Our Family is like Fudge...

Envy

2011-11-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

An ugly thing happened to me today as I stood in line at Justice watching the woman in front of me check out her items. As I watched her fold piece, after piece of clothing- two FULL stacks of beautiful, non-clearance girl's clothing, I found myself becoming envious. I looked down at my handsome ten-year-old in his hand-me-down sweatshirt, worn-out jeans, and broken shoes and wished that I could run into some store and spoil him with a whole new wardrobe. I swallowed down my envy and looked down at my chatty, five-year-old who was beaming up at me in perfect happiness that he had found the perfect pajamas to give his cousin. Rather than celebrating with him that he had helped to chose such a fun gift, I pondered just how many times I say, "No, they aren't on clearance," to him when we pass the superhero pajamas at Target. Unfortunately, I carried that feeling of envy home with me -ugly and ungrateful. I entered my home, was greeted by my overly-enthusiastic dogs and the hustle and bustle of watching and helping my kids wrap their gifts, and was reminded that I have so much. Maybe we don't have brand new clothes most of the time, and maybe we don't have all of the latest gadgets, but we have so much more. I treasure the time I am able to spend with my children, the hours spent reading and snuggling together. I treasure my husband who still lights up when he comes home from work (even when he can probably smell the baby spit on my shoulder when he kisses me.) I'm thankful for my warm home on a rainy day, the phone calls from family with just the right words of love and encouragement when I need them. God has blessed us in more ways than I can begin to list, or than anyone else would possibly care to read. Suddenly, a couple of piles of new clothes doesn't seem so important.

Highlights from May and June

2011-11-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

CoCo and Neil-Te with their cars and trophies. CoCo designed a sleek, fast, and stylish car. Neil-Te wanted only a wedge so his car would be fast.

SS turned 19 four days after GB was born. I figured that I had better post a picture since I'm pretty sure that she was so sleep-deprived that she barely remembers!

Neil-Te graduated from Children in Worship (the children's program at church) and received his first "big boy" Bible. SS completed her college-bound program the same day.

GB's first official bath. Don't you just love all the hair?!

This is just a regular day for A. He's a cuddler and a reader and has discovered that newborns, snuggly dogs and a good book are a great way to spend some free time.

There were times over the past few years when SS would decide not to complete high school, but with a lot of support from teachers and school staff, she persevered through the daily challenge. We are so proud of her accomplishment, and so is she!

Our Home Has Grown By Two Feet!

2011-11-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

Since our granddaughter is 6 months now, I guess that I should update my blog!

Here is SS at the hospital the day before she had GB (a little uncreative, but for now I'll use GB for grand-baby).

GB - moments after birth - perfectly healthy at 7 lbs. 14 oz. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be with SS during her labor and delivery, but I have to admit it was tough to see her endure the pain. Yet another situation where you wish you could bear the burden for you kids!

SS bonded with GB within seconds of seeing her. It was beautiful to witness. God is so good.

The boys were thrilled to become uncles and continue to be. They just love GB.

SS and GB just before we headed home from the hospital.

Baby Shower and Anniversary

2011-05-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Though I haven't blogged about it, we are expecting the arrival of our first grandbaby next week. While SS has been busy growing a healthy baby, finishing up school, and preparing for college, we have been preparing our home and our family for the arrival of this precious child.
We covet your prayers and are thankful for our family and friends who are always so loving and supportive. My mother hosted a baby shower for SS in early April, and SS was "showered" with supplies and love. Thank you, thank you, mom and family!!!
SS celebrated her 3rd anniversary of her arrival to America on the same day as her baby shower. Here she is with her brothers just before anniversary breakfast. (I love that I have a sunny kitchen, but it does make for some lousy picture-taking!)

Double Digits!

2011-03-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

CoCo's 10! He also had three birthday desires. He wanted slot cars, a fluffy body pillow, and a sherpa-like blanket. For his special dinner, he chose tacos.

Here he is with his body pillow from his cousins. (A and CoCo had a family birthday party a few days before Co's birthday.)

Birthday morning sillies.

Breakfast with the grandparents, and a cookie cake from Grandma. (CoCo still doesn't like regular cake.)

More sillies at an afternoon playdate.

Happy Birthdays!

2011-03-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

It's birthday month!

A is now 12! His birthday wish list this year? York Peppermint Patties, sweet midget pickles, and a black marker! His dinner menu? Same as always - homemade macaroni and cheese. He did choose carrots and pineapple this year, which is a change.

Dad is another year older - not sure what his age claim is this year. Doesn't this look like the face of youth, though?

Mom made a great birthday dinner for me on my birthday. Nice to be spoiled!

This is my birthday treat from my hubby. I've been considering getting a lap dog since we had to put our cat down in the fall. I really wanted a cuddler, but didn't want to endanger a kitten with our overly-enthusiastic German Shepherd. So here is our new Cockalier (Cocker Spaniel and Cavalier mix). We all just love him! He plays with the kids and follows us around, and most importantly, he sleeps on my lap when I'm reading or watching television. I can just feel stress slip away while he snoozes!

Going Broke

2011-03-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Daddy: You lost ANOTHER tooth!
A: (pulling his tooth out of the tooth fairy pillow for inspection)Yep. It's a big one.
Daddy: How many teeth does that make in the last 10 days?! You're going to make us go broke!
A: (slyly) I thought the tooth fairy brought us the money.
Daddy: (without any hesitation) Well, she sends us the bill!

Begin Again

2011-02-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

When I looked through my pictures today and discovered that I had only taken about 10 pictures during the entire month of February, I realized that it was indeed time to begin to blog again. Where to begin after a 4 month break? I'm not really sure. Guess I'll start with today. Here is what everyone in the house was doing while I was panicking about failing to document our family's life.

Hubby - calm, as always. Working on a new project - extra cabinets for the kitchen.

Three of the boys - playing a superhero game.

Our big guy - showing off more lost teeth.

Our girl - watching a Burmese movie and happy to have a homework-free evening.

Our newest addition -

CoCo's hermit crabs. His "aunt" disposed of them yesterday...oops, I mean generously gave them to CoCo. He's happy; she's happy. Win, win.

Not an exciting post, but it's a start!

The Toothless Wonder

2010-10-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Neil -Te has been waiting and waiting for his teeth to fall out. His brothers have lost their teeth. His cousins have lost their teeth. His friends have lost their teeth. Poor Neil-Te turned 7 last week, and still had all of his baby teeth. Yesterday, while eating a pear (not a ripe one, of course - He can never quite wait that extra day for them to be truly ripe!), he realized that he had lost his tooth - literally. It was nowhere to be found. Not in the pear. Not on the table. Not on the floor. Not in his clothes. Probably inside of him. He has the proud honor of having truly lost his tooth. (He actually was not thrilled about that and was sure that I needed to search his bowel movements. Luckily, I was able to show him on Facebook that the tooth fairy had still come to visit some of his friends who had only written notes. Thanks for that, friends!)

As he was getting ready for bed, he asked Daddy to wiggle his other tooth a couple of times. Daddy wiggled once, then once more, and proceeded to pull out the tooth. Much crying and screaming ensued. (I was fairly certain he had fallen off his bunk.) Apparently, he just didn't like the blood- no pain, no injuries, just a couple spots of blood that really freaked him out. Now, he has another tooth honor - the first of his brothers to lose two in one day!

Our Toothless Wonder is a happy man.

First Day

2010-09-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

It has begun! Let the whirlwind begin!

BASH

2010-08-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

We have gone camping with our college friends every summer for over 15 years. Last year was the first year without a Big Awesome Summer Happening. It appeared that there would be no BASH again this year, until two of our "social coordinators" decided to hold a Michigan Backyard BASH. One of the BASHer couples graciously hosted a smaller version of BASH in their backyard. They also hosted our family in their basement for the weekend. (We did a token night in the tent for the official BASH overnight, but happily retreated to the basement the next night because it was SOoo hot outside.)
The family that we stayed with have three boys - 7, 4, and 2. Our kids had so much fun with them. Here is a picture of the 7 boys feeding the geese and ducks. (Don't worry - despite this serene picture, they did give the birds a good chasing!)

Here are the BASHers who made it to the overnight. (The 2nd couple on from the left are the ones who hosted.)

BASH - the next generation!

