Spring and Summer

Over the spring and summer: 

(In no particular order)

Teeth were lost

 Daddy snuggles were very popular

 Dates were had with Uncle Josh

 LOTS of crafting and pretend playing happened

 Time was spent with good friends

Elaina and Kathryn Israel, BFF

The people in our area hosted a singing school (shape notes, song leading, harmony skills) in July and Elaina's friend, Kathryn, was able to stay the week with us and participate. I taught the youngest class and had the best time with those children. They were so engaged and excited about everything they were learning. And now, when I see them at church meetings, they are my best buddies. So fun. :)

We went to the Memphis Zoo:

Eily's posture in this will forever by my favorite thing

Trying to pose with the animals but they weren't very cooperative. Neither was Nora. 

Elaina and Claire participated in our co-op's Faces of History program. Claire wrote a report about Pocahontas and Elaina wrote one about Clara Barton. 

The entire Faces Of History Cast

We started a new year of school

6th grade, 5th, grade, 4th grade, Kindergarten

A montage of First-of-School Days. I'm just missing one year.

Reading Lessons with Daddy

Eily and Nora turned 9 and 6

Chloe is a trooper

Birthday Breakfast 

Big 6 year old! (I'm noticing there's a lot of dots in this picture. That wasn't planned.)

Eily is 9! (Nora's smile wasn't forced at all.)

Little Pee Wee isn't so little anymore. Ok, wait. Yes she is.  :)

Aaannd, we crashed

Well, we all knew that good streak couldn't last too much longer. I overslept, Jason was up all night with a migraine, school went an hour longer than usual, I spent all afternoon on the phone learning how to work a rife machine (boring), the girls trashed the kitchen playing Master Chef Junior while I was on the phone, as I was cleaning up that mess Jason told me an art friend was staying the night, I got mad at Jason for inviting the art friend since I had just finished hosting a different art friend and we have more company this weekend, Jason got mad at me for being mad at him, the girls were irritable with each other, Jason and I got into a "discussion" and so we were almost late for ballet, I didn't look Jason in the eye when we got home from ballet and then he left to go meet that friend for supper instead of having her stay the night, and now I'm here on the couch, pouting and licking my wounds and not feeling very forgiving-ish. But you know what, I have to forgive. I just do. It's what is right and certainly not easy, but not impossible. And I have to ask for forgiveness. Y'all, I HATE asking for forgiveness. I love to show it, to feel it, etc... but I DO NOT like to say the words. And that's an ugly truth about me. I should say it's one of the ugly truths about me because there are plenty to be found.

Silver linings: I did all my prep work for my tutor meeting tomorrow and I'm about to work on the new cleaning schedule. Those two things were weighing heavily on my mind and it feels good to put them behind me. Also, tomorrow is a new day; tomorrow is a fresh start.

I'm still enjoying our routine-y days. I'm slightly obsessing over them, actually.

Is this post to personal? Maybe. But I'm going to take a small guess that you all have had days like this and so you can relate, perhaps smile at my misery a little, and say a little prayer that tomorrow is the opposite of today.

Do I still have readers? If so, I would love to read a comment from you. It helps to know that I'm actually "talking" to someone.  (kudos to Mom for her commenting) :)

Internet and Buttons

We are in the process of trying to buy a house. Every couple of days I'm having to e-sign this and scan that. Yesterday, I had to scan a copy of the earnest money check to our realtor and a copy of a tax document to our mortgage lady. I sat down to load the documents on the printer and noticed a pajama shirt of Claire's that she had left on my desk. The button had come off and so I grabbed my sewing basket and started sewing it back on while I waited for the printer to do its thing. I guess I should explain here that we have the worst possible Internet and therefore tasks that should take three minutes end up taking thirty. So anyway, I had some time to work on the button and the irony of the situation struck me. Here I was, using modern technology to scan and email papers, and sign important documents, but at the same time, I was utilizing a sewing basket to repair my family's clothes. A sewing basket that held the same items that women 100+ years ago used to fix and repair their families' clothing. And there was something very sweet and comforting in the whole scenario. Yes, the world changes and gets faster and more convenient and trickier, but there are some things that technology just cannot do. And I know that there are machines that sew on buttons, but there aren't machines that can give the time, love, and attention to my children or my husband like I can. They can't provide for them in the way that I can. They can't pray for them. They can't hug them or kiss them. So there are some things that time doesn't and/or cannot change. And it seems that those things are the best things.

So take that technology. You aren't as swell as you sometimes seem to think that you are. 

