January 30, 2012

"I'm a bit of a poet, and you did not know it"

The anticipation is always there now, because I know it's going to be good.

It's always good, and totally hilarious.

I don't know what it is that draws Savannah to writing out her feelings, but every time she approaches with a paper clutched between her fingers, I smile because I know I'm in for a treat.

This one is from last weekend after we had made it a family affair and took everyone to do the grocery shopping at one store, then hit up Walmart for other household necessities.

It had gone okay, until the very end. In truth I don't even remember what happened to tip the scales, but by the time we came home, Savannah was in desperate need of some paper.

She marched off to her room and reappeared a few minutes later with a piece of paper, and gave it to her daddy, who then gave it to me.

derections

Take this paper and
hold it in front of the mirror
and read it. P.S look on the othe-
r side.


The other side. And when you hold it up in front of a mirror, you get this:



 Dear Dad, I had a bad bad
day today.
Love,
Savannah

Hahaha!! Even in her misery she can still be creative.


Don't misunderstand, that girl is plenty vocal too. She's always telling me that "this is the worst day ever" or "you just don't understand me", and my personal favorite, "it's a hard knock life for me."

No joke people.

I think I lost her tag at the hospital because I missed the warning label which I'm sure read: Warning! Teenager in a kid's body. Handle with extreme caution!



Even if she's not writing out the miseries and woes of her young life, she's still writing. Poetry is her new thing.

Yesterday during church she handed me this.



CTR
CTR means choose the right,
if you do, you'll be really bright.
Don't fight,
follow god's light,
you'll see such a sight,
your heart will take flight!
You'll have might,
the light will gaurd you at nigh
t. Hold on tight,
Don't be white.
Try to choose the right.


She was so proud.

And after I got done laughing, so was I.

January 28, 2012

Recipe Round-Up

My sister-in-law sent out an email the other day asking for new recipes.

After thinking about it for a while, but not long or hard enough to hurt myself - I know my limits - I decided it might be easier if I put all the new recipes I've tried via Pinterest into one post and how much my family liked it.

Now I know everyone has different tastes and experience with cooking, so just because I may or may not like something, or something was easy, or was time consuming for me, doesn't mean the same will true for you. So if you see something you like, try it out!

I also decided to do my best to try and rate them using the favored 5 star scale. 1 being bad, hard, or long, 5 obviously being fabulous, easy, or quick.

Again, the rating are according to me. But what do I know? I'm just a chocoholic.



BBQ Chicken Calzones


I confess that I'm not a big fan of Pillsbury biscuits, I think they taste weird. So I liked the filling in these calzones just fine but didn't care for the biscuit part. Hubby liked it too but we had to bribe the kids like there was no tomorrow to get them to eat them.

Apparently BBQ ranks on the bottom of their favored foods list.

If I did make these again, I would want to try homemade pizza dough for the crust part.

Taste: 3 out of 5 stars
Ease: 3 out of 5 stars
Time: 3 out of 5 stars



Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole


I was excited for this recipe since it looked so easy. My big mistake was using lunch meat ham for ease instead of real ham. The lunch meat tasted really weird. And I think I would add more swiss cheese next time. I also used a batch of homemade cream of chicken soup mixed with only one can of the store bought kind.

We all liked it fine, even the kids.

Taste: 3 out of 5 stars
Ease: 4 out of 5 stars
Time: 3 out of 5 stars


Baked Sweet N' Sour Chicken


This is, by far, the BEST recipe I've tried yet! We all LOOOOOVE it and it has become a regular part of my meal planning. Yum! Everyone likes it and will chow it down! So good!!

Taste: 5 out of 5 stars
Ease: 3 out of 5 stars
Time: 3 out of 5 stars


Chicken Taco Soup


Hubby and half my kids really, really liked this. I thought it was good, not great, but good. I'd make it again for sure.

This is a crock pot recipe so I wasn't sure how to rate the time.

