For the Joy of it

Today we had the kids Winter Program at school. 

They all got dressed up in their Christmas best and were all smiles before school.

Bubba's favorite part was that they didn't have to bring backpacks to school and didn't have homework the night before or tonight.  Yippee! 

This momma got everyone ready in record time this morning.  The girls helped each other put their tights on because those things are difficult and Bubba begged to wear his watch to school "because it completes my outfit, Mom."  So with the little influence from me on what to wear, they looked absolutely beautiful.  I had to persuade Rosie not to have her hair in a ponytail today "just because it doesn't take as long as straightening"  and Gigi was just bubbling with excitement to wear her new dress. 

On Monday night, Gigi, Lil Miss and I went to the mall to find a new dress because I was certain we had a hand me down dress from Rosie to wear but I forgot that Rosie shot up 3 sizes in one year and never wore size 7/8 very long at all.  So with a vision of what she wanted (a pretty pink dress that goes all the way down to the ground like Cinderella) we headed off to the mall. 

Unfortunately we didn't come home with Cinderella's dress but we got the next best thing.... a very girly pink lace dress with a fur shawl that she wanted to sleep with.  Seriously. 

My little girl.

So of course this mother takes advantage of the kids in their pretty clothes and smiles a mile wide to snap a few pics. 

 {so grown up Rosie}

 {this girl just melts my heart and she knows it too-- she uses it against me  :-) }

{My easy going boy who didn't want Dodger to feel left out} 

And seriously the cuteness.  They were in the best mood this morning.  Rosie helped all the kids get their breakfast and she wouldn't even let me pour the milk.  Bubba cleaned out the dishwasher without being asked, and Gigi was just twirling around and around.  It was a good thing they didn't ask me for anything because I was in such a good mood we might have ended up with another dog at the end of the day or even worse a pony.   Try explaining that one to Nate. 

Nate was lucky enough to find time in his schedule to meet us at school for the program. 

The kids were back to back to back in order, since we are now in Second, First, and Kindergarten. 

Rosie sang:

He'll Be comin from the North Pole (sung to the tune She'll be coming around the mountain)

Don't Eat a Poinsettia  (pretty funny)

Up on a Housetop

and Mousie in the Snow 

Bubba was as energetic as could be. 

His grade sang:

Listen to the Jingles

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

We're Gonna go on a Sleigh Ride

and Polar Puppy

 

I had the realization today seeing him with all his other classmates on how much he has grown in the last year.  Last year he was in the front row and was one of the shortest kids in the grade, but now he is on the second riser and some of his pants are now capris.  Can you say growth spurt?

Of course in Bubba fashion, he was bowing to the crowd at the end.... even though no one else was. 

He knew he sang well.   LOL 

Our little Gigi had her debut at her very first school program. 

As predicted she was shy and walked in with her hands over her face.  I heard some other parents point her out and say look at that girl who is so shy. 

But she proved us all wrong as soon as the music started playing she was singing away. 

{Lil Miss and Mommy in the audience} 

Gigi sang:

I want to be an Elf (I know this one by heart because she has sang it over & over)

The Snowman

On this Night

The Santa Claus Rock

At the end we waited for the kids to be released and took them home before lunch.  Some kids stayed until early out at 1:10 but we took the kids out for lunch to surprise them. 

Lil Miss was so excited to see her brother and sisters.  It was like she hasn't seen them in weeks... not 2 hours.

 The kids did great at Applebee's and it was kind of fun going out to eat in the middle of the week with all of us.  I think it makes it more special because we don't do it all the time.  

 When we got home, daddy went back to work for a few hours and the kids and I found things to keep us busy.  Like climbing mommy's woodwork.  Literally.  For the first time he was in the doorway shimming himself up the archway to the top.  Not halfbad.  Don't tell Dad...  shhhhhh.

 For supper, mommy was feeling especially Martha Stewart like so we had BLTs, baked tomatoes with basil and grated Parmesan cheese on top, and pumpkin trifle for dessert. 

Yum Yum.

It all turned out really good.  The sign of a good dessert is when the bowls are licked cleaned.  And Gigi didn't leave a crumb of dessert behind. 

To make the night EVEN more exciting we also had our snowflake central at church tonight. 

