life today

this morning...i got a wild hair and took off annslee's diaper and didn't put a fresh one on her.  i told her...

 

"today we are going to use the potty."

 

she protested like she usually does...despite promises of candy and new toys.

 

she is sitting at the breakfast table in just her gown.  i'm expecting to be cleaning up pee in about 4 minutes.

 

why i am doing this to myself today, i will never understand.

 

i'm not really a planner.  i do my best work when i boldly announce,

 

"today we are going to target to find kitty cat ears."

 

or

 

"today we are going to clean out the linen closets."

 

or

 

"today we are going to go to the beach."

 

i have to go where the wind blows.  i have to be in the mood.  i have to be inspired.

 

how can i possibly know if i am going to be in the mood to clean the linen closets out days in advance?

 

speaking of...

 

it's a sign that life has spun completely out of control when i wake up and declare:

 

"today...my life depends on whether or not my fridge is organized."

 

i blame pinterest.

 

although...i told chad, the other day that i thought my obsessive need to buy bins and baskets and organize the living daylights out of the fridge and upstairs closets had more to do with my need to feel like something is in order.  that i had taken something that was out of control...and whipped it into submission like a wild horse.  if i can't control our out of control schedule...then by-golly...we are going to have a linen closet right out of southern living magazine.  i need to know that i can complete something...and check it off the list as a project well done.

 

so...

 

this...

 

 

and this...

 

became this.

 

clearly...the grocery store needs to happen at some point.  our fruit bin is lacking.

 

and then on friday...this...(i forgot to take a picture before i cleared the shelves.)

 

 

became this:

 

guest soaps and shampoos, etc. will be in that jar and extra tooth brushes, etc. will be in the small basket.

 

i got rid of old sheet sets that we never used and replaced all our dingy, mis-matched towels with white ones.

 

and on the girl's side...we now have storage baskets down low for paper towels and toilet paper.

 

the awkward, hooded towels are rolled in a basket.

 

sleeping bags are rolled and within reach for impromptu, sibling, slumber parties or movie nights.

 

and a little bit of sanity has been re-stored.

 

****

 

flicka spent friday night trying to keep up with the big kids.  saturday, she hit a wall around 4.  i love that moment when all of the excitement and activity and fun finally gives in to sweet dreams.  when rest finally comes.

 

 

i got up early this morning to go over my lesson plan for colt.  i wanted to be prepared for him when he got up.  as soon as i opened my computer...her "cat-like" senses must have honed into the fact that i was up...because she popped right on up.

 

she's my right-hand friend...that one.  try as i might...she's not going to sit anywhere but my lap while i work.

 

and that's ok.

 

i'll take it while i can get it.

 

sweet Jesus must have known i needed a little help today...because look who made her pee pee come out in the potty!

 

yay you.

 

celebrate the little accomplishments...right?

 

an organized fridge...a pretty linen closet...

 

and taking one pee pee in the potty at a time.

 

*  before i could get this posted...she peed in her "undies" and is now throwing a complete tantrum because she wants a "biaper" on and screaming,

 

"I  NO WAN GO PEE PEE MORE...while shaking her head no."

 

that translates to "i don't want to go pee pee in the potty anymore."

 

i'm really unsure of where to go from here.

 

just keepin' it real.



we're square

i haven't touched my good camera all week...unless you call my phone a camera...which i don't.  i call it the next best thing when i don't have my actual camera.  it will do the trick if i need it to.  but it's not the same.

 

it captured some things for me this week...when i instinctively went for my camera and realized i didn't have it but really wanted to capture the memory anyway.

 

 

like when this sweet friend took me to get an actual pedicure for an early birthday celebration.  i told you...i celebrate all month.  to be thorough...it's the 24th...which is wednesday.  let that be a reminder.  :)

 

 

if my memory serves me correctly...this was my first pedicure.  this is something that i could get behind.  they rubbed my feet.  plus she painted halloween spiders on my toes.  it was exciting.

 

the phone camera also captured annslee hurling herself down the stairs on her stomach.  although you can see the problem.

 

when trying to take pictures of constant motion...

 

you have to bring out the big dog.

