We are finally home!!

Two weeks is a long time to be away from home. Let me tell you. Last night Elaina asked me when we were going to travel again and I said it would be about 5 weeks and she burst into tears. She said, "I just want to stay home!!!" So now we have a little bit of laundry, a little bit of dishes and a whole lot of mail to sort through.

Now that we are home I am looking forward to posting regularly. I also finally got the prize for the contest in the mail and soon I will be posting a qualifying question.

We have been home for less than 24 hours and Elaina has already cut Eily's hair. It doesn't take them long to get back into destruction mode.

Baby is doing well. Kicking all the time and pushing tiny little feet and hands up into my rib cage.

Enjoy what you are doing for it is the last time you will do it this decade.

I think I may make some resolutions this year. I haven't done that in about 5 years. I think it's time.

Happy Holidays

I hope everyone has a great holiday week.
I'll be back after all the fun.

This week on Insanity...

Mommy is on the war path today. I am so tired of their whining and complaining. GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.

This is strange. Our answering machine just came on. No ringing and no message was left. Very odd.

Ok, back to de-stressing. This week is a crazy week. Everyday seems to have a jam packed schedule and we are leaving soon to go to Tennessee for my cousin's graduation party and then Christmas with Jason's family. My sweet, sweet grandmother was listening to me and my sister talk Sunday night after church about this upcoming week and she told me to send all my laundry and ironing to her house with Dad so she can have it ready for us before we have to leave. That's the kind of woman she is. Selfless and aware of what needs to be done. She's the coolest grandma ever. So today I'm trying to get all the laundry done so that at least she won't have to mess with that part of it all.

We had Christmas here this morning. Last night, Lala came to watch the girls and Jason and I went to Fort Smith to buy some presents and stocking stuffers. It was fun. We came home after the girls were asleep and we wrapped presents, stuffed stockings and cleaned the Living Room so that it would sparkle for the festivities.

The girls had made these snowflakes with Lala while we were shopping.

It looked a lot like a little Christmas wonderland.

It's a blurry picture but the stockings were sweet looking.

Hopefully, by next year I will have Elaina's stocking made. My goal is a stocking a year.

Waiting for the gate to be removed so that they can see the presents.

 These are the expressions we were hoping for.

 Even Charlie got something!

 Her most wanted item this year.

It was a lot of fun.  Now back to the crazy schedule and the crazy mommy. I'll see all you family from Tennessee very soon!!!



A Few Things

It's not that I forgot. I tried several times to post but it wouldn't download the pictures I wanted to add to the post. I think it's because I had used photoshop to make them look crisp and nice and apparently that's too much for blogger to handle. I will try again later and if it doesn't work this time I think I will just use the original photos.

Elaina and Claire are going to be in their first Fun Run this morning. It is half a mile and they are really excited about it. I have been wanting to get Elaina in one for a while but I never could find one for her to do. Their cousin, Aaron, will be doing it with them so I think the whole event will be a fun experience.

Claire is too adorable. And a stinker.

We had an ultrasound this week and I am proud to say we didn't cave and find out what the baby is. The girls are 100% for sure it's a boy because "it looks like a boy in there" but I had to tell them that they all looked like little old men when they were born. Especially miss Claire. They are still convinced it will be a boy and I have to admit I think of it as a boy also but I expect it to be a girl when it is born. It's just a habit. My babies are born. My babies are girls.

Everyone have a happy day today. That's an order!

Gingerbread house time!

Every year the girls and I make a gingerbread house. Elaina showing off her side.

Claire showing her side.

                                                   Here is the finished house.  This is the front.

                                               This is Claire's side of the house.

                                               This is Elaina's side of the house.

                                        This is Eily's side of the house. That's right. There is no side there. She spilt water all over her side and it became mush. So we stuck a sideways snowman in the hole.

                                          Our new puppy, Charlie.               

                                                              Happy Day #1!

                                                             CANDY!!!!

Happy December!

1. We have a new puppy named Charlie.
2. We are about to make our gingerbread house.
3. Our real house is clean.
4. The laundry is done.
5. There are no groceries here.
6. Claire appears to have grown up overnight.
7. We might put up our winter decorations today.
8. I had a nephew born on Thanksgiving day. It was cool.
9. I need to book a Pampered Chef Show this month. Any takers?
10. Be cheerful! You only have 31 days left of this year. Make them happy ones.

Claire, as herself.

 



You figure it out.

