Spotlight FHE

For Family Home Evening last night we had each of the kids take a turn in the "chair of honor" and talk about some of the things they accomplished over the past year. Of course, they loved it and Kessiah wanted to know if we were going to do this every year! So here is what we thought of...

Kessiah
*she only had 2 times during softball when she was up to bat when she did not get a hit.
*has learned how to use the stove...which has been especially nice when she wakes up and cooks sausage on Saturday mornings before we get out of bed!
*has taken the opportunity several times lately to show her talent at the piano. She recently played in Sacrament meeting, a talent show at church and a talent show at our big Ogden Thanksgiving
*Something clicked in her brain this fall and she finally understands multipication and division (she was quite frustrated at the end of 2nd grade in math!)
*is becoming quite friendly with the tooth fairy...she has lost 3 teeth in the past 2 weeks!
*has borne her testimony every Fast Sunday this year.

Jenessa
*overcame her fear of attending level 1 gymnastics. When we started going back to gymnastics in the fall, she was very nervous (even tearful!) but she loves it now!
*stopped sucking her thumb! Yeah!
*did a great job of hitting the ball during the second half of t-ball this spring when they did coach pitch...even almost hitting her coach once!
*has started learning to play the piano.
*has memorized several poems since we started school this fall.

Sienna
*has learned her ABCs
*can write her name.
*was a Super Sensational Soccer player (at least after the first game! She cried through the entire first game and wanted Mommy or Daddy to be out on the field with her)
*stopped sucking her thumb! Yeah!
*has borne her testimony twice (with Kessiah's help)

Logan
*has learned to take his pants and socks and shoes off (I'm still not sure if this is good or bad!)
*can be reverent during prayers (sometimes!)

Mason
*accomplished the incredible feat of being born at a whopping 9 pounds (unheard of for this family!)
*has learned how to smile and giggle
*has learned how to take formula from a bottle

Merry Christmas 2009

Ahh, the day is coming to a close and all the kids are asleep. It was a good day.

For the past several weeks Kessiah and Jenessa have been discussing whether or not Santa is real or if it is just Mom and Dad who put the gifts out (they don't bother to ask me anymore because I just say "What do you think?") But on Christmas Eve (after our annual acting out of the nativity and new pajamas) there were no questions...they eagerly put out cookies and milk for Santa and went to bed...and stayed in bed!

The girls came bounding into our bedroom around 6:45 a.m. We let them explore the toys and goodies from Santa before Logan got up around 7:30 to see what Santa left for him. Mason didn't make it up until around 9:00, so he missed all the commotion. By that time the girls were watching a movie Santa had left for us (Barbie and the Three Mustekteers, we also watched G-Force and Bolt that Santa left for our viewing pleasure today!)

We enjoyed a yummy dinner of ham, mashed potatoes, creamy broccoli & cauliflower, green beans with carmelized onions and of course the homemade rolls!

Kessiah lost another tooth today and still has one that is loose. I'm not sure she is going to have any teeth left!

I was excited to get some Cansolidator Pantry sets and Wii Active. My legs are a little sore right now from something I did with Wii Active today!

I have to smile as I reflect on Christmas a year ago...That was the day we told the kids we were going to have another baby! I didn't feel very good so Ryan cooked the ham and we had some simple side dishes that required no effort on my part! I feel so grateful for my many blessings and especially for my Savior whose birth we celebrate on this day.

Mason's four month appointment

His stats:

weight 13 lbs 14 oz (15%)
length 50%

I've been feeling like he has been thinning out a bit but I'm a little shocked at how much! He has only gained 14 oz since his 2 month appointment. I've been feeling like he needs a little more so I've been trying to introduce formula in a bottle...which has been a struggle but he is starting to accept it. Hopefully that will help us get our chunky monkey back!

Otherwise, he is a happy healthy little boy. He is full of smiles and loves attention (what kid doesn't!)

Jenessa lost a tooth (sort of!)

She actually had to have it pulled out. She had a regular dentist appointment earlier this month and the dentist felt like there was an abcess developing in her gums...so he felt like it needed to come out. This is one of the teeth that she has had a pulpotomy done on...so in a way it is nice to have it out since we've been back in a few times to have her cap replaced on it. She also had to have a silver cap placed on one of her back teeth to help protect it from any more cavity bugs!

She is a trooper and did fine although she had been nervous about it all week.

So now Jenessa and Kessiah are both missing a top front tooth (but not the same one!)

Christmas Pictures at Sears

So I took all five of my children to Sears this morning dreaming of the adorable picture I was going to get with all of my cute kids who were looking especially dashing! But alas, I have a two year old...and most people I know who have two year olds will understand that I was dreaming of the impossible! Logan would absolutely NOT cooperate! I got a cute picture of the girls together and Mason was full of smiles...but all Logan could do in front of the camera was scream and cry and throw himself to the ground!

I did get a collage with a picture of the three girls and separate pictures of Mason and Logan. There was one picture of Logan where he wasn't screaming...not smiling or looking pleasant either!

I will try again at home before church on Sunday...hopefully in a familiar and safe environment he will be ok.

Yeah! Kessiah lost another tooth!