Love,

Mama

P.S. But if you could use your fanciness  and tricky ways to speed up the Internet at my house, that'd be great. 

Meet the Sacrans

Hi there. We are the Sacran family.

My name is Rebekah.  I'm the Mama Bear and I like things neat and orderly. I like to decorate rooms in my mind, I like to solve Algebra problems, and here lately, I like to eat two eggs fried in coconut oil with some avocado on the side every morning for breakfast. I do not like pancakes, cucumbers, or folding laundry.

Jason is our Papa Bear. He's an artist, a hugger, and resident picture hanger-er. He likes art, movies, our kids, and soup. He does not like algebra, raw onions, or tying shoelaces.

We have four little female cubs.

Elaina is the eldest. She's tall like her Daddy and skinny beyond reason like her two grandmothers were at her age. She loves art, eating food, and sports. She has a heart the size of Texas and will do everything in her power to make everyone around her feel appreciated and loved. She does not like tomatoes, ballet, or making people mad.

Claire is the oldest-middlest. She's built and colored a lot like her mama. She has a natural mothering instinct, a great eye for color and design, a very dramatic flair for all things fashionable, and is as sassy as can be. (Bless her beautiful hide :) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, anyone?) She dreams of being a ballerina. She does not like t-ball, mushrooms, or being quiet.

Eily (eye-lee) is the youngest-middlest. She has somehow remained tiny, even as she continues to grow. She loves black olives, washing dishes, and doing schoolwork. She can fold laundry and sweep a floor like nobody's business. She does not like scary music, having a messy room, or waking up early.

Nora is the littlest and "though she be but little, she is fierce!" She is all things energetic and loud. She's almost caught up to her older sister in clothing size and she loves to change those clothes forty times a day. She also likes to eat a lot of bananas, and do any and everything with her daddy. She does not like going to bed, vegetables, or being left out of anything.

We are the Sacrans. We are loud at times, we always have a lot of laundry (thanks for that, Nora), and we have our moments of disagreements. But we are so fond of each other, have the best time being each other's friends, and love to live our lives together.

I guess I owe you all a post.  I'm feeling very odd today.  I feel motivated to get things accomplished but also very tired and worn out. I had a great weekend in Texas. Two of my friends who live in Texas, met me about halfway in another part of Texas. We talked and talked and talked, the we went to a restaurant for supper and talked while we ate, and then we came back to the cabin and talked until we were starting to fall asleep while sitting up. Then we went to bed, talked in bed a little and then woke up and talked until it was time to go home. And do you know what? I kept thinking of things that I had wanted to talk about but forgot to mention. I guess that just means that we need to plan another mom-cation.
Jason's grandpa was diagnosed with stomach and liver cancer. We went up weekend before last to visit with the family. It was a sweet time of visiting but also a sad time because cancer is such a scary, unknown thing.
Mom just called and said Grandpa is in the hospital. He was showing signs of having a stroke but they haven't been able to confirm that that's what happened.
So this day is very strange, and bumming, and odd. And I'm ready for tomorrow.

It's just shameful

Two disclaimers:

1. I am too tired to put all these pictures at the bottom of the post which is where I really want them to be. 

2. I cannot find any recent pictures of Elaina to add to the mix. I am going to make a point to snap several of her this weekend and have a post just about her. 

I took Nora to the park one afternoon.

Valentine's Day Date

Dentist Appointment Date

Sometimes I just look at her face and marvel at the beauty. And also at the amount of food and snot smeared everywhere.

I mean, shameful. But it's been really relaxing to think about what what was going on in my daily life, but not think about it in a "posting" kind of way. Because, to be honest, I normally do that a lot. I walk around the house writing blog posts in my head. I fold laundry and write blog posts. I do dishes and write a killer post that would make you double over in laughter. And, also to be honest, I almost never write those posts. I did realize the other day that I could just get some sort of recording contraption but then, would my posts lose some of their organic-ness? I don't know.

Also, do I overuse commas?

I feel that I do.

There were a few things going on lately that I wanted to end before I got back to regular posting. And they have ended so I really have no excuse now. I quit working on a regular schedule. I get to just show up if I have a day that I want to work. That's pretty fun. Also, I changed my hair back to dark brown. And then I gave a sigh of relief. I've always liked my original hair color and it was fun to try something new and different but the fun ended rather quickly. My skin was a strange color with blonde hair.

So I'm back to looking like me and that's comforting. 

