September 18, 2016

Are You Done Yet?


Guys, guys, guys! I am blogging... again!

*rewards self with chocolate*

What? I figure if the reward system works on kids then it should totally work on me, right? I'm a simple soul like that.

Anyway, at the end of my last post I mentioned I had one more family announcement to make. Some of you already know, others have guessed, some really don't care.

No chocolate for those people.

But in case you've placed your bets and are waiting to see if you're correct, here ya go.





From the time Hubby and I had two children, one boy and one girl, people have asked the age-old question, "Are you done?" I suppose people can't help it. We're curious in nature.

When we had four kids, two boys and two girls, our family was OFTEN referred to as "the perfect family". People were horrified when we had the audacity to mess that up by having a fifth.

Then we had six. Three boys and three girls. At this point I just get arched eyebrows and an unsure, "you look too young to have six kids."

Now, I'm not going to lie. I like having an even split of boys and girls. I do. I'm just crazy enough to enjoy the symmetry.

But it felt like someone was missing, like we weren't complete.

So here we are, expecting the caboose to our crew.



I'm not crazy enough to try for four of each.

I considered doing something really fun to announce to Hubby I was pregnant, being our last and all. But in the end I peed on the stick, capped the end with the lid, (I'm not a barbarian) then woke up Hubby by tapping him on the shoulder with it, holding it in front of his bleary eyes and saying, "Congrats. You're going to be a dad."

I think he nodded.

We may have done this a few times. Haha!

We were going to try and wait for a while before telling anyone, but I was so sick the kids were getting worried. So on the 4th of July while driving to the parade, we told them.

They cheered. Then Jacob yelled above the noise, "Quick! Everyone close their eyes and pray mom's having twins!"

HAAAAAAAA! I may have glared at him. Needless to say, they were super bummed when we told them there's only one.

I've thrown up more with this pregnancy than with any of this others but it's not extreme like it is for some women so I'll count my blessing. I've also been far, far sicker at night than in the morning this time around which has actually been a bit of a blessing. I've been able to continue exercising and it makes getting all the kids up and off to school doable.

Bedtime, well..... that's another matter altogether. Let's just not talk it.

I did start showing pretty darn quick though. Another reason why it was useless to try and keep it quiet.



Here's one from a week ago at 17 weeks.

Sorry its a gross bathroom selfie. I took it for my sisters. But hey, here I am sharing it with you. Toilet in the background and all.


We find out what our little tie-breaker is at the end of the month. Our family really is thrilled and excited, even though I am grouchy and hormonal.

And I crave steak.

All the time.

Ooh! Steak. *rummages through freezer*


~Serene


September 11, 2016

I Blogged! Does This Earn Me Chocolate?


Whoa. This place is dusty. Does this old thing even work anymore?

*flips light switch* Hmm.... *kicks blog, lights flicker on* Ah ha! So its not dead yet!

*sits down at keyboard and stares at screen* I'm not even sure I remember how to do this. What do I say? What do I post?? Do people even read blogs anymore???

Okay well, I know some do. A few of you have reached out to me via email or Facebook over the last few months expressing how much you missed my silly blog and asking if I was ever going to update it. Seriously, you guys are the bestest. *double heart pound*

Truth be told I'm not sure my blog will ever be what it use to be, and part of me's unsure how to start again. But, since an update on our family was requested, I guess I'll start there.

Assuming it doesn't bore you to death.


The pictures in this post were all taken LAST FALL. But they're the most recent family pics I have. So ya. We're all a year older now.

I have more grey hairs. *sniffle* It's cool. It's cool.


JACK-JACK


Ah, this kid. A rambunctious two-year old with the most sensitive of hearts. All I have to do is talk to him in a sharp tone and he melts into a puddle of tears.
He is the destroyer of all clean things.
A lover of otter-pops, cars, and animals.
My favorite thing he says is "hooty" for the word," huge".
"I want a hooty drink. That's a hooty doggy. You a hooty mommy."

Yes, well, thank you for that.

As far as any after effects from his craniosynostosis surgery or time in the helmet, I can say that there haven't been any. He's healthy and thriving. The mess he left in the kitchen is proof of that.


CLAIRA-MONSTER


This child. No no. This spitfire. This firecracker. This high-spirited, volatile temperament-child is a joy and a challenge. She doesn't care who you are or how much bigger you are than her, you tick her off and she will TAKE YOU DOWN.