Kessiah just barely lost her 7th tooth...One of her top front teeth. It has really been bugging her a lot!

She has been hinting that she thinks the tooth fairy should bring her extra money since this tooth has been bugging her so much!

Logan

Just a few funny Logan stories...

We have discovered that Logan's coat is his security blanket. Earlier this week I took Jenessa, Sienna and Logan to a friend's house while I took Mason and Kessiah to Kessiah's 4-H Community Meeting. (That was such a good decision...It has been extremely difficult to keep Sienna and Logan under control at these meetings...I always end up with them running around outside in the parking lot.) Logan refused to take his coat off the entire time he was there. At the ward party on Friday night, he wouldn't take it off until we had been there for about an hour. Today at church, he wore it...with the hood on...all through Sacrament Meeting. Ryan made him take it off before he went to nursery, but I'm sure he would have preferred to keep it on there too!

One evening last week after we got home from Kessiah's basketball practice, Ryan had put Mason down on the floor in his car seat and unfastened him but left him there. A few minutes later Logan came into the kitchen and was telling me something about Mason. I was having some traslation issues and couldn't understand him...although I should have been concerned since I could hear Mason crying. After Logan came in to me the second time I decided I better go and see why Mason was crying. What I discovered was that Logan had tried to take Mason out of his car seat. Mason was lying face down on the floor with a blanket over him! Poor baby!

Isn't it fun trying to keep up with these little people!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Part 3

We now have Christmas lights up! Our house looks fun and festive!

We have had the opportunity to see Santa twice this weekend. Once at the ward (church) party and once at Ryan's annual work Christmas bowling party. Logan is petrified of the jolly fellow! Santa makes our cute little guy cry, literally! Sienna isn't very fond of him either, she will not sit on his lap...but she will accept candy at arm's length!

My Hero

Kessiah started a new composition unit today about writing to a prompt. Part of her assignment today was to brainstorm ideas related to who her heros were and why they were important to her. I was very honored to make the top of her list...and the one that she chose to continue writing about.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Part 2

Tonight we did our annual gingerbread house. We have bought the gingerbread house kits for the past several (8?) years. Logan thought it was Halloween again, he kept trying to grab the candy meant for the house and eating it. We somehow managed to get it done without anyone falling off the table!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We bought our Christmas tree yesterday and decorated it this morning. The girls have been very excited to get out the decorations. They were having a lot of fun pulling out the tree decorations. They are old enough now that some of the decorations have stories and memories to go with them. This just gets more fun (and chaotic) the more kids we get!

Once again we will be decorating primarily the top half of the tree. It seems like every year we have someone young enough to require leaving the bottom half mostly bare! Oh well, I'm used to our odd looking trees!

Definsive Driving School

If you do the crime, you have to pay the time. This morning I paid my time for speeding. I was worried about how Mason would do while I was gone for 5 1/2 hours, but he seemed to survive!

It was an interesting class, I learned several interesting things. Did you know that driving and talking on a cell phone use the same part of the brain? That's why it's a bad idea to do both at the same time! (It's a habit I usually avoid anyway since I don't want my kids doing it when they reach driving age)

Family Zoo Day

We enjoyed a trip to the Phoenix Zoo yesterday. It was nice, the first time we've been out together on a day trip since I got pregnant. It was a beautiful day, we needed jackets but the weather was great.

I think Logan's favorite part was just chasing the pigeons around. Sienna didn't seem to think that the barriers applied to her, we were constantly having to pull her back after she had gone beyond where she should have been. And of course, Logan was following close behind her.

We enjoyed looking at many animals but our favorite were the rays. They have a seasonal exhibit with rays that you can pet and feed. We went about 1 1/2 years ago, but at that time I was too chicken to touch them. I did it this time, they are very soft and smooth...very cool. And Ryan got me to feed them as well! I was nervous at first, I dropped the first shrimp I had into the water. They have very big mouths that kind of suction the food out of your hands. Ryan helped each of the girls feed them as well. It was the highlight of our day.

4 months old

The little guy is 4 months old now...stilll NOT sleeping through the night. I'm tired! He is full of smiles and is a pretty easy going baby.

How did she get to be 9?

It's true, somehow Kessiah hit 9! Next year she will be double digits! I feel like she is really growing up, no longer quite the child she used to be. I feel more and more the importance of being a good mother to my children and showing through my example what it means to be a good wife and mother.

I think back to the first time I saw her. We walked into the hospital room, she was to my right in a hospital bassinet pushed against the wall. She had the most perfect face with lots of dark hair and dressed in a pink outfit that was a bit too big. It almost took my breath away to think that she would be going home with us! She has been such a blessing to our family and I can't imagine not having her with us.

She is such a good example for her younger siblings. She is becoming quite a good piano player and we enjoy listening to her practice...sometimes we even dance to her music! She loves to read and does well at her school work. She enjoys art and drawing. She has had fun playing sports and always wants to participate in the next one coming up.

Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a nice break last week at my parent's home. It was the big on year for my dad's side of the family, so for Thanksgiving Day we celebrated with about 80 of my relatives. My 97 year old grandparent's are still hanging in there, they are so amazing! It was nice to catch up with some of my cousins and enjoy some yummy food!

