Halloween is Coming...

I love that there are creative people out there to give me lots of fun ideas to do with my own kids.  This month, we're doing a countdown to Halloween.

So during conference this weekend, I had the kids decorate strips of paper to make this Halloween paper chain.  Then we wrote a fun activity on each one to do each day as we countdown to Halloween.  I got a lot of my ideas here, but changed out a few with some of my own and depending on what we found on sale at Michael's. :)  Tonight we are making these Ghostly Marshmallows.  It will just be a fun way to welcome fall and get ready for Halloween.  Yippee!!

My Little Boy is SIX!!!

My little boy had a birthday last week.  It's official.  He's six.  How is it that one little number can make someone sound so much older?

We had a fun birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese on his actual birthday.  It was super fun to be there with a few friends and our family.  Lots of pizza, lots of cupcakes, lots of tokens and lots of fun later, we called it a night.

So now he's six.  When Ian was born, he had to be induced.  He was a week late and I was beginning to wonder if he were ever coming.  After a much quicker labor than his big sister, he was finally born.  He had a head full of hair and was the cutest little guy I'd ever seen.  From day one, he was a snuggler.  Oh, how I loved that tiny baby boy, tucking his little legs up under him and burrowing into my chest.  I can't help but miss that little fluffy-haired little guy, who stole all our hearts.

He's grown up quite a bit in the last few years, and they are good changes.  He might be a little bigger now, but he still likes to snuggle.  The other day he got hurt playing somewhere and he was a little upset.  He climbed up into my lap, and I held him for a few minutes.  After a bit he turned to me and said, "I'm okay.  I can go play now."  Just a little love from his Mommy was all he needed.

Last weekend we were playing bocce ball in the yard.  After a lucky streak, I started throwing the balls into the woods and bushes at the edge of the yard.  Every time I would throw a ball into the bushes, Ian would run super fast toward them, yelling, "Don't worry, Mommy!!  I'll get them for you so you don't have to get in the bushes!"  What a little gentleman!

So even though he's growing up a little too fast for my taste, I can't help but be so proud of who he is becoming.  I just love that little guy to pieces!

Conversations

Merry Grace was just talking to me while I was cooking lunch.  We had Ian's birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese the other night, so I guess that had her thinking.

Merry Grace: You know why I scared of Chuck-E-Cheese?  I scared of Chuck-E-Cheese because he's freaky.
Me:  Oh really?
Merry Grace: Yeah.  And he has a big head.

Frankly, he scares me a little bit too. :)

How Can a Year Go By So Quickly?

My baby is One and I can barely believe its true.  If there weren't proof positive in the calendar and the fact that she is taking baby steps, and climbing onto the couches, I wouldn't believe it.  It has just gone by too fast.  But here we are and here she is and it has been a joy to have her in our family.  She has been the dearest, sweetest, most wonderful baby we could have possibly hoped for.  So here are a few of my favorite things from the past year.  Happy Birthday Logan Paige, Paigie Poo, Paigie Waigie, Little Bit, you Darling Baby, you!

My Favorite Things

Brand newborn babies

All snuggled and cozy,

Sleeping in baskets

Or cheeks warm and rosy,

Seeing the love that a sister can bring...

These are a few of my favorite things.

Bright blue-eyed babies

And big sloppy kisses,

A hint of a smile

And hearts full of wishes,

Enjoying even the simplest things...

These are a few of my favorite things.

Lavender tutus

And wrinkly noses

Being mischievous 

Or Smelling the Roses.

Knowing that you are the cutest thing...

These are a few of my favorite things!

She Does it Herself

Paige has been a great eater from the start. Nursing with her was so easy. Some of it, I know, was my attitude and situation, but still, she was great. When we introduced solids, she was super. She never turned her nose up at any new food. She just seemed tickled to death to have something new to try. And she ate plenty, so I never worried that she wasn't getting enough to eat. She has moved into feeding herself, loving to pick up bites of pasta, bread, peas, carrots and anything else we'll put down in front of her. But there are things that just can't be broken up into little bites--like applesauce, for one--so there are times she still has to eat with a spoon. And that hasn't been going so well. After a few bites, she would shake her head, "No" to me and refuse to eat. And then, a few days ago, it dawned on me something that might help. And so this is what we tried:

And it worked!!! I remember my other kids, who would rather not eat than have someone else feed them. Stubborn things. Apparently Paige is on the same path. :) It just seems like its happened too soon. But she is so cute feeding herself with a spoon, its really hard to complain.