This is the youngest BASHER - two weeks old! What a pleasure! Hubby was happy for me to get my "baby-fix," but really she just made me want one! (Until she cried and her mom reminded me of the sleep loss! ;-) )

SB2W

2010-08-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

CoCo and Neil-Te had the opportunity to participate in Summer's Best Two Weeks, a Christian sports camp. This was CoCo's 3rd year, and Neil-Te's first. Neil-Te was in a new, half-day session called "Squad Zero." He had a great time and was especially excited to see his squad leader, Phil, every day. At the end of the week, Neil-Te was awarded the "Miles of Smiles" award (That's the paper plate award in the picture.). I always tell him that he has a magic smile; I think that he believes me now!
CoCo had a great time again. He is competitive by nature and loves all different types of sports. He especially enjoyed the gymnastic bar tricks (even earned a Super on bar (14 tricks, I think)!) and wrestling. He achieved his "overall small" this year. That is what the varsity letter in the picture is for. That means that he accomplished all of the events up to a certain skill level. He also received the Bible Award for his squad this year. Despite trying to comment on my feelings about that, I can't seem to express how much seeing him receive that award meant. May God continue to guide my children and may they always desire to serve him.

CoCo swimming during the swim meet.

CoCo doing a long jump.

Trying to cool off in the shade during the track meet. (Imagine running races when the temperature is in the mid-90's! I actually had to take the little guys-and my biggest- home early because they were getting so miserable.)
I think it's safe to say that for two of my boys, these were "Summer's Best Two Weeks!"

Hubby's Birthday

2010-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Another year older!

Bathroom - Almost Done!

2010-07-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

The tiling is complete. We are just waiting for the grout to cure so that we can seal it. I also have to chose curtains. I had planned to use a safari one, but the bathroom is so pretty that I want to put a more grown-up one in there.
We kept the old vanity, medicine cabinet, lighting and linen closet. We just replaced the knobs, and hubby added a tiled backsplash. He's hugely disappointed that the old stuff takes away from the new look, but it saves a lot of money. (Besides, the vanity was the first thing he built for this house, and I'm sentimentally attached.) Oh, yeah, please admire my new toilet - so far, no plunging needed! I am a happy woman.

Summer Project Update

2010-07-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

I did it. I asked him for a new toilet in the kids' bathroom. At some point in time, some toy or other object had gotten stuck in the toilet. Basically, I was tired of plunging. I also mentioned that maybe we should throw down some new linoleum since the glue under our current one was yellowing.

Yep... you guessed it - bathroom makeover time! Of course, he couldn't bear the idea of spending any time fixing the bathroom without "doing it right!" (I can't say that I lamented the loss of those shower tiles or the blue tub.) We all know that he really just wanted a project!

Hubby attempted one of those glazing kits to turn our tub white. After the 72 hour cure time, it chipped. I think hubby's venting his frustration in this picture! ;-)

Here's our brand new bathtub. I'm just hoping it can withstand the amount of dirt and sand that it will encounter!

Here's the lovely view of the outside of our house. Some people purchase garden accessories. Guess we just don't need them! (Think I could share some with my cousin at his housewarming party?)

Summer Updates

2010-07-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Since I've missed so much, here are some highlights.

Father's Day

Grandma's Birthday

First summer working full-time.

Playing with cousins and camping. (Unfortunately, I was negligent in picture-taking during our camping trips. This is the only event I managed to capture. I even missed fireworks on the fourth of July!)

SKUNKED!

2010-06-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yup! You guessed it - Anni got sprayed last night! Ugh! We were letting her out before heading to bed, and I noticed her sneeze when she came inside (yes, INSIDE!). Then the stench hit like a brick. Luckily, she didn't make it onto any carpeting before I sent her right back outside, but the smell is still lingering despite multiple floor washings, disposal of area rugs, and open windows throughout the house. We bathed her last night, but the boys and I are going to bathe her a few more times today. Fun, fun, fun....

Problem Solving

2010-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

My husband cracks me up. I find his quirky sense of humor funny in general, but I also find some of the things he does extremely amusing. He is by nature a problem-solver. Some of you know. The house was too small - add 800 square feet! He was tripping over the shoes in the entryway - add on to the front of the house to make a shoe closet! Not enough pantry space? Build another one! You get the idea. So... the cherry problem. We have several, BIG, TALL, beautiful cherry trees that are always loaded with delicious cherries that he longs to pick. Every year, he pulls down the bottom branches and picks as many as he can reach. This year, he came up with a better solution - the cherry-picker van!

Problem Solved!

(However, I think that he's really just picking the same branches that he picked a few years ago!)

Summer Reading

2010-06-18T07:02:00.001-07:00

Another perk of homeschooling is extra "osmosis" learning. Neil-Te has been learning to read all year - practicing sight words, phonics... About a month ago, KiKi started begging to learn a letter every day. He learns his letter, practices writing it, then begs for a new one. The other day, He picked up this library book, What I See, and started to read it. It is one of those early reader books - highly repetitive; and I figured that he had just memorized it. You can just imagine my shock when he actually stopped here and there to sound out the words! Guess I had underestimated the power of osmosis!

Science Mishap

2010-05-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

CoCo has been an avid rock collector for a few years, and my gardens are full of some really interesting and beautiful rocks. As he has gotten older, he has started to try to identify and experiment with some of his rocks. So when he picked up an igneous rock that was loaded with yellow and asked if he could boil it in some water to see what would happen, I said, "Sure!" Well, we boiled, the rock disintegrated into a million pieces, and the yellow was left behind in my pot and on my spoon. Unfortunately, this yellow stuff has adhered itself to my pot and spoon and refuses to budge. I tried reboiling, soap, vinegar, scraping... So, important lesson learned - stone soup needs a special pot reserved strictly for science experiments. It looks like I have one now if anyone needs a loan!(Wish I had taken a picture of the rock. It was too bright for sulfur, and we can't identify it despite lots of research. I'd be thrilled if anyone had any ideas.)

Elegant? Excited? Elated? Eighteen!

2010-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Though she plans to pretend that she is "sweet sixteen" this year, SS really turned eighteen today. She was a little disappointed that I don't let her have the day off of school on her birthday like the boys do, but such are the disadvantages of traditional school - the whole school just doesn't close for your birthday! However, she was pleasantly surprised to find that some of her friends had brought in a cake and a balloon, and her ESL teachers had given her cards and candy.

Here are the kids horsing around after SS opened her gifts.
SS decided that she wanted to go out for Chinese food for her birthday dinner. Rather than go to a traditional restaurant, she wanted to try a buffet. Oma and Opa and Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner, and we all had fun figuring out which animal we were. SS wasn't so thrilled to discover that she was a monkey, so she tried to trick her brothers into thinking that she was one of the more interesting animals - the tiger. (Actually my animal!)

The Dragon (the boys were soooo jealous!) and the Rabbit.

The Rat and the Boar. (Too funny!)

Here is our birthday girl with some cake. (I forgot to bring candles.) She was so stuffed that she couldn't eat any of it. Don't worry, there were lots of people to help her out!

Conversations with God

2010-05-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

KiKi and I had the following conversation a few minutes ago after he had been sitting on the "throne"for a while.
KiKi: Mommy, I was just talking to God for a long time.
Me: Oh, did you have a lot of things to tell him?
KiKi: Yes. I told him that Satan is not my friend. Everyone else is my good friend, but not Satan. Now, stop listening and wipe my butt.

I guess that was back to basics of life after a brief spiritual moment.

Relaxed

2010-05-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hubby was cuddling with the little two after dinner, taking a look at their new library books when I overheard the following conversation.
Daddy to Neil-Te: So, do you think you want to be a doctor or a lawyer when you grow up?
Neil-Te: (without any hesitation) No. I want to be just like you.
(Me: washing dishes, thinking, "Well, Neil-Te really does like computers.")
Daddy: What do you mean?
Neil-Te: I want to be a dad like you.
(Me: thinking, " how sweet is that?!")
Neil-Te: (continuing) You know, like that dad book I read. Where I can lay in a hammock and be laxed. A laxed dad. (relaxed)
(Me: thinking, "yep... laxed-until your kids flip you over or point the hose at you!)

Georgia Get-Away

2010-05-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

When Mimi told me that she was taking me on a get-away weekend as my birthday gift this year, I was so excited that I barely processed, or cared, where we were going. I did feel a brief moment of surprise when she suggested Georgia, since Georgia never looks that interesting from I-95. Imagine my delight and surprise when when we drove into St. Mary's and saw this at the end of the main street!

Then we got to our fabulous, little vacation home, which was great on the inside, and even better on the front porch where we had a beautiful view of the marsh and a constant, refreshing breeze.

We took a ferry boat to Cumberland Island on our first full day. Mimi was so hoping that we would have the chance to see some of the wild horses. As soon as we got onto the island, this is what we saw.
We ate lunch with the ruins of Dungeness on one side and the marsh view on the other. Spectacular! We spent the rest of the day hiking on the trails and visiting the other historic sites. I could go on and on and load this up with pictures, but I'll spare you. Basically, the combination of history and the natural beauty on this island made every moment of our visit there a pleasure.