The kids were able to make and wrap their own gifts for people.  

You lucky people are going to be so excited!  Sadly mommy knows that Daddy is receiving TWO presents and no one made one for me,  frowny face. 

Oh well, the smile on their faces as they taped those presents up was gift enough.   

And to top it off we left with sugar cookies and hot cocoa. 

I would call our day complete. 

This mommy is a little tired but happy. 

I have a decaf coffee in my hand and Les Miserables the book waiting for me upstairs.

Adios!



Jolly Old St Nickolas

Our house feels very festive.

I have the lights on outside (not as many as I put out last year, but I don't think anyone has noticed).

The trees are all up and decorated in the house. 

Oh, I said trees plural.  The traditional one upstairs, the white girly one downstairs and then the small table top tree on the bar which has gone from a Noah's ark tree, to a tree for Rosie's room with lots and lots of tinsel, to this year an Ohio State tree.  



The stockings are all hung on the chimney with care in hopes that someone was coming last week.... Jolly Old St Nick.

So the whole St Nick thing isn't something that I grew up with.

I remember having conversations with my mother about St Nick when everyone else was talking at school but it wasn't something we celebrated as a kid.

Nate on the other hand would put their Christmas lists in their stockings on Dec. 5th and then St Nick would come take them and drop a few things off in their stockings. 

As Lil Miss got the Veggie Tales movie about St Nickolas in her stocking we have been hearing about the story of St Nick all week and how he was a gift giver.  But not just any gift giver, he gave to the poor, assisted the needy and helped the sick and suffering. 

The story is just one more in which I can reinforce the need to give to others in my children. 

Yes, they might get gifts in their stockings or under the tree on Christmas day, but it is so much more meaningful to give to others who need it more. 

Lil Miss sure gets excited every time she hears a bell ringer and grabs for my shirt sleeve to tell me to get some change out.  My coin purse is now empty.  I have to refill it about once a week. 

She trots over to the red metal buckets and stands on her tippy toes and just barely reaches the hole to drop her coins in.  It's never to young to do that!



 



Rosie (the tallest of the four) helped the kids get their stockings down from the mantel to see what St Nick had left.  They got a movie, and a small toy and the big girls got cute ear muffs which they so desperately needed so their hair doesn't get all matted down in a knit hat.

Gigi was all smiles over her Hello Kitty earmuffs.

That same day was Bubba's birthday. 

I had asked him earlier in the week what he wanted for dinner on his special day. 

His answer:  chicken! 

My boy loves his chicken. 

So this momma decided to fry up some of Grandma Aggie's Fried Chicken for dinner.

It made the house smell so good! 

The house was permeated with fried chicken baking in the oven getting tender and falling off the bone.   Reminded me of going over to Grandma's for dinner and getting mashed potatoes and gravy and all that wonderful goodness.

I am not a pro at making her chicken because I can't master the art of frying chicken without ending up with grease burns. 

And the ones on my arm just might be permanent.  :-) 

I did the whole chicken dance. 

The one where you drop a chicken leg in the pan and jump back and then put another one in and jump back as quick as you can.  But alas my jumping skills must not be that good because it got me. 

Now I know there is a trick to this that I must learn from my mother or Aunt Carol because I am sure my grandmother was not jumping around with her chicken while frying every week. 

I need to learn the secret. 

 

When we came to the weekend we got to spend some great time with old and new friends.

Lots of food was consumed and laughter shared among us.

The kids love playing with friends and Rosie has an infatuation with little babies to play with. 

 One thing that Rosie started last week was sewing. 

Oh yes, this momma is proud my girl is sewing. 

One of her friends had gotten her a sewing kit for her birthday so we sat down and did her first project.  She made her own little stuffed frog. 

As the project went on she really got into the swing of the straight stitch. 

She can't wait to sew more projects with me.   

On Sunday night we had a popcorn and movie night. 

I love those!!

We watched Cinderella (which Nate didn't think he had ever saw!) and snacked on some Boy Scout Popcorn.  Can't go wrong with that.  

It was nice to sit down to some family quiet time when the whole weekend was filled with guitar music from Bubba's new guitar. 

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Ash surprised Bubba with his own guitar and an amp to make it even LOUDER! 

