The Elsholz Family Circus

I thought I was going to write about my kids, turns out, I didn't...

2012-01-20T07:07:00.001-08:00

It's not often I feel entirely in control of any given situation. Maybe my kids can sense that. Of course they can, they can sense when I'm going to get up to get something to eat, and they are suddenly ravenous. My inability to take control is most likely what undermines my authority. I just feel like, really? I'm supposed to know what to do here? I wore acid washed jeans and sprayed my hair with pretty much acetone WHILE IT WAS ON A CURLING IRON. I'm saying, I don't always think my judgement is the piercing weapon it should be.

Lucky for me I have sisters to defer to. Sisters are the BEST. Seriously. They have your set of collected experiences, but with their own abilities to guide them. Having a hard time picking a paint color? Call Kimberly. She knows what look you're going for without all of the crazy self-talk about what your husband might say when he sees it. Skidding in icy traffic? You better hope you have Ashley sitting in the passenger's seat. It's not that she can actually give you any driving tips (which is what you think you want), but she helps you laugh at yourself enough to know that, yeah, you do kind of know how to drive and maybe you should chill out. Get the three of us together and we are pretty unstoppable. Creative, practical and organized...it's like the perfect party planner, but a lot louder. Not that we are classic archetypes, we all have a little bit of each other so we are able to be empathetic to each other's needs.

Sisters like mine don't just happen. My parents have always stressed the importance of family, much to my chagrin during my formative years. But they knew what they were doing. They were building a really strong, solid base, for us to rely on.

I would guess the next time my children all look at me with their big, inquisitive eyes asking some obscure science question, the first thing out of my mouth will be "lets call Aunt Ashley and ask her". Because chances are, she's the one who put the science-y thoughts in their heads anyway.

Momma said there'd be days like this...

2012-01-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, clearly the joy of Christmas is overwhelming! This wasn't today, but I think the mood is still there:)

Incidentally, it wasn't a dramatic kind of bad day. Just an aggravated, I seriously cannot believe this is really my life, I wish I was a better mom so my kids would listen to me kind of day. But you know what, I think I'm a work in progress, and so are my kids. I'm just glad God gave me so many little eye openers that help me realize how really blessed I am. I love my little goobers in a crazy way and I sometimes can't get over how funny, silly, thoughtful and charming they really are. Sometimes I'd like to get a gigantic roll of duct tape, tape them all face to face and let them figure out how to get along that way. But that would probably be frowned upon, so I'll table it for now.

Booked

2011-02-12T02:55:00.000-08:00

As I sit here on the morning of a VERY busy day, I sort of wish I could just stay in bed. It's not that I don't love all of the reasons I'm so busy. It's all good, happy, fun stuff: a fun Valentine's craft making party at church, play dates, an actual play (or musical if you you want to get technical). But the thing is, I miss having a weekend with nothing more pressing to do than decide which movie to watch next. I think I need to call a little weekend vacation for me and my family. The only problem is trying to figure out when it fits into our schedule.
I am grateful that I have so much in my life and I know someday I will miss all of the hustle and bustle. So I'll try my hardest not to think of my nice warm bed with my cozy warm comforter and all of the sleeping family (and friends) in my house. It might get a little tricky when I go outside to start my car though;)

I am the mother of boys...

2011-02-09T04:11:00.000-08:00

My mom summed life in our house up pretty well when visiting over the weekend when she walked into the room holding a 2 liter bottle with 2 pop cans taped to it: "You never know what you are going to find in this house!!!" (clearly it was a rocket ship).

This morning, just made me giggle. I see all kinds of disgusting or weird or inventive things on a daily basis and normally I'm pretty unfazed by it. I think on a scale of disgusting, this ranks fairly low. However, the thought of him searching around for something to stick in his book to mark his place, leading to this, makes me smile:

Nothing says mark my place in Diary of a Wimpy kid like a dirty sock. Sawyer is a national treasure.

My Budding Picasso

2011-02-02T19:52:00.001-08:00

Yep.

SNOW DAY!

2011-02-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

We live in Michigan, it's a given we get snow. The whole state was thrown into a frenzy though with news of an impending BLIZZARD!!! They even called school off last night. Calling off the night before seems to be in vogue lately, but it is a first for me. Snow days always meant huddling around a radio, expectantly listening for your school's name, cursing the schools whose names sound similar to your district. But cancelling the night before takes the delicious agony out of it. It does however make for a fun and cuddly movie night featuring Toy Story 3.
What the blizzard acutally amounted to was a lot of snow, Michigan kind of snow. Thankfully, the crazy scenes of destruction and mayhem never materialized. Of course, I am saying this from my nice cozy living room, not having ventured outside the door. But somebody has to stay inside, drink coffee, eat pop-tarts and snuggle with little bubbas. Niles of course is taking FULL advantage of the mini-vacation and snoozing away (which is what I would love to be doing as well:) Here's to Michigan, weather forecasters and pop-tarts!

Pain.

2011-01-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged much because I haven't felt incredibly happy. I don't really love sharing my ugly with people much, but I want to write more, so I'll have to write what I know. Life at our house has been less than calm. Not in the everyday is a circus , I see my kids creating wacky inventions and wrestling their hearts out, but a very sad, painful kind of unrest. Teenage years are hard. We're trying to figure out how to make things more normal. We're working on finding our happy again and I'm hoping and praying that we'll see some kind of peace.
One thing has become clear through all of the chaos. I love my family. They are worth fighting for. My husband and children are amazing people who seem to have cornered the market of quirky, silly, borderline inappropriate maddness. If someone asked me what I've missed most during the rough times, I'd say the warmth. The laughing, wacky, joyful warmth. I see it peeking through some days now and it gives me a great amount of hope.
Part of me wants to diminish the pain and say that it's just teen angst, silliness that isn't that bad, but that wouldn't be true. The truth is my son has a hurt that I don't know exactly how to help fix. If my loving him was the cure, he'd be all better. Being his advocate and getting outside help has created some positive changes lately. I'm grateful for that.

And a year later...

2011-01-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

Funny, we're just recovering from a very similar illness almost a year later! Nothing like fun in the Elsholz house. However, all of the noisemakers are on the mend and at different houses tonight. The 3 younger ones to Aunt Kay's (yay! Spongebob and Beverly Hills Chihuahau and candy and staying up later than 8 p.m.!) and Niles is at a friend's house. Keyla (sweet, sweet Keyla from Bolivia, by way of Spain) has to stay here because play rehersal. She's a dedicated little sweetie).
With the quiet being so deafening, it has allowed me to think about all of their little faces and realize, Wow, I am the mother of 4 boys. Sure, maybe that's obvious to some, but really stopping to think about what it means is crazy.
It means:

-my boys will always think that I love cleaning so they do me favors by making a new mess every 32 and a half seconds
-my house will never be clean
-it will always stink like something quite unpleasant
-according to the younger ones, I'll always win best cuddler award
-quiet rooms are for sissies
-any bodily function that makes a good noise is probably the funniest thing in the universe
-animals, creatures, slimey things are always welcome
-energy is boundless...until it is time to clean
-The love that is shown is not thrown around mamby-pamby, it reveals itself in sweet little ways that can make a grown man cry.

Because of the little arms that reach around my neck or the teenager who puts his arm around me, I'm able to keep going, when really all I want is a hot bath and a long nap.

Want a dose of glamour and excitement? Try motherhood

2010-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows sleep is way overrated and there is NOTHING as exhilarating as cleaning up a child's vomit at 3:30 in the morning, then to anticipate the next child the dreaded bug will strike next. When it does get the next little one, you get to clean up vomit at 11:30 p.m. and proceed to be a watch dog so as to avoid another messy clean up. The VERY BEST PART? Only 2 people have gotten it so far out of a family of 6! More fun to come! Rest assured we're stocking up on Popsicles to get us through the rough patches.

Maybe you can hear the sarcasm? Call me kooky, but I'm not a big fan of illness. I am a fan of tucking my little bubbas in their beds at night, watching a couple of episodes of Dexter with my husband and luxuriating the night away in sleep. I will concede however that these little bouts with the stomach flu are okay in the grand scheme of things, after all God seemed to hand pick each of my children out just for me (maybe Roy too). Being a mom really is a wonderful (albeit tiring and messy) job that I wouldn't trade.

Friday!

2010-01-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

We love Friday around here. It means we can snuggle in together, watch a movie and just relax to kick off the weekend. This particular Friday we are going to hit up the library before we position ourselves on the couch and see what kind of fun they have for us to enjoy. We're also pretty glad that Grandma Bonnie and Papa Harlow are coming for a visit tomorrow, Fletch and Sawyer can't wait to introduce Papa to their new turtle, Sheldon (of course we have a turtle, Aunt Ashley and Jeff know we live in Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and I guess they saw something amphibious missing).

See I was not kidding, we even have wild birds of prey that wear party hats in residence here.

Happy weekend to you

Is it Bedtime yet?

2010-01-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

I only ask because Roy and I have fallen under the spell of this fella:

and it would completely inappropriate to even let our kids know this show existed, it might just scar them for life. Sigh, such twisted goodness. We are hooked...every night we have watched at least 2 episodes. The story lines are insanely scrumptious. I would not recommend it to you however if you are squeamish to any kind of blood, don't like suspense or absolute craziness. Seriously riveting television. The best part is listening to Roy laugh at lines like "if I had a heart, it'd be breaking right now". What's not to love about a guy who has the urge to kill but channels it to rid the world of bad guys (I realize how that sounds, but I swear to you it's a good show)

I guess when you are five...

2010-01-19T07:10:00.001-08:00

-You are able to literally bounce around the entire length of your house, but when Mom tells you it's time to set the table, extreme and ferocious fatigue sets in.

-You save questions like "how do you fall in love?" for your Dad, probably because you know your Mom will not stop talking.

-It is entirely possible to one moment have your gloves in your hands and the next completely lose all memory of them. Later in the day, when your Mom tells you she found them behind the bathroom door, that does not seem the least bit strange.