My girls loved spending time with their cousins, they hadn't seen them in about 1 1/2 years (thanks to me being pregnant!) All of my neices and nephews (10 cousins all together with my kids) enjoyed several days together. We did our cousin Christmas gift exchange and my kids were very happy with their new toys. Kessiah got a bop it, Jenessa acquired some new Littlest Pet Shop toys, Sienna updated our Candyland and Chutes & Ladders games and Logan loves his new set of tools that look just like Daddy's! We left Mason out of the mix this year, I didn't think he would mind too much.

We got to celebrate my Dad's birthday as well as having a early birthday party for Kessiah. Kessiah was quite surprised when Ryan wheeled out a bicycle for her present (ya gotta love Black Friday sales!) We got it home safely tied to the top of the van!

The trip was better than I expected. On the way there the boys did quite well, we had to stop and feed Mason about every 2 hours...but it went pretty smooth. On the way back it wasn't quite so pleasant. I think Mason cried/whined for about the last half of the trip. At a few points along the way both boys were "singing" together. At least Ryan and I were able to keep a good attitude through it. My girls would have liked to have seen some snow during our week at Nana and Papa's house, but that didn't happen until we were on our way home when we saw some snow in Flagstaff. Jenessa was ready to lay down in the Wendy's parking lot where we had stopped for dinner and make a snow angel, she wasn't very happy that we made her get in the van!

Sienna turns 4!

WOW! My baby girl turned 4 years old this week! She is very exuberant and full of life. She has a very hard time being quiet, sometimes I have to ask her to stop talking for a few minutes so my brain can have a moment of silence! She loves to get attention from mommy and daddy, which I know she craves (after all, she is right smack dab in the middle of 2 big sisters and 2 little brothers!) . She loves it when her sisters play with her. She knows her letters and has recently learned how to write her name. She has a hard time trying to decide if she wants to do school like her sisters or just play (or pick on) Logan all day!

She wanted to have pancakes for her birthday dinner, I was happy to make such an easy request! I made our traditional birthday cake...funfetti. But I switched it up a bit with pink frosting and heart sprinkles on top.

An interesting note...for 2 weeks the ages of our children are 8, 6, 4, 2, and 0! No wonder I'm tired at the end of the day!

Halloween 2009

Another fun night for the kids...we had a Miss Universe, 2 fairies, a giraffe and a black cat. We went to a trunk or treat at the church and then Ryan took the two oldest girls around the neighborhood. We have more candy than we've ever had before! I have enjoyed way too many Reese's peanut butter cups! Hopefully, the chocolate will be gone soon!

Halloween Cake 2009

Ryan talked me into making a Halloween cake for a potluck that he had at work. So, he took this beautiful creation to work and came home with the hair for us to finish eating!

3 months old

This little cutie is full of smiles and starting to giggle. If only I could get him to sleep through the night on a regular basis! He has done it a few times...so I know he can do it!

I Make Trouble!

So, during lunch today I was telling the girls that we would go out this afternoon and buy Christmas gifts for our cousin gift exchange. (We will send them up north with NaNa who is here visiting right now).

Sienna was getting excited thinking that we were buying gifts for her. Ryan told her that she was only going to get Christmas presents if she was good. And her reply was "But I make trouble!" And then she proceeded to name a few things that she did to make trouble. It was very funny how she could so easily admit guilt!

Mason's first field trip

I took Mason on his first field trip today (ok, so we have been to a play group as well as numerous soccer games/practices, the library, shopping, etc.) One of the homeschool groups we belong to had a post office field trip today. I took Kessiah, Jenessa and Mason. My mom is here for a couple of weeks so I was able to leave Sienna and Logan home with her. Honestly, I wouldn't have gone if I had those two along for the ride! I've done it before and it isn't pretty!

We all decided that we did like visiting the fire station and police station better than the post office, but it was interesting.

2 month and 2 year check ups

The boys had check ups at the doctor this morning. Logan didn't have to get any shots today (yeah!). Mason had 3 shots (it could have been worse since 3 of the vaccines were combined into one shot! I Love That!)

Here are the stats:

Logan
weight 25 lbs 13 oz (25%)
length 33 1/4 in (15%)

Mason
weight 13 lbs (35%)
length 22 3/4 in (45%)

Mason has gained 4 pounds since his 2 week appointment, he is our little chunky monkey! If I could just get him to sleep better at night! Twice in the past week he has kept me up well past 2:00 a.m. Last night he was up every 2 hours, yet he has slept until 4:00-5:00 in the past!

Sienna and Mason

Sienna really wants to feed Mason. Often, while Mason is lying on her lap she will lift up her shirt and try to turn his head toward her belly. She did this last evening and I told her that she did not have any milk to give to him. She said "Yes, I do...I just drank some!" So nice of her to want to share!

Mason is 2 months old!

Wow, they do grow up fast! It's always amazing to me how much faster time passes when I'm NOT pregnant!

A couple of things I LOVE about this age.

* Those first smiles, I love those gummy grins. They just make my heart melt, especially when I'm so tired and just want more sleep! Of course, Mason smiled at Ryan first (life is so unfair sometimes!)

