If I didn't have my 4 boys...life would definitely be different... and quieter, uh, and cleaner, too.
Lincoln--Lincoln loves to look out the window and watch the kids jump on the trampoline. Apparently, he also likes to eat the windowsill while he's at it. He screams and yells at them as they jump. We don't encourage screaming or yelling...but darn it, when a baby does it, it is so cute!
Micah--One evening, this past weekend, John and Micah were having a battle. Micah would run in the room and throw a "bomb" (a stuffed animal) at John and then retreat to his bedroom. John would then hide behind the ottoman and launch his "bombs" when Micah would come out of hiding. Micah was having so much fun with his Dad. This continued for 10 or 15 minutes and then it was time to have family prayer and send everyone off to bed. Well, we were all kneeling in a circle and Wynter began to say the prayer, when "Whap!" Micah throws a bomb right at John's tender spot. (I try to keep this blog G-rated.) Anyway, it totally catches John off guard, not to mention, causes some pain too. But, here I am trying so hard NOT to laugh, while Wynter continues to pray, totally oblivious to what is going on. I try so hard to control myself, but really, I am unable to. So, I was such a good example and laughed all the way through family prayer. Micah definitely used an effective way to catch the enemy off guard! It was very hard to scold him after the prayer, because it really was very funny.
Hunter--We've started a new tradition. Each week as I plan out the menu for dinners, it is someone's turn to choose what will be for dinner on Friday night. This is also the night we have a dessert. This past week it was my turn. We had chicken salad and then for dessert we had icecream sandwiches. As we were eating our treat, Hunter says, "I have a sweet tooth." I responded, "You do?" "Yes", he says, "I just don't know which one it is." So cute.
Mark--Mark never ceases to amaze me. He knows everything. Last night, as I'm making dinner, he says that if you hold an egg in one hand and squeeze as hard as possible, it won't crack. I tell him that that is a bunch of bull. He swears up and down that it's true and he wants to prove it. Well, I don't want him to "prove" it because I don't want him to waste and egg. He assures me that he won't waste an egg because it's true. So, he takes an egg and stands over the kitchen sink with it in his hand. He squeezes as hard as he can and guess what happens? It cracks. Raw egg goes everywhere. It's on the ceiling, the window, the table, the floor and it's on me, too. Now Mark owes me $1. And I must conclude that he doesn't know everything. He concluded that even if you read something in a book, it doesn't make it true and that a good way to make mom mad is to splat raw egg on her.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
SPRING
I am so glad that the weather is beginning to warm up. I really need some sun. This past week, I believe it was Wednesday, it was warmer than usual. Poor Scissors has been in his cage pretty much the whole winter. I decided to take him into the front yard (Pluto is in the back) for some much needed exercise and sun. Savannah and I layed on a blanket and read books, while Micah and Wynter found their own entertainment.
I did have Lincoln outside, too, before his nap. He's not sure about grass. He sat in one spot and wouldn't move until I brought out the blanket to sit on. The grass is pretty scratchy right now. Maybe he'll like it better when it's greener and softens up a bit.
Savannah took pictures of Scissors. His picture would look so good on an Easter card. We're all looking forward to Easter. It is so much fun to have an Easter egg hunt in our backyard, with so many places to hide eggs. Then, the Monday following Easter is spring break. Nine days (if you count the 2 weekends) of unhurried mornings. Ahhhhh...I need that. We all need that.
I am so glad that the weather is beginning to warm up. I really need some sun. This past week, I believe it was Wednesday, it was warmer than usual. Poor Scissors has been in his cage pretty much the whole winter. I decided to take him into the front yard (Pluto is in the back) for some much needed exercise and sun. Savannah and I layed on a blanket and read books, while Micah and Wynter found their own entertainment.
I did have Lincoln outside, too, before his nap. He's not sure about grass. He sat in one spot and wouldn't move until I brought out the blanket to sit on. The grass is pretty scratchy right now. Maybe he'll like it better when it's greener and softens up a bit.