Thank you Jeff and Ash... but where was the ear plugs for mommy and daddy? 

:-)  No seriously he is in heaven and is often found now in his room on the edge of the bed playing a tune.  It's the little things. 

Now it's Monday night and I just heard Bubba tell me all about the caroling they did at a nursing home for Boy Scouts.  Rosie went along too and they sang songs and smiled and got candy canes at the end!!  So much excitement. 

Nate said he sang his heart out too.... that might have been said sarcastically. 

I need to get him in the holiday spirit. 

Maybe a family sing along is needed for this weekend to get him in the mood. 

Not sure, what do you think? 

Angels we have Heard on High

Today is a day that was a happy day at one time. 

It was the day that Nate's little niece Melissa Marie was born. 

She was as cute as could be, with eyes that could melt your soul.

Nate's brother and sister in law chose us as Godparents.

It was the first time I was picked to be a godmother.  I was ready to spoil her forever.

Birthdays, Christmases, her wedding, every moment I could I was going to sprinkle this bundle of joy with gifts and love.

But we only got 18 months. 

For a reason only known to God our father she was taken before we could celebrate her second birthday, or I could treat her to goddaughter pedicures, or watch her try on wedding dresses.

We only had a few short months to love her and be in the presence on one star shining so bright. 

Some children just have that light. 

That smile that can melt you and brings a smile to everyone who sees her.

Missy had that.

 

So as today would have been Missy's 9th birthday I reflect on how much our family has changed and how so many cousins and babies have been born. 

How many events have taken place. 

But that little girl who was born 9 years ago today is always remembered. 

I believe Missy's death has brought our family closer together.

When she passed away we all leaned on each other to get through our grief and heal.

She is a brilliant angel in heaven watching down on us.   



I was holding my "Lil Miss" today and thinking how as a parent that you could never "get over" losing a child. They are part of you.

It's something that gets easier to talk about and you find ways to deal with the loss, but you never forget. It doesn't matter how long you knew them or how long they were here on earth. They steal a little piece of your heart.  So to Dale and Stacy on this day may you find comfort to know that she has never been forgotten and that she still holds a place in our hearts.  



 Happy Birthday Melissa Marie!

Melissa Marie
Dec 10th 2003 - July 1st 2005

Family Time

You ever have one of those moments where you step back and look at your life at that exact moment and think everything is perfect?

If you could stop time and make it stand still you would be content to stay in that moment forever?

Saturday I had one of those moments. 

I actually got up from what I was doing. 

Stared at my family in all their glory and smiled. 

The biggest smile a girl could smile. 

Oh, and then I took a picture.  LOL 

 

 

Saturday was our "recoop from staying up way too late the night before and recovering from birthday sleepover day".  We made it through basketball (with only a few tears) and nap time, before the kids looked at us and asked "now what are we going to do?"

Usually I give them the cookie cutter answer... "Do... there is so much to Do.  Go read a book, play with your toys, go play wii, watch tv, anything but mommy is doing something right now."

This is not the "moment".

This is more like a not so good parent moment but the moment every parent needs once in a while just for some peace and quiet. 

But instead I told the kids "let's play some games!"

We all got our pajamas on and got out Rosie's new game Headbanz. 

It's a game where you wear a funny looking blue band on your head and then try to guess what object/person/animal is on the card up there. 

It is very hilarious.

We don't have enough "game nights" with the kids. 

But usually we have excuses that we are too busy or one of us has to watch our two year old or she will destroy the house while we are not looking. 

But on this night Daddy was in the mood to play too and Mommy had no excuses to do anything else.  So we all played. 

Lil Miss played with the headbanz and tried to join in occasionally too.

 

 There wasn't any fighting, except when they were wrestling cards away from their baby sister, and the game was really fun and appropriate for their ages. 

Yes, some of the objects were hard for them to guess. 

But as they play this game it will only get easier.  

{looking good honey!}

After the game was over, mommy won, Rosie wanted to get out her castle.

One of her friends had gotten her this big cardboard castle.  Isn't that the best gift ever!  I want one just for me.   I helped her set it up and got out the markers and her and I started coloring. 

Soon Gigi and Bubba had asked to help to. 