*I love the weight of my baby of my chest while he is sleeping and I'm sitting down. It feels so perfect to just sit and hold my baby. Of course, since he is the youngest of 5, I don't get to just sit and hold him very much...it seems as though someone always needs me for something!

My first canning day!

I canned my peaches yesterday. Thankfully, I had some help getting started. My friend came over and helped me get all my peaches in the jars, it only took us about 2 hours to do 2 boxes. Of course, it took the rest of the day to process all the jars. Thankfully, I used my friends canner as well as my own...but it still took me until 7:00 that night to finish. I got 38 quarts out of my day's work. They are beautiful! I had 1 bottle that didn't seal, I think I make some peach crisp (yum!)

Kessiah was very helpful in slicing the peaches and putting them in the jars. Jenessa had fun putting sugar in the bottles (since sugar is her favorite food group!)

I also made a small batch of plum sauce. I canned one 1/2 pint jar and kept another in the fridge to use now. We got about 8 plums in the fruit basket from the co-op and we don't eat raw plums very well (too tart). So I looked around for something to make with them and found a plum sauce. Kessiah and I ate some pot stickers for lunch using the plum sauce as a dip...yummy! Last evening Ryan told me he remembered eating (and enjoying) plum crisp as a kid. Next time we get plums I'll have to try that.

My latest hobby?

I know, I don't have time for a new hobby but...

I bought a pressure canner this week at Walmart. I have recently become intrigued about the idea of canning foods. I remember helping my mom and grandparents when I was young, but I haven't had an interest in doing it myself until now.

And I ordered 2 cases of peaches that I will pick up on Saturday. So, I will start off by canning peaches (yes, I know I don't need a pressure canner for those). I'm so excited to see my pretty jars of peaches!

YES, We have a 2 year old in the house!

I think aliens have invaded my son's body! Seriously, since his birthday he has decided that he can do certain things all by himself! He has also started throwing some serious temper tantrums!

He insists on putting on and taking off his pants/shorts/pajama bottoms. He tries to take his diaper off...and sometimes succeeds. He takes his shoes and socks off constantly. He tries to take his shirts off but that one is a bit tougher and he rarely succeeds.

Yesterday at church he kept taking off his shoes and socks. After 15 minutes of putting them back on each time he got them off, I gave up and just let them stay off. Then, before I knew it he was handing me his pants! Yes, the boy took his pants off in the middle of sacrament meeting! Thankfully, he still had his diaper on! I quickly put his pants back on and hoped nobody saw him! I'm sure the incident went unnoticed except for maybe the people sitting right behind us.

Just when I get Sienna to the point where she wants to wear clothes...the next one comes along!

Ahhh...the joys of motherhood!

I can feed my kids!

Yes, I know that meal preparation is one of the many things that mothers do...but I did not do so well at it while I was pregnant!

I realized last night as my kids were eating dinner BEFORE soccer practice how nice it was to feed my kids before we left. (Even if it was just a frozen pizza!) The reason this was significant to me is because all during basketball season in the winter and Little League season last spring I would just tell my kids to grab some bread or string cheese or whatever before we walked out the door to their games/practices. I just did not have the energy to make them anything...or at least make them anything in time to eat before we left.

Sienna and Logan spent the entire first part of 2009 scrounging for whatever they could find. I know we are supposed to teach our children to be independent...but that was a bit much!

It is just nice to feel like myself again!

15 YEARS!

I smile when I think that 15 years ago I married my best friend, my love, the one that I share my wonderful life with. I laugh when I think that 2 years ago I was thinking that for our 15th wedding anniversary that maybe we could leave the kids with my parents and get away for a night...maybe another year!

I do feel very blessed to have a wonderful husband and 5 great kids. Yes, my life is crazy busy but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

The Grasshoppers

Well, what do you expect when you let 3 and 4 year olds name their own soccer team! It looks like Sienna's soccer team will be the Grasshoppers! One little girl was not very happy, she thought they should be the Ants. She thought that grasshoppers were lazy and ants did all the work. She has either been watching "A Bug's Life" or her mom is reading Aesop's Fables to her!

I guess if you think of the grasshoppers in "A Bug's Life" they are pretty fierce looking!

Mommy Reading Time is Back

So, I'm sorry to say that I have not read to my children since mid-December when I started to get sick. But our regular mommy reading time has returned every day after lunch. We just finished our first book. The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith is a charming book. We watched the DVD awhile ago, now the girls want to see it again...so I have it on reserve at the library.

It's nice to be getting back to normal around here (if there really is a normal!) We have still not returned to our previous (pre-pregnancy) extra-curricular schedule...and I'm thinking that we won't for a little while still! And I'm ok with that! Dance and karate are still on the back-burner. I think that every other week at the library will be good enough...especially since at least one of the little ones prevents Kessiah and Jenessa from playing on the computers.

The girls ask occasionally when they can do karate again and my standard answer for the past 6 months has been...January. So, hopefully by January I'll be ready to go with that again! We are starting soccer soon (Jenessa has her first practice this week) and all three girls will be playing! Whew, am I ready for 3 soccer games every Saturday!?! Kessiah and Jenessa have also gotten back into gymnastics this month.

