

What a start.

It was at that moment the musical Christmas clock that had been overlooked when we put up decorations the day before chimed directly into my ear, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come."

I hustled us on out the door trying to remember the JOY of Christmas we had celebrated just days before.

Greg met us in the parking lot at church and helped ~~herd~~ escort everyone to their perspective classes. Sitting down for the first time since breakfast I feasted on a Sunday School lesson from Romans 7. You know... the good ol' "what I want to do I don't and what I don't want to do, I do." (a lot more fun if you read it out of the KJV) ;). Much encouraging conversation stemmed from our lesson on our sin nature, the impossibility of doing any good in our own flesh, and the hope of Jesus in us (John 15).

The morning wrapped up with a worshipful song service followed by a sermon from Matthew chapter 1. Yes, the 'begats'. Have you ever taken the time to notice who's who in that cast of characters? A lot of failure and sin in that history. But the good news, the encouragement, is that God can use us in spite of our family history, our own failures, and our present circumstances.

What a relief.

What a blessing.

What a morning surrounded by God's reminders of His goodness.

Praying to carry these blessings into tomorrow as we begin a new year, a new week, and a new day.

Happy New Year to you all!

Seeing things differently

2011-12-16T08:53:00.000-06:00

So often when you see a nativity scene you find Mary with her hands folded in prayer, like this:

I figure the artists and model-makers present Mary that way because... well.. they have to do something with her hands. Joseph often has a shepherd's crook, a shepherd is holding a sheep, and the wise men (which shouldn't actually be in a manger scene anyway) are holding gifts. Mary is empty handed, and folding them in prayer looks less awkward than wringing them in worry.

Of course, I know our little drawings and figurines aren't actual depictions of what that night in Bethlehem really looked like.

But still, it has bothered me. Why would Mary be praying to her newborn son, even if he was the Son of God?

Then one day I saw those praying hands in a whole new way. What if Mary wasn't praying to Jesus, but over him? For him?

Motherhood is challenging enough in any circumstances, but can you imagine the responsibility of knowing you are raising up God's Son? The Savior of all mankind? What did Mary imagine in Jesus' future as she watched him sleeping in the manger? Surely she couldn't have imagined the way he would be rejected and killed.

Even so, I look at my own children sleeping in their beds and think of the weighty responsibilities and pressures of motherhood. I wonder about what their futures hold, and I pray. For them. For me.

So now when I see Mary kneeling at the manger, hands folded in prayer, I am reminded to bend my knees and my heart and pray for my own little ones.

Nice people

2011-12-14T08:50:00.002-06:00

I had a disturbing thought this morning:

Hell is full of "nice" people.

Sure, there are plenty of the "bad guys" there, too. Murderers and abusers and villains.

But there are also people who smiled and laughed. Did kind things. People that loved and gave. People that went to church and helped others. Nice people. "Good" people.

In eternal torture.

Why? Because the division between heaven and hell isn't about being good in this life. If it was, heaven would be empty. Because no matter how good and nice we think we are, we are still selfish at heart. We still think ugly thoughts and occasionally do or say not nice things.

The division between heaven and hell is determined by our: #1 - admitting that we aren't actually good, and that we do wrong, #2 - realizing that Jesus took the punishment for our wrongs, and #3 - asking him to forgive us and rescue us from a life (both here on earth and in eternity) separated from him.

It's a decision, an action, so simple that people balk at it, thinking they must do more. But we can never do enough. All we can do is actively accept the gift that has been extended to each of us, individually.

We weren't created to live on earth and "be good". We were created to know God, and to worship him. Our sinful nature separates us from him and that can only be fixed by humbly admitting that we can't work our way to him but can only know him through Jesus.

But the world wants us to believe we are all good people. Many, many "good people" have bought into that lie.

That is why some of the nicest people we know are headed for hell.

That, my friends, is a heartbreaking thought.

Sparkly Candy Canes

2011-12-07T16:25:00.000-06:00

Not an original idea, but I didn't mark the blog where I first saw it. Oops.

Simple enough project.

Paint a wrapped candy cane with glue.

Sprinkle with glitter.

Let dry. Flip, paint, sprinkle, let dry again.

Hang!

And probably eat. We'll find out closer to (or even after) Christmas if the glue seeped into the wrappers or not. :)

Christmas Playdough

2011-12-06T06:01:00.007-06:00

We've made homemade playdough plenty of times before, but this was my first time trying scented playdough.

I love it!

I used this recipe from No Time for Flashcards (substituting cream of tartar for the alum). I read a suggestion in the comments to dissolve the salt in the boiling water before mixing with the flour. That has to be the most genius playdough tip ever! The dough is so nice and soft and not gritty!

We divided our dough into two batches.
One we colored red and added red glitter and lots of cinnamon.
The other we left white and added iridescent glitter and mint extract.

The mint turned out with a stronger, more recognizable scent. I can't imagine how much cinnamon it would take to get a good strong cinnamony smell!

We've been storing our playdough in the fridge. It softens up nicely for play. One batch even survived after a night in the freezer. *Ahem.* Seems someone wanted to freeze his "Christmas cookies".

Happy playdoughing!

Tyler did it.

2011-12-05T07:44:00.000-06:00

And then he called her "Brooky".

And he's been calling her that ever since. :)

Digital Scrapbooking Giveaway

2011-12-03T16:33:00.000-06:00

I learned a long time ago that Me + Scrapbooking was never going to work out, no matter how much I wanted it to.

Thankfully I've got some other interests to fall back on. ;)

But if scrapbooking is your thing, you might be interested in the giveaway from my blog friend Karen over at Candid Diversions. Hurry, because the giveaway closes this Sunday night! (Dec 4th)

My Memories Software Giveaway

If you decide to enter, give Karen a hello and tell her I sent you, will ya? :)

Brooklyn: Two Months

2011-12-02T06:47:00.004-06:00

Brooklyn had a 2-month photoshoot this week.

I am reaping the benefits of being in the good graces of a hobby photographer turning pro.

And as much as I love these pictures, I think I'm going to do whatever it takes to stay that way. :) I mean if a person wants to build a portfolio, who am I to stand in the way, right? I do what I can to help. Me and Miss B.

You can see a bigger sampling of Brooklyn's pics by visiting the Simple Journeys Photography blog or on facebook.

Let the countdown begin!

2011-12-01T07:55:00.002-06:00

I am determined to try as much as possible to make Christmas more about a season than One Big Day for my boys. My theory is if you spend all your time anticipating the Big Event and not enjoying all the little things that make Christmas special then you are setting yourself up for a let-down.

And yet, in a tremendous case of self-contradiction, we have five, count 'em five countdown gizmos going on.

In the boys' room we have an oldie from my childhood, the DecemBear:

My mom hemmed this up and sewed a little stuffed bear when we were kids. The bear moves around to a different location each day until he "finds" Christmas.
For some reason I do not know, I consider this piece of tradition as belonging to my sister, just on loan to us until her own kiddos are old enough to enjoy it. We've never even discussed it, yet I make sure to take extra care of it for her family. (Hey Kristin.... do you want the DecemBear???)

Also in the boys' room in the paper chain they made earlier this week. Since we have so many activities counting down to December 25th (and since we'll be gone for several days leading up to that day) I am considering calculating the chain the countdown to our trip to see family the week before Christmas. That would also allow more than one boy to tear off a link each day.

Just for fun the boys colored up this freebie printable this week also. We will glue on an ornament a day until we add the star on December 25th:

You can download one too at Printables4Kids.com

We have two new countdowns this year (and one from last year that I left packed away this time... that would have made six!). One is this add-a-cookie-magnet set, a recent gift from Grandma:

And finally, the subtract-some-candy garland.

Looks like it's going to be a busy (and sweet!) month ahead!

Best Homeschool Money I Ever Spent

2011-11-30T06:31:00.002-06:00

I am a ~~cheap~~ frugal homeschooler.

While my children's education is worth any price, I find there is a lot a person can do inexpensively, or even for free.

