La's Life

Favorite New Cereal!!!

2012-01-25T20:45:00.001-06:00

He Doesn't Know It.....

2012-01-25T20:18:00.002-06:00

But today is his fourth birthday. We are celebrating him tomorrow. Joshua, we love you with all our hearts from your little red head all the way down to your precious piggy toes. My heart dances when you are in my arms! Happy birthday!

Sledding by our House

2012-01-15T17:02:00.001-06:00

Hour Long Lines are Exciting!

2012-01-04T14:47:00.001-06:00

Ballerina in Baggage Claim

2011-12-30T13:58:00.001-06:00

Here!!

2011-12-30T13:47:00.001-06:00

Up, Up, and Away!!

2011-12-30T11:11:00.001-06:00

Twas the Night Before Disney

2011-12-30T00:31:00.001-06:00

We are getting up in five hours. The car is loaded, alarms are set (please no Home Alone scenes here!), and the surprise presents are under the tree. The presents appeared mysteriously a couple of days ago and the kids have been dying to know what they are. They were given a poem tonight that told them they had to go right to sleep so they could open the magical gifts in the morning. Someone asked how I packed - we are in Chicago at my parents' house for Christmas so our suitcases were already out. We will video in the morning and share it later!!

(Originally posted last night, but was somehow deleted.)

My Secret Planning Drawer

2011-12-29T07:57:00.001-06:00

We leave in the morning and the kids still know nothing!!

Yoda Santa

2011-12-29T07:51:00.001-06:00

Shedd Aquarium

2011-12-29T07:50:00.001-06:00

Joshua Loves Gelato

2011-12-29T07:44:00.001-06:00

John David's Lego Castle

2011-12-23T21:28:00.001-06:00

My Own Little Lalaloopsy

2011-12-23T21:26:00.001-06:00

Doing math flash cards is so much better when your student looks like a Lalaloopsy doll!

Christmas Painting

2011-12-23T21:22:00.001-06:00

We decorated some of our packages by hand this year. John David helped too, but I didn't get his picture. His was a beautiful Christmas tree!

My Boys

2011-12-23T20:25:00.001-06:00

Playing basketball on the playstation

Julia Recites Psalm 136

2011-12-09T19:19:00.003-06:00

Memorization is really important to us as a family. John David will finish memorizing his first complete book of the Bible this year (Hebrews) and Julia has memorized a number of passages and poems the last few months.

We do a lot of memorizing for Classical Conversations as well. How many five year olds can tell you what a present participle is or sing songs about the War of 1812, Henry Clay, or Polk? Or how about the parts of the lymph system or excretory system? And you should hear our crazy "Stomp"-ish rendition of skip counting the 14's! (Is it official? Have we attained true homeschooling nerdy status??)

Latin is something new for us this year, but we are learning to say John 1:1-7 in Latin. (We've already learned it in English and have also learned all the Latin words we will need for the John passage.) "In principio erat verbum"!!!

I've reached a new level of decorating greatness, I'll admit. My dining room's new theme is history time line cards. Totally classy.

I leave you with this video of Julia reciting Psalm 136. We worked on this for Thanksgiving, but because of the great plague of illness our family suffered in November, it didn't get finished in time.

(This is my attempt to fancy the video up. It didn't work too well. I'm blaming the windows live movie maker program. The sound and picture aren't lined up in this one.)

This video works just fine. It's just not as pretty. ;)

Mickey Mouse Jesus

2011-12-03T23:04:00.000-06:00

Aulora colored this picture of Jesus a little while back. It had a place of honor on the refrigerator for quite some time because I thought it was so funny. All the kids lovingly referred to it as "Mickey Mouse Jesus". (The good news is that her coloring has improved greatly since.)

Daddy and Julia

2011-12-02T23:02:00.001-06:00

This was at my brother's wedding celebration in Dallas. Can you tell they are related?

Going to the Notre Dame game together!

Growing Hair

2011-12-01T22:57:00.002-06:00

A couple of nights ago, as I was getting Joshua ready for a bath, I had him on my lap. He was already without his shirt, and when he raised his arms up I couldn't resist stroking his little underarm. He quickly looked up at me and said,

"Hey! Don't touch me there! I'm growing hair!"

I asked him who told him that. He said,

"Nobody told me that. I just saw. Daddy's hairy and I'm going to be hairy as a beast just like Daddy."

Grey Friday

2011-11-26T13:21:00.004-06:00

Last night I slept on the couch. No, no, no. The marriage is good, but John is sick. I am the last man, uh, woman standing. All that pie helped fortify my immune system I guess. I don't think our family has ever been sick for so long. I think it's been 6 weeks now that at least one person has been sick at all times. I sent Julia around with the Clorox wipes the other day. She must have missed Daddy's door knob. Oops.

My mom and I spent a good deal of time on Thursday making our shopping plans. We were pumped up and ready to go. Toys R Us opened at 9 pm and I was going to knock out the Christmas shopping for the kids in one night. Buy one get one free and 60% off are words promising enough to make me wait a couple hours longer to put on my couch pants. (That's my clever name for my stretchy lounge pants because all I want to do when I have them on is lay on the couch.)

We pulled into the parking lot around 9 and I think the car itself started to hyperventilate. The line to get in was ri-freakin-diculous. Needless to say, I never stepped foot inside the store and my couch pants were in use sooner than planned. Bitter sweet.

Black Friday shopping in 2012?

No thank you.

Please remind me, because I always forget how terrible it is. Every. Single. Year.

Although, I did manage to get a really great coat (that I needed!) from Old Navy for only $5. I did not, however, get up at 4 am to get it. I ran in on our way to The Muppet Movie. (Which I did not wear my couch pants to. Very tempting though.)

Maybe Black Friday isn't so bad after all. I suppose it's really not a black and white issue for me.

Mahna Mahnam

2011-11-25T19:31:00.004-06:00

I'm supposed to be doing some work for church and all I can think of is Mahna Mahnam! We went to see The Muppet Movie today and loved it! The only thing that would have made it better is John being with us. The bug that has passed from one kid to another all week long finally got the better of him though. All the kids are well and I'm hoping that by tomorrow he will be well too. I'm keeping my distance and praying that I don't get a turn. There's nobody to take care of me! I'll leave you with this....

John David's Bible Quiz Tournament

2011-11-14T22:14:00.004-06:00

John David is quizzing this year for the first time with a middle school team from Elkhart. He's memorizing Hebrews which is neat because that's the first book John and I both memorized too. So far he can quote the first nine chapters! We're so proud of him!!