-Ketchup is a universal substance. This is evidenced by how much of your food you dunk in it and this over heard conversation:

child one: I hope they have ketchup at school for our hot dogs.

child two (slightly incredulous): Everybody has ketchup!

-8 a.m. is in no way too early to start a conversation with "money really is a bad master".

-Anything and everything touched by your baby brother instantly gets deemed far too slimy for real human consumption.

-Your mom knows the depths of your feelings and how sometimes you have to pretend they really aren't that deep, it just feels easier that way.

-You have your future planned out pretty well. You will live in a big, big house with your mom and dad on one side and grandmas and grandpas on the other. It will be possible to afford this sprawling mansion by being a fireman, scientist space man.

-There is no puddle that is not issuing a serious jumping invitation.

-Authority might just be made for questioning. Maybe. You'll keep checking into this.

-You love to think, the only thing you seem to love more than thinking is asking people to help decipher all of these thoughts with you.

-The best thing about snuggling is "you get to snuggle with your favorite people and love them"

-One turtle might seem like enough, until you get one and you realize you clearly need two.

-It is tough to listen for an entire day in school, but every day is a new day and you try. and try. and try.

-Your mom loves you so much some days she thinks her heart can't quite take it (and your energy sometimes makes her question her ability to keep up too:)

A few things I'm thankful for today...

2010-01-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

:: time to spend with my little bubba today (even if he's not feeling great)

:: knowing God loves me

:: a big, puffy down comforter and a warm husband

:: coffee

:: high capacity washer and dryer

:: a job that challenges, excites and invigorates me (and provides me with my very own office:)

:: 4 of the funniest, most lively, sweet-natured, wild, curious boys in the world

:: Zicam

:: an extended family that makes me smile everyday

:: a dishwasher

:: that same warm husband who is very similar to an onion (pretty stinky and has lots and lots of layers) and he goes to work everyday and saves the world:)

:: time to watch t.v., play around on the internet and clean up all in one day

:: a (hopefully) delicious baked chicken for dinner

:: peace and smiles in my relationship with Niles right now

:: that maybe I'll only have to let my dogs out a billion times today, instead of the usual 10 billion

:: my camera

I hope your day is filled with lots to be thankful for today:)

His own little Narnia

2010-01-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

You know what this boy loves? It's not toys and games like most kids. He likes things like cat food and toilets. I can't help it, I give birth to them and they seem to instantly turn strange.

He is also extremely, extremely fond of our pantry style cupboard. It's a veritable cornucopia of amazingisiosity (really, it's my blog, I felt that word fit best). I have seen him waltzing through the house with a box of cereal, trying to get people to open it on more than one occasion. Lately he's taken to grabbing a bowl while he's at it and bringing the loot to me. He very solemnly hands me the bowl. Once I take that, he hands me the cereal, crackers or whatever other snack item he has found and all but says to me "alright you know what to do, now that bowl ain't gonna fill itself". It's mighty hard to resist when he's that cute.

I'd like to think he just loves yummy snacks so much that he can't help himself, I mean, that'd be natural, right? Then I see stuff like this :

and that idea pretty much goes out the window.

Okay, what the heck...

2010-01-05T11:43:00.001-08:00

I might as well post:)

I'm not trying to wax too philosophical, but I was a little stuck (obviously) here for a while.
I wasn't too sure who exactly I was blogging for.
With the big ol' facebook boom, I was getting pics out to my peeps and didn't really feel the need to keep this up. I have since realized though, that this really is a great, easy way to record all of those little moments that I want to remember from these busy, loud, rambunctious years. Heaven knows I can use all the help I can get just remembering what time I'm supposed to pick up my kids today. I'm going to work at keeping this up, I want my kids to be able to look back and laugh at their insane-o boy exploits, and know even if their mom doesn't think it's so funny right now, I have on good authority, she will someday:)

It's my birthday and I'll smile if I want to:)

2009-07-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

Not that he would act a whole lot differently any other day, because he's such a happy bubber, but it certainly makes me feel good.

Fletch and Sawyer working on the birthday brownie (they'll do just about anything if dessert is involved:)

Saw-Dog actually loves to help in the kitchen, he's a natural:

In other news, I'm really proud of Niles, he's been volunteering at a day camp this week (waking up at 7:30! in the summer!) and has been really enthusiastic and good about it. He's so good with little ones (even his brothers, some times;)

Smile

2009-07-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Random

2009-07-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Remember quicksand?

When you were a kid and a connoisseur of cartoons, it was a major deal. Like, weren't you afraid you were going to go on a walk in the woods, stumble upon a huge vat of the stuff and your siblings would (mysteriously) not be able to find a stick long enough to pull you to safety? (I just know I'm not the only one).

I remember having huge conversations about the stuff. Was it real? If so, how long would you have to try to make your way to safety before you'd be completely submerged, was it alive or did it just really have a strong, strong pull? The whole thing was almost as scary to me as the idea of people sleepwalking (yikes).

Just so you know, I've worked through this quicksand fear/fixation, as I really never encountered any to speak of. I mean, I have sunk pretty far down in beach sand before, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

The awesome thing is, I just quizzed my kids on it and the EXACT same conversations I used to have ensued. I love that childhood is and will always be an examination of very important topics.

DID YOU PACK THE SUNSCREEN?!?!?

2009-07-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

It's hard to tell how much fun you'll have on a day trip when you are scrambling around to get a million bathing suits/change of clothes/sweatshirt/towel/toys/snacks/the baby's diapers, bottle, wipes, blanket/the kitchen sink together and the entire time you are yelling, "do you have both shoes? well, you might know where they are if you took them off and put them in the same place every day! That toy is not my responsibility, if you want it, you'll have to find it" Like, you'll question yourself if it is even worth it. Because there is the possibility that the kids will just whine all day and beg to go home, or someone will throw up and you'll have to turn around anyway.

But, you take it on faith, that you'll have a good time when your husband's friends invite you to their place on the lake to do some fishing and playing.

and guess what!?! Sometimes it just works out and EVERYONE ends up having a wonderful, happy, relaxing, great day.

I guess the fact that Roy's extremely nice friends have 5 grown children, so they sort of know how crazy kids can be, helps. Two gigantic sand hills and water fun didn't hurt either.

Sawyer asked to get his picture taken with the dogs that were there, he was pretty sweet on them:

Bill and Barb (our lovely hosts) talked us into letting Niles take the fellas in the paddle boat, he is a natural paddle boatist:

How many times do you think this little pup napped while we were there from about 12:30-8:30? If you guesses 0, you'd be right! But why on earth would he when there were at least a million new sights and sounds to take in?:

A little blue gill fisherman:

Another little blue gill fisherman (who was looking directly at me 2 seconds before this was snapped, but HATES the camera these days):

So yes, all of that scrambling was well worth it. It was one of those kind of days that I'll think back on and sigh happily at how much fun we had and be grateful to our hosts and smile, especially because I'll just have my husband unpack.

Sorry for the absence.

2009-07-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

So, maybe some of you noticed I made my blog private for a while. I haven't updated since, well, just about forever and I was job searching. I got the idea that maybe a potential employer would google my name, read my blog and realize I am totally off my rocker. However, my potential employer decided that with out the help of my blog, so yeah, I'm still a stay at home mom (but things happen for a reason, in my estimation).

Niles is home and will be starting high school here in the fall (gulp, that's big time!). We're still working on stuff and I am glad to have him here, challenges and all.

Fletch and Sawyer have become thick as thieves. In fact, Fletcher was grounded last night and he had to go to bed early. I thought Sawyer would enjoy some time having us to himself. I was wrong. He snuck into their bedroom and was caught red-handed yukking it up with his brother. I guess you can't fight city hall. Especially when city hall is run by two 5 year old boys (except Sawyer had to come out in the living room and we watched a show about octopus with us, and he asked at least 32 billion questions).

And this guy?

Actual words are starting to come out of his mouth, he says the usual Momma, Dada. He also tells us anytime we are in the proximity of a dog or ball and he sound exactly like a squeaky toy when he is happy (which is much of the time). He is EVERYWHERE and has a very UN-sophisticated palate...ANYTHING will go into this boy's mouth, but he is very laid back and silly and brings lots of smiles to my day.

It's been awhile...

2009-04-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. I get plenty of flack from my family, but it just feels weird to blog lately. My photo situation (i.e. the billion + photos bogging down my iphoto) is making my computer run at a snail's pace, Niles not being here on a daily basis and being a busy mom (on Facebook) all make for awkward storytelling for me (it makes perfect sense to me, thank you very much).

I will share this little slice of my life.

I was cleaning the boy's bathroom (yes, I do that). Sometimes I'd just like to put an "out of order" sign on the door and seal it off...but then, well, they might use my bathroom. Upon cleaning it, I found, (besides an overwhelming odor):

~~3 empty cups (so, so grateful they were empty)

~~a book about dogs

~~a very wet (but not soaking wet) folded towel on the counter underneath a perfectly dry towel

~~6 rocks, varying in size from small to medium-largish

~~a chicken bone (I wish I was making that up)

They are now responsible for cleaning their own bathroom.

Have a great day:)

A very cute and incredibly random alarm clock

2009-04-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is how I started my day today...

Fletcher: (sitting very quietly in a chair in my room, wrapped in his Spiderman blanket) MOM! (me jolting awake) You know what would be REALLY weird?

Me: Hrhm?

Fletcher: If the drains in the sink put soap in your hands while you were washing them.

Me: ...

I hope you all have a great day.

Right now at our house...

2009-03-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

**Sawyer is sleeping in, even though, according to him he's never tired.

**Levi is sitting on the floor, playing with a toy phone, practicing saying his new favorite word "mamamamamama". First he didn't say it ever, now he says is constantly (he just started yesterday:)

**Fletcher is telling me that I need to go and see what kind of cereal we have. I guess interrupting a really good episode of Curious George would be a very bad thing.