Logan is 2!

I'll try to get some pictures posted sometime this weekend!

We celebrated with cake and presents yesterday at lunch (since Kessiah had a birthday party to go to that evening). Unfortunately, he was getting a little grumpy by the time we were ready to celebrate because he was ready for a nap. But, he got a smile back on his face when I put a piece of cake in front of him!

He is such a cute little boy. I think back to when I had my ultrasound with him and we found out we were having a boy! What a shock! I wasn't sure what to do with a boy. But he has added a wonderful dimension to our family.

He has been having a tough time adapting to being kicked out of his "baby" position in the family. The other day, I was in the kitchen and heard Mason crying on the couch in the family room. I went in to check on him and found Logan lying on top of him! Logan also has to deal with Sienna on a daily basis! (that sounded very negative, but it is a difficult position to be in for a 2 year old boy!) She either wants to be his best friend and plays with him really well or she is tormenting him and making him scream on a nearly constant basis!

Mason Wayne Judy

Well, let me just start by saying that having 5 kids under 9 years is not for the faint of heart! It can keep a girl busy...and I say that while my mom is still here!

Today was Mason's due date, but he showed up 12 days early. I'm really (really, really) glad he did since he weighed in at 9 pounds. All the others have been right at 7 1/2 pounds, so I'm not sure who was sneaking Mason the growth hormone!

So, a few birth details...
I started having some contractions the day before he was born, but nothing that was very painful or very regular. Ryan did stay home from volleyball that night just in case, but by the time we went to bed they had stopped! However, I woke up about 12:30 a.m. with painful contractions and was awake with them until about 4:30 a.m. when I asked Ryan if he had everything ready to go. He got up and got some things ready. We made a phone call to some friends asking if we could drop our kids off. We dropped the kids off about 5:30 and were at the hospital about 6:00 a.m. I was dilated to a 4 when we got there, so I immediately asked for an epidural. I figured if I was only a 4, I wanted drugs! By the time the anesthesiologist got there about 8:00 (don't ask me why it took so long!) I was dilated to an 8 and my doctor sent him away! Why? You may be asking...well, because Logan came so quickly that my doctor thought I would have this baby in the next 30 minutes. But Mason didn't really want to come out! He wasn't born until 10:10 a.m. So, at some point when I was a 9 I did get an epidural. I was hesitant to get it at that point because I got one when I was an 8 with Sienna and it didn't work all that well..it did take some of the edge off the pain, but I wanted more! However, this epidural was perfect! It started working almost immediately and wore off really quickly so I could walk around soon after delivery.

So, here we are...a family of 7! Wow! Pretty amazing when you consider where we were 10 years ago!

So, I'm doing well...just a little tired! I feel so much better and my kids are excited to have the opportunity to leave the house again!

Three Wishes

One evening last week Ryan asked the girls what 3 wishes they would wish for if they were stranded on a desert island. I loved their answers!

Kessiah:
1) to go home
2) lots of books to read
3) a horse to ride


Jenessa
1) a bowl as big as the earth filled with candy
2) a bowl as big as the earth filled with water
3) a bowl as big as the earth filled with veggies or other "good for you" foods

4th of July

Our 4th of July was a little untraditional for us. We actually stayed at home...for obvious reasons! Since I have a hard time doing very much walking right now, we spent most of the weekend at home. Ryan got several projects completed including putting together our barbecue that we have had for awhile! We had a really good rain storm in the afternoon that damaged some of our corn. That evening we went to a barbecue at the church and watched the fireworks from the lawn there as well. We were a little disappointed in the fact that Arizona outlaws all fireworks except the ones put on by cities. So we couldn't even have some sparklers. Ryan did buy some confetti popper things but that was the extent of our personal fireworks!

June Update

Another month gone by...I'm not usually so anxious for time to pass but right now I am! I have 5 1/2 more weeks to go and if this baby doesn't come early I am going to fall apart! This has been the hardest 3rd trimester I've had...I must be getting too old for this!

We did manage to do a session of swimming lessons in June. Kessiah and Jenessa did really well. Sienna has a bit of an attitude and didn't cooperate very well with her teacher (nothing new for those of you who know her...just attitude!) Our YMCA has a place where they will watch your kids for a short period of time, it's not something I use very often...but that's where Logan went during swimming lessons. I just didn't have the energy to chase him around the pool area! It was a lifesaver for me right now!

We also made it to the library once a week for the summer reading program. Unfortunately, (for the girls) it is over. The library isn't doing it for the entire summer this year so they can get ready to move into their new building in September. Tuesday was the last program. The library gives away a little goodie bag and each child gets to pick a new book on the last day. Also the 2 kids in each grade that read the most books also wins a t-shirt. Kessiah and Jenessa both won the t-shirts for their age groups. Of course it helps to have a pregnant mom who doesn't want to go anywhere...so their choice of activities are read or play. I had such a hard time on Tuesday at the library, I honestly thought the air conditioning was out! One of the librarians took pity on me and found a fan to plug in that I could sit in front of. I think it saved my life!

