What's Up With Us

Fun with Nana and Grandpa

2012-02-06T21:32:00.008-06:00

We went on to Nana and Grandpa's on our Christmas vacation trip, and here's a little of what we did there.

RL went straight for the Hot Wheels...

The guys watched some football...

and we spent a day at the Children's Museum...lots of fun!

This was the year RL was introduced to some action figure-type characters...here he is with the Batmobile. He also got a Star Wars figure he calls "Chewbacco".

We loved our time with all our family this year!

Christmas at PopPop and Gran's

2012-02-05T21:22:00.004-06:00

After church and lunch we went to Gran and PopPop's to continue our Christmas celebration. While we were there we got to see Uncle David, Uncle Doug, and Aunt Vicki, too.

SJ gives the big Santa a hug...

RL with a new train...

5 little Ps with Gran and PopPop

All of us

SA got to hang out with PopPop.

PopPop played Chinese checkers with all the kids, and these two might have been his toughest competition...they make up their own rules!

RL dancing with Santa (or the guy he called "Sin Claw" all through the season) and entertaining Uncle David!

Christmas Morning

2012-02-05T08:35:00.001-06:00

We woke up at our house for Christmas morning and opened some gifts before breakfast and going to a special Christmas worship service. How fun to make some special memories right at home on our first Christmas in this house!

RL was excited!

More Narnia books on CD...

Enjoying some new books

The "big kids" in RL's new puppy dog tent

All 5 little Ps by the tree!

Christmas Eve

2012-02-04T22:23:00.004-06:00

Finally I am posting some Christmas photos! We had a wonderful holiday, starting, as usual, with Christmas Eve spent with Grandpa's family "across the big bridge"!

First we went to see Mimi and PawPaw and introduced SA! He and Mimi got along well...

and RL was happy to see PawPaw!

That evening we enjoyed dinner and exchanged gifts with aunts, uncles, and cousins. The girls are always thrilled to see their big girl cousins, L and A.

RL was happy to just hang out...

and to be with the other 3 RLPs.

We passed SA around...here he is kicking around with Nana watching over him.

The kids and Nana finished off the night around the fire outside while we loaded up to head back across the big bridge so we could wake up for Christmas morning at home.

SA wearing his cozy blue bear sleeper...aka his "magic sleep suit" as he went to bed the night before his first Christmas!

More to come!

In a Nutshell

2012-01-14T18:07:00.010-06:00

Happy New Year! Life is happening so fast that it's hard to stop and record it! Here's a brief run-down of mid-November through the weekend before Christmas.

Nov.19: PopPop's birthday, and he and Gran came to celebrate with us! We went to the park for some playtime and took a few pics that ended up making our Christmas card. Photo credits to PopPop for the family shot!

Cake back at home...of course he got lots of help with all those candles!

SA was baptized the next day with Nana, Grandpa, Gran, and PopPop there to witness it. He wore the gown made by Mimi and worn by several of his great aunts and uncles, T, Uncle Matthew, AG, and RL. We are all so thankful for him!

Thanksgiving week we went to visit Gran and PopPop and had a chance to catch up with my friend H and all 3 of her kids! Lots of fun, even in the rain!

Then we went on to Nana and Grandpa's on Thanksgiving day and the kids had fun helping Grandpa make a turkey centerpiece!

RL double-spooning his "oapmeal"

and showing that his similarities with AG go beyond their appearance...he loves to line up his toys just like she did!

Back home on Nov. 28, we celebrated my birthday with a cake chosen by the kids!

Our bouncing baby boy...now tipping the scales at around 15 pounds and doing pretty well sleeping most nights. He is getting the hang of smiling back at all of our adoring faces, cooing alot, and giving us the occasional precious giggle. As you can see his has lots of admirers!

A few pics of our annual "breakfast with Santa" visit at T's office...

LL lost her first tooth on Dec. 6...and T pulled his first!

More SA...

RL graduated into the family toddler bed on Dec. 10! He loves sleeping in his "new bed", with Ralph, of course.

LL hopped in for a bedtime snuggle...not so long ago this was her bed!

RL discovered that T's computer cord works great when his trucks need a fill-up!

Gran and PopPop came and took the girls and me to the Nutcracker on Dec. 17. We all enjoyed the show...and T gave SA his first bottle while we were out!

Miscellaneous Memories

2011-12-06T21:29:00.001-06:00

The days fly by, and I am getting behind on recording anything about them here, but I'm going to try to do a little catching up. These are exciting days at our house as the kids hit milestones galore. Take last night, for example...LL lost her first tooth and SJ went to sleep for the first time ever without sucking her thumb (with the help of a little duck tape...on her thumb, not her mouth!). As for the boys, RL has been making as much progress with the potty as we have the time to allow, and SA is growing like crazy. At 7 weeks old (3 weeks ago) he weighed 13 pounds, 7 ounces! I will post more about him soon. Here are some pics going all the way back to Halloween...

Ready to trick-or-treat in the new neighborhood

LL sharing candy...

and RL begging for more!

Don't tell the other cowboys he was wearing his sister's boots!

Reading together...

Brothers...

RL calls SA "SySy"

More storytime

I never get tired of watching RL play!

We picked about 40 satsumas in our backyard this year!

Friends and Family

2011-11-08T20:21:00.003-06:00

A few fun shots with some special people taken over the last few weeks.

Our neighbor, Mrs. G, has been so sweet to stop by with her three wonderful dogs several times. The girls LOVE to see them coming and pet them and run around the yard with them. We even got to take them for a short walk one day with the girls holding their leashes! On a side note, LL especially would love to have a dog but we are just not at the point to make that a reality. She got a golden retriever Webkinz for her birthday and has named it Gracie...she's having fun learning to take care of it but we are so thankful to have some real dogs nearby that can at least be occasional playmates!

My five sweeties and me

PopPop with SA

A few weekends ago my friend from college, Em, and her husband and little girl came to visit for the afternoon. We had a great time catching up and the girls loved playing with A! Here they are...

All of us with Nana and Grandpa after LL and RL's birthday party

RL's 2nd Birthday

2011-10-28T20:10:00.005-05:00

A week ago today RL officially entered his "twos"...and though they have a reputation for being terrible, I am hoping that with him it'll be terrific. He is definitely showing us that he has ideas of his own, and sometimes that means a fit of frustation with one of his sisters or some other such outburst, but overall he is seeming to be a pretty easygoing little boy. Here are a just a few things about him at 2 that I can remember to record...just a snapshot of a description of him followed by alot of photos!

He talks alot, but is a master of abbreviation. He can whittle a 5 syllable word down to the one syllable that impresses him, and that is all he needs. He has no use for sentences so far, with the one exception being that he loves to sing "Clean up! Clean up!" when asked to do just that (thanks to the nursery ladies at church!). The only other two word combo he uses regularly is "Big truck! Big truck!" which he also sings exactly like he's heard in one of the songs in AG and LL's early music book. And speaking of singing...he loves it, and he can carry a tune pretty well. When he plays with the toy piano he says, "Do! Do!" (as in solfege). Guess he's paying attention to some of the music practices going on around here!

He is still totally hooked on "Ralph" his stinky puppy dog-headed blanket whose brown ear he essentially mauls from the time he is put into is bed until he gets out. We have three of them so they can be washed and he's never without one at naptime or bedtime. I know it's gross, but sometimes the Ralph of the moment smells so bad when I go in to get RL from a nap that I mistake it for a dirty diaper. And I know it's crazy, but I love his wake up snuggles so much that I have almost grown fond of RL's super stinky wake-up face!

He still loves "tains" though his awesome little "wooowooo!" is getting less frequent (sadly:). He had a train cake for his party, as you'll see below.

Often when he sees a man in a book he'll say "DaDa." He also consistently calls the girls' Ken doll "DaDa" in spite of the fact that this Ken wears a fedora and skinny jeans.

He gets so excited when he sees football on TV and starts yelling, "fut! fut!" (Like I said, one syllable. Other balls are "ball", but a football has its own special name).

Most weeks he stays in 3 different nurseries (church, CC and co-op). One of the sweetest things for me is that when I pick him up, he always runs to me and yells, "MA-ma!" with lots of emphasis on the first "ma". Be still my heart.

These first few photos were taken within the few weeks before his birthday.

At his (and LL's) party!

On his birthday, at home...

LL Turns 6!

2011-10-26T21:02:00.002-05:00

October 16 was LL's 6th birthday! We are so thankful for these years we've shared with this energetic, fun-loving, thoughtful, and bright girl!

After church on her birthday there was a churchwide picnic, so we took cupcakes to celebrate.

LL is such a sweet big sister to SA, and a big help to me! She asks several times each day if she can hold him and loves to cuddle him and try to give him his paci (if he's in the mood for it...) to try to settle him if he's fussy.

We officially celebrated LL's birthday on last Saturday with a party at the park for both her and RL (who turned 2 the next day). Here are LL and her good friend AR.

LL requested a "horse cake"!

Swinging high!

The Arrival of SA

2011-10-06T13:21:00.009-05:00

He was born one week ago today, and he's stolen our hearts! We are so thankful for the life of SA, who shares his PopPop's middle name (which was my Grandmother's maiden name)and his Uncle Matthew's birthday. Here's a parade of photos!

The night before, at bedtime, taking the final opportunity to get a photo of RL on his tummy seat!

Just a few hours after the kids went to bed, as T and I were making final preparations for our anticipated 2:45 a.m. trip to the hospital to start an induction, I started feeling real contractions. We went ahead as planned to our appointment, and here I am for one last tummy shot between contractions!

SA was born at 7:19 a.m. and Dr. K immediately commented that he was a big baby. T had the honor of cutting the cord and some thoughtful nurse caught the moment for us!

Big baby alright! He weighed in at 9 pounds, 4.8 ounces and measured 21.5 inches. To put this in perspective, the biggest of our other kids weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. I was more than a little surprised to have such a big boy! As Dr. K pointed out, his size would help him handle all the handling he was sure to be getting from his sisters!

Having his prints made...