Things I Love Friday

I think the correct blogging term is "Things I Love Thursdays" where you post about things you love....on Thursday.  Unfortunately, its Friday.  So there.

*Walking down the hall and seeing my freshly made bed.

*Watering my flowers.

*Stepping outside into air that is both warm and cool.  

* Homemade chocolate chip cookies.

*Clothes that smell like fabric softener.

*My huzby bringing home dinner.

*Giggling little girls.

*Opening the Windows.

*Leftovers.

*Re-reading a favorite book.

*A new haircut.

And, of course, these guys...

Let the Cheering Begin!

In our house, we have been anxiously waiting for Tarheel football to start. But really, the cheering goes on year round. We start the training early around here!

Silliness

Right now its after lunch and the little girls are in the bath. I brought the laptop into the bathroom to get some blog updating done while they get some much needed scrubbing.

When you have kids as funny and cute as mine (Hey, its true! What can I say?!), its hard to go too many posts without some pictures.

Merry Grace continues to mother Paige, oftentimes against Paige's will. :) She LOVES it when Paige will let her feed her her bottle. Most of the time, Paige is not at all interested in this scenario, but every once in a while she is and will snuggle up with her big sis and drink her bottle. It is pretty cute. :)

We emptied out the boxes the other day and Paige found an instant play place. Forget those high priced play yards! This works perfectly. She was entertained in this thing forever.

She loves climbing in things (hence the fascination with the boxes) but doesn't limit herself to cardboard boxes. After her Daddy threw those away, the drawer below the oven worked just fine. Cabinets are fair game too. I need to get a picture or two of her in the little boxes she tries to fit in. It gives me a laugh to see her squished into a shoe box. :)

Here is a picture of Merry Grace's pot she painted earlier this week. Hers is the one on the left. The other one is one that one of the kids painted in year's past. We got tickled at who she picked to "love" on it. She wanted to say that she loved each member of her immediate family, plus Lois (her brand new aunt) and the Tarheels. Too funny.

Ah ha. Here is one of the prime reasons a bath was in order. Merry Grace so generously shared an oreo with Paige after they both ate their lunch. Oh dear, what a mess that was. Paige LOVED it though. Imagine that. Paige is at the age where she really wants to feed herself, but it is oh-so-messy. Its nice to be able to grab a bite with the rest of the family, instead of feeding the baby, but the clean-up is shocking. I frequently tell Paige that I think it might be easier to have another baby than to clean her up. :)

The happy sharer and the happy eater of the oreo. :) How can one little cookie make such a mess?!

Here is Miss Fancy Pants herself. Thankfully, this little gal doesn't change clothes as frequently as she used to, but she still has a fashion sense all her own. You should really click on the top picture to really appreciate her outfit. That was this morning. At some point she changed into the outfit in the second picture--her navy blue tee and Ian's navy pajama pants--because they matched, of course. :) And now that she's had a bath, I'm sure outfit number three is on the horizon. And yes, even three outfits is an improvement. But really, how could you not love that sassy chick? :)

Well, journaling is done, scrubbing is done, and now its time for other things. How is that for multi-tasking? :)

Beautiful Weather and Good Times

Well, its that time of year again--back to school. I guess everyone says it and feels it, but I'll add my voice anyway, "I can't believe I have a third grader and a kindergartner!" School started for Elise last week and she jumped right in. By third grade, this stuff is old hat to her. She has a wonderfully nice teacher, a well-behaved class, and seems to have made the adjustment to a new grade with more homework with ease. Ian went one day last week and then started for real this week. Cory walked him in on his one day last week and then that stinker insisted on walking in by himself this week. He didn't even want Elise to walk with him. What a big kid!! It is a really long walk to the kindergarten classes, and I wasn't sure he'd be able to find his way. Apparently he either has a good memory or a good sense of direction, because he made it just fine. (I, on the other hand, spent the day debating different plans, all involving a subtle way in which I could venture down the school and peek in his room to make sure he made it okay.) I can already see the wisdom in holding him back last year. He's so much more prepared this year. I miss my two kiddos while they are in school, but it has been good for Merry Grace, Paige and I, and good for the older kids too. I think they really like having a sibling at school with them. They even eat lunch at the same time, so they wave to each other in the lunch room. They are just too cute. My favorite part of the day is picking the two of them up from school each afternoon. They come out to the car together, holding hands. It is precious!