**I have laundry going our new washer and dryer. They are BIG and take up lots of space in the "room" that looks more like a glorified closet (I love using them though).

**Fletch and Sawyer are going to see Aunt Kay and going swimming in their pool at their cool new apartment complex (don't worry Niles, you can go when you're home for spring break:)

**I am going to finish putting my bedroom together today. That is a very bold statement considering everything else I have to accomplish, but it shall be done.

**I am missing my oldest boy, but he seems to be settling in beautifully in the great North. Nana and Papa are very good to him and for him.

**I'll be back later to post some pictures, the computer won't let me do it right now.

Busy weekend

2009-03-27T05:44:00.000-07:00

(this picture has nothing to do with this weekend, it just cracks me up)

Lots going on this weekend.

~Niles, Nana and Papa are on their way down here to help move Kay and Ash into their fancy new apartment.

~Ash is going to get her slick new ride (a cool, new to her Ford Escape)

~Kay and I will be co-celebrating our birthdays with our Mom and Dad.

~I need to finish spackling, sanding and painting the laundry room in preparation for our brand, spankin' new front loading washer and dryer.

~I would like to finish up on mine and Roy's bedroom. I've been decorating for about the last 3 or 4 weeks...but everything in my life seems to take about a million years. * this might not get done yet, I will post pictures if I do.

~I also have the boys' (Fletch and Sawyer) to room to finish (Ash needs to work on some artwork, but I'm REALLY not counting on this right now).

~I would love to keep my house from looking like a hurricane blew through, however, I am going to remain realistic...I do know my children after all.

Happy weekend to you all:)

Tough...

2009-03-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

That's how things are around here right now.

It could be much, much worse, but my heart is pretty sad.

I think we could use thoughts and prayers if you have them laying around. I don't much like being melodramatic or airing out dirty laundry, so I'll just say Niles has had a REALLY tough time this year. Trying to fit in to a school that he doesn't fully understand the social rules has taken a toll on everyone and we have made the sad choice to have him finish the school year staying up north with my parents.

We love him a lot and want the best for him. Right now being here just doesn't seem to be it. It might seem a little shocking or rash, but we have spent many hours (over many months) weighing this choice and after trying other options, we felt it was necessary.

I think that I actually aired out a lot more than I had planned, once I get going though, it's hard to make me stop.

On the plus side, I'll be blogging much more now so he can see what's going on around here.

Happy Monday

2009-03-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

and no, that doesn't have to be an oxymoron:)

Wonder Twin Powers: Form of paint spillers...

2009-02-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

That's right, my sweet little innocent twins almost gave me a heart attack last night. Fletcher came running out of our bedroom yelling "It was a complete accident! We didn't mean it!!!" They had spilled a quart of my new shimmery faux finish paint intended for our bedroom walls all over the floor. Luckily, we have wood floors so the clean up wasn't too bad, but they did enjoy a VERY early bedtime for that little escapade. No pictures of the whole incident, as I was scrambling to help Roy clean it up. I'm just trying to seriously gather strength already for their teen years.

In other news, they had a fun, fun play date with some friends from school. We made mini-pizzas and jello jigglers and played like crazy. I think it was a rousing success.

Levi has developed a big fascination with his tongue. He looks so cute sticking it out , here is proof of the cuteness:

They grow up so fast, don't they? (He needed help getting out, the little nut):

And go ahead and say it with me "awwwwww" (this is Ash, by the way, not me:):

Sign of the Times

2009-02-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

I watched the Oscar's last night. I love the Oscar's, I can't help it, the dresses, the weepy acceptance speeches, seeing Brangelina slum with the little people of the world. Most years I have seen a few of the nominated films because I dig long, boring movies that are usually nothing more than long, boring character studies...that's just the way that I roll.

So anyway, my sisters and I filled out ballots on who we thought would win. I did not fare too well: 6 correct out of 24 categories. Kimberly did much, much better. However, she. watched. EVERY. nominated. movie (well, except the short films and short animated films). As we started discussing my failure, I made the declaration that I hadn't seen any of the nominated movies last year. Kimberly pointed out that I actually had seen 2 of them.

Kung Fu Panda

and

Wall-e.

Have a great day. Signed, Sonja, the movie buff.

Er, then again, maybe not...

2009-02-20T04:43:00.000-08:00

Ugh, there is a curse over the Elsholz/Reinke/Jedrus clan that ensures that someone will get sick, we'll get a crazy snowstorm, a monsoon will kick it into high gear, aliens will decide to invade Earth or just something wacky will happen so we can't get together. It really stinks because we have so much fun when we're together. Not to mention my family was coming too and we haven't seen them in a while either. We are taking it on the shoulder this time. Little Monkey boy (i.e. Levi) was up most of the night crying inconsolably. For the Momma of a baby who rarely cries, this was especially hard, it made me feel pretty sad.

It is a regular old cold, but he is just not happy. I can't drag him across the state feeling so yucky. In fact I'm typing this one-handed because he seems to only want to sleep sitting propped up against my chest, while he snores like a lumberjack.

My beautiful niece and nephews will get their Christmas gifts someday...maybe that's what Christmas in July is for.

*sigh* have a good weekend

And weighing in at 22 pounds

2009-02-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sweet (not so little) Levi...he had a doctor's appointment today because he has his first cold (and this smile is how he reacts to it, which is typical for him:) He hopefully will be on the mend from the sniffles, but I see a bigger car seat in his near future.

And these little men were perfect gentlemen at the doctor's office, which was a wonderful treat to me and I told them so:

(this, believe it or not, is a hug):

Sawyer and Lola (he wants a t-shirt that says I heart Lola):

and I know how blurry this is, but he wouldn't stop jumping. He has started to make this face and say "oohh", naturally it is the cutest thing in the entire universe:

Travels to the thumb this weekend to get Levi blessed, we are hoping for good road and lots of fun.

Thanks for the duds, Grandma Bons

2009-02-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

We got a package in the mail last week with some cool clothes from Grandma Bonnie. Levi (and I ) say thanks! Pretty cute, if I do say so:)

and, just as predicted...

He walked in the door, said hi and went back to his bedroom. He had already ransacked the kitchen by the time I grabbed my camera for proof of the shorts:)

This is what he said to me as I snapped pictures:

"Mom, what are you doing?

Do you like my shoes or something? Are these spring pictures?"

*big sigh* "sometimes I wish you weren't a scrapbooker"

Oh, hello sunshine...I thought you looked familiar

2009-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

Aahhh, the sun is out and it is warm! I am loving it...and I can almost smell spring. The boys think it is pretty great too (I'm sure Niles will bust out the shorts as soon as he gets home, he seems to think full length pants are so restrictive and jumps at the chance to let his legs get some fresh air. I used to fight him on it, then I realized if he wants to be cold, well, he'll be cold.)

Levi, enjoying a little fresh air :

Sawyer never met a puddle he didn't like, Fletch is a little more cautious, but won't be outdone by his brother:

Fletch is trying to convince me that it is okay to go into the Rollerworld parking lot down the road from our house even though it is locked, apparently "It's okay for kids, not grown ups!!!"

I hope it is bright and sunny where you are too:)

Maybe my other kids are starting to get a complex...

2009-02-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

but they do one of three things when the camera is pointed in their direction:

1. hide their face
2. try to take over the camera so they can take pictures
3. make the weirdest face possible (not that I mind weird face pictures, but I'd just like a little versatility that I know they're capable of now and then)

so, instead, here is little Levi being sweet, lovable and messy (he really digs those sweet potatoes, whenever we sit down in front of him with food, he kicks his legs and starts making this "huh, huh" noise, he gets that from his dad):

Here are me and my sisters getting ready to leave to go to the movies:

my thumbnail reviews for the movies:)

He's Just Not That Into You: Good, solid romantic comedy (if you're into that sort of thing, which I'm usually not) I went to this thinking it would be a little more realistic than the genre usually is. It was, kind of...almost every story ended just the way the book/movie said it shouldn't, for some that's a good thing, for me it's silly. Everyone was very pretty and shiny, which is always fun to look at.

Coraline: Great Googly-moogly!! I loved this one. Beautiful animation and riveting story. If your kids are scared easily or you have an aversion to gothic elements or magic kind of themes, just skip this one. However, I am changing my name to Coraline. I keep telling my kids to call me "other mother" (she was one creepy broad) but they refuse.

Have a great day. Signed, Coraline.

Big movie weekend

2009-02-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

So excited! We're living it up this weekend, going absolutely bonkers. Tonight it's :

He's Just Not That Into You

(with my sisters, the boys will be staying home for a night of pizza and boy movies)

and then, on Saturday I'm all a twitter to see:

Coraline

It looks a little creepy, but since the boys live and breathe The Nightmare Before Christmas, I think it should be a fan favorite.

May your weekend be just as thrilling :)

Hey!

2009-02-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday:)

True Confession

2009-02-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

First off, for those of you who are here to see pictures of my kids...here. The rest of the post is just kind of random blathering:) (the Levi picture is courtesy of Niles. Good work, Niles:)

this one is Sawyer with his beloved, Frank. Which inexplicably morphs into a baby leopard at times (according to Sawyer)

I think I'm changing (some might call it getting old:) I never was very talented at making things, I have an aversion to paying close attention to detail, which makes things look sloppy. I found my zen though. I used to think scrapbooking was laughable, silly and a waste of time (sorry scrappy friends, it's true). Now, I love it, it's a creative release for me and fuels my passion for a couple of things:

taking pictures

and

shopping

I have always loved paper. In fact, I have been known to have 10-15 post it note pads sitting on/in my desk because the patterns were so cute. I envied scrapbookers a little because they got to play with all of that cute paper. Even just the office supply section at a store has always seemed a little like an amusement park to me.

