Can you estimate what we learned in school?

So my little miss six year old has a loose tooth.

  

Actually, it is beyond loose and it's only hanging on by a thread.

Literally - I can see the roots.  

Click, zoom, do what it takes, but there they are.

Two days ago, it was barely loose.

We were running a quick errand this afternoon and from the back seat this is what I overheard:

Clara: Daddy is going to be SO surprised when he sees my tooth!  He's going to come home and say, "WOW!  That's a loose tooth!"  And he will laugh.  Do you think he will laugh?

Silence.  Everyone else was reading or chillaxin'.

Clara:  Well, that's just what I am estimating.  Caleb, do you know what estimating is?

Caleb:  Yes.

Clara:  What is it then?

Caleb:  I don't know.

Clara:  Well, estimating is guessing.  I am just guessing.  I am estimating that Daddy will laugh.

Well, friends, my estimation is that this tooth isn't going to make it another 24 hours.

Easter & dirty fingernails.

On Easter Sunday my mom and stepdad were visiting and my sister and her family came after church for a meal. But first we tried to have seven children (ages 7,6,5,4,3,3,3) hold still and smile at the camera.

The results were well worth the energy spent.

My kids LOVE their time with cousins.

They know when it's been too long between visits and often ask,

"When are we going to Auntie Emi's again?"

It's so dear to watch them interact with one another

and it can drive us nuts all at the same time.

(A saving grace for us mommies is video-time!)

And here's one of our four on Easter.

They clean up nicely if I may say so myself.

Right after these pictures they ran inside to change,

and after our yummy meal they escaped to play outside in the dirt.

The current task: building an underground fort.

Many hands makes light work and filthy fingernails.

What?! That's not how you spent Easter?

Mom?... look what I found in the toilet...

Hamper.. toilet... what's the difference when you are three?

Too many pillows and a messy kitchen.

Dave was sick with a terrible cold last week.

Now every time Dave coughs Caleb now asks his daddy, "Do you need to spit?"

Also, Dave uses a couple extra pillows to sleep at night.

Seriously? Is there ANY way this could be comfortable?

This morning I asked Lydia what kind of bagel she would like and she promptly starting pointing and saying "eeny, meeny, miny, moe......"

She even included the second verse, "my mother told me to pick the very best one...."

It is warm here today - like sweatshirt warm.

After breakfast and morning chores, we went to the dairy to get milk and visit the baby cows.

Liam found the youngest one (3 days old!). She was so soft - yes, I even touched it.

He said he was going to come home and write it's number in his notebook to help him remember which one was his favorite.

A couple nights ago I acquired black Converse sneakers for $1.50.

I brought them home gave them a nice soak and scrub.

Today I feel like a cute mama in my 'new' sneaks.

I also went to Granny's - a local Amish-run store.

A police officer came in and asked if anyone had dialed 911 and hung up.

The girls didn't know anything about it and the officer asked to look around just to be sure things were alright. I joked about them making prank calls and all I got in return were blank stares. I'll blame the language barrier. Later the matriarch of the family came in and said she was dialing. 9...1.... then the button got stuck ....1... PANIC! So, she hung up.

I bet that sly gal knows what pranking is.

Before naps, I overheard Caleb saying "cross my heart" to Liam.

At lunch I made the TASTIEST green smoothie.

I even shared.

4 out of 4 kids LOVED it.

If my face fit in there I would lick it.

Now, my kitchen looks like this:

It's almost like a game of I SPY.....

Can you find:

frozen peaches defrosting for dinner

extra spinach for tomorrow's smoothie

Lightening McQueen

whole wheat bread that I bought at Granny's for $1 a loaf

stack of cards just waiting to be opened on my birthday

bag of quinoa

I will stop there.

I have a kitchen to clean up.

And dinner to prep.

And did I mention that we have care group here tonight?

and in 1.5 hours 4 other kids are coming for the afternoon?

