Ants Marching

On Christmas Eve, we loaded all the kids up in the van and took them to see the Princess and the Frog. We have only been to the theater a handful of times in the last three years, so this was a big deal. Originally, J and I were going to go by ourselves because that's what J wanted to spend some of his birthday money on. E ended up getting some cash for Christmas and immediately asked to go with us. The other two were free admission, so there we were with everyone going. In the car on the way, E - her voice almost inaudible due to her bubbling-over excitement - said "I've only been to the theater twice in my life! I'm as excited as an ant!"

The movie? I loved and hated it. The bad guy is a voodoo guy and they just went a little too creepy with the "friends from the other side". We probably won't be buying it. It's a shame because the rest of the movie was quite lovely.

M, M, M. On Christmas, she wanted an orange, but for some reason forgot the name so she kept asking for a "yellow".

During dinner Christmas night, I was trying to coax her into eating a little bit. It was a futile effort given the amount of junk she had been eating all day. She was a little old for this tactic, but I figured I'd try the plane technique. Just as my plane came zooming in, M picked up her cup, aimed it at my plane and said "Pow! Pow! Pow!" My plane was no match for her anti-aircraft weaponry. I'm afraid I lost the battle and she scampered off to play.

This morning Joe and I were reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1 - thanks for the B&N gift card Tom and Camille!! We are only one chapter in, but that chapter was fantastic! I love the humor and how engaged J is in it already and the voice feels authentic to me. Anyway! When we stopped J started talking about what had happened and was trying to figure out what was going on. He said "I'm not confused, my brain is just tangled up. I need to get it all sorted." I liked how he phrased that.

Happy Anniversary!!!

These last 8 years have been a whirlwind of fun. When Cathy and I sat down in the Mall on our first real date (after talking about wedding rings - does that make it surprising to anyone that we were married that same year?) and started talking, if someone would have walked up and told us that 8 years later we would be married, living on the other side of the country with four kids...well, I think Cathy would never have dated me again and I would have laughed my head off.

Now, I am just exceptionally grateful that Cathy finally gave in. Thank you Cathy for a wonderful 8 years. Here's to another 60 (at which point we will both die peacefully in our sleep).

Childhood Christmas Excitement

I love how they get just as excited over an apple as anything else.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

W's first Christmas

So, I ask for your indulgence as I share my little photo shoot. I just can't squeeze this baby enough.

Bwa ha ha ha!!

I finally won! J, E and M each said "dada" for their first word. On Wednesday, W looked right at me and said "Mamama!" I'll take it! He was sick and wanted me to pick him up - he was sitting with Matt - and that's when he said it. I love my little mama's boy!

Falling Down, Gently Down

On Friday, The kids loved catching the snow on their tongues

And their hands.

Then on Saturday, we got all bundled for an afternoon of real snow fun. This is about as far as M got. Because of the sleet that came down late Friday night, the snow had a hard crunchy layer that completely freaked her out. She went inside to sit with Dad and W (W was so bundled that he promptly fell asleep.

J and E, on the other hand were reveling to the max.

They stayed outside for a couple of hours then came inside for some hot cocoa. The perfect winter afternoon!

Content In Spite

So, the title of this post was originally going to be - "People Stink!!!!!" but I just don't think I could do that without being ungrateful. First, there is snow! How could I be upset at the world when it is a winter wonderland outside? Heavenly Father knew how homesick I was for the snow...and here it is! I am not self centered enough to think that this whole storm was on my account, but it is nevertheless a tender mercy.

Second, we have money for Christmas. Matt checked our bank account this morning before we were going to go out, and we were SEVERELY overdrawn. That is one of those heart-stopping moments. Someone had cleared out our account using a fake card at an atm. Fortunately, it was fishy to begin with, so our bank called us to verify the transaction (we had already reported and started the fraud process but apparently the two departments hadn't talked yet). They have the person on the atm camera, so it is just a matter of time. But, about that whole "time" thing...our account is suspended for ten days. That would put it the week after Christmas. We were planning on getting 99% of our Christmas today. For some reason Matt's boss hadn't given him his Christmas bonus yet, so he gave it to him today - half cash, half check. The cash was more than enough to get us through the next ten days including Christmas presents. I am so thankful for that!!!

Speechless Wonder

4 INCHES AND COUNTING!!!!

Whew!

We've had sick kids this weekend. M was coughing and congested on Friday and then started running a low-grade fever on Saturday morning. E caught the cold - minus the fever - that night, and W got it Sunday morning. Thankfully the girls are pretty much out of the woods. W - not so much. It's really quite sad. He lost his voice, so you can't really hear him cry. He hasn't been out of my sight for more than a few minutes all day, and will probably sleep with us again tonight. Last night I felt like one of the bears in the bed and the little one said "roll over, roll over!" But, instead of one of us falling out, one got in. First W around ten, then E around midnight, and finally, I was quite incoherent when M joined us so I didn't catch the time.