This past weekend his team traveled to a tournament here in Indiana. John and I couldn't go, but my parents made the drive and watched him all day and then brought him home. His team won first place and he placed 6th individually. His teammates placed 2nd and 4th!

Here he is holding the first place team trophy.

John David, Lauren, and Jonathon.

This picture cracks me up. These are the kids who placed individually. First through fourth place earned trophies and fifth through eighth got ribbons. That was bad enough for this poor guy who wanted a trophy so badly, but insult was added to injury when he was given the PINK sixth place ribbon. Hahahaha!

He was longing for one of those trophies. Maybe next time, buddy!

Here's the team with their coach, Miss Barbara. She's an amazing lady and loves these kids a lot. We will always be so grateful for all she's investing in our boy!

We LOVE you, John David! You make us so proud!

Playing Around

2011-11-14T21:28:00.003-06:00

I put a slip and slide out this summer in Tulsa. I nearly died of heat stroke putting the stupid thing out and then they only wanted to play for about 10 minutes. I made them do it longer. I'm awesome. The first picture depicts their reluctance to go along with my demands.

Watching a cartoon together.

Julia hitched a ride on Joshua's tricycle.

Aulora was wearing a new fairy costume.

The Girls Visit Chicago

2011-11-14T21:16:00.002-06:00

In honor of their birthdays, both of the girls got to go to Chicago and spend a couple of days with my parents about a month ago. They went shopping for new dolls at the American Girl Doll Store, ate at The Grand Luxe, and took a HUGE bubble bath. Can you say spoiled??

(Can you tell which one is which?)

Pictures with Gran

2011-11-14T20:36:00.002-06:00

John's parents and his brother, Matthew, came for a short visit a few weeks ago. Before they left, I took some pictures of the kids with Gran on the front porch. If I had been thinking clearly at all, I would have taken pictures with D and Matthew too! Oops!

Brothers

2011-11-14T20:30:00.002-06:00

These two may be more than seven years apart, but they really love each other! Joshua has a trundle bed in his room and every single night he asks if "Dohn David" can sleep with him. And recently John David began giving Joshua Lego lessons. Joshua gets SO excited over the little creations they make together. This past weekend John David went on a Bible Quiz trip. When he came back he gave Joshua a Hot Wheels car he bought for him with his own money. I can't wait to see what they'll be like as teenagers and young adults!

What 10 Year Olds Do Best (Besides Eating)

2011-10-13T16:53:00.001-05:00

(pictures are of John David and his best friend across the street)

180

2011-10-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Zebus

2011-10-07T16:26:00.007-05:00

Do you know what a zebus is? I didn't either until teaching my son his 5th grade math lesson the other day. A herd of zebu were mentioned in a word problem and after looking it up on the computer we both learned that a zebus is a type of domesticated ox.

I, uh, my kids are learning so much through this thing called homeschooling and, although it has taken over my life, I love it.

I can not believe what kind of house I keep these days and the things that I let slide by because there's just not enough time in the day. (Well, technically I guess there's time to do it but I don't want to do housecleaning at 10:00 pm!) I told John that the saving grace of all of this is that we live so far away from everyone that no one ever comes to our house so it doesn't really matter. And then he told me his parents were coming in a couple of weeks. [Panic!!] And of course I will be thrilled to see them when they come but it does beg the question - when will this house be taken care of and when will yard work be done?

My porch that is usually decorated for fall in early September hasn't seen a single change. Not even one lonely mum. I had flower boxes built and installed for our upstairs windows and I've yet to plant in them all year long. The garage is a mess, the outgrown clothes (the kids not mine!) are sitting in piles in the basement waiting to be dealt with, the wood floors need a good scrubbing, and my van hasn't been washed in......a really long time.

I could go on and on about the undone things around here, but that's not the point of this post. The point is zebu! Well, not really zebu but what the zebus represents. All the learning we're doing together! (And fortunately most of it is much more useful than knowing about a domesticated ox.)

I also love that my kids are friends. They play together so much and there is a lot of laughing (and whining and squealing too if we're being honest!). We are not perfect (by far!), but getting to spend our days together while we are loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, MIND, and strength is so precious.

A few nights ago they decided to play war and they pretended they were on an ice planet. They got out most ALL of the winter scarves, gloves, and hats. (It was a mess!) The next night they had another war but, this time it took place in the desert. That's why there are some shirtless kids in these pictures. Joshua was confused though and still thought they were on the ice planet.

I'm sure this game will be a favorite when we are cooped up for the winter!

edited to add: Since the writing of this post my porch has been decorated for fall, my flower boxes have been filled, the yard work is done (for now), and a few things were cleaned. My parents were here for Columbus day and while I did school with the older two my mom was making beds and cleaning the kitchen. How nice!

The Price to Pay

2011-09-23T17:58:00.002-05:00

When your 10 year old is finally able to do the yard work it's great! Until you walk out and find a chunk of your beloved vines missing. In his defense, it is very difficult to get the mower through that section to the back yard. Bummer.....

Waffles...and My Son

2011-09-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

John David loves to eat.

All the time.

The end.

Just kidding. There's more. But that could very well be a post on it's own, because the boy does love to eat so much. This morning he passed over the cereal and toast that everyone else was having and decided to make some waffles in the toaster. I went into the kitchen for something and noticed that he poured syrup first and then smeared on some butter. So already he was demonstrating a rather poor sense of order. I let it go until he was moving to put the syrupy, buttery knife back into the butter container.

Baby, that's gross. Please don't.

Why is that gross??

It just is. Don't.

I went out of the kitchen. The next time I came back in it got better.

I forgot to put one of my waffles in the toaster.

Are you eating it frozen?

No. I went ahead and put it in the toaster.

With the syrup and butter all over it??

Yes, wh---Ohhhhhh. Oops......

So my 12 year old toaster (we got it as a wedding present!) now has a pool of syrup and butter at the bottom of it.

I just love boys.

Updation

2011-09-11T23:11:00.003-05:00

My husband, good man that he is, has again informed me that I need to update my beloved blog. He's right, I know. It's just that life is so all consuming right now. I'm trusting that it will slow down a little very soon (please Lord!!), but for now I'm keeping my head above water.

Homeschooling is not horribly difficult (not yet anyway), but it is time consuming. We had kind of gotten the hang of things and then we started our Classical Conversations program on Wednesday. LOVED it, but it was additional work plus being gone for the day. PLUS, Wednesday church classes for the kids started back too, so Wednesday was packed.

Overall I'm still in love with homeschooling, but at the end of the day I'm left wondering when I will ever get my house clean (when all the kids have graduated??), what am I cooking for dinner (oh for loads of money to hire a chef!), and when do I get to just sit on the couch and watch television/read/relax/update my blog? The weekends have been very key in keeping order around here. That's when I'm getting some cleaning and grocery shopping done.