Taste: 4 out of 5 stars
Ease: 3 out of 5 stars
Time: 2 out of 5 stars



Chicken Pillows

We all liked the filling in these but the crust part was pretty salty. I don't know why; whether it was the recipe or something I did. Again with the Pillsbury biscuits, not my fave, but edible. I would make this again and just avoid adding any salt to anything, and maybe use homemade pizza dough for the crust.

Taste: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Ease: 3 out of 5 stars
Time: 2 out of 5 stars


Taquito Enchilada Bake

I guess I need to be careful with my mexican. My kids really did not like this, apparently they don't like enchilada sauce. My Hubby didn't care for it either. I personally thought it tasted fine, but the leftovers were all soggy and I had no desire to eat them. But I did since no one else would. I don't think I'll be making this again.

Taste: 2 out of 5 stars
Ease: 5 out of 5 stars
Time: 4 out of 5 stars


Garlic Cheese Bread


I made this with stuffed pasta shells, and my personal batch didn't turn out that good. I'm sure it was my fault since I used some old garlic bread seasoning mix left over from another recipe from a while back that I didn't even like then! Plus my bread wasn't crispy or anything, I probably just needed to cook it longer.

If I were to try it again, I would try and follow the recipe better.

Taste: ? out of 5 stars
Ease: 3 out of 5 stars
Time: 3 out of 5 stars

Have you tied anything good recently?? Do share! I'm always looking for good recipes!

Next time I'll be sure to post some dessert recipes too. I just have a bad habit of eating the ingredients before I get around to actually making something with them.

I hope you'll share a link in the comments or add your recipes to the linky!


January 26, 2012

What doesn't kill you only makes you crazy-er.

She was my only all-natural birthed baby.  *cringe*



She taught me strength when she had cranial reconstructive surgery. 



She forced me to learn patience due to her natural mess making abilities.  *shudder*


Sometimes I'm amazed I've survived her at all.

And yet, here we are!

Which is proof that whatever doesn't kill you only makes you crazy-er.



And now she has turned three years old! For some reason, it's really weirding me out. Like I'm getting all old or something. Not really, but kinda.

Does that make sense?

No?

Oh. Well please refer to the statement five lines up for clarification.

Thank you.



I know I know. She's ridiculously adorable. Just don't stick your finger in too close, she'll probably bite it off.

Now, originally I had big, big plans for making a rather grand cake. Pinterest had inspired me to do something super fancy.... for a little while.

But then reality set back in and so did my dis-inclination to go all wild and crazy on a cake that Alayna would never remember, and that I was sure to mess up.

I know myself well enough to admit that.

But who cares right? As long as you get to lick the beaters!! Yea-yah!


That's my girl. Get every drop!

Oh... but she did share with the others, a little.

That makes her a better person than me.


The only reason my kitchen looks this clean is because I knew I'd be taking pictures while I made the cake.

And I didn't want you guys to get stuck in the jelly or the juice that was everywhere.

I'm mindful of you like that.


Oh wow. So much cuteness! I ought to be ashamed of myself for hogging it all.

But I'm totally not.




And now you know what some of the kit-kat wrappers were really from as shown in yesterday's post.



Wa-la! Certainly not the super-duper facy cake I had origionally thought I'd do... fleetingly. But at least Alayna loved it!



I mean, come on. Who wouldn't love a cake covered in chocolate candy?



Alayna got a phone call from Granny just after we finished decorating the cake. You get brownie points for understanding anything she says. You might also have a future career in interpreting.

 I'm pretty sure my mom was simply "uh huh"ing the whole time with no clue as to what the heck she was saying.




Dinner was a quick event, faster than I think I've ever seen before, as the kid's only thought was for dessert.


Ahhhh yea baby! Bring on the candles and the song!



Aaaaaannnnddddd..... the camera card ran out of space right at the worst moment possible. Blast it all.






