TheHolidays »

Yes, my Middlest it was!

After dropping by Nana’s and Papa’s house we stopped off for burgers and chicken nuggets.  Then off to Chickadee’s church for “trunk or treat.”  Not only did we score a bunch of candy, but I can officially tell you that yes, she does have a husband.  (I’d never met him yet, due to differing hours and had begun to doubt his actual existence.)  I saw the sweetest mermaids, an adorable shark, and a pregnant octopus.  Oh.  My.  Word.  Then off to a fall festival.  I simultaneously love and hate these things.  They make me crazy but the kiddos love them.  Then into the van for more candy eating and much giggling and a little crying.  And they carried in their treasures from the evening.  Things like red tennis shoes and a foil-covered laundry detergent box.  And now they sleep peacefully, still candy coated, stuffed to the gills and happy as clams.

There’s no place like home.

TheHolidays »

My oldest said this morning, “It’s Halloween!

So Happy Today, Mama!”

Y’all were so right with the Wizard of Oz theme!

Now let’s play a little game today…

Can you match the correct costume with the correct kid?

TheKiddos »

Empty boxes from computers at Daddy’s work

+ Daddy’s awesome imagination

+ a bunch of co-workers in on the box-saving fun

- Mama’s stress over a colossal mess

“The Best Club Hous Ever!” - as written on the door by TheOldest

Craft, TheHolidays, WeekendWishes »

This weekend was the first one in weeks that we didn’t have anywhere to be.  Soccer’s final fun for the season was last week.  And, although, we had several invites for Saturday we declined them all to just stay home, be together, and relax.  We declared it Halloween party day!  We did crafts and made a gingerbread haunted house:

The house was a kit bought from the store, the spiders were sweet gumballs collected on a recent hike, spray painted, with pipe cleaners and googly eyes glued on.

Carved our pumpkin:

And a few other fruits!

The mostly failed attempt at a carved banana!

The semi-successful carved apple

I also started on costumes for the big night.  I’m so proud of me, I’m ahead of the game this year.  Last year I didn’t start on their costumes until the day of.  oh.my.goodness.  So to be this prepared at this stage feels so good!
Here’s a sneak peak:

Can you guess what we’re gonna be?!
And tell me what you’re gonna be?

TheySay »

The time that he asked if he could stay in her room “just a few minutes longer, Mama, so I can read Dr. Seuss to her before bed.”  (On the bed that I slept on as a little girl, no less.)

Understanding »

That came and stole the baby I once knew?

I knew he was growing up.  Really, I did.  I mean, he started kindergarten this year, for goodness’ sakes.  And he can read Dr. Seuss to me.  I saw it coming.  Really, I didn’t blink.  Not once.  And when he told me he had two wiggly teeth I rejoiced and begged him to let me “mess” with ‘em.  He was so determined to bask in the glory of being “the one” to be doing something that got everyone’s attention for once.  Oh, my Middlest, he wouldn’t “just pull them.”  He was determined to ride it out in all it’s loose-tooth-ed glory.  And now that he’s lost 2 teeth in 24 hours he looks like the different child that he was already becoming.  It’s just visible now.  More evident.  Such a reminder.

This was to be a funny follow-up post to the last.  I was going to post the cute pictures and tell Brenda that was the greatest idea I’ve heard yet.  And post his sweet hand-written letter that he asked me to spell each and every word on.

I was gonna dog on the tooth fairy again and let y’all know she came through.  Just before she started those dirty dishes and sat down at my computer.  But as I sat here looking at his picture and contemplating a title, I realized I was struck solemn.

My sweet Middlest.  My athletic, arms swinging, “watch this”, treaty-bird, cute talker, late walker, snaggle-toothed, surfer-dude, blue-eyed baby.

May the song of your heart for this short season be wonderfully “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”

HeSays, Understanding »

Well, our Tooth Fairy did it again.

(And, yes, that crooked tooth there is about to fall right out, too.)