Ryan took the girls to see the movie UP this month. It is the first time Sienna had been to the movie theatre since she was about 12 months old. At that time we went to see a movie and she lasted about 5 minutes before I had to take her out into the foyer where we spent the remainder of the movie. That is probably the last time I've been to the theatre as well! Ryan said Sienna sat down and looked at the screen and said "That's a BIG TV"

Logan's funny moment this month happened after he watched Ryan brush the dogs. A little while later he came out of the bathroom holding about 3 hairbrushes and was heading out the back door to the dogs. We realized (before he got out the door) that he had found some brushes and was going to brush the dogs himself! He is such a little imitator!

Another funny Logan comment he frequently makes is pointing to the vacuum and saying "Daddy's" I'm so blessed to have a husband who helps clean and does the grocery shopping!

May

May was a good month for us, we were busy (how can you help but be busy with 4 1/2 kids!) and I continued to spend as much time as possible on the couch!

*Kessiah and Jenessa had their dance recital. They did a great job. We are sad that their dance teacher is moving. She has been teaching dance out of her house for the past 3 years and has been great (not to mention tons cheaper than going to a studio!) It looks as though someone else we know is going to start teaching though, so the dancing will continue!


*I had a good Mother's Day. Sienna kept telling me "Happy Mommy's Day" She must have seen something today that reminded her of it because she even told me "Happy Mommy's Day" today! Every Mother's Day at church the children get up an sing a song. This year Sienna was old enough to get up and sing too. But the whole time she was up there, she was crying for me! Jenessa was standing by her and even put her arm around her shoulders at one point to try to console her (so sweet!) It was hilarious...at least it made me laugh and not cry!

*We are in the middle of Little League season. Kessiah is playing softball and Jenessa is playing t-ball.

*We have our garden planted. Our peas, corn, carrots, beets and cucumbers have really struggled, so Ryan planted a few more peas, corn and cucumbers. We also have some tomatoes, squash and pumpkins growing.

*We are done with school until August! Yeah, I was ready for this break! I just didn't have enough energy to keep up with school and the house! We are also taking a break over the summer from gymnastics. Hopefully, we'll manage to get at least one swimming lesson session in.

*Ryan painted over Memorial Day weekend. I have lived my whole life in houses with white walls (don't worry, I'm ok with that!) When we moved into this house about 19 months ago, we talked about painting some walls but never got around to it. When I asked Ryan what he wanted to do over the 3 day weekend he said "paint." I didn't really think he meant it, but sure enough we ended up at Home Depot on Saturday buying paint. So far he has painted a wall in the kitchen blue and most of the front room tan. (I say most because we need to get more paint to finish it, but the store has to order more base before we can get it...just a little aggravating!) We also have paint for the kid's rooms and the entry. I have to say that I love having a little color on the walls, it's beautiful!

Reading, Books and the Library

One of the best things about homeschooling so far has been my ability to play such a vital part in teaching my kids to read...it is so exciting!

Jenessa has learned how to read over the past year and in the past few months she has really improved a lot in her reading skills. Lately, she will pick up nonfiction books and tell me random facts that she is reading about. It cracks me up because some of the things that she tells me are facts that she already knew but it's like she is learning them for the first time! It has been fun to see Jenessa turn into another book lover like Kessiah.

We went to the library today to sign up for the summer reading program. I told the girls last night that they needed to do a few things before we left this morning. They carefully took note of what needed to be done and Jenessa asked Kessiah to wake her up (Kessiah is the early riser in our family). Ryan got up about 5:45 (he has been waking up early lately as well, probably due to the sun rising earlier) and found the girls up already working at their assigned tasks! He told me about it more than an hour later when I came to conciousness! Crazy kids...but we did get to the library almost as soon as it opened this morning. I am thrilled to have kids who love to read and are excited to go to the library.

After we got home from the library, Kessiah and Jenessa were anxious to get started on their reading logs...so it has been a rather quiet day for me. I'm going to have trouble keeping enough reading material available for them! Jenessa read 27 books today! After she read 3 Biscuit books I told her she could continue to read those but they were too easy for her to write down on her reading log.

Does anyone has any book suggestions for a 1st to 4th grade reading levels? I'm going to need some this summer!

Sienna (who is always trying to keep up with her big sisters) loves to pretend to read books and sometimes tells quite the stories to go along with the book she is "reading"

Logan is the first child I have really had to watch carefully around books. He tends to tear pages or draw on them. So, we try to limit his book handling to board books!

Shoes Revisted

So, I figured out how to deal with my Logan/shoe problem. I just have to keep Logan's shoes on him all day and then he can't put anyone else's shoes on! I know that may seem obvious to some people, but we are in the habit of not wearing shoes in the house. My girls take off their shoes practically the second they walk in the door. Anyway, it seems to be working very well. Logan will still come to me a few times a day and want his shoes off (especially when the girls are putting shoes on), but I don't take them off.

Ahh...don't you just love simple solutions!

Shoes

I know, strange topic...but I had to do a little venting about shoes in our house!