And now, for my true crowning motherhood moment. And yes, I am going to boast and show off and act like a snob.

For the first time EVER in my parenting history, I did NOT use Christmas wrapping paper or plastic sacks to wrap the birthday child's gifts in.

I mean, I used REAL non-Christmas wrapping paper!!


Wahoo!


Go ahead. Just call me an over-achiever.


I can handle it.

January 25, 2012

Do I REALLY eat as much chocolate as I claim?

So I decided to vlog this. It's my first vlog ever.

I have no idea why I did it as it was a total spur of the moment thing.  An experiment, if you will. Maybe if I had planned it, I would have spent more effort of my hair.

Part of me wanted to see how hard it would be to stare at my camera lens. I admit, it's a little strange!

Of course, this vlog might totally weird you out and we won't be CFFs anymore. (chocolate friends forever).

That would squash my self-esteem a bit.

And can I just say, it's really weird watching myself full screen. I think I can see my pores. Ewww.


In all truth and honesty, I really do eat WAY more chocolate than I should and I can down a whole lot of it in one sitting. That is no exaggeration.



Oh, and I am also truly this strange in real life.

Now you know my secret.

January 23, 2012

All in a Days Work

"Mom? Can I play games on your kindle?"

"Mom? Can I play games on the computer?"

"Mom? Can I watch a movie?"

All day long I hear those questions over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

And then all over again. Gah!

Stinkin' winter.

And I might or might not be confessing that the time my children spend watching movies may or may not have increased just a teensy bit since Hubby signed up for Netfilx.

Of course, that all depends on your definition of "teensy".

*awkward moment of avoiding eye contact*  Eh hem.....

Still despite the "teensy" bit of extra time the kids may or may not be spending in front of the new big screen or on the kindle, they do have to work for it.... most of the time, and they know it.

"Mom? What jobs can I do so I can play games on your kindle?"

"Mom? What can I clean up so I can watch a movie?"

"Mom? You are so pretty and nice and the bestest mommy ever and I love you so much..... Can I play a game on the computer?"

Sly little buggers.

I confess I've never had a chore chart. I confess that I've never been very consistent at making them do a set job every day. And yes, my house does tend to be in some sort of constant disarray.... or total annihilation.  But still, we are a family and we work together, and my children know what is expected of them when we announce that it's time to clean up.

It would seem I have raised a few eyebrows when I've told people what my children do/have done in the way of cleaning.

Yes, they have cleaned the bathroom before. (even if I have to go back and clean it up again later)

Yes, they have cleared and wiped down the counters and tables. (even though they leave streaks... I hate streaks)

Yes, they have helped with the dishes. (although secretly I dread it because they always get everything so wet)

Yes, they have swept the floor. (even if they stink at it)

Yes, they LOVE to mop the floor. (I think this is their favorite chore)

Yes, they have wiped down the cabinets, and the sliding glass door, and the windows, and dusted the blinds, and vacuumed, and helped me load and unload the laundry.

I don't mind handing my children a spray bottle of cleaner and tell them to go at it! Mostly because all my cleaners use natural solutions instead of chemicals, and they only cost me about 95 cents a bottle.... thankfully. You'd be amazed at how much children love to spray things. Especially each other.

But there is one chore that seems to be universally despised by my children: folding the laundry.

Well heaven sakes, join the club.

And YES, I DO have them help me fold and put away their clothes. Even the two-year old.

Sure they stink at it and sure their clothes might not be perfectly folded and lined up color-coordinated in their closets. But I am a firm believer that children are never too young to start learning, especially the value of work.

If my children have the time and capability to spend hours playing outside, or hours sitting in front of a television, then they darn-well can spend an hour here and there developing a sense of accomplishment at the end of a job.

Wait... did I just say "hours in front of a television"? I mean, err.. *cough* not that I am actually admitting to such a thing mind you....