Therefore, it is highly unusual for me to plunk down more than a few bucks for a learning aid. But based on our experiences so far memorizing basic addition/subtraction facts, I was very much dreading beginning the multiplication tables.

The boy can memorize a poem or an entire Bible passage in an afternoon. He has a clear grasp of the concept of multiplication, of fractions and even basic decimals. But to commit to memory 7+8=15 or 4x3=12? Forget it.

I have always been interested in CBD's Multiplication Memorization kit, especially after reading the Andreola's review. After our experience with addition, and considering Dale's imaginative, visual learning style, I had a hunch it was just what we needed.

We opened up our box of jumbo-sized flash cards the day they arrived, reading the number story and memorization aid on card after card. The next day we reviewed the 10 or 12 we had looked at, and wonder of wonders... it worked!

We add a few more every day, and I continue to be amazed at how quickly Dale is able to recall 9x5, 8x4, or 7x8. For my learning style it is the long complicated way. For him it is perfect and easy. So, so thankful we have this kit!

Multiplication Memorizer Kit

Yes, this is an affiliate post. If you are kind enough to make a CBD purchase after clicking the above link I will receive a small compensation. That said, I would love, love, love this product if I never made a single cent! :)

Patrick Swayze would not approve

2011-11-29T06:55:00.000-06:00

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

Except... maybe we do...

....sometimes.

But when a space is so cozy and out-of-the-way you just can't help yourself. A perfect little baby-space!

Christmas Gift

2011-11-28T07:58:00.001-06:00

By now, most of us are probably aware of the many incidents that were the result of the craziness that is Black Friday. Pepper spray, gunshots, fights, and more. What a way to kick off the start of the Christmas season. The "happiest season of all."

We don't like to think of commercialism and violence as part of this season. What do we think of when we think Christmas? Christmas trees? Cookies? What is it all about? Gifts? Stockings? Lights? Shopping?

Or maybe it is about this:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed...And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem...to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-8

That is Christmas, right? A virgin, a baby, a manger. There were no sparkly trees. No cookies. And no gifts.

Ah, but there was one gift. The baby Himself was the gift.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Jesus. God's gift to us.
God gave his son, and his son was beaten, hated, rejected, spit on, mocked, and killed.

Dale heard that list yesterday during the sermon and, using his favorite phrase in his best attempt to sound grown-up, whispered to me, "Why in the world did God do that?"

My whispered answer to him is the same to you:

He did it because he loves you.

As our pastor said yesterday, if you asked Jesus the true meaning of Christmas, he would probably say it is less about the baby in the manger, and more about the love of the Father, and his Gift to the world. His gift to me. His gift to you.

Have you humbled yourself to repent and trust in Him?

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
2 Corinthians 9:15

*This post is composed of my own words, but is a paraphrase and abbreviated version of our sermon yesterday. The thoughts and ideas are those of our pastor, posted here with permission.*

Happy Thanksgiving... again!

2011-11-24T21:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T13:50:00.000-06:00

How we've been celebrating:

We started out the month with a giant tree, a stack of colored leaves, and roll of double-sided tape.
We try to each write at least one blessing a day to put on the tree.

We even have guests put up a thankful leaf! The tape we are using is re-stickable, so after Thanksgiving I plan on putting our leaves into a notebook for a keepsake. Stores flat! :)

Some of our Thanksgiving school work on my makeshift bulletin board (until I find what I am looking for to make one).
My favorites are the handprint Mayflowers from Almost Unschoolers. The video link (about the Mayflower II) on that site is also very good!

A turkey hairclip for Miss B! From Vanessa.

Also from Vanessa @ Silly Eagle Books.
(Hmm...went to get that link and noticed our turkeys are missing their wings. Whoops!)
These three turkeys are among the things at the top of my thankful list, along with their sister,
their Daddy, and a host of other blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving

from all of us in the Buffalo Herd!

Happy Birthday, Alan!

2011-11-22T07:10:00.000-06:00

As often happens around here, the celebration was spread over several days.

A candle in his breakfast, a long-standing family tradition...

A treat for lunch. With another candle, just for good measure...

A box in the mail from Grandma the next day...

Followed by a family party a few days later...

Happy birthday my sweet, precious, five year old!

Waiting...

2011-11-21T15:15:00.000-06:00

.... moments before everyone's favorite part of every school day...

...when DADDY arrives at home!

Our Kids Are Weird

2011-11-19T21:52:00.000-06:00

Our babies have all needed a little help getting to sleep and being soothed in their newborn days.

But that's not what makes them weird.

While most normal parents (I assume) are gently rocking their babies to heartbeat therapy or lullabies, we are bouncing and jiggling ours on our knees while they peacefully nod off to things like this:

or most recently, this:

Three of our four kids have drifted off to that Michigan State drumline. It works almost every. time.

Not white noise. Not classical piano, or singing, or shushing.

Oh those things might work sometimes. But when we mean serious business, we break out the loud, (sometimes annoying), rhythmic gems o' youtube.

And in moments - I kid you not - our babies are out like a light.

I told you they were weird.

How do you put your babies to sleep?

Dasher of my children's dreams

2011-11-12T14:06:00.000-06:00

Dale: I am going to try to set a record. I'm going to see if I can wear these socks until Monday.

Mama: That will make your feet stinky and itchy, you know.

Dale: Oh. (Peels socks.)

Looks like we won't be calling Guinness any time soon.

Of Sickness & Spies

2011-11-11T14:04:00.000-06:00

We woke up Sunday morning with one coughing, feverish little boy.

By Wednesday 5 of the 6 of us had fallen victim to the same bug. It's the first time I can remember that a sickness has struck and run through the family like wildfire. I don't think we've ever all gotten the same thing. (I say "all" loosely...so far Brooklyn has stayed well and we are hoping and praying that remains true! Yay for breastfeeding!)

And let me tell you, this is more than your run of the mill sniffly cold. This thing is vicious. Stubborn fever that lasts for daaaays. Just for you, I won't elaborate on the snot and coughing. I'm sure you can imagine.

Greg has managed to work through it all, and we at home have sort of kept up a routine of school and housekeeping. All in all, things could have been worse. I'm thankful that there has been no puking (well, except that once when one person's cough got the best of them, but that hardly counts). I'm also thankful we haven't needed a trip to the doctor, even though we really sweated it (no pun intended) with such a long fever in our transplant boy. And have I mentioned I'm thankful for the lack of puking. I'd take a weeklong cold over a 24 hour stomach bug any day.

One thing that has remained constant this week has been our Bible time. We are just finishing up the Israelites' wandering through the wilderness. When we discussed the 12 spies that went into Canaan (Numbers 13) Dale read the Bible passage and then summarized parts of it to us, including what the spies' goals were.

Dale: "to see what the land is like, whether the people are strong or weak, few or many, whether the land is good or bad, too see whether the land is rich or poor, to bring back some of the fruit of the land....."

Alan: "And to take pictures of everything!"

A future blogger, perhaps?
(And maybe things would have worked out better for those 10 spies if they had taken pictures!)

Six Weeks...

2011-11-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

...(and three days) old.

Still loves having her hair washed.

Doesn't love baths so much.

Absolutely can't stand to have a wet or dirty diaper.

Loves the sounds of her brothers' voices.

And still sleeps through all their buffalo playing noises. :)

Brotherly Love

2011-11-04T21:43:00.000-05:00

One question we get asked a lot when people are admiring or inquiring about Brooklyn is "What do those boys think about her?"

My answer is usually always the same...

"They are crazy about her."

Sure it sounds good to say, but the truth is... it's the truth!

Hey, Earl

2011-11-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

November 3.

Sandwich Day. National Sandwich Day? Sandwich Appreciation Day?

I can't remember it's official name, but November 3 is the day someone decided we should recognize the significance sustenance between two slices of bread has in our lives.

This was our first year to recognize sandwich day, mostly due to the fact that my November activity book had a worksheet which I copied for Dale.

So while Dale was doing word puzzles to list out the names of a dozen or so sandwich varieties, Alan and I played an impromptu game of sandwich word building.