My hope is to take them all for a nice sunny walk to the track

because it's sweatshirt warm and I have some new sneaks to show off.

Mondays before 9am.

my oatmeal was ALL THAT - especially since i'm not a fan of oatmeal.

modified from jessica seinfield's Deceptively Delicious..

my right bicep is TIGHT! it even hurts to fully extend it - as in try to make it straight.

at least i know that i have a muscle there.

i am taking 2 ibprofen.

kids did NOT like having oatmeal this morning... weeping and gnashing of teeth at sight of their bowls.

cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top saved the day.

boys did school and are playing dressup.

girls wanted to do school once they knew dress up was available.

dress up is wonderful motivation.

hauling dressup bin from attic was tough with said bicep.

there's lots of skin and undies around with all this changing of clothes.

liam told caleb that ninjas don't wear undies.

Back in the Saddle Again.

We started our homeschooling this year.

Our days are busy, but the extra structure seems to be helpful with the

end-of-summer-boredom that was setting in.

Somehow I have a first grader.

He is almost 7.

Fast, confident, and funny.

I also have a silly girl in kindergarten.

She thinks that she has to keep up with her big brother and she works hard to do it.

She loves to help her momma in the kitchen.

After years of saying she doesn't like peppers and tomatoes,

this summer she started to eat both.

Meanwhile, these two are quite the pair.

Luckily, they are cute.

The year of being two holds nothing to the months we've had so far of being three.

My heart stops just thinking about what the rest of the year will be like.

The kids are too fun together.

They laugh, cry, tease, tattle, and play hard.

All. Day. Long.

It is so fun to watch these little people grow and learn to love one another.

Once upon a time..

I dreamed I had a blog.

I would write down all the funny things that happened in my days.

I would record photos and witty sayings of my children.

I would charm grandparents and friends.

Then I woke up...

and tripped over the vacuum,

and nearly fell into a basket of laundry.. was that clean or dirty?

Someone was hungry, then the kitchen needed cleaning.

Then I had to contain/restrain the littles while teaching the older ones something school-ish.

Do I hear harsh words needing correcting?

Is that arguing from the other room?

I am off to handle it, then back to schooling again.

Kids are hungry again?

Eat, drink, wipe, kitchen tidy.

Is it naptime yet?

Make sure everyone goes tinkles, has their blankey and is tucked in...

ahhhh... quiet time....

I sit, I rest.

I breathe.

(Sometimes I even sleep!)

Do I hear footsteps upstairs?

Wake up time.

Hungry, again?

Apples or carrots.

What's for dinner?

Wash, chop, boil, season.

Set the plates and silverware on the table.

Helpers help set the table.

Re-set the table.

Find missing forks.

DADDY"S HOME!

Run, greet, kiss.

Dinner time.

Sit and eat.

More, please.

Wipe, clean, stack, load.

Running, wrestling and noise.

Soon it's bedtime.

Running, wrestling, and noise.

Brush teeth.

Running, wrestling, and noise.

Tinkles and jammies.

Running, wrestling, and noise.

Stories, kisses and prayers.

Lights out.

Talking siblings.

Mommy and Daddy can sit.

and breathe

and talk.

"Dave, you'll never guess what happened today..."

Time for bed.

Maybe I will dream about having a blog....

You know mama is sick when....

...you hear "Daddy, Can we watch another video?" and it's not even 8 am.

Let it Snow!

Our first installment of snow:

The kids were outside even before the breakfast dishes were cleared.

The snow was perfect-o for building, so I joined them.

Lydia is our weakest link when it comes to playing outside in the cold. She's always the first to come back inside. She was none to happy as we were rolling snowballs for our snowmen. She kept crying that it wasn't getting bigger, but all of them were - just slowly. Caleb didn't buy it either and stomped on his. Now it really wasn't going to get any bigger.

What's a mama to do? I kept rolling mine until I was done, then I helped them. Lydia was still not enjoying herself, as we piled our snowballs to make our snowmen.