*awkward*


Well, Friday, Joseph was begging and begging to play a game on my kindle and so I gave him a choice. He could either do three jobs that I would assign him (usually it's something like, picking up the living room, or making their bed, or taking out the trash) or, he could fold all the laundry on the couch. There were three loads in a big ole' heap.

'Cause I'm awesome like that.

He chose the laundry. Fine.

It wasn't five minutes into the job when the whining set in. It's too hard, I need help! I can't do it! I changed my mind!

But like any good mean mommy would do, I told him that he had made his choice and he needs to see his job through to the end.

About five minutes later I hear, "Mooooom! I'm all dooooone!"

What!? No way. Something was so wrong here. Or he found a magic wand, which I would totally have confiscated for my own selfish purposes... lovingly of course.

I walk into the living room sure enough, all the laundry was gone!

It had all been thrown into boxes and hid in his room.

Haha! Like he actually thought I would fall for that one.

Wait, not quite sure how that reflects on what he thinks of me....


Anyway, I made him pull them all back out and start over. Oh the whining! He wanted me to help and usually I do. But for some reason I really felt like this time, he needed to know how to complete a job without my help from start to finish and experience that sense of accomplishment.

And no. I don't think five and a half years old is too young for such a thing.

Finally Jacob and Alayna decided they wanted to play games too and soon the three of them were going at it to get the job done.

I had told them to fold everything nice and set the clothes in piles and I would help them put everything away.

I left them to their own devices and about ten minutes later I hear, "Mooooommmm!! Claira's jammies and stuck on the fan!!"

What the.....


Apparently, they had been playing toss the clothes, rather then fold the clothes. Not a thing had been folded.

And yes, I intend to dust my fans now. Gross.

I reminded them that they didn't have to fold the laundry but since we had made a deal, that would mean no games either. Well, that sure got them back to work. When I came back to check on them a bit later, this is what I found.


I'm referring to the laundry on the floor, not Alayna's hand down her pants. Just to clarify.

Some of the clothes were folded, some were laid out flat, and some were just tossed into piles. But they were trying, and that's all that mattered to me.

When the couch was finally emptied... onto the floor, (whatever) I helped them put all the clothes away and handed over the kindle.

Perhaps Joseph didn't learn anything from the experience, but here's to hoping that next time, a job won't feel quite so overwhelming, that it is doable, and he can complete it.






Okay I lied. This whole post was about how I got my children to fold all the laundry for me. MWAHAHAHA!!

Oh come on... I'm kidding!!!

Maybe.

January 20, 2012

The Case of the Missing Marshmallows

Someone's been eating the marshmallows.

But who? Certainly not me. Those fruity flavored ones are revolting.



Like most criminals, the mellow-snatchers have started to feel confident in their abilities, cocky even. And as a result, they've become sloppy.


Now before you jump to conclusions here, let's examine the facts. With only three children at home in the mornings, that narrows our suspect list down considerably.

At this point, I also feel it's safe to exclude the baby.

Unless her crawling abilities are far superior to what she's been letting on.

Of course, being my child and all it wouldn't surprise me. Not that I'm one to boast, but my crawling abilities are quite exceptional.

But for now, my suspect list has been whittled down to two main perpetrators.


Don't let the pink pony throw you off either. Jacob is well known for his inability to discriminate between "girl" and "boy" toys. A toy is a toy to him. End of story.

They both have a rather long rap sheets including: destruction of property, shoplifting from the pantry, assault with a stuffed penguin, and clogging the toilet with too much toilet paper.

Alayna is a well-renowned loner who often prefers to work solo. Sharing isn't her strong suit.

Jacob is known for not wanting to get his hands dirty. He has often been caught coercing a poor, unsuspecting brunette into doing all the dirty work so he can claim innocence when caught.

The scoundrel.

With both parties claiming innocence, the question remains, were they partners in crime? Or was it a one-toddler job? And if so, which one?