My boss came up to me the other day and asked me if I was happy. I said, "Do you mean working here or with life in general? Because I'm happy with both situations." And he said he meant in general. He said I didn't appear to be very happy. And that made me think. A lot. I truly feel happy so why don't I give off a happiness vibe? My mouth naturally turns down at the corners so if I'm just staring straight ahead, I probably do look a little disgruntled, but I'm not. Most likely, I'm thinking about something interesting I read the other day or what food I want to cook. I do feel tired, though. Not like a sleepy tired but a complete from-the-top-of-my-head-to-the-bottom-of-my-toes kind of exhausted. I start thinking about how many meals I have left to cook in my life time and how many loads of laundry are still before me and how much physical activity is required of me even just in the next few days. And I crave rest. But then, if I get the rest, I'm craving home and life with four active girls and a hungry husband and a jumping, chewing, most-adorable looking puppy. So it's like I'm floating in this middle ground of needing a break from life and yet wanting to be right in the thick of my life- both at the same time. I'm guessing it's pretty normal to feel this way when a person is in a situation similar to mine. I'm guessing all the seasoned moms would read this post and nod their heads and think to themselves, "Yup. Been there, my friend." At least, I hope that's what they would think. It gives me hope to think that's what they would think.  But I'm also determined to change my vibe, even just a little bit. I've started my very own happiness project. (I've really no idea what that book is about, I just assume it's about how to be happy.) There's really no steps to my happiness project. I'm just making an effort to appear happier. To smile more. To lift my eyebrows when listening to someone.  (Not in a creepy way.) To recount the good times. To stop and enjoy my kids more. That's the main thing I'm focusing on doing. I'm so bad to just focus on my cleaning and let them play their games. I don't necessarily jump in and play the dad or anything like that, but I do stop and watch for a minute. Smile at them. Give them a hug as they run by. This morning, I took about three minutes and rolled a ball back and forth down our hallway with Nora. She giggled until she almost made herself sick. It was beautiful. 

So, that's what I've been doing. 

That's where my thoughts have been. 

That's where my time and energy have been placed. 

What have you been up to?

This was the only photo I had the gumption to move to the bottom of the post. Peach was building a wooden game at Lowe's.

Saturday

 This past Saturday was my father's annual open trip to the Trojan game in Little Rock. He goes to support the team often, but once a year he buys tickets for anyone that will show up for the game. It usually a good crowd of friends and family that show come and it's a really fun time of visiting, cheering, and dancing crazy so the camera will put us on the big screen.  

This is one of my nephews, Ryan. We have a special relationship.

I was trying to get a good picture of these two. 

It was a little difficult. 

Eily was taking a break from dancing.

And Claire never misses a chance to pose for the camera.

Just four blondes, cheering on the Trojans.

Eily and Aunt Kat chowed down on some free popcorn.

And they realized they had on matching pants! 

It was a really fun night even though our team lost in the last .03 second of the game. I'm already looking forward to next year's game. 

(hashtag alert- judge if you like) :)

Enjoy it. 

Because it's happening.

#family #dailylife  #blesings  #joy #fourlittlegirls  #onehansomehusband  #mylife  #thesedays

And Be Ye Kind...

Today? Well, today wasn't one of my best days. I didn't feel good to start with and I just seemed to be cranky and mean no matter how hard the girls tried to make my day better. Nora was mean and ornery (but at the same time so loving and affectionate) and draining and constantly wanting me to "tand up!" every time I put her in my lap. My patience and tolerance towards all the girls kept getting thinner and thinner until I finally blew up. I yelled so loudly that my throat hurt. I yelled about the house constantly being a wreck. I yelled about the non-flushing-of-the-toilet that keeps taking place so that the playing-with-used-toilet-paper also keeps taking place. I yelled about the glue stick smeared all over hair and body and inside the mouth. I yelled and yelled and yelled. And then I cried.

And then, after it was all over and a bit of time had past and the girls were back to being busy as little girls ought to be, each of them, at different times, came up to me with a handmade trinket. Elaina had drawn me a picture of my head inside a heart. Claire had drawn a picture of me and Jason inside a heart. Eily had written a note, All By Herself. It went like this:

AM MAEOM RSAMCIT TO ME

She translated it for me.  "Mama, you are so kind to me."

Hopefully, the girls won't remember today. Hopefully, I will.

Count Your Blessings

Having good friends and close family nearby makes life pretty good.
This week we went out to eat to celebrate one of my oldest and best friend's birthday, played dress up with more recent friends, and went on a train ride with some of our favorite cousins. We are so blessed.