The kicker here lately is the fact that we're flying out this week for my brother's wedding in Texas. Packing for five people (John does his own packing thankfully!) is a killer. These are the times I seriously consider the Duggar family's way of dressing. Red shirts and denim for everyone today, blue shirts and denim for everyone tomorrow, and so on. How much simpler would that be?

As far as the wedding goes, despite the torturous task of packing, we're so very excited! My wonderful parents made sure we had plane tickets so there wasn't a crazy long road trip. We're going to be seeing so many old friends and lots of family we haven't seen in too long. And of course there's the part about getting to watch my baby brother marry the sweetest girl ever. I'm getting a new sister!!! Her name is Cali and there will be plenty of pictures later, I'm sure. I can't to get so many bear hugs from them both!

When we return I need to post about:

Aulora's birthday party
John David is now a Bible Quizzer (my kid can quote 6, nearly 7, chapters of Hebrews - can yours?!?)
The most ridiculous ND football game experience ever
Our homeschool hutch from good old craig
reviews for ipad/ipod apps for kids
some book recommendations I've been meaning to get to

I'm sure there is much more but that's what my brain is coming up with for now. I also need to empty my Flip camera as well as my Nikon. Maybe there's some jewels in there. Who knows.....

Boo is Five

2011-09-11T13:12:00.003-05:00

There are not words to say how deeply we love our Boo. The best kisses in the world, or sugars as we call them, are straight from her little lips. You have been blessed if you've ever seen her dance. You surely smiled if you have ever listened to her sing. Her names are many - Boo, Haulorta, Gaulora, Gaulorta, The Babe, Boozie, Booey Toots. She is loved by all!

Happy Birthday, Boo!!!

We threw her a party last weekend and pictures of that will come later when I have access to them....

Don't Worry, Joshua....

2011-09-02T18:07:00.000-05:00

....shopping at Walmart wears me out too.

Daddy Takes the Big Kids Golfing

2011-08-26T09:26:00.001-05:00

It's one of their favorite things to do together!

No Truck? Moving Furniture? No Problem!

2011-08-25T22:29:00.003-05:00

Be sure to note the clever use of seat belts to hold the china cabinet in place. Don't worry. Our ten year old son was also holding onto it.

Also, you should know that this china cabinet lived with us for only one week before I resold it on Craisglist because I found a different one I liked better.

My husband loves me.

Very much.

The end.

Anybody Remember This?

2011-08-24T11:02:00.001-05:00

I found this game at a garage sale for a quarter. It brought back memories!

A New Season

2011-08-23T11:59:00.004-05:00

For years my heart has wanted it.

For years I had my excuses.

They were lined out so neatly and I had convinced myself they were all very valid.

But you can only run from God's calling for so long before you get worn out. And your excuses are finally exposed as just that - empty excuses.

So several months ago we started talking about it. Pondering, what if-ing, considering. Convincing, dreaming, planning. And today it began.

I am a homeschooling mom!

I expected tears today (because everyone told me to expect it!) but the day went wonderfully. With the exception of one child (who will remain nameless) who will hopefully learn very soon that working quickly means finishing earlier, everything was great! I'm still figuring out the ideal schedule, but I expect that will take awhile.

I went through the day feeling several things over and over:

I was made for this. This is my purpose.
When is it nap time? (I imagine this is due to my 5 hours of sleep last night.)
I am worshiping God in this endeavor.

This worship song has been stuck in my head. I love that as I am teaching my kids numbers I can worship God. I am so blessed that instead of rushing out the door to drop them off at school, I am cuddling with them on the couch while we read Scriptures and stories filled with moral goodness.

And once again, there's the matter of God ordering our steps perfectly. I can't tell you how endlessly I had searched and scoured the internet for the perfect curriculum to use. There's SO much out there. So much good stuff too. But nothing felt right. And I was feeling stressed out and nervous and thinking I had it all wrong and we needed to send the kids back to school after all.

A couple of days before our summer trip to Tulsa my cousin in Dallas mentioned a program she was starting with her daughter this year. I looked into it and it seemed promising. Then we found out there was a 3 day parent practicum right there in Tulsa. From then on it just kept coming together. It all seemed appointed.

This is a video explaining the program - Classical Conversations. Basically, we homeschool four days a week and one day a week we join other families for school. We're schooling based on the classical model, the "trivium".

One of my hesitations was my own feeling of inadequacy, especially when it came to classical homeschooling which involves Latin and some other intimidating things. But one of the speakers addressed that concern at the practicum saying that "homeschooling can be the redemption of two generations".

I'm so grateful. So excited. So content. So......tired!

Good night! ;)

The Box Store

2011-08-16T21:49:00.000-05:00

The kids' newest love is setting up boxes and a card table to make a store for their friends. It was John David's idea but Julia (and sometimes a girl from the neighborhood) help run it. It's entertaining to watch them set it all up and try to get customers. John David has a dinosaur puppet that he really loves that should only be priced for no more than a dollar. But he has priced it at $15 because he doesn't want to part with it. He figures if someone is willing to pay $15 then maybe he could give it up.

They've made one big sale (a ds game) and some minor sales (silly bands and small toys).

I'm sure our neighbors will be glad when the shop closes for good since their small children keep wanting to buy things. (Hi neighbor!)

Taekwondo

2011-08-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

John David was very, very excited to take a Taekwondo class when we were in Tulsa for the summer. These are pictures from the ceremony when he earned his orange belt. He was so proud! He hopes to continue classes here, but we're still looking into it.

He wanted to be the Grinch...

2011-08-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

Aulora's Last Day of Preschool

2011-08-15T22:01:00.002-05:00

I'm sooo behind on this post, but I just realized I never did it!

Aulora went to preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays this past school year. These are pictures from her last day....

A picture with Miss Penelope, Miss Aimee, and her friend Judith (and Judith's sister).

Having a snack...

Lots of friends!

Aulora and Judith

The Girls Got A Hold of Joshua

2011-08-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

Poor guy....

Weko Beach on Lake Michigan

2011-08-14T17:50:00.006-05:00

Less than an hour from our house is Weko Beach. We took the kids there on Friday and we loved it! The temperature was in the low 80's and the crowd was perfect. It was a wonderful time of laying under the sun, building sand castles, going in the water (some of us more than others!), foot ball, chasing seagulls, and finding pretty rocks. I took a ton of pictures but I'll just post a few of my favorites....

