The Voices Within Me

I have a little girl that is simply adored by her baby brother. I don't think she can do wrong in his eyes... I snapped this picture of Ad helping Si try to ride the tricycle. He wanted NOTHING to do with my assistance... only called out for his "Ahhhh deeeeee" (and this is proof that there was at least one day without snow on the ground!)


(btw... can I just say that I LOVE the instagram app on my phone?!? I have had it for less than a week and I am already addicted!)

somehow, my sweet innocent little daughter has been blessed with the gift of gab. Today marks day two (out of 10) that she has had a "yellow" day at school. Last time... talking to a boy. Today... being too loud in the bathroom (although she did have quite a story about the "why" behind the yellow...) Would it be wrong to send her in with duct tape over her mouth? (I kid, I kid... no calling social services on me) It just sort of makes me giggle... I ahem... may have possibly always gotten S- in that same behavior category. I guess if that is the worst of our problems... (and I am not saying she doesn't need to work on it... just that I would MUCH rather it be for this rather than being mean, rude, etc...) As parent's always say... one day you will have a child just like yourself. She may not look much like me but I guess I found my mini me.

my little baby turned into a 1 year old before my eyes. I can not believe that a year has passed since he joined out family and I am still brought to tears when I think about the first time I laid eyes on his beautiful dark head of hair and chunky face and legs. Silas has brought us SO much joy this past year, I really truly can't imagine life without him being a part of it. He has simply the best personality and sweetest disposition of any of our children and just knows how to melt his Mama's heart (even if he still won't say Mama). I can't believe that this stage in our lives is over, I want to rewind and live so many moments over again but then I am reminded of the amazing boy he has grown into and I look forward to all that the future still has in store. God truly knew what we needed to make our family complete and he gave us all of that and more in Silas and for that I am eternally grateful and pray that I can be a wonderful Mom to him and he always knows just how much he is loved.At one years old, this is Silas:

*Around 24/ 25 lbs (will find out next week)
*Walks everywhere (almost running already)
*Claps, gives high fives, plays patty cake and peek a boo
*Has an uncontrollable giggle, double dimples and twinkling eyes
*Loves his little people farm, Thomas, Wonder Pets, Baby Einstein and bath time
*Is drawn to all electronic equipment (just like his big brother)
*Wears 12-18 month clothes and size 3 diapers
*Nurses 2x a day*Eats almost all table food*Has 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom)
*Loves music and dancing
*loves being outside (esp. the swings at the park)
*Says a few words... Dada, Thank you, That, Cracker
*Blows kisses and cuddles with almost anyone
*Has wavy light brown hair
*Active (hardly even sits still)

1 year ago Silas was
*8 lbs 10 ozs
*20.5 inches long*Dark haired
*Covered in a little rash
*Cuddly
*Sleepy
*Just starting to spit up
*large belly button hernia
*Took a binky for the first time
*Too short for even newborn clothes
*Active (hated being swaddled)

A lot has changed in a year. There have been many ups and a few downs but thankfully we have all came out stronger in the end. I can't wait to see what this coming year will hold... watching him change and grow and continue to interact more and more with the world around him. While I am sad he is no longer my little baby in size, he will always be my baby and therefore hold that special place in my heart.



If you would like to read about everything from last year's account and see more pictures... visit the April 2009 archive.

I am not sure how time has passed so quickly but indeed it has and another month has passed in our lives. Silas is the big 11 months old now and while I love this new exciting stage, I do miss the days when he was just a fresh little newborn. It is so hard to believe that just a year ago I found out my placenta previa had cleared up and we would move ahead with our original scheduled c-section date. I was SO anxious to meet this little guy but yet relieved he would have another four weeks to grow inside of me. (Little did I realize he would grow like he did- LOL)
At 11 Months Si is quite the charmer. He always has HUGE smiles for everyone and LOVES interacting with his brother and sister. He claps and jabbers all of the time and is a champion speed crawler that can scale the steps in -10 seconds. He has taken 5 steps but is still content to crawl (probably b/c of aforementioned speed) to get most places. He now has 4 teeth (top two came in one after another about a week ago) and wildly crazy hair. He still says "Dada" all of the time (and laughs and says it again when I ask him to say "Mama") and something that sounds like "thank you" when I give him a cracker or other treat. He takes 3 or so naps a day and sleeps from about 11pm until 8 (naps from about 7-9 beforehand). He sings himself to sleep and likes to pinch as he drifts to dreamland. He is a giggling maniac and still has double dimples that melt my heart.