Yes, I made that up.

What? Doesn't your bologna come in funny egg-shaped purple circles? No?

Yes, it was 2 minutes before the activity commenced.

I knew it was going to go well when Alan asked "Why are you drawing bread?"

If he recognized my poor attempts at drawing a slice of bread, things could only get better from there.

Which they did, when we had yummy ham and cheese mini sandwiches for lunch.

Meat & cheese on one half, butter and garlic powder on the other. Toast. Close. Eat.

We even capped off Sandwich day with BLT's for supper. But without the "T" because of my own miscommunication with our grocery buyer. Even though we were missing the T they were the best BLT's ever, because of the addition of a fried egg. I don't even like fried eggs and I loved this sandwich. We will definitely be having them again, making sure we have tomatoes next time.

And since this is what I'm sure you all actually want pictures of more than my poor artwork and long-gone lunch:

Happy Sandwich Day, everyone!

Day in the life, newborn no-blogging edition

2011-10-25T08:19:00.008-05:00

I can't seem to get around to blogging these days (and I miss you guys!), so I thought I'd chronicle my day to see where my time goes.
Then I thought, 'hey, I can do that as a blog post!'
Then I thought, 'hey, why not do live updates?'
So here it is, a semi-live web log (get it? web log, web-log, weblog, blog) of our day.
Scroll to the bottom throughout the day for updates.

6:30 - Brooklyn wakes up to nurse. Last up around 2:30. Went to bed around 11:30. Greg is getting ready for work.

6:45 - Breakfast smoothies for Greg and me.

7:00 - Greg leaves. I finish my smoothie, make the rounds on the computer.

7:15 - Shower, bedmaking, etc. Met Dale & Ty getting up as I was going in to shower. Alan up when I got out.

7:45 - Gave boys leftover smoothie. Cereal for Dale, cinnamon toast for everybody else. Ate, read a few Psalms aloud.

8:15 - Started a load of laundry, began the boys' "morning jobs".

*********
8:30ish - Got completely distracted and began cleaning the boys' room. Not a completely bad thing, as it needs it desperately. Constantly.

8:55 - Returned to kitchen to finish my morning cleanup. Laundry into dryer. Boys playing in their room. Mostly. Are we the only ones that have problems with tattling???

9:15 - Put away yesterday's jumbo load of laundry with the boys. Reorganized Dale's pj drawer. Pulled all the shorts from Tyler's drawer.

*******************
9:40 - Nursed Brooklyn. Read Bible story (Crossing the Red Sea), and boys colored pictures from the story. Dressed Brooklyn.

10:25 - Boys took a break for juice. Complete limbo time. I played baby. Nursed her, changed her, burped her, watch her hiccup. Dale worked on a blog post of his own, while Alan and Tyler waited patiently for the trash truck to arrive.

11:10 - Finally resigned myself to the fact that peanut butter was the best option for lunch. Served up PBHBs (peanut butter, honey and banana) to the boys. Leftovers for me.

**********
11:30 - Lunch cleanup. Chicken into the crockpot.

11:40 - Realized that live-blogging one's day really puts the pressure on productivity. Without live-blogging I would probably be on foodgawker, or One Pretty Thing, or going through my blog reader. It is possible I might pick up my Bible and read a chapter or two. As it is, I sat down at 11:40 to add to the blog, and started thinking... 'what next?' Hmm... maybe I should do this live-blogging thing all week. Think what we'd get done!

*************
11:45 Read a chapter of Deuteronomy. Sat and stared. Wondered what what to do next. Decided to go ahead with some of our fall activities. Our themes this week are squirrels and leaves. Spent some prep time.

12:15 - Preschool time! Rhymes, stories, coloring, all about squirrels (And some multiplication practice thrown in for Dale.)

1:00 - Sat down at the sewing machine to take up some of Alan's recent hand-me-down pants. 4T = too small. 5 = too big.

1:10 - Boys head out into the beautiful sunshiny fall day, bare feet, pants legs rolled up.

**************
1:30 - Took Brooklyn out to join the boys while she nursed.

1:45 - Gramps showed up with a load of goodies to sort through.

2:00 - Sent the boys back outside. Gave up on productivity, and even naptime. Crashed on the couch with the computer in front of me and sounds of the boys playing outside behind me.

***********
3:00 - Served an afternoon snack -outside!- to the boys. Closed the computer and did some miscellaneous straightening up.

3:45 - The boys' relatively new neighborhood friend showed up to play.

Newborn Days

2011-10-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

It's easy to forget how demanding newborn days are until you find yourself back living them again.

Oct. 9, Brooklyn's first trip to church

Even when things are going well (which they mostly are around here), your daily routines are turned upside down, and every spare moment is filled with taken care of someone or something.

These days it's about all I can do to keep everybody fed and clean, all the clothes clean, the beds made, the house picked up, and get a little school done. Plus work in an afternoon nap. But that never all happens in the same day. I have to pick and choose.

Dale, hard at work. And yes, that is clean baby laundry on my coffee table.

No matter what is getting done or not done, life is good. I am enjoying this little newborn more than any before her. Experience tells me how fast the first year flies by. And the second, third, and fourth, too, for that matter!

Tyler, just because he's so darn cute.

Hands-On Learning For Boys

2011-10-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

Hello, Friends!

I have more baby pictures and buffalo stories to share soon, but today please visit my friend KeriMae, where I am guest posting on a topic I know a wee-bitty bit about: Boys!

"I began my homeschool career roughly five years ago when the oldest of my three boys reached preschool age. Almost immediately I found myself on a rollercoaster as I not only learned to homeschool, but to homeschool a B.O.Y."

Read the rest of my thoughts and ideas in this post: Hands-on Learning for Boys

Beauty Shop

2011-10-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

When a person is born with a head full of hair, it needs to be washed often.

It's just a shame when a person can't seem to relax and enjoy a good hair-washing.

I mean really? What's not to love?

Warm water, sweet soap, a gentle touch.

Clearly Miss B knows how to savor the finer things in life.

And what girl doesn't need a little pampering now and then?

Complete with accessories, of course!

Our Week in Pictures

2011-10-06T09:14:00.001-05:00

We are continuing to adjust very well to life with a newborn again.

Greg was home for a whole week!

And this week my lovely sister has been visiting, so we have spent lots of time with her and my mom.

The boys seem no worse for the wear with a new sister in the house. In fact, I think things are going quite well for them. While there has been a good bit of this...

...there have also been plenty of special treats and outings for the boys.

For one thing, people bring neat stuff when you have a baby. Like Oreo ice cream rolls:

I've been so thankful the weather has cooled enough that the boys can spend extended periods of time playing outside. In fact, it's cooled enough to need long sleeves if you go out first thing in the morning. (And shorts and bare feet in the afternoons.) The boys were excited to bust out in their matching long-sleeved shirts they were given a few weeks ago:

We don't keep a lot of matching outfits in their closet, but they love the ones they have.

The matching Rangers caps (how 'bout those Rangers, btw? Woot-woot!!) and the photoshoot were Dale's idea.

Something about a big-headed, short-legged toddler in an over-sized t-shirt and baseball cap was irresistible to me.

In addition to some sweeping and wiping while visiting, Mimi and Kristin have even done a little "substitute teaching" and done some table-time stuff with the boys. As usual, Tyler got in on the action doing some gluing of his own. I just didn't get a picture of his finished product. ;)

And Brooklyn? Being surrounded by buffaloes seems to suit her just fine. :)

More Brooklyn!

2011-09-30T16:27:00.000-05:00

Because, really, can you get too much of this:

These guys can't seem to get enough:

How old are you today, Brooklyn?
I'm 4 days old!

Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments and congratulations. Life as 6 is going wonderfully so far!

Baby Girl

2011-09-28T16:40:00.000-05:00

Hallelujah! Miss B has arrived!

2011-09-26T21:14:00.001-05:00

All is well.

Praise the Lord.

Pumpkin!

2011-09-26T13:57:00.002-05:00

Pumpkin Patch 2010

One of my favorite things about fall is pumpkin. I love to decorate with them, craft them with the boys, and, best of all... cook with them!