What's your conclusion?

January 18, 2012

Kind Words - An Observation


I am no parenting expert, that much is so ridiculously obvious I really didn't even need to say it. But on occasion, I am capable of making an astute observation that helps me out in my chosen profession.


Before I became a parent, I would have sworn up and down, side to side and on a stack of chocolate that I would never yell at my children. Like, never ever.

*snort* Amateur.

While perhaps I may not be raise my voice all the time, and I certainly never yell mean and terrible things at them, on occasion the volume on my voice box does get away from me. Once I had done it, it was easy to do again. Seems like one you cross that line, it's so hard to back step across it.

Dang. I hereby vote for do-overs! And start-overs! And popovers! Wait....

But still, I try. I really do try.


One evening, as I was preparing dinner, the boys started going at it. They were flinging angry comments back and forth and it was escalating fast.

The girls decided they just couldn't be left out and had to throw in a few choice words of their own, which only fueled the situation.

I have taken to yelling above such noise to get every one's attention, but I really hate doing that. It does nothing to diffuse the situation, it only makes me upset and the kids, while they may break up the fighting, still remain in bad spirits. Still, it's often just the reaction that springs up.

Well on this particular night, I did something that I had no idea I was even going to do until I was doing it.

Speaking calmly and just loud enough to be heard so the kids knew I was talking, I said:

"You know, I think Alayna is really cute when she smiles."

A couple of the kids stopped yelling and turned to me.

"And I really think Jacob has the best laugh ever."

It was seriously incredible. At this point all of the kids stopped what they were doing and stood watching me, obviously waiting to hear what I was going to say about the next child.

"I think Joseph can say some of the sweetest things when he wants to."

A smile here, a giggle there.

"And Savannah is the best helper ever. She is just so great."

I said all this while still calmly preparing the food.

There were several seconds of silence before the kids turned back to each other. Savannah started doing her homework quietly, the boys went off to play, and Alayna went back to her coloring.

There really wasn't any kind of grand acknowledgement of what happened, except to myself. The kids stopped fighting, everyone was in a better mood, and I didn't even have to raise my voice.

Wow.

The power of kind words.

Do I do this all the time? No. Should I do this more often? Definitely. Will it work every time? Most likely not.

But it won't hurt to try.

"Be patient with yourself. Perfection comes not in this life, but in the next life. Don't demand things that are unreasonable, but demand of yourself improvement. As you let the Lord help you through that He will make the difference." - Elder Russell M. Nelson


Just sayin'.

January 16, 2012

Random Hindsight

I didn't realize it at the time, but I was experiencing some mild postpartum depression after giving birth to my second child, Joseph. All I knew back then was that 1.) Two kids was really, really hard, and 2.) I was SO done having children for a while. A good loooooooooooong while.

Heh.

It's okay, you can laugh.





Alright, that's enough. Let's not get all carried away now.

Not that Jacob, my third born seemed to have any consideration for my plans. Because when Joseph was five months old, I bought a pregnancy test.

When I took it that afternoon and it came back positive, I burst into tears. I immediately called my husband up at work and proceeded to tell him the news.

I think under normal circumstances my husband would have been the one to freak out, but the seemingly emotionally unstable girl sobbing on the other end of the phone call was enough to keep him grounded as he tried to tell me that everything was going to be okay.

In the moment, all I could see before me was another nine long months of terrible nausea, insomnia, headaches and back pain while I tried to take care of two other children under the age of two, finishing up my college courses so I could graduate, and meeting my deadlines for all the art portraits I had been commissioned to draw.

I also felt terribly guilty. Guilty for feeling overwhelmed and wishing the timing was different. My sister was struggling to get pregnant at the time and I had several friends who couldn't get pregnant. I knew of the vicious cycles of emotions these lovely ladies go through and I was sure this was going to be one tough announcement.