As a child, when I had colds I would walk in my sleep. I also occasionally talk in my sleep - usually when I'm sick or really really tired. Apparently, M is taking after me. On Sunday afternoon, she was asleep on the couch when she all the sudden started talking as if she was in the middle of a conversation. We looked over and she was still totally asleep. A few minutes later she burst out singing the theme song to Dora the Explorer. So funny! She was talking again last night.

Here's our butterball. He loves rolling up into a ball and grabbing his feet every chance he gets. He very rarely lays flat. Here he is trying to eat his feet. I don't think he needs the extra calories!

Matt had a week off of work last week. On Saturday evening, J asked him when he was going back to work. Matt asked if J wanted to get rid of him and J responded "No, I just want the money." Matt and I burst out laughing, and he was a little embarrassed. I felt bad. He said that he just wanted us to be able to have food and a place to live. I wonder if he thought that we weren't going to have those things because of Matt's vacation. Poor boy!

This is how W falls asleep - hands clasped looking quite angelic.

Yesterday was an REM kind of day. know what I mean. There's just something soulful and soothing about REM. I know that sounds a little weird, but there you go.

Best Present Ever

Yesterday I had a very nice evening with my family for my birthday.

W was very intent on trying cake. Next birthday party, maybe!

J gave me the best present of the year. We were sitting on the couch watching a movie when he turned to me, looking terrified, and said "Mom, I need to tell you something."

I said okay, and he said "It's about your sewing machine."

Noooo! My brand new sewing machine that is smack in the middle of all my Christmas present preparations. I asked him what happened, and he explained that when he was picking up the living room, he accidentally broke it. The machine is fine. He broke off a little piece of the plastic drawer that stores stuff under the bobbin etc. He was almost crying when he told me. And then he did start crying. I was SO proud of him for telling me. Chances are good that I would have never known how it happened as the sewing machine was in a corner and I wasn't going to use it until today. He told me on his own and he told me the truth even though it was really hard. That is about the best present ever.

Super J!

Happy Birthday (yesterday) J!

I can't believe you are seven. You're a pretty cool cat and a wonderful big brother.

It has been so fun and amazing and heartbreaking to watch you grow so fast.

For so long you were my little buddy. Just you, me and dad hanging out and having fun. You were the little man of the house when dad had to travel for work. French toast on our balcony and throwing rocks into the fountain. The Christmas you got your geotrack train and last year when you broke your leg. Seven years of memories that started with the very best birthday present I have ever gotten. Thank you for coming to our family!

Also, congratulations on student of the month!!

E-isms

I know I've been posting about E a lot lately, but she is just in that phase where she says the funniest things. Last night she said she was so hungry she was "monkey hungry". After church she said that it was "as cold as a nut outside!"

In other news, M was sitting at the table, and Matt told her to wipe her mouth off. She looked at him with a confused look on her face for a minute, then opened her mouth and started wiping it with the napkin, still looking confused. We got it straightened out and she wiped off her chin.

Aw Man!

E just drew a picture of a machine. It's called a Bilg machine and turns people into cookies. She said there was a man in the machine right then because he thought it was a good place to take a bath, but he was turned into a cookie. Poor sap!

I hope, I hope, I hope!

I may be getting an early birthday present. I just looked on the ten day forecast, and Saturday is supposed to have rain mixed with snow. Maybe it will just go to straight snow. Here's to hoping!

How Could You Not Love 'Em?

The other day, I was getting M ready for church. As soon as I took off her pajamas so she was just in a diaper, she twirled around yelling "I'm free!"

That night, M and E were taking a bath together. When I came to get them out, E stood up, looking completely indignant, and said "Mom! M got me wet!"

Later Sunday night, we were watching those little sponge capsules that grow in warm water. When J got his - a moose - he said "Last time I had a crocodile, which was cool, but this one goes 'wha -wha-wha-whaaa'" I suppose you'd have to be there for the full effect. But, it was funny.

Tonight, before bed, all the kids were drawing stories. E's went something like this: "This is Mr. Potato Head. These are all of his owies, so here's his medicine. Here's his dad. He was shrunk by his mom. That's her right there. She shrunk him with the medicine that's supposed to be for Mr. Potato Head. But - here's the funny part. the mom has shoes on her feet AND her hands!" This last bit was absolutely hilarious to her, contrasted by the matter-of-fact conveying of the previous part of the story, I found it rather funny myself.

W started cereal last night. He is so thoroughly excited about it. Tonight when we were eating dinner, I had him on my lap and he was intently watching every bite I took. He started crying when I didn't share. I told him he wasn't quite ready for chili but for some reason he din't understand. He got his lovely rice cereal later. Here's to hoping he sleeps through the night tonight!

W is camera shy. Every time we whip out the camera, he immediately stops whatever he was doing and stares at it. So, tonight, when we saw him reading this story to himself we tried to film as incognito as possible. Here's the best we could do. I hope the cuteness comes through. He was turning the page earlier, but can't quite get it here. He's such a cute little chubs. I totally get that line from Where the Wild Things Are "I'll eat you up, I love you so." He's just so cute I can hardly stand it.

One last thing. Happy Birthday Dad!!! I love you!