Although he didn't have a Dr. appt. this month, I believe he is somewhere between 23-24 lbs and prob. about the same length as last month (judging from clothing length). He is wearing a few 6-12 month pants still and we just pulled out the 12-18 months things.
Si LOVES to have his hair brushed (or brush it himself) and can usually be calmed down by rubbing his ears or his head. He has mostly given up on baby food and loves foods such as toast, sweet potato bites, mashed potatoes, mandarin oranges, peaches bites, green beans, french toast sticks, chicken nuggets, crackers and various other small soft items. He still nurses 3 or so times a day (morn, afternoon and night) and drinks water/ juice from a bottle (trying the sippy).

He loves to play with his ball popper (as do Micah and Addison), leapfrog learn around, block wagon, little people and go to the park and swing. Si loves to watch Thomas the train as well as baby Einstein videos. He is becoming quite the little drummer- always finding items to drum with and thinks he owns our drum sticks. He has pretty good rhythm for a toddler ;) Micah and Addiso are his favorite playmates and he looks up to them for everything. He still searches them out the moment he wakes up in the morning and is sad to see them go to bed at night. They have a great relationship that I hope continues for many years to come.

It is hard to believe I am planning his first birthday party already (and so heart wrenching that this is the last time I will be doing this). (April 24th for anyone that is interested) I think he is going to be a nut with the cake (rem. the personality I mentioned) and I can't wait for the big event. Although it has been less than a year since he joined us, I can't imagine him not being a part of our family.

My daughter Addison has the most loving and giving heart of any child I know. She is always thinking of others and just has a gentle spirit about her that I can't even begin to explain. Tonite was no different...
The kids had both begged for a piece of candy before bed and Tim finally relented and told them they could each have one piece. (Now I am not sure how candy is stored at your house, but we keep ours in a ceramic container on our kitchen counter out of direct reach of the kids.) After both kids chose their treasure, Micah was placing the jar back in it's rightful place when it slipped out of his hands and went crashing to the floor, shattering the lid into hundreds on tiny shards. As I was cleaning up, I cut my finger on a small sliver that was seemingly innocent. I yelped in pain and and was startled to see a spot of blood appear. It wasn't that bad so I brushed it off on a napkin and continued cleaning the mess. Unbeknownst to me, Addison had disappeared upstairs (to go get me a band aid). Being that she can't reach them she got a stool to boost herself to balance on the towel rack to reach into the cabinet. Well... in the process she got her arm stuck in the towel rack and was stuck on her tip toes clinging with all her might. Micah came running down to alert us and Tim ran up and got her unstuck and tried to piece together what had just occurred. It was only then he realized she had went to get me a band aid to soothe my pain. Tim sent her downstairs and through her sobs she told me all she wanted to do was make me feel better. She proceeded to give me my band aid (a Thomas one... lucky me) and kiss my wound. Seriously. Broke. My. Heart. She stopped everything else to take my pain upon herself and did what she knew would help the pain go away. She got me something to cover the pain and then covered the pain in love.
As I have now had time to sit and think about all that occurred, I started thinking about the upcoming Holy Week and how Jesus did everything he knew how to to cover our hurt and pain. He not only covered our wounds but took them upon himself and then covered us in love so that we would not have to continue to live in the darkness that was overtaking our life. He knew that there was bound to be pain for himself but he didn't let that stop him from ultimately giving everything to heal our brokenness. It is so hard for me to process and fully grasp all that He gave but then when I see the little eyes of my child looking into mine with tears streaming down her face as she offers out all that she can give, I see the face of Jesus and allow His love to pour through and fill my heart once again.
Revelation 21: 4: ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain..."

If you are a Mom, you probably have had your share of mispronounced words. I happen to LOVE this little quirks and am always sad to see the kids learn the correct grammar (I know... bad Mommy here but who needs grammar rules when you are young?!?) I guess for me, it just lets me hold on to a little piece of their childhood that is already passing by too quickly and when it is gone, it is another step towards the adolescent world that I am NOT ready for.
Anyway... tonite I made "ravioli's and sauce" (and garlic bread) for dinner. Being that it was another beautiful day, dinner was later (kids were at the park, Tim and I took turns running...) and the kids were getting impatient at the hold up. Micah decided to create his own diner and made a sign complete with the special of the day, "Chessy Grabinollys" (even ran a special pricing deal) and hung it in the kitchen in hopes it would speed along the process. I always knew he said it that way but I had no idea he would spell it that way as well :) I giggled and made sure to snap a photo as I know the next time we have this particular dinner and I ask him whether he wants more "Grabinollys" he will give me a blank stare and have no idea what I am talking about. I hope to hold onto this little mannerism as long as I can...