Getting to know one another

Later that morning, the girls, RL, and Gran and PopPop came to meet SA. The girls were especially eager to know his name and, of course, hold him!

Gran and PopPop had a turn to hold him, too...

RL seemed a little unsure of the whole scene at first, but he finally made a move to meet his brother and even gave him a kiss.

The next day while the girls were visiting, they got to watch SA have a bath. He'd lost a few ounces...then at 8 lbs, 14 oz.

Saturday morning we got to head home! Out in the real world for the first time...and with a huge green pacifier covering half his face! Sorry, SA. :)

At home he received a warm welcome. Who would hold him first?

LL somehow got her hands on him first, again!

AG seems especially thoughtful when she's holding him.

Nana and Grandpa were here to welcome him, too!

So many precious,snuggly moments.

Big yawn...

Our handsome little guy

We look forward to introducing him to friends and family in the coming days! Thank you for your prayers and care for us all during these wonderful, tiring, precious days.

Last Pre-Baby Post!

2011-09-28T16:33:00.006-05:00

Here we are, just hours from the new little guy's arrival! Seems strange to know that, as this will be our first time to not just go into labor. Since we are just two days from his due date, however, there's no doubt he'd be coming soon anyway. You can imagine the excitement we are all feeling as we near bedtime tonight! T is reading The Hobbit to the girls, RL has just fallen asleep for the last time as the littlest brother, and I am taking a few precious minutes to record this momentous night! Gran and PopPop will be here in a few hours, and T and I are supposed to be at the hospital at 2:45 a.m. I hope to get to bed soon, but I don't know if it'll really matter!

Just a few photos of the last weeks...
RL still loves his trains, trucks, and "cahs". He is already seeming so big to me, so I know when I see him tomorrow I'll be amazed at what a big guy he is!

Ice cream treat...little guy melting my heart faster than his cone!

Love the "hey, watch the hair, LL!" look...

"Best friends"

Getting ready to kiss the camera so you can have a view of his current favorite show of affection!

All watching "Cars"...a big event for RL

I still think these two bear a strong resemblence!

Showing off his new helmet and taking over SJ's new scooter

Our last pre-baby date night last week! Thanks to Gran and PopPop for babysitting!

This was a week ago...I have been wondering daily since then if each day would be the day. So glad we are at this point tonight! News to come soon!

A Long-Awaited Milestone!

2011-09-14T21:02:00.003-05:00

AG will be 7.5 in just a few weeks, so we've been wondering for quite some time just when she'd discover a wiggly tooth. She didn't cut her first tooth (actually two in one day...the day of her first birthday party!) until a week before she turned 1, so we knew it might take a while. Well, it finally happened on the way home from Gran and PopPop's back in mid-August...a loose one was detected! After three full weeks of suspense about when, and how, it would come out, and neither T nor I wanting to pull it too soon (but totally unsure of how to tell if it was actually too soon...), on Sept. 4 it came out on its own...well, with a little help from the recorder she was playing at the time! She was cool as could be about it and the tooth fairy paid her first visit that night (even though AG made sure I knew she knew it was a game, she played along for her sisters' sakes!).

Did I mention that the 2nd loose tooth was discovered immediately upon the loss of the first? Yes, the other bottom middle one was definitely wiggling. Not a surprise, I guess, since the two came in the same day. It got really loose really quickly, but AG could not be convinced to let T pull it or to pull it herself before bedtime on Labor Day.

So she made it through the night with it still hanging in there and we walked to the park to enjoy the wonderful cool spell we had last week.

And then, during a snack break, AG ran over to me and had lost the second one! Two in less than 48 hours!

The tooth fairy came again, but as T and I thought about it later, we realized that this is just the start of a lot of tooth-losing at our house over the years to come. I feel sure the tooth fairy will not be able to maintain the same pay rate for every tooth!

Summer's End Wrap-Up

2011-09-08T14:08:00.005-05:00

Here's a quick post to tie up some loose ends of our summer, which seems alot more reasonable of a thing to do since the weather here this week actually (blessedly!) feels like summer is passing. In reality, I expect we'll have some more super hot days, but since we are enjoying a very fallish-feeling start to our official school year, we'll go ahead and call it summer's end. A few things from the last month or so:

The girls' first pallet party! They asked to do this, and I expected it would last all of half an hour before we or they decided it was back to their beds. I was shocked when they all went to sleep within minutes of lights-out and we didn't hear a peep all night!

The girls still love dressing up, and they always have a "game" going where they are acting out their own stories and interesting characters. Not sure what the game was this day, but the photo is notable because it was taken the afternoon SJ fell off a parked truck right on the top of her (already scarred) forehead. It hurt, of course, (not to mention totally panicked me in the moment) but after watching her all afternoon we felt pretty sure there was no major injury. However, the next morning she woke up with a serious black-eye that, at its peak, made her appear to have been in a fistfight. You can see the beginning of it, just a little puff and color, if you look closely.

RL occasionally sits still long enough to do a puzzle...

The weekend before our beach trip we went to see Gran and PopPop. It was a fun summer visit...including homemade ice cream!

SJ and Gran had it made in the shade while the other girls went on an adventure with PopPop.

RL is always scouting for a new pair of shoes.

Our little amigo

SJ's 4th Birthday

2011-08-31T20:18:00.006-05:00

Monday SJ turned 4! We started the celebration early with a party on Saturday with all four grandparents. Here are a few pictures of the festivities:

Birthday girl!

Surrounded by sisters...

Silly sisters!

Opening gifts

She wanted to have pink icing and Polly Pocket in her boat on the cake.

"How old are you, SJ?"

Gathering around the table for cake and ice cream

Mmmm...cake!

Bathing the new baby in her bathtub from Gran and PopPop

Playing Memory with Gran

Nana giving RL his first real wagon ride

End of the day with Gran and PopPop

6, going on 7!

And on Monday, her actual birthday, we took cookies to CC for a little playground treat with a few friends, then went to Jason' Deli (SJ's choice!) for supper.
Smiling with her Daddy before our evening outing...

and showing him what she did that morning as she sat in on AG's CC class with me...she drew a lion and wrote some letters (one of her new favorite things to do!)

What a joy and blessing this sweet girl is to us all! We are so thankful for her!

Beach Trip Continued

2011-08-28T15:30:00.012-05:00

So here are lots more pics of our beach vacation. We spent every morning at the beach, followed by a few hours at a pool with waterslides, then lunch and a little time to rest, then back out to another pool for more watersliding and swimming. The girls loved the slides, and needless to say, everyone slept well after such busy days. A few observations about the kids:

AG discovered, on her fourth beach trip, the fun of actually getting into the water at the beach and letting the waves push her around a little. A big step for our cautious firstborn!

LL continued to pursue an assortment of creatures at the beach, never sitting still for more than a minute. After our first beach visit, as we all trudged through the sand tired and hot and loaded with gear, I turned around to see that LL had picked up a weary SJ who'd been straggling behind and was carrying her homeward.

SJ is a brave one on the waterslides. She was zipping down time after time, head first, backwards...she gave T and Grandpa a workout as "catchers."

RL liked to dig in the sand and fill up buckets, but he took a while to warm up to the water at the beach and pools. He was pretty content to sit on a familiar lap in water a few inches deep and maybe splash in a little fountain or wave the first few days. I got alot of really good koala bear-like hugs taking him out into the deeper water!

T, the crab-hunter! After half a dozen beach trips, I should probably have picked up on his interest in capturing the creatures and gotten him a net...but maybe part of the fun is the challenge of not having the right equipment.

"Toes!"

The first catch now freed from the bucket and taking a defensive stance as I approached with the camera as if to say, "Back off, lady...I've had more than enough human contact today and I'm catching the first good wave out of here!"

Someone else caught a starfish and brought it over for the girls to see!

Funny thing...as I was walking back to the room with RL one night, I ran into my aunt, uncle, cousin, and his son! We didn't know they were there and it was such a fun surprise! We went to visit them that night and our kids had a great time playing with their cousin D. We look forward to meeting his baby brother, who was sound asleep while we were there.

RL waving "bye bye" to crab #2.

Notice the little wheel on the back of the wooden lounge chair? I didn't either that day, until RL suddenly started calling the chair a "tuck" (truck!).

Beach Trip: Part 1

2011-08-23T22:10:00.004-05:00

Last week we enjoyed 4 days at the beach...a wonderful vacation to mark the transition from summer into more of our fall school routine and the last 6 weeks of preparing for baby brother's arrival! Here are just a few pics from our first day and a half...just a little preview!

SJ trying out the lazy river the afternoon we arrived...

Our first morning's trip to the beach!

RL was immediately taken in by the sand...

He also didn't mind wearing the hat...

Grandpa and Nana arrived the afternoon of Day 2. RL wasted no time getting Grandpa to read him his new favorite "tain" book and displaying his delightful sound effects!

That night we went out for some great seafood! Patiently waiting...

and having fun around the table!

More to come!

RL at 21 Months

2011-08-11T17:15:00.002-05:00

Somehow we are just over 2 months away from RL's 2nd birthday...and I've been meaning to record some of the things he's been up to all summer. He's a busy guy, which is part of the reason I guess I haven't gotten to that til now. My list of his favorite words is long lost, and time is short, but I'll hit some highlights.

The soon-to-be big brother is probably still mostly unaware of what's about to happen, but occasionally he does touch my tummy and say "baybay" (not to be confused with his identical pronunciation of "bagel"...with RL contextual clues are a necessity!). And every now and then he'll put down his trucks and trains and push around the stroller or acknowledge a baby doll. On this day, I happened to catch an unprecedented act of baby caretaking. Let's hope he's as kind when his brother arrives!

He, of all our kids, is the most into shoes early on. Most times I get him out of bed, he immediately asks for his shoes, though only we can understand what he's asking for since he says it in a really unique way that's reminiscent of the sound one might make when punched in the stomach (and just as intense). He brings us our shoes and often wears them himself...unfortunately, those most plentiful and accessible to him are often pink!

