Now you are 5

Katy,
Today you turned 5. I can't believe it. Time has gone so fast
Today you had a very fun day. We went to Barnes and Noble for cupcakes. Then we went and got a manicure/pedicure. Finally we went out to dinner, and then opened presents. You had a Tangled cake

I made cake pops for your preschool. I made them myself, for the record. And they were yummy!

You loved opening your presents

I love you sweet girl!

The Banana (Hannah) is starting to take some steps.  She can say bottle (babo) blanket (bai bai) Cole (ole) Katy (tatie) Gracie (tatie) cracker (coco) down (don)  up (don) and of course mommy and daddy.  Banana has decided to quit getting herself back down the stairs.  That means we have to go up to get her... several times a day.  Good thing she's cute!  :)

Gracie changes her clothes every 5 seconds... and I'm not really exaggerating.  We are working on her putting said clothes back where they belong.

Katy is loving preschool.  Her teacher says she is very good, and very quiet.  Her birthday is in a month, and that's all she's talking about.  She gets to be "Star of the Week" next week in preschool.  She can't wait.

Cole has started reading everything!  Signs, books, cereal boxes.  It is so weird that he is reading.  I love it.
Every night I sit on his bed and he tells me random stuff.  Love that too.

Things are settling down here.  We are finally feeling "settled"  good thing, since we leave in a year.  :)  We love our church.  I've gotten involved in a Bible study with some great women.  And we are going to a married small group.  So we are getting to know people!  (which is good since we tend to be anti-social)

The daffodils have already come and gone, grass is turning green, and trees are starting to get new leaves.  None of which makes me very happy.  They are all signs that summer is coming... And that nasty nasty heat.  So I am enjoying every bit of cold, letting it soak in my bones, hoping that I can remember it in the middle of summer.

Off to bed!

Hannah took 2 steps today... Cole was the one to witness it.  He was so happy!

I am starting Weight Watchers.  I need the accountability.  I am so not happy... :)

Grace changed her clothes 7 times today...

Katy went to Sunday School without freaking out!!!  :)

We flew down the interstate with every window and the sunroof open.  The kiddos LOVED it.

Went to a meeting for new children's volunteers at our church.  They have an amazing program, and I am excited to be a part of it.

If I don't organize my office, I am going to drown in papers.

Katy wants to be a mermaid.

Hannah has started throwing fits... (Lord help me!)

Grace loves to help.

My husband and I love "The Big Bang Theory"  Sheldon is hysterical.

It is now 72 outside with a cold front coming in... thunderstorms and winds forecasted for tonight.

I was relieved to leave CA because we had had several small earthquakes before we left.  After big wind storms and tornado warnings, I think I like earthquakes better.

Now, I am off to watch the Oscars.

This and That

Saturday, the first in a long time where we actually got some stuff done!  Cleared out our back patio, cleaned the garage, cleaned out the car, and raked some leaves.

Cole was a trooper, taking pile after pile of leaves up to the top of the hill and dumping them into the field.

We are on our way to all being well.  Its been nasty the past few weeks with all the sickness.  Now however, Cole has been breaking out in hives on his tummy, back, and thighs.  Its been 3 days of it, and we can't figure out why.  They go right down when he takes benedryl.  We are racking our brains, but can't come up with anything.  From what I've been reading, a doc isn't going to help, there are too many things that could cause it.  They did say that sometimes after a bad cold or flu your body reacts with hives.  So if after 2 weeks, we don't figure it out, we will go back to the doc.

This evening we went out with some new friends from church.  We had a very good time.  One of the families had older girls who watched the younger kiddos.  My Grace decided to throw up... she wasn't sick, something must have disagreed with her.  I paid the girls a little extra... :)

At dinner I tried catfish, friend okra, and hush puppies.  They were pretty good.

I am starting to feel more settled here... making some friends, enjoying life more.  

Wow, this was pretty random!

Correlle Does Break

Well, what a day.  I am writing it down, so I someday I will look back and laugh.  Today, not so much.

Lets start with my kids have been sick for 2 weeks.  Cole has been out of school since last Thursday, Katy since last Tuesday.  And I got a fever on Friday.  Right now, I have a nasty head cold.

I called ATT to figure out our cable bill.  There was some wrong info in it.  The salesman promised stuff that they didn't deliver... lets just say after 1.5 hours on the phone, I will NOT be using ATT ever again.
  
Josh got home early from having a mole removed from his nose (not a fun thing).  As I was paying bills, Hannah pooped out, so Josh put her in the tub.  I then heard a loud crash, and came running into the living room to see one of our correlle plates smashed on the ottoman.  Smashed with little pieces ALL OVER the living room.

