Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Spring is in the air...



And even though the ground is still wet and in some places down right marshy, we have been enjoying time outside.

The kids have been playing with all of their toys and getting muddy. They really ejnoy this time of year when getting muddy is ok and there are puddles to jump into.

Mom does not mind ~ That is why there are bathtubs!!!

As for me, I have been digging in the dirt as well. The weeds do not stand a chance with me out there now. I have also planted some seeds, transplanted a few things and in general have been cleaning up things outside.

It is starting to look good out there.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Share and Share Alike



The kids are all pretty good about sharing toys. They have no choice in sharing a room but still do so with good humor on most days. They LOVE to share food especially when one kiddos does not like one thing and can trade it for what the other kiddo does not like in turn.

But why, oh why, do they have to share every sniffle, cough, cold, bug, illness, fever and disease that comes into the house???

No matter what we do we have to share even that which should not be shared.

Today Mikey and Charlie are sharing the sniffles. Mikey has it worse. Jonny and Charlie are sharing pink-eye. Charlie has it worse.

Ahhh well, this too shall pass....

...until the next time something comes wandering in with one of them to be happily shared with another.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I am ready to go outside...



Or so he thinks.

Charlie was taking his sweet time getting dressed this morning so he got left behind when I took the kids to the bus stop. He convinced Dan, between work calls, to get on his hat and jacket so that when I got home, he was ready to go outside.

He cried and cried at the front door dressed like this until I felt soooo bad that I put his pants, socks and shoes on him and took him out to play in the snow.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Alyssaisms and brags



Today seemed to be an Alyssa day. Looking through the pile of homework that came home on Friday but got delivered to mommy on Monday I came across class project paper book about the 100th day of school.

It is titled "My 100th Day Wish Book"

Inside the kids wrote wishes in fill in blank style and drew pics. Here is what Alyssa's said.

I wish I had 100 buloons.
I wish I had 100 Dolers.
I wish I had 100 koocies.
But I do NOT want 100 Kids!

I was telling my friends that she must have been on brother overload the day she wrote that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Then this afternoon Lys came home from school with a paper on her latest AR test. She and Dan have been reading Eragon the past few weeks and she took it to school today so she could test on it. She scored 16 out of 20 which is very impressive since it is a 6th grade book and she is just in 1st grade. I am quite proud of her. She is looking very forward to the next book in the series, Eldest, just so she can go and test on it at school.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Longing for spring...



Things are starting to pop up all over the garden. My daffodils are ready to bloom and the columbines are slowly unfurling their leaves. My spices are coming back to life and peeking out from under the dirt as well. Spring is in the ground but not yet in the air as we are still getting lots of rain and the occasional snow flurry.

It seems as though spring has also struck the kids. They are wishing the sun would come out so they can ride their bikes. Dreaming of long summer days under the sprinklers and in the pool have begun.

It makes for long and loud weekends when the rain is pouring down and the wind blowing.

Soon, I tell them, hoping it will be true, soon spring will have truly sprung and the vastness of the great outdoors will once again be available to us all.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Snuggle Boys



One of my favorite parts of the day is snuggle time.

It can happen any ole time of the day or night and usually consists of me in the recliner with one or more boys in my lap.

The hugs and kisses, laughter and smiles...

This is what being a mommy is all about!

NOT a morning person



In all ways you can imagine, I am not a morning person. This becomes difficult when you have 4 out of 6 children who like to wake up early. Not only do they wake up early but they wake up like their daddy, alive, vibrant and ready for the day the moment their eyes open.

For the most part, Lys and Jonny, the two who are most awake and also the loudest, tend to remain calm. They will turn on the TV and get dressed for school.

Then there are days like today. 6:15AM and I can hear arguing coming from the bedroom. Mind you, this is a full 45 minutes before anyone else in the house needs to be awake. The arguing is followed by a stern hush to Jonny from Alyssa. (At least SHE knows they are not supposed to be arguing.)

Wonderful silence follows until about 10 minutes to 7 when they can simply no longer contain themselves. I grumble as I head down the hall only to run smack dab into Lys as she is running out of her room to attempt to get to the computer first Jonny flying after her, not dressed at all and trying to scream in a whisper that he gets the first turn.

No computer for either of them as they are told to go and sit down for breakfast.