"Truck!" and a "baybay" for breakfast...a great combo!

Lately he seems a little more trustworthy when it comes to sitting and looking at books with paper pages. So far "The Little Engine that Could" is a hit...with him, because he loves trains, and with me, because I could sit and listen to his accompanying sound effect all day. Everytime he sees a train he says "tain" and then follows it up with a heart-melting "WooWoo!" I can usually get one or two of these at bedtime, too, when we brush his teeth with his Thomas toothpaste.

Sometimes now he'll actually play alongside his sisters, and this day I found him hanging out with them in their room, him happily perched on LL's bed with his truck and an interesting hat. At least it's not pink.

His other favorite piece of clothing: "pant," which is usually requested right after shoes!

His way of letting us know something hurt: "Bonk!" (He went to Claire saying this to get some sympathy when she was here and he busted his lip!)

His way of declaring independence in feeding himself (he's been saying this for many months): "Hold!" as in, "I want to hold the spoon myself!"

He seems to have developed his own little system for pronunciation which is surprisingly consistent and, if you catch on to it, makes figuring out what he's saying alot easier. He's not much for ending sounds on words, but if a word has two syllables he almost always either says the first one twice or adds on a second vowel sound (as in "ra-a" for cracker...he's not big on beginning blends, either, making bread "reh".)

He distinguishes a few different kinds of trucks, calling mail trucks "meh" and garbage trucks "gar".

He remembers that "DaDa" is at "wuk" some mornings during breakfast and is thrilled when he gets home!

July 4th

2011-07-18T14:07:00.002-05:00

We didn't go down to the river for the fireworks that night (sorry, kids!), but we did do something fun, and new for us, on the 4th of July. We've lived here 5 years and never toured the Capitol building, so we decided that was the day to do it. It was fun to see it so soon after the Texas capitol and to be able to compare the two... this one not so big, but officially the tallest of all, and quite "fancy" as we say around here! And certainly full of interesting stories and sights. The view of downtown and the river from the top was great! I'm sure we'll be going back...

Home, and some Fun Company!

2011-07-12T22:02:00.002-05:00

Still unpacking, and sometimes the emptied boxes get refilled with some cuteness! This one got maxed out!

RL with his first fat lip. Don't know if you can tell, but he busted his top lip on LL's lower bed rail one night at bedtime and it was puffed up for the next two days!

"Aunt Claire" came to visit for a few days...we all had lots of fun with her!

The weekend before July 4 we had a special treat and got to host friends from Austin overnight as they were en route to the beach! Just wish they could have stayed longer! I love this pic...somehow the kids ended up sitting in order from oldest to youngest. S, first in line and born just 2.5 months before AG, is one of AG's first friends ever. I will always remember how her "very experienced" parents brought her to visit us at the hospital the day after AG was born!

After church July 3 Nana and Grandpa came by for a quick visit on their way home from Mimi and PawPaw's. We love being a stopover for friends and family!

VBS and Grandparent-Visiting

2011-07-05T20:39:00.006-05:00

The kids and I spent most of a week visiting both sets of grandparents. This was tons of fun for the kids and a nice break from the routine for us all! We set out on Father's Day afternoon and stopped briefly at Gran and PopPop's house to say hello and give hugs before heading on up to Nana and Grandpa's, where we planned to do VBS Monday through Wednesday. The girls had so much fun every day at VBS, and Nana even took RL along so I could really have a break each morning. A few pics of our time there:

RL has been demanding to "HOLD!!!" his own spoon for a few months now at every meal. He's pretty good at it, as long as he's having one of the few foods he finds acceptable these days!

Watch out, SJ! Maybe the trick to getting him to eat certain things is putting them on his sisters' plates, within his reach!

After day 2 of VBS with Nana and Grandpa. Whew...so much fun!

SJ dancing at the closing assembly of VBS on Wednesday. She LOVES the music and continues to sing the songs with and without the soundtrack Nana sent home with us!

I had a night out to dinner with four of my oldest friends! Loved catching up with them!

Wednesday afternoon we went back to Gran and PopPop's for a few days. While we were there we got to visit some friends, play alot, and have a special lunch out. Here are a few pics before and after lunch at Porches.

PopPop and AG also came home from the library one day with a few movies. Only time to watch one...guess what the selection was...The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, of course! Even RL watched the first few minutes...

It was such a fun week for us!

Father's Day Weekend

2011-07-04T20:26:00.002-05:00

Mid-June found us sweltering and preparing for the kids and me to head out of town for a week of VBS and grandparent visiting, so we made sure we had lots of fun time together with T the weekend of Father' Day. A visit to a new sprinkler park was just what we needed to get outside and still beat the heat!

T is reading through the Narnia series with the girls...again. They love the stories so much! RL doesn't sit in on this yet but he did jump in for a pic before the reading started.

After church on Father's Day...we all had lunch back at home before we left for our trip. We are all so thankful for the wonderful Daddy at our house!

Texas Trip: Part 3

2011-07-04T15:33:00.004-05:00

Our last full day in Austin we took a little trip downtown to see the Texas state capitol building and hopefully give AG and LL a few memories of the place their birth city! T and I had gone to the capitol quite a few times when we lived there, and it was fun to go back with the kids. We all had a great time!

Later that evening a few more families came over to the Ps' house for a cookout and some good catching up! I was having trouble getting clear pics that day and night, but here are a few of the girls in the group.

The girls' last night to share A's room! They were little chatterboxes at bedtime a few times, but overall did great bunking together.

It was a fun getaway for us! We were all a little sad to say goodbye and head for home.

Texas Trip: Part 2

2011-06-15T22:09:00.003-05:00

The ice cream buzz and The Sound of Music carried us the rest of the way to our destination: our friends' house in Round Rock. It was great to see M and R and their kids again! The girls have been SO excited about seeing their friends A and W...it's been 2 years since we got to see them at Disney World. Which reminds me...the night before we left for Texas, at prayertime before bed SJ said she was thankful we were going to DW! I think she thought "going to see A and W" meant going to DW, since she was way too young to remember her only visit to TX and associates A and W with our trip to DW. Took a little explaining, but she was not disappointed after all...for her a house and yard full of different toys and a parade full of old "new" friends was as good as the Magic Kingdom!

AG and Aubrey the evening we arrived

All the kids had fun in the sandbox and sprinkler that night. We also had some of our favorite TX bbq from Rudy's and a great visit with another family we've missed alot these last years!

This one cracked me up because I first thought it was "censored"! Turns out RL is just toting some kind of toy tool box after being stripped of his wet and sandy clothes!

Saturday morning we went to visit T's hometown friend JD and his beautiful family. We had lots of fun catching up over lunch and watching the houseful of girls (our three + their three) play dress-up...you can imagine! RL held his own despite all the frilly silliness around him!

That night the kids watched a movie at the Ps house and the Daddies took charge while M and I went to a fun girls' night at another friend's house. The next morning we went to worship at our Austin church's new location, which wasn't built yet last time we were there. So good to be there and to see lots of dear friends and their growing kids! Then to visit more friends, the McA's; we always love to catch up with them and are thankful they have some family in our new city which gives us more chances to see them! Then back to RR for dinner with the Ps at Chuy's...oh my, I had forgotten just how awesome those fresh flour tortillas are! Definitely worth a wait for a table, and I will be making a few calls to see if I can find a place here that makes their own really soon :).

A was sweet to share her room with our girls for 4 nights! They were chatty after lights-out a few times, but really did great all together!

More to come...

Texas Trip: Part 1

2011-06-15T21:51:00.002-05:00

The first weekend of the month found us heading west for a long weekend in Austin! It's been over 3 years since we'd been there, and we were all ready to go back and visit friends, see some sights, and eat some really good Tex-Mex. This was the longest road trip we've taken since RL came along, and I wondered how it would go, but he did great and we made it out in good time and pretty much fuss-free. Part of that may be explained by the fact that one of the two stops we made was at the Blue Bell Creamery, and few things make a vanload of carseat-bound kids (OK, and parents) happier than some good ice cream on a hot day!

Dance Recital

2011-06-14T23:55:00.006-05:00

AG and LL marked the end of their dance year on May 27 with a sweet recital. Their class danced to two songs and in the finale, and they both were lovely! Here are some photos taken before the show. We were so glad to have all four grandparents there that evening! I was planning to get some shots of the girls with Gran and PopPop afterward, as they were making a flower run beforehand, but then all the video of the dancing filled up my memory card. The girls enjoyed the dancing, but I think the major highlights for them were getting to wear a little lipstick and have cake at the reception afterward!

Swim Lessons...the Grand Finale

2011-06-13T11:22:00.004-05:00

The girls enjoyed 2 weeks of swim lessons in May and learned alot. Hopefully we can keep these little fish in the water this summer! I got to watch them on the last day and record a few memories.

SJ ready to jump right in!

LL after a swim out to her instructor and back

AG likes swimming, but not so much the camera that day :)

It's not all work...

Another AG game face...

Swamp Day and Sprinkler Fun

2011-06-12T21:50:00.003-05:00

After our last soccer games we went to check out a local attraction we've never been to before and got to see some interesting creatures up close! Alligators, turtles, lizards, snakes, and birds...

RL seemed to like the snakes.

The girls checked out the snakes, too, but were gentle enough to get to touch some birds caught that morning for observation.

The beginning of sprinkler season!

RL immediately showed himself to be a sprinkler fan!

Soccer Season Ends

2011-05-30T14:34:00.004-05:00

Whew! It was a fun few months of early Saturday mornings at the soccer fields, despite our struggles with shin guards! :) All three girls got trophies the last day and all four kids enjoyed the post-game playtimes at the park next to the fields.

SJ with her first trophy!

Way to Go, AG!

2011-05-30T14:24:00.002-05:00

How do you celebrate when the biggest sister finishes her math for her first grade year? We say ice cream!

Mother's Day

2011-05-30T14:00:00.002-05:00

I am so thankful to be a mom to these precious kids and to have gotten to celebrate the day with them by opening sweet gifts, homemade cards, going to church, and then out to lunch with one of my favorite mothers: T's! It was a great day, start to finish!