*I would love to hear what words your children mispronounce... others favorites of mine are "basketti", "Gorilla Cheese", and "Majamas"

Silas has recently decided that baby food really isn't his "thing" anymore and has thus resisted many futile attempts at making him think he is missing out on the tasty stuff. I guess once you turn 10 months, you are smarter than you seem. See... I think it all began about the middle of February... if you remember back to that video I posted, you know, the ice cream cake one. The one where he did a little dance and said, "num num" or squealed for me and of course, like all good parents, we obliged. Yes, I now know we created a monster, but honestly, who can blame him?

Silas' refusal reminded of Psalm 34:8which states, “Taste and See the Lord is Good”. Once you experience goodness, you aren't going to want to go back to the dull and lifeless (or tasteless in Silas' case) world that you left. David (the writer of Psalms) invites us to experience God, to trust and depend on him for all of our needs. He realizes that God won't just give us a taste and keep us away from the good stuff (like I guess I was/ am trying to do with Silas) but will instead give us a taste and then keep giving us even more until we are so full we overflow.

Are we willing to be that open, to jump into God's arms and not look back? Have we really tasted and saw how good He really is or do we keep our feet in the mud while our arms reach out to his? Taste and see that He is good for blessed is the man whom takes refuge in Him. He will take care of you, if only you will trust in Him.

For further study on Psalm 34:8 see this amazing breakdown... Raw Christianity

I know... I have said that I "can't believe it" every month on the 27th for the last 10 months but the phrase hasn't yet worn out. So... I can't believe it has been 10 months already. Where did my chubby little newborn go and who replaced him with this crazy interactive social "almost toddler"? Silas has changed SO much in the last 10 months- it is almost hard to believe he is the same child. 10 months ago he was a 8 lb 10 oz, black haired chub a bub who spit up 30+ times a day, had a herniated bellybutton and slept ALL of the time. Today he is still a chub but with brown hair, no spitup, no hernia, jabbering, clapping, creeping and crawling, almost walking, non-spitting up, Dada saying, 23 lb, 10 month old. Silas keeps up laughing ALL of the time... from his double dimples to his crazy hair- he is full of antics that charm the socks off of all of us. Some of his favorite activities this past month include clapping, cruising around furniture, raising his arms up when we ask how big he is, blowing raspberries on Mommy's arm or tummy (he thinks it is funny to lift my shirt to do this) and working on his still non-existent bottom teeth. He starts his day around 7:30 by waking up and immediately wanting down to crawl into his brothers room. Giddyness ensues as all of the kids reunite (you know... such a long time to be apart... the whole 10-11 hours or so it is) and off we go. He loves to eat but still makes nursinf an important part of his routine. He has eaten a bit of "big boy" food (crackers, cheerios, cut up noodles, ice cream cake, cut up grapes, cut up carrots, small pieces of bread and pancakes) but still enjoys his babyfood as well. His favorite snack is Gerber cheese puffs and he has a habit of picking up the can and bringing it to me when he wants more. Si LOVES music and can often be found dancing to Laurie Berkner, Wonder Pets theme song, Yo Gabba Gabba and more. He tries to have rhythm as he claps along but in advertently gets so excited he topples over. He is extremely ticklish and he and I are best buddies. I love this little (big) guy to pieces and am SO glad he came into our family 10 months ago.

Isn't being loved one of the best feelings in the world? I would venture to guess that there isn't one person who truly doesn't desire the feeling of being loved. Love provides so much (comfort, stability, trust, friendship, hope, peace...) and yet is so simple. We are born with the ability to love at it's most simplest form and are open and ready to receive it from the moment of our first breath. Young children seem to give freely of it, taking no account of a person's faults, but loving them for them. Children reach with open hands and lay their hearts on the line with little expectation of gaining something back in return.