Savannah took pictures of Scissors. His picture would look so good on an Easter card. We're all looking forward to Easter. It is so much fun to have an Easter egg hunt in our backyard, with so many places to hide eggs. Then, the Monday following Easter is spring break. Nine days (if you count the 2 weekends) of unhurried mornings. Ahhhhh...I need that. We all need that.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Nicknames:
I want to record the little nicknames we use for our kids, so that I won't forget when I'm old and gray.
Mark: Marky Parky, Markleus, Son
Savannah: Savi, Savannah Banana, Vanna, Sis, Sister
Wynter: Wynti, Woo Shoo, Wynti Woo,Woo, Whoosh Sis, Sister,
Hunter: Hunti Who, Hunter Bunter, Son
Micah: Mister, Micah Bicah, Son, MICAH!!!!!!!
Lincoln: Booki (Boo-key), Linky-ly, Linky-lyler, Son
John and I call each other "Hun". I rarely use his name. When I do, he knows I'm mad at him. LOL
Wynter and the Bee:
Wynter was in a 3rd grade spelling bee at her school a couple of weeks ago. She won 3rd place and got a little trophy. Her picture was also in the local newspaper. When I showed her the newspaper this morning, her face lit up. She was so excited to be in the paper! Good job, Wynter! We love you!
I want to record the little nicknames we use for our kids, so that I won't forget when I'm old and gray.
Mark: Marky Parky, Markleus, Son
Savannah: Savi, Savannah Banana, Vanna, Sis, Sister
Wynter: Wynti, Woo Shoo, Wynti Woo,Woo, Whoosh Sis, Sister,
Hunter: Hunti Who, Hunter Bunter, Son
Micah: Mister, Micah Bicah, Son, MICAH!!!!!!!
Lincoln: Booki (Boo-key), Linky-ly, Linky-lyler, Son
John and I call each other "Hun". I rarely use his name. When I do, he knows I'm mad at him. LOL
Wynter and the Bee:
Wynter was in a 3rd grade spelling bee at her school a couple of weeks ago. She won 3rd place and got a little trophy. Her picture was also in the local newspaper. When I showed her the newspaper this morning, her face lit up. She was so excited to be in the paper! Good job, Wynter! We love you!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Time to Play Catch Up
Well, howdy-doo! It's been awhile.
NEW WINDOWS!!
About 2 weeks ago, the weatherization people came and replaced our windows! Yahoo! The windows on the bottom floor had been replaced right before we moved into our house, but the windows on the top floor were very old. Most of them we couldn't open, either because of age or because they had been painted shut! They didn't replace the front window because it's a picture window that doesn't open. We'll have to replace that one on our own if we want to. It is so nice to be able to open the kitchen windows while I'm making dinner...it can get pretty roasty in there! And I can also open the windows just above the trampoline so I can CLEARLY hear the fighting going on out there.
They also drilled holes on the outside of our house and put insulation in the walls. There was zero insulation in the original part of the house! Only the add on had insulation. Amazing! We're looking forward to an improvement in our heating/cooling bills! You can see some of the holes in one of the pictures posted below.
In another photo I've posted below, you'll notice the garage has been boarded over. That will be Mark's room. John's been working hard on it and we're all anxious to have it done so we can do some bedroom rearranging.
Our House
A New Window Up Close...notice the holes underneath
Our Old Windows
LINCOLN
Since Micah and Lincoln are nearly 5 years apart, I had forgotten what having a baby around is like! Now that he is mobile, he is a lot of work! The safety plugs have gone in the outlets, and the cupboard under the kitchen sink is locked up! I usually block the doorway to the tv room with the ottoman so he's trapped in there, but that isn't working so much anymore! He wants to be wherever we are. So now, he's got free roaming privileges!
When Lincoln is roaming we have to hit 5 major points:
1. Is the bathroom door shut?
2. Is the door at the top of the stairs shut?
3. Is the kitchen floor swept?
4. Are little things (legos, marbles, rubberbands, etc. etc.) picked up off of the floor?
5. Are the garbage and recycling cans secure?
Check, check, check, check and check...okay, he's free to go!