The day after Cumberland, we decided to tour St. Mary's. The town is quiet, quaint, and full of history. Here is a picture of the bikes my aunt let us use - loved mine!!! That is a closer view of the marshes behind Mimi.
We took a "doodlebug" tour during the afternoon, which was a tour around town in an over-sized golf cart. Our tour guide was funny and interesting and had grown up in St. Mary's. To our surprise, we had found many of the historic sites during our bike ride, but it was interesting to hear the stories connected with the different locations. Here is a picture of one of the historic churches.

We visited Jekyll Island on our last day. The contrast between this island and Cumberland was just amazing. The wealth and "club" atmosphere helped us to understand why Lucy Carnegie had worked so hard to ensure that Cumberland Island would not be over-developed and sold in parcels. On the other hand, it was fascinating to see and learn of the ways of some of the wealthiest Americans in the early 1900's.

This is one of the Jekyll Island "cottages" where we had our lunch. This is a U-shaped cottage, so there are two other sides that are equally impressive.

This is the "club" chapel, which I am posting a picture of because what I really want to post a picture of is the stained glass windows inside. The one that you can see from the front is a Tiffany, and there is another - even more spectacular- at the opposite side of the building. Unfortunately, they would not allow anyone to take pictures inside of the building.
To finish off a very long post, our Georgia get-away was relaxing, interesting and amazingly beautiful. Thanks for a wonderful trip, Mimi!

Out with the Yellow!

2010-04-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Last week was Spring Break for the local schools, so we decided to take off for 3 days also. With SS in "regular" school, we often find it easier to follow the school calendar. Kind of a bummer sometimes, but... Anyway, I decided to take care of some projects. When hubby added the pantry to the study, he had used a yellow paint which he thought matched the existing paint in the computer room. It didn't. My soft, soothing yellow was suddenly paired with the vibrant yellow that we used in the toy room. Rather than fixing the yellow since hubby doesn't like yellow paint anyway, I decided to carry the beige from the kitchen into the computer room in hopes that the rather random space would flow more smoothly. It does, and we just love it!

This is the view from the kitchen. I painted the area around the doorway in the kitchen too; it had been wallpapered in a periwinkle blue. The colors in the two rooms look different in this picture, but they are the same.

This is the view of the other side of the room. We painted the hallway area as well. (The paint color looks great with my sepia collage!) A and Co-Co helped with the painting project. A painted the corners, and Co-Co helped with the edging. They actually did a very good job, even though I was initially a little stressed about having them help.

One last picture to share right now. This one is of the snow that is currently falling - unbelievable!

Reason #736

2010-04-16T17:40:00.001-07:00

Hubby and I have a little joke (though we're half-serious) about the reasons we homeschool. So here is reason #736 - school outside on a sunny day while listening to the birds, and a nice cup of coffee for mommy to enjoy while basking in the morning sunshine!

Big Kid

2010-04-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Neil-Te (while practicing piano): My teacher says he only teaches scales to big kids.
Me (puzzled): Well, aren't you playing the C scale right now?
Neil-Te: Yes, I said that he only teaches them to big kids.

Guess we're all clear on that now. :-)

Creepy Crawlies

2010-04-09T17:09:00.001-07:00

There are about a million posts to catch up on; but since I am currently disgusted to see snow falling from the sky, I figured I'd catch up on this post from last week. (Notice the shorts and sunshine?!)Here is the first snake who was unfortunate enough to be basking on a day that the boys were out for a walk. As you can see, KiKi wasn't so sure about handling a snake; but CoCo is just feeling like the world is back to what it should be - a critter-catching place. This little snake has a new home under our shed in hopes that he will keep down the mouse population in the woodpile. I voted for throwing it into the camper to eat the mice in there, but...

Two Years in America!

2010-04-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Today, SS has officially been in America and a part of our family for two years.

We love you and thank God for you, SS!

College Education

2010-04-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

So...today I was educated in a meeting with SS' guidance counselor. Some things were old information, and some things were new. This is what I learned. SS needs to take a TESLOF and an ACT and fill out FAFSAs claiming EOP status in preparation for college. Hmmm... Do you feel educated too?

KiKi Comments

2010-03-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes kids seem to go through spurts where they just come up with some pretty random, funny stuff. KiKi has been doing that quite a lot this week. Thought I'd jot a few down before I forget them. The pictures have nothing to do with his comments; I just like them.

This is KiKi's "bedhead."

KiKi thinks he is beating SS in this wrestling picture.

The other day, KiKi was practicing writing his name on a Magna Doodle. He was very excited with his mastery and decided to show off for Daddy. He erased the Magna Doodle, wrote his first letter successfully, then wrote his second letter equally well. With mounting enthusiasm, he formed his third letter. Suddenly, he sat back, looked at it, and said, "Oops! That's upsiedown!"

Last night, we had lasagna for dinner. Though hubby and I really like it, the kids just really don't. KiKi likes to be the first one to pray before dinner. Last night was no exception. This was his prayer. "Dear God, Thank you for this day. Please help sick and hurt to get better. Please help us to like this food. Amen."

Tonight, KiKi and I were sitting at the table eating some ice cream. He was chatting away about all kinds of things, when he abruptly stated, "I can't talk anymore. I need to eat." A few moments later, he began chatting again, giving me the full details of some part of Batman's existence. Looking at his melting ice cream, he exclaimed, "I thought I said, 'NO TALKING!'"

Hope he brought a chuckle to your day too!

Thumbsucker No More!

2010-03-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Today, we officially celebrated the end of an era. Neil-Te decided that he would no longer suck his thumb a few weeks ago. So, he sadly put his Silkie on top of his dresser so that Silkie wouldn't make him suck his thumb while he was sleeping. I watched him do it with sadness and amazement that he had come to this decision on his own. Wanting to encourage him, I promised him a pack of gum if he could avoid thumb-sucking for an extended period of time. His gum reward, his sucking thumb, and his beloved Silkie.

I'm not sure if I really want to celebrate or cry. Maybe both.

The Weaker Sex

2010-03-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hubby got sick almost two weeks ago, and the cold has been making its way through the men in the family. So far, SS and I have been spared. We're claiming that it is just proof of our womanly superiority. (Yes, we will get A LOT of grief if we end up getting sick, but we need to take advantage of opportunities like these in our male-dominated household.)
Here's what the little two looked like today. The big guys look alright, but they are sniffling and coughing. That doesn't stop the Nerf wars, though!
If you click on KiKi's picture, you can see all of the burst blood vessels around his eyes. We're calling them "crying freckles."

Neil-Te is struggling with headaches during this cold. Yes, nothing terribly new for him; but he woke up with one and started turning green again a little after lunch time. The headache won by 2:30, and here he is - crashed on our bed. When we were finally able to wake him, we realized that he had turned the electric blanket on, so he was a sweaty mess! lol

Nine at Noon!

2010-03-22T18:00:00.001-07:00

CoCo is officially nine! Though he has already had a friend party and a sleepover with his cousin to celebrate his birthday, he did not officially gain nine-year-old status and privileges until today. So today, he officially gained the privilege of staying up until 8:30 and one more piece of laundry to fold every day. Here he is with the family after his morning presents.

CoCo added to his collection of Nerf guns, and our home felt like a battle zone all day. He was hugely disappointed when the gigantic Nerf gun he had been hoping for turned out to be a dud - the bullets kept jamming, but Daddy came to the rescue and took him to the store to exchange it for a "Berserker." Yes, the name says it all.

We had a temporary reprieve from bullet fire this afternoon when we went to see "Princess and the Frog." CoCo was a little bummed that he had to go to a G movie even though he is now 9, but he did understand the logic that all of his brothers were going too.

We had dinner with the grandparents tonight. CoCo chose taco salad this year. He got gift cards this year from both sets of grandparents. That seems like a tough transition for me. He really likes the gift cards, but that just makes him seem a little too old. Sigh.

Here is my big 9 year old!

Lots of Busyness

2010-03-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

I realize that I've gotten behind, and there have been so many things going on that I just decided to post a picture from each major event as updates. I had considered blogging each event separately, but it appears that our busyness is going to continue for a few more days. The pictures are in reverse order, but I'm short on time.

The three older boys each made cars for this year's derby race. CoCo won 1st place in the Jr. Cadet races and also received the "Best Workmanship" award. Neil -Te won 3rd in the Jr. Cadet races and also received the "Most Original" reward. (His car was shaped like a caterpillar/worm/ant, but he wasn't holding it in this picture.) A won 3rd on the Sr. Cadet group and also won the "Most Original reward for his age group.