Then and Now Zoo Trip

2011-07-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

Gran and Joshua on the train two years ago

Gran and Joshua on the train this summer

John David two years ago

John David this summer

All four two years ago

All four this summer - I love how their personalities show through in exactly the same way in both pictures!

Littles Being Silly

2011-07-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

Baptism

2011-07-25T19:02:00.002-05:00

John baptized the big kids last night!

Zoo Trip

2011-07-24T15:35:00.003-05:00

One of the first things we did during our visit to Tulsa was go to the zoo. It was a HOT day, but we toughed it out and had a great time!

I think John David thought this goat had Dumbo ears.

John David and Joshua both really wanted to ride the shark. Big brother got there first, but he gave it up to Joshie. (Not sure if it was because he really loves him or if he didn't want to hear the crying! We'll go with the first one.)

See the caterpillar on his arm?

Now it's on Joshua's shirt!

There were peacocks roaming around.

All four kids rode the camel, but I could NOT - for the life of me!- get a picture of all of them looking at me! I took about 20 shots (as did Sandy) and there was always one of them turned the wrong way.

Boo!

Here's a video of the caterpillar.....

The Bounce U Trip

2011-07-24T15:27:00.002-05:00

A few days ago we went to Bounce U, an indoor place with lots of inflatable things to play on. The pictures aren't that great because everyone was always moving fast plus the camera was always bouncing around. Oh well!

The girls and I (plus a friend) went down the big slide.

I'm not sure why I look terrified.

Now it's Joshua's turn!

Joshua played t-ball pretty well!

Now he's ready to wrestle with Uncle Maka.

Uncle Maka and I were the only adults who got in.

We may have had more fun than the kids! =)

Kid's Camp

2011-07-23T15:26:00.003-05:00

The big kids and I went to camp with Clay and Sandy's church since that's where we've been for the summer. It was fun!

John David Has Chosen His Hairstyle for Camp

2011-07-11T15:46:00.002-05:00

I've always combed his hair for him, but next week he'll be going to camp without Daddy. (I'll be there but not in his dorm.) I told him to practice combing his hair and this is what he came up with. Lock up your daughters.

For some reason, he thought it would be interesting if his head was on a platter. I'm not sure we pulled off the effect he was going for. ;)

Riding the Go Kart

2011-07-11T10:43:00.004-05:00

John David got a go kart for Christmas so of course he loves riding it whenever he visits Gran and D's house. He's always happy to give rides.

Joshua was helping to cheer on the riders when it wasn't his turn.

We told Gran she needed to ride.

We had to twist her arm a little, but we got her in!

This video is of Gran and John David riding.

And then some of the kids riding.

John gave me a ride a few days ago and, while it was fun, it was scary! He goes much faster than John David is allowed to go and I was holding on for my life. Especially since I know he flipped it and was hurt pretty badly over Christmas break because he went so fast! I was happy when he delivered me safely back to the driveway. =)

PS. I'm risking my life by posting these pictures and video. A certain adult did not want them published! I can't help myself though!

Joshua Meets Glue

2011-07-11T00:14:00.003-05:00

Joshua told me to take his picture. So I did.

(This is his aunt and uncle's dog in Oklahoma.)

Today he struck this pose and told me to take his picture again.

A couple of days ago, he and Aulora were working on a craft at the bar. I left for about 30 seconds and came back to find that they had been busy with the glue.

He cracks me up!

John David Conquered Math

2011-06-14T22:54:00.002-05:00

John David has always been smart, but he has not always enjoyed using his smartness.

Math was a struggle this year. Again, not because he lacked the brains, but because he didn't like doing the work.

So on the day when his class finally completed the very last page in their thick math book, he was so excited to take it out to the yard and jump on it!

(If I'm being honest, I have to say that I wanted to jump on it too!)

Here's a picture of him holding his honor roll certificate. I told you he was smart! Doesn't he look excited to be there? =)

Zoo

2011-06-10T10:19:00.004-05:00

Aulora is a gatherer by nature. All the time, everywhere. Gather, gather, gather.

The walk through the zoo was a little slow due to this fact.

We loved the butterfly house!

I'm not sure what this pose was all about, but Joshua came up with it on his own.

Joshua wanted to grab the butterflies.

I love his faces.

The giant turtle picture turned out much better this year than last year.

These two are best buddies.

Joshua was trying to sniff Aulora. She didn't like it!

(John David and Julia are with John's parents right now so they weren't with us for this zoo trip.)

Making Room

2011-06-08T23:34:00.003-05:00

At bedtime, Aulora told me her nose really hurt. The rest of our conversation went like this:

"Why does your nose hurt, baby?"

"Because I've been picking so many boogers."

"Why were you doing that?"

"I was making room for more!"

Obviously I am no longer her destiny (see yesterday's tweet) - picking boogers is. Funny girl...

Join the Applause

2011-06-06T18:42:00.001-05:00

I love this! Let's do it!

Please remember.....

2011-06-03T07:27:00.002-05:00

...this little man in your prayers today. We're about to leave for his surgery. I'm so thankful for all of the health my kids have been blessed with. This is going to be a first (and hopefully last!) thing for this mommy.

John David's First Camp Out

2011-05-31T10:08:00.003-05:00

I don't know much about it (since they're guys and don't share too much), but I know John David had a lot of fun. It was a Royal Ranger camp out (his boy's club from church) and it was at some local camping grounds. They had a fire, cooked out, slept in tents, and - apparently the best part of all according to John David - he got to do his "business" in the woods. He found out later there was actually a restroom!

Rainbows and Prims Year End Ceremony

2011-05-26T13:06:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday was award time for the three younger kids' Wednesday night classes.

Joshua and Aulora struck this pose for me while they were waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Their teacher, Ms. Judy, was handing out their final badge for the year. There are a lot of kids in their class, not just the four you see pictured. (You can only see Aulora here because Joshua never would stand in a place where I could get his picture.)

Here's Julia with her Prims teacher.

And here's Julia with her other Prims teacher and a friend. She earned all nine badges for this year so she was very excited.

John Adams on Manners

2011-05-24T14:50:00.003-05:00

If you've read Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson then you are familiar with this quote from John Adams, the second president of the United States. I find the truth in these words so powerful.

"From all that I had read of history of government, of human life, and manners, I [have] drawn this conclusion, that the manners of women [are] the most infallible barometer, to ascertain the degree of morality and virtue in a nation. All that I have since read and all the observation I have made in different nations, have confirmed me in this opinion. The manners of women, are the surest criterion by which to determine whether a republican government is practicable, in a nation or not. The Jews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Swiss, the Dutch, all lost their public spirit, their Republican principles and habits, and their Republican forms of government when they lost the modesty and domestic virtues of their women...