I'm not ever going to be one of those jaw-dropping designers (for those who don't scrapbook, yes, those do exist). I do it for me and my family.

and now, I'm getting ready to start a new venture in craftiness and I'm so excited about it. Ash just learned to knit and she's going to teach me. I know I won't win any awards in my local 4-H contest (I think I'd have to enter one to win), but just the idea that I might be able to create something that has the possibility to be both cute and functional makes my belly do a little flip-flop. And the thought that I'll have something to do during yet another "act-ti-on" (fletch's pronunciation) movie just about brings tears to my eyes:)

So there you have it, I taking it back to the old school...the next thing you know, I'll have a flock (they are in flocks, right?) of sheep to spin my own yarn. Hey, that just might keep my kids busy too.

Yep, It's kind of like that...

2009-02-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

The creeping crud has finally come home to roost here. Fletch, Sawyer and I are battling sore throats, drippy noses and coughs. It could be a lot worse, but it's still not the most fun we've ever had:) Our plan is to lay low, cuddle in and just get better.

Maybe you're wondering about Fletcher's odd attire. On Saturday the fellas were all going a little looney, so I asked for them to put on a fashion show...Niles was the stylist and apparently he decided this is what is white hot with the preschool set. It makes about as much sense as some of the women's fashions I've seen. Then again, maybe you weren't wondering because you are used to seeing stuff like this here.

I'm really hoping that this guy doesn't get it as there is nothing that can make you feel more helpless than a sick baby. (and there's no trick photography here, he is sitting up just like a big boy...however he took a bit of a face plant right after this picture was taken.)

Man, they really do have everything at Target.

2009-01-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

Well, no...I guess not everything.

I didn't get the baby there (although, given the choice, I would have a baby with Target, that's how much I love it there, I'm just sayin').

I found these little leg warmer thingys, and since they have them in boy colors, I decided it MUST be socially acceptable for him to wear them. They are called "My 1st Babylegs" (as opposed to "ballerina's wardrobe staple", it's just less gender specific). I could have bought a couple of other patterns (crazy cute skull and crossbones, which are always a hit in our home, or brown ones with different colored trucks), but I thought that would be a little overkill:)

So now my sweet chubber-bubber's legs look as yummy as possible and I can't stop from munching on them. So, so cute, if I do say so myself.

The big fellas are going North for the weekend for a church retreat with Aunt Ash and Nana and Papa. I am excited to get to spend a little quiet (er) time with Levi and Roy-boy. No school for Niles today and the wall bouncing is making me crave it even more right now:)

Have a great weekend all.

Grandma Bonnie Saves the Day!

2009-01-21T10:40:00.001-08:00

We had a fun weekend, it wasn't quite what we had planned, but it was fun none the less. Illness kept one family away and rotten weather another, so we had Grandma and Papa to play with and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Especially Fletch.

Remember that toy you had as a child that seemed alive to you and felt kind of like a family member?

Well, Fletch-man has Leppy.

Grandma Bonnie bought Leppy for him over the summer on a trip to the zoo (where they saw real live snow leopards!) and I have heard countless stories about Leppy since. Leppy has aquired her (she is unwaveringly a girl) own blanket, collar, even chewy toys since she has come to live with us.

And the unthinkable happened.

Lola, the Puggle (as the fellas like to call her) got a hold of her and gnawed her nose right off and left a gaping hole in its place. Fletch was devestated...he said through his tears "she was such a nice kitty, she was so good and sweet".

This broke my heart, Yet I have no skill set, except shopping skills, but the Binder Park Zoo is closed in the winter so we couldn't find a replacement.

Luckily, we have Grandmas Bonnie in our corner. She heard the story (complete with tears because I told it in front of Fletch and it made him cry, I swear I'm not always that heartless).

She thought about it for about two and a half seconds, asked for some embroidery thread and fixed him up...just like that. It was genuine joy from Fletcher and he has been carrying her around ever since. (Thanks again, Grandma Bonnie)

We did other stuff too over the weekend:) Like watched Dudley Dooright, ate yummy chili, went to the Kalamazoo Valley Musuem :

This was also at the museum, I kind of thought they should use it for thier album cover, if they ever release an album:

This one is for my dad, I just wanted to show him Sweetie boy in the cradle (all of his grandkids have slept in it):

Have a wonderful day:)

I still love a snow day:)

2009-01-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

There is something infinitely cozy about snow days.

Even though I'm home almost all day, every day, a snow day feels like a special little treat...like God is saying "here, stay all snuggled in with each other and enjoy the day".

I love that feeling, just don't ask me how I'm feeling about it after breaking up the 200th wrestling match or doling out yet another time out for taunting the dog.

Today we're just going to take it easy. We have started with a little "Kung Fu Panda" (no comments from the peanut gallery;) next, I think we'll have some clean up, clean up everybody everywhere action, followed by a little project of some sort. We're gearing up for some visitors and looking forward to Bounceland with cousin Wil.

Have a great weekend (and think warm thoughts for my poor husband who has to work outside)

REALLY gross (okay kate, not really but gross enough) post warning! or introducing solids into my baby's diet

2009-01-14T10:45:00.001-08:00

Please understand that you have been warned (but really, it's probably mostly moms who read this, so you're kind of immune to this sort of thing...I hope, and I could get more descriptive, but I'll save that for the novel).

Remember how I said Levi was enjoying the Jump-a-roo?

Well, he is and one of the side effects of all of that bouncy joy is he has so much fun he doesn't realize he's made a mess of himself. By made a mess of himself, I mean done a nasty, nasty job in his diaper that travels all the way up his back, and it's just not the sweet smelling diapers of days gone by, no sir.

Oh, the joys of motherhood. But on the plus side, I have become aware that he thinks it's hilarious and laughs like crazy when his mom makes pretend throw up noises.

Sorry folks, but this is what my life is right now...please just feel blessed I don't share all of the tasty nuggets that go on here.

Happy Wednesday.

Yes, I really should be cleaning

2009-01-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

But instead I'm taking pictures. The boys are busy (for at least the next 30 seconds) playing with the bat cave and I got Levi dressed. He all but begged me, saying "Mommy, I look so cute, you really should take my picture". Who am I to argue with such cuteness, besides I wanted photographic evidence of him sitting up and jump-a-rooing for my mom:)

So, here it is:

Okay, so he's not really sitting up in this one, but he is still pretty cute

Big timer, doing his sitting up thing:

And Kay, you and I both know I didn't take this today, but I thought you'd like to see it anyway:)

I have about a billion more, but you know, I'll just save those. Have a great day!

Saturday is always exciting at the Elsholz abode.

2009-01-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

And that's just the way we like it:) It was nice not to have 15,000,000,000 things to do. We just snuggled in and watched the snow fall...and fall...and fall. Just a couple of pictures.

No tool belt? No problem, if you're Sawyer the robot fixer man (I'm sure he'll treasure this when he's older):

Roy and Sawyer enthralled by a movie:

So that's us in a nutshell (at least on lazy weekends)

A very Merry Christmas, Indeed

2008-12-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was great. It is so much fun to see my little fellas getting all excited about everything about the season. When Fletch woke up Christmas morning and realized Santa had paid a visit, he did an enthusiastic fist pump and yelled "Yes, he came!!" (I think he was a little worried about his behavior, he mentioned a few times throughout the day that he had made the good list). Roy and I assured him that it was just barely:)

This little love bug was a welcome, sweet addition this Christmas

My siblings and I had one of my Mom's childhood dolls restored, so we all accepted the "make Mom cry happy tears" award

Niles did the "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" reading, just before bed on Christmas Eve (and did a splendid job)

Just us wacky chicks near-smothering Niles

Dad (no, that's not Santa) and his daughters

A fitting end to a wonderful Christmas:

I hope your Christmas was just as lover-ly and here's to a rockin' New Year's Eve.

You never know...

2008-12-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

from one minute to the next what to expect in a house full of crazy boys. Sure, you can plan, guide, try to teach...but someone is always working on their curveball.

For instance, this boy:

is extremely interesting (from a scientific standpoint:)
When asked why he was wearing the goggles to eat, his reply was
"because I don't want my eyes to get hot"

He will NEVER, EVER cop to being tired. He woke up crying one night/early morning at about 3, when asked what was wrong, he told me:

"I'm not tired"

My beloved husband, who, yes cooks and cleans to help me out but REFUSES to believe it would serve him well to PUT HIS WALLET IN THE SAME PLACE, YET CAN NEVER FIND IT!!!(sorry, we just had an episode)

And this guy:

is constantly trying to see how much he can torture the dog (without me noticing), yet today came into my bedroom and broke into a full on sob because of something he saw in a movie about dogs.

So far Levi has just been my little sweet potato, but the other day he was trying to grab Fletch, and a saw a glimpse of what is to come undoubtedly.

Finally, this beautiful boy. Last week I was almost sure beyond a shadow of a doubt he was going to send me to an asylum set up especially for mothers when a flip switched and he was the most pleasant, wonderfully funny, sweet person in the entire world (I think God was watching out for me).

I love these guys, really, really love them and all of the laughter they provide. I'm sure they could write a novel on my quirks. I know not one of us is perfect, but I love the way they work at teaching me to try to be a better person everyday.

All the same, I'm pretty sure they are saving a bed for me at the asylum.

(and if you're wondering how Aunt Ashley fits into the overall mosaic, I'm pretty sure this photo sums it up nicely):

Lots and lots going on...

2008-12-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

some good, some not so good. But I'm always thankful I have my guys around me to keep me laughing:)

The boys (all of them) are in a holiday simmer that I can feel coming to a full boil soon. We got out the crates of decorations and it was fun looking at all of them with the 3 older fellas and listen to what they remember about holidays past.

Christmas tree capturing is on the docket for this weekend. I can't wait because I love to sit and stare at it. This is our first Christmas in this house and I'm really looking forward to it.

Here is a picture from Thanksgiving (which was great):

I mean, I know I have other kids, but this one is just so fresh and snuggly, I really can't help myself:)

Have a tubular weekend.