It's a lot of fun to watch him crawl around. He also pulls himself up now, so things on the desk are not safe. I had to clear that off the other day. We're learning as we go. I think he'll be a lot like Wynter (heaven help us). I believe he'll be walking before his first birthday.
Lincoln's latest discovery...the box of tissue.
He also loves to be outside on the trampoline...supervised, of course.
Don't let that scowl fool you...he loves being on the tramp.
LIFE
Let's face it, sometimes life sucks. I've been dealing with depression lately...nothing new. Life post-partum is always tough for me. Add to that my Dad's suicide and the after math of that, financial worries, and worries about my oldest child and you've got me, nearly unable to cope with life. The principles in the 12 step program have been helping, as well as some medication and a helpful husband. This past weekend, I believe he did 10 or more loads of laundry, several loads of dishes and took me out a couple of times. He really doesn't know what to SAY to me right now, but he sure is DOING a lot. And that has eased my burdens.
John is in the process of looking for a 2nd job. He used to work up to 30 hours overtime each week, but those hours were cut nearly 6 months ago. We've been getting by on savings but, the funds have run out. It's scary, but I know something will pan out. I'm so grateful to have a husband who has never asked me to get a job. He wants me home with our children and so do I. What a huge responsibility he has and he does it well. He's always taken care of us and I know that our family will be blessed and we'll get through this rough patch.
NEW WINDOWS!!
About 2 weeks ago, the weatherization people came and replaced our windows! Yahoo! The windows on the bottom floor had been replaced right before we moved into our house, but the windows on the top floor were very old. Most of them we couldn't open, either because of age or because they had been painted shut! They didn't replace the front window because it's a picture window that doesn't open. We'll have to replace that one on our own if we want to. It is so nice to be able to open the kitchen windows while I'm making dinner...it can get pretty roasty in there! And I can also open the windows just above the trampoline so I can CLEARLY hear the fighting going on out there.
They also drilled holes on the outside of our house and put insulation in the walls. There was zero insulation in the original part of the house! Only the add on had insulation. Amazing! We're looking forward to an improvement in our heating/cooling bills! You can see some of the holes in one of the pictures posted below.
In another photo I've posted below, you'll notice the garage has been boarded over. That will be Mark's room. John's been working hard on it and we're all anxious to have it done so we can do some bedroom rearranging.
Our House
A New Window Up Close...notice the holes underneath
Our Old Windows
LINCOLN
Since Micah and Lincoln are nearly 5 years apart, I had forgotten what having a baby around is like! Now that he is mobile, he is a lot of work! The safety plugs have gone in the outlets, and the cupboard under the kitchen sink is locked up! I usually block the doorway to the tv room with the ottoman so he's trapped in there, but that isn't working so much anymore! He wants to be wherever we are. So now, he's got free roaming privileges!
When Lincoln is roaming we have to hit 5 major points:
1. Is the bathroom door shut?
2. Is the door at the top of the stairs shut?
3. Is the kitchen floor swept?
4. Are little things (legos, marbles, rubberbands, etc. etc.) picked up off of the floor?
5. Are the garbage and recycling cans secure?
Check, check, check, check and check...okay, he's free to go!
It's a lot of fun to watch him crawl around. He also pulls himself up now, so things on the desk are not safe. I had to clear that off the other day. We're learning as we go. I think he'll be a lot like Wynter (heaven help us). I believe he'll be walking before his first birthday.
Lincoln's latest discovery...the box of tissue.
He also loves to be outside on the trampoline...supervised, of course.
Don't let that scowl fool you...he loves being on the tramp.
LIFE
Let's face it, sometimes life sucks. I've been dealing with depression lately...nothing new. Life post-partum is always tough for me. Add to that my Dad's suicide and the after math of that, financial worries, and worries about my oldest child and you've got me, nearly unable to cope with life. The principles in the 12 step program have been helping, as well as some medication and a helpful husband. This past weekend, I believe he did 10 or more loads of laundry, several loads of dishes and took me out a couple of times. He really doesn't know what to SAY to me right now, but he sure is DOING a lot. And that has eased my burdens.
