Updates

Sami is two months old today! She has been sleeping super well -- most nights I feed her around 10:00 or so and she sleeps until 7:00 when I wake her up. I am really enjoying time spent with her before the other kids are awake. She is having a lot of trouble with bowel movements so I am really cutting down on the amount of milk I drink and trying to eat more foods that are high in fiber. Poor baby.

Emily just said "I love Mommy with one whole side of my heart and Daddy with the other whole side of my heart". So precious!

I am seriously considering putting the majority of my kids' toys in the yard sale. All the little toys at least. Any other moms feel this way? The girls aren't even supposed to have toys in their room but we found a small truckload while cleaning it out today. That and little scraps of paper, hair clips, water bottles, etc. We have been working for the last couple of years to train the kids on cleaning around the house, but our major struggle has been their bedroom. I guess we just need to keep on training. :)

Ryan got to play with another little boy with autism today. His developmental tech took him to the park with another tech and this little boy named Wyatt, who is five. I guess they played really well together. It just warmed my heart to hear about it.

The Christmas Pet

A long time back I promised to reveal the identity of the pet we got for the kids this Christmas. Well, here he (or she, we don't really know) is! Meet Fred.

Here Emily and a buddy watch Fred take a bath in his water dish. Turtles are weird.

And I am so proud to show off the wonderful job Ethan did building the stand for the cage. He is really getting into woodworking lately and I love everything he makes! (I just realized this picture isn't so great because it doesn't even show off the bottom shelf part. Just use your imagination.)

The people we got the turtle from gave four of them away. They had originally gotten the turtles on their grandparents farm in Arkansas. So our little Fred has had an interesting journey. They said we can take him out in the backyard to play in the summer, but to watch him because "they move really fast". Haha! I'm pretty sure we won't lose him. :)

Field Trip to the Capitol

Today our homeschool group went for a tour of the capitol building. The girls were looking forward to it because Daddy told them it was like a castle inside. :)

We just got back and I had them write a report about what they learned and draw a picture to go with their report. Allison drew an accurate (for a 7 year old) picture of the front of the building. She is still working on her report but I took a peek. It reads . . .

"I no that the capitol has a eagle and it is as tall as mommy."

She's right -- the tour guide told us that the eagle at the very top is 5'7" tall.

Emmie, true to her nature, doodled a fanciful drawing of the inside complete with flowers (which she added because she thought there should be flowers inside). Her only summary of the capitol is . . .

"It has a crack in it."

Also true! While walking through a hallway with a skylight in it we noticed a big crack. The guide told us it came from a few teenagers who threw a rock at it. :(

I love how my girls pick up completely different things from the same field trip. Good times. :)

Emily's Birthday Cake

I realize it is now March and I am just now posting pictures from Em's party in November, but whatever. :)

Here was the cake my little girl wanted. A snowy white castle. My favorite part was making the blue snowflakes. Emmie's favorite part was eating a turret.

Go Cassy!

I have to take a moment to brag on my cousin Cassy. She just sold her first screenplay! Very exciting. A subsidiary of Sony bought it. I don't know what it's about or anything, but I'm so proud of her!

Good Things

While feeding Samantha in the middle of the night I came across a website I just HAD to share. If you're like me and want to simplify, go here for some great articles and ideas on how to unclutter your life. I knew this website was a keeper when I finished feeding the baby and still stayed awake to read (but only for a few minutes . . . I had to be sensible after all!)

Another website I've been loving lately is Design Dazzle. The ideas for birthday parties and kids rooms are fantastic! I don't know why I have such a love of themed birthday parties but I do. :)

Spring Cleaning

This has been a good week for spring cleaning. Crisp and chilly out to want to stay in, but enough sunshine to motivate some hard work!

While cleaning up in the girls' room I found little collections of random things; paper towel rolls, stacks of drawings, ribbons, etc. The girls have been passionate about gathering little things lately -- probably due to their new fascination with the Guiness Book of World Records. Anyway, Emmie shared me that she has an idea for yet another collection . . . daddy's old contacts! Can you say YUCK? Ethan gave her a pair the other night because she was really interested and she thought they were the coolest things ever. Really, the mind of a five-year-old amazes me.

Our family has not been on a get-away together since Ryan was a newborn and we went to the coast. He didn't even go on that trip, and I've been dreaming for a while about doing some sort of little family outing. We're thinking of going to Lagoon, and to fund the trip we're going to try to have a massive yard sale. I am so excited to do this! It really makes spring cleaning more fun when you look at everything you clean out as potential trip dollars. (Also makes it easier to part with stuff.) I've promised the girls they can do a lemonade stand this year too. Do any of you have any experience trying to sell baked goods at yardsales? I'm wondering if we should even try or if it will be a big waste of time. What do you think?

March

Whenever I think about updating my blog there are many random thoughts that come into my head. I'll try to keep it interesting . . .



Sami is five weeks old today. She still wakes up two times during the night and I am anxiously awaiting a good nights sleep. She doesn't go #2 very often, but the dr. said it can be as infrequent as once every 7 days. Wow! She is finally out of preemie clothes.


Ryan now has a developmental therapist who comes out and works with him every morning. She is a college girl who helps him with specific goals, like buttoning his jacket and signing when he has needs. It is SUCH A BLESSING to have someone working with him. Especially with a brand-new baby in the house. I've been able to spend much more time working with the girls on their schoolwork every day too.


Emily. She is always keeping us laughing. The other day she told me, "Mommy, I would really appreciate it if you could talk to me with words I understand." She had her fifth birthday in November. She is going to be a dancing princess in her ballet recital this year and is getting to be a really good reader, although she has a hard time making the "r" sound still. Her dream is still (and has always been) to be a firefighter.

Every day I think how lucky I am that Allison was our firstborn. She makes my life about a thousand times easier; making breakfast or lunch for her siblings, changing diapers, reading to Emmie, playing with Ryan, etc. She loves to serve others and has such a sweet attitude. While I was in the hospital she decided she wants to be an NICU nurse when she grows up. I can definitely see her in that role. She is very athletic too.

Ethan and I are finding our marriage to be absolutely amazing since I've been home from the hospital. I sometimes can't believe how we've changed over the years and have become exactly what each other needs. If you knew us when we were first married you probably would have bet we wouldn't have made it. (Truly!) God has been so good to us.

This post has taken me two days to complete as I've only written a sentence here or there. :) Four kids keep me busy! Lovin' it . . .