Day at Mimi and PawPaw's

2011-05-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

The day before Mother's Day found us making a little road trip to visit family at Mimi and PawPaw's house. As usual, it was a fun and relaxing time to catch up, play, enjoy some great food, and enjoy some time outside, too!

RLP I and RLP IV greeting one another

It was a beautiful day and the kids had fun exploring in the yard and picking daisies.

This photo looks so familiar...because I take it every visit! The girls love for Mimi to read to them as they sit on the arms of her chair.

SJ cuddling with Nana

RL having a laugh with Grandpa

Our flower child

RL was happy as could be to march through the flower beds.

AG got a little help to get up here. She really wants to climb trees but hasn't had a lot of good experience in really good climbing trees. We're on the lookout for some!

It was a great day...we always love our time with the P family and treasure all the memories we get to make at Mimi and PawPaw's house!

Co-op Field Day

2011-05-25T21:00:00.005-05:00

Our last day of co-op was May 6, and we wrapped up with lunch and some fun outdoor games for the kids. Oh, and face-painting!

AG taking her turn through the obstacle course...

LL waiting her turn for the next event...

Our little tiger...

Hoopin' it up...

and a random one of SJ, who often comes up with her own fun ideas while I work on school activities with AG and LL. On this day she was happily reading Raggedy Ann a princess story at the table (until I came along and interrupted her with the unwelcome camera!).

A May Day, Complete with Hay

2011-05-24T20:47:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we took a little field trip with some friends, beginning with a park outing. I am taking this chance to update on RL at 18 months, because I don't think I've done that and looking at these pics of him with his longer hair (pre-real haircut that happened just days after these were taken) makes me think he is growing up too fast.

He is, for the most part, a pretty laidback guy, but he has definite moments which make us think, "Oh, this is what they mean by 'strong-willed child'. Is that his personality, or is it just being a normal boy? He loves tromping around the house and getting into things, points to/picks up/asks for "shoes" as soon as he gets out of bed, daily talks about the "moon" as a reference to anything sky-related, uses "Rah" as his greatest term of endearment (whether talking about his lovie, Ralph, or a cracker!), and is still a champ of a hugger. He's starting to occasionally feed himself with a spoon, share with his sisters (with encouragement!), and show kindness and gentleness to his sisters (though the best examples of that have been after he hit them and realized he hurt them). We love this little guy so much and are so thankful to have him around! And, though I haven't even posted pics of his first official haircut yet, know that if we can manage it this summer the shaggy hair will be back eventually!

Back to our field trip: we went to a local event aimed at teaching about and celebrating agriculture. t was a fun time of hands-on learning about local crops, animals, and forestry. The girls especially enjoyed the animals, and SJ was probably the bravest of all in getting to know them.

April Wrap-Up

2011-05-24T19:47:00.009-05:00

A few more April playtime moments caught for the record:

RL's first playtime in the sand at the park. He was fascinated.

Is that an idea forming?

Ummhmm, a little taste test. It was bound to happen!

Slides are mostly good for climbing: a stage it seems all of ours have gone through.

Bike parade: AG got two new wheels for her birthday, and LL was hard at work getting the hang of balancing on two wheels herself. SJ is content with 3, but she prefers wings in addition to those.

Backdoor guests are best! Fiona, the neighbors' cat, seems to spend 90% of her time somewhere on our property, and this day she got plenty of attention though she didn't get to come in.

Sweet smiles...

We got to see Gran and PopPop for a short visit before they went on a big trip. We look forward to catching up with them again later this week.

It's a...

2011-05-23T14:13:00.003-05:00

BOY! We found out last Friday that this little one we await is a little brother! Everything looked good on the ultrasound and he will likely arrive at the end of September, if all goes as hoped. We took everyone along that day for the appointment and the girls are excited to know the news, as we are. And as for RL, he's still pretty much totally unaware of the baby on the way...but one day I'm sure he'll be very thankful to have a brother!
(The photo was taken the evening of our appointment after we all went out to Jason's Deli to celebrate the news!)

Our Easter Sunday

2011-05-15T21:17:00.004-05:00

So clearly I am behind, but here are some photos of or little ones on Easter. Since Louis was feverish that morning, he and I went to church after T and the girls and then immediately afterward he napped, so I ended up with no pics of him dressed or having any fun that day. But the girls had a wonderful time hunting eggs at our friends' house that day after lunch. It was a day of celebration and sweetness!

By the way...

2011-05-11T21:41:00.000-05:00

I've not posted this before here, but for the record, we are expecting a baby around October 1! All of us, especially the girls, are very excited. AG gives the baby (tummy) lots of kisses already, though we are just at 18.5 weeks. All seems to be going well, and we are set for the big ultrasound on May 20. We've considered not finding out gender for the first time, but we seem to be starting to lean back toward finding out at this point. More updates to come on this little one!

Zoo Day

2011-05-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

T's company hosted a family day at the zoo the day before Easter. We all went and had a great time...it was our first time to go since October, which happened to be RL's first birthday, and then this event happened to be on his 18 month birthday! He was mostly content to hang out in the stroller that morning and by the time we got home it was pretty clear that the poor little guy was coming down with something, which was confirmed by at temperature of 103. After a few days of running at least a mild fever, the doctor confirmed that he had another ear infection...his 3rd in three months. We hope to go a good long stretch without another one! He's back to full speed now...always on the go, babbling and talking alot, and thankfully, this week anyway, cooperating on eating a few more foods.

Here are some pics of the fun that day. After lunch they had a zookeeper come out with some interesting creatures that the girls enjoyed seeing up close!

Oh, she's a sweet one...

2011-05-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

our SJ...

More Birthday Fun

2011-04-20T20:27:00.004-05:00

AG's birthday on April 2 is just the kick-off to a few weeks of special days for our family. T's birthday is April 13, and I just realized this year that whatever age AG has just reached is the sum of his digits...a neat little mathematical "coincidence" that will hold true throughout his 30s (you didn't think he was 43, did you?). So last Wednesday he came home for a birthday lunch and opened presents and cards to celebrate. The girls, especially AG, had really taken some initiative on making sure they all had gifts and cards to give. And we broke tradition on his cake (no jelly cake after 10 years!) and made a peanut butter/chocolate chip cookie cake instead. It was a fun day for us all! We are thankful to get to celebrate another year of life with this wonderful husband and Daddy.

Then last Saturday was LL's "5 and a half" birthday, a day she has been anticipating for weeks, or probably months. She made her hopes for putt-putt and Chick-FilA no secret, so that was the plan for the traditional date with her Daddy. Here's our little "half-pint" in her chosen outfit and self-styled hairdo as they set out.

Oh, Boy!

2011-04-15T14:21:00.006-05:00

Little boys are different. People told me that, and I would have said I knew it was true. But I had not experienced it for myself until RL came along. And since he turned one last fall and started walking, and running, and talking, and screaming, and climbing, and crawling around rolling everything with wheels around on the floor (or either turning it over to examine those wheels)I am starting to see what they meant. Hardly a day passes when he does not do something that makes me think, "Did the girls do that? No, they never did that." He is funny and loud and strong-willed and sweet; he raises the roof when he doesn't like something but gives the best bear hugs ever with his little arms right around our necks. It seems he is exercing his will with regard to food in a way we've never experienced...I don't want to say, or even think, that he is picky, but he seems to be black-listing new things daily. Here are a few recent captured moments of the little guy in action.

His favorite thing...bathtime with the boats (thanks TN Womacks!:). Every night when he gets out of his chair after supper he starts emphatically saying, "BAAAAA! BOOOOOOW!" to let us know he wants to take a bath and play with these boats. I tried to upload a video of him saying it, but it didn't work...maybe later. But here are some photos...

A big splash!

Yes, he pushes around the pink stroller, but look what he puts in it!

And at the girls' soccer game, another truck gets a stroll...

He got into one of the still-packed boxes on top of everthing while I was doing something in the kitchen and was fascinated with digging through the stuff he was sitting on. This is the "I know you want me to look up but I'm too busy" look.

He likes to try to stand in or on toys, not a good thing when it's a truck on our hard floors! I really hope this idea passes quickly. He's also showing himself to be more of a climber than the girls were. He loves to stand up on the little chairs and a few times I've found him on his hands and knees on top of the little table, looking like he was so proud of himself.

He's a mess sometimes,but this little guy makes us laugh and melt our hearts!

Seven Years Old

2011-04-14T19:53:00.004-05:00

Can it really be? We celebrated AG's 7th birthday on April 2! Time flies when you're having fun (and babies:)! We are so thankful for this sweet, bright girl. She has learned so much, and teaches us so much! At 7, only a tiny remnant of her original bright red birthmark is visible on her back, but her freckles are as precious as ever and not a single baby tooth has offered even a hint of a wiggle!(Maybe not surprising, since she didn't have any til a week before her first birthday). Her thinking thinking a step (or two) ahead, love for Narnia and imaginary play, and her independence and hard work on her piano and schoolwork are marks of her personality for which I give thanks. It is a joy to see her as a big sister to LL, SJ, and RL, and she has already been the one to show the most affection for this new baby-on-the-way, giving my tummy a nightly kiss!

Here are a few photos from her "ice cream" themed party. She had a great time celebrating with her grandparents,uncle, and friends!

Wedding Weekend

2011-03-31T20:38:00.006-06:00

The second weekend in March found us traveling north once again for another wedding of a dear friend! This time, my friend Jules was getting married and had invited AG to be a flower girl. It was such a special weekend and fun for us all.

AG and fellow flower girl, SS. They had such fun together!

It was a beautiful Springish day! We loved being out in the sunshine.

Smooch!

Jules looked so beautiful!

AG did great in her role and beamed the whole time! Here we are after the ceremony. Only RL was missing...we let him nap at Nana and Grandpa's during the wedding since he probably would have "not fully appreciated" (read "totally disrupted") the wedding.

Gran and PopPop were there!