Yesterday, SS got her last two wisdom teeth out. She had the first two taken out in December and was not looking forward to going through it again. Unfortunately, she had some excessive bleeding today, and I had to bring her back to the dentist. He was able to fix her back up, and she is doing well now.

My dad and I celebrated our birthdays this past week. I think he's 39 this year; I'm claiming 32. Does that math work out? ;-)

A and CoCo had some buddies over last week for a little birthday party. We headed out to Adventure Landing so that the kids could play in the WOW factory. They had a lot of fun. Three other friends joined us as well; but since we picked them up on the way, I didn't get a group picture of everyone.

So... there is a very brief update. Maybe I'll get a chance for a better post in a few days!

11 on the 11th!

2010-03-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

A's birthday started off in our traditional way - presents before Daddy goes to work.

We continued the birthday celebration by going out to breakfast with some of his grandparents.

Great-grandma made cupcakes, and A was able to make space for one even after packing away a grown-up-sized pancake breakfast! He was also pretty excited to be sung to at a restaurant!
Oma and Opa joined us for his birthday dinner - homemade mac and cheese, cucumbers, and tropical fruit salad.

Here he is - 11 on the 11th!

Enjoying the Melting

2010-03-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

We made the mistake of leaving the trampoline assembled this winter, so we have had to have the boys periodically shovel it off. After the snowcane, the boys spent a couple of days working on it to completely clear it. Now that it has been so warm, they are taking advantage of the clear, and warm, trampoline to get some of their crazies out. Their favorite game is "Crack the Nut." Since they are only allowed to jump one at a time, one boy jumps while the others try to stay curled in a nut position. Whoever cracks last gets to be the next jumper.

A - surprisingly, my t-shirt all year round boy, was the only one to remain bundled.

Neil-Te- assuming his "nut" position.

Co-Co - looking pretty spectacular with his electric hair. He was wishing he could figure out how to do this all the time!

KiKi, who is saving some hot chocolate for later.

Church Pianist

2010-03-08T17:26:00.001-08:00

CoCo had the opportunity to play a couple of songs during the prelude for our evening church service last night. Despite lots of time preparing and some nervousness, he is actually asking when he gets to do it again!

He looked awfully little sitting there.

He used on of his December recital pieces, "French Lullaby" and also played a new one, "Here I am to Worship." The second piece was very challenging - four flats, but he likes singing it at church and wanted to be able to play it.

Healthy New Baby!

2010-03-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Late this afternoon, Hubby's cousin had her baby. As you can see, her new baby is healthy, if not happy, in this picture! (I copied these off of Facebook because I know that some of you have been praying for this little one and her mother.)
After fighting with cancer, Hubby's cousin wasn't sure she could even get pregnant, let alone carry a baby to term. We were all concerned when she began having contractions over 10 weeks ago. The doctors were able to stop her labor and then put her on full bedrest. Praise God, this little one was even born past the due date!

Happy Day!

Afternoon with the Animals

2010-03-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

The older three boys are part of an art class every Tuesday afternoon; and due to the distance, I don't have time to go back home during their class. So, I try to come up with fun things to do with KiKi during that time. Last week we went out for hot chocolate and donuts. This week, I decided to do something extra special - go to the local animal shelter. We walked through the rows of dogs and pretended that all of the echoing barks were their way of saying an enthusiastic, "HELLO!" to KiKi. Then we walked down the kitten rows and admired how they jumped onto perches. Then we strolled past the rabbits, the potbellied pigs, and even a mule. Though we moved in typical KiKi speed mode, he was interested and excited and full of smiles; and I was patting myself on the back for coming up with the perfect activity. As I buckled myself into the car, I turned around and asked, "So, did you have a great time?" KiKi replied, "It was so boring."

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.

Home Study

2010-03-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

Every year, we have to have a new home study to renew our foster care certification. We take training classes throughout the year to fulfill our training hour requirements. We get TB tests every other year. We submit Dr.'s paperwork on everyone in our family to prove that we are healthy enough to foster. We are sent a packet of paperwork to fill out every February in preparation for our home study. So, tonight we had our "official home study." Our paperwork has been signed. Our house has been inspected. Brownies have been served. Our homefinder left happy and certain of our re-certification. Not that we ever really feel worried about it, but it I just like to sigh in contentment with the knowledge that our girl can stay.

SNOWCANE!!!

2010-02-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

We went to bed last night chuckling about the incoming "snowcane." Honestly, as if we've never seen snow before. Well, weren't we wrong. When we got our 6 am school cancellation call, we made an attempt to look out the windows to check it out - only to find this!

Then when I tried to let Anni out, I still couldn't see what was really going on.
This was the sight that greeted me upon opening the door. Ugh! A rather formidable obstacle even for a German Shepherd! (Those deck chairs are a stack of four.)

The snow came up to A's knees, and the kids had a great time playing in it. CoCo was a little upset that his snowboard kept sinking in the snow, but he soothed his disappointment by digging a tunnel.

SS joined in on the fun by taking pictures from the safety and warmth of kitchen. She did actually go outside in the snow during the afternoon to shovel a bit and even made a snowball. Though, she did state rather emphatically, "This doesn't mean I like snow!"

Those are the fun parts of our snowcane. The not so fun parts were the need to snow blow twice today, trying to get the minivan out of the driveway (not succeeding), having hubby come home from work to help me (He was got stuck in the parking lot at work.), driving 2 1/2 hours to get to a Dr.'s office that is 20 minutes away... Well, now that I am snuggled up with a warm drink and comfy pjs, even those things seem kind of like the adventures of a snowcane!

Just Plain, Old, Florida Fun

2010-02-24T17:12:00.000-08:00

Though people always assume that when you go to FL for vacation, you will be going to all of the amusement parks in Orlando, our family really just spends most of the time having regular, outdoor fun. Danny got the chance to go fishing again this year. Ed took him out twice. The first time, it was so cold that even the fish didn't want to move; but as you can see, the second trip went better.

As you well know, the boys feel the need to find climbing trees wherever we go. The woods surrounding Mimi's house is full of great climbing trees, and it's always a bonus to have a fun uncle to climb with!

We've been studying WWI in history this month, so you can imagine the boys' delight in having the chance to dig a real trench which had been begun by Uncle NC a few years ago. The boys spent hours digging, and A was happy to recover some "artifacts" from Uncle NC's former pellet gun wars. Their trench was quite impressive and the boys had fun digging, wallowing, and jumping across it.

Gator Wrestling

2010-02-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

The kids decided to wrestle this gator as a team.

KiKi decided this type of gator wrestling was more his style.

A, our Indiana Jones fan, decide that he needed to wrestle the real thing.

CoCo, of course, was actually the first one who volunteered for the alligator wrestling!

Beach Fun and the Fam

2010-02-22T17:29:00.000-08:00

Headed to FL again this year for February break. We enjoyed lots of sunshine and lots of visiting with family. It was definitely tough to come back to snow and gray clouds!

Things We Wish We Didn't Know

2010-02-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

She even had a fresh dish of water. Guess she prefers cold, flavored water. Ugh!

New Toys

2010-02-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

Once in a while, Mommy gets new toys too. Last year, it was my new camera. Unfortunately, I got a lemon. Despite positive reviews, my camera would shut off after 6 pictures, sometimes not even shut off, and never focus on all the faces in even a small group shot. Despite troubleshooting efforts, we just couldn't get it fixed. So, today I took the plunge and got a Canon from a brick and mortar store so that I can return it if it is a lemon!

Here are three original, unedited pictures taken in low light with a flash.

CoCo's eyes with the zoom.

Feel free to offer any opinions before my 90 days are up. I'm not sure if the grainy issues are camera or user. I'll keep playing.

KiKi's Dr.'s Appointment

2010-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few highlights from KiKi's yearly visit.

Nurse: How are you today?
KiKi: (brightly) Four!

During his eye exam.
KiKi: "This eye isn't as smart as my other eye."

After his hearing test when he spotted the "big kid" eye tester - he looked right into it and read all of the letters according to their sound. (Homeschool mom was very pleased!)

After the visit.
Mommy: "What was your favorite part of your Dr.'s visit?"
KiKi: "The tickles and getting stickers." (Amusing statement given the fact that the Dr. had not meant to tickle him at all, but was really only trying to check his belly. KiKi was curled up with the giggles for most of the process.)

Between Classes

2010-01-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

I usually allow the boys to get some crazies out before they get started on seat work. This was the view in my living room after Bible class yesterday. Think this counts for 5 minutes of PE?