Then we put on the face and the girl was in love.

The crying stopped and she was hugging and kissing this pile of snow in our front yard.

Notice Lydia's leg and her smile - she was all about this guy!

Liam and Clara were happy that their snowman was taller than the other one.

They particularly loved using their own hats and scarves.

Liam was bummed that we weren't building a fort. He remembers the big snows from last year and has been a little disappointed with these piddly snowfall amounts.

The second installment of snow which came that evening dropped an additional 11" and we woke up the next morning to see that our snowmen had been buried. Not good for the snowmen, but there might be hope for Liam's fort after all.

On another note:

How do you get kids inside cheerfully when they are tired from playing in the snow and overdue for naps?

Give them empty bowls to fill with snow, add sprinkles, and hand out spoons.

Efficient Teamwork.

Last week we made a gingerbread house for family night. It was a hit.

In an effort to prevent the kids from sucking the icing right out of the tube, I piped the icing on and the kids decorated it. For the most part they were very self-controlled to not eat the candy while they were building it.

They were so proud of their teamwork.

And they couldn't wait to dive in!

I don't understand how some families make these and then keep them around for a little.

Ours met a quick demise.

Lydia was a sticky little mess.

Please note that she did NOT have a barrette in her hair, it is held back by icing.

I am an efficient mommy.

Candy's about gone.

What now?

The kids never seem to like the store bought gingerbread.

I'd like to think it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I bought the gingerbread kit last year and it has been in the bottom of my chest freezer for the year.

90% off, folks. That's efficient.

And I have another one I am considering saving for next year, if we don't use it this year.

(My in-laws are cringing.)

(It's okay, Mom and Dad, because they don't really eat it, anyway.)

(But to keep it real, I would totally let them if they wanted to.)

Since it was Family Night: Dave also made a fire.

I got a new camera. Does it look foggy?

It was. Smoky to be exact. Burn your nostrils, set off the smoke detector,

and leave-the-front door-open-even-though-it's-freezing-outside kind of smoky.

That would be our couch cushion Dave is using to help circulate the air so that we can all breath again. My man is efficient, too. Or maybe this has happened before... to a friend, of course.

Since it was a family night, and our unspoken theme was Teamwork, I put down the camera and helped.

The Best Seat in the House...

...to look at the flurries! that are sticking! and it's on the grass!

I love my excited children - even if I am not getting out their snowsuits yet.

And then there were two...

We are loving the summer fruits. I recently stocked up on fresh peaches and blackberries. Everyone in the family loves them, so I try to be sure to save some for Daddy.

Yesterday we had a couple of fresh berries 'just because'.

This morning we had blackberries and peaches with our yogurt and granola.

It made our breakfast a little bit sweeter.

I was upstairs and the reliable oldest child came running.

"Mommy, you aren't going to believe this. You need to come see, NOW!"

I have to give the boy credit, usually when he says this it really IS something worth seeing.

Today was no exception.

One leg on my desk and a foot on my chair,

his mouth was stuffed,

as if he heard us coming and in a panic he just shoveled in as many as he could.

His fingers, cheeks, clothing, the counter top and my chair were all stained with drippy, juicy evidence.

A pint of juicy berries all for himself.

I bet it was worth it to a certain 2 year old.

A couple scattered berries were on the floor.

Quick pick it up.

We'll save those for Daddy.

Good as new. ;)

CALEB ZEAL

This little bugger is an animal.

The babies briefly fell asleep this morning in book-time, so I went in to wake them up.

Lydia woke up with a roll and a stretch and a sleepy head.

Caleb jumped up and started growling.

He loved food from the start.

He keeps pace with Li-li and Rara.

He was climbing before he could walk.

He has eaten dirt on multiple occasions... and keeps doing it.

He has no fear. And will reach or touch or jump from anywhere.

My little man is full of energy.

From day 1 he has been consistently living up to his middle name.

He LOVES to play instruments and it's the toy he most requests to play with.