Back in the late spring my dad let me have an entire row in his garden for pumpkins. We planted two varieties: one large one for decorating, and a smaller one for eating. I had grand visions of front porch displays and filling my freezer with my own pumpkin puree for use all fall.

And then we had the Texas Heat Wave of the Century and not one pumpkin survived. So sad! So, another year of canned pumpkin for me. And I better stock up, because I have been collecting quite a few pumpkin recipes.

Like these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.

In fact, that same blogger (a fellow pumpkin lover) has an entire pumpkin roundup that looks yum!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

I've already made these Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes, and they were delicious! Light and fluffy, with just the right amount of pumpkin. Finished perfectly with the piped cream cheese frosting and a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg.

But if you really want to go all out on your cupcakes you could try these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes. Hello!

I am incredibly intrigued by this recipe for Pumpkin Cornbread. And trying to decide just the right thing to serve it with. Any ideas?

Someday I will have to discuss my brownie obsession with you. It has taken me by surprise. For now, I'll just share this: Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies. Oh yes.

Pumpkin Patch 2010

Need breakfast? How about Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting?

And finally, the only other recipe I've actually tried (so far): Pumpkin Spice Latte. I've seen recipes like this one all over the internet lately. I found this one last year and made it a couple of times then and once already this year. I'm not cool enough for espresso, so I just pour some into a cup of strong coffee. Decaf, of course. ;)

Who knows how many of these I'll actually get to. But I like having them all (plus a few more) tucked away when the pumpkin mood strikes.
Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe?

Weekend Fun

2011-09-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

Baby Hats

2011-09-24T21:13:00.001-05:00

Still here. Still waiting. Still creating.

Yesterday's baby project came from a well-timed link on One Pretty Thing.

Saw it, emailed it (to mom), made it. Ok, so mom made it. I felt kind of weird, like I handed out an assignment. But I loved watching her work and turn out something amazingly cute in an amazingly short amount of time!

First, gather some knits in cute prints.

Cut out pattern pieces & assemble.

Baby hats!

Pattern & tutorial can be found here.

280 days.... and counting.

2011-09-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, the baby counter is sitting at Zero.

Which has brought to me this realization:

After four babies...36 months of being pregnant... this is the first time I have ever been pregnant on my due date.

Dale was born the day before his due date. Alan and Tyler one week before. All induced.

This waiting it out is tough stuff.

The plus side of all the waiting (besides baby growing and developing all these extra days) has been the making and crafting. Mom and I have to do something to keep our minds and hands occupied.

Thus the frequent visits to Hobby Lobby these days.

The lady in the fabric department is starting to recognize us.

And I'm not kidding.

This week's find was a remnant of pink polka-dot fleece, on clearance! Couldn't leave that behind, now could we?

Interestingly, when we got it home and unrolled it, we discovered it was a rather oblong piece.

So we decided to work with it, fringing the ends ....

...for a soft sweet blanket!

Yay! It's finally fall!

2011-09-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

Of course, you have to realize that 'fall' in these parts can still involve temps near 90. But it is usually so much cooler in the evenings and mornings than the scorching summer.

So we go ahead and count it as fall, even before we start wearing jeans and sweaters. Fall 1 maybe. And then Fall 2 comes along towards mid-October through Thanksgiving or so. During Fall 2 you actually need long sleeves and a jacket. And see the first frost.

Aren't you glad for for my Texas weather tutorial?

All I'm saying is... yay! Fall! Just might be my favorite season. It's hard to pick a favorite though, because I always enjoy the next one rolling in.

I think my boys enjoy changing seasons as much as I do. They have decided the displays in the foyer of Hobby Lobby make a great photo op. Both of these pictures were at their request:

I'm thinking we ought to catch them once a season... imagine what a collection we'd have!

Gloop, gluck, slime.

2011-09-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

A woman expecting a baby any day really shouldn't leave her blog idle for days at a time.

Or maybe the suspense isn't getting to you like it is to me. Sometimes, at the height of wondering 'when will it be time?', my phone will ring and I jump to answer, thinking someone is calling to let me know it's baby time! Which makes no sense, because I will be first to know. I will be the one making the "it's time" phone calls.
I think it's probably a remnant from our waiting for the transplant call days.

Back then we waited for the phone to ring to know when it was time to take our baby to the hospital.
Now we are waiting for .... other things... to know when it is time to go to the hospital and get our baby.

At any rate, my point is we are still here. Still waiting.

Yesterday's waiting activity was a messy one....
We made slime!

A heaping 2/3 cup cornstarch, almost an equal amount of water, and several drops of food coloring.

Mix well and you get an amazing concoction that behaves like both a solid and a liquid!

Fun for all ages, but incredibly messy. I found it best to leave the huge table (and floor and chair) mess to dry and then it scraped away easily.

All the boys enjoyed it, but Alan stayed long (and I do mean long) after the other two had their fill.

Tick tock, tick tock..... another day, another project!

Feeling Artsy?

2011-09-16T08:10:00.000-05:00

If I ever have another baby you will find us following our schedule and 'doing school' until the very end.

This time around once we entered the realm of getting close to D-day, we pretty much dropped all school, quickly followed by most structure and routine.

Duh.

The boys have handled it ok, but my brain... my brain could have used the distraction.

But there has been good to come from this.

Not only is the house staying cleaner than it has in months, we are actually getting to fun stuff that often gets neglected in the daily routine.

Fun stuff like... art!

One morning this week we busted out the paints and brushes and did a 'for real' art project.

I was curious to see how the boys would take being instructed instead of just a painting free-for-all.

And while they did ask a time or two at first if they could paint whatever they wanted, by the time we got into it good the verdict was in....

"This is fun!"

Yay!

We had a simple lesson on primary colors and mixing them to form the secondaries.

(I love how Tyler is admiring his work.)

Even when we get back to a school schedule I want to remember to set aside time for structured fun and projects like this. Mmmm... I'm already eyeing Fall and the holidays and dreaming of all the ideas out there!

And if Miss B continues delaying her arrival I will definitely be considering another 'real' art project for next week! But not today. Today we're making cookies. :)

Full instructions for this project can be found at

Art Lessons for Kids.

A few of my favorite things...

2011-09-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

Miss B isn't even here yet, and already she has been the recipient of so many beautiful things and sweet, precious gifts. One onesie in particular makes me laugh... it says "I'm Kind of a Big Deal". And isn't that the truth? Of course, there is also the bib that says, "I am NOT a Boy". I assume it's meant for little baldy girls, but my boys and I get a kick out of it for different (obvious) reasons.

While there is no way I can share every gift here, I thought I would show and tell some of the sweet and special things that have come into our home in the last few weeks.

First up, we were so happy to have a visit from my sister and BIL recently. We don't get to see them nearly enough. My sweet sister showed up with a handful of crocheted headbands... all different sizes and colors, and each adorned with a precious crocheted flower. And then, sitting right in my living room one night, she made one more!

Then there was the giftbag from friends at church. Among the other baby things in the bag was this soft, sweet blanket:

I was later informed that the blanket had belonged to the couple's young teenage daughter. The very same girl who has a soft spot for Tyler and often takes care of him at church. She searched through her things, picked it out, washed it up and tied up for Miss B. I can't wait to wrap our little miss up in such a special gift!

And finally.... all waiting for someone's arrival, is the cradle I slept in as a baby, freshly made with brand-spankin' new bedding that my mom and I tag-team sewed over the course of a few days.

Only one thing missing....and yet, we are already so blessed!

August Ocean Unit

2011-09-13T19:12:00.002-05:00

Preschool Resources:

Under the Sea

Exploring the Ocean with a Hermit Crab (Based on Eric Carle's House for Hermit Crab)

Elementary Resources:

Exploring the Deep Sea

Paper Plate Fish
(from "Under the Sea")

Goes great with the book Rainbow Fish)

Gigantic Ocean mural posters
(bought second-hand a couple of years ago)

Feeding the Octopus goldfish crackers

(From "Under the Sea")

Octopus and crab in 'seaweed'

Paper Plate & Balloon Octopus

Crab Handprint Puppets

(From "Under the Sea")

Sand & Glitter Seahorses

Jellyfish

Some of our book selections:

If you enjoy older living books, I cannot say enough good things about Houses of the Sea!