AG overlooking the reception area

Sweet LL: I wondered back in the fall when Jules asked AG to be in the wedding how LL would deal with it. I'm so grateful to be able to say there was not a moment of anything but happiness from her through all the months of anticipation and through the event itself. We have plenty of sisterly squabbles, but it is so good to see times when they are genuinely happy and content.

Lovely Aunt Jess with SJ and LL

and AG

The two Js

So happy for this sweet friend!

Practicing their bubble-blowing for the going away...

Beside the fountain in the courtyard where the reception was held...almost the exact spot T proposed 10.5 years before!

RL as we drove back home...a sure sign he was exhausted since he almost never sleeps in the car.

It was such a fun weekend and we give thanks for having so much to celebrate with dear friends and family over these weeks!

March Starts

2011-03-27T21:22:00.002-06:00

So the end of February found us sleeping in the red house and living in that mid-move state of confusion, which we were able to blissfully escape the first two weekends of March due to the weddings of two dear friends. The first weekend in March, T's friend got married, and we headed back up to stay at Nana and Grandpa's as our homebase during all the festivities.

Here are a few of our happy road-trippers...they're getting used to this scenery!

T looking handsome as a groomsman, and AG trying on the flower girl dress she'd wear the next weekend in my friend Julie's wedding!

The girls all ready to go to the evening wedding...so excited! It was a beautiful ceremony for such a wonderful couple...we all loved being there to witness such a sweet event! And AG had a great chance to witness a flower girl in action before her own "walk down the aisle"!

A stop by Gran and PopPop's on the way back home the next day...of course there was dressing up of a different sort. SJ's choice of outfit made me laugh...I vividly remember wearing those purple lace tights in a dance recital and feeling very cool in a Cyndi Lauper sort of way, but SJ wore them like never before!

And back home...probably LL's favorite part of life at the red house: Fiona, the cat next door. It's really perfect for us right now: we get to enjoy the benefit of having a very friendly, affectionate cat around all the time with none of the responsibility. One day we'll hopefully have a pet of our own (Swimmy doesn't totally count for the girls because, as LL said once, "You can't really pet him...")but for now, Fiona will fill that role. LL goes out every morning and calls her with a loud, "FIOOOOONA!" and she comes running!

10 Years!

2011-03-16T20:13:00.004-06:00

In February T and I celebrated 10 years of marriage! Amazing! We planned to have a little getaway the week before our actual anniversary and took the kids to stay with Nana and Grandpa for 4 nights. Here they are the night we arrived...

Nana and Grandpa were ready for some fun (and everything else that comes along with 4 little ones!)

T and I left the next morning and drove back to a place not too far from where we live. We joke that we celebrated our 10th by going to therapy! It was a very unique place and a totally new experience for us...a sort of retreat/B & B run by a Christian couple. He is a licensed MFT and she has the gift of hospitality, and it all comes together beautifully to provide a very relaxing "growth" experience like none other! For us it was very timely...a retreat from the business of our move and general life demands was much needed. We enjoyed our hikes, dinners with their family, and our sessions with him and hope to go back sometime. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and his patience with me over these 10 years! Here are a few pics, one on the trails and the other the morning we headed back home.

After a few more days on our own, which we tried hard to use well (meaning balance our "freedom" between relaxing and doing a little of the mountain of work our upcoming move required), we picked up the kids and brought them home by way of Gran and PopPop's. Here are some cute shots of our afternoon visit with them!

Later that week we took the plunge and loaded up the furniture for our move into the "red house" (the girls began to call it this during the looking/negotiating process, not knowing we'd ever live here...it stuck!). This actually took place on th 24th, our anniversary...so though we don't have a photo of ourselves together that day we'll never forget how it was spent! Here are the girls going to bed that night on their mattresses in their new room!

February ended with another celebration: SJ's half-birthday (3.5)! She and T went to ChickFilA (at her request but his pleasure!). She was delighted at being his special date and told us all about it afterward!

January's Ending, February's Beginning: A Mix

2011-03-15T20:13:00.002-06:00

Continuing the catch up. These photos are a random collection; some daily life and some special occasions. What is notable, to me, is that these represent the last of the photos taken while we were still in our "old" house. Lots of sweet memories in our 4.5 years there!

One of LL's self-styling efforts. She loves this look!

A sudden leap forward in SJ's artwork...loved this!

Gran and PopPop came to visit on Jan. 31, the day we closed on our new house. The next day was Gran's birthday, and we got the day started off right with a homemade birthday king cake!

My 5 sweet ones!

AG and RL...still bearing a strong resemblance, I think.

AG and I went to MS on Feb. 13 for my friend Jules' bridal shower. AG got to help open gifts and met fellow flower girl SS. They became fast friends!

Valentine cookies for my sweethearts!

The littlest Valentine approved, too.

More to come...

RL:14-16 months

2011-03-14T12:55:00.005-06:00

Since the beginning of the year, RL has grown and learned so much! We are really seeing now what little boys are all about! It seems he is always busy with some new exploration or task, and he continues to show a developing sense of humor by making silly faces or doing silly things to make us laugh. He's getting really fast on his feet (I can't let him get too much of a head start these days) and he seems to like to climb. He's talking alot; some favorite words are "door", "cat", "ball", "truck","ra ra" (Ralph, his lovie), and the most often heard is "nah nah nah", which is basically how he says, "I want that" in reference to food! My favorite is his truly Southern "bye bye"...which is sometimes yelled out, but most often delivered in a heart-meltingly sweet little angel boy voice. Another milestone: just today he started wanting to feed himself with a spoon, and already seems to be getting the hang of it. Here are a few photos from the last few months.

Where do I start?

2011-03-13T21:18:00.002-06:00

Whoa, it's been a long time, and a busy time for our family since I last posted. Our last month has been filled to the brim with special occasions and big life events, all of which have been joyful but leaving no time for recording here til now (and I really should be unpacking boxes or organizing the school room...:). I just looked through photos all the way back to the first of the year and realized how much catching up I have to do! It'll take while. But here are a few cuties from an early January playtime on a beautiful day, just for now.

Sticks don't taste as good as he thought they might...

A few things...

2011-02-03T13:37:00.005-06:00

It seems a very mean cold virus has invaded our house this week and taken its toll on our four little ones! I am so thankful for a providential doctor visit yesterday leading to unexpected diagnoses and, hopefully, getting us on the path to health again!

Here it is by the numbers:
120- minutes spent waiting or being seen at the pediatrician's office yesterday evening
5- little ears infected
4- runny little noses
100s (1000s?)- congested coughs over the past 5 days
ditto- tissues used
5- bottles of amoxicillin taking up residence in our fridge
60- projected doses of amoxicillin to be administered over the next 10 days
30- breathing treatments to be administered to LL over the next 10 days
???- doses of Motrin, Benadryl, and Mucinex already given or anticipated in the next few days (I'm in no state of mind to do that kind of math right now!)
3- recheck appointments scheduled for next week

I don't mean to complain...really, though this is probably cumulatively the sickest we have ever been at once, I am thankful it's not worse, and for medicine my kids will take happily, and especially for how these times remind us of the blessing of good health almost all the time! We are in Good Hands!

In other news, we are in the process of packing and prepping to move into a new house! Not sure when we'll actually be sleeping there, but the process has started since we closed on Monday. One day (one dose, one math lesson, one box) at a time!

Our Christmas: Part 3

2011-01-13T22:15:00.003-06:00

We woke up at our own house the day after Christmas and enjoyed getting to go to church here, with the added bonus of T's parents joining us that morning for worship and lunch out afterward as they were on their way back home. Then we loaded up the overnight bags in the van and hit the road again to my parents' house, where we had a great time celebrating Christmas with them and my Uncle David.

The kids with Gran and PopPop (and Santa!)

Silly faces!

The 6 of us with Gran and PopPop

Hanging out Monday morning

Visiting my friend H and her family on Monday afternoon...a fun time for our kids, for sure. They love H and S's kids! It was great for me and T to catch up with H and S, too.

We visited at their house, then went over to check out the scene of their family business...real chicken houses! On the way back we stopped to look at the cows...they are far away in this picture.

Gran and AG got started on a new puzzle...

Lots of fun for us all!

Christmas: Part 2

2011-01-08T23:22:00.004-06:00

We came back to our house on the evening of Christmas day and had a memorable picnic by the Christmas tree since our dining table was buried under school books and wrapping paper. The menu was omelettes, popcorn, and satsumas...as you can see I had worked really hard to plan this feast:). Then the 6 of us opened our gifts to one another. A few highlights:

The girls with their stockings, all made by Mimi. If there's such a thing as material treasures, these are among ours.

My Little Ponies!

And the grand finale...stick horses! After months of the girls galloping through the house on the broom, I decided these were a must. They found them hidden under their beds and immediately gave them names. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that not even AG has the least bit of hesistance to gallop around our front yard and even go for a ride around the block!

Yes, RL was there when we opened our gifts but he was busy walking around and exploring to take much interest in what was going on. No problem, his sisters were happy to help him open his presents.

Our Christmas Celebration: Part 1 of 3

2011-01-08T21:08:00.003-06:00

We began our Christmas celebration with family as we always do, with T's family on Christmas Eve, and it was such a fun time! Here are a few highlights:

I'm bumping this photo to the first spot because it represents why, for us, this year could be aptly called "the year of the truck". A few days before Christmas, RL began to say his long-awaited second word: "tuck"...definitely meaning "truck." And then as if on cue, he was showered with trucks for Christmas over the following days: dump truck, ride-on fire truck, car transporter, small, large, trucks of all descriptions. He now crawls around on the floor pushing them along...I have never seen one of our children do this! I've known he was a boy, but now he is doing real little boy things that I have only heard about and seen other boys do...and it so strikingly adorable to me!

Reading with Nana...I like this because it made me realize that AG has found a way to get around what had become a daily battle on our couch: which of the three girls would be the "outsider" when they all sat down to read with me. I hadn't really thought about it til I saw this, but lately we've not been having that dilemma so much, and it's because she's started sitting on the back of the sofa if she can. A perfect example of how to take the high road to overcome sibling rivalry, I guess!