Gift for Ka Pa

2010-01-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

Months ago, SS started plotting a plan with her mother to make a coat for "ka pa" (daddy). They were both so excited, and her mother began weaving the black fabric and embroidering the traditional Chin designs into it. SS said that if her mother had worked full days, it would have taken her two full months to complete just the fabric. Then her mother hired a tailor to make the jacket with her fabric. When I asked SS if I could give her daddy's measurements, she said, "No way! My mom won't know what to do with them." So, she told her mom to make it "big, big - bigger than you think is big." She then compared ka pa with a man in her village who is very tall and big and said, "Make it bigger." Knowing that these were the specifications, I worried that she would be disappointed when it didn't fit; but I hated to discourage their enthusiasm. Months passed with whispered updates and eventually shipping arrangements (Burma to India to America).

Finally, it arrived. Here he is in his beautiful coat, which was made with love and many hours of hard work; and it is a perfect fit!

KiKi is Four!

2010-01-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe, but here he is four years old!He had a fun day - pancake breakfast, Chuck E. Cheese with brothers and Bubba and Auntie T, a visit from Auntie J, and then a pizza dinner with Oma and Opa and Grandma and Grandpa! He proudly proclaimed to all who would listen that he was four years old today. It was a pleasure to see his face light up with every new activity and every new gift. He literally jumped up and down and danced with delight.

While I feel a little sad that he is growing so quickly, sometimes it helps to look at pictures like these to remember that the more things change...

the more they stay the same!

GONE!

2010-01-15T12:32:00.001-08:00

I have had reactions to skin products (lotions, soaps, cleaners, sunscreens...) since I was a young girl. I have endured almost-constant, tiny blisters and rashes on my hands since grade school. Now, almost 30 years later, I decided to see an allergist. My main motivation - not my hands - my need for a lotion to slow down my wrinkles! ;-)
They put these test strips on my back on Monday. I felt as if my back was full of mosquito bites or poison ivy. I gritted my teeth all night. By the next day, it only felt like a burn. By Wed., I thought I was getting them removed, only to be told that I needed to leave them on until Friday. So, I struggled with itching, burning sensations for the rest of the week. Today, I found the results - nothing! I did not have an allergic reaction to any of the test squares, but did have a reaction to the tapes. Something which they have never seen before - great. I already knew I had adhesive issues - been avoiding band aids for years. So, really nothing gained; but I did manage to lose a fair amount of sleep. Luckily, the Dr. gave me a whole bunch of samples for a product line that none of her allergy patients have ever reacted to. I'll give them a try. Hubby's always told me that when it says 99.9% hypoallergenic that I will be the .1%. I just hope this time he's wrong.

Amaryllis

2010-01-12T13:16:00.000-08:00

I could get all philosophical about all of the symbolism of an amaryllis and Christmas; but instead I'll share a bit about a family tradition. Every Thanksgiving, my grandmother gives all of the girls in the family an amaryllis bulb. It's always fun to see who's will actually bloom by Christmas, how many blooms everyone will get, or even how many stalks each one will have. By now, the boys have started looking forward to our amaryllis too and are so excited as it grows and starts to bloom. We had a late bloomer this year, and it just opened this week. Initially, I thought that it was a bit disappointing that it wasn't blooming for our Christmas party; but as I stopped to admire it, I realized that for me, the amaryllis is no longer just a pretty Christmas flower. It is a symbol of my grandmother and a beautiful reminder of her love for our families. I pray that we may we have many more beautiful blooms in the years to come.

Laundry

2010-01-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have ever ventured into my laundry room, you will understand when I compare it to a dungeon. It was cramped, cobwebby, cluttered...basically a washer, dryer, and cement set tub shoved up against a cement wall with peeling paint from 5o+ years ago. Unfortunately, with a family of 7, I spend entirely too much time in there. So hubby has slowly been improving it. A few months ago, he built the platform for the washer and dryer. Before the holidays, he replaced the gigantic set tub with a smaller one. Last week, he put up drywall - no more looking at cement!

Today, he painted it! I love the fun purple color. It reminds me of lilacs and hyacinths.

When I was feeling guilty that he spent so much time priming and painting on his day off, he promptly replied, "If I build it, YOU will use it!" (Maybe that's why he let me choose purple!)

A's Artistic Invention

2010-01-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

Like many artistic souls, A struggles with mess and disorder on his desk, around his desk, and occassionally even "surprise" messes that look mysteriously as if someone shoved them into his closet. So when he had to think of an invention to make for school, he designed this art desk. His model actually works; and I was so pleased with his store logo, that I figured I'd share.

Our Grinch

2010-01-07T18:24:00.001-08:00

This is rather belated, but I did want to make sure that I documented this particular Christmas event. For Christmas this year, A decided to perform a little Grinch skit. He prepared a script - almost entirely true to the original, prepared costumes and props, and drilled his brothers for days prior to the actual event. As usual, it was creative and amusing and certainly didn't go off without a hitch! Our poor Grinch got so stuck in the chimney that the whole chimney fell down. Luckily, our Grinch took it all in stride and kept going. Our little Who's (Neil-Te and KiKi) were so excited to have parts that A had to invent an extra Who part and also two dogs for the sled. They had lots of fun performing and we had lots of fun watching!

Our Grinch

The Grinch preparing to put an antler on KiKi dog.

A little Who waiting backstage.

(For those of you who noticed, CoCo was not involved. Aside from being completely uninterested in performing a play, he was sick with a fever over Christmas this year.)

Big Snow

2010-01-04T07:40:00.001-08:00

We have been bombarded with snow the last couple of days. The boys are thrilled, of course! Here is KiKi standing in the path that we shoveled for Anni.

Visiting Santa and the Real Faith of a Child

2009-12-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

Though 3 of the boys officially "know" about Santa, I couldn't believe how persistent they were in their requests to see Santa. After a fairly unproductive school day yesterday, I decided to take today off to visit Santa and finish up some other Christmas errands. Santa was very cheerful this year and didn't smell bad - always a plus.

KiKi jumped right up on Santa's lap this year and proceeded to tell him quite confidently that he wanted Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles - all of them, and Diego things. Santa was so good natured that he even chuckled.
Hard to believe, but Neil-Te is still a bit nervous about Santa. He needed A to go up with him, but willingly sat on Santa's lap and made his request. The boys were happy with their visit and the rest of my shopping went extremely well.

At one store, I handed the sales associate my list, he filled my cart and loaded my purchases into the car. To top it all off, a different man in the store handed me a coupon to use. Sometimes it's actually an advantage to shop with the kids. I think people are more pleasant, cheerful, and patient when they see us coming. (Of course, with all the boys in tow, I need them to be!)

Oh, yeah, I finally got a chair for my living room! The boys were being so good that I made a quick run to the furniture outlet. The boys grumbled, and I assured them that it would probably be quick since I have been unsuccessfully looking for a chair since August. They knew I really wanted one, so Neil-Te and CoCo prayed that I would find one. When I walked in the door, I was accosted by a sales lady. I almost gave her the brush-off, but then decided to tell her what I was looking for. Her face lit right up, and she told me she had just what I was looking for. (Imagine me thinking, "How cliche. I'll believe it when I see it!") Well, 15 minutes later, we were driving out with our new chair and a van full of awestruck boys who believe in the power of a God who listens to a child's prayer.

Family Picture

2009-12-19T12:16:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with my mom and dad last night, and my dad took some pictures of the family. As you can see, we didn't get a perfect one. SS made faces in nearly all of them. I decided to post this one anyway because I figure it reflects her picture personality. It is a rare occasion when I get a picture of her where she is not making a funny face. Think it makes a good Christmas card?

CoCo's Accomplishment

2009-12-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember that last time CoCo had a recital, he found that he was unable to perform. He had always practiced on a piano; and for whatever reason, the promised piano was replaced with a keyboard. CoCo had never played a keyboard and didn't want recital night to be his first time.
So... when the music studio began discussing recitals this season, I was unsure what his reaction would be. At first he was hesitant, stating his piano/keyboard concerns. Then his teacher assured him that they could practice on the keyboard every lesson to prepare, and CoCo was thrilled. He chose two pieces - a waltz and a lullaby. He practiced faithfully and was, again, fully prepared. We arrived close to starting time so that he wouldn't have time to get nervous. (Luckily, grandpa saved seats.) CoCo waited patiently for his turn, about 2/3 of the way through the program. Just as the student before him finished and CoCo was preparing to stand up, the director took the microphone and said that there was going to be a slight change in the programming. CoCo's turn was going to be moved until after the intermission. UGH! As I walked down the hallway with him, I asked him if he was alright with waiting a bit longer to play because grandma had run out to get SS from work and would be coming back to hear CoCo. I said, "Are you okay with waiting until grandma and SS get back, or will it make you nervous."
He looked at me, puzzled. "Should I be nervous?" (Guess I was the only nervous one!)
Anyway, when grandma and SS got there, CoCo played with complete confidence and pleasure. YEAH!