Of course, this isn't an all-inclusive list of our month+ long unit, but a smattering of our favorites (and the ones I remembered to get pictures of.) ;)

As far as the currclick resources listed at the beginning, "Under the Sea" is full of excellent ideas and great printables for the Preschool/Kindergarten set. Lots of alphabet, math and other activities... 90 pages worth! Almost everything I buy on currclick I wait and get on sale, but if you are thinking of doing an ocean unit w/your 3-6 year old (depending on ability) this would be worth full-price! (A whopping $5 if I remember correctly) ;)

The Hermit Crab resource includes printables for a lapbook.

Baby Countdown and Confession Time

2011-09-13T07:12:00.000-05:00

So maybe you have noticed the baby countdown jumping around a bit in the sidebar. Maybe you haven't.

Yesterday it said 1 day remaining. Today it says 10.

One morning a while back it said 23 days remaining. By that afternoon it said 13.

What gives?

First of all, we are quite sure, and always have been, of baby's due date.

However, a couple of weeks ago, my doctor offered an induction date, and even though I had been induced in all three previous deliveries and had wanted to avoid it this time, I accepted.

Long story short... we changed our minds.

So here I sit, knowing that just 24 hours ago my name was somewhere on a hospital form for our arrival this morning.

Based on my last two deliveries, we very likely could have been holding our baby girl in our arms by early this afternoon.

And while I am very anxious to be doing just that, I am very confident that we made the right decision.

Impatient? Yes. Regretful? No.

This isn't about me. This story belongs to God and Miss B. The two of them have the timing worked out just right. The rest of us just have to wait and see how they write it.

What do you get....

2011-09-08T19:46:00.000-05:00

...when the toddler that naps in your bed wakes up and finds your packed-for-the-hospital bag unzipped:

I'll let you just imagine all the little match-head to pea-size deodorant bits scattered across the carpet.

Or how about this one?
....when the toddler that loves powder finds it accidentally within his reach and decides to share with his baby:

And I didn't even bother with a picture of the one when the toddler who is fascinated with his coming sister's room and her tiny diapers scattered said diapers all over the floor. And poured an entire half-full (aren't I optimistic?) bottle of rubbing alcohol into the carpet.

This boy gives a whole new meaning to "you really have your hands full!"

A Morning at the Playground

2011-09-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

1. After 3 months of high-90s to mostly over 100 degree temps, we are two days in to beautiful, mild fallish weather

2. With the countdown to baby into the final week, our school schedule has let up considerably this week.

3. With the countdown to baby into the final week, Mama goes stir-crazy without much warning.

4. And have I mentioned how thrilled we are about not feeling like we're in an inferno when we walk outside?

So we got some things done this morning and then went to the library and the park! :)

Yay for fall! Yay for homeschooling! And yay for getting out of the house!

"Pretty Much"

2011-09-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

A new homeschool song from Tim Hawkins. Because he was "tired of the old one." Haha!

I'm probably the last one to see this, but I wanted to share it anyway, just in case. :)

Tyler's favorite picture, ever.

2011-09-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

I mentioned the other day that Mom and I went for a pregnant photo shoot.

We had so much fun playing with different poses and props, and she got some really good shots! (if i do say so, myself) ;)

As we were leaving our top secret, secluded location, we had to pass through the corner of a pasture.

When we stopped to open the gate, I saw a kindred spirit and couldn't resist posing with her for one more picture:

We reproducing, multipara, abundantly lactating mamas have to stick together, you know?

Room for Miss B

2011-09-02T18:32:00.001-05:00

The day we found out this baby was a girl, we made one simple statement that has stuck with us and applied to many situations. "This changes everything."

One of those changes has been "the baby room." For varying reasons, each of our 3 boys has had his own crib set. But this time, I was content to stick with the khaki jungle print Tyler had used.

Until we found out a GIRL would be sleeping in that bed.

"This changes everything!"

So we bought a new crib set.

And suddenly, those softly warm yellow walls didn't work anymore.

"This changes everything!"

Goodbye yellow, hello faintest hint of PINK.

Choosing a theme for the room was easy. Who else would be joining our buffalo herd, but a tiny little butterfly?

So butterflies it was.

Several hours and gallons of paint and a good bit of glue later..... a room for Miss B.

The crib? Same one everyone else has used. Originally white. And originally purchased brand new for $13 (Or was it $11? - prorate that over 4 kids!), thanks to a heads-up from my Aunt and Uncle.

The chandelier? A ~~leftover~~ gift from my sister's wedding last year.

The armoire in the corner? The other piece of baby furniture all 3 boys used. I never have to think what is in which drawer, because they've held the same things for 3 babies! The only difference is there is a lot of PINK in those drawers this time around. "This changes everything," remember? Well, that and the fact that this piece was natural wood tone until now.

A closer look at the butterflies in the corner:

They look a little red in this pic, but they are more of a bright pink. This wall paint has been the weirdest thing. It changes its color, and that of everything in the room, depending on time of day and lighting. Never seen anything like it.

Another painted item for this time around, our desk-turned-changing table:

I made the pink gingham curtains to match the bedding. You can see more about the changing table, and a closeup of the clothesline window frame at my mom's blog. Now would be a good time to mention that she gets the credit for pretty much the whole room. Greg painted the walls and trim. Mom did ... pretty much all the work for everything else. Sure, I tried to do my share, but I think I was kind of like the Shake n Bake kid. "I hay-ulped!" Still... she lets me say 'we', because she's just nice like that. :)

And last, but not least....

The sign over the bed reads, "B is for ______". The bloggy world will just have to wait for a birth announcement to find out our little butterfly's name. :) Hopefully you won't be waiting long. :)

So there you have it! A brand-new room for a brand-new baby. All pink and full of butterflies. Like nothing we've ever had in this house before!

But like I said.....

This changes everything!

I should blog.

2011-09-02T07:28:00.001-05:00

I was looking at my archive list the other day and saw that 2011 is looking to be a sure bet for the year with the least posts.

Year 5.

And Year 4 was the least before that.

I always think that the lack of posts is simply because of the life-season I am in at the moment. (It's summer..... It's a new school year... It's a new baby soon.....) but then I look back at that archive and realize it's all one big season of declining blogging.

I have no explanation for this.

A few theories, but no solid proof.

For now my seasonal excuse is the final days of pregnancy. Because we are to that point.... days. Not weeks anymore. Days.

So we've been busy putting the final touches on a sweet pink baby room (post to come on that.... maybe - ha! - but you can get a sneak peek here and here), taking some fun preggo portraits, sewing a carseat cover, and -oh yeah- all that real-life stuff like laundry and parenting and meals and housekeeping and homeschooling.

All that stuff makes me tired. Who am I kidding? All that stuff makes a person tired anyway, never mind while carrying around another human being.

So instead of blogging, I'm busy. Or instead of blogging, I'm sitting back and enjoying my boys. They're crazy, in a funny sort of way. Or instead of blogging, I'm spending time with Daddy Buffalo, sometimes taking care of more of that running a household stuff, sometimes just zoning out and watching baseball.

And on one more note of random rambly randomness... we (heart) our Rangers. Fun times.

See y'all around. When I probably won't be blogging more frequently in the next season, no matter my optimism. Two or three a week seem to be it for now. But I'm ok with that. Beats nuthin'. ;)

Photo credit: My awesome mom @Simple Journeys.

2011-08-29T20:08:00.000-05:00

An amazing thing happened today.

It rained!!

No really.... this is amazing.

Even though we are now back up to a sweltering 90 outside,

#1 - It's far better than the usual 103-107 we've been having this time of day,

#2 - I'm still living off the memories of our cool, rainy morning.