Picking citrus at Mimi and PawPaw's is a Christmas tradition of sorts, and such a fun thing for the girls...not to mention rewarding! Mimi's satsumas are probably our favorite fruit of all!

SJ picking kumquats...

LL stretching for a satsuma...

AG gets a grapefruit...

With Grandpa and Aunt Edith and their bags of fruit!

We gathered at T's Uncle F and Aunt C's house for dinner and gifts on Christmas Eve night. RL was all over the place...and all my photos of him that night turned out blurry. I've got to figure out how to focus and stop action better with this new camera because he is definitely not going to sit still for me!

Our girls and boy with their cousins

Mimi and PawPaw with the grands and great-grands

Mimi and her girls

RL was very interested in Nanoo's Rudolph headband.

On Christmas morning we woke up at Mimi and PawPaw's and opened more gifts...RL was happy with his truck and this neat ride-on toy.

We went to Nanoo and Uncle Bill's for Christmas lunch and lots of fun playtime.

RL was on a short leash :) He would have loved to get his hands on this nativity!

Nanoo got out her original Barbie dolls and clothes for the girls to play with...they had such fun!

More to come...

So we can remember early December

2011-01-06T21:12:00.007-06:00

I'm sure we're not the only family that's been a little busy over the last weeks! We had a great Christmas, and I hope to get photos of our various celebrations posted over the next few days. But backing up a bit more, here are a few pre-Christmas memories...

This year the "Breakfast with Santa" event at T's office was back on. Even though we don't "do" Santa at home, it's a fun thing for the family, and it was RL's first time to meet the white beard. He was a brave little guy!

The girls were cute with Santa...

We've had warm days interspersed with cold...a nice break! RL likes getting out.

RL got into some cans from my grocery bags before they made it to the pantry one day, and before I knew it he was stacking them! And holding onto them with one hand surprisingly well, I thought...

The girls were so eager to help decorate the tree, which took a few days of hanging ornaments during RL's naps. A few times they dressed up to do shows in front of the tree. LL really likes to style her own hair and has a deep appreciation for a good comb-over! :)

AG and LL got to dance at a nursing home with their dance class on Dec. 16. They danced to and signed to a sweet version of "Silent Night."
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Just before going out to see Christmas lights in pjs...

RL frequently walks around with something hanging out of his mouth and both hands full...

He's developing a sense of humor...loves to laugh when we are laughing!

The girls made this contraption one day...I can't remember what they called it, but they do things like this alot. They also have been riding around on my broom as a horse for months, which inspired one of our Christmas gifts to them...more about that later.

Talk to the hand :)

New Christmas pjs...

A few holiday quotes from LL:
*While we were decorating, she kept asking, "When are we going to hang the utinsil?"
*She asked me to sing "Rudolph" over and over so she could learn the reindeers' names, then later I heard her singing, "You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, doorbells and sleighbells, and schnitzel with noodles..."
*We always turn our tree lights off when we leave home,but I'd decided to leave them on while we went to our neighbors' Christmas party. As we walked home I saw that the lights were off, and when I asked why, LL said, "I turned them off because I didn't want the tree to run out of batteries!"

December Days

2010-12-15T20:47:00.006-06:00

Between our old camera dying, getting a new computer set up, and figuring out the new camera, I have lost my blogging rhythm...if I ever even had one. We had a great Thanksgiving with family, but no pictures to post, so I'll jump into December.

Last week we took a little field trip to the N.O. Aquarium. T decided last minute to go along, and I must have given thanks 2 dozen times that he did. We met a few friends from our co-op there, but I don't know how I would have gotten the kids in and out and made the drive home by myself. We had a great time; the girls loved it and it was especially cool for AG since her co-op science class has been studying aquatic animals this fall.

In other news, RL has totally taken off with walking since the beginnning of the month. At Thanksgiving, he was taking 4-5 steps occasionally, but he was still primarily a crawler. In the last few weeks he's started wobble-walking all over the place, and when he loses his balance, he gets back up and walks more instead of just crawling. It's easy to see how proud he is of himself! Hope I can get some good video of it soon!

He surprised me one night after his bath. I was putting some things away in his room while he played on the floor, and when I turned around this is what I saw:

We've never put him on the bouncy zebra before, but he figured it out and did it himself!

He also got his first haircut while we were at Nana and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving... and I have got a lot to learn about trimming boy hair! It automatically made him look so much older and I think he looks so cute, but it's a good thing there are not any close-up shots of it.

Fall Frenzy

2010-11-16T20:14:00.006-06:00

Wow, it seems like yesterday it was Halloween and suddenly half of November is gone! We've been busy and our camera is on its last leg, but here's the best of what I've taken lately.

The girls at the zoo on RL's birthday...LL wearing the clown suit my mom made me when I was about her age, and SJ wearing my first dance costume.

Sisterly love!

We never made it to a pumpkin patch, so on Halloween day after church I took a few of the kids in our yard with the pumpkin which became our jack-o-lantern a few hours later...

What's this?

Gotta really check it out...

5 little pumpkins

Sunday afternoon snuggle fest

Trick-or-treating around the neighborhood...notice the costume changes since the previous weekend at the zoo. The original plan AG and LL came up with was to just switch costumes on Halloween so AG could be the clown and LL could be a princess. At the last minute AG decided she wanted to be Pollyanna, so we threw this together using a passed-along dress, hat, and suitcase. Even though very few people, if any, probably knew who she was, it made me so happy!

So that's a wrap on our October...finally!

A little more about RL...

2010-11-09T15:33:00.004-06:00

A few more "birthday" updates on our little guy:

Official weight at well-check on Oct. 29: 20 pounds, 11 ounces. I had hoped he'd be at least 20 pounds, but wasn't sure. He's loving his new view as he faces forward in his carseat!

He's cut two more teeth in the last week, top and bottom "partners", to complete the front four on top and bottom now. Several people have commented lately, "Look at those teeth!"

Last Thursday he took about 5 steps without holding onto anything! This was sort of sudden, and has only happened once or twice since then. I wouldn't say he's really even cruising much, but he's getting better at balancing and when the mood strikes, he'll get his feet moving.

Last night at bedtime he very suddenly said, "Nigh nigh" and I am so glad AG was there with me to hear it or else I might have thought I imagined it! When we brought him out of his room to see if he'd sat it again to T and the other girls, he looked a little baffled and reverted to the sweet goodnight wave he's been doing the last few weeks. He's doing a ton of pointing and very deliberate babbling, but "Ligh" is still his only consistent word.

He'll sit still for a short book or two sometimes, but he really dislikes being held back, especially to be dressed. He can make some of the loudest protest noises I've ever heard!

He likes his new swing:

He'll drink from a cup pretty well at times, but often holds it upside down.

He's a mess, but such a fun one!

SJ Sweetness

2010-11-03T20:06:00.001-06:00

SJ has always been such a sweetie, but lately it seems that she is constantly saying or doing something that makes us laugh out loud. First, my personal favorite for obvious reasons as you'll see, is that several weeks ago she declared about her own tummy," This is Mommy's tummy...Mommy is in charge of my belly button." To say that is a role to be coveted is putting it mildly. She is quite a cuddly little girl, and if ever there has been a tummy worth vying for at our house it is hers, so I was delighted with this announcement. Since then T has managed to be worked back into the "in charge of the tummy" picture to the point where the last time the topic came up, we were given joint custody. I'm happy to share :)

When T was not feeling well a few weeks ago she heard me comment that maybe he had "a bug." Later she said, "I think he's sick...that fly got him!"

A few nights ago while we were getting settled to read a story, she got up from her seat beside T and moved down the sofa to sit by me. He made a lighthearted comment about it, and she explained, "I wanted to sit by somebody older." Well, good choice! I have no idea if she really understands that I am a little older than he is, but good thing I am not sensitive about my age...:)

She is a super-eager prayer. Before meals or at bedtime the words, "Let's pray" are not even off our lips before she is getting started. She always remembers to pray for people who are sick, and this week that has included "people with scratches, people with bruises, and people with blisters" so if you are in one of those categories, be encouraged that you are being lifted up!

Earlier today she chose a pair of day-of-the-week panties to wear, and though it's Wednesday, she wore "Sunday" the rest of the afternoon. Tonight as she was changing into her pj's, I heard her tell T, "These say "Church"!"

Look who's on two wheels...

2010-10-28T22:39:00.003-05:00

After just a few short lessons with T running alongside, she took off. Just one of the ways our eldest is reminding us that she's growing up...

365 Days

2010-10-25T13:20:00.003-05:00

It's official: our son is 1! We celebrated RL's first birthday for the first time a week early while our families were here on LL's birthday. Since Nana's birthday is the 17th and RL's the 23rd, after LL's Narnia party we broke out another cake and partied all over again!

Nana and RL, the guests of honor

His first real cake...a yummy carrot cake Gran made

He gobbled it all up, probably in record time!

The almost-birthday boy with his admiring sisters

Gran, PopPop, and Uncle David with the kids on the 16th

Last Saturday, the 23rd, was RL'a actual birthday. We went to Boo at the Zoo that morning...a fun outing to mark his big day! He rode along and watched all the action of the dressed up kids around him (and maybe noticed a few of the animals, too!) with great interest.

That afternoon, he got a fun new toy and had a great time figuring it out with a little help from AG.

He got so excited with the hammer that he banged himself in the head a few times and didn't even mind.

Birthday dessert: pumpkin cheesecake. Not the least messy option, but he enjoyed it!