The foundations of national morality must be laid in private families. In vain are schools, academies and universities instituted if loose principles and licentious habits are impressed upon children in their earliest years. The mothers are the earliest and most important instructors of youth."

May the lasting importance of all the little things we moms do every single day weigh on us in a Godly way. Our work may go unnoticed but it is not insignificant.

You Never Know

2011-05-23T13:42:00.003-05:00

It was a simple school project: complete an act of service for someone else.

Our plan to take some home cooked food to homeless people went wrong when the men with cardboard signs who are on a certain corner nearly every day weren't there.

The kids and I decided to make and deliver cookies to various neighbors instead.

In one house lives an elderly couple who we have waved to and said hello to for nearly two years. All I could tell you about them is that they keep an immaculate lawn.

The lady walked over today with tears in her eyes to say thank you for the cookies my son had brought to them. She figured we had done that because we knew what was going on in their house. I didn't know and of course was immediately concerned.

She began telling me how their young grandson, who lived here in town, had just taken his own life a few days ago. They have understandably been distraught.

I hugged her and told her how terribly sorry I was to hear that. I told her we would be praying for them. At that moment rain began pouring down on us so we both ran to our own houses.

And now the curtains in their sparkly clean windows are closed and there is a wrought iron door that rarely opens. We've waved and smiled plenty, but we don't even know their names. But now we do know that they are hurting.

All because of a bag of homemade cookies.

A school project gone awry.

My Kids Want This BAD

2011-05-21T21:07:00.002-05:00

We were at the mall today and they were selling "pocket pets" - aka sugar gliders. I had never heard of these things before, but my kids were fascinated! The website gives a lot of information about them and even shows videos and pictures. These little guys are marsupials and once they bond with you they like to hang out on your shoulder on in your pocket. And they can glide! I'm pretty sure that if they hadn't cost nearly $600 then we would already have a couple right now.

Flowers Make Me Happy

2011-05-21T11:50:00.002-05:00

After enduring long, cold, snowy months here I am ridiculously happy to have pretty flowers again. This is on the front porch:

Out by the garage:

I love this one that sits by our back steps.

This old igloo was my PaPa's that he used all the time.

This next one is a gardenia plant that John's mom sent me for mother's day.

I can't wait until it blooms!

This old tool box was John's Papaw's. I took the lid off of it and put flower pots in it. It's sitting on top of the piano so it can get plenty of sunlight.

So to sum up - spring is here, I love flowers, and I am happy.

The end.

This Morning's Finds

2011-05-20T09:22:00.002-05:00

I'm so happy garage sale season is here again. I LOVE to shop, more specifically bargain shop. It is very difficult for me to drive by garage sale signs if I don't get to stop. Today I hit up 4 sales all before the two youngest woke up.

I found this little frame for a quarter. Can you tell it has a green undertone?

These books were all $.50 each. I don't like to buy books just for the sake of having them. These are books that I will use and read - some I have been wanting anyway.

The Little Mermaid II video was $1. We have a vcr in the van and in the girls' room so I like to pick up inexpensive videos at garages sales and Goodwill.

My favorite find is this pair of black Sketchers shoes. I've been wanting these! They are my size and just like new and priced at $5. Hello!

See? The bottoms are barely marked! Score!

I'm now pondering the thought of going out in the morning with the three younger ones. John and John David will be gone on a Royal Ranger camp out (that's a post in the making I'm sure) so I can't go out alone. I'll probably hold out until next weekend.

What are some great deals you've found lately???

Meeting My Sister

2011-05-19T12:24:00.004-05:00

Here's me and my little brother, Jeremy, when we were little. I adored him and took care of him (well, I suppose my mom helped too) and gave him whatever he wanted. I had asked for a little brother so I felt he was mine.

Now he lives far away in Austin. He's been doing the single thing for years while I've been married and having babies. Our worlds were far away.

Then came the mention of a girl he was seeing. He didn't say a lot and I didn't pry. And then came the questions - How do you know you've found the right person. How can you be so sure?

I'm so glad he realized what a treasure he had found. He made it official at Navy Pier in Chicago last Thursday night and over the weekend we got to meet Cali Mari.

She's going to be my sister.

And my babies call her Aunt Cali already. I know my brother is in love and all, but it's important to note that my kids are in love with her too.

I'm wondering if maybe, as the years go by, I might be able to recapture some of what I lost with my sister, Julie.

There's also the fun of cousins looming in the future.

(Do you know which one is me?)

It makes my heart so full to know that my baby brother is happy. And to know that this aunt/sister/daughter that's being added to our family is perfectly wonderful is no small thing either.

I love that the distance between our worlds is shrinking.

Come September, there's going to be some mighty happy feet! ;)

Julia's Plays "Wildflower Waltz"

2011-05-03T21:04:00.003-05:00

Julia played this piece at their school concert last Friday night, but my video didn't turn out too good so we made this video after school today. The piano book is open to another song and she's actually playing from memory. I'm a little proud.

And then, when she was done, the little ones climbed up and wanted to play "Scary Scary". John David joined in too.

The Official "After" Bathroom Post

2011-05-02T19:57:00.002-05:00

Here's the pink bathroom one more time

(because I know everyone really wanted to see it again):

And here it is now:

This cabinet does need a little more painting and some knobs,

but I didn't want to put off the post any more. I had our "worker man" build this for us. We took out the medicine cabinet and this bathroom desperately needed somewhere to put stuff. I was nervous about how it would look in the small space, but I'm super happy we did it. Those baskets are from Hobby Lobby (half off baby) and they don't currently hold much other than hair bows for the girls.

I kept our old shower curtain thinking I'd shop around for a new one (I LOVE this one from Anthropologie but $148 is a little high for me! And check out this bath mat! Only $38 so maybe that will happen one day. In the meantime a bathmat towel works just fine for our poor student feet.)

I'm so excited about the fixture set I got on clearance at Home Depot for only $100. It's Delta, it's awesome, and it's normally almost $300. It feels amazing!

Loving the oil rubbed bronze! And the refinished tub is beautiful! You can not buy a bathtub like this anymore I've been told. It saved a lot of money to just refinish instead of replace too. In a picture later in the post you can see the lines of the tub's side. Lovely!

Here you can see the built in shelves. This was a very smart move, I think. It makes the bathroom feel more expensive and custom. And more storage! We lost a little room in the hall closet but it's worth it. The shelves are from the floor up to the ceiling.

We did tile all the way up to the ceiling instead of only part way up like the pink tile was.