It was like being in a dream (and a really good one) to be awakened before my alarm by big rumbles of thunder. Could it really be!? Instead of going on his morning run, my honey checked the radar (and outside) and crawled back into bed with me for a little extra snooze time.

When the boys made their appearance for the day (a little later than usual, thanks to the cloud-covered sunrise) it was still raining outside. I was just on my way out to admire the stuff falling from the sky, so we made it a family event. (Minus Daddy, who had already gone to work.)

After an isolated lightening bolt put a stop to playing out in the raindrops there were still scooters and tricycles to ride under the safety of the porch.

And since we were there, we decided why not enjoy breakfast out in the crisp breezy morning as well?

Followed by more playing.

Even after the rain had stopped, the cool morning (and mud) was irresistible.

So thankful for the welcome respite from the heat, and so excited that fall is (oh-so-hopefully) around the corner!

The rainy treasures my boys brought to me.

Happy Birthday, Dale!

2011-08-23T20:59:00.002-05:00

My firstborn turned 8 today!!

He seemed more excited about this birthday than any previous ones.

And even with us keeping things pretty simple (hello, have you seen the baby countdown on the left??), he wasn't disappointed.

We started with our traditional candle in breakfast - pancakes - his choice.

We completed a limited school day and spent time getting ready for tonight's hamburger supper, again, his request.

That oldest boy of ours certainly is special. I don't even have the words tonight to describe his uniqueness. His depth of personality and character. It seems so little to say, but I love him very much, and am thankful to be his mom.

(And I can't believe I've been his mom for 8! 8!?! years!!)

Love you lots, Dale!!

Happy birthday, and many more!

(P.S. Thank you so much to everyone that called, texted, emailed, gave gifts, etc.. each little thing meant so much to Dale (and us) and really made his day special!)

Day in the Life

2011-08-22T21:12:00.001-05:00

During our summer break, I sat down with my curriculum choices and an idea of our daily rhythms and goals and began one of my favorite tasks: creating a schedule.

There is something so rewarding about starting a school year with a fresh new schedule. This year started out looking just as promising, but then we actually started school.

And I hated it.

Each day was a struggle.

After consulting with my principal (Greg) and my academic adviser (my mom) I came away with a plan so simple and yet, for our house, revolutionary.

Our original schedule set Dale and his academics as priority. I was trying to force things to move along with the assumption that I would get him started on his work and then walk away to do other things, like preschool stuff with Alan & Tyler. But the "other things" were never happening. And I was constantly nagging Dale to get his work done. To hurry up. To pay attention to his business.

It wasn't pretty.

The solution? Turn the day upside down! With a few adjustments we have settled into a fantastic routine that works for all of us!

Short version:
Breakfast, morning chores.
Outside playtime.
Preschool.
Lunch.
Rest time.
Dale's school.
Snack.
Play.
Supper.
Play.
Bed.

Detailed version:
I'm going to list it with times, but they are WAY approximate and can vary an hour or more. 'Kay? 'Kay.

6:00-7:00 Mama up

7:00-8:00 Boys up, dressed, breakfast, and begin their morning chores

8 or 9 - Head outside to play before it is too hot. We usually stay about an hour, depending on how fast it is heating up. This is our only chance, as the temps have been hitting 100 by noon or before for weeks now.

9:30ish - Come in, cool off, finish morning chores.

10:00 Memory Verse Box & Bible Story (on the couch)
Move to table for Alan to color a picture from the story, Dale to draw a picture for his notebooking
page, and Tyler to color (or eat crayons). Dale narrates the Bible story to me.

Preschool activities with everybody, including Dale. We usually read a book or two, do a craft or other activity, sing some songs or do some rhymes.... you know... preschool stuff. We are in our 4th (and final) week of an ocean unit, so most of our activities have centered around that. (Big wrap-up post on that coming up at the end of this week!)

11:30 Ideally I would do a piano lesson with Dale here right before lunch. But we move pretty slow in the mornings and often skip over a mid-morning snack. So lately piano has been suffering while I get lunch ready and the boys play and clean up from school.

12:00 Lunch. Lunch cleanup. Boys play and I sit. Usually at the computer.

1:00 Tyler's naptime. I lay with him on my bed until he goes to sleep. I usually sleep 30 minutes or so, and set an alarm to get myself up. Dale and Alan play not-so-quietly (we're still working on that) in their room.

1:30 (or 2:30) (or anywhere in between, remember?) I send Alan to his bed with books and sit down with Dale at the table. He copies his Bible narration from the morning, then we do his math lesson. That is followed by the rest of his school work. On a good day we finish all this in an hour or less.

3:00 Snack time! Tyler is usually up by this time.

The rest of the day is very unstructured. We usually do a clean-up time about 30 minutes before Daddy gets home, and I cook supper somewhere in there.

That's pretty much how the last2- 3 weeks have gone and it is the best schedule we have ever had!!

We'll see how it holds up after September when baby girl gets here and turns things upside down again! :)

Linking up with:

Random Ramblings on Family Size

2011-08-17T19:51:00.001-05:00

So all of you know by now that we are expecting baby #4.

By some standards, we have crossed the line into 'large family' territory because we have more than the average 2.5 kids and will no longer be able to fit the whole family in a plain ol' passenger car.

But you have to understand... I read a lot of blogs. Blogs with families ranging from 5 kids to 12 kids. And we spent two years living next door to / renting from / hanging out with a family with 7.

So in my mind, when you start counting kids, I don't see us as that big. It's 'just' Dale, Alan, Tyler, and the New Girl. At the same time....even though the number seems small, I often find myself with a large family mindset when it comes to our little crew. Does that make any sense?

It is in the approach I have to things like assembly line sandwiches, having olders help youngers, or for that matter, even dividing them up in my head into 'olders and youngers'!

So here we are, with 'only' 4 kids. Are we done yet? We get asked that a lot, especially with a girl coming after 3 boys. Kind of like "you're getting a girl, so you're done now, right?" Truthfully? We don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. Our standard answer is "one baby at a time." Unless, of course, there were twins in our future. ;)

It's kind of funny, this mixture of seeing ourselves as small while still thinking big. I had my first encounter with "are they all yours" recently. I was sitting outside a hotel lobby with my three boys plus one extra, so 4 boys under 8 running around. A smiling lady walked by - I don't know if she noticed the pregnant belly or not, with Tyler in my lap - and said, "Tell me they're not all yours!"

I was so surprised to find myself wishing I could say, yes, they are all mine! I claimed my 3 and explained 1 was a nephew, and she made some nice comment in return as she walked by. And I was left pondering my funny reaction. I always thought I would feel sheepish upon hearing that question. Instead I wanted to claim a handful of kids!

Again, with only 3 and 1 on the way, we must have 'that look' about us. The boys and I were in the shoe store today. Along with what we had come for, I couldn't help buying a pair of tiny pink shoes for the baby. As Alan placed them on the counter he told the ladies behind it they were for his sister. After they oohed and ahhed and congratulated, one lady looked at me and, stumbling over the wording, asked "So, are you going to be ...just... letting God decide, or is this... all? What I mean is....?" She didn't seem rude in the least, so I helped her out. "Do you mean are we done?" And I gave her our standard "one baby at a time" answer.

She went on to explain she has been helping a family of 12 children that has come in the store for years. She was very complimentary of them and didn't seem taken aback in the least by their dozen. She sacked up our shoe purchases and, handing the bag to Alan, told him to be sure and bring that baby sister in to see her soon!

I had to laugh. I mean really? It's the shoe store. I don't know you, lady! But I left with a light feeling in my step. While most family and friends have been completely on-board and excited about baby #4, I have been curious what we look like to outsiders. I'm sure we get our fair share of head-shakes and raised eyebrows (and I can't imagine what it would be like with 5, or 7, or mercy! 12!), but it was refreshing to know that with 2 afoot, 1 on the hip and 1 in the belly there are those out there that are able to smile and enjoy these blessings God has given our family!

Alan! Alan!