Unfortunately, love has been cheapened throughout time and "love" has been likened to pain, hurt, despair... all of the things that love was never intentioned to be. It has become easy to flippently say "I love you" to someone, even when there are no true emotions or meaning behind the words. I can remember back to a time when a "boy" friend told me he loved me and I got seriously angry with him. Why? Because for some strange reason, I knew those words weren't meant as a symbol of our relationship but instead being used to gain something for selfish gain. Our "love" didn't last much longer after I questioned the authenticity and looking back, I am thankful for having the guts to stand up for what I believed "love" to truly mean.

For those that practice the Christian faith, (and I preface because I know I have readers that do not) Jesus is our ultimate example of love. He selfishly gave his life in order to save ours... I can't imagine that many of us would be willing to take love to that extreme. He loves (loved) each of us as we are (all dirty, broken, weary...) and never asked anything more than we accept his sacrifice and in turn share that love with others. I wish that I could have a giving, unselfish love like this... that I could look past the dirt and grime and truly begin to see others for the beautiful creation Jesus view when he looked down from the cross. I am not worthy of a love like His but I am forever thankful that he felt that I was.

*wanted to share these great song lyrics by JJ Heller*
He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He’s the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night, “Dear God won’t you please
Could you send someone here who will love me?”

Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means

Her office is shrinking a little each day
She’s the woman whose husband has run away
She’ll go to the gym after working today
Maybe if she was thinner
Then he would’ve stayed
And she says…

Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means

He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone
He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
“Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said
“I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I...”

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew

There is something about Mondays. Yes, I hate waking up knowing I have a limited amount of time to get my son ready for school and out the door but yet at the same time, it is sort of exciting knowing there is a fresh new week ahead- free of blemishes and disappointment. Mondays give us all a chance to start fresh, a new set of 7 days to do with as we wish, a chance to turn from the mistakes of the week before and improve so that we don't continually repeat them over and over again.
I volunteer at my son's school on Mondays, reading with his 1st grade class and assisting the teacher with little tasks around the classroom while the kids are at the library. I LOVE this chance to go in and interact with my child's classmates... kids bring a whole new perspective to life (and these are usually times that I wonder why I didn't follow my first dream and go into teaching?!?) Kids bring an innocence, an excitement for each new opportunity they are granted. I have started looking forward to Mondays and the interaction with those children, even if it is only for a short time of the day.
Instead of ho-humming and complaining at the start of a new week, look at it as a chance for a fresh start. Take this chance to make this week better than the last and embrace the life you have been given. Choose to not just "be" but "live" this week to the fullest. Make the most of the time you are given and choose to be thankful for every Monday you wake up...

I can't deny it anymore... the holiday season is over. Yes, I am sentimental... yes, our tree is turned on for one last hurrah but no matter how much I try to hold on, the season is officially past.
We had a nice end to last week, Tim's family all left on Saturday but we made sure to spend as much time together as possible... including a trip to Dairy Queen on Friday nite. Gotta love a family that loves ice cream! :) I participated in the yearly "Girl's Overnighter" at our church right after the Dairy Queen trip and had a nice time with the 14 or so girls that came. It is always fun to spend quality time (if you can call it that- ha! ) with them. We always figure out how to have fun.

We weren't sure what we were going to do New Years but decided to go out to Kurt and Carla's house as we have in years past, and we all had a nice time. The kids enjoyed playing with Walker, Ellie, Jeremiah and Isaac... so much that the first thing Micah asked when he woke up the next day was, "Can we go back to Walker's house today?" The kids actually stayed up until midnight (they had a nap until 6 or so beforehand to prep them) and actually did really well. I thought they would fall asleep on the way home but they were both wide awake, which ended up being perfect b/c they were on the verge of sleep as soon as we got them in and ready for bed. We all enjoyed sleeping in Tuesday and are now trying to get back into a normal routine.

Micah is still off of school until Monday so we have a few days to fill with things though we will be heading to my parent's house on Friday for our Christmas there. My Dad is getting out of rehab (if you missed this before, it was for knee replacement surgery... not drugs or alcohol ;) ) sometime today. He is definitely ready to come home and we are excited to go see him and my Mom. I love giving people their Christmas gifts and I think we chose some fun things this year for everyone so I am anxious for everyone to open everything.

I actually scrapbooked last nite... two pages in fact. I did have a sort of deadline which helps explain why I actually did two in one nite but I will share that later. I haven't gotten to sit and scrap in quite sometime so it was nice to be able to do that and have the sense of accomplishment when i finished. I hope to do a lot more of it this coming year.