Cute baby and a public service announcement (that's PSA for those in the know)

2008-11-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

We had a great birthday (it was more like a birthweekend) for Niles. Lots and lots of partying down (seriously, 3 days worth)...including 4 teenage boys roller boogying and then being glued to the t.v. playing video game until about 4 a.m.!!!! I never stayed up that late, ever, never, no way:)

First, here are the cute baby pictures (he is a sweet potato, for sure):

Secondly, a PSA...Do NOT let your husband (or mate, partner, significant other) go to the grocery store hungry with any kind of craving. This is what could occur:

He was so proud of himself too. They were on sale!!! The kicker is I am pretty disdainful of that stuff (with the exception of maybe one kind). I guess I better start liking it soon:)

Have a great day:)

Happy Birthday Niles!

2008-11-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

You are 14! 14!!!! That's, like, old, right?

And on your birthday, I want you to know that I love you for a gajillion different reasons (that's a lot)

Here are just a few:

You make me laugh

There is a softness about you (that maybe you try to hide, but I can still see it sometimes)

You have beautiful eyes and an awesome (real) smile

You got me hooked on "Cops"

Your fascination with history and biographies

The way little kids just naturally love you and flock to you immediately

We have been working on growing up together for a while now:)

You changed my name to Mommy forever

How you dig "old" (translation: '80's and '90's) music

I get compliments all of the time about how polite you are out in public

Your funny observations

Sometimes when I get annoyed a certain things you do, I realize a lot of it is that you are SO much like me

You are my right hand man (sometimes begrudgingly, but you always are)

I'm excited to know the grown up version of you (but not too quickly)

I LOVE YOU every second of every day

I hope your day is fantastic

Happy, Happy Birthday Niles (Pookie:)

I can assure you...

2008-11-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

We are alive and well...just busy, busy, busy. Halloween was great, great fun and now we're gearing up for Niles'14th birthday (how did that happen?) and Thanksgiving. Fletcher just announced today "I love Turkey!" So Thanksgiving should be a really happy day for him.

Note: this is the day after Halloween, but if you have followed my blog at all, you know, we kinda like costumes in our house.

A couple of pictures from playing in the leaves
(I will take credit for the direction of the facial expressions:)

Levi, loungin' in a tree.

Have a great day:)

Do you know what is so delicious?

2008-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Toasted pumpkin seeds...and McDonald's pumpkin pie (well, delicious is stretching that one)...and the pumpkin bread I didn't make.

The bread didn't get made because, even though the grocery store is 1.2 miles from our house, after spending about a million hours and $250. 00 at a different grocery store and then realizing I was out of Crisco and so going to Target to get Crisco (b/c Target has the best Crisco), but then getting home and realizing I was out of flour, I just didn't have the heart to make it. Back to the grocery store or the bread. (did you get all of that?)

Anyway, I'll make the bread soon. After I send Roy to the store for flour. But NOT to the video store EVER AGAIN!!!

I asked him to get a family friendly halloween scary-ish movie and a scary one for us after the kid's go to bed. The two movies that came home were:

The 'Burbs

and

The new Indiana Jones movie.

I don't know which movie falls under which category.

I love him, but I don't trust him at the video store anymore (this is not the first infraction).

We had a wonderful, wonderful lazy fun weekend. I hope you did too:)

Ready for the Weekend

2008-10-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the little man, because quite frankly, I never tire of looking at him:)

and for the record, he is not a Misfit's fan, his dad is.

It's a little sleepy here today, it could be the rainy, yuck gray weather or the fact that my super easy going good sleeping baby had a bit of an off-night last night (but really just a bit). Sawyer was actually a bit more of a problem at 4 a.m. Levi had his troubles earlier in the night (until about midnight). So 2 kids acting wacky does not equal a restful sleep.

But no matter, I've been waaaaay more tired than this before and made it through, not to mention it's the weekend and the world is my oyster (or I don't have any plans, yay!!!!!!!) I just want to snuggle, watch some movies, make some pumpkin bread and play for a couple of days.

I hope your weekend is just as rockin'

Just in time for the weekend, last weekend's update (photo heavy:)

2008-10-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

(alternate title: look at how much fun $1.50 can buy, courtesy of Aunt Trash)

We had a crazy, wild, super fun weekend. Chris, Brad, Gracie and Jackson came to visit for fall fun

Here is the very well spent $1.50 on 4 pair of novelty glasses that provided lot and lots of laughs:

Jackson was especially photogenic (I have about 4 million more of these shots:)

Yes, this is who I chose to spend my life with (he does provide me with some laughs:)

Getting ready to go in to the Zoo Boo (if you're in the area, you should check it out, fun, fun, fun)

The whole gang (+ 1)

a smiling puppy (the most kissable breed):

a beautiful smiling kitty:

Jackson loved "his baby":

Niles is trying to look tough, but he still looks like a cutie to me:

Some of my best memories from being a kid include playing with my cousins. I remember laughing so hard and loving every minute of it, so while I'm sad our buddy Wil was absent, I'm glad my fellas are getting a chance to mix it up with (some of) their cousins.

And I'd do it all over again...

2008-10-16T11:18:00.001-07:00

Warning: sappy momma alert

I can safely say that, with out worrying about it happening...the doctor made sure of it. I just have mush all over my heart today. Maybe it's because I have living in my house the world's most wonderful baby. He is just so easy going and sweet. I am loving every smile, coo, wiggle, giggle and really, since the crying still sounds adorable, even that.

I just really feel so blessed. I have 4 unbelievably wonderful little men, one big man and an extremely helpful sister who love me all under this roof. And while sometimes the noise and craziness can be a little (well, more than a little) overwhelming, I feel like I don't deserve all this goodness, but I'll take it.

Please keep in mind that I gave you fair warning before reading this post about all the goo:)

And it's all small stuff...

2008-10-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

The other day Fletcher was giving Sawyer a hard time (this is a frequent phenomenon in our house) and Sawyer started to cry. I told him "oh Sawyer, it's okay, don't sweat it". Being the wise, extremely literal little man he is, he replied "I'm not sweating Mommy, I'm CRYING!"

Very well then, point taken.

(by the way, I finished my photo assignment last week, but I need to get my external hard drive in gear because my computer is getting a little bogged down with all of the photos.)

more pictures:)

2008-10-08T07:52:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots from day two of our little adventure:

Ash, working out her aggressions on some hashbrowns

Fletch getting painty (photo by Trash)

Sawyer being a big help to Daddy (another photo by Trash):

Fletch just made Levi smile (and was pretty happy about it:):

Have a groovy kind of day

Pictures galore!!

2008-10-07T05:40:00.000-07:00

This is only a small sampling of our day yesterday. I'm hoping I don't run out of steam by the end of the week (I asked Ashley to be a task master, she's good at that;)

Lunch for the bubbas:

My little morning "hello" in a happy mug:

Yummy white chicken chili for dinner:

Kisses from big brother while being snuggled by Aunt Trashley:

Halloween decorating:

A (slightly) spooky bedtime story, read by flashlight:

Kisses from daddy (this one makes me a little wobbly in the knees:)

I'm working on today's adventures. I think my kids are already pretty sick of it, but I'm telling myself that someday they'll thank me for it:)

Busy weekend:)

2008-10-06T04:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend! After deciding on a whim, we drove about 4 hours north to surprise my dear, beautiful mom on her birthday,

Helping her babysit the cutest, gentle little bubba (well, second to Levi) was fun and Sawyer fell head over heels for their dog, Zero.

We got to watch old home movies from my Dad's childhood that had been converted to dvd (thanks Aunt Kyla!) and I loved every minute of it (even the 550 parade and snowblowing scenes).

It was nice to talk and laugh with my parents (with a little Ash thrown in for good measure).

Then we had a fun surprise visit from Grandma Bonnie and Papa Harlow (I spared them the camera in the face, this time:) They didn't stay nearly long enough, but it was good to see them.

On Sunday, Roy and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Time flies when your in love and being driven near bonkers by sweet little boys:)

We (Roy, myself and Levi) went and browsed a bookstore, ate dinner (at a real restaurant) and dropped the youngest fella off with Aunt Ash and went to a movie. It was great to just have the opportunity to hang out and talk to Roy even for a little while (thank you Ash for watching the boys).

The whole weekend made me realize just how much I love my life. It's filled with utter craziness, lots of activity, love and fun (and the occasional meltdown) and I wouldn't change it for anything.

This week I'm going to work on documenting all of the crazy little moments to make into "a week in the life of us" album that a few of my friends have been doing as well. I'm a little afraid of how many pictures I'll take, but it should be interesting to look at all of the little moments in our life:)

Have a great day

Wheeeee!

2008-10-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a little hopped up on coffee right now and trying to get this done before my little one needs some nourishment. So I'll get to the pictures and be done with it! Happy Thursday (that is what day it is, right?)

Niles is at school (that doesn't stop my camera):

With Sawyer taking pictures:

His future's so bright (if you grew up in the '80's you can probably finish this):

Hey there

2008-09-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

Every week I swear I'm going to do better at blogging and every week I still stink, I'm sorry to aunties, grampies and grannies who want to see their babies (and big boys)

Here are some highlights:

an extremely tasty visit from Grandma Pat:

Crazy scrappin' with my "chicks", Ashley included this time. I had to make sure they didn't stick her in their bag to help out at their house, it was touch and go there for a while.

Great news...Levi loves scrapbook paper. He was mesmerized and was a perfect angel all day (until 8:30 p.m. when he decided he'd had enough)

Hope all of you had a great week and weekend. (I vow to be back before the end of this week:)

What's happening in our world

2008-09-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like fresh apple cider (just ask these two):

Niles started cross country:

Seriously, the sweetest baby boy ever:

Field trips to the apple orchard (picking tasty apples):

Kisses from Aunt Ash (no Kate, you can't have her):

I'll try to keep updating :) life is crazy here (and good)

Hello Noah?