Sweet Inspiration

2009-12-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

We decided that it was time for some sweet inspiration today. We headed over to a local mansion museum to look at the gingerbread houses on display. The kids played the scavenger hunt game, and Neil-Te was so interested in it and just refused to give up. His enthusiasm soon passed on to the older brothers who initially grumbled. KiKi resisted the temptation to swipe his finger through some frosting or steal a piece of candy; but of course, now we will be making a gingerbread creation of our own. I may even have to find a real recipe. We've done kits in the past; but frankly, they taste terrible. They seem to absorb the taste of the cardboard that they are packaged in. I'll post pictures of our creation when we make it!

Freezy Fun

2009-12-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

We've gotten a bit of snow over the past couple of days, and the boys have been begging to run outside before school even starts. Yesterday was the soak-you-to-the skin kind of snow that left you wet after only 5 minutes of playing, but today we had some fluffy, dry snow to play in. The boys braved the terrible wind chill to take advantage of the one inch layer of snow for sledding. CoCo has started sledding down the front, side hill this year. Apparently, the new dirt from the driveway has improved the slope; and there are "only a few trees to hit." Ugh!
KiKi only lasted about 25 minutes before he needed some hot chocolate, but he loves sledding (on the mini hill)! It's so funny to watch him try to move with all those clothes on. Sometimes he can't even stand up.

Luckily, A didn't actually throw this threatened snow ball right at my camera!

Neil-Te stayed in. He said it was "too freezy" for him!

Christmas Preparations

2009-12-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit negligent about blogging lately, not for lack of happenings. Seems that at the end of the day, I've just been out of energy. A hot bath and a cup of tea have just been higher on my priority list! The boys put up our Christmas tree and lights the day that my brother and family headed out. They certainly needed something to distract them from the loss of their playmates. We didn't get a chance to put up the ornaments until a couple of days later, and it was fun to watch the boys reminisce about ornaments they remember receiving.

KiKi was so excited that his jaw dropped open, and he would squeal in delight when he came across an ornament that he thought was especially fun.

Neil-Te was happy to be able to reach up a little higher on the tree this year.

A handled the top of the tree, and CoCo is our resident paper chain, snowflake maker. Our house is so festive, and I just love all of the enthusiasm that the kids bring to Christmas. I do cringe a little every time KiKi and Than play with my ceramic creches, but at least it helps them remember the real meaning of Christmas.

A few pictures of our Thanksgiving Guests

2009-12-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

All dressed up for church. Zilla saw A's suit and decided he needed to go too!

Zilla and Grandpa preparing for the long-awaited work-out on the treadmill.

A typical scene with the Unc.

And another common sight!

2009-11-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

We headed over to Letchworth State Park yesterday. It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day. The first picture shows off the view we had during our lunch.

This next one is of KiKi with his aunt. The rainbows were his favorite part of the trip.

CoCo and Zilla enjoying the falls and the rainbow.

The crew. They weren't thrilled that I was taking yet ANOTHER picture, but isn't it a great one?

It was a great day, and we learned a few things - Letchworth allows hunters (so much for hiking in the woods) and the fear for the lives of your children while walking along the gorge will take 10 years off your own life.

Thanksgiving and Birthday

2009-11-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

My brother and his family came in to town yesterday. The kids have been counting down the days until their arrival and were dancing and singing when bro's car pulled in the driveway. The kids are having a great time with their cousins, and the grown-ups are having a great time visiting while the kids are busy.

Today, we headed over to mom and dad's for an early Thanksgiving dinner and a birthday celebration for grandpa. I forgot my camera, but lucky for me, my sister-in-law had one. Not sure if the kids are looking so serious because our singing was out of tune or if they were planning which candles would be theirs to blow out.

Eating Like a Dog

2009-11-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

Now that I am finally emerging from the haze of sickness that has been in our household for two weeks, I'm ready to start catching up a bit on my blog. Took this picture of CoCo and KiKi earlier this week. (Cute one, huh!) The boys have managed to turn their illness into a competition. I have been informed that CoCo and KiKi have tied for most days of fever (6). Neil-Te has won for shortest duration of fever (2). A is desperate to come up with something. I think he managed to have the lowest fevers (not counting SS). I just chuckle in amazement at their resilience and sigh in relief that I can sleep through the night again!

This morning, KiKi was carrying the cereal bag upside down (AGAIN!!!) Just when I was getting ready to feel frustrated and discouraged about the clean-up, KiKi noticed Anni take a bite of the spilled cereal. He raced over to the spill and proclaimed, "I want to eat with Anni!" Then he proceeded to lick the food off of the floor just like his pet. Trying to push aside the grossness factor, I grabbed the camera so that I could record the moment to share with whatever wonderful woman will be kissing that mouth. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready, he had switched to eating with his fingers because licking the cereal wasn't working very well. Bummer.

Status Update

2009-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Well, KiKi is finally getting better. No fever today, but his cough is terrible. A is still struggling with fever - on his 3rd day now. CoCo, SS, and I all had sore throats for one day, then nothing. Relief! Neil-Te just chatters along with no sign of any illness jarring his days of play. Hubby has thus far been spared also; we're hoping it stays that way! The healthy boys and I are progressing with school, and A is trying to do some of his work in the mornings before his fever makes him dizzy. Though sickness makes our week pretty crazy, it reminds me to be thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling, the usual health of the family, the helpfulness that the kids have exhibited, my usual solid night's sleep, the helpfulness and support of friends...the list could go on and on!

Project of Desperation

2009-11-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

I finally got fed up with the condition of our side yard - where we had the tree stump removed in early summer. We had hoped to extend our driveway, but the quotes we got were soooo high that I think both hubby and I were just avoiding thinking about it. However, over the past few weeks, I have been getting more and more frustrated with the ugly, muddy strip next to the driveway. So with nice weather in the forecast this week, the boys and I began digging it out ourselves. Hubby thinks we're nuts; I'm sure he's right. Three or four inches of gravel have got to be better than mud, though - at least, I hope!

Break Time! A and C earned their break. They worked long and hard to show Daddy that it could be done. Neil-Te had more fun catching worms and bugs. KiKi has a fever, so he just sat and looked into the worm bucket. He did have occasional bursts of energy. (I couldn't keep him awake past 5:45 tonight. I'm thinking tonight will be rough. Poor little guy is already crying out and coughing in his sleep.)

The Days of the Week

2009-11-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of the "real" names for the days of the week, according to our boys.

Sunday - "Church Day"
Monday - "Art Day"
Tuesday - Tuesday
Wednesday - "Bells and Choir Day" or "Eat dat Church Day"
Thursday - "Gym Day"
Friday - "Alli Day"
Saturday - "Daddy Stay Home Day"

Invisible

2009-11-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

We have a little rule in our house. All food stays in the kitchen. I am not the most perfect housekeeper and the idea of vacuuming food out of my couch cushions just sounds like another chore in an already-long list. So...this morning when I walked into the living room, I saw a piece of Life cereal on the floor.

Me: (irritated) Who ate in the living room?
A: It wasn't me.
Co: Not me.
Neil-Te: No way. Not me.
KiKi: I didn't.
Me: Well, how did this cereal get in here?
A: I don't know.
Co: shrugs
Neil-Te: I ate in the kitchen.
KiKi: (innocently) My invisible friend was hungry.

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

The boys got to trick or treat with their cousins this year. They were quite the big crew showing up at people's houses, yelling, "TRICK or TREAT." It was fun to watch them, but the most hilarious part was the things that they would say after receiving the candy - hopefully, after the door had closed!
At one house, a teenager with lots of piercings was handing out candy. As we walked away from the house, KiKi said in confusion, "He looks like a pig." I imagine the teen wouldn't have thought his nose ring was so cool if he had heard that comment!

After pizza and trick-or-treating at Oma and Opa's, we picked up the girls and headed to my parents' for some more trick-or-treating. I'm in the picture because KiKi was afraid of the girls' makeup and refused to be in the picture without me!
We had lots of fun and the weather held out - only a tiny drizzle for maybe five minutes. The time change came on the perfect night - no pangs of guilt about a late bedtime this year. I guess I'm just saving some guilt for all of the candy I intend to persuade the boys to share!
Happy Halloween!

Punk Rock Star?

2009-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Or is he really just defying his future baldness? ;-)

Tree Climbers

2009-10-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Neil-Te has watched with envy for years as CoCo scrambles effortlessly up trees. After a few minutes of vigorous attempts, he stomped away in frustration on Saturday, crying, "I'll never be able to do it!"
Co-Co replied, "You really won't be able to if you don't keep trying. You CAN do it if you don't give up."
Much to my amazement, those words did the trick. Neil-Te tried for over an hour with no success, then went back out later and tried again. He realized that maybe if he could make his muscles stronger, he would be able to do it. Yesterday, he worked again.
Today, he did it! He is officially a tree climber and, hopefully, has learned a good lesson about perserverance!
By the way, that interesting pink color is the fun color of everything under our red maples. It even casts red into our living room. Gotta love fall!

