Been a long time...

Well, it's been a really long time since I have written anything for this blog. A lot has happened since my last post! We had another baby! "Merida" was born March 23rd, 2012. She has red hair like her older sister and she is a handful! Since then everything has gone CrAzY! Mini is in preschool now and the older two are in school full day! Yeah for me! But it makes for lots of running around:) and homework and activities and really the girls aren't even doing anything yet. What have we done since Merida was born? Well, my dad retired, Thomas played baseball over the summer. we went on vacation and spent a lot of time at home over the summer. Unfortunately this mama was so tired from baby that I didn't have much steam...boo me. Thomas loves anything Star Wars now...Thomas the train has gone by the wayside :(. He also loves football! Red is really into her friends and has the greatest imagination I have ever witnessed! She could down with two salt and peppers shakers and be able to have a party! Mini is a sassy little gal. She's going to give me a run for my money someday! And Merida...well she is high maintenance. I feel bad talking about my babe like that, but it's true. I can count on one hand the people she is totally comfortable with and it doesn't include grandmas...yet. She needs her sleep and she needs things to be done a certain way...her way! She is very attached to her mama...weaning her is going to be very difficult. I can tell you now because she will barely take a bottle at the sitter's and she will barely eat baby food...at 8 1/2 months! But i love her and her smile makes my heart melt. Just like with all my other kids. One other thing that happened...I bought an IPad with some Bday money...hence it's a lot easier for me to post now! That dinosaur of a computer sits in the office and roars at me, but I sure don't use it much. Hopefully from now on, I'll be able to post more often...the good, the bad and the ugly. Ha ha just kidding.

Little "Red" and the soda pop

Last weekend we were cleaning up the house before heading out to the hubby's company picnic.  There was a cooler of leftover soda pop from the t-ball swimming party.  The hubby was having the kids carry cans of pop downstairs to the "pop" fridge.  Red came upstairs in no apparent hurry and in her "true fashion" she came up to tell us what seemed like...a story. She said it with all the dramatic flair of the story-teller that she is - waving her hands, spinning around the room as she talked, but with little emotion.  It went something like this...  "Daddy when I was downstairs, I tripped and fell.  And I dropped the cans of pop that I was holding.  And now they are exploding downstairs."  The hubby immediately dropped what he was doing and ran downstairs to investigate and clean up any mess.  When he returned, I just burst out laughing because instead of yelling up the stairs OR coming up to say "SOME POP IS EXPLODING!"  she so nonchalantly, in the longest version possible told us what was going on downstairs.  Turns out, the cans of soda pop that she dropped were not even the ones that were exploding, so the hubby couldn't even find the right ones at first.

I still laugh when I think about it...it was soooo funny.

Where has the summer gone?

Here we are past the 4th of July and I haven't written on here since the end of May.  It's been a whirlwind of summer activity....And I was so worried that we wouldn't have enough to do!  Instead it's been not having enough time to do anything fun!  I posted something on facebook at the beginning of the summer about our "Taxi" service.  Wow!  I wasn't joking.  I really feel like my summer has been spent driving the kids everywhere and being a referee for their fights.

We started the summer with a week to do NOTHING!!!  A week to recover from school being over, to enjoy doing nothing and to get bored.  Then it was a week of shuttling kids to Bible Schools in nearby towns.  Then it was my birthday!  Woo hoo:)  I wish that lasted a whole week!  Then swimming lessons for two weeks.  Then a big party on the 3rd of July and another party on the 4th of July.  All the time t-ball was going on with two games a week - and the hubby coaching the team by the way.  Now we are rounding out our summer activities with a t-ball tournament ending SATURDAY.  Honestly, I can't wait.  I loved the one hour games two times a week, but I think we are all ready for it to be done.

After this tournament, we have two weeks to enjoy our summer again.  I'm hoping to do a little swimming, go to the Discovery Center and take the kids to ride the train at the park.

How have the kids changed?  They are starting to sleep in a little bit.  Thomas can tell time, so he knows to stay in bed a little later- at least past 7am and the late nights have Mini sleeping until 9am!  Red is somewhere in the middle.  They all enjoy being in the water, even if they don't like to go under, they sure enjoy swimming around with tubes and pool toys.  Thomas has watched more Star Wars than I ever thought possible and if fighting like a Jedi with a light saber was a real job, I'd say he'd have a pretty good shot!