We put some of the accent tile on the floor too. I love it! (A note on the tile - you do not have to spend big bucks on tile. You can, and if I had the money I would, but this tile tile only cost 1/4 of what we originally picked out and it looks great. I think adding a touch of accent tile goes a long way and with a bathroom this size wasn't a big cost anyway. I'm no tile snob! All of the tile was purchased at Lowe's by the way.)

One last look from the doorway. I haven't decided what, if anything, I'm doing for a window treatment. It gets a little busy since the shower curtain is right there so I'm leaning towards nothing. I still have the bamboo shade from before so we'll see. Also, the paint color is nomadic desert by Sherwin Williams (had it color matched at Lowe's with Behr paint). We started using that color for our flip house and I haven't found another I like better as far as this color family goes.

We've been in heaven with this new space. After living with the pink for so long, this is just incredible. It's still not huge, but it feels waaaay bigger. LOVE!

The End.

The Drain Blaster

2011-04-29T21:24:00.002-05:00

Since it was Friday night, John and I decided it was high time we do something fun and entertaining. Also, our kitchen sink was very, very clogged. Our handy man wasn't able to fix it. John was hoping he could do it himself. His optimism is endearing.

Behold, The Drain Blaster.....

This was after using maximum strength draino and a sink auger. I also endured having a plunger used in the sink by the handy man earlier today. The floor has flooded, grossness is everywhere. Sigh.....

The Bump

2011-04-29T13:47:00.002-05:00

Joshua woke up this morning complaining of pain and when I checked him out there was a big bump under his skin near his bladder. I took him to the doctor and it looks like he has a hernia. We'll go see a surgeon this coming week. Bummer. =( The good news is that he is doing good now and is playing normally.

All of that, combined with a flooded kitchen from a clogged sink, a school (or "shool" if you've seen Mega Mind! ha!) dinner and concert tonight, and a big lunch I'm heading up on Monday for the teachers is making it difficult to put up the official "after" post for our no longer pink bathroom. I hope you'll forgive me. The bathroom is lovely though and pictures will be here soon.

Outside Our window

2011-04-28T14:53:00.002-05:00

We have window boxes outside our upstairs windows and this week we found some baby birds!

Here is their beautiful mother. I had to take this through the closed window so you really can't see just how pretty she is. Her coloring is amazing!

When the mother gets food we can open the window. Or, if you're John David, you can just open the window and pretty much knock the mother bird out.

It's been so neat to have them right out our window, BUT I'll think twice about telling the kids next time. This window is behind our headboard so every chance they get they are climbing up on our bed and messing it all up just to see the birds. And there is now a little yellow bird toy that Julia has put in our windowsill to keep them company. The mother has looked a little stressed out by it all. Poor bird....

Reminded me of Easter 4 Years Ago

2011-04-25T15:36:00.002-05:00

After I finished our Easter picture post I was reminded of this Easter picture failure from 4 years ago back in San Angelo. Looks like my son has been perfecting his picture taking skills for some time now......

Egg Hunting

2011-04-25T14:43:00.005-05:00

My parents arrived Saturday morning and even though it was their 35th anniversary (wow!), they decided to celebrate Easter with us for the weekend.

They took us all to IHOP for breakfast, then they took the kids to see Hop while I came on home and cooked an anniversary meal and hid eggs.

We did half of the egg hunt in the front yard and half in the back.

Joshua decided he only wanted green eggs.

Aulora was enjoying a big lollipop with Grandmamma. She smiled and said she would always remember that moment because I was taking a picture of her and Grandmamma.

Joshua and Aulora traded licks.

It was a happy Easter!

Attempted Easter Pictures

2011-04-25T12:42:00.003-05:00

Easter was wonderful.

Easter pictures, however, not so much.

We tried.

And tried.

But between bright sunshine issues, cranky children, and one child who thought funny faces would actually be funny....

This is the best we could do.

Other than Joshua, the picture with my parents turned out pretty well.

Aulora felt the need to take a bow.

Thank you, Gran, for the beautiful clothes!

John David - of course he doesn't make the goofy faces here.

Julia is usually the easiest to take pictures of.

She's getting so tall!

Joshua, on the other hand, had NO desire to have his picture taken. He turned his back on the camera.

He hid his face with a stuffed animal.

This is what I was finally able to get.

I bet you can't guess who the cranky kid was.

The Princess Ring

2011-04-21T07:39:00.003-05:00

Last night, as Aulora was stroking my face and telling me about her time at church, she mentioned that she had dropped her princess ring in the potty at church. I then noticed she was wearing that princess ring. And then (as she is still cuddling with me and stroking my face) she tells me that she just reached right in and got her special ring. It was a touching moment.....

(How long do you think it took to get her to the bathroom sink for a good hand scrubbing?)

This Has to Stop!

2011-04-20T20:07:00.000-05:00

This is what the girls did to Joshua a couple of days ago:

He was thrilled and didn't want me to take anything off of him. He insisted he was a girl. John David nearly choked when he walked in the room.

There was this incident about a month ago too. This little man really needs a boy to play with during the day! He's had way too much exposure to dolls and tutus. Oh my....

Getting Closer to Having a Bathroom

2011-04-20T14:49:00.002-05:00

This whole bathroom thing has been long and painful. Mostly because of where the bathroom is and how whenever work is being done I have no access to my bedroom and all of upstairs is crowded and messy. The little ones like to play in their rooms a lot during the day so it's been a challenge. Anyway....Here's some progress pictures:

tile that still needs a good cleaning

some of the grout and all of the caulking has to be done after the bathtub is refinished

here are the built in shelves that aren't all the way set in or painted yet

Can you feel just how small this bathroom is? We've just been happy to have 2 1/2 bathrooms in this house. Most houses around us seem to have only 1 or 1 1/2 bathrooms.

Having a toilet in the hallway closet is a new trend we're trying to start. Don't be jealous!

Bowling

2011-04-18T16:27:00.002-05:00

My mom and I took the kids bowling during spring break a couple of weeks ago. If you enjoy pictures of the backside of peoples' heads, then this post will be especially riveting for you.

The speed at which Joshua's little ball traveled down the lane was painfully slow. Like, I think my mom went to the restroom and made it back before any pins went down.

Julia didn't do half bad - of course the bumpers were up.

John David bowled on a bumper-less lane with me and my mom. He wasn't half bad either.

Julia felt the need to help Aulora on all of her turns. This turned into Julia trying to take over some of the turns. Aulora is pretty easy going though.

Joshua was enjoying the hand fan. We also realized after a good while that he was pushing the reset button too. It made for an interesting game!