Cole had decided to use his sword to hit the plate.  After he had been told numerous times to not to hit things with it.  (sword is put away for a few days.  And, I hate to say, I didn't handle it so well.  I yelled)

I threw the kiddos in their bedroom, and went to watch Hannah in the tub while Josh cleaned up the plate mess.

In the second it took for me to look down at Hannah, she pooped in the tub! And it wasn't solid.  And there were a lot of toys in the tub (that I just threw away, I didn't have what it took to clean them up).

Wow.  Correlle doesn't just break, it breaks into million of teeny tiny pieces that explode everywhere!!! Its kind of how I felt after today.  :)

Sick Days

So, between snow days, and sick days, the kiddos have been home a  lot.  Which is fine with me, I like them.  However, with everyone sick, patience, on all of our parts, is wearing a little thin.

Like I said on FB, my get up and go, got up and went far far away, and I want it back.  The house is a mess, kids are feverish, and laying around, a perfect time for me to tidy, but I don't.  I sit around with them and watch "a show"

So here is what my poor girl looks like:

Poor Girl!

The rest don't look much better.  

What else do we do when we are all stuck at home?  We play "swimming pool"

I can't believe I have this many kids!  :)

In other news, Cole is "Star of the Week" for his class.  He got to bring his favorite book, he had to make a poster of himself, he did show and tell.  So far, he seems to be having fun.  

This is Cole helping me with the poster (which I later found out we made too big, oh well)  He is blurry because he is always moving... :)  He glued the pictures on, helped cut out letters for his name, and oversaw the design of the poster.  Yes, he is sitting on the table.  I didn't get the picture of him jumping off the table... (the cereal boxes were for another project)

final touches

When cole saw his newborn picture he said, "is that what I looked like when I came to earth?"

There is a possible snow day tomorrow. I am waiting for the call, because there is like 1/4 inch of snow outside! :)

Haven't slept much, so my fuse is very short... yesterday, I made all the kids go upstairs to play, and I stayed down, just so I wouldn't lose my temper/say something I regret. Its so hard to stay positive when I am tired. I got a good night sleep last night, but still am not at 100% It takes a lot more to bounce back! I don't know how I did night after night in college...

Katy: Mom, its scrumptious!

That is what she says now anytime she likes something. It is so cute with her lisp.

Grace is loving our elliptical. She stands on one side until it moves, then jumps to the other side. I have a video, I will have to post it sometime.

When I am getting ready in the am, this is where Grace is. I love her!

Snow Day

Since it looked like there would be snow, school got out early. Since we got an inch, it is closed tomorrow.

It is so weird! When I was growing up, we would have to have feet of snow, before school was canceled.

Yes, pictures are big, and look like they aren't placed. I have to figure this out still...

Yipee!

I love my new blog look! It makes me want to blog more!!! Thank you so much Erin! I love it!!!!

Quotes:

Me: (mumbling to self) I don't want the bonus material

Son: You don't want the butt-ass material????

Sigh!

Now you are 4

Dear sweet Katy,
Today you are four. How is that possible. You are a wonderful daughter. You love all things princess. You dance. You love plastic lizards! What a contrast.

You delight me. Your eyes are so bright and sparkling. You still say "berry" instead of very. I love that. You are very helpful, you are kind. You love Jesus.

You are learning to ride your bike. You have very strong opinions about what you wear. Its all dresses. I think you have wore jeans one time this year. The more sparkle the better.

I love you honey. I am so glad you had a fun day today. Sea World, Chuck E Cheese, and then cake and presents.

Daddy and I are so proud of you!


Birthday Part 1
>


Birthday Part 2



Birthday Part 3

My son, I do love him and adore him. However, I don't understand him. I grew up with sisters, no brothers. So I don't know how boys grow up. I am continually asking Josh, or my friend w/ 3 boys, if he is "normal"

For example, right now, its all about killing, cutting arms off, beating up, getting the bad guys. I finally had to tell him to only tell his dad about that for now. Mommy doesn't like all that stuff. Daddies like that stuff.

Then today, he is singing in the back to the tune of "God is so good to Me"
God is so Stinky
God is so Stinky
God is so Stinky
He's so Stinky to me.

SIGH

Then 2 minutes later, Mom, I love God, I want the whole world to know God. Mom, I was telling my sister about God, that God loves her so much, but she has to be careful because God sees when you sneak cookies....

I love my son!

I have got to learn how to work this. I think if my blog looked cute and happy I would write much more... (I like to think that)

I have a pretty easy life. I get to live in the USA, my husband has a job and makes a good living. We get to live in lots of different places... I am BLESSED!