The little girls and I are enjoying some time around the house and doing some projects here and there. We went to Lowe's and got a few flowers to put around the house. (Did I mention that it was SUPER easy to go to Lowe's with only two kids?) We came home to enjoy the beautiful fall-like weather, clean off the front porch, and plant the flowers we'd picked out. Our hanging baskets are now full of pink and purple petunias, and there are mums in various pots on the porch. Merry Grace and Paige enjoyed the outside time, too. Merry Grace had bought a clay pot which she painted in the yard while I cleaned. She spent quite a bit of time on it, adding different colors along and along, and ended up with a lovely camouflage green pot. We then stamped some words onto it which read, "I love Mommy & Daddy & Lisy & and Ian & Paige & Lois & Carolina." Paige crawled all over the porch, ate potting soil, splashed in the water from the hose where we were watering things, got filthy dirty and had the time of her life. The porch looks great, we feel refreshed from all the fresh air, and life is good.

Beach Time Again

We made another day trip to the beach a week or so ago, and once again, it was wonderful! Cory's sister, Melissa, and her family were there and so we met up and let the kids play. They love the beach anyway, but throw in some friends and it can't be beat. Cory and Jacob were good to take Kyleigh, Elise and Ian out in the deeper water and let them swim and play. Marleigh and Merry Grace hung out pretty close to shore, especially after a big wave got them. And the little ones (Ethan and Paige) liked eating sand and feeling the small waves at the edge. It was a wonderful day.

I love pictures of my kids at the beach!

All four kiddos! :)

I love, love, LOVE beach pictures and just cannot limit myself to a few. Thank goodness for collages. :)

And now we're back to the routine of school, which is nice in its own way. But if I had my choice, we'd all be back at the beach today instead. :)

Refreshing

Being a mom can be tiring work, sometimes. So Cory and I have tried to schedule in a little down time each week where I can go and do something I want to do or need to do without the kids. Sometimes I might go for a walk at the park or go to the library or do a little shopping or go somewhere and read a book. Nothing terribly dramatic, usually just something quiet and peaceful. Its been really nice. Last night I went out to get Elise and Merry Grace their dance outfits, as they are just starting up classes. It had been a long day, filled with cleaning and organizing things. So I had on my old sweatpants. And I mean old in the most literal sense of the word. When you picture something that Stacy and Clinton would tear you apart for wearing in public, that would be these pants. They are black and oh-so-comfy. They really are terrible looking, with the lovely elastic around the ankles as an added bonus. And I paired them with a gray fourth of July t-shirt that I got for less than a dollar at Target that says, "Boom" across the front. I'm not always "all dolled up" when I go out, but rarely do I just look frumpy. I guess everyone has quirks, and that's one of mine. But I did last night. I didn't even have on a speck of make-up. It was so refreshing. It was refreshing just to go out by myself, but it was oddly refreshing to walk into a couple of stores feeling like I could just have easily curled up on the couch to read a book. I'm not sure what made it so thrilling, but whatever the reason, it was. I'd better be careful, though, or I might just get too comfortable. :)

Not exactly "calgon"...

Yesterday morning, when I put Paige down for her nap, I decided it was time for a shower for me. I let the other kids watch a show on Netflix and figured we'd manage for 15 minutes.

Before I'd even finished shampooing, Merry Grace ran in and said, "I accidentally pushed the blue button and turned off the computer. But I turned it back on."

Less than 30 seconds later she was back telling me that Ian had actually turned it back off again, thinking he was turning it on. Oh boy. Wouldn't Cory love to hear what I was letting the kids do to the computer while he was at work.

In the blink of an eye, Elise ran in the bathroom to tell me that Merry Grace was being ugly to her. Then Merry Grace ran in right behind her to tell me that Elise had pushed her. Then Ian came in to tell me that Merry Grace was telling on Elise when Elise only "just barely touched" her. Then Merry Grace came back to tell me that "Uh huh, Elise really did push her and that she did not want to be on tell."

Sometimes these things drive me batty (and its not a far trip!). But yesterday, they were just funny and I could laugh about it. As I know all to well, one day I'll have all the time in the world to take a shower by myself. For now, I'll just try and enjoy the interruptions for what they are--little kids who need their Mama. Thank goodness. :)

Getting a Good Picture

I was going through some pictures and I found some of the ones I was taking for Cory's Dad for Father's Day. It is not easy getting four kids to all look at the camera with smiling faces at the same time. :) Looking at them, I'm reminded of why it is nice to have a professional take your family portraits. Even though they might not be ones I wanted to use in the picture frame, I really love seeing their little personalities shine through. (Elise's moods in the picture range from: "Aren't I a cute, sweet girl?" to "It's a little tricky to smile and hold the baby at the same time." to "I wish we were done here." to "Ian's a goofball." Ian tries giving the biggest happiest smile he can, then he starts getting carried away into the goofy and by the end he's just so tired of the whole ordeal. Merry Grace seems to be thinking, "A camera, a camera!!! Look at me!! I'm so cute!!! Take my picture!!" And then there's Paige who looks like, "I like these people. They sure are nice to me. But what the heck is going on here? Why can't I get down? Someone let me outta here!") I LOVE it!!! They sure are cute kids!!!