Our time with him so far has flown! He is so full of energy and ready to take on the world now, it seems. "Ligh" is still his only consistent word and "more" his standard mealtime sign, but his range of sounds is very impressive! He's starting to cruise and balance for a few seconds, but he seems in no hurry to walk as he can cover some territory quickly as a crawler. Favorite foods: bananas, peas, cheese toast, oatmeal, and anything with a touch of marinara. He loves the attention of his sisters (thankfully!) and still requires one of the two raggedy-eared "Ralphs" at nap and bedtimes. And, be still my heart, it appears he is a hugger! Getting a little squeeze with his little arms around my neck is precious enough to make me glad I got woken up at 5:00 a.m.! While he's happy to see me in the mornings, he's definitely glad to see T when he gets home from work. He immediately wants to go to T...understandably...he's been surrounded by girls most of the day! And, after 51 weeks of ups and downs with his sleeping, I am thrilled (and yet a little wary) to say that we're now on night 11 of his sleeping through from about 7:30 to about 5:30...major progress and relief! And another notable skill he's developed in the last week: drinking from a sippy cup. Previously, he was only interested in them as a throw toy, or maybe to occasionally chew on. Now he is really drinking, and today he even had some milk from a cup. We are all so thankful for his little guy and look forward to seeing how he grows and what he learns in the coming year.

Our LL is 5!

2010-10-20T21:23:00.005-05:00

She made her entrance into our lives 5 years ago with surprising speed, and since then she has continued to display energy, eagerness, and enthusiasm in so many ways. We are so thankful for her, and for the way she brings such fun and joy to our home and hearts.

The last few months have seen her start music lessons, learn to read, and enjoy getting to "present" to her CC class. At home she is quick to offer her little brother a helping hand or a word or act of comfort or kindness when he needs it. She can easily outdo me when it comes to the memory work they are learning, and she is within centimeters of catching up with her big sister's height. But she still clings to her lovies with unwavering affection, though they now show close to 5 years wear, and she would be quick to tell you that the currency of choice here is often "Daddy snuggles"!

T is finishing up the Narnia series with them again, and LL requested a "Narnia party" a few months back. We did our best, though my creativity is lacking and Narnia items are hard to find since the L, W, and W movie is as old as LL is. But it was a fun day, and she was pleased. Here's a peek at LL's birthday festivities:

She opened her gifts from us that morning and was so happy to unwrap her own Bible, which she'd wished for out loud in previous weeks! She also got a couple of Narnia books on tape, and as she said tonight, "I can't stop listening to this story!"

A drill can come in handy in the most unexpected situations...

5 little princesses of Narnia...

The birthday girl and her big sister

SJ applied lipgloss non-stop!

I planned a balloon-popping game, not realizing that LL's toddlerhood wariness of loud noises would be unexpectedly revisited! She kept her distance and let her friends do all the popping...

The cake. Not exactly Cair Paravel, but it didn't fall apart :) We had "Aslan" standing nearby...though he didn't get in the photo. He was a little heavy for the top of the castle.

All the kids (and Gran holding RL) after singing Happy Birthday to LL

No turret was left standing. SJ said later, "I like turrets!"

RL enjoyed the party, too. Little did he know that right after LL's party he'd have one of his own...but more about that soon!

Countdown to his big day...

2010-10-06T20:42:00.003-05:00

We're well past his 11 month mark and RL is all about making things happen. Grabbing things, banging, dumping out containers, falling into the laundry basket, and chewing on everything in sight (including shoes, ugh!) as his second front tooth is about to come through any minute...surely. He's not really cruising, but today I saw him keep his balance while standing without holding onto anything for the first time.

Here are a bunch of recent pictures of RL in action, playing with a ball in the backyard and laughing at his sisters and watching cars pass as he sits in the stroller. The video at the end shows two big milestones: his first word ("light!") and his first sign (more), which he does sort of haphazardly in the video, but with great precision at other times!

Life as we know it...

2010-10-06T16:33:00.003-05:00

Since August 23, when we "officially" started school at our house, our normal pace of weekday life seems to have changed dramatically, and I am realizing that is not a temporary phase we are going through...it's apparently just the way it's going to be most of the time. I guess we are entering a new stage altogether as the older girls are truly not so "little" anymore. It's exciting and a little scary. And tiring. But fun! We have been doing two new "school" groups on Monday and Friday mornings for the last 6 weeks, and that has provided lots of fun and interesting new learning experiences for the girls and a good amount of accountability and "academic assistance" for me. In between, we do as much "school" at home as we can, and squeeze in music and dance lessons and practices and, for the last week and a half, lots of outside playtime because the weather has been awesome! Here's a collection of photos taken over the last month or so:

Can you find the cutest "doll" in the toybox?

Taking a walk and stopping to pose with "PJ" before letting go of their balloons from the dentist's office. Actually, SJ's balloon had gotten away pretty soon after we left home. She was pretty distressed as it floated away and we watched it for a long time. She asked, "Is the string stuck on a cloud?"

SJ, unlike her big sisters, continues to add to the collection of lovies she sleeps with. She has her "thumb-sucking lovies" (which are the little blankets with animal heads attached) but alot more stuffed friends have become bedtime buddies.

She conked out during Narnia one night...

LL and RL in the crib with their lovies one morning

Giggle time!

SJ is not quite old enough to be in AG and LL's dance class, but their teacher has been kind to let her join in for the "free dance" song they do at the end of class each week. Of course she's been dressing for it!

Weekend before last we went to a doll museum as part of SJ's birthday present from Gran and PopPop. Such fun!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-14T22:16:00.003-05:00

We headed "home" for Labor Day weekend and enjoyed visits with all the grandparents. Even though we'd just been in "school" for a couple of weeks at that point, it was great to have a little break and change of scenery!

The girls enjoyed picking and arranging Gran's pretty flowers.

Having popsicles on the front porch...

Sitting on the front porch steps we ran down as we left our wedding reception 9.5 years ago!

The girls were so happy to get to swim a few times while we were at Nana and Grandpa's. Thankfully AG and LL seem to have really improved this summer!

They had so much fun playing with T and Grandpa.

There was plenty of accessorizing, as usual. This pink wig was a favorite this time!

SJ loves sleeping in her little "mest" of blankets! Can you tell the new baby tiger Nana and Grandpa gave her has become an immediate favorite? (She named it Dotty, ironically!)

We love visiting grandparents!

SJ's 3rd Birthday

2010-08-30T20:32:00.002-05:00

SJ is 3! We celebrated with a party at home on Saturday with lots of family and friends. She had been SO excited about this for weeks and asked for a cake with Belle AND Winnie and Pooh and friends.

The birthday girl surrounded by sisters and Gran and PopPop

Playing "Put the birthday hat on Pooh" with a see-through (and thankfully breath-through!) blindfold

She stayed at the table enjoying her cake long after all the other kids had gobbled theirs up and gone back to playing...

Taking a swing at the pinata...

RL hung out with Grandpa to watch the pinata-bashing from a safe distance!

Most of the kids at the party...a hard group to capture!

Opening gifts from her grandparents...

We were all so happy to have Mimi, PawPaw, Uncle Francis, and Annabelle come for the party!

Whew! Relaxing after the party with Nana and Grandpa...

Having another piece of birthday cake on Sunday, her actual birthday, and trying to hold up 3 fingers!

She had been asking if she would be "big" when she turned 3 and get to do things like chew gum and take "bitamins" like AG and LL do. I have to admit she is growing up, but she'll always be our baby girl!

A Few Last Views of SJ at 2

2010-08-29T21:33:00.006-05:00

Our "baby girl" turned 3 today! We have been celebrating all weekend and I'll post about that soon, but here are a few photos and a video taken in the last week, just to help us remember how wonderful "2" was!

and a grand finale...

10 Months...Already?

2010-08-23T20:54:00.003-05:00

How can it be that we are just 2 months away from RL's first birthday? Parenting is like being in a time warp these days. The little guy just keeps getting bigger, faster, stronger, and more fun! He is all over the place now, often headed where he doesn't need to be. As AG said a few weeks ago, "L always wants to play with the things he shouldn't play with!" Specifically, he is less and less interested in the toys I set out in the middle of the floor for him and more and more interested in exploring the perimeter of the room, including electrical cords, outlets, cabinets, and floor lamps. Here are a few photos taken recently:

His first "teething biscuit"...'tis the season!

He has 3 teeth on the bottom and most recently cut one on the top. He's getting quite a little toothy grin!

He loves laughing and is always glad when his Daddy gets home from work!

I took these today...true 10-month-birthday pictures!

Everyone has an opinion on which sister he looks most like. He's always reminded me most of AG and continues to look more like her all the time, in his own boyish way!

The center of attention...

and a target for his sisters' kisses!

I may have to up my child-proofing game in the kitchen soon!

Always checking things out...

and having fun doing it!

Hot Air Balloons

2010-08-12T22:13:00.003-05:00

We continued our August tradition of going to the Saturday evening portion of the local hot air balloon championship last weekend. It was hot, as expected, but it was a beautiful afternoon when we got out to the grounds. Last year we didn't get to see the balloons go up due to thunderstorms, so the clear skies had me convinced we'd get to see the mass ascension for sure. I didn't count on the fact that the nice breeze I was enjoying while T walked around with the girls would actually prevent the balloons from going up that evening. It was fun hanging out and picnicking before sunset, anyway, and then we got to enjoy the "balloon glow." Check out the video after the pics and you can see a little of it, too!

RL was noticeably low-key throughout the evening, and T and I commented on how he looked sleepy. I didn't realize til we got home that he had a few degrees of fever. Apparently it was the beginning of a little fever virus which ran its course over the next few days, but thankfully he is now once again a happy little guy.

The girls taking a little rest. It's funny...I looked back at our photos from our first year coming to this (2008) and AG was wearing the very same outfit SJ has on this year! SJ was not even a year old back then, so she's been to this event every year of her life.

It was neat to be in the middle of a growing forest of balloons when they began to inflate before the glow. Here are the 6 of us, ready for the show.

RL was pretty interested in the balloons despite his not feeling well.

T and our sweet SJ

Countdown and twinkle burn!

The hills are alive...

2010-08-08T21:45:00.004-05:00

Last weekend the girls and I went to a little theater production of one of their favorites: The Sound of Music. It was really well-done, and all three of them were captivated the whole time. They'd asked me earlier if they'd get to meet Maria, so it was super exciting to discover after the show that almost the entire cast came out to greet the audience! We even got to take pictures with some of the girls' favorites!