2008-09-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Instead of a nice laid back weekend we had a water-logged one. With the rain pretty much constant, we found out our basement is far from waterproof. Luckily, we found out soon enough and nothing got ruined, but it was not super fun. I felt far worse for the neighbors though because we went to help them out and realized fairly quickly they had septic problems (not so fresh smelling).

Today is a perfect fall day, with the sun shining and bright blue skies. After a weekend with so much rain and water everywhere, I appreciate this weather so much more:)

Long time no blog...

2008-09-12T06:52:00.001-07:00

Sorry about that. I have 3 out of 4 of my kiddies in school and we're working on getting our new schedule figured out. And since I am that mom (the one that seems to make all of the mistakes and kids show up to school with mismatched socks, no permission slips and general disarray surrounding them), I am working at getting this monster under control before it causes them irreparable harm.

Here is my little sweetie, just hanging out last weekend:

A rare sight, captured just before their first day of school:

Whoo, hoo!!!! Hilltop Preschool rocks!

Big boy orange bugs finding their hooks at school:

I love how well the little fellas are settling in. They really like not being the youngest group and take the responsibility of being big boys pretty seriously.

Niles started cross country this week and we're excited about the changes and challenges that will come from participating. I'm dragging him (kicking and screaming) into my organizational fervor, especially when it comes to homework and studying (wish us luck:)

Laid back weekend again (yay!), hope everyone has a great one:)

Lazy day

2008-09-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

It is a lazy day around here. See, Levi doesn't even want to get out of his jammies (just kidding, this picture is from a while ago, he asked to get dressed right away this morning.)

We are not doing much around here. I don't feel great, I have been fighting it for about a week and my body finally gave in. I actually felt worse yesterday, but I'm just going to work on feeling better today. So, while I have been on costume duty all morning, I'm not running around trying to change the world (or clean a lot).

Roy has been working about 10 billion hours lately. Luckily, I had my sisters here to help me out all week (thanks girls, by the way, your cute little nephews have managed to undo almost all the work you have done) but those ladies are also so fascinating that I end up staying up way too late (i.e. 11:00 p.m.), so it has made me a little worn out. They are gone for the weekend so I'm hoping (but not crossing my fingers) that Roy will be home somewhat early tonight, we'll see.

No plans for the weekend, which is really nice. We'll just enjoy laying low and enjoying each other's company. I hope you all can do the same in your life:)

Hello 8th Grade

2008-09-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

My boy is an 8th grader, ca-razy. He had to start a new school because of our move and I've been a mite worried that it would not go smoothly. So far, so good...but with a face like that how could it not?

And apparently these shoes help too:) When he got them, he kept telling his brothers they had to wash their hands if they wanted to touch them, and he asked them about a million times if they wanted to look at them (they obliged every time). I know it's not the shoes that make him cool, but if they make him feel more bionic, I'm glad.

His first day was a half day, so we went to Grand Rapids to the splash pad for some cooling down fun (thanks Nicole for the tip). The boys loved it, especially Sawyer. We all had a blast even though some didn't think we would:).

Pretending to be superheroes is the only way I can get all three to pose together (I hope this changes by the time they are in their 30's).

And we had a girl after all!! Well, she officially still belongs to my Mom and Dad (thank goodness), but Trash (or Ashley, for those who are into formality) has moved in. We have an apartment downstairs (as Fletch says "she's our downstairs neighbor") and she's going to be living here for a while, she has lived with us before and she blends very well into the madness, and I don't even have to do her laundry (although I have a feeling I'll be doing some cooking for her:). If you're in Michigan, try to stay dry today:) Have a great day!

Goodbye Summer

2008-09-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

What a fun send off we had for summer last weekend. We partied down with family in Sandusky and had a great time. I took about a billion photos (here are just a few):

Jackson is such a cutie:

This was a pretty common sight, I'd say Levi and Gracie bonded:

I just happen to have some of the most beautiful nieces in the world (here's proof):

I asked my nephew Wil if I could take a picture of him,
He said "take a picture of the back of my neck"

"And my elbow", so I did.

The Gator is always a huge hit at Grandma and Papa's place:

I love this photo of all of the kids (Thanks Brad for making the smiles happen:)

Today we had a back to school day (for Niles, the twins start next monday). All went well, I look forward to asking him how his day was and undoubtedly hearing "fine":)

Have a super duper day!

Baby Blanket

2008-08-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Fletcher would sell his own mother for a soft, fuzzy blanket. He is drawn to them like a bug to a zapper. The first thing he said when he met his new brother was "He's soft like a blanket". He mentions it every now and then a month into their new relationship. I don't know if they'll grow into best friends, but I'd say Fletch-man sure thinks Levi is good to keep around.

I'm pretty sold on him too (actually, I'm kind of sweet on all of my fellas)

Best Laid Plans

2008-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

A work weekend was on tap, that was until Roy got called into work at 8 a.m. The thought of sitting around another day at our house was less than appealing so I looked up things to do in Kalamazoo, and boy did I find it.

Just about 2 miles from our house was the magical Bounce Land. A place good for so many reasons, but most of all, it got Sawyer to admit he was tired (and after 3 hours straight of running, climbing and jumping, I would think he'd be a little tired).

All three of my boys going down one of the slides:

A worn out Niles, taking a break before his brothers made him run some more:

Fletch and Sawyer finally deciding enough is enough:

And, Levi's reaction to the whole thing:

We had a great, great time and Roy got home about an hour and a half after we did, so the weekend was not all lost (just the working part)

Sunday we did get a few things done, including starting on the tornado hit craft room. It got me a little excited to do some stuff down there (but that is a little while off still:)

Today we're heading to Niles' school to talk to a counselor and get a schedule for him and then (as a special treat for an accomplishment by Niles), guess where? That's right, Bounce Land!

Housekeeping

2008-08-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend I'm really hoping to get some jobs done. Our garage currently looks a little like Jed Clampet moved in and I can't even see the floor in my craft room, which my sister will soon be inhabiting. So in between feeding a baby with an extremely voracious appetite and chasing crazy 4 year olds around, I hope to put some order to those places (and maybe have a little fun too:)

And to my sister's friend (and mine and my children's new friend), Erica (sorry, Ericka) , I want you to know I take your parenting advice to heart:

I trimmed the boy's fingernails.

Ummm, yeah.

2008-08-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

We've had some dental appointments around here. With those appointments, we have had cavities and fillings. Not pleasant for anyone, right? Well, Sawyer took it to a whole new level for this family.
I knew that maybe he didn't have the best time because I heard him yelp in the back...which meant a shot.

What it all boils down to in the end is that Sawyer did not understand why he could not feel his lip, therefore he hid in his bedroom and CHEWED HIS LIP RAW, like bleeding raw, as in I thought he was eating some kind of gummy candy and it was all over his mouth (shudder). The photo is actually 4 days post gnaw, so it looks a little better than at first (believe it or not).

I guess we should count our blessings because I called the dentist in a bit of a panic and he said that he has known one child who stuck a pencil into his lip (all of this information would have been extremely helpful to have just after the appointment, not after the lip munching session). But it seems to be healing nicely and it's just one more chapter in the wackiness of my Sawyer.

Oh, and here's our honey, snuggling with Daddy:

Front Yard Painting Par-tay

2008-08-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

The days of summer dwindle and as a mother, I'm a little tired of watching my children amuse themselves by wrestling on the couch, assist in yet another costume change or try to bust Fletcher as he decorates various (inappropriate) surfaces in our home. Today we decided to get some pets. Don't worry, I have no other living creatures in this house...we made pet rocks.

Everyone got in on the fun (except daddy who is at work:)

Sawyer has a thing with swirling paint

He asked me to take this picture, and this is the face he made.

Fletcher's finished project

and a sweet baby boy

Have a happy day:)

There was never any question about it Levi, but thanks for clearing it up anyway.

2008-08-15T13:07:00.001-07:00

but rock is not all you do. Today when you were weighed, they told me you gained 1 pound and 10 oz. You tipped the scales at 9 lbs 14 oz. (that's the spirit, fella!)

(this super cute onsie is courtesy of my lovely friend Tracy, who also rocks. Thanks Tracy)

I'm not totally sure what the weekend holds except a reptile round up at the nature center, and no, none will be coming home with us. We're pretty bummed that Uncle Chris, big Jackson, little Jackson and Miss. Grace can't come visit, but we'll be sure to catch them on the flip side:)

Have a happy weekend all!

Getting ready for back to school

2008-08-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

The little fellas found their old backpacks and decided today was as good as any to play back to school (I was dubbed teacher, until I made them do some work)

Fletcher's school supplies (I can't help but wonder about the curriculum). He has baby wash, a C.D. and a plastic dragonfly.

Levi's reaction to the whole thing:

The school's dress code is very, um, interesting:

Fletch, drawing his family (this was before things spiraled into bizarro school)

It seemed fitting that we did this today, as Niles and I are going to do some back to school shopping tonight. It should be fun:)

Have a great day

Baby pictures (again)

2008-08-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

It's getting hard to think of titles for another round of baby pictures...so here they are:)

(sorry, I just came back and checked for comments and looking at these pictures, my heart AND stomach did a somersault...sigh...time is already moving too fast)

A camping we did go...

2008-08-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

and my camera battery died on the first picture. I did get some shots from my sister's camera, but for some reason, she thought she needed to take it with her...strange.

Camping is not exactly the word, we rented a cabin at a resort type campground. I like more rustic surroundings, but at this stage in my life, I'm all about running water and planned activities for the kids. They had a planned Halloween weekend, which the kids thought was loads of fun and it wasn't too hot out so they weren't roasting in their costumes (which we all know they have plenty of).

We're working on gearing up for back to school and trying to enjoy the last bit of summer (it has flown by in a pregnancy/baby shaped cloud)

and just so I don't deprive anyone of sweet baby photos (because you're most certainly clamoring):

Pictures, get 'em while they're hot!

2008-08-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are bath photos:

the little boys had to get in on the action by putting soap on their faces

Levi wasn't too fazed by the whole bath thing. He did get a little tired of it by the end of it.