2011-08-16T07:31:00.003-05:00

If you have an Alan in your life, you need this video. We have gotten way more laughs from it than I care to admit since Greg's brother shared it a month ago. We also found it to be very useful in the hotel one morning when our own Alan was the last one awake. Personalized wake-up call? Awesome!
Even if you don't have an Alan, watch. Enjoy. If you don't find the video amusing, I guess you can laugh at us and the fact that we are so easily amused. :)

(The sharks are a bonus. Keep watching after they do their thing.)

Our School (and other things) Room

2011-08-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Week two of the Not Back to School Blog Hop brings us to our school room, and I am so excited to be doing this post! Don't be fooled by the fact it is 4 days late. ;)

I am excited because.... we have a brand new school room! Some while back, Daddy Buffalo had the splendid idea to flip-flop our furniture arrangement, moving our "living room" into the dining nook and the dining and schooling stuff into the living room.

The result is unconventional, but perfect for us! We are in love with how roomy everything feels now.

The view from our front door (previously a couch, recliner, and rocking chair):

Looking back at the front door:

The smaller bookshelf in the top picture came from what was previously the dining nook. The taller one in the second picture was in our bedroom. I moved a second, smaller bookshelf to our bedroom for odds and ends. Having all of our homeschool and reference books in one room is certainly more convenient!

I also love Greg's idea of bringing my sewing machine into our new school/dining/multipurpose room. I was a bit skeptical at first, but now, instead of being in the back corner of the house with my back to everyone, I can work on a project while still keeping an eye on what's going on around here!

To the left of the front door:

Homeschool central! I discussed in last year's school room post how much we use this Hoosier. While some of the things inside may have changed over the last year, the frequency with which we use it hasn't. Actually, that's not true. With the new furniture arrangement we have much better access to the drawers and cabinets and I am using the Hoosier (and what's inside) even more! It is definitely a blessing to have one big piece of furniture for storing the majority of our supplies instead of having them stuck here and there.

To the right of the Hoosier is our filing cabinet, and on top of that, the library book basket. Out of the reach of toddler hands. Gotta love that! :)

And, for those of you curious about how our couch fits in a dining nook...

There it is! Our cozy corner. Where we snuggle, read, and watch the Rangers play. :) I love that I can sit here and see into the laundry room and kitchen in one direction, and the school room in the other. Barely visible in the bottom left corner of the picture is our chalk-board door. Fun for drawing, spelling, math, and demonstrations of all kinds.

Three weeks in to this arrangement and we all love it. Thinking outside the box of traditional has been a great success!

A picture may be worth 1,000 words....

2011-08-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

... but photography during church is generally not acceptable, so y'all are going to just have to use your imaginations on this one.

As a result of goings-on in the Sunday School hour, we ended up with an entire sheet of foil star stickers on our pew with us during the morning church service.

Dale and Tyler had arrived from Sunday School already covered in various stickers, and I guess Alan decided it was his turn, because somewhere between hymn 1 and hymn 3, he began peeling stickers and carefully adorning himself.

One went directly on the bridge of his nose.

The next two went one at the end of each eyebrow, just before the curve around to his temples.

He turned first to me, and then to Mimi, pointed at his corner stars and whispered, "Look! I have headlights!"

He then proceeded to face the front, blink his eyes rapidly, and drive the imaginary steering wheel in his lap.

I am pleased to report that all stickers were removed from reach before the sermon began.

Bake at 350. Or 112.

2011-08-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

If you live anywhere near these parts I don't have to tell you.

For those of you who are far and away:

IT'S HOT.

No really. Not your average August Hot, but unbelievably, dangerously, seemingly unending HOT.

We have recorded more than 30 consecutive days of 100 degrees or higher. And this week? We've been 108 or higher every day.

As of this writing, we have reached 111 today.

Yeah.

Now, let me tell you, things start to happen when it gets that HOT and stays that HOT.

It's like full moon, sugar high, Christmas Eve, stayed up too late, cabin fever.... combined.

I finally got desperate and last night either had a stroke of genius or a 'duh' moment (we don't have to decide which) and decided we'd go outside first thing today.

Before chores, before breakfast, before school, before anything.

Because that's the cool of the day. 86 degrees at 8am.

I love how you can tell Alan just woke up.

Tyler came up the hard way. I didn't know he could do that!

Only two of us actually ate any breakfast. The other two hung around like good sports for a few minutes, drinking juice & milk. Then playtime began! It was such a joy to see all 3 boys outside! playing! It might have been my imagination, but they seemed to be extra joyful as they went about their play.

All too soon it was already too hot and we retreated inside to the air conditioning. Which I am extra, extra thankful for these days. Already slightly wincing at the thought of the electric bill, but "I'll think about that tomorrow." Or maybe when it isn't 100+ anymore. Or maybe when it's time to actually pay the thing.

So, we came inside and started preparing for the afternoon like a storm was coming. Hanging additional blankets over windows, running the washer and dryer and dishwasher to avoid the extra electricity later ('they' are warning of brown-outs and black-outs in the afternoon hours if everyone isn't careful), putting supper in the crock pot. Because, really, who wants to cook in this!?

I have to say, I'm glad we spent the time outside. I think it made today much better for all of us!

I'm also glad we didn't lose Tyler down one of the cracks in the backyard.

And to think we lost half our tomato plants in May because the ground was too wet and they got root rot. Oh the irony.

But not all gardening was a disaster. Not long after we came inside this morning, Mimi & Gramps showed up with a truckload of watermelons, all from Gramps' garden! We found out later there were 110! (That's 110 watermelons, not 110 degrees)

And since you can't exactly preserve watermelons (and because Gramps just likes being generous that way) they were giving away melons to everyone they could think of. Us included!

Funny things, these melons. I don't know how many cows is takes to make a herd, but I think it takes about 7 watermelons. A herd is what I think of every time I see them clustered around together.

They even have migrating habits. You doubt? When they arrived, they were deposited right where you see in the pic above. But throughout the afternoon I kept finding the lot of them grouped up in different places.

It's risky business being in a watermelon herd, though. By nightfall not one, but two of these melons suffered cracked rinds. I felt particularly sorrowful over the one whose juices ran across the floor.

All ended well though, and both busted melons ended up in their rightful places.... eaten!

Breakfast picnics, hibernation, and ice-cold watermelon. It's a tough life, but we're doing what we can to survive the unbelievable heat. (And since it's taken me all afternoon/evening to write this post, I can tell you it is STILL 100 at 9pm. Looks like another doozy tomorrow!)

How are you managing to hold up through the August heat?

50 Days and Feeling It

2011-08-02T22:01:00.001-05:00

Funny to me, way back when I was pregnant with Tyler I added a "Pregnancy" label to my post categories, and yet, through 1 2/3 pregnancies, I have hardly used it.

I just don't talk about being pregnant much!

But, pregnant I am.

And yesterday, for what may just be the first time in 4 pregnancies, I looked at my time remaining and thought, "I don't know how I'm going to make it that much longer!"

Maybe it's the heat. Temps in the 1-0-somethings make everybody cranky, pregnant or not.

It's certainly not that I am carrying around a humongous belly. If I have heard it once (and I have), then I've heard 100 times about how small my belly is, and how I'm 'finally' starting to show.

I've never carried very big. With Dale I was kind of defensive and disappointed about it. It was my first pregnancy and I wanted everyone to know it! Then he turned out to be 8lbs 4oz and surprised all of us!
I carried about the same with Alan, and he was smaller - 7lbs 8 oz.
The night before Tyler was born I was with a group of ladies from church, and we all made predictions of how big he would be. Based on my tummy size, they all guessed small. And that boy also came out 8lbs 4oz!

So, even though I am blessed not to have an overly large, extra-cumbersome belly in front of me, I do remind myself that, visible or not, I am carrying around 32 1/2 weeks of baby.

And then there's that whole loose ligaments making my bones grind together thing. And yes it is as uncomfortable as it sounds, thankyouverymuch. But I think that's enough said about that, don't you? We'll just pretend I didn't mention it.

At any rate, whatever may have caused it, I was surprised to catch myself thinking yesterday I have almost had enough. Because usually I am a big fan of being pregnant. And, for today at least, I am again. Let's just hope that feeling lasts another 6 weeks or so!