New years always bring about a sense of desiring change (at least to me) and though I don't make resolutions, I do always try to have a few things to work on in each area of my life.
Here are a few of my ideas... hopefully they are basic things I can easily weave in without much ado.

*Make weekly menus so I don't have those "what should I have for dinner" moments
*Do something creative at least once a week
*Read a book to the kids at least 5x a week
*Do devotions with the kids every evening (we got the cutest devotional book for preschoolers from Berean for Christmas)
*Grow the business even further than last year

Those are just a few of tons of ideas swirling in my head right now. I think they are all good and attainable so I can't be let down ;) I wish you luck in any changes you are implementing this year as well... here is to a new and better 2008!


(I must share two more Christmasy photos just because I can't let go...)

so I won't even start with the most recent of happenings. Instead, I will go back to last week and slowly work my way forward. Deal? Capiche.

As some of you know, my Dad had a knee replacement last Monday. Things went well, though they discovered he is/ was diabetic. So... now they have to learn to deal with a total lifestyle change... hopefully it won't be too tough. Thankfully they found it now though... who knows how long it could have went undiscovered if he hadn't had surgery. Anyway... back to the knee.
He was supposed to getting out of the hospital on Thursday and then we were going to have Christmas Friday nite/ Saturday morning. Well... that didn't happen. He instead was recommended to go to a rehab hospital for 2 weeks to ensure a smoother recovery. While that completely stunk, I do understand and hope it enables a faster and more complete healing.
So... our Christmas celebration is now moved to January.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Lets see... after that, Tim got sick and didn't go to the Dr. until Christmas Eve. Needless to say, by that time it was a raging sinus infection that is requiring 2 antibiotics. I will spare you other details but lets just say Christmas Eve nite was probably the worst nite of the year... we got about 2 hours of sleep and thought about going to the ER numerous times...

Before all of that though, we went to my SIL's house for their Christmas Eve dinner ( and Italian feast) and then Christmas Eve service at our church. Following that we went to my inlaws for the annual "Nite Before Christmas". It was different this year as Tim moved into the seat of the reader since his Dad passed away this year, but it was still nice to get together.
We didn't get home until really really late (Tim's one sister drove up Christmas Eve so we waited for her...) so it was hard to settle the kids down once we finally did get home.
Thankfully one went to sleep relatively quickly and while Addie held out for quite some time, Tim was able to start assembly on a few things as I kept guard.

CHRISTMAS
Christmas Day. As noted before, we got no sleep. I had finally fallen asleep around 7 am or so and ignored the alarm/ s when they went off. Micah got up, went downstairs (to where Tim was) and was just in total awe. He ran up to my room, practically pulling me out of bed in his excitement and just kept exclaiming how Santa came and there were presents and a kitchen and yadda yadda yadda. I went down with him and then he remembered he didn't get Addie so he ran up to her with the same enthusiasm. She actually got up right away and kept saying, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy" It was classic... I mean seriously... sounds cheesy BUT... moments like that are what makes parenting all worth it. The joy on their faces and just the wonder and excitement they both had made me even feel like a kid again. It was great.

Micah, knowing how to read some basic things now, knew whose gifts were whose so he sorta passed things out and Addie just attempted to open anything within her reach. They were both spoiled rotten... from a Kitchen for both of them to an art desk, an art center for Micah's V-smile, to videos, cars, video games, educational games and more for Micah and Princess stuff, more princess stuff, doll stuff, strawberry shortcake and little pony stuff for Addie... they are definitely blessed with new numerous new items to occupy their time. Tim received a number of new clothes, books and Dvds so he too will be set. His fun gift... I found an replica old fashined popcorn cart so he and the kids can have fun popping their popcorn :)

I received some new sweaters, lots of books (which I think you will be hearing about in the coming year as many of them have to do with creative projects :) ), a waffle maker, a Senseo machine (specialized coffee/ cappuchino thing), a few Dvds, and a Peppermint Mocha set from Starbucks (this might be my favorite!!) I love everything and can't wait to use it all. I honestly could care less about the things I get... I love giving gifts more (as evidenced by the number of gifts!) but it is fun to receive as well.