When our Middlest lost his first tooth on his own yesterday (you know, as opposed to the way he lost his very first tooth), and then put it under his pillow last night, she didn’t show.  Again. She has a habit of being unreliable.   And then my honey tried to, first, defend her by saying since she works nights and weekends that she probably has to have her 2 days off in the middle of the week.  (Since we pulled the “She only gets paid every two weeks and this wasn’t her week for payday, so she was broke” line before.)  And then he moved on to “Why don’t you write a note, a nice one, tonight, and if she still doesn’t show, I’ll sit up the next night all night long by your bed waiting for her and give her a punch right in the kisser.”

She better get her act together.  Because our poor kids are gonna be so warped it won’t even be funny.  At least to them, anyway.

Or we better come clean.  That’s all I’m sayin’.

TheFriends »

Well, sure you do!

Over at a friend’s blog, Crumbs on my floor, she’s celebrating her first year blogging by giving away a Veggie Tales DVD.  Stop on by, leave a comment and good luck!

Understanding »

Ah.  It’s that time again.  What an age, what an age, what an age.  This is the age that always gives me pause.  Remember a short 2 years ago when my girl was 20 months and I made a note to myself?  However, I must say, this one has been puttin’ me through the wringer so much already that I think this phase will just blend in with the ones prior.

A newness of this age for me is that I’m still nursing.  Who knew nursing a toddler would be such fun and not weird and completely natural?  Who knew?  I don’t know how long I’ll continue.  I don’t know if I’ll allow him to self-ween.  I don’t have any definite plans except that I’m fairly certain I won’t be nursing him til he’s eight, like that girl I saw on the news not too long ago.  That’s a little much.  Even for me.  I do know I don’t have an agenda, I’m not on a mission to convert the world, I’m just enjoyin’ feedin’ my toddler and accommodating the cutest, “I onna nuuuhhhhse.”

And on a kinda related note, my husband said this morning while we were kissin’ on this boy and talkin’ about how we’re back around to 19 months he noted that this is the longest I’ve gone not pregnant since we started having kiddos.  Indeed.  I have no sadness about this.  Or stress.  Or pressure to do anything about it.  Also, for the first time since beginning this awesome chapter of my life, I just have peace.  Maybe it’s the constant rescuing of the current baby from imminent danger.  Maybe it’s that I’m fully homeschooling 3 kiddos.  Maybe it’s that I’ve not been around enough of my currently pregnant friends or my other friends’ sweet babies.  Maybe it’s that my hands really are full.

Maybe it’s that I’m older and maybe just a tad wiser and all those prayers for contentment are taking root.  Or maybe it’s the discussions I’ve had with my Father about His timing, His will, and not mine.  Whatever it is, I like it.  This contentment thing.  Oh, the babies too.  Even this trying age.  And the possibility that he is the last.  And definitely the chance that he’s not.  I like trusting this to Somebody other than me.

HeSays, Sew, TheySay »

While telling my husband tonight that I forgot to wash our comforter and offering to throw it in the wash real quick like, he said no, that would be fine, we’d manage without tonight, “You know, I’m easy like Sunday mornin’.”  And it suddenly struck us both as funny.  Who wrote this song anyway?  Because I know they didn’t have a bunch of young’n’s they were tryin’ to get to church on time.  ‘Cause ain’t nothin’ easy about that.

While we’re talkin’ about the things my family says - my girl was at it again tonight.  While drivin’ back from gettin’ some groceries she said she knew what she would name her babies when she was all grown up.  (In order) the name of her baby-est brother, Cornflakes, Santa, Tree, and Sign.  Hi-larious.  Where does she get this stuff?

Oh, and kinda related to the church thing (you know, the above Sunday morning reference?  for those of you as brain-lacking as me).  That thar’s my church down there.  And that thar’s the art show.  And that thar is my wall hanging a’hangin’ on that wall.  And, why yes, if you can find it (kind of like my own version of Where’s Waldo) you’ll see a ribbon next to it.  No money, but I did place in the top ten of my division.  Ye-ah!  And contrary to what I was convinced of, there were more than 11 entries.  That may boost my confidence just enough to go ahead and start that etsy shop I’ve been shying (that’s a word, right?) away from now for months.