Birthday!

It's birthday time around here . Within the next two weeks, three of us will celebrate our special day. Jamie's birthday is today, and since he was in Asia for 2 weeks (I'm so envious right now!), we had an easy time getting ready for it.

The two oldest boys made his cake...a mint chocolate chip icecream cake...with oreos, nuts, hot fudge, and icecream. Yummmm!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE having the kids work in the kitchen!

And they were more than willing to clean up their mess. They're so thoughtful.

So, jet lagged and all, he hung in there for his celebration.
Each of the kids picked out a $5.00 gift card to a favorite snack/restaurant place so they can go by themselves with Daddy.

As they sat with him to open the card, Jamie noticed how big they were getting.
(notice how Jamie is fighting Laura for the envelope? She thought it was great fun to keep snatching it from him).

They're getting bigger...

and bigger...


and bigger...


and bigger...


and..."hurry up and get off" bigger!
I think I resent that!

Cake time! It was delicious!
Jamie is "directing" our Happy Birthday song!

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Surprise!

What's the hardest part of moving for us? Leaving those we love.

So when we get a chance to get together, we grab it!
One of my best friends and I were emailing back and forth about homeschool curriculum. I finally told her that it would be so much easier to just discuss it in person!
So we set it up and she drove with her kiddos to visit us!
And...
not only are we great friends, but her son and Amarin are best buddies. Honestly, they could be twins, and we call them that. They are so much alike it's not even funny. How could two boys, born on opposite sides of the world, be so much alike and so close?
And Jenna is good friends with the girls, so we knew this would be a blast!

Best part...I kept it a surprise. The kids had no idea until the friends arrived. And they arrived during rest time. So I had them sneak upstairs and surprise Amarin first. After the initial shock, they all took off and played outside like no time had ever passed.

You should have heard the joyful noise when I told my kids that there was no school until Thursday! We made it to the zoo the first morning they were here. It was chilly, but we had fun.

Of course, there had to be a pizza/movie night, and a popcorn/movie night...way past bedtimes!

There were also dramatic performances by a couple talented young ladies.

French braids for Jenna.

"Rest time" with three boys in the bunk bed.

And how did we spend our last full day together?
Digging for toys that got buried by a bulldozer!
At first it was just us with one neighbor friend.

Then the kids started coming to help when they heard that a DQ Blizzard was the reward for finding the toys! Unfortunately, no one won the prize.


This may be the record for the number of kids in the yard at one time!

They just left, and us gals were in tears, and sweet Amarin was blinking back tears as he waved goodbye to his best buddy. "Mom, can you surprise us again?" he asked.

Her Eyes

Her eyes are just so pretty. They absolutely disappear when she smiles.
Well, those little eyes did not pass a vision screening a few weeks back.
And she kept telling us that "this eye no see anymore."
So, off we went this morning to the eye doctor to gain some insight.
Miss Jenna has amblyopia in the right eye...otherwise known as "lazy eye."
Basically, her right eye has become "lazy" and is making the left eye do all the work.
Her right eye sees minimally.
The treatment? Glasses for now, maybe some patching later, but the outcome is usually very good and she shouldn't need glasses long term...just long enough to strengthen that eye.

She loved going to the dr., and even the eye drops. She was actually disappointed when the dr. told her she wouldn't need drops at the next visit. "But I like drops," she said in a pitiful voice. "Well, that's a first," his tech commented.

These cool glasses were fun, too.

She was so excited to get glasses, and knew they should be pink or purple. We narrowed it down to two frames, and she picked pink Dora glasses. When she heard that she could get them this very day, she threw her arms up in the air and yelled, "Yes!"
We ordered her glasses, and within one hour, they were ready.
Aren't they just adorable?

I asked her if she could see better. She replied, "Ummm...no."
Alrighty, then. At least we've helped the dr. pay for his new, fancy car.

Something Unexpected

Well, we weren't expecting a lesson in home building when we moved here. The kids were actually enjoying their own soccer and baseball field. But...
flags went up last week marking the utility lines, and we knew what was coming.
At first the kids were bummed. But we decided we can either be bummed, or embrace the blessing of watching a house being built...something we've never experienced before. We all chose the latter.

They were excited when the excavator arrived this AM. We had to stop lessons and go outside to watch them unload it, and start digging the basement. Char ran back inside the house to get his "tractor" book to find the excavator.