I was just told a story that started like this:

"Once upon a time there was a wolf named Little Red Riding Hood. She was a little man. And then she went on a date with a wolf."

And Now I Know

Eily is loving. Eily is talkative. Eily is amusing. Eily is strange.


Eily started sleeping through the night at about six weeks old. It was marvelous. She would rock herself to sleep by, (are you ready for this?), humping. And that's the last time I will use that word in this post. From here on out I will refer to said motion as smiling.

So, anyway, she smiles her self to sleep every night. Really, she does it anytime she needs to feel comforted. If you are holding her and she is tired she will smile against your stomach. If you are sitting on the couch, she will lie on your lap and smile the couch. And she doesn't just smile. She has to have something under her bottom to smile into. Her "something" of choice is Brown Bear. When he was lost a little while back we had try-outs with the various stuffed animals in the house to see which one was the most comfortable to tuck under her bum so that she could smile. So strange. When we stayed all afternoon at church a couple of weeks ago, I made her take a nap. But before she could go to sleep we had to find a pillow or a blanket that could sufficiently replace Brown Bear. If she is in bed and not smiling, we know that she's not going to sleep yet. You have to wait for that smiling motion before you can breathe that parental sigh of relief that comes at night when you know it's ok to sit and put your feet up because they can stay up for more than 3 seconds. 


Every night Eily comes in around 3am and gets in our bed and Jason moves to the couch. We are really tired of this routine and we know all we have to do is put her back in her bed for a night or two and she'll stop but we are both so tired from the lack of sleep that comes from her nightly interruption that we just cooperate with her demands. ANYTHING FOR SLEEP. We are almost to the point that we are so exhausted from the ritual that we will be empowered to stop it. But not yet.  So two nights ago, Eily had hopped in and Jason had stumbled out and I was trying to get her situated so I could just go back to sleep. First she had to locate Brown Bear. Then she had to get the covers just right and finally, after a few drinks (of water), she started smiling. I just watched her for a moment and then I finally just came out and asked her,


"Why in the world do you do that when you go to sleep?"
"You mean why do I bump?"
"Yes. Why do you do that?"
A slight pause and then,

"Because that what Eily's do!"

And now I know.


P.S. Anyone want to trade lives with Brown Bear? No? Didn't think so.

Give thanks

for a Giveaway is coming soon!!

Oh yeah,

And for my brother-in-law, David, I'm glad the Aggies won. :)

Last week before Thanksgiving!

Hooray! Thanksgiving is almost here! Woop!

It am thankful for three little girls that have a crazy and wild imagination.

I'm thankful for a husband that makes it possible for me to stay home with the girls.

I'm thankful for a new nephew that should make his debut any day.

I'm thankful for my church family.

I'm thankful for my parents and their home that is always open and provides instant calmness to my soul.

I'm thankful for music.

Elaina failed her eye screening test yesterday and therefore has an eye appointment next week. She is soooooooo excited.

I start my 5th month this week. It's hard to believe.

A funny:
We were in TJMaxx this afternoon and as we were walking out, Elaina looked up at a *ahem* larger woman, smiled her sweetest smile and said, " I'm so happy that you have a baby in your tummy!" I just looked straight ahead, tried not to laugh and kept ushering the girls out the door.

The need to breathe

Sometimes I'm so upset that I can't breathe. I feel like something is pressing down so hard on my chest that in a few seconds my lungs are going to burst.  I hate this feeling. Hate, hate, hate it. Go away! You know what's worse? Because of my past wrongs I don't feel like I can do or say anything to change the situation. It's like I've lost the right to stand up for myself. And I'm just drowning. It's like the more I do to change what I did that was wrong, the more "the wrong" comes at me like it's going to swallow me whole. It's scary.

From a youngster's viewpoint

I let the girls make their own pizzas for lunch. They were so excited to eat them that they were having a hard time waiting for them to cool. Once the waiting was over there was a lot of discussion about the level of hotness of the individual pizzas. At one point Claire said, "Momma, Laina's pizza and my pizza aren't hot but Eily's is. That's mysterious!"

Happy November

1. Fall is here and I hope it has decided to stick around this time. I love fall.

2. Jason went to the dentist this morning. I think it's been two years since his last visit. I would complain that he went so long without a check up but I think it's been 4 years since I have had one. (Dropping head in shame.)