Appreciating the Good Things

2009-10-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today, the boys and I had an interesting discussion about favoritism. In the past, one of the boys used to verbalize that he had a "favorite brother," much to the hurt feelings of the other boys. So there has been this unspoken rivalry to be the "favorite" for quite some time. Though I was aware that it was going on, all of my intervention methods seemed to have failed until today. As one of the boys was sitting at the lunch table in tears over being the one to be left out again, I finally had the opportunity to discuss it at length with all of the boys. After we had discussed the issue for a few minutes, we decided that each of us would share something that we liked about each of the boys at the table. It was such a blessing to see them talk about the shared activities and qualities that they enjoy about each other. It was also so touching to see how inspired and encouraged they were to know that their brothers actually notice the nice things that they try to do. Here's a little sampling.
"He's so cute and adorable."
"He builds cool forts with me."
"He teaches me how to do things."
"He likes to play with me."

Simple things, but it was a moment that I will treasure.

Super Powers of Attraction

2009-10-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, Neil-te likes to play the helpful, older-brother role. A couple of days ago, he had just finished washing his face when he decide that he wanted to wash KiKi's too. Though I wish that I had been in the room to see their faces, this is what I heard.

Neil-Te: Come here [KiKi], I want to wash your face.
KiKi: You can't wash my face. I'm a super hero.
Neil-Te: Well, super heroes wash their faces too.
KiKi: (emphatically) No. They Don't!
Neil-te: (without hesitation) Yes, them have to look good so the girls will like them.

Facing the Challenge

2009-10-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Neil-Te sat down at the table to do his schoolwork and said, "Mommy, some kids don't like math or say, 'It's too hard. Waaaaaaaa.' I say, 'Bring it on, baby!"

Ahhh... happy homeschooling mom moment! (Oh yeah, and great amusement at the use of the Scooby Doo line.)

The Rest of the Family Pictures

2009-10-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Though this is not the "official" SS pose, it is our favorite.

A posted this on his blog, so some of you may have seen it.

I've been super busy lately, so I haven't had much time to blog, but I wanted to share the rest of our family pictures while I had a couple of minutes.

Our Jokester

2009-10-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months, CoCo has realized that he enjoys making people laugh. This started with the traditional silly jokes and progressed to obnoxious bodily noises and then on to silly voices. Today, we reached a new level of humor.

CoCo and A have been taking a weekly class at the library where they learn how to find things in the library according to the Dewey Decimal System. On the way out to the car tonight, I asked, "So...what can you find in the 600's?" CoCo responded, "Oh, recipes, health information, and ... books. Yep, lots of ...books." His calm wit was hilarious (It is clearly lost in writing.); and as I was mentally admiring his quickness and laughing out loud, I was rewarded with his more typical, silly-voiced reenactment of his statement.

Love the boy he is, and loving the boy he will become.

Fostering

2009-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

I rarely blog about fostering because we think of SS as just another member of our family. However, there are times, like today that the uglier side of fostering makes going through the day difficult. Technically, our family is certified to bring in another child, so we occasionally get calls to take in other children for short or long-term placements. As Christians, our immediate desire is to help; but each placement must be carefully weighed against the responsibility that we have to take care of our family. Due to the size of our existing family, most of the time we have to say no. Last night, we received a call about a young child who has been suffering tremendous horrors that one hates to think that anyone must endure. The story weighs heavily in our hearts, and is somehow made even heavier by the realization that though we could help this child, it would bring serious upheaval and some potentially negative impacts into our household. So after many prayers, we have determined that we are not the best family to help this little one. While we are confident in our decision, we are saddened to have turned away one of God's children. Our hearts are broken today, and it is a day when we wish we were not so aware of the ugly side of the lives of so many children. We are praying that God will provide the right home and right support for this precious child; and we also continually pray that even more Christian families will consider opening their homes to these children in need.

Chuck-E-Cheese

2009-10-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

Neil-Te had a birthday party today with his two best friends and his brothers. (Yes, he counts his cousin as best friend too!) They all had a great time racing around Chuck-E-Cheese. We got there as soon as they opened and shared the space with one other little boy for the first 45 minutes. It was great - no waiting, easy to keep track of everyone... (By the way, mothers of little ones, they test the machines in the mornings, so there are tickets sticking out of every game for your kids to collect to exchange for goodies!)

Neil-Te and his buddy from church.

Neil-Te with his cousin.

Chuck-E-Cheese came out with Neil-Te's birthday cake. Neil-Te and the other kids were so excited to hug him. It was a great bonus to an already fun morning. Because we didn't have an official, reserved party, I wasn't sure how much special treatment, if any, he would get; but the staff was fabulous. He got the birthday sticker, singing, Chuck-E-Cheese visit, bonus tokens... a great party experience.

Six and Still Sick

2009-09-30T17:55:00.001-07:00

Neil-Te turned 6 today. He got to start his day with gifts from the family, and was especially excited to be old enough to receive his own clip light and cd clock radio. Usually we take the day off of school on a birthday and head out for doughnuts and a museum trip, but since Neil-te and I are still so sick, we had a birthday at home. We did take the day off - one of the many perks of a homeschooling schedule- and spent time playing with toys, crafting, listening to stories and music, and playing board games.

Birthday gifts from his bros.

Auntie J. braved our germ-infested home to bring Neil-te a gift and a hand-me-down costume for KiKi. (She did stay in the entryway to avoid too much contamination!)

Working on his new bird feeder from Auntie J. Doesn't he look old?!

Since we were too sick to go to our church dinner tonight, half of the crew went to children's choir practice and the fellowship dinner, while the rest of us stayed home for pizza and sherbet as a dessert. Since I still haven't re-stashed any candles, we had to make do with matches in his sherbet. Yep, not a great mom move. Thankfully, he was thrilled and thought it was silly and fun. I assured him that for his official birthday dinner, we will have real candles to go on his cake.

Oh, and yes, he did wear his new Mimi pjs all day on his birthday! Maybe a birthday at home isn't so bad.

Disappearing Voice

2009-09-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Neil-Te has the flu now. His fever started yesterday, and he has a weak, raspy voice no matter how loudly he tries to talk. As most of you know, Neil-te is a talker, as in non-stop, talks -louder-if-you-don't-listen talker. He is officially a chatterbox, so this particular part of his sickness is driving him crazy. He jabbered away to me this morning in his rasping voice, "Mommy, I can't be quiet; but I know it will make my voice disappear. I just can't stop talking. It's very hard. I think when I drink my voice is stronger. Doesn't it sound better? (sniff, sniff, drink, clear throat) Yes, I think that I can talk again. I just can't be quiet, but I know it will make my voice disappear. Am I getting worse?"
And on and on it went! It was all I could do to not laugh out loud at my sniffly, hoarse, feverish little boy whose biggest problem is that he should really rest his voice but can't.

Peatot

2009-09-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling with the flu this week, but at our house there is always something to chuckle about.

KiKi (bounding into my room full of life, energy, and gigantic smiles) "Mommy, would you like a peatot?"

Me (lying in bed with a fever, body aches...basically, barely coherent) "Huuuhhh?"

KiKi (bouncing up and down, grinning) "Do you want a peatot?"

Me (still not comprehending and not sure if it is feverbrain) "What?!?"

Kiki (still bouncing at a dizzying speed) "You know, a peatot!"

Me (groggily enunciating) "A pea-tot?"

Kiki (with elation, singing, and arm motions) "YES! I'm a little peatot, short and spout!"

Rocket Launcher

2009-09-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Silly Poses and School

2009-09-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Shovel Face

SS' first day of school was last week. She is back to getting up early and having to get back to studying. She has some pretty heavy coursework this year, and even with the help of tutors, we are working until late in the evening. I am happy to see how much her confidence has increased when she answers questions and how she is not questioning every word that she tries to write. Her language skills have improved so much. (Just a little funny note - We were reading Poe tonight; and of course, the story was quite terrifying. SS locked her bedroom window right afterward and told me that she plans to put something in front of the crack under her door so that maybe she can sleep tonight. Let's hope that she doesn't have to read too many more of his stories!)

And Now In Color!

2009-09-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

My new shoe closet, completely finished!