I am pretty sure I fed them cereal but since I was not really awake until long after they left for school, who really knows.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Reminders



Why is it that it takes a jolt to remember to do something that you wanted to do in the first place? I was very excited to start this blog, just another place to put my thoughts and all those cute lil things that happen in my day. But I have not posted here in over a month. Until I got a reminder.

A friend of mine started a blog...

and then another...

and we talked about them...

and I remembered my Blog...

and here I am...

But it is not just this. I forget so many things I want to do until someone knocks me upside the head with a reminder that makes me think, "Oh yeah, I wanted to do that" and then I get moving.

Must be getting old!

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Big Red Truck




Dan went out and picked up a truck last night. We have been without a vehicle for a couple of months now.

Mikey exclaimed when he saw the truck with a squeal of delight. "Mommy, now we have a BIG RED TRUCK just like The Wiggles Big Red Car.

As for me, I love the truck. It is huge and runs great. Dan thinks it is his, but I am laying claim to it!

Saturday, February 10, 2007

An Afghan for Vanessa




Finished up the 2nd of two matching afghans for my Forum friend Vanessa. I am so proud of the work I did on this one and hope they both keep Vanessa, Rufus and Taylor warm and cozy.

Friday, January 19, 2007

I am too bigger!



I was sitting in the living room, only sort of listening to the conversation that Jonny and Mikey were having at lunch. Their voices got louder and caught my attention with Jonny saying, "No you aren't" followed by Mikey's tearful, "Yes I am." I told them both that it was enough arguing and to please eat your lunch and got up to go into the kitchen to make sure that is what was going to happen.

I walk in to find Mikey standing on his chair, about to burst into tears, and yelling at Jonny across the table, "Yes I am too bigger!" He then sat down and Jonny who could see I was standing in the doorway whispers, "Now you're not."

Mikey stands up again in the kind of frustration that only a 3 year old can muster and yells to Jonny again, "Yes I am too bigger!". He sees me and says, "Mommy, tell Jonny I am too bigger when I stand up."

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Kids and Snow



There is something magical about snow. We were lucky enough to wake up to a winter wonderland, very unusual for this area. The kids were let loose into the cold after lunch and fun followed.

Snow flew threw the air, the power of Jonny's 4 year old arm behind it, followed by a squeal from Alyssa and a laugh from Jonny for a shot well aimed. All was great until Mikey decided that Charlie needed to be included as well and hit him in the face with a small handful of snow. A good brushing off and lots of hugs and all was well in the world again.

Patrick and Zack worked on a snow fort with the neighbor and Mr. Snowman was built and decorated before the chill set in and all came into the nice warm house. All in all, a wonderful day!

Friday, January 12, 2007

What is it about being touched....



that sets my 2 year old off? I wish I knew. Charlie is pretty happy around people unless they touch him at which point he has a complete meltdown. So for the most part we avoid touching. The family knows this and knows if they pick him up, he will likely scream. He is getting used to everyone and handles it better but when it comes to strangers, come prepared with earplugs.

It makes life a little difficult when we have to go to the doctors office as we have been doing a lot with him being so sick this past month. If they could diagnosis him by looking at him, we would all be happy. Too bad it is not that easy.

So at our visit to the doctor today I am sitting in the room with Charlie and the nurse. She is commenting on how adorable he is and what a happy child. She has not had such a happy child in her space for a while. I chuckle a bit and tell her that it is about to change just as soon as she comes any closer. You can tell she does not believe a word I say when she smiles at him and reached right out to listen to his lungs.

Charlie immediately goes limp, starts crying and doing everything he can to get away from that nurse who he has all of the sudden decided is some kind of monster come to get him. She pauses for a moment at which point I tell her just to continue because it will not get any easier.

So we get through all of the important stuff, with him screaming the entire time. Just as soon as the nurse backs away, my happy child is back. This time the nurse chuckles and says to me, you are right about him having a little stranger anxiety.

That was some kind of understatement in my book!

On a good note we have ruled out all kinds of things and determined that Charlie has Asthma and is allergic to cats. Both things we can manage to handle.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

And so it begins



So I thought it was about time I started a blog. I do all kinds of other things on the Internet so why not this as well.

Now that I am here, what will I do. I am sure it will all come to me in due time.