 

no piddly phone camera will work.  even if it does start with an "i" and have a cute, little apple with a bite taken out of it on the back.

 

it worked here.

 

"pup-cake" anyone?

 

and this one...well i fell in complete love with him all over again when i saw him carrying his baby sister's baby doll for her.

 

what a good big brother.

 

he pulled one of his bigger teeth this week.  i made the comment, "well...i guess the tooth fairy will need to make a visit tonight."

 

he just smiled.

 

obviously...i forgot.

 

the next morning, he said, "i just love what the tooth fairy left me."

 

i looked at him and smiled a "whoops" smile.

 

about 10 minutes later, i said..."hey, colt...did you feed trout?"

 

he said, "no."

 

i said, "you really can't forget to feed him."

 

he looked at me and said,

 

"well...now we both forgot something.  we're square."

 

touche.



S-T-O-P spells stop

i woke up this morning and thought i had the world on a string.

 

i lounged in bed and smiled as the sounds of my four children playing and laughing filled my home.  colt had a friend spend the night and they had hit the driveway for an early game of hoops.  i listened as the older ones poured milk for the little ones...and thought about how lucky i was.  there might as well have been those cartoon birds from cinderella chirping right in my very own living room.

 

and then i walked out of my bedroom.

 

the scene was not quite as magical as i had pictured it in my head.

 

(and as if on cue...annslee just brought me cinderella's dress to squeeze onto polly pocket's raggedy haired body.)

 

the fact that i'm writing means nothing to her at this point. 

 

some day...you will read this, my darling and understand why my patience went a little thin when you kept insisting that sleeping beauty's skirt WOULD, in fact, fit onto polly's body.  for the love of sweet mother mary...it's not going to work...but your persistance and stubborness will take you far in life if we can somehow harness it and channel it for good and not evil.

 

me:  "baby...it doesn't' fit on her."

 

you:  "YEAH.....IT DO!!!!"

 

you just chucked them both across the foyer.

 

cinderella birds turned into massive piles of laundry...

 

 

counter tops that are covered with clutter...

 

corners of bedrooms that are filled with clothes and trash...

 

tables covered with dirty dishes and scraps of paper and crafts gone awry...

 

over flowing crap baskets on the stairs...

 

holy playroom disaster zones...

 

movie room mayhem...

 

and back to the playroom...because one picture of that just wouldn't do it justice.

 

the house is so out of control, that i spent a good 10 minutes hunting my good camera.  i was starting to panic...when i found it under a stack on my desk.  i would have taken a picture of that...only my camera was on the bottom of it.

 

last night i told chad,

 

"everyone else is doing stuff."

 

he said, "like what sort of stuff."

 

i said, "stuff like going to the renaissance festival...or the pumpkin patch...or to san antonio...as a family.  we aren't doing anything as a family.  we are always splitting up...you taking this one to practice here...and me taking that one to practice there.  we were all at colt's game yesterday as a family...but some went early...some came late...we rode home separately.  i can't remember the last time we all got in the car and went somewhere as a family."

 

he said, "well...it's hard."

 

it is hard, i agreed.

 

yesterday morning, we were all at home for a split second and it felt like a vacation.  but not long after i took that breath of family fresh air did we all starting jetting in different directions again.

 

this morning...colt went to the early church service and caught a ride with his friend, while chad went to a different campus, while i planned to go with the younger 3 at 11.

 

after the dust had settled from the front door shutting again, i surveyed the damage that our busyness has caused our home.  (and not just the physical damage.)

 

yes...i am taking colt and aj to renfest in a few weeks with our home school co-op...but that's not going as a family.  and yes...i will take one or more to the grocery to pick out a pumpkin...but that's not family.  and yes...chad will coach colt's basketball team and spend practices with him...but that's not family.  and i will take chase with me to the girl's gymnastics...but that's not family.  i will take these two to that birthday party while chad takes those two with him on that missions project.  but...THAT'S NOT FAMILY!!!!"

 

i feel my heart beginning to scream, "STOP!"

 

"everybody. just. stop."

 

if we continue on this busy train...we are likely to never get off.  and i miss my family.

 

so i'm thinking about how to remedy this situation and i'm pretty sure it's going to involve saying "NO."