These pictures actually are not accurate in color, but you get the idea. The color is really more green and less turquoise. The color in the picture is the color that the boys wanted us to paint the living room, though. Now to find a rug, some lamps, a chair, and some curtains... All should be fun, except the rug. I'm never a huge fan of paying for an area rug for my dog to roll on and people to walk all over. Wish that there was some kind of retractable rug that I could pull out in the evening when it's just me and hubby or when we have company over. Yes, I know, a little crazy! :-D

Cookies and Chaos

2009-09-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know what is going on with Blogger today, but excuse the underlining. I can't seem to make it disappear. Anyway, the older boys set up a lemonade stand at Oma's today during her garage sale. It was a huge success. They were very cute - shyly smiling and saying hello to everyone. Then they would race over to me after the people were gone to tell me their current total. So tonight we were busy making more cookies and also some brownies, since I ran out of chocolate chips. The picture below shows our working conditions.

Though not an ideal set-up for getting anything done in the kitchen, I am happy that my living room will be painted by the end of the weekend. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

And here is the wonderful man who's making it happen!

Perspectives of Age

2009-09-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

Me: So, how do you like your new English teacher?
SS: She's nice. She's old.
Me: Really, how old?
SS: Oh (thinking), kind of like Auntie Jen. Not 40 yet, but old.

Ah, yes... to be old in your 30's... Not sure what that makes everyone over 40.

She's on the road!

2009-09-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

SS got her driver's permit a couple of weeks ago, so hubby and I are taking turns scaring ourselves. Actually, other than a few occasions, she is progressing really well. (I have been doing most of the driving with her, though, because she says daddy gets too nervous! Yes, all of you who know us well can chuckle at the irony of that!) Her driving teacher wants her to take her road exam in October. We're not so sure we're ready for that. Are you? :-)

2009-09-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hubby extended our entryway today so that we have more space to pile in the door and take off coats and shoes. (Psychological space, not actual square footage.)

Finished!

Oh, and we picked out a paint color today! We're definitely making progress!

Boys' Day of Fun

2009-09-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Shark Attack!

Then for a drive in some Monster Trucks!

Hanging out with some beautiful girls...

and mommy too, of course!

My girlfriend called the other day to let me know about the carload sale at one of our local amusement parks. We threw everyone in the van, and for $30 we played all day. As you can see, we had a great time!

Vacation Highlights

2009-08-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a week-long camping trip with hubby's family. We try to a make a trip every year with his parents and his sisters' families. We have found a fabulous location right on a lake, with spacious sites and great playgrounds. The kids have a great time together; and despite my less -than -enthusiastic feelings toward camping, it was relaxing and nice to visit with his family. Here is a picture of his sisters - the natural, camping look, and still looking great!

The oldest boy cousins. (My two spent the week in their own tent, which was great fun for them, and nice for us to have a little extra space in the camper.)

The youngest two - only 5 days difference in age!

All of the cousins, except the oldest two girls. Wish that I had thought to put Oma and Opa in the picture. As you can imagine, with so many cousins, so close in age, they had a blast!

Now back to real life - 3 loads of laundry down, 4 more to go!

I Asked For New Paint!

2009-08-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

We painted our living room ten years ago, so I figured that it was fair to ask for new paint. I even planned to do a significant amount of the work myself, since it is summertime. I should have known better. Hubby cannot paint a room until he has addressed all of the related issues. In the case of the living room, it was an entryway issue. Our 4'x4' entryway failed to adequately house our family's shoes, so they leaked into the living room. Here was the problem - mind you, at least 5 pair of shoes are missing from the picture, and some shoes are stored in bedrooms. Yes, we had a BIG problem. So, what does hubby do? Why add on to the house, of course! (This was last week, prior to the heart issues.)

So here is my new shoe closet - AWESOME!Yep, but still no paint, and clearly we need new baseboards. Since he was forced to rest for a WHOLE day when he returned home from the hospital, he set CoCo to work pulling off the old ones. Living vicariously? Oh yeah, he also may decide to take out a foot of wall between the computer room and living room because "it would look way better!" Gotta love him! :-)

He's Home!

2009-08-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

I just want to update that Hubby's heart converted to normal rhythm moments just as the nurse arrived with a wheelchair to pick him up for "shock treatment" (Hubby's wording). He is still maintaining proper rhythm, though his rate and blood pressure are a little low. He is happy to be home, though nervous about a recurrence. He will be on medication for at least a couple of weeks until he meets with the cardiologist again. Right now, all of his heart test results and enzyme levels are normal, so they can see no obvious reason for his AF.
We have appreciated the prayers, phone calls, emails and visits. Thanks to Mimi for taking such great care of the kids. Thanks to Oma, Opa and sisters who stayed with us today at the hospital. I wish that I could respond individually to each one of you, but our household needs to settle down a bit. The kids are so happy to have daddy back home. The boys are currently piled on the couch with him, playing cards. SS is "KaPa sitting" to make sure he doesn't get up too fast or do too much.

Prayer Request

2009-08-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hubby awoke during the night with a racing, irregular heartbeat. Lucky for us, Mimi is staying with us and with her cardio-nursing background, shuffled us right out the door to the ER. He is having atrial fibrillations and is still at the hospital. The doctor gave him medications during the day in hopes that they would jump his heart to return to a normal rhythm. Though the medications helped slow his heart rate, his heart is still fibrillating (quivering) rather than doing full pumps. Though this is fairly common and rarely life threatening, the greatest concern at this point is blood clots. He is being given injections to prevent clotting and is scheduled for a procedure tomorrow to shock his heart back into rhythm and also to send a scope down his esophagus to look at his heart. Our prayers are that his heart will jump back into rhythm without the procedure and that there will be no clotting complications. Please pray with us.

CoCo Competitions

2009-08-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

CoCo decided to participate in our church-sponsored sports camp again this year. He likes sports of all kinds and finds it an extra perk that he and his buddies can capture frogs during their down time. This is a picture of our crew at the track meet, an event on Tuesday. It started at 1, and in typical fashion, I was running approximately 5 minutes late. As I am herding everyone into the van after arguing with Neil-te about footwear (no hiking boots!), grabbing the camera and a piece of toast, putting the dog away ...the garage door wouldn't close. I moved the bike that was obstructing the way, slammed the door to the house, jumped into the van to happily find that KiKi was already strapped. Then I proceeded to put my non-existent keys into the ignition. UGH! Though I tried every possible means of entry into our house, I was finally forced to call hubby to get him to come home so that I could get my keys out of the house. Feeling great pangs of guilt at interrupting his work day, I was relieved to hear him say, "Well, at least you have your cell phone!" During all of this drama, CoCo was at the track meet, already competing. By the time we arrived, he had completed his event. Bigger UGH! At least we got a couple of pictures of him.

CoCo with his cousin. Yes, I did notice that CoCo is masking his great disappointment with his cheese grin. Guilt... guilt... guilt.

Today was his swim meet. We arrived EARLY - even saw warm ups! :-) CoCo got 2nd place in his race and was happy to see us in the bleachers. I got many genuine, cheesy grins and felt like a good mom!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

2009-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hubby turned 36 this week. No, he is not hard of hearing yet; but he does like to hear everyone sing. (Anyone notice my candle dilemma?)

I added this gift picture because he was so amused that Neil-Te picked out a ninja turtle shirt for him. He can't believe that they actually make them in his size. Neil-Te is so excited and was beaming ear to ear. Let's see how often daddy has to wear this new shirt! (The things you do for your kids!) He even had to put on his NEW slippers from KiKi this morning - despite the fact that it is 83 degrees today!

Love you, hubby!

Our Viewing Pleasures

2009-07-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was a real hit. After movies like Night at the Museum and Ice Age, the boys were excited about a lot of things at the museum.

First there was the "Gum, Gum" guy. (Clearly, A was barely tolerating this picture. He LOVES museums and wanted to get moving because there was so much to see.)

Then "Rexy."

Who can forget the glypto poop?

The 3-D dinosaur movie was awesome! All of the kids had fun, even the girls who don't like museums as much as the boys and I.

Co-Co kept reaching out to try to touch things, and Neil-Te would jump and gasp.

KiKi was so funny. He kept taking his glasses off to see if the 3-D effects were actually real. He was nearly as amusing as the movie!

I snapped this picture of us right as the host was saying, "NO flash photography during the presentation!" What a great example, mom!

Capitol Adventures

2009-07-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

We headed to DC last week for some sightseeing. Here are a few pictures of our trip. As you can see, we started off with smiles and high energy. (This was before ALL of the walking and 85+ heat!)

Here we are admiring the WWII memorial, while not so secretly wishing that we could get into the fountain for just a few minutes.

I'd like to say that the kids appreciated the import of this memorial, but really it was just a cool lion.

Back to our campground for a dip in their really great pool.

Nothing like a Popsicle to cool you off - especially when you try KiKi's technique!