Further down the street, we noticed a huge crane working. We took a walk to see what was going on...more home building.

By mid-afternoon, the basement was finished. This huge hole was beckoning some boys.

I compromised and let them play in their new sandbox.

Swimming!

Swim classes have begun, and all five kiddos swim at the same time! We found a homeschool swim class in the early afternoon which works beautifully!

Here they are, waiting for class to begin.


Jenna was a little nervous, but did just fine.
There were only 4 little girls in her class.

Laura was in class with Jenna, and she had her own aide. There is an organization here that provides one-on-one aides for children with special needs, free of charge. What a blessing that is for Laura to be able to join in the fun! We have to pull her out of school 1/2 hour early, but I don't think our little fish minds at all!

Charlie had only two other girls in his class. He loves the water and had so much fun. He thought is was pretty cool to be in a non-beginner class.

Jacob and Amarin were in the same class this week, and (yeah!) there was one other boy!
They worked hard in the lap pool.

After a 45 minute lesson, they were able to play for 45 more minutes in this play area.

Amarin couldn't resist dumping water on Jenna's head!

Nothing like...

coming home from being gone all afternoon to a pot of hot chili that has been simmering all day in the crockpot. That is, unless you forget to plug it in. Take-out, anyone?

What have we been doing?

So glad you asked! Jenna started kindergarten. She was beside herself excited to get her "elephant book" in the mail. She thinks letter sounds are funny, loves doing school, and is "reading" all by herself. (wink, wink)

Missy Laura is practicing for her first grade musical performance at school. I had to take this fast because she thought it was funny to throw her shaker on the floor as I tried to take the picture! Little sassafrass!

The kids have really been learning a lot about the Titanic. This April is the 100th anniversary of its maiden voyage...and sinking. After visiting the museum in Branson, they checked out lots of books and we watched the older movie, A Night To Remember. Much better than the newer movie, and family friendly. We found these historical fiction books, too. Great books!

Charlie is getting ready for our speech class. It's an informal meeting at a local pizza restaurant. Any student that does a report or presentation gets a free pizza buffet. My kids are all over that! So Char is doing a presentation on CAT tractors.

Amarin is getting ready for speech, too, and is presenting about the Titanic. He put this model together in less than a week...all 178 teenie, tiny pieces.

Our Backyard

Our new backyard may be a lot smaller, but it's more full of kids on a regular basis. Where we lived before, we had to call and set up playdates. It worked well, too, but there was nothing impromtu about it. And I'm still getting used to it...kids ringing the doorbell every afternoon, kids running in and out of the house, and always...always...looking for snacks.
But I'm so thankful that they choose to come here to play. I like knowing what's going on, and what's being discussed. And I'm not too proud to bribe with food! :)
PS. to Aunt Julie...the popscicle maker is a HUGE hit!

I went out on the town today with the sweetest young man. Of course, I may be biased. But he's been asking for weeks to take me out "on a date." Meaning...mom...I need some time for just the two of us. I told him, as the young man, he needs to check with Daddy, and then organize the day. And he did. He scheduled us to leave the house at 10AM, and visit a variety of spots around town.

First was the used bookstore. Oh my goodness...I don't think Jacob would have been happier with a pot of gold than he was with the aisles and aisles of books. We spent two hours...yes, two hours... browsing the shelves and choosing favorite books. The owner knew immediately that we were homeschoolers because I asked him for G. A. Henty books...and apparently only homeschoolers ever ask him for those. But the best part was when we were getting ready to check out, another couple was bartering with the owner over a collection of old, old books. Jacob was beside himself excited to see these old books. He started asking questions, and the owner pulled out a Bible that was written on parchment paper. And then Jacob saw a copy of Pilgrim's Progress dated in the 1700s. He was very disappointed to know that it was WAY out of his price range.

Next stop...B@rnes and Noble. Do you detect a pattern here? We bought a coffee and headed to the display desk to try out the Nook. He's deciding between buying a Nook or a Kindle. Any suggestions out there?

T@rget was right next door, so off we went to peruse the St@r Wars selection of toys. We also found a couple odds and ends for the other kiddos, and Jacob was thrilled to come away with a double light saber. I must say, I got the biggest, jumpiest hug ever when I told him he could have it!

