HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Elias had to dress up as an Indian or a pilgrim for his Thanksgiving feast party. I took a large white t-shirt and stained it with tea. The head band is old pantyhose with two feathers tied in the back. The tomahawk is card board with tinfoil for the blade. Not very fancy, but very impressive to a 6 year old. Emma was very excited to get in on the action and join the party.

And now I'm free. This is the first year I've been so tied to a school schedule. I didn't realize how much of a break this week would feel like without Elias in school. Normally Mondays are one of our homeschool days, but today I got to dicate my own agenda. I'm hoping for a clean and picked up house, laundry done and put away, and some quality family time by the end of the week.

Warning: Brooke is not in the room!!!!!

So what is she doing? This is not a repeat picture, the other one was a cupcake. I cried, but go ahead you can laugh, my husband did, only becuase he wasn't home and hadn't been the one to deal with the numerous messes that day.

My other two kids never got into this much trouble. I realize now I must have had it good because they never, and I do mean never, climbed out of thier crib. They waited for me to get them up in the morning and in the afternoon after naps. And my other two never saw chairs as tools to get something out of reach. The kitchen counter was a safe place.

Last week I awoke to a quiet house and thought all were asleep in their beds. When I walked into the living room I found Brooke sitting on the balcony enjoying the sunrise. Thankfully that incident occured with no mess to clean up. Last Sunday, however, we put Brooke down for a nap and lined up several toys for the older two to play with and took a much needed nap. An hour later we discovered Brooke had not stayed in her crib and had been running free. The older two didn't think to come and tell us and ignored her while she ran amok. The pepper grinder had been taken apart and pepper corns strewn all over the floor. Elias and Emma's pencil boxes filled with crayons, glue, pencils, and scissors were everywhere. Thier piggy banks and my coin jar were spilled all over the kitchen floor. The electric pencil sharpener had been emptied out and lead shavings smeared all over the kitchen table. And all of these things had been buried with the baskets of toys she dumped everywhere.

If things are quiet and Brooke is not in the same room we quickly go looking for the mess: a dumped out puzzle, a soap covered bathroom floor, crayon marks on the sliding glass door, a turned on burner. I almost posted this yesterday but didn't get time. I'm glad I didn't because this afternoon my neighbor knocked on my door returning one of my credit cards. Earlier in the day I had found Brooke playing with my wallet and thought everything looked intact. However, she must have gotten away with the credit card and thrown it over the balcony (we've seen her throw many things overboard). If we and she survive these toddler years it will be by God's grace.

Dress up time

Storming the Castle

The kids received a package last week with these fun goodies. Just as we were finishing up lunch the doorbell rang and it was the postman. The kids were so excited to see their names on the package. They loved their castle and costumes, so much so they forgot to ask to eat the candy that was also included. Elias has been using his sword to protect his princesses from dragons. Brook has been using her wand to fight her brother and Emma walks around with her wand trying to say "bippity boppity boop".

Headstands

Oh my Emma Lou

Her real name is Emma Louise but she often hears the phrase "Oh my Emma Lou" as she crawls on my lap for some cuddles. She has a new hair do that I had been wanting for quite a while. Everytime I take her to the shop to get it cut the lady always tells me it's too thin to cut short and have it curl under. Well, while I was taking nap one day Emma decide to take matters into her own hands. So what she started her Dad eventually finsished. Yep, that's right. This lovely hairdo is her thanks to her Dad. And the bangs are straight, even though the picture doesn't look like it.

I need to journal more about my kids because I know these treasured memories will fade a little as time goes by. Emma is my child that would share her last piece of candy with you. She loves puzzles and organzing things. I have found her at the grocery store straightening the cans. I have yet to fully utalize this quality at home. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she consistently says a mommy. The other day we were shopping and she asked to buy this baby outfit that she thought was so cute. This was before we had told the kids I was pregnant, so I asked her why we should buy it. I'll save it for when I have a baby in my tummy was her response.

After telling the kids about my pregnancy Emma often rubs my tummy. She asked once if the baby could feel her rubbing my tummy.

Her latest craze is standing on her head. It's been at least a month since this fetish started and she's gotten quite good. It stated with her balancing against the couch upside down watching TV, but she's really strengthened her stomach muscles and has become quite the gymnist.

update

Update
Feeling much better!!! I got 12 loads of laundry done between yesterday and today. It had been 3 weeks. All of it is put away except my clothes. I still need to reorganize the maternity clothes, "big" clothes" and the ones I won't need for another 6 months or so, but that will be a job for another day.

announcement

I have an excuse...

I don't usually air my dirty laundry but there is a reason why we are living out of laundry baskets trying to decide which is dirty and which got cleaned two weeks ago. There's really a good reason, actually a tiny reason....

I'm pregnant!!!

That's the exciting reason. The unexciting reason is that morning sickness seems to be a little worse this time. But I'm about 15 weeks pregnant and so hopefully this season too shall pass. I'm looking forward to the burst of energy that usually comes my second trimester. I'm going to need it to put this home back together.

Oh, and I'll answer the two questions I'm hearing alot lately. No, it wasn't an accident. The due date is April 20.

School Days

C is for Cap

Today Elias and his classmates learned the letter C. To help them remember they all got to wear caps to school.

They are also learning about the states and each chid has a state that they (mom) has to research. It's really hard to find facts that are interesting to Kindergarteners and yet still drawable. Elias got to present what he learned about Pennylvania and to help the kids remember he passed out hershy kisses to everyone. His hand is covering it up, but Elias did a really good job drawing a ground hog and his shadow.

Fun facts about Pennsylvania:

1. Hershey kisses are made in Hershey, Pennsylvania

2. Lots of Christmas trees are grown in PA

3. The ground hog appears on Punxsutawney, PA

4. The Liberty Bell - this realy meant nothing to a bunch of kindergarteners but I couldn't find anything better.

So our next state is Tennessee. Do you know any interesting facts about that state? You'll save me some homework.

More Sayings

More Sayings Again

1. It must be election season. I heard the kids talking in the back of the car about Rock Bomma and John McBain. They had nice things to say about both them. "If you need help call Rock Bomm or John McBain". I think we had the TV on too much when he we pulled it out of the closet for the olympics.

2. Emma: "I need to go to school with Elias so I can help him."

3. Emma: "Can I have a lollipop, just in case."

Mom: Just in case of what?

Emma: Oh, I mean just because.

4. Emma doesn't really understand the difference between a video and a TV show. Case in point.

Emma: I'm going to turn off this TV show so I can save it for when Elias comes home from school. He really likes this one.

5. Brook: Mommy

This does not refer to her loving nurturing parent. It means "I want" and she uses it with myself, Alex and Emma. With Elias it's lala.

Brooke's Hair

Oh, that Hair

This plus a runny nose is just gross.

California

Pro's and Con's

of living in California

Con: Running the AC on September 16

Pro: Being able to go swimming after Elias comes home from school. (By the way, I expected Elias to come home completely worn out from a busy day at school. But despite all the wiggling his teacher is complaining about, Elias still comes home very hyper and needing to release alot of energy.

I don't know if this is a pro or con, it's just a part of life living in California. I have heard several comments from teacher and mom during recess that the balls keep flying over the fence into the Earl lot. It finally dawned on me what they meant when I saw a sign in the school parking lot. "Cast and Crew may not park in this parking lot". Apparantly the church/school that Elias is attending is next door to where they film "My Name is Earl." I have never seen this show before but if you see it this year and there are some kids yelling in the back ground listen for Elias.