And although I'm sad that I didn't break 100 (a difficult thing since I was taking pictures, video, and helping little ones bowl) I do want to post this picture of my score. John David was trash talking the whole game because he thought he was going to beat me. But he ended up with 73 and I got 99. Yes! Victory, boy! I have to keep him in his place. (That's why I also beat him several times in air hockey at Chuck E. Cheese the next day.)

And just in case you haven't seen or heard about the kids bowl free program, you can check it out here!

Pinewood Derby

2011-04-17T17:26:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago we had the pinewood derby race at church. John David's car is the one in the middle. He made it himself and the Wednesday before the race they got to test their cars at Royal Rangers.

I asked him how he did and he said "I got fourth place." I thought that sounded pretty good so I was trying to encourage him, but then he told me that it was fourth place out of four. Then he told me that one of his friends bet him that he could beat his car with just a block of wood. Sadly, his friend won that bet!

Before the official race started, Daddy helped rearrange the weights on the car. It made all the difference in the world because John David was getting first and second in most of the races. He was so excited!

He won second place and his buddy won first.

Julia was very proud of her brother and his trophy.

Aulora and Joshua had fun with balloons, flags, and some little kid games that were set up.

Joshua and John David watch the races.

Paper airplanes were another good form of entertainment that day.

I think next year the girls and I should enter a car like this one!

The beginnings of tile

2011-04-15T19:09:00.002-05:00

Everything's still very messy, but we have progress! I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture, but we're making built in shelves where there was just a wall. We'll end up losing a little of the hall closet space but I think it will be worth it.

I'm excited that I found tile for a really great price that still looks great. It does in my opinion anyway! (and it is my bathroom and my blog so I guess I get the final say!)

There's a closeup of the accent tile.

Hello, you beautiful little piece of my oil rubbed bronze handle. I love you already.

I told you it was still messy. Work resumes at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

They said they were going on an adventure

2011-04-14T19:45:00.001-05:00

Dusty Brown is the Color Now

2011-04-13T09:20:00.003-05:00

Here's the progress from the first day. The pink tile turned out to be very stubborn. Whoever picked it out so many years ago must have wanted it to stay forever because they put it down with a couple inches of cement. Everything thing hanging on just about every wall in the house either fell off or was crooked because of all the banging and pounding. Wow.

Interesting to see what's behind the walls. I was hoping to find something cool so we could be on that show called "If Walls Could Talk" on HGTV. Maybe next time.

The tub refinishing man just came a little bit ago to start the tub.

But then he left because our contractor told me wrong. Apparently, you should do everything else in the bathroom first and then have the tub refinished.

Major bummer since now the tub people are a couple weeks out in their scheduling. Hopefully someone will cancel or another company can come sooner. This tub is the only one in the house. We have the (smallest ever) shower in the yellow bathroom but the three younger ones can't use it. At least it's not summertime so they won't be sweaty and gross. Lots of sponge baths may be in their future.

These things are never easy, are they?

I Love Pink

2011-04-12T13:09:00.003-05:00

....but not so much that I want it all over our bathroom.

Pink is finally on its way out!!!

Here's a picture of the bathroom before we bought our house:

And then here are a few pictures I took this morning after taking everything out and the demolition was about to begin.

When we first looked at our house, I thought the tub just needed a good cleaning. Wrong. It needed much more. I'll look a little closer next time we're house hunting! I don't think the picture shows how bad the tub is. Lucky you.

It's been a long (almost) two years to wait for this day. My house is currently covered in dust from all the work, but it's going to be so worth it! By this weekend (hopefully), we'll be doing a happy dance. (Okay, I admit it - I'm already doing a dance now!)

Ag Days

2011-04-01T16:28:00.002-05:00

Last weekend my mom and I took the kids to the fairgrounds for Ag Days. It was free and fun. That is all. Because what else do you need?

I think John David felt great kinship with these little pigs.

I cannot keep food in this house. (not the good stuff anyway!)

If we ever decide to get a cow for our backyard,

I now have a three year old who can do all the milking.

The people selling baby ducks for only $2 were just cruel. Of course all of my kids wanted one! (No, we did not get one.)

John David tried to ruin my picture, but I think he just made it more memorable. =)

Quote of the Day from the Sullivan House

2011-03-31T19:17:00.003-05:00

"I'm not poisonous, Julia!!"

(John David said this in complete exasperation when Julia was bothered by his touching.)

Family Game Night

2011-03-28T07:53:00.004-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we had a family game night.

It involved the lego gamed "Creationary"

some pizza

and some homemade "Maggie Moo" creations.

It was Joshua's turn to clean the table.

Basically, the game is like pictionary except you build things with legos instead of drawing a picture.

There were lots of snuggles and hugs.

I'm pretty sure that John David randomly chose to build something different several times during his turn. No wonder we couldn't guess the answer!

Daddy was very, very precise in his building. Like, annoyingly precise. ;)

On my turn I had to build a pyramid. At first I thought I had an easy one, but then I started. Legos are not for the faint of heart, dear friends. My little pyramid was surprisingly difficult. (Do not make fun of me until you have tried it.)

Here are some sweet sisters enjoying their ice cream.

Whipped cream anyone?

John David got more than he bargained for.

At least Julia knew it was coming!

Daddy had to show them how it's done.

Joshua wanted a turn too!

This is what Friday nights were made for.

(Well, that and staying up late to watch a movie after the kids are in bed because you know you can sleep late the next morning. That's pretty good too!)

Before and After

2011-03-27T20:14:00.004-05:00

I have very, very fond memories of eating my grandma's homemade cream puffs when I was growing up. They were soooo good and we didn't get them often - partly because we lived far away and I'm guessing partly because they were a lot of trouble. I know they're trouble because I made some yesterday!

It wasn't my grandma's recipe (I'm still waiting on my aunt to send it to me - hint, hint!) but it was from my Southern Living Cook Book and that's one fine book. I believe I could improve them a little, but for the first time I was pleased!

So, here's a before shot:

and the after shot:

And they were totally from scratch. Go me!

Best Buddies

2011-03-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

These two are best buddies.

For hours every day they play and play.

I really am super blessed.

The laundry basket is often a boat or a cage or a spaceship.

I love these guys!

Chore Time

2011-03-24T21:49:00.003-05:00

One of Julia's chores is cleaning all the bathroom sinks and counters. She likes to involve the little ones and usually has them help her.

She lets one of them squirt the cleaner (Mrs. Meyers of course!) and the other one gets to hold the paper towels for her. They all love it and I think it's great! And don't you love that the girls are cleaning in tutus?

Take a good look at that pink bathroom - it won't be around much longer!!! Woohoo!!!

Aulora Likes....