We almost had a meltdown by Micah... as some of you know, the number one item on his list was the "Iphone" yes, the Apple, $500 IPhone. LOL. As he opened box upon box, he kept saying, "maybe this is the Iphone, maybe this one is... Thankfully, Santa left him a note and explained how you have to be 18 and they wouldn't let Santa get him one since he is only 4. Santa told him how he picked out other fun toys for him instead. It seemed to work...
Another meltdown did ensure however as Tim didn't tape the Noggin show Christmas Eve that Micah had requested and Micah's little heart broke upon realization. We both felt bad but explained that it was hard to record (they just showed all the Noggin characters sleeping) b/c it wasn't a set show but instead lasted all nite. We did have tears over that one but thankfully the new toys seemed to remedy it.

After our home celebration, we went to my inlaws house and had our celebration over there. It was crazy as usual... but with 8 kids 7 and under that is to be expected. Micah and Addie were pooped as they didn't get a nap Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and went to bed late so they were on the crabby end a few times. They lasted until about 7 pm though and then both crashed, Micah in the middle of the floor and Addie in Tim's arms. It was a nice time... different this year with my FIL being gone, but nice nonetheless.

Day After

Now we are upon the Day After. It is all sort depressing, knowing all the prep and such is over. I always start to get depressed b/c I just love Christmas time and now it is over and people are ready to move on :( I guess it is hitting me even more this year b/c I always things of all the things we will go through until the next year and I guess it has hit me how we just never know what each day will bring. Last year I would have never thought we would have lost a family member. It just goes to show...

Addie is actually still sleeping... yes, at near 11 am, but I am letting her go b/c I figure she will miss out on another nap today b/c of family members coming to the inlaws so she might as well sleep now. I guess I should go get ready since people will be arriving there in an hour ;) and we should probably be there as well.


I hope you all had a wonderful, merry Christmas and were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy.
I will share the notes from Micah and Santa with you at a later time... right now I am down to about 1 hour to get me, and both kids (b/c you know how much help a dad is ;) hee hee... esp. one that is playing video games right now!) ready for lunch at my inlaws. Yikes!!

you are my favorite"
Guess which child just said this to me?
Ms. Addie decided that since she slept 14 hours last nite she doesn't need to sleep tonite. I was sitting here editing/ watching Marie Antoinette and she had been coloring in the dining room with Tim. She came into the room and stood at my feet and said, "Mommy, I'm mad at you." I of course asked her why to which she said..."Because you made me run out of energy and I am really really mad now" She then asked to sit with me to which I told her no since she was "SO" mad at me... she then got her puppy dog eyes on and said, "But mommy I'm not mad at you now. You are my favorite and I'm not out of energy yet. You are my beerrry favorite Mommy"
Oh my goodness- where oh where does this child get these things? Between this and her new phrase of, "Thats just awful" she is keeping me laughing all day long.

I have a few new pictures I uploaded and thought I would share...

Seriously...
I have NO weekends free until December due to photo shoots, I am filling up some weeknites already, I already do Wed. nite Bible study with the girl's in the youth group and now we are starting a 6wk. discipleship/ dinner program at our house on Mondays... aye aye aye!! LOL. I guess it is a good crazy though- right? :)
Oh... I have also been asked to lead a small group at the Mom's group I am attending...
Add all of those things to normal daily things like school and working out- I am beat by the end of the nite!!

Ok ok... I have probably said all of that before, but after scheduling yet another session today, I realized how soon Christmas will be upon us and how crazy my life will be until then. It never ends does it? :)

I had all of these "kid funnies" earlier and now, I can't think of even one. Hmm...
Oh- this isn't a big one but... if the kids are hungry these days they tell me they are going to run out of energy if they aren't fed. It is really funny to hear Addie say it b/c she really doesn't understand it in it's entirety... so she uses it in strange ways- like last nite when she got out of bed and told me she couldn't sleep b/c she ran out of energy. Umm... doesn't sleep restore your energy? LOL

Micah is still doing well with school- hard to believe but I think he likes it even more than last year! LOL. He is quite excited to go every day and then has TONS of stories to tell us each nite. I know he adores his teachers which makes me even more comfortable taking him there. He is such a big boy now...

Addie is really into "using her manners" these days. She thanks you for everything... giving her a toy or food, doing her hair, getting her dressed, or even if I just tell her that I love her. She responds with, "tanks you mommy" It is quite precious if I say so myself! :)

I guess I should go get the kids down for a nap... it is about that time and I have some work things to catch up on. I can't wait to receive back my most recent order, I love getting to see the pictures printed almost as much as the clients do... but these are special b/c they are of my best friend from high school and her family. If I do say so myself, they came out amazing!! :) Maybe I will share some of them on here someday... her family is gorgeous!!

takes talent.
While working on umm... filling a diaper, Ms. Addie passed out from the smell and promptly fell sound asleep leaning over the couch. Ok, maybe she didn't pass out BUT, she did fall asleep like this and would have remained there if her parents weren't nice. Unfortunately, we should have left her that way... once we laid her down to change her diaper, Micah woke her up and that was that for a nap today.

almost complete... seriously- where does the time go?