Rosie was nice enough to let them help with her castle. 

She definitely didn't have to let them color but she did. 

Soon we were on a roll coloring away and taking breaks from coloring when Lil Miss wanted to get in and play peek a boo.  After awhile Daddy came to see what we were doing and picked up a marker and to my shock started coloring too!!!!!

 

 {a little blurry but Bubba captured this pic of mommy and daddy coloring}

Now daddy is an engineer and a bit (said sarcastically) of a perfectionist. 

So he took his time at coloring in his little torch but I was really impressed at how he just let the kids color how ever, even though he was trying to make it "just right".  

The torch turned into the crown on the frog and then the whole frog and before we knew it Daddy had been coloring for an hour. 

I think that is the longest time he has ever colored.   

 The kids all really enjoyed it and we only had to get up and check on Lil Miss a few times. 

And here is the big shocker... she never once got her hands on a marker laying around. 

Put that down in the record books.

This was the "moment" I was talking about. 

I had gotten up to get a new marker and looked around me.

At Rosie supervising her sister's work.

At Gigi doing her best to color in the lines.

At Bubba with his head phones on singing "Beat It" coloring in the shield.

To my husband bantering with the kids sprawled on the ground coloring in a frog.

And at Lil Miss in the background playing with her dolls.

At that moment I remembered how lucky I am.

It almost made me cry. 

I remembered we don't have to be running around finding things to do to make memories.

We can color in our own basement and find the greatest joy of all. 

I had forgotten that somewhere. 

 

I went to bed knowing how special my family is.

They make me smile and laugh and cry.

And it is pretty perfect. 

 

And to make it even better, get this!!  

At 7:30 this morning my alarm went off. 

This is shocking because usually Lil Miss is up at 6:25 on the dot everyday but today my alarm goes off and there was no sound from the baby monitor.  Then I remembered I turned it off in the middle of the night (because of some feedback through the speaker) and got up to see if my kids were still sleeping by some miracle. 

None of the kids were in their beds. 

No kids were downstairs in the office watching tv.

Where do I find them?

In the basement coloring and singing. 

I think I was ready to have a heart attack. 

There they all were sitting on the floor coloring and singing Christmas songs. 

Really, can someone pinch me. 

 

I always knew I was a lucky girl.

But sometimes you just need a reminder on just how perfect life is.

I wouldn't trade mine for the world!!!

It's the Holiday/Birthday Season

 Oh, it's started.

The holiday season of parties, lights, caroling, and an obscene amount of fatty foods. 

This week we also started a major rush in birthdays in our family.

Rosie celebrated her 8th birthday on Thursday and Bubba celebrates his this coming Thursday.

They have both talked about having a birthday party for the last couple of months.  Actually for the last year.  I remember Rosie in December last year saying who she was going to invite to her birthday party in 12 MONTHS.  What can I say we love birthdays!

We are not a big birthday party kind of family but we like to make it special.

They go to all their classmates parties at Monkey Joe's and Incredible Pizza and all these cool places and then this mommy feels so mean for never doing the "BIG" parties. 

Do you know how expensive that is?

So last year Bubba ended up going to someone else's birthday party instead of having one himself (as I write that it sounds really bad but he had alot of fun) and Rosetta had three girls over for a few hours.  So after much convincing this year, daddy finally relented to letting the two older kids have a birthday party.  Rosie wanted a sleepover and pedicures. 

So girly.

Bubba asked to go swimming.  No easy task in early December.

So this mommy set out on a mission to create wonderful birthday parties for each. 

On Rosie's actual birthday we were pretty low key since her big bash was the next night. 

She asked for Hamburgers with an egg on top for her special meal. 

Yep, that's right. An Egg.

We make unusual meals for the kids sometimes and sometimes they really love them. 

Daddy cleaned out the grill just for the occasion and we grilled in the dark for supper.

Daddy even grilled the buns!   

For dessert we decided to go to Coldstone for ice cream. 

We were going to be on cake overload after the weekend so ice cream was a nice change. 

The previous night Nate had put together her new bike while watching the Duke vs. Ohio State basketball game.  What a Daddy!

The birthday girl had a hard time getting to sleep that night from all the excitement but finally crashed from exhaustion. 