So here is my advice on what to do to get a bad picture and maybe you can avoid my pitfalls and get a good one of your own family.

*Get everyone bathed and dressed in their best clothes.

*Fix each child's hair.

*Make sure little one's have a nap.

*Block off a section of time and dedicate it solely to picture taking.

*Plan a specific project or gift that you would like to use the pictures for (i.e. christmas cards, birth announcements, Father's Day, etc.)

*Bribe kids with a treat afterwards if they will just look at the camera and smile, daggone it.

These things seem to be a surefire recipe for disaster, in my experience. But have a child half dressed, in mis-matched clothes, with a dirty face, crazy hair, or have a pile of laundry in the background or the sink full of dirty dishes, and you will have the cutest picture of your kids ever. Although, I guess those pictures have their own charm...maybe just not on the front of the Christmas card. :)

Because I'm a Slacker

And by "slacker" I actually mean I've been way too overwhelmingly busy to blog. :) First and foremost, my brother, Ethan, got married this past Saturday. To the romantic in me, that means love, a beautiful wedding, a beautiful reception, lots of pictures and best of all a new sister-in-law who I adore. To the practical side of me, that means a LOT of work, planning and organizing leading up to the big day. Throw into the mix the baptism of one of my favorite nieces, Cory's birthday and our 10th wedding anniversary plus the day to day routine of taking care of four kids and you've got one crazy whirlwind.

One day, to keep themselves entertained while I worked in the kitchen, the kids made a wonderful tower out of the cans in my pantry. Quite impressive, don't you think?

The Leaning Tower of Peas...and corn, and carrots...

Another day, we were having a mad laundry folding party to catch up on the laundry that had been washed but not folded and put away. Elise was a wonderfully amazing folder, Ian was great at helping us sort and organize and this is how Merry Grace helped. I'm not sure what she called the job, but it was immensely helpful.

Paige also found creative ways to entertain herself. She loves playing with the stuff in this drawer. Before this incident, she would limit herself to just pulling everything in it out onto the floor. Apparently she needed to up the wow factor and decided just to take the plunge and dive right in.

She looks quite proud of herself, I believe. And really, how can you resist that face?

The kids also helped me by "washing my car". Washing my car is really code for, "let's get out the water hose and spray each other and the yard and splash in the bucket." The car actually did get a little wet. But by no means did it get the attention the kids gave to spraying each other.

Ian, always impressed with whatever Elise does, joined right in when she got all dolled up to perform the "Hoedown Throwdown" (that's Miley Cyrus, for anyone who might be out of the loop.) Believe it or not, Merry Grace can do it too, at least some of it. She just got grumpy and backed out of the performance at the last minute. Elise is a good learner and a good teacher.

And here is a picture of sweet Emmy at her baptism. Usually I take lots of picutres, but honestly, I didn't take a single picture from the baptism Friday night, all through the wedding and reception on Saturday. It was just too much to attempt. So I settled for stealing a picture of Emmy off her mom's blog.

Here is the happy couple, newly married and looking snazzy. They are wonderful.

Oh yes, we were actually there, in all our glory. My goodness, we are a cute family. Did I mention I got all the kids cute clothes on sale? Well, I did. Merry Grace and Paige were outfitted for $4.98. Ian and Elise were a little more but not by much. I'm so proud. We really did love being a part of the wedding and all the frivolity. We thought it was neat that my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary a week and a half ago, then we had Ethan and Lois's wedding, and then today Cory and I are celebrating our 10th. We think its neat that we'll all be celebrating similar anniversary's very near one another. We told Adam to keep with the trend he couldn't get married until 2019. For those of us who worked on this wedding, that sounds like a mighty good idea. I think Adam was much less impressed with that as a plan.

Is this child so lucky or what? There are quite a few times that being the fourth child has perks.

So there you have it. Our crazy, busy, wonderful life. Now if I can just have a month to recover from it, I'll be fine. :)