1st Day of School

2011-08-01T19:51:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's curriculum post, today was our first day of the new school year.

With this being our 4th year officially homeschooling, I finally had more realistic expectations of what today would be like.

That is the positive way of putting it. The more pessimistic version would be the honest admission that I was dreading today just a little bit.

After a month or two of little structure or routine and Daddy being home all day every day, the first week back is always a bit of a shock to everyone's system. All the fun plans and new curriculum are still exciting, but it just takes a little settling in to get to all that enjoyment.

I am so glad to be going into this year with a strengthened awareness and resolve that what we are doing here every day has much more to do with our children's character training and spiritual education than it does the 3 R's or anything else academic we end up throwing at them.

If my focus today had been the handwriting and math skills I think I would have yelled and cried and wanted to pull my hair out. I know this from experience. :)

So even though I was dreading the battles I felt sure we'd face today, I was much more prepared and patient with our renewed perspective of what really matters.

I dealt with each heart and behavior issue as it came up (and yes, my own patience and self control were pushed to their limits), and worried less about the borrowing and carrying and layers of the ocean. That stuff will all get learned in due time.

Maybe even next week, after we have re-established some good habits and training around here. But first we all have to get through tomorrow.

Just kidding. Sort of. ;) But for the record? Even with its challenges, I wouldn't trade this homeschooling thing for the world.

Curriculum 2011-2012

2011-07-31T21:45:00.001-05:00

It's time again for the Heart of the Matter's "Not" Back to School Blog Hop!
Perfect timing for us because tomorrow (Monday) is the first day of our new school year.

The first week of August is always our start date because that is the day Daddy goes back to work after his summer break. And because it is 100+ outside and we are all getting cabin fever from being cooped up and unstructured. And because when you start that early you can take off more of the mild, pretty fall and spring days. Or those we-have-a-new-baby-and-things-are-kind-of-crazy days.

Following are our curriculum plans for our 2011-2012 school year.
(Dale will be 8 at the end of August. We label him 3rd grade.
Alan will be 5 in November. This is his 2nd year of preschool.)

Together:
Bible - The Bible! We are starting over in Genesis (for the third year) and planning to cover the major people and stories from Genesis through Acts. Dale will be mostly notebooking, with occasional activity pages from Calvary Chapel. Alan will have coloring pages from the same site.

Dale:
Math -Singapore Math
We are almost done with 2A and will pick up in a few weeks with 2B. I love the affordability and simplicity of Singapore, along with the option of moving along at their quick pace or slowing down for reinforcement or review at any time.

Language Arts / Writing - I have scheduled 2 days a week for Dale to post to his blog (so if you are a follower be checking for those!). The other three days he will do copywork or write in his journal.

I am searching for a spelling program, and am strongly leaning towards All About Spelling. We will probably not add that in until January, because I don't want to add anything new until we are in a routine with the new baby.

Typing - Dale will be reviewing and continuing with Dance Mat Typing.

Social Studies - Same as last year, Dale will be reading human interest stories from newspapers. These have been carefully selected and previewed just for this purpose.

Science/History - For now, I view science and history as 'gravy'. The fun stuff. There will be plenty of time ahead for sequential, detailed learning. For now, we cover a unit here and there as we are interested or find it relevant. This year we are starting with a unit on the deep sea, using library books and this study from currclick. Later (per Dale's request) we will be covering the American Revolution with a focus on the Declaration of Independence, and the National Anthem. I have several Currclick downloads for these as well.

Piano - Continuing with the Music In Me series.

Literature - Dale will read almost anything he can get his hands on, but I will be selecting and assigning various books throughout the year that he might not find on his own.

Alan:
Rod and Staff Preschool ABC series- This is our first time trying Rod and Staff. After just looking through them I am very impressed with what I see. So far I only ordered A,C,D, and E. If all goes well with those I will order the rest of the set.

Alan will be joining Dale for the ocean science unit with Under the Sea and Exploring the Ocean with Hermit Crab, both from currclick, and then other resources and activities from the Library, our home, and around the web.

_______________________

That's it! That's our plan as far as curriculum goes. I also plan on dipping into all the puzzles, learning games, and other activities that fill our cabinets and closets.

And since you are here, please do share your favorite spelling curriculum! Have you used All About Spelling? What did you think of it?

This post contains affiliate links from amazon.com and christianbook.com. Thanks for looking! :)

In which I (sort of) catch up on a month of blogging.

2011-07-29T22:50:00.001-05:00

I decided what better way to make up for my scarce and sporadic July posting than to offer a mini slide show of what all we've been doing.

It is partly because of all the 'doing' that I haven't been blogging. Ironic, don'tcha think? To be perfectly honest? All of these pictures (plus 200-something more) were all still on the camera (and not in the computer) until an hour or so ago!

So, without further ado, the condensed version of our July 2011.

Started with a long-anticipated (ok, so June must have been pretty busy too) End of School Recital / Open House Program. The boys took turns reciting a few of their Bible memory selections, and Dale played a couple of pieces on the piano.

We laid out all their lapbooks and some of their other work for show-and-tell.

Little did I know they would want to show-and-tell every detail for every item!

We celebrated the 4th by attending a concert and fireworks show. Daddy played in the concert and Dale and Alan enjoyed the music to the we're-outside-and-can-run-around fullest.

We also held our own little fireworks display one evening. Dale was thrilled to be big enough to 'help' Daddy!

We then spent the biggest chunk of the middle of July on home-improvement projects. And by 'we' I mean Greg did all the work and I stayed busy feeding us all and trying to keep boys out of the way. That is, when they weren't helping:

Towards the end of the month we took off on a week-long trip to visit family and pack in some vacationy type stuff along the way, which included Tyler's (and Alan's!) first time in a 'real' pool. I tried so hard to capture Tyler's unique grin - a mix of total enjoyment and cautious reservation:

The boys enjoyed lots of time playing with their cousin, including not 1, but 2 beautiful carousel rides.

And because we apparently believe in double-dipping in everything fun, we made not 1, but 2 different trips to Chuck E. Cheese. Trip two was with my sister and her husband.

Greg and our brother-in-law in a skee ball match up while Tyler looks on:

I don't think any of us knows who won. Not that it matters. All the winnings went to Dale and Alan and Chuck E's fantastic-a-wondermous cheapo prize counter. Fun times!

Grandma & Grandpa took everybody to an indoor playground extraordinaire that offered a playground maze, train rides, arcade games (triple dip on the skee ball - yay!) and the second carousel ride:

We finally arrived home to finish up the remodeling projects, and let the boys make the most of a house empty of furniture and carpet:

And that brings us to today. With traveling done and house projects completed, Greg had his first day back at work for the 'fall'. We'll be starting school on Monday! Even so, there is still time for fun, games, and time with Daddy. I'm just not sure when this sitting on the table business started. ;)

Oh say... How do you say?

2011-07-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

For over a month now, my two big boys have been oddly obsessed with The Star Spangled Banner. They sing it, they hum it, they pretend to play it on pretend instruments.

Dale has even asked to study it in school this year (that along with the Declaration of Independence). A random request, but one I have obliged with a couple of downloads from currclick's recent sale.

Not knowing exactly what to call such a wordy song, Alan went through a spell of calling it "the nascar and baseball song". Referring, obviously, to the two places he has heard that song the most.

One day he asked Dale to sing "the nascar and baseball song."

Dale put his forehead to Alan's and spelled it out for him. "It's called: The National. Lanthem."

I gently corrected with, "Actually, Dale, it starts with an 'A'."

Dale replaced his forehead against Alan's and tried again, "It's called the National Ah-lanthem."

Making Sense of Senses

2011-07-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

While looking over curriculum and lesson plans for our upcoming school year, I wanted to double check Alan's grasp on the 5 senses.

Mama: What do you do with your eyes?

Alan: See.

Mama: What do you do with your ears?

Alan: Hear.

Mama: How do you smell?

Alan: (Big Sniff).... Good!