Already mid-afternoon, we thought we'd better grab lunch at our favorite place...Ste@k & Sh@ke. LOVE their burgers and shakes! One more stop at the sporting goods store to look at shoes, dropped Daddy's shirts off at the dry cleaners, and then headed home.

What a fun day and precious memories with my oldest...who is just growing up way too fast!

Blackmail

Yeah...that's exactly what this can be used for when he's older.

Jacob's turn

It was Jacob's turn to have his bedroom decorated. Since he LOVES St@r Wars, it was really a no-brainer how he wanted to decorate. He's learning how to shop frugally, so he found some posters online, some less than $1.00, so we got 'em!
After they arrived, he chose a paint color that matched (and that daddy and I agreed to) and voila! His new room is complete. He was so happy to put it all together today.
And I love that he still piles his stuffed animals on his bed. I don't want him to grow up too fast.
Now his little brothers are kind-of-patiently waiting for their decor to arrive so they can have their room painted, too.

Weekend Getaway

It was time for a weekend escape..away from the unpacking, organizing, etc. that still needs to be done. We headed to one of our favorite destinations...Branson, MO. We had a great time, but you'll just have to take my word for it, because I forgot my camera...and camera phones just don't do a very good job.

Even though it's still "off" season and most shows are not playing, we still did a lot in a few days and thoroughly enjoyed the sunny weather, swimming pool, outdoor shopping areas, walking trails, popcorn in the lobby, playing pool (so glad there was no audience!), a gospel hour/show on Sunday morning...free, btw, the Titanic Museum (it's the 100th anniversary of its one and only voyage), and lots of friendly folks that stopped and chatted with us and the kids.

But we're home now, kids are all asleep, after a fun, family weekend.

He knows...

just how to brighten my day!

Thank you, Jamie!

Yellow

Done! The bathroom is officially yellow...bright yellow...duckie yellow. I was a little nervous since it was such a bright, bright color, but I love it and so do the kids. It's so bright and cheery. Maybe if I use this color in my bathroom, I may not need so much morning coffee. Then again...probably not.

Candle Making

When grandma visited last weekend, she brought a candle making kit for Valentine's Day. Well, we tried it out today and we all had fun!

First we warmed the wax.

Then we rolled it with a string in the middle.

Tah-dah! Candles!

Our Superbowl Knowledge

See, we're not really a sports-minded family. We enjoy going to a hockey game now and then, or Jamie might take the boys to see a baseball game once per summer, but we really don't get into watching games on t.v., or even keeping up with teams. Hence, the following conversation...

Jacob: Mom, who do you think will win the Superbowl tonight?
Me: I have no idea.
J: I hope the Giants win. What about you Amarin?
A: I like the Patriots.
J: Why?
A: I don't know.
Charlie: (in all seriousness) Well, I like the Patriots and the Redcoats!
(Insert hilarious laughter here from his brothers! OK, I laughed at him, too!)

Painting room #1

We are feeling very settled in our new home. This whole move has gone extremely well. God is showing us blessings all over the place. It has been different living, again, in a subdivision...on a small lot...with a small driveway...and sidewalks...and barely a tree or two in our yard...and neighbors everywhere we look. But God knew this was exactly where we needed to be, and since we've been here, I've seen beautiful red sunsets, I can hear and see the train from the back of the house, met neighbors from Ireland (love the international aspect of this area), the bigger boys and Jenna have found some potential friends right next door...all of this just in the neighborhood. There is so much more...

But, back to the house itself. It has been very easy moving in because the layout is very similar to our previous house. And the walls are all neutral colors...well, except the basement that was a weird salmon color and not a great match for a man cave, ya know? That was taken care of ASAP. Otherwise, perfect...now I can add color where I want it. The first room was the girls' bedroom. I LOVE it!!!! So soft and feminine. Now it just needs some butterflies and fairies and they'll be all set!


Next are two bathrooms upstairs that the kids use...one with "duckies" and the other with monkeys. So, bright yellow seemed to be the right match for both. And bright yellow we chose. Our painter "whooped" when he opened the can and said it looked like a construction zone. OK, this is where I need a little encouragement from my bloggy friend Adeye. Bold is fun, right? I have until Monday to make up my mind. Paint is not cheap...but cheaper than diamonds I hear say. :)