With my hormones on super active overdrive and way out of whack, I vaguely remember crying more during that pregnancy than in the whole of my life. It also seems as if most of that time is strangely blocked from my memory.

Jacob's pregnancy, not my whole life.

That would be awkward.

However, there is a night forever etched in my memory of a colossal breakdown where I literally sobbed so hard that I'm sure I was partially hyperventilating. I'm sure it was terribly attractive and that's why Hubby sat on the bed next to me, awkwardly patting my shoulder, probably wondering what kind of psycho chick he married.

Poor fellow. He must have missed the, "Dealing with female hormones - Beginners course".

Come to think of it, I missed that class too.... I mean, how the heck was I to know I had postpartum depression? No one ever tells me these things! Jeesh!

But we obviously survived and when Jacob came, he was one gorgeous little baby.



And strangely, after that I felt great and decided having three kids was infinitely easier than having two! It was as though my hormones were suddenly back on track.

As totally weird as that sounds.

Over the years it has become apparent that Jacob is the comic relief in this family. Even as a baby his full body laugh was highly contagious.


While like any child he can be difficult in many ways , he is also, hands down, the funniest. It's just his personality, his special trait. He laughs with everything he's got and perhaps that's why it's so dang contagious.


But hang it all, he is also down-right random! Of course you know this because you read my posts.


I went to pick him up from joy school the other day when the mom teaching that week turned to me and says, "You know, Jacob is really random. Today while the kids were sitting at the table coloring, he looks up and says, 'If you throw the ball up into the air it will break apart and turn into a bunch of alligators!' Then he just... went back to coloring."

She sounded amazed.

I wasn't even surprised.


The other day he came up to me holding a hat that my sister-in-law had given to the boys and asked, "Mom? Where did you get this hat?"

Me: "Aunt Heather gave it to you guys."

J: "Aunt Heather?"

Me: "Ya, you know, Jeremy and.... and..... oh what's his name's mom?"

J: "Harry Potter?"


Now THAT surprised me. It's not like I've ever read them the books or shown the movies. So don't ask me where in the world he pulled that one from.

I have contemplated on which parent he received this randomness from and decided it must be me.

Hubby is just WAY to logical.

After coming to this realization, I have decided something.

Image from here
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I'm going to get Jacob this t-shirt someday.


Despite the overwhelming beginning, I wouldn't change when we had Jacob for anything. He is right where he should be, when he should be.

Life sometimes hands you a stack of cards that at first appears to be the losing hand. But it's amazing to see how so often at the end of the round, you had been holding the winning cards all along.

Looking back, I realize didn't have the foresight to look beyond the present.

So thank heavens for hindsight.




And calm hormones.


Oh... and chocolate. Just sayin'.

January 13, 2012

My Christmas Present Finally Arrived!

Even though I have lived in the west for over 11 years now, I still have yet to buy a pair of snow boots.

It's true.

I mean, in Florida, you can buy yourself as many $2 - $5 pairs of flip flops as you want! But a pair of snow boots? Cha-ching!

I remember talking to my sister-in-law a couple years back explaining that I still struggled with the idea of spending $100 dollars on a coat. The one I had just bought had been about $40 and it felt like a fortune. She just kind of laughed at me and said she thought nothing of spending a hundred dollars on a coat, and that she had several.

I am slowly getting use to the idea that good, warm, winter clothes are going to cost a wee bit more that a pair of flip flops or a t-shirt.

Well, about three years ago, I decided I really wanted a pair of nice black boots. Not snow boots, but the kind that you can wear to church or to dress up a pair of jeans.

When I first started looking, I was instantly discouraged as it seemed most boots were well in the $70 - $100 range. I gave up.

Last year I found a gorgeous pair for $30! I wanted them so badly but hesitated. I mean, thirty bucks is still thirty bucks! So needless to say, I waited too long, and I lost my chance to get them.

This year, I told Hubby that I wanted black boots for Christmas. I think after giving him such a hard time about the vegetable peeler, he was fine with it.