John is in the process of looking for a 2nd job. He used to work up to 30 hours overtime each week, but those hours were cut nearly 6 months ago. We've been getting by on savings but, the funds have run out. It's scary, but I know something will pan out. I'm so grateful to have a husband who has never asked me to get a job. He wants me home with our children and so do I. What a huge responsibility he has and he does it well. He's always taken care of us and I know that our family will be blessed and we'll get through this rough patch.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
I Can See It Now
Sunday night, my eardrum ruptured in my left ear. My right eardrum ruptured in January. I can't hear very well. I don't even know how many times my eardrums have ruptured. I've got to go see my ENT doctor again. With all the rupturing and then growth of scar tissue as they heal, my hearing has diminished greatly over the years. I anticipate, as did my primary doc, that I will probably have to have hearing aids someday. That blows.
John has trouble hearing, too. His difficulty comes when there is background noise. So, he can never hear at home, unless the kids are asleep! Yesterday we went for a quickie. That is, we had an hour long date before he had to head to work. We settle the kids and inform them we're leaving for an hour. We get in the car. "Where do you want to go?" John asks. "I don't know", I say. (This is very typical.) So, he starts driving. John: You choose, this was your idea. Me: No, you choose. (Do you see a pattern here?) So finally I choose Gandolfo's. They have grubbin' sandwiches. But, then across the street I see BK. I LOVE their fries. So then...Me: Maybe BK instead, I love their fries. John: Okay. Me: No, nevermind, you want to go to Gandolfo's. John: It doesn't matter. Just choose! We go to BK.
There we are eating, and because of my hearing, I can swear that I'm yelling. Am I yelling? No, John says. But how would he know? He can't hear either...there's background noise! I mean, we are both hearing impaired...maybe we're yelling so we can hear one another, but we THINK we're using normal voices. This is highly possible! *gasp* I look around to see if anyone is staring. No one is. Pheww...
But, I can just see us in the future. Two little old people yelling at each other. John says that we'll just learn sign language. *sigh* The joys of getting older. I am not happy about it. The hearing, the gray hair, being uncool and unhip. I mean, it really stinks. We also discussed John's hair. He's got two, um, "hair holes" in front (this is what the kids call them), as well as one in the back of his head. But, really he still has plenty of hair. I wondered and said: Do you think you'll lose more hair? Apparently, you can kind-of guess based on the mother's father. John thinks he won't lose much more hair. Well, that's good. Hair is nice.
We've also discussed how old we'll be when Lincoln leaves the house (if he's our last child and if he's out by 19--we can only hope). We'll be 55. That doesn't seem TOO bad. Does it? Because I had children when John and I married, we've NEVER BEEN ALONE! So, our alone time will be when we're older. I just hope we still have UMPH!
We'd like to travel. I can see us yelling at each other while we're driving in our RV. Me: Turn here! John: What? Me: Turn here!! John: Right or left?! Me: You missed the turn!!!! Hee hee! It'll be fun.I'm so glad I'll grow old with him, even if it means a lot of yelling.
Cynthia
John has trouble hearing, too. His difficulty comes when there is background noise. So, he can never hear at home, unless the kids are asleep! Yesterday we went for a quickie. That is, we had an hour long date before he had to head to work. We settle the kids and inform them we're leaving for an hour. We get in the car. "Where do you want to go?" John asks. "I don't know", I say. (This is very typical.) So, he starts driving. John: You choose, this was your idea. Me: No, you choose. (Do you see a pattern here?) So finally I choose Gandolfo's. They have grubbin' sandwiches. But, then across the street I see BK. I LOVE their fries. So then...Me: Maybe BK instead, I love their fries. John: Okay. Me: No, nevermind, you want to go to Gandolfo's. John: It doesn't matter. Just choose! We go to BK.
There we are eating, and because of my hearing, I can swear that I'm yelling. Am I yelling? No, John says. But how would he know? He can't hear either...there's background noise! I mean, we are both hearing impaired...maybe we're yelling so we can hear one another, but we THINK we're using normal voices. This is highly possible! *gasp* I look around to see if anyone is staring. No one is. Pheww...