This weekend was a bit more mellow than normal... we had some friends over last nite (we are finally home enough to do this!!) and then today the kids started swimming lessons again at the Y. After lessons, we went to the apple orchard and got some apples :) (the kids each had to have one in the car and Addie had another later- she sure does love her apples!) and then Tim and Micah stayed home to watch the Buckeyes and Addie and I ran out to pick Tim up a book and run a few other errands. Oh and Addie had her first ever Starbucks!! LOL. You can get vanilla cremes there which is essentially a really good milkshake with whipped cream on top... and since it was her and I out... we shared in my indulgence :) She was nice and brought some home to Micah as well. (and thanks to those that have given me giftcards for random things recently... love you lots!!)

Tomorrow is another day at church and then not much going on in the afternoon/ evening 'cept for Tim's normal routine. I hope to run again... I took today off (well I guess not off since I did do a 1.05 miles on the eliptical today but no running). I know I won't run Monday either b/c of Jump and Pump at the Y so...
Oh and for those of you that have emailed me asking about how I have lost my whopping 1 lb. (which I hope that it has multiplied into at least 2 total by tomorrow!!) here is my routine right now...
First, I am really watching what I eat (and no, not watching me devour stuff!) Trying to make healthier choices and just smaller portion size. Seriously, I have been eating portions for like 3 people at times!! I am making sure to eat a good breakfast to kickstart my metabolism and then a healthy lunch choice, either fruit or a 100 calorie snack pack for an afternoon pick me up, a small (normal!) portion of dinner which I am trying to make healthier and then if needed, another small snack in the evening. I am also trying to drink at least 2 bottles of water a day...
I am finding that I am not as hungry as I was week 1 and not always needing the snack. I am definitely fueling my body enough- but with healthier choices and normal portions.

On top of that... I am doing a Y workout 3 times a week (Monday- jump and pump (jumproping and handweights...NOT at the same time ;), Wednesday- cardio kickboxing and then Friday- Strength Training (hand weights and abs) ) and in between those days... running around 1.5 miles or so. I would really like to run in either the 2 miles race or 5k race coming up in a month, but we will see. My more important goal is to loose around 15 total pounds before the beginning of the year. (and to those of you who don't think I need too... trust me on this- it isn't just me saying so... it is according to charts and such and I really should be 15lbs under what I currently am... which would bring me back down to pre-Micah weight) So... wish me luck!! :)

With that, I am off to do some ab work before bed and make sure everything is set out for church so there is the least amount of craziness possible in the morning.

"say cheese mommy" ... "here is your picture mommy, it is you"

Even Addie has caught onto my tricks ;) She just came up to me with a telescope thing (which she was using as a camera) and said the above. I have to say, she is a bit mor convincing than I, one can't help but smile hearing her little voice and sweet blue eyes staring back at you.

with that said... here are a few new (old) pictures of her


Dancing Queen

complete. Phew!! Let me just say, things can get a bit crazy with 5 kids under four in one house. For instance, when one has to go potty (and needs help), one wants a snack, and then a baby wants to be held. LOL. All in all, things went well. The kids played great together until maybe the last 10 mins- and then it wasn't really anything big- Micah just wanted to share with the little girl and not the boy his age.
I think my kids favorite part was having a baby here. They were trying to be next to her all day- Addie even thought about climbing in the pack and play at one point- thankfully, that was averted. Micah asked if I could have a baby... and I said, yes, sometime. He thought that meant now as he wanted Emily to spend the nite with us. It was really cute to see them interact as they haven't been around many small babies recently. Addie and Micah both even thanked Jesus for them coming over to play today :)

In other news, Micah is still doing well at school and classes at the Y are going great. I lost 1 lb. last week- which doesn't seem like much- but I have been stuck or gaining for I think the last 5 years so even a pound makes me happy :) Hopefully there will be another off next week.

I am back to the Y tomorrow for cardio kickboxing and then girl's Bible study tomorrow nite. Other than that, not much else going on. I am hoping to have some people over Friday- hopefully things work out :)