In a couple of weeks we will be heading out in the family truckster to go on our family vaca.  I am really excited for that.  The kids are a little older, they'll be able to enjoy things a little more.  Should be a great time.

I saw a co-worker at the grocery store today.  Someone I dearly love and it made me miss being at work a little bit.  WOW, I never thought I would say that.  I mean I only work one day a week, but I really enjoy that day.  Especially when she is there.  Wish I could see her more often.

Anyway, the summer is half over and I can't believe it.  The month of June went by faster than a Jedi in spaceship. 

Summer!

Memorial Day Weekend we went home to see family and to my aunt's retirement party.  It was lots of fun to see family that I haven't seen in a really long time!  And to have an extra day off with Nathan.  On Monday we took a little excursion to a Birthday Party - only to find out when we got there that the party had been on Saturday!  We had a good laugh, took the kids to the park and went out to eat.  We got a great picture of the kids while roaming around 

We are just starting our 3rd week of summer.  We've been on our own "schedule" - sleeping in, T-ball in the evenings and going to bed late.  When summer gets close, I get so excited about not having a schedule and doing our own thing, but after a couple of weeks it does get boring and the kids are fighting more and all they want to do is watch TV.  It's been nice to get really bored because now we have Bible School and next week is swimming lessons.

The Best Mother's Day Ever!

Yesterday (Saturday) was pretty crappy.  My Mother's Day weekend was supposed to be all about me.  I was supposed to get to do what I wanted to do.  And then I didn't.   The hubby had to go to a funeral and so my day was left rearing my children (which I love dearly - don't get me wrong) but on the weekends I look forward to some extra help and little bit of a break.  Instead of being unselfish and  feeling empathy for the family who had the funeral I only thought about myself.  I ended the long, hot day grouchy and tired and not really looking forward to Mother's Day at all. 

I often get my hopes up for days like Mother's Day and my Birthday and then end of up feeling disappointed.  So, going to bed grouchy, I didn't really have any expectations - which ended up being the best thing for me.  Plus #1  I got to sleep in.  #2 Thomas woke me up with a hug and the most sincere "Happy Mother's Day" I've heard in a long time.  #3  He made me a present.  It was great and he was sooooo proud.  #4 My mother-in-law made an awesome lunch.  #5 I was treated like a queen all day.  #6 My hubby bought me some Mom's day jewel's that I love.

Thanks to my whole family for the great Mother's Day.  It really ended up being an awesome day.

No Eggs Please

Our morning routine is often the same...take the kids to school...come home and I'll make breakfast for myself.  I usually don't have time to eat before the kids need to leave.  And I've perfected the art of making my eggs without oil so they are just right with a little bit of runny yolk and then I mash them with a fork.  So, I really enjoy my eggs in the morning anyway.

I always ask Mini "Do you want an egg?"  and she always says "No."  But then, when I start to eat, she snuggles up to me at the table and says "Iwannabite".  Then we share bites of eggs while she giggles about eating some of my eggs and I laugh at how cute she is about the whole thing.  Of course now, I just make an extra egg for her and she just thinks she's eating my eggs.  I thought I liked my eggs before...but sharing them with Mini is even better.

Weddings

Last Friday - April 29, 2011 - Prince William was married to Catherine Middleton.  Before school, I had the kids watch a little of the "pomp and circumstance" because it was fascinating and a part of history.  During breakfast, I made them come into the living room to watch the "Royal Kiss" at 7:35am.  "Red" says "Mom, when you got married, did you and daddy stand like that and kiss in front of everybody?" To which I replied "No, we didn't do that."  smiling to myself because it was such an innocent question for a 4 year old who has probably never been to a wedding in real life?  I can't remember.

The next day we were at grandma's and grandpa's getting ready to go to a wedding in which my husband's sister was a bridesmaid.  I told "Red" that we were going to a wedding and she was staying with grandma and grandpa.  She asked "Are you going to wear a beautiful dress?" "Yes."  Then she asked "Are you going to wear one of those things on your head that hooks on the crown like Cinderella did?"  Clearly she thought I was the one getting married.  I laughed and said "No.  I'm not the one getting married.  I'm already married to your daddy."   She just smiled her big smile and then said "Mom, you look beautiful!"  I love hearing that.