This is from today, big brother giving kisses

Fletch-man, all snuggly (let's just hope he sleeps tonight)

Seriously, he is just so stinkin' cute

and another one

2008-08-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you must know, all of this blogging I have been doing is not so much my idea. Aunt Ashley has all but issued threats that I MUST show at least a picture a day, so:

Here is my sweet baby today

This has become a regular sight in my world. A little helper full of advice and knowledge.

And cheap labor to boot (that is a bag o' dirty diapers).

Big night tonight, Levi's first official bath. Pictures to follow. I've never had a baby who just loved bath time right off, I'm not holding my breath for this one (he prefers to be left alone for the most part:)

My boys...awwww

2008-08-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

and, it still sounds cute at this point:)

Your daily dose of sweet baby

2008-08-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

And yes, he's just as sweet on his 8th day here:)

Wait a minute...didn't I just give birth?

2008-07-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy, busy, busy. For some reason we had a million things to do on Tuesday. Dr. appointments, dental appointments, errands and so forth (word to the wise: DO NOT take your husband into Lowe's after just giving birth, under any circumstances). We had fun, but I'm still pretty tired out (which is slightly understandable, I think), but my pain level is soooooo much better than it was, I almost feel human and if I can look something other than 7 months pregnant soon, it will be a huge coup:)

Here are some pictures of our happenings.

a little basketball action

All of my fellas in the van (such a beautiful sight:)

The Playland is f-u-n!

Is there anything sweeter?

Please do not be alarmed. While the scorpion ranger and lizard ranger are very scary looking, they clean up nicely.

Have a super day:)

(pssst...Danu, I saw you left a comment on here! If you come back and visit, please email me: smelshol@svsu.edu)

We Like Levi--a retrospective in photos:)

2008-07-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's official, he's home (and sleeping soundly at 8:30, drat). We're all pretty much in love...just a few pictures to show you why:)

Checking things out at the hospital:

I don't know why he looks surprised, he knew the camera was pointed at him;) (btw, I know how I look, and I'm okay with it, it won't be forever)

My sweet little thinker

Nothing like a good old pots and pans jam session on your bunk bed to chase away those new baby brother blues (in your unders of course).

This photo was taken right after Sawyer said "I like Levi". Thus spawning the name of this post.

I'm off now as I have a baby pterodactyl (that's kinda what he reminds us of) pecking at my face.

So Beautiful

2008-07-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

Look at his little face. I am smitten (of course I didn't expect much else, but still, how perfect could he be?) We're trying to settle in for the night...he was a perfect little angel at the hospital so I'm pretty curious about tonight:)

He is a very alert, relaxed (unless he wants something, then you better MOVE) and wonderful baby boy.

born at 2:05 pm
Weight: 8 pound 4.8 pounds
Length: 20.5 inches long.

Everyone is over the moon happy...more pictures to follow

:)

2008-07-24T04:32:00.000-07:00

I'm just sitting here trying to soak in the last few minutes of being pregnant. I'm so excited to meet Levi, I really think that it's incredible I got any sleep last night, but I did (not a ton, but some:)

I keep telling Roy that I'm not nervous about the hospital/delivery/surgery part of this whole thing, it's more nerves about coming home and finding our groove. So I'm just warning you all, I'm probably going to have a bit of a blogging hiatus (after first pictures of course:)

I hope you all have a wonderful day (live it up, it's Levi's birthday!!)

what to say

2008-07-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of exciting things to report. I am sitting here in a quiet house (Kay took the kiddies to the beach, because she is an Angel) and I'm just using this time to enjoy the silence, ahhhhh. I'm wishing I had the energy to clean up all of the little things that are bugging me, but not wishing hard enough to actually DO it.

I got my haircut last week. Short. Like short, short. I do this every so often and I was just plain tired of my hair so I had my hairdresser do it. It totally freaked Fletcher out. He just didn't get where it all went. I like only having to blow dry my hair for about 45 seconds everyday and the best thing about hair is it grows back (unless you're Roy, but then you're just sexy, I don't think I could pull off that look quite the same way). I tried to take a picture, but since there is no such thing as a flattering picture of me at this point, I think you might just have to wait until I post baby and me photos to see it...because by then I'll be so groggy I won't care how I look:)

I took my friend Nicci's advice and went and got a pedicure too. Oh did that hit the spot:) Fletcher DID like the results of that, he noticed that my toenails were colored and he thought that I should probably do that to my fingernails too (although he warned me not to do it to my eyes because it would hurt)

My friend Tracy sent me the sweetest package last week filled with wonderful goodies including 3 hand stitched onesies for Levi that I love so much. Trashley was inspecting them and they even impressed her (she is a tough crowd). Once Tracy gets an Etsy shop, I'll link it, because she so needs to spread her talents to the masses:) Thank you again Tracy:)

Baby boy is swimming around nicely and I took a minute today to just appreciate that feeling once again as it is leaving soon. I've been so miserable and focused on trying to give birth to him that I just wanted to almost ignore how really, really amazing this gift is that I've been given. I'm glad things work out the way they do and help us to put things into perspective...I'm also so, so glad and grateful that I have family and friends that are so supportive and helpful and concerned. Thank you to everyone who has been checking on me and taking care of me and just thinking of or praying for me.

Whoo hoo, baby time is almost here!!!

2008-07-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

I was sure this morning was going to be my Levi's birthday, I was having so zowie type contractions, but of course, they went away. Oh well, I just have 2 1/2 more days, I've waited much longer for other stuff waaaaaaay less exciting.

I have my sister Kay here to help me out with my other darlings, so life is good:)

Today

2008-07-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know, I'm just kind of drifting through today. Insomnia is a fun new side effect of late pregnancy, but that will end soon enough:) when I'm aching for sleep. I remember the days when I used to fight sleep like my children do now. I just wish I could go back and show my little self how much I would grow to love and crave sleep...I probably wouldn't listen to myself anyway.

So other than tired, I could just use a few prayers for Niles and I. I don't really want to get too far into it, but we have been having some trouble relating as of late. My patience are at a minimum and well, he's 13 therefore the world is all about him, right?

The little boys are doing some painting right now and creating great masterpieces. Fletcher has really started to love making and coloring little works of art. We have "galleries" all over the house. He finishes a creation and says he needs to hang it up, if he makes something for someone else he's like "you're gonna hang that up right?". I'll have to post some pictures of the various set ups throughout the house.

Yesterday my doctor reassured me that a c-section is a good idea as this baby is going to be a biggie (we think). I'm almost (in 2 days) at 38 weeks and I'm measuring 41. So yes, he seems to be strapping. I can't wait to meet him:)

Have a great day all:)

She must need an ear adjustment

2008-07-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

And we're so happy:) I got a call yesterday from Kay saying she is coming home on Wednesday so that she can meet Levi!! Well, Roy and I are excited, I'm keeping it a surprise for the kiddies . So I got to have a good, happy cry yesterday which was a refreshing change (I love unstable hormones, such a thrill) and I know Sawyer will be ecstatic to get his hands back on Aunt Kay's ears.

Not too many exciting happenings around here this weekend. There was a "Boy's only" camp-out in the backyard that lasted until about 2 or 3 a.m. when they all trickled back in one by one. I won't tell you the first deserter, but a hint is : his name starts with R and ends with oy. I was happy though because whatever they did tired them out enough that everyone slept in the next day until 9.

Dr.'s appointment today and I'm hoping they are going to say that I'm so huge they should probably get the sweet fella out now...but I'm not holding my breath.

A little more pep

2008-07-11T06:59:00.001-07:00

I am not feeling like the strongest version of me, but I can't tell you what no children sneaking in your bed and only having to get up to go to the bathroom once in the night can do for you. I almost feel human today:)

Niles and I are going to tackle his clothes monster in his room today...I hope to purge a bunch of the stuff he doesn't wear (which is about 90% of his stuff, as he wears the same things over and over again).

Tonight Daddy and the fellas are going to have a guys' night out. I guess that leaves me out, but trust me, I'm okay with that:) I might go downstairs and play a little in my crafty room...it's hard to say though considering how messy it is down there. I'd have to spend a lot more time cleaning than crafting.

So there you have the fascinating details of my day, I might even get crazy enough to unload and load the dishwasher (or maybe I'll just have Niles do it:0)

Have a great weekend

No news.

2008-07-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Nothing. Not a thing to report to you. It's just me, too tired to do anything and my kids trying to stay sane. Wish us luck. (Only 2 weeks until the scheduled C-section though, so I have that going for me).

Have an eventful day.

Now all we need is a baby

2008-07-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

I think we are finally done with Levi's room (wait, scratch that, Trashley still is going to make some super cute valances in brown and white polka dotty fabric), but other than that we're just waiting on him:) Here are some pictures of his room:

He really is a clothes horse already:

Fletch and Sawyer are the official testers of his products:

The sock monkey in this photo belonged to Roy boy, I couldn't be happier that it found a new home in his room (and his little bibs inexplicably matched):

Where I am sure he'll get hours and hours of glorious sleep:

Where I'm sure I'll get at least 10 minute stretches of sleep:

Fletcher thought that maybe Master Tigress needed a nap.

If you are wondering where the beautiful quilt that Master Tigress is tucked so sweetly under, it's from my friend Kate. She just opened an Etsy shop.
If you get a chance, you should check it out...I love this quilt so much (although she stressed that she made this one for the baby, not me) And though I didn't have to buy it, I would have :) thank you Kate, you're my hero.
And if you've never looked on Etsy before, it is a really cool website that features handmade goods. You can find almost anything on there (note: you can not find "plumbing supplies"...I really looked while I was waiting for the pictures to upload...if you type in "plumbing" though 29 items come up. Just a little factoid to share)

Have a great day everyone:)

Holiday Hoopla

2008-07-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

If you want to know how old they are now, just ask them:

"Look at my feet? Do they look bigger?" This is one of the first things Fletch asked me on his fourth birthday. I love how he's so excited to grow and get bigger and Sawyer is quite content to be a little boy for now.