Before we left home, ready to go!

The girls with the three oldest Von Trapp sisters

Maria!!!

"Gretl" told us she would turn 7 the following Tuesday!

No photo review of this show would be complete without a shot with one of the "Sisters"!

It was such a fun experience! Thanks to T for letting me be the one to go with the girls while he stayed home with RL!

RL Update

2010-08-08T21:11:00.004-05:00

I haven't been taking many pictures around the house lately, but here are a few I found when I just uploaded some photos of recent events. RL is generally doing great and having lots of fun crawling all over the place and pulling up on anything that will stay still long enough. If you look at his forehead in these, you'll see the remnant of his first goose-egg (which he got while we were out of town a few weeks ago visiting friends).

Happy to have a better view looking over the crib rail instead of through it!

Racquet ball in one hand, frisbee in the other...get ready, Daddy!

Friends and Family Road Trip

2010-08-01T21:31:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went on a little road trip and spent all day Saturday visiting a collection of dear friends who now live in the same area. First stop was a family from our church here that moved last year. The girls had a great time feeding the many "pet" birds in the aviary they inherited from their home's previous owners and playing with the classic toys S pulled out from storage which belonged to her now-teenaged daughters. We had a great visit over lunch before heading over to our next stop, my college roommate K's house. K and I figured out we haven't seen each other in two years, so it was lots of fun to see her house and catch up, and the girls had so much fun playing with K's jewelry and checking out her extensive collection of books and movies. We had to tear them away from watching a Beatrix Potter ballet DVD or else we never would have left!

From there we went to visit my RTS roommate, C, and her husband J and their almost 4 month old precious baby girl, A. It is really unbelievable to me that C and I have not seen one another since her wedding day, 9 years ago! We lived together for 2.5 of the most stretching, exciting years of our lives, and thankfully we've been keeping up regularly by email for the last few years through what has been an amazing journey for her through major health issues into motherhood at last! It was wonderful to sit down face to face with her and hold that sweet miracle baby!

Finally, we finished the day and spent the night with another sweet family we knew from church here that moved away last summer! B and E have an adorable 16 month old little boy, H, and they were so gracious (and brave!) to welcome us all into their home for the night! The girls had an awesome pallet party in their playroom, and T and I enjoyed hanging out with B and E after the kids went to sleep. What a day! Needless to say, we all slept great that night!

The next morning we got ready and went to church on the way to the town where my great aunt Brookie lives. After church we went to her house for the annual reunion and had a great time catching up with extended family and enjoying her super cooking. The girls especially had fun with their second cousins, C and G, shown in the photos below. C and G were awesome with the girls, tirelessly entertaining them all afternoon with stories, games, and all kinds of fun. A week later the girls are still talking about them daily!

Here's Aunt Brookie with her great and great-great nieces and nephews!

It was a really fun weekend with so many special people. We are blessed!

9 Months with RL4

2010-07-27T20:12:00.007-05:00

It seems I blinked and our little tiny newborn boy has been transformed into a babbling, three-toothed crawler! Last Friday marked 9 months since RL arrived on our scene, and he just gets more precious each day. We are so thankful to have him as part of our family! Here are a few recent views and achievements:

One of the first physical accomplishments that made him seem like such a little person to me was his sitting in the crib when I'd go in to get him after his naps. Of course Ralph is always right there, hanging around!

Banging things together is another new fun activity...

He first started pulling up to his knees just a few weeks ago...

And he is getting to be a great crawler!

Going for the camera...

Last Tuesday he pulled up to standing for the first time and stood there a long time, even letting go with one hand for a while. Can you tell how proud of himself he was?

He cut tooth #3 last week, too, but I've had trouble getting a good photo of them. Here you can at least see a little of his toothy smile.

Today I found him like this...

and here he is in action on Saturday.

Look out, world! (or at least, for now, sisters!)

Summer is...

2010-07-20T23:28:00.005-05:00

goofy goggles

green grass under the swing

a homemade waterslide

the inflatable pool, again

waiting your turn

doing anything to cool off

visits from an old friend on a road trip

corn on the cob

3 flamingo dresses around a handsome brother

waiting for friends to come for supper

Saturday afternoon naps on the couch

Sunday night sundae parties

Our New Go-Getter

2010-07-12T21:19:00.003-05:00

When I leave RL on the floor in his room now, here's what happens...

He's not content to hang out and wait for me to come back! In a matter of seconds he has left the toys I put near him in a distraction attempt in the dust and found the exit. He is a boy on a mission...to get out the door and, usually, try to gets his hands (and drool) on the noise machine which usually sits outside his room. Toward the end of June, it was obvious that crawling and a tooth were imminent, but which would come first? As it turned out, he achieved both on the same day, June 30! He's still defaulting to his tummy crawl as he gradually improves his form on true crawling, but it's coming along. And the tooth (bottom right) is adorable and surely soon to have some company on that bumpy little lower jaw. He's getting so big so fast.

Joyful, Joyful!

2010-07-01T22:40:00.004-05:00

We couldn't have imagined this when we recessed to Ode to Joy on our wedding day, but thank you, Lord!

(This was SJ's first time to have side ponytails, thus her request to "look in the mirror"!)

Hot, Humid, Happy Days

2010-06-29T22:26:00.004-05:00

Whew...it is definitely summer! We are giving thanks for AC and the pool (when we can make it), popsicles and shade! Here's a little of what we've been up to the last few weeks:

Singing along with Johnette Downing at the library...

Visiting the zoo with friends...

Celebrating Father's Day with the wonderful Daddy at our house...

Meeting another special guest at the library (Daisy the potbelly pig)

and lots of playtime inside.

A few things you might have heard recently if you were a fly on our wall:
-Plenty of (the closest thing our little Southern belles can get to) British accents during the imaginative "games" the girls play daily, often while galloping around the house on their horse (aka my broom, whose stable is, conveniently, in the laundry room)
-SJ's typical reply to questions warranting a response of "I am": "I'm is!"
-LL, the day after she was disciplined for telling me a lie: "I'm glad I didn't lie [today] because if I lied I'd be miserable when I grew up like Adam and Eve."
-SJ when T comes in from work: "I'm so glad you're home, Daddy!!!"
-AG, totally serious after hearing Grandpa tell us one of her almost-teenage cousins had recently told her own parents they "aren't cool anymore": "You mean like their air conditioner is not working?"
-LL, about a boy she saw at the pool on vacation: "His name is Marco. He was playing a game with his sister and she was closing her eyes and saying 'Marco, where are you?'"

"Back Home" Part 3

2010-06-29T22:08:00.003-05:00

We finished our week away with a night at Gran and PopPop's house. The girls went in ready to do some of their usual activities, like dressing up (in some of my old dance costumes...I could never have imagined that they would be appreciated so much after all this time!)...

going for walks...

picking blueberries, going to the town library and visiting Mr. Furr's service station to say hello and receive his predictable and kind gift of candy!

We also had a great visit with my friend H and two of her children, A and L. We are always so amazed and grateful to recognize again when we are together just how blessed we have been since our friendship started back in high school. It is really sweet to see our kids have fun together.

The kids got to see water drawn from the well on the back porch. (Kind of gives a new perspective on what I consider the challenges of bathing the kids!)

And we wished PopPop a happy Father's Day a few days early!

It was a fun trip, start to finish!

"Back Home" Part 2

2010-06-23T23:23:00.001-05:00

The kids and I spent the first part of last week with Nana after both T and Grandpa went back to work on Monday morning. There was plenty to keep us busy, but the main event for the girls was VBS (their first one ever!) each morning. Nana was helping, so she ran the VBS shuttle to the church each morning while I hung out with a napping RL and had some good, quiet, restful hours...a sort of daily retreat! LL and SJ were together in the preschool class, while AG was in a class for rising first graders. It was a little hard for AG the first day when she realized she was on her own in largely unfamiliar territory, but she hung in there and went back to the same class on day 2 (instead of going in with her sisters) and ended up having a really good time. I was so proud of her and glad for all 3 to have the chance to do something so different and fun. RL and I went each morning for the closing assembly so we could get a little peek into the action...talk about high energy! The girls are still singing the songs they learned there. Here's Nana with the kids after Day 2:

The girls helped pick peppers and tomatoes in the garden. (I don't know what is up with our camera in some of these...but I kind of imagine it is capturing the humidity we were feeling!)

Nana and the girls playing "red light green light" with the hose...

RL eating supper sitting up on the floor!

LL diving in for a swim...

LL and SJ conked out the night before T left while he was reading Narnia to them...

Playing beauty shop with Nana...always a hit!

And RL's wakefulness during the night did have its perks!

8 Months

2010-06-23T21:51:00.002-05:00

Today marks 8 months since our little guy arrived! It seems like he's progressed a few months worth in just the last week or so. He really just started sitting up totally unassisted without alot of wobbling right before we went on our road trip, and now he is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking like he is almost ready to crawl. In the meantime, though, he can get where he wants to go with an army crawl/inchworm combo..."creeping" I guess? When I put him down on a blanket in the middle of the floor with toys on it, he stays about half a minute before he's off to explore the periphery of the room. Watch out, sisters! He is going to be out to get all those fun things they leave lying around. Just yesterday AG said, "Mom, L is into everything!" I'm sure this is just the beginning for this little explorer! Here's a video from today...I was hoping to get the hands and knees pose, but a little creeping was all I could get.

A few things I want to remember:
He does this little gravelly coo, like a gentle growl, alot...so precious!
He's enjoying picking up little finger foods like puffs, cheerios, and bits of bread.
He loves to put everything in his mouth and is a great drooler, but so far no teeth have broken through. I can see them right near the surface, though, so those bottom two could be showing up anytime.
Ralph is still his sleeptime essential! Thankfully I tracked down another one which he quickly initiated into the wet stinky ear club, so now we can have one to wash while the other gets chewed on!
He doesn't really drink from a sippy cup yet, but he thinks they are lots of fun to bang and throw down.