Think I'm joking? Go ahead, lean in closer. *whispers* I dare you.

But she is whip-smart and is a blast to hang out with, especially when she's happy. She definitely fills our house with spice. Allllllllllll kinds of spice. She's only five, but boy oh boy, she's got the angry glare down to an art.


ALAYNA-GIRL


This one is all hormones these days. Happy and goofy-giggling one moment, stomping her foot and storming away the next. Not sure if she's seven or seventeen. It's a toss-up at times.

But this outdoor loving, sports playing, wanna be a big kid, not afraid to play with the boys, give me all your cookies, yet the girliest of girls is a sweetheart that everyone loves.

Except Claira. Sometimes. They share a room. It's inevitable that toys gets mixed up. WWIII is real.

She also has had no long term effects from her craniosynostosis that we know of.


JACOB (aka CLOWN BOY)


Ah, Jacob. Such a smart-alec. Such a jokester. Such a class clown. He thinks he's hilarious. And he is. Most of the time. Pretty sure he's his own biggest fan.

This fun-loving nine-year old is either running around like a crazy person full of life and energy, or he's hunkered down with a book. For hours. He is a huge fantasy reader. Loves everything about dragons and mythical creatures. It's getting harder to find clean books for him to devour.

He can be pretty mouthy at times, but he's also the one who always tells me he loves me and gives me big hugs. You just can't beat that.


JOSEPH-MAN


This boy. If any of my children have tested me to the limits, its him. With all of his emotional and behavioral struggles, he's become hardest on himself. It has taken much over the last year for Hubby and I to understand this ten-year old boy. But we're getting there.

He has a heart of gold and a mind that thinks outside the box. My favorite thing is to watch him tell a story. It's vibrant, full of color, detail, and insight. He's clever, this one. He's also a mega-reader who keeps a stack of books under his bed, right next to Jacob's.

He still takes penicillin every day to avoid catching the strep that caused his choreoathetosis For a long time after the event you could still see his joints, especially his fingers, lock up when he was stressed or upset. But that's finally gone. So other than the penicillin, he's back to normal.


SAVANNAH-BANANA


This girl is twelve. TWELVE! How did this happen? I just... I can't... I mean... twelve. *shakes head*

As the resident tweenager she's discovering how much she enjoys expressing her... "opinions". Being the oldest she can be a bit bossy with the other kids, but she is also a tremendous help. I don't know what I'd do without her, honestly.

Her love lies in music, art, and reading. For reals. She's WORSE than the boys when it comes to reading. I am quickly running out of clean YA books for her to devour.

But she is a unique soul who's not afraid of special-needs kids at school, or the old grandpa in the corner, or the stinky toddler on the floor. I'm excited to see where life takes her.


Here is the Back-to-School photo I posted on Facebook. Love these little monkeys.



HUBBY


Hubby doesn't like me to talk about him too much on the blog so I'll keep it brief. He stays busy between his calling as bishop of our church congregation and manager of a company.

Between work, travel, and his church calling, he's not home much so I often have the chocolate stash all to myself. Mwahahaha! I mean, I have sole ownership of the remote control. Er, I mean, cereal for dinner EVERY NIGHT!

*cough* I admit to nothing.


ME, MYSELF, AND I

Now, what have I been up to lately? Well, definitely no good, that's for sure. But besides the kids and my little photography prop making hobby and being part if an awesome exercise group where I get to help teach, I have also taken up.... wait or it.... wait for it.... NOVEL WRITING.

Yup. It's true. I blame my friend, Gina. She got me started and hooked. But that's a story for another day.

I've written a YA fantasy novel that I am currently working on finding an agent for. Maybe nothing will ever come of it, but I have met some rather amazing people and made some incredible friends in the writing world and at the conferences I've attended.

I love it. I'm already working on another book. It's definitely far, far more difficult than I ever imagined it would be, but it's been quite an exciting journey. Not sure I can ever go back. But like I said, we'll see.


Welp, there ya have it. Our little family life in a nut-shell.



I actually do have oooooooooooooone last bit of family news I need to share, but this post is long enough so I'll save that for next time.

*waves*
~Serene



All photos were taken by the talented Shawna Pearce Photography, and then brutally chopped and cropped by me to fit my post.

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