We had a great time on the boy's birthday weekend. It was seriously packed with fun...which might explain my trip to the hospital yesterday (or maybe not). I had a touch of a bug or something and it made me vomit numerous times (I know it's fun when you're not pregnant to puke, but it's not when you are). I got some delicious I.V. fluids and various meds, but no baby in my arms yet...I will keep you posted. However, I am 36 1/2 weeks and measuring at 38 weeks, so the bubba might just come walking out.

Back to the boys' birthday. They were beside themselves with joy because every day of their lives seems to involve the sentence "On my birthday, can I ...(fill in the blank)" and that day IT CAME TRUE!!!!! Fletch got to drink as much apple juice as he wanted, Sawyer was, well he was just Sawyer-ish and they got to pick out toys at the store! Yippee!!!!

Here are just a few of the photo highlights:

And I'm spent...

2008-07-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention (by Niles from my dad) that I have not updated my blog recently. You are correct, you asked for it, you got it. A completely random post from the scrambled egg mind of a pregnant woman:

My doctors have lifted my house arrest since I have cooked this sea monkey long enough:) so today I went and did some running around/errandy stuff. My boys behaved beautifully, which was an unexpected, happy surprise. However, I am now tired and my back hurts...shall I go on with my whining? I know it's riveting stuff.
I just don't get it when someone is talking about something that doesn't have to do with pregnancy or babies. Soaring gas prices? How is that going to help my water break?
I am definitely the mother of boys. Last night I had a dream that I was at a swanky party on a big ship or ice berg or something outside a big cosmopolitan city like New York when it was invaded by Transformers and the guy I thought was going to save us (Optimus Prime, I even know his name) was actually there to destroy us. We were all going down in the icy, murky, inky water when I had to wake myself up, it scared me that much.
I am hooked, I mean obsessed with Jon and Kate plus 8 on TLC. It makes me feel even better about the craziness of my life than watching Cops does.
I'm so in love with my family and friends. I don't know what I did to deserve such blessings, but I'm just so glad that they are all in my life, watching my ample back:)

So, maybe now you won't complain when I haven't updated in a while:)

Silly doctors, I just needed my mom

2008-06-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

While I am still in a holding pattern of pregnancy (don't have that baby, just sit around a wait to NOT have it for now), I suddenly feel much more secure and relaxed, and no, I didn't get a prescription for some relaxant, I called my mom.

I don't know why, as a grown woman who is responsible for her own home and children, having my mother here makes the situation feel much more in control and rational (besides the fact that she is doing the laundry, washing dishes and dressing my children:), I'm just grateful for her (and to my dad for loaning her out for now). I know my kids dig it too because Nana pretty much equals fun in their books.

So nothing new on the pregnancy front for now, but I feel a ton better because I have my mommy (good gracious, I'm pathetic:)

In-law birthday:)

2008-06-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

I love this picture, not because it's particularly good, but because it's a classic moment. Nahro expounding on something very important, and Fletcher staring in awe of him.

I always thought my sister Kimberly would marry someone who was quiet, just kind of went along with things and was extremely gentle. Shows you what I know! Nahro is a match for Kay through and through, I can't believe there can be that much energy in one couple and I often need earplugs when I'm with them:) I'm so happy that Kay met him and fell in love with each other and while I miss my sister, I'm glad that she has Nahro to take care of her (and vice versa)...there is a lot of love between them (and a lot of noise)

Happy Birthday Nahro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And furthermore...

I want to wish my sister in law Heather feather a very happy birthday as well. She is a sweet, gentle soul who we all love dearly and I'm so happy to have gotten to know her and that my kids have the opportunity to know and love her as well. I hope you got lots of hugs from your men and you didn't have to sing the Planet Heroes theme song too many times today:)

Happy Birthday Heather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun in the Sun:)

2008-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

First, I am feeling okay and Levi has not made an appearance yet (although I would swear he is trying to kick his way out the side of my body). I still am having contractions now and then but they always stop. Roy called and told me this morning that he is going to be sticking by closer to home for the next couple of weeks just in case.

Second, we had FUN this weekend with cousins. Gracie, Wil, Jackson, Heather and Chris all came to visit and while the noise level was astounding (I'm glad I don't have 7 kids:), it was lots of fun. Aunt Chris and Aunt Heather brought a slip and slide for the boys' birthday and we played in the yard (until the thunder rolled in). Here are some highlights:

lots of fun, when we were outside and inside (hence the crazy dress up photos:) And Heather and Chris made their brother's dreams come true, they helped clean out the front hall closets, organize Levi's room and mopped the floor (thanks ladies:)

Not exactly as I had planned

2008-06-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling a little funky, I won't go into details for the sake of the squeamish, but I thought I'd call my doctor just to hear reassuring words. They wanted to see me. I thought I'd go in for a half hour-forty five minutes max and feel like a giant goober that I even bothered them. Instead, I got to go over to labor and delivery and be treated to crazy contraction halting meds and about 5 hours on an extremely uncomfortable gurney.

But it did mostly stop the contractions. Which is good, because this little guy needs to cook just a bit longer. And now the meds that they sent me home on make me feel very tired and headachy, but I can't sleep, so that's fun. I also need to be on a modified bed rest, which doesn't sit so well with my little ones. They don't understand why I can't hop to when they ask. That might not be such a bad thing:)

I'm sorry to complain. I'm happy that the doctors and nurses said baby was doing amazing and perfectly (according to his heart rate and such on the monitor). I'm happy that I'm almost at 35 weeks so it isn't too long before the little love can legally be born. And I'm happy that my children at home are all safe and sound and that my husband was able to make it home with them before too long.

So that's my Friday, I hope yours was a little less exciting:)

Hee

2008-06-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Niles has reached the age in which he notices females. I have not been looking forward to this day, but I knew that it would come. At any given time he has a "girlfriend" and he is not afraid to smirk if he sees a group of cuties in the vicinity.

Tonight he proved that we still have a little while before we really need to worry. We were watching "So You Think You Can Dance" (don't judge) and a Victoria's Secret commercial came on. Normally Roy has something really smart to say like "why don't they have 'so you think you can be a Victoria's Secret model', then I'd be interested". But tonight he just watched. Instead, Niles turned to me and said "Why do those women on these commercials have that look in their eyes?" I asked a little nervously, "what look?" He replied "a look like 'I'm going to kill you' ". Now that he mentions it, they do look pretty dangerous.

:)

2008-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Roy and I went to Tennessee last weekend and I am Tired, but it was so worth it. I finally had the opportunity to meet some women that I've only spoken to online, finally face to face. One of the very best things about the weekend though (in addition to meeting everyone) was having my husband there (not right next to me, but always near enough, if I needed him) because he knew how badly I wanted to go, but was afraid to let me travel alone in my condition. He really is the best and he got caught up on a lot of movie watching. And I thank my mother and father in law for hanging out with our children. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I brought my camera everywhere with me, but because I was laughing so hard, I really didn't get too many shots

but here is one of my favorites:

I really think after people see this shot, Kate and I will be getting booked for a ton of modeling jobs. Just a hunch.

There is one very big revelation I have come to after all of the festivities. I have always been a silly show-off kind of person, this trait is dangerous around scrapbookers...they always have a camera handy.

have a beautiful day.

He's a little excited

2008-06-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

As a mommy to young ones, I love to wake up in the morning before everyone else. It's time for me to do what I want, or watch what I want on t.v. or just do nothing if that's what I choose. I also love to see my little guy's faces first thing, still puffy with sleep and get some sweet cuddles. This morning however, Fletch had other things on his mind.

I heard the rumble of the door and waited to see who was first awake (it's usually Fletch-man). He poked his head out of the hall door and said "are we leaving to go to Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Harlow's now?" Not even a "I want apple juice" first, which is customary for him. Roy and I are going away this weekend and the boys are going to their Grandparent's house. I am reminded of this fact about every 5-10 minutes because I keep getting "Is it time to go now?" Never mind how many times I have given him the schedule for the day...so Grandma and Grandpa, I hope you're ready, Fletch is.

Somebody really has connections...

2008-06-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

I asked for your prayers...and by golly, they were answered and then some, thanks.

~~Jackson is GOING HOME TOMORROW!!!! Yay! while they are still going to be following up with a rheumatologist (they've already seen the head one once), the doctors are calling what has been up with him a bone infection and are putting him on super-duper antibiotics (I'm crying again just typing it:) Once they actually treated him for an infection, his labs started to look a little less wonky. AMEN and thank you God!!!

~~I am at home, waiting for my sweet, wonderful, brave husband to walk through the door any moment and you know what? If we want to turn on a light...we can! Just like that! The power has been restored and we are sitting in our house with power, it's a good thing.

~~The icing on the cake is, my crazy little children fell asleep in the car on the way home from Niles' baseball game, that means no bedtime battles:) or cajoiling.

Happy happy day:) (I sincerely hope yours was just as happy)

At the Holiday Inn...

2008-06-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

That's just where I am, in beautiful Kalamazoo. Maybe it seems strange that we would be staying in a hotel just about 3 miles from our home, but with no electricity, it is deemed a necessity for me. Daddy is away, saving other parts of the state so he can't work any magic on our house, so we have pool time, pay-per-view movies and hopefully a good night's sleep.

I'm only marginally freaking out because I need to do about a billion things to get ready to go for the weekend (Roy and I are going away) and I can't do much at the moment. It was WAY worse when we pulled on our street and saw our front yard on fire (it was a downed power line, but the fire, blessedly did not spread).

Please continue to pray for our buddy Jackson (and his mom and dad) as it looks like the diagnosis might be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I know that it must be a very scary prospect for his mom and dad, but I also know that if anyone is capable of handling something like this well, it is them.

So that's about it (maybe for the week), if you hear some crazed shrieks or muffled whimpers, chances are it's me trying to keep my sanity in the midst of this craziness.