For the past several months Sienna has been giving me fits about finding shoes whenever we leave the house. She cannot seem to put them in the coat closet that is right inside our front door when we get home. So...when it is time to leave to go somewhere she cannot find her shoes! It has been driving me crazy...at a time when my patience level is already down a few notches!

Now the problem is only getting worse thanks to Logan. One of his favorite things to do is to put on his sister's shoes and walk around the house/backyard with them. I'm sure he picks his sister's shoes since he can reach them (unlike Mom and Dad's shoes) and he can put them on by himself (unlike his own shoes).

So, now we not only have trouble finding Sienna's shoes when we are in the process of walking out the door...we can't find shoes for Kessiah or Jenessa either! Lately when they go in the backyard they don't even bother trying to find a matching pair of shoes...they just find a shoe for each foot! Unfortunately, that isn't acceptable when we are going out in public!

Weekly Update

I chopped my hair yesterday...really. I got more than 12 inches cut off (yes, Locks of Love will get it!) It is now just above my shoulders. It's even shorter than it was when I got it cut at the time I was pregnant with Sienna (which was pretty short for me). I will admit, it is a little shorter than I would like it, but my hair grows fast and summer is approching so it is just great for now. Sienna told me that I look stupid with this hair (what is it with my 3 year old?! I'm not sure why she has picked up on that word lately) Jenessa doesn't like it either.

Kessiah had her first piano recital on Friday evening. She did a great job and is progressing well. I am proud of her for being so good at practicing with very little reminding. It was at her teacher's house, which was nice since I ended up taking Sienna and Logan outside for about half of the recital. They have a really hard time sitting still and being quiet (surprise, surprise, surprise!)

Last weekend was Easter. It was a little rainy and cold here so we had our egg hunt in the house. Logan caught on quickly to the idea of putting the eggs in his basket (although he refers to them as balls!) And he really caught on to the candy idea when he saw Sienna opening her eggs and eating the candy inside! He was so excited he started popping the candy in his mouth with the wrappers on so I had to be quick and take the candy away before he could eat it before unwrapping.

Funny Kids

Sometimes my kids crack me up! They say and do the funniest things...such as...

Today I was doing history with Jenessa. She had already peeked ahead at part of today's lesson last week. When we got to the part that she had already seen, she told me she had looked at it. I asked her if she wanted to look at it again. She said 'Yes, I liked it but I'm good at forgetting things." That made me laugh..."I'm good at forgetting"

I think Sienna finally understands that there is a baby in my tummy. We've had several conversations about how she needs to be careful when she comes to lie down by me on the couch so she doesn't hurt my belly (and when she does hurt me she asks where the baby is and gives him a kiss!) A few days ago, she asked me if the baby had a toy. I guess she wonders what the little guy does in there all day with nothing to play with! (by the way we are still clueless on names!)

Logan is doing well with his speech development. Unfortunately, he sometimes get stuck on a word. We went to a sporting goods store to get Kessiah a new softball mitt (she claims her old one is too small). I think Logan was overwhelmed with the amount of balls in the store and let us know it! He could not stop saying ball and pointing to all the balls and trying to touch all the balls! It was ball heaven and he loved it!

Another one of Logan's favorite words is doggie. Unfortunately, every animal is a dog. So if I'm reading a book with him he points to every animal and says doggie whether it is a dinosaur or Winnie the Pooh! Any animal toy we have is also a doggie, regardless of what the animal really is. So, some of our conversations are as follows. He shows me a pig and says "doggie" I say "pig" He says "doggie" I say "pig" "oink oink" He says "doggie" I say "pig" "oink oink" You get the idea! We recently watched a dog movie for family movie night (a Friday night tradition at our house)....Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I seriously had to put the boy to bed because we couldn't hear the movie over his constant babble of "doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie."

So, yes even as I sit here in a constant state of tiredness and wishing my house were cleaner I still find joy in my kids because they do make me laugh and smile (and sometimes cry!...but that's another Sienna story)

It's A(nother) Boy!

Coming attractions...

New pictures

Jenessa turns 6!

Pictures coming soon!

Jenessa turned 6 several days ago (I'm a little slow in posting). She woke up wanting the day to be like Christmas. She thought that Ryan shouldn't have to go to work and she didn't think she should have to do any school! Well, Ryan did have to go to work and unfortunately he also had meetings all evening. I told her that she only had to pick 2 school subjects to do that day (she picked math and phonics!)

Since Ryan had to work late but is able to come home for lunch, that is when we opened presents and had cake and ice cream. She was thrilled with her new stash of polly pockets (all three girls have played with them nearly nonstop all week!)

She was disappointed that we couldn't go out and do anything that evening. She kept suggesting things that I just couldn't do with all 4 kids by myself. However, the next evening she did have a party for her basketball team and Freedom Station (think Peter Piper Pizza or a really small version of Chuck E Cheese). She had a great time there playing the games. On Saturday she chose to go out to eat at Applebees. I don't know why my kids like that place, but I'm glad they do because I like it! (I had the Santa Fe Chicken Salad, yummy!)

I realized however while we were there that there is one thing that scares me more than going grocery shopping with 5 children and that is going to a restaurant with 5 children! Maybe in a few years in won't be so bad but our 1 year old and 3 year old are trouble! I'm sure it won't happen often, it already happens only on birthdays now.

