That's her and that's her baby.
And although maybe this photograph can be titled "Meeting for the First Time" it is very apparent in his eyes that he has known her for awhile.
9/14/10
Just About My Favorite Photo I've Ever Laid Eyes On
From my friend Erin's blog.
That's her and that's her baby.
And although maybe this photograph can be titled "Meeting for the First Time" it is very apparent in his eyes that he has known her for awhile.
That's her and that's her baby.
And although maybe this photograph can be titled "Meeting for the First Time" it is very apparent in his eyes that he has known her for awhile.
9/10/10
Hurry, Hurry, Hurry
It seems like I've had a lot on my list lately. Making up for the summer vacation, trying to get things cleaned and organized around here, staying on top of things, which has involved lots of errands, and attempting to establish a good routine to start the school year off right has occupied my mind and my time. Last night, after a challenging evening, I went to bed feeling icky and out of sorts.
Doesn't it weigh heavy on a mother's heart when one of her children are having a "hard time of it"? Our minds turn circles of "what if, what now, what if always" and just that can keep us awake for hours.
But then I remember what I've learned over the years. This age, and geez, all ages, they need us to SLOW down and STOP. STOP the running, the constant in and out of the car, STOP standing at my kitchen counter and checking off my to-do list and GIVE.
Give them full attention for hours. Look them in the eyes as much as we can. Eat meals with them. Good healthy meals. Slowly. Don't answer the phone. Stop RUSHING. Kids hate rushing, don't they? Especially the little ones. It's not good for them. It makes them, well, screech, and stomp and hit and rebel against the world.
One of my favorite, if not THE favorite, children's books I own is the Harry the Dirty Dog Treasury. When I hear myself saying, "Hurry!" I think of the story titled "Harry by the Sea." Harry gets lost and is finally found when he thinks he hears someone calling, "Harry, Harry, Harry!" Really it's just the hot dog man, yelling, "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Get them while they're hot!" It always makes us laugh. Hurry might have helped Harry out, but it doesn't help me out. It's an annoying way to live, and a recipe for disaster for all of our little guys who don't need to see the bigger picture, but are constantly observing and learning from the little things...the things you miss, when you say the dreaded "hurry" word, or the live the stressful "hurry" lifestyle.
We haven't done much in the last couple days, and my tried and true "getting back to the sweetness" has proven to work again. Train tables, chicken noodle soup and crackers, long baths, (I sneak in some reading time on the bathroom floor while Patrick creates tsunamis), and a hiatus on the icecream stockage in the freezer has made things so much better already.
9/8/10
Bought On the Sly
I bought a trampoline. The kids have been begging for one for years. I know how dangerous they can be, really I do. If ever I was tempted, I'd ask Jeff and he would say, "No way! Someone will break their leg, or their neck, and it's such an eyesore."
1. Jeff says no to everything, but always comes around, and plus he massively owes me one after making me drive 20 hours there and back to CO so he could make me hike moutains and enjoy the outdoors.
2. I want the kids to have something fun to do here with friends, OUTSIDE.
It took me only a mere 6 hours to put together. I did it all by myself. Well, Patrick was here, but refused to help. The instruction manual kept saying, "For this part, you need two people." They didn't know a mother was putting it together, because really, we're like 4 people in one, don't you think?
I just pretended I was in Amazing Race and I did fine. Except for a couple issues like when I lost the little thingy in the grass that you need to screw the screws on and it took me and extra 5 minutes to hunt for it. Also, when I put the springs on, I miscounted more than once and had to redo all my work twice. And during the middle of it, I had to put Patrick for a nap, so I lost some time there.
But no biggie.
I still think I won.
When they got home from school:
Back packs were thrown and socks were shed.
A timer was set as more and more children showed up. (I posted a list of rules, that only 3 children at a time could jump and they had to be close in size...you'll see how long those rules were enforced.)
Someone needed to be distracted when they didn't understand the rules.
As 6:00 drew closer, I was hoping to have so many children here that Jeff would be convinced that I did indeed, make the right decision by betraying him. What can you say when you see a dozen or more happy faces in your back yard?
He of course, came around and realized I was a genius.
We sat in chairs and watched the goings-on all evening long.
Till we decided it was our turn.
Blurry picture through netting...my favorite of favorites.
9/7/10
Abbey's Birthday Celebration Extraordinaire
Abbey requested a Barbie cake this year for her family party.
A blurry picture of me. My favorite kind.
She also got a new, grown-up cruiser. Bike rides during September evenings are the best.
Hope you had a good one Abbey!
9/3/10
September
I love August too, because it's a time of new beginnings. There is nothing I don't like about the start of school, and before you think I'm being funny, I'll tell you as a child I loved it too.
August is exciting and crazy and sometimes hard...saying goodbye to summer, and hello to a new routine and all the hoopla that goes with that.
September I settle in.
And settle down.
I love taking walks with Patrick and it's just SO beautiful out.
Everytime I'm outside I just feel so grateful for my life and how blessed I am and how lucky I am to have a loving husband and five children who I hope feel at home everytime they walk in that door.
The sun is shining, the school busses are roaring by, leaves are crunching, there's a quiet breeze and a stillness in the air.
I'd make September last forever if I could.
8/26/10
A New Routine
The kids first day of school was yesterday. Isaac started last week since he's in high school...I forgot to take his 'First Day' picture. (I'm sure he's devastated by my forgetfulness. :)
Look at all the cute kids peering out the windows. (Abbey is saying..."mom, please, c'mon!" while she's walking away.)
And just like last year, Patrick was devastated. This year, though, it has less to do with missing everyone, I think, than it has to do with getting to RIDE on that big bus.
I'm sure he imagines them going to some huge water park where free candy and tons of gum is given out. Also all you can eat french fries with loads of ketchup for dipping.
Heart breaking.
8/22/10
Happy Birthday My Sweet Little Boy
Andrew is seven today.
Yesterday he was only six.
Then he went to bed, (so excited) and woke up a whole year older.
Why does it seem so easy, but hurts my heart and racks my brain?
How do the years go so fast?
Just yesterday he was my sweet little baby, born with a full head of hair and dark sparkly eyes and a chronic case of colic that I can honestly look back fondly on. It was us against his stomach and we came out champions.
A new bike.
Hope you had a great day Andrew.
We love you.
Yesterday he was only six.
Then he went to bed, (so excited) and woke up a whole year older.
Why does it seem so easy, but hurts my heart and racks my brain?
How do the years go so fast?
A new bike.
And a few other things...most especially a Lock Box to keep all his hard earned money safe...something he's been reminding me he wanted all year long. (And boy, is that kid good at savings. He almost always decides to save instead of spend.)
He wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with blue "trim" he called it. I get pretty nervous with cake requests...I am NOT a good cake frosting-er. As you can see.
Hope you had a great day Andrew.
We love you.
8/2/10
Summer Reading
I've been reading so much this summer but these two so far are my favorites. I LOVE historical fiction. It's my favorite. Dates and politics and all that jazz don't mean anything unless you make history personal....and when it's all put into a good book...I can't get enough.
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