But, I can just see us in the future. Two little old people yelling at each other. John says that we'll just learn sign language. *sigh* The joys of getting older. I am not happy about it. The hearing, the gray hair, being uncool and unhip. I mean, it really stinks. We also discussed John's hair. He's got two, um, "hair holes" in front (this is what the kids call them), as well as one in the back of his head. But, really he still has plenty of hair. I wondered and said: Do you think you'll lose more hair? Apparently, you can kind-of guess based on the mother's father. John thinks he won't lose much more hair. Well, that's good. Hair is nice.
We've also discussed how old we'll be when Lincoln leaves the house (if he's our last child and if he's out by 19--we can only hope). We'll be 55. That doesn't seem TOO bad. Does it? Because I had children when John and I married, we've NEVER BEEN ALONE! So, our alone time will be when we're older. I just hope we still have UMPH!
We'd like to travel. I can see us yelling at each other while we're driving in our RV. Me: Turn here! John: What? Me: Turn here!! John: Right or left?! Me: You missed the turn!!!! Hee hee! It'll be fun.I'm so glad I'll grow old with him, even if it means a lot of yelling.
Cynthia
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Bathtime
At bathtime, I had the three youngest boys in the bathroom getting ready to get in the tub. Hunter and Micah stripped down and I got Lincoln ready. Micah says, "I know why Lincoln has a little penis. It's because he's little. And Hunter and I have big ones." As he said "big ones" he did 2 pelvic thrusts, in the nude mind you. The joys of boys.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Spring Cleaning
Well, it's about that time. Time for spring cleaning. I will admit up front that I am not a thorough spring cleaner. But I do clean in places that I don't normally clean.
1. Under/behind the couches and in the cushions. Okay, we do this more than once a year, but definitely in the spring. If you are one of the lucky ones who moves your couch and finds clean floor, wow, I am impressed. But, sadly I am not one of those lucky ones. There is everything from socks (maybe that's where they go...from the dryer to under the couch), to popsicle sticks, crumbs of many types, rubberbands, change, wrappers of many types, pencils, crayons, pens, paper clips, batteries, the battery cover for the remote and silverware.
2. Under the boys' bed. This is not fun. I have to wear gloves and a face mask. I have found some pretty interesting things under there. A block of cheese, for instance. With teeth marks in it. A knife. I am guessing they got the knife to cut the cheese, but decided that just biting into the cheese would be more efficient...as well as safer. I'm glad they've learned something! A jar of peanut butter with obvious finger dips. I have found very old used pull-ups. (This is why the face mask is a necessity.) Other non-identifiable food objects. BTW, I DO feed my children. Other objects I've found: the stapler (I've been looking for that), at least 2 pairs of scissors, a lot of paper with various drawings, pens, pencils, crayons, my mascara, (I've been looking for that too!), toothpaste, change, legos, socks, (another place they apparently hide), game pieces, game money, (no wonder we haven't been able to play a good game of Monopoly!), a lot of used tissue and books.
3. The car and the suburban. I keep a fairly clean house, (except for under furniture, apparently), but I'm not so good at keeping the car and the suburban clean. I don't give rides to friends because of this! Typically we have newspapers, baby toys, empty cups from fast food places and various other trash littering the floorboards.
4. Closets. I actually enjoy organizing closets. I'm more of an organizer than a cleaner. I might have a dirty stove top, but the game closet is organized. I might have soap scum in my shower, but my DVD's are in order.
5. Windows. I don't do windows. Any volunteers?
6. The carpet. In the past, we have both paid to have our carpet cleaned by a "professional" and John has cleaned it with a Rug Doctor that you can rent from the grocery store. The Rug Doctor does a better job. If the carpet in the tv room could talk...Wow! Anything you can imagine has been on that carpet, including: vomit, baby spit up, poop (baby and doggy), pee (baby and doggy), spilled drinks and spilled food.