2011-03-22T15:11:00.002-05:00

Presents

and sprinkles.

Lots of sprinkles.

The end.

(just a few more old pictures I never posted from Christmas)

A TON of Christmas Videos!

2011-03-18T14:55:00.002-05:00

A VERY Belated Christmas Post

2011-03-18T09:30:00.007-05:00

It's March and here's a post full of Christmas pictures. I did it on purpose so that the joy of Christmas could be stretched further into the year. Like, into spring even. You're welcome.

We celebrated Christmas at home with my side of the family (my parents, my grandma, and my brother) and then we all drove to Tulsa. We went to be with John's side of the family and my parents went so they could continue on into Dallas and Austin to be with family there. So yes, there is a picture or two of my family at John's family's house. Confused yet?

Pictures were taken here at our house, but my dad took them with his camera and I don't have them. (Dad? That's your cue!) Some more posts will come later on in the day with some videos.

If you are a grandparent then you will probably love this post. If you are anyone else, run! =)

Julia helped decorate the tree at home.

John David was mighty helpful too. (Until he went scissor happy wanting to "trim" the tree a little too much!)

John made "Bananas Foster" for our Christmas dessert.

He set each batch on fire as he brought it to the table. It was hard to capture that action!

All the babies loved on Mimi.

John David roasted some marshmallows in the fireplace on the back porch.

Every time we turned around Aulora was dancing in one of the living rooms. Dodie was dancing with her this time while Gran played the piano.

We had a birthday cake for Jesus. It was SO good! (and chocolate!) Thank you Jesus for being born! ;)

Julia worked hard with Aunt Kara on a gingerbread house. I think she was mostly busy eating it though.

Aulora has that look on her face because her mouth is stuffed with candy.

That's more like it.

There they are dancing again and this time Joshua is trying to join them.

On Christmas morning John David received a note to let him know that Santa was too lame to bring his present inside.

He ran outside and discovered his very own go kart!

Aulora got her first bike!

A family meal

Gran and D at the head of the table

Uncle Zach gave Aulora a Memory game.

Not sure of the reason for the kiss but it's still sweet.

Joshua was the first allowed to run in and see what Santa brought. He got a Buzz tricycle and a big dinosaur.

There's Aulora finding her bike.

Julia is always happy for another Webkinz and she also got the Tangled doll house.

Thanks Gran and D for my Christmas Barbie!

The girls were each given a new Madame Alexander doll.

John David had his new lego set built in no time.

Reece, one of the dogs, was busy inspecting Joshua's new things.

I should probably explain to Aulora the difference between a pretty laugh and an ugly laugh. ;)

Julia's First Art Class Picture

2011-03-17T21:38:00.002-05:00

Julia was so excited to start art classes today for the first time. There were about five other kids in the class that she will be attending every Thursday. I can't wait to see what she will learn as the weeks go on.....

Whatever you're dreaming......

2011-03-08T19:43:00.002-06:00

...make sure it's God's dream.

Any other dream is just too small.

Aiming for Kingdom Life

2011-03-04T07:37:00.003-06:00

I read a moving blog post recently titled, "My Life For Yours: A Mother's Pondering About Her Body". Kelly, the author, was inspired to write the post after reading this quote from (at the time, pregnant) musician Alanis Morissette:

“I see my body as an instrument rather than an ornament.”

Motherhood is not without cost and, while I don't see this as an excuse to "let go of myself", it is very freeing. It's freeing to be okay with what my body is (and isn't). This body that I get frustrated with and would sometimes like to trade in for a thinner, more perfect version, is the same body that gave me four beautiful children.

Kelly also includes this excerpt from Loving the Little Years by author Rachel Jankovic:

“Our bodies are tools, not treasures. You should not spend your days trying to preserve your body in its eighteen-year-old form. Let it be used. By the time you die, you want to have a very dinged and dinted body. Motherhood uses your body in the way that God designed it to be used. Those are the right kind of damages…We are not to treat our bodies like museum pieces. They were not given to us to preserve, they were given to us to use. So use it cheerfully, and maintain it cheerfully. You want to fix your body up in order to be able to use it some more. We should not be trying to fix it up to put it back on the shelf out of harm’s way or to try to make ourselves look like nothing every happened. Your body is a tool. Use it.”

So I say -

Watch what you eat.......so long as you don't miss out licking the cookie dough off the beaters with your 7 year old.

Excercise....so long as you don't forget that playing chase with your preschoolers is far more beneficial.

Weigh yourself....so long as your little girl doesn't doubt her own beauty when she looks at her perfect little round belly.

Show your outward beauty....so long as your son sees your inward beauty more.

Look in the mirror....so long as you remember that your husband doesn't see those flaws when he's looking at you.

Work to be healthy and fit....so long as your aim in life remains solely on Kingdom purposes. Let Christ ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. (Matthew 3:11)

Don't Tell Daddy

2011-03-02T10:11:00.003-06:00

I recently went upstairs to find my son wearing the biggest pink tutu you've ever seen. He was happy about it and not about to take it off. So of course I took a picture. Perhaps he thought the Buzz Lightyear pajamas offset the pink ruffles?

I suppose I won't get worried unless he starts asking to go to ballet class with Aulora....

Clearly, These Two are Destined for Greatness

2011-03-01T15:10:00.003-06:00

The end is my favorite part. It totally takes me back to my days of girl scouts....

Power Nap? Energy Shake? That's Not What You Need.....

2011-02-28T07:39:00.004-06:00

I've pondered for almost a week now how I could share this story about my oldest daughter. It's too funny not to tell but I know it requires tact.

Unfortunately for you, I have not been able to think up a tactful way to share.

I took the kids to McDonald's last week (gasp! I know - please don't post nasty comments) and the three younger ones had happy meals. The girls' prizes were some sort of fairy dolls (that were, sadly, much more blessed than me in certain ways) and they were quickly more interested in playing than eating.

John David and I were talking and stopped just in time to observe Julia touching her doll's, uhm, chest area. She was in her own little world talking and playing so she didn't see us watching her.

Of course, we wondered where this was headed and we weren't disappointed because the next thing she said was, "It's time to power up! Rub the b**bies" to get powered up!"

(I'm blushing now. Can you see me?)

It Came Back

2011-02-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

Last week we were teased with temperatures in the 40s and 50s a few times. Glorious. It was short lived though and once again the snow and wind are at it again outside my window. This old house could really use new windows that keep that cold out!

The kids use our adirondack chairs and their sled to make a snow fort.

And below is a picture of John David in a snowball fight.

As much as that boy loves the snow, he has finally said he's ready for winter to be over. I think everyone else around here would agree!