I looked high and low, here and there. Finally.... finally, I found the pair I wanted.

But again, I hesitated. Should I spend the money? Really?

Needless to say, the store sold out of my size, then the boots disappeared from the website because they sold out there as well. I kicked myself. Why did I hesitate?? Gah!

Not quite ready to give up, I decided to be vigilante. I kept the web page that showed the boots open at all times on my computer and my kindle, then refreshed the page about ten times a day.

I kid you not.

Well, my vigilance paid off! Low and behold, just as I had decided it was pointless to keep checking, one single solitary pair became available in my size.

This time I didn't even bother to think about it. I hopped on my computer and ordered them right then and there. I even got to use a coupon on top of the sale price so I got them for a screaming deal.

Behold, my Christmas present. I am the proud owner of my first pair of nice black boots.


I know everyone has different tastes and styles so maybe you don't like them. But since I actually have to trudge through snow, I didn't want a heel too high or too skinny, and they are so incredibly comfortable!

And I love the buckles.

And since I'm sure my sisters are wondering, I might as well admit it. Yes, I really truly am wearing a pair of skinny jeans. I bought my very first pair ever about a month ago because I got tired wrapping rubber bands about my pant legs while I tried to tuck them into my other boots.

Hubby gave me such a hard time for the jeans since I am constantly mocking the style. I laughed and told him that I felt dirty paying for them.

Don't worry, you will never catch me going out in public in a pair of skinny jeans and flip flops. Hips like mine that have born five babies don't belong in that kind of fashion.

But I will say, they do come in mighty handy when you're wearing boots!

See! I just might get use to this winter thing yet!




On second thought... no. That will never happen.

January 11, 2012

Just An Evening at Home

After Hubby got home from work a little after 6pm, we soon sat down for dinner. As we ate, I asked Savannah how her day at school went, and she immediately started off by telling me that she beat Dawson (a boy her teacher has dubbed to her her arch nemesis) at the 100 timed math facts race and that she got them all right.

She and Dawson have been going at it since kindergarten as they always end up in the same class together.

Joseph talked about the games that he played on the computer at school. Actually, that's all he ever talks about.

He's obsessed. Just sayin'.

The conversation continued for a minute or two before Jacob pipes up, "Ya but when you throw a blue ball at the building and it hits a person in the bum, then they will turn into a gorilla!"

*moment or two of confused silence*

Only Jacob.... only Jacob.

After dinner, I started the dishes and oddly, my mind wandered to the calm (for once) actions of the kids around me.

The boys sat at the table doing puzzles with daddy.


There is definitely something different in the atmosphere when daddy is home, playing and involved. I love it!

Claira was hanging out near by... until she decided she was done being confined and insisted she be let loose to do whatever she pleases.

And of course I obliged. Yes your majesty, of course your majesty, whatever you say your majesty.

Alayna was surprisingly calm as she sat at the counter coloring away. She's definitely in a phase right now. I think we single-handedly keep tree farms in business.


Savannah sat in the living room, finishing up her reading for school.


Do you think it's born into girls to cross their legs like that? Because I laugh every time I see her do it.

Nothing exciting was happening, nothing out of the ordinary or different. But for whatever reason, it all just felt so... content. Fulfilling.


Even if I hadn't done my hair and the only make-up I had on was mascara, and I went to the store like that.

I'm only a tiny bit ashamed.

Later, I was jotting down Jacob's words when I had a brief lapse in memory. So I was thinking out loud more than anything when I said, "Jacob? What were we talking about at dinner?"

He then tips his head to the side and looks up like he's thinking, then responds. "Uh.... you said 'I', then I said 'B'! Ya, that's right!"

..................................Okay then.

Never a dull moment.

Not even when the kids started growling and yelling at each other before it escalated into hitting and punching while they got ready for bed.

Awesome.
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