He bites.

I'd like to think of it as a release of energy. Sometimes I don't even think he knows he's doing it. He bites when he's silly/wild/wound up, not angry.

He dances, jumps, runs and climbs.

He forms great sentences.

He eats like a champ.

He watches out for his sister.

Whenever he gets something, he always asks for one for Lydia , then takes it to her.

He can climb out of his crib, mess up the room, then climb back in to fall asleep.

He loves I SPY books and 'E-I-E-I-O'.

He loves his thumb.

His blanket, or 'bubba', as he calls it, is a pair of 24 months fleece footies.

He insists that they are spread out, and inside out, to sleep.

He looks like his daddy.

He is silly and funny.

He's an entertainer.

He was a goofy looking baby, with his silly faces and tongue hanging out,

but now he is one of the cutest 2 year olds I know.

For as much as he loves to bounce off the walls, he loves to snuggle with his mama.

This is the one who keeps me on my toes.

He makes me laugh daily.

Family Night

Dave suggested a hike for our family night. We decided on a trail which we had been to before since we knew the twins would be able to walk it on their own. We packed dinner, water and bug spray and set off. The weather was perfect. We forgot how long the trail was so I was nervous about it getting dark, but we had plenty of time to eat our picnic and splash and explore in the creek before returning to the van. Before our hike, I had noticed wild raspberry bushes near the van and knew they would be a treat upon our return. They were indeed! And as we were driving back to the main road we spotted a bunch more and pulled over to pick our hearts out. They proved to be a tasty treat on the yogurt and granola the next morning.

Liam managed to get all the way across the creek on the branch.

A couple spots were more rustic than others, but a good walking stick helps everything.

Caleb eyeing up the water.

He could not be kept from it and was soaking as soon as we let him near it.

On our drive home, Dave noticed a road that took us to another road, where he had seen that a house was for sale. Sure, let's go look, it's not out of our way. So we make the turn only to find that after a while there is a sign that says "Pavement Ends". We were feeling adventurous from our successful hike, so we kept on. But first we checked the map, yes, it was a through road, and yes, it brought us to Main Street right where Dave thought. Up, up we go. In general the kids we quiet, Liam was the most verbal asking why it was so bumpy, if there were bears in the forest, etc. Up, up. There were ruts and bumps and then at the crest of the hill we see a HUGE rut. Dave tries to go over it slowly, but we hear the bottom scrape, so he backs up and we think. It's too narrow to turn around, and too far to drive in reverse. I suggest getting out and finding tree branches to build up the road where our wheels will drive so the under carriage of the van is higher. Works like a charm. We are back on the road, only to find that we now need to go down. Way down the hill we can see where the pavement begins again. We nervously begin our descent. Kiddos are still quiet, but Liam is starting to fuss. Why did we take this road? This isn't good. I don't like this. Dave is slow and deliberate with choosing his path. Gas, brake, gas, brake. It's too steep to need gas, yet we need it to push us out of the ruts. So we continue slowly: gas, brake, gas, brake. The van is wobbly and we are happy for our seat belts. Before we know what has happened, we are worried that the van is going to flip. In trying to avoid the ruts, we are now up on the left side of the road and leaning significantly.

Dave stops and we look at each other. Liam's aware of things even from the back seat of the van. Why are we stopping? What's wrong? I wonder: Should I get the kids out of the van to wait on the side of the road or walk down? Should I unbuckle and load everyone onto the left side to prevent tipping? Who would we call to rescue us if we rolled the van? Would AAA help us? I pray silently and we keep going. We don't know what else to do. I resist the urge to tell Dave where I think he should drive and instead rub his shoulder and tell him I think he is doing a great job.

We bounce our way down to the bottom with white knuckles, some addition mud on our tires, all children still buckled and safe and all parts of the underside of our van still attached. Our driveway shows no extra drips (from a damage leak) under our van the next morning.

Go Family Night. I wonder what we will do next week?