7. Wiping down walls. This is what kids are for. They actually like doing this!
8. Cleaning out and organizing bathroom and kitchen cupboards. This isn't as fun as organizing a closet, but it is a close second. I recently got some new pots and pans for the kitchen, so I need to get rid of the old. For now, I just shove them all in the cupboard and slam the door closed. You always know when someone opens that cupboard, because you hear pots and pans clanking on the floor. As for the bathroom, I will gather all the hair accessories, go through my make up and throw out the old, organize the first-aid and clean out the closet. Why do I always find a book stashed there? Mark. We've made a rule for him only. NO pooping in the upstairs bathroom--poop and read downstairs!!!
9. Go through the kids' toys. This is an overwhelming task. How many McDonalds toys does a kid need? And why are there legos in the underwear drawer? I also take this opportunity to weed out the stuffed animals. They seem to multiply exponentially.
10. Clean the stroller. With warming weather, it is time to start going for walks. Winter time for me brings with it the winter blues. I am looking forward to being outside again! Hello spring! I love you!!
Cynthia
1. Under/behind the couches and in the cushions. Okay, we do this more than once a year, but definitely in the spring. If you are one of the lucky ones who moves your couch and finds clean floor, wow, I am impressed. But, sadly I am not one of those lucky ones. There is everything from socks (maybe that's where they go...from the dryer to under the couch), to popsicle sticks, crumbs of many types, rubberbands, change, wrappers of many types, pencils, crayons, pens, paper clips, batteries, the battery cover for the remote and silverware.
2. Under the boys' bed. This is not fun. I have to wear gloves and a face mask. I have found some pretty interesting things under there. A block of cheese, for instance. With teeth marks in it. A knife. I am guessing they got the knife to cut the cheese, but decided that just biting into the cheese would be more efficient...as well as safer. I'm glad they've learned something! A jar of peanut butter with obvious finger dips. I have found very old used pull-ups. (This is why the face mask is a necessity.) Other non-identifiable food objects. BTW, I DO feed my children. Other objects I've found: the stapler (I've been looking for that), at least 2 pairs of scissors, a lot of paper with various drawings, pens, pencils, crayons, my mascara, (I've been looking for that too!), toothpaste, change, legos, socks, (another place they apparently hide), game pieces, game money, (no wonder we haven't been able to play a good game of Monopoly!), a lot of used tissue and books.
3. The car and the suburban. I keep a fairly clean house, (except for under furniture, apparently), but I'm not so good at keeping the car and the suburban clean. I don't give rides to friends because of this! Typically we have newspapers, baby toys, empty cups from fast food places and various other trash littering the floorboards.
4. Closets. I actually enjoy organizing closets. I'm more of an organizer than a cleaner. I might have a dirty stove top, but the game closet is organized. I might have soap scum in my shower, but my DVD's are in order.
5. Windows. I don't do windows. Any volunteers?
6. The carpet. In the past, we have both paid to have our carpet cleaned by a "professional" and John has cleaned it with a Rug Doctor that you can rent from the grocery store. The Rug Doctor does a better job. If the carpet in the tv room could talk...Wow! Anything you can imagine has been on that carpet, including: vomit, baby spit up, poop (baby and doggy), pee (baby and doggy), spilled drinks and spilled food.
7. Wiping down walls. This is what kids are for. They actually like doing this!
8. Cleaning out and organizing bathroom and kitchen cupboards. This isn't as fun as organizing a closet, but it is a close second. I recently got some new pots and pans for the kitchen, so I need to get rid of the old. For now, I just shove them all in the cupboard and slam the door closed. You always know when someone opens that cupboard, because you hear pots and pans clanking on the floor. As for the bathroom, I will gather all the hair accessories, go through my make up and throw out the old, organize the first-aid and clean out the closet. Why do I always find a book stashed there? Mark. We've made a rule for him only. NO pooping in the upstairs bathroom--poop and read downstairs!!!
9. Go through the kids' toys. This is an overwhelming task. How many McDonalds toys does a kid need? And why are there legos in the underwear drawer? I also take this opportunity to weed out the stuffed animals. They seem to multiply exponentially.
10. Clean the stroller. With warming weather, it is time to start going for walks. Winter time for me brings with it the winter blues. I am looking forward to being outside again! Hello spring! I love you!!
Cynthia
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