Do dogs really eat alphabet soup?

Tonight Sienna asked me when we can feed our dogs alphabet soup! Now, for those of you who may not be PBS watchers that comment might be a bit confusing. But, my children have been watching too much T.V. lately...even if it is only PBS. There is a show called Martha Speaks where a dog ate alphabet soup and suddenly started talking like a human, so now her humans feed her alphabet soup all the time! So, I can just see Sienna's mind at work wondering if that would work with our dogs!

"You finally cooked something"

Yep, that was the comment I got yesterday as we sat down to eat dinner. Ryan had bought a roast, potatoes and carrots on Saturday and I put it in the oven Sunday before we left for church. I figured getting a roast in the oven was something I could handle! And yes, I had to do it by myself since Ryan has meetings before church. As we sat down to eat Kessiah said "You finally cooked something!" It did taste good to eat some real food (instead of spaghettios, mac & cheese, bread and butter, yogurt or my favorite...a bowl of cold cereal) I would love to eat more real food if I could get someone to come and make me some every day!

Logan went to nursery at church for the first time yesterday. He did great! Thankfully, they have 2 nursery classes (older and younger) so Logan's class is young and few! There were only 4 kids and 2 adults. Great ratio!

Unfortunately, my stomach has been a little queasy today. At least I'm having fewer and fewer queasy days...now I'm mostly just tired!

Okay...here are pictures of said piano! :)

We have a piano!

Ryan has been looking on Craigslist.com over the past 4-6 weeks looking for a piano (while I've been on the couch!). I have wanted one for so long. When we were looking at houses in our most recent move I had to nix several homes because they had no room for a piano and that was a goal of mine in the near future!

Kessiah has been taking piano lessons since the beginning of last summer, but all we have had is a keyboard. It has worked fine, but she has complained occasionally about not having a piano.

So, Ryan found one recently...we went to check it out...it seemed like a nice piano...so we agreed to buy it! We picked it up this morning and now it has a new home on the big blank wall in our front room! It looks so nice there!

Sienna - Blast From The Past

Everybody remember how Sienna's hair use to stand straight up for those first few months after she was born?! My how quickly they grow and change! :)

Plumber Apprentice

Sorry, couldn't resist snapping a picture of Logan when his diaper was getting a little droopy...plumbers do make pretty good money! :)

Coming up for air!

Ok, I decided to get off the couch and come up for a breath of fresh air! I am slowly feeling better...I can say I feel better than I did 3 weeks ago!

Several weeks ago Ryan brought home some Chinese food. I opened a fortune cookie hoping for some inspiration to make me feel better. I couldn't help but laugh when I read "Children will play an important role in your life." I couldn't believe that at this stage in my life, right now, I would get such a message! I guess it was meant for me!

Ok, now I have to share some Sienna moments because...well... read on.

Here's a conversation I had with Sienna sometime in January.
Sienna: I don't have any bugers in my nose
Me: OK (I'm not sure what the correct response is to a statement like that!)
Sienna: I took them out with my finger
Me: OK (Again, correct response?)
Sienna: I took them out and ate them
Me: (pause...because my stomach was really hurting by this moment) Sienna, we don't eat our bugers, we put them in the garbage! (Then I proceeded to review this over the next several days)

The other night Ryan was gone with Kessiah and Jenessa (basketball practice and grocery shopping...I don't think I have set foot in a grocery store since December because of my wonderful husband). I was on the couch (wow, that's new) in the family room and Sienna and Logan were in the kitchen. I could hear them and it sounded like they were having fun, snacking on something like chips or crackers. I didn't feel the need to get up and check on them because I could hear them both and they sounded fine. Well, fast forward several minutes and Logan comes walking into the family room...I can barely recognize my own child because his face and the front half of his head are COVERED in CHOCOLATE PUDDING! Sienna had been "painting" her little brother...no wonder they sounded like they were having fun! Oh my, I didn't know whether to start screaming or laughing! I did grab the camera but the battery was dead. Thankfully, Ryan got home just as I put the little ones in the tub so I had some help cleaning up the kitchen.

Kessiah lost a tooth

Well, since Carrine seems to be couch ridden for a while, I thought I'd throw a few pictures up here. Kessiah lost her first upper tooth tonight, so she looks pretty funny! Seems like it's been loose for two months, but she bit into an apple the other day and that really made it loose.

Here's a picture of Kessiah's pets that she got for her 8th birthday. The dark brown one is Milky Way and the lighter brown one is Rascal.

Logan had so much fun on Christmas Day that he took a little nap in his high chair!

And here's a video of Kessiah and Jenessa at one of their dance performances two weeks before Christmas.

Coming in August!

We will return to regularly scheduled blogging as soon as I can get off the couch!

Don't ask me why I am lucky enough to get another August baby! (I hope you can hear the sarcasm in that sentence). We really are excited and a little nervous (are we really going to have 5 children!)

Jenessa has been praying for about 6 months for Logan to get a baby brother. She felt bad for him since he was the only boy child...we'll see. It looks like he will at least have a younger sibling.