After school she paced by the door until her 7 friends were here. 

As they started to arrive the squeals and giggles got louder and LOUDER.

I had created a girl haven downstairs with tables and centerpieces, decorations, and everything girly.   

{All ready for the party}

This mommy cleaned off my entire sewing table and stashed it all away just to make a nice area for her girls to play, eat, dance and do cartwheels.  My sewing "stuff" is now in a big heap in the craft closet.  On agenda tomorrow, clean craft closet out.

 Nate stayed upstairs with our three other kids and I was on girl party duty. 

We had pizza, and cake and then while we were watching movies later ... popcorn. 

 {it was one bright cake}

Can't believe we have a daughter who is 8!!!

Time has flown so fast... where did it go? 

She went from a girl who plays with barbies to a girl who only wants makeup and her nails done.

Nate is not ready for this stage.  LOL 

Mommy is not ready for this stage either. 

I want to keep my daughter as little as I can for as long as possible.  But time and society is against me.  I am trying my hardest though to keep her young.

 Her friends brought over some great gifts and she was ecstatic over each and every one.  

 Bubba grabbed his DS to take pictures of the gift opening.

Lots of purses, lip gloss, drawing markers, and anything with sequins!!!

{the crew}

 The girls played pictionary and I was amazed out how good they were at drawing. 

{Little Divas}

The night was a success.

I had had nightmares about drama and tears and girls not being able to sleep, but in the end it all went so smoothly.  Actually I had planned for so many activities we didn't even have time to do them all.

I would have to give our first sleepover an A+.

Mommy was a little sleep deprived but nothing the smile on my daughter's face couldn't cure. 

I do all the "Stuff" to make my kids happy and don't expect them to really appreciate it. 

But when your kids come up to you and thank you for what you've done.....priceless.

I love that little girl.

 We had just enough time to rest and catch up on sleep before Bubba's birthday party was upon us. 

Okay, so their birthdays are a week apart and I could have put their birthday parties on different weekends, but I didn't want to fill two weekends with planning, prepping, and cleaning.   So I made an executive decision and planned them on the same weekend.  Nate just went with the flow.  A Friday night and a Sunday afternoon.  One at our house and the other at the YMCA. 

Not a bad decision.

The birthday parties went great and now next weekend can be much more relaxing and not spent worrying about a party. 

I will give myself a pat on the back.  LOL

If you remember from earlier I mentioned that the boy wanted to go swimming so after brainstorming where we could go swimming in December I called our local YMCA and set up a party. 

I didn't have to do any cleaning for this one and all I had to do was bring the food and supplies.   

Bubba invited a few boys and with the 6 of us we had ourselves a party.

I skipped out and didn't make any of their cakes, instead opting for store bought.  They turned out great!!  Daddy even picked up trick candles for Bubba's cake. 

It was pretty funny. 

He would blow them out and then one would light again. 

He would blow it out and another would light. 

It was entertaining.

Bubba was thoroughly delighted by the very boyish gifts he got from his friends. 

Basketball cards, race cars, bey blades everything a boy could hope for.   

We played pin the belt buckle on the Power Ranger person I don't know. 

Bubba got a little dizzy.   

Gigi got pretty close. 

But one kid got it right on the exact spot. 

Nate and I expect a little cheating was involved. 

I should have known when I asked him how many fingers was I holding up and he replied "11". 

 My son was in his glory with all his friends playing in the pool. 

His grin was from ear to ear. 

They played volleyball and

 went down the slide.

I know they wore Nate out. 

He took a nap today and was in bed by 9:30.

Daddy was a rockstar today.

He kept the boys from hurting each other as they wouldn't stop touching each other and wrestling.

Ugh... boys.

He chaperoned all the kids in the pool.

And even took the kids who couldn't pass the swim test down the water slide.

I couldn't have done this without him. 

He deserved a nap today.

 

It was a fun weekend and the kids had a great time with all their friends. 

We have talked to them and told them that this won't happen every year, but it was really wonderful to see them interact with their friends and to meet some of the parents of the kids they talk so much about.  Our only problem is that Gigi is now talking about HER birthday party and what she is going to do.  The problem with having three kids so close in age is that when one does something the others assume they get to too.   We will see, but not this year little one!