 

i never thought i was a person who struggled to say no.  in fact, i say no to alot.  like...no...i can't go out after the game.  or no...we can't make that birthday party...but i love your kid anyway.  or no...we can't have your friend over right this second.  but those little no's aren't really making a huge difference.  so i think it will have to be some bigger no's.  like we have to take saturday...and we all have to say no.  we need to have a day...and we make it a priority to stay together.  i like together.

 

together is a wonderful place to be.

 

****

 

regardless of CLARKSON CALENDAR CRAZINESS 2012...this puddin cup sticks close by her mama.  she's my right hand man.

 

she's a mover and a shaker, that one.

 

always on the go.

 

i had the pleasure of folding in two extra kids for the evening this passed week.

 

i'm further convinced that once you have 4...any additionals just fold right on in there.  you barely know they're there.

 

 

here's to putting a weekly, family day into place.  i'm gonna need to schedule a meeting with chad to try to get this thing instituted.  i'll let you know how it goes.

 



happy birthday, flicka...you're officially "wee."

okay...sweet annslee james.

 

two days ago...on october 8th...it was your turn.

 

the big 3 was here.

 

when people ask you how old you are...you simply reply,

 

"wee."

 

and that's how you say 3.

 

we celebrated you and chase on the previous friday night in a big way.

 

first of all...you wore 2 piggy tails in your hair for the first time.  this is big.  huge.  your little wispies are growing.  slowly but surely.

 

 

we had a bit of a candy theme going.

 

you put on your shoes all by yourself for the first time too.  and it was a job well done.

 

the breeze was cool, and the pool had been warmed...welcoming you and chase and your siblings for the evening.

 

your biggest brother stuck close by...always protecting you, that one.

 

honey gave you your charm bracelet.  i had been saving your birthstone charm that granna and grandaddy gave you when you turned 1.  it was the perfect "first charm" for your bracelet.

 

on monday...your big day officially arrived.  your daddy and i woke you up by singing happy birthday.  you got embarrassed and covered your smile.

 

you got your first flowers from grandaddy...

 

and we enjoyed sesame street together.

 

then we got dressed and took a walk to the mailbox...where special presents were awaiting all the way from iowa.

 

fall had ushered in a cold front.  (we october babies get lucky sometimes.  i've been known to actually "wish" for a cold front for my birthday...and you got one, baby.)  you even had to wear my old fur coat from when i was 3 for our little trip.

 

when i come to get you out of your bed in the morning, i scoop you up with one hand because you are so tiny...as if plucking you from your very own tree perch.  you wrap your legs, tight around my waist and your arms tight around my neck.  and i smile and whisper, "my little koala" into your ear as we walk down the stairs to start our days together.  you have grown to love that.  so...i had a friend make you this koala hat this past summer.

 

trout and "da-do" (that's what you call colton) walked with us to the mailbox.

 

once back home...you opened your present from grandma sue and your present from aunt katie, uncle davey, tayler, aubree and sawyer.

 

remember how much you loved playing on this phone in the pottery barn store in iowa last summer?  now it's yours, kiddo.

 

this rapunzel doll came all the way from disney world.

 

we made "pup-cakes."

 

and met daddy, granna, grandaddy, and uncle kevin at tutti fruiti for a frozen yogurt, birthday celebration on the way to your very first gymnastics class.

 

that's where you opened your "baby."

 

julie looks like you........bright, blond hair and dark, brown eyes;

 

her own, mis-matchy style...

 

and a smile that lights up the world.

 

you were none-too-thrilled to go into gymnastics without me.  it was a rough go...

 

and you would only participate if i was the one spotting you.  they let it fly this time...but next time...you're on your own.  and you can do it.  i know you can.

 

you're our flicka.

 

wild at heart.

 

un-tamed.

 

and ready for anything.

 

and that...my darling, girl...is one of the many things we love about you.

 

once bathed and ready for a sweet slumber...with visions of 3 year old birthday wonder dancing in your head...you blew out the candle on your 3rd birthday. 

 

it was as sweet as you are.

 

happy birthday, flicka!!!  you're officially "wee."