3. Eily told me this morning that she loves me so much and she likes me berry much. So I kissed her.

4. I have a very aggravating tickle in my throat but if I cough to make it go away, my stomach will lurch which will make me throw up. So I'm trying to decide if I would rather live with this tickle or...well...you know.

5. I want to name this baby Seren so that I call call her my little Serenade.

6. Just to clarify, if it's a boy I do not want to name this baby Seren.

7. I have an ultrasound on December 6th. I don't want to find out the sex but I'm afraid when the answer is so readily available I will cave. Any tips on staying strong?

8. Why does it always rain on library days? Not that we are going today, but still. Why?

9. I can't think of what to cook for supper. What's a good fallish meal?

10. Go collect some leaves and iron them between two sheets of wax paper. Unless it's raining where you live. In that case, go drink some hot chocolate and read a book. Or do like me and plan to fold laundry all the live long day.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Found!

I have had piles of clothing all over this house for weeks. They have moved from room to room, been unfolded, refolded and then unfolded once again. You know why? Because the weather won't decide which season it wants to be. (It might also have to do with some laziness on my part when it comes to doing laundry but we won't talk about that.) The clothing has posed several problems.
Problem #1:  I need to have the electrician come to fix a few lights and put in some outlets but the mess is too embarrassing so I haven't called him. I'm tired of having a dark living room and plugging the dishwasher in with an extension cord.
Problem #2: I don't want to have anyone over and I don't want to stay home. The latter really doesn't help with getting the laundry done.
Problem #3: Things keep disappearing. Important things like Molly Bear and (gulp!) Brown Bear. Eily has been sleeping with replacement animals for a couple of weeks now.

Today I decided it was time for A Change. A Fresh Beginning. A New Start. I sent Jason to the store to get the largest tubs he could find because today THE CLOTHES ARE GOING AWAY!! I started in my bedroom where half of Claire's summer clothing was "piled" all over the floor in front of our bed. As I was digging and scraping up the clothing that had worked its way under our bed I came across some misplaced items. First, orange stacking blocks, next a leg to the bouncy seat I bought at the Growing Kids Sale, some fuzzy keys ( they are made out of cloth not covered with mold) and what do you know????!!!!  Brown Bear and Molly Bear. I don't know who was more excited, me or the girls. Those permanently stinky things have wormed their way as close to my heart as my own children (who I have decided are also permanently stinky.) Well, I guess I would be a little more alarmed if Eily had up and disappeared for two weeks but you understand what I'm trying to say here.

Jumble

Sometimes I go through seasons of not wanting to post. And I always fret that my readers will leave me. And you never do. ( Ok. so maybe some of you do.) But then I remember that I really only have about 10 readers and they are all family so the chances of them deserting me are low. And I feel ok about my respite from blogger.

I went to a Charlotte Mason seminar Monday and since I have been home I have started implementing some of the things that I learned. Most importantly, instilling the habit of obedience in my children.
One word to describe this: EXHAUSTING. But also very important. I realized yesterday just much we have slacked off in this area.

I'm tired and my fingers keep typing the wrong letters. And my thoughts won't form into coherent sentences.

So I'm stopping.

I might try again later.

Elaina's 5th birthday

Elaina had a birthday a few weeks ago and every time I have sat down to post the pictures Blogger wouldn't work. I realize that posting has been few and far between but I just can't justify being on the computer when I haven't cleaned anything. (That should give you an idea of what it looks like here.) Today I cleaned the kitchen and blogger is being kind so I knew I had better take advantage of the situation.

13 weeks. One baby. Quite the kicker.

I can't stop watching.

Eily.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Magic of Ordinary Days

• Went to bed last night and was asleep before 9:30!
• Woke up feeling almost normal
• Had devotions with girls
• Did a couple of reading lessons with Elaina
• Did a craft with the girls
• Made mini muffins
• Bathed girls
• Sent girls outside to play for a long time
• Cleaned the main rooms of the house
• Did laundry
• Fixed lunch
• Sent/answered emails
• Wrote blog post
• Uploaded pictures
• Helped girls build tent house
• Put Eily to bed
• HAVE NOT THROWN UP ONCE TODAY

Later on that night...

Before:

 After:

Claire's Birthday

A surprise on the way to Nanny's house:

Grrrr... I'm so sorry about the sideways pictures. No matter what I do I can't get them to upload the right direction.

Presents:

Cupcakes and Ice Cream:

Thank you Nanny and Pappy for hosting a wonderful party!