So why do I get depressed? Why do I look at the negative? Why am I wired this way? Why do I love to eat so much I am struggling losing weight?

As I've been asking myself all of these questions. And I know, I just had a baby, I'm not sleeping, etc. etc. I will always have excuses. But what does GOD want me to do about it? If I have serious cravings for food, can I transfer that craving to God? (does that make sense) If he gave us all these emotions, and our temperaments, I am supposed to just suck it up, or find out how to use it, the good bad and ugly, without whining... argh, its so hard to explain what I am thinking!

Anyway, I am exercising, and I do like that. I just need to eat less...

Husband just called, he wants to go somewhere out tonight, and it involves ice cream. He said, "Honey I am here to plump you up" (in reference to the old SNL skit) And he made me laugh out loud!!!

anway, here is a picture of my wonderful children whom I adore... they do make me smile... and I HAVE to learn to put the picture in the right place... does it always go to the top when you insert them?

Just read thru all the posts on my old blog. It brought back a lot of good memories. I wrote down things about my kiddos that I didn't remember. So I am going to try.

We are moving to TN! I am nervous and excited at the same time. I don't know anyone down there, I don't make friends easily. But I hear our new neighbors are nice, and we have a nice place.

Kiddos have had colds, and baby has decided not to sleep the last few nights, so I am on little sleep... which is fine, but my mind goes to funny places.

My kids make me laugh. Cole today said, "Mom, I'm weird, but I'm really funny." That should be our family slogan.

Tired

Baby blues are not fun. I realize I've felt off lately, and have been beating myself up for gaining weight, and not wanting to do anything but sit... I forget about the whole post baby hormone thing! :) (hair is falling out now too... good thing I have a lot of it!)

I have started exercising again and I am enjoying it. I need to start eating better!

My kids crack me up. Katy is so girlie, more than I ever was. Yesterday she was pretending she was a dr. and I said, "thank you for fixing my owie Katy" She said, Mom, I'm Doctor Princess Katy.

Okay then.

So here are some pictures of the kiddos. We had to stay in a hotel last week, and we went for a walk around the area. The first one is of Grace and Hannah in the hotel. Sorry its kind of rough. I haven't figured out all the picture stuff yet.

I'm going to have to learn how to download pictures. It doesn't look too difficult. However, it means I have to put pictures on my computer, and that is difficult, well not difficult... just time consuming, and I am lazy, and I can never find my camera, or my card reader, etc... we will see
We are in a hotel right now. A hot water pipe broke in our house, and so our living room and kitchen are pretty torn up. I've enjoyed being here... I love hotels, but it will be nice to get back to our house.

Baby is growing like crazy. She is smiling now and starting to babble a bit. She was 2 months on the 25th.
#3 is going to send me to an early grave. I love her to death, but she is very stubborn and loves to throw very loud screaming fits. Sigh.

#2 is all girl, she still loves all thing princess. She loves to dance and dress up.

#1 is very boy. All things superhero, he wants to be the strongest and fastest. He wants to kill bad guys and save the day. And at the same time is very tender with his younger sisters. He is a great big brother... he's going to make someone a GREAT husband someday!

We are very blessed.

How funny, sitting here with my mother in law and husband. We are all at the kitchen table, and all on our computers. Josh is listening to Christian music from the 70s/80s... I know very little of it. So he says I am a heathen. :) I only remember Amy Grant from the 80s... I mostly listened to secular.

I am very tired today, tried to go to the mall, got to the mall, but baby was pretty fussy. However, I found a 40.00 dress for her dedication for only 8.00!

Okay, my posts have been seriously boring. I am going to have to get more creative! Maybe when I get more sleep.

Katy started Dance lessons. She loved it! I will try to post pics... that means I have to learn to post pics... sigh

Went to dr. for my 6 week post baby check up. All is fine. Had a med student watching. He was pretty funny, you could tell he was fairly new, and was still a little uncomfortable with the ob/gyn side of things!

I feel like a big lump. Not exercising, and eating more (holidays) I have not lost weight, in fact, I've put on a couple pounds. But I can start exercising again now, so hopefuly the weight wil come off!

Katy went down the big slide by herself for the first time!

Grace is saying "I do it!" Tole=Cole Taty=Katy Nana=Hannah byby=blanket

Katy told me today, Mom, get your dirty feet off my lovely bed (she had made the footstool into her bed)

Speaking of bed, its calling my name!!!

Here we go again

Okay, I am going to try this again, to blog that is.

I want to remember my kiddos and the fun things they say and do...

Since I last posted, we had another baby.


We are supposed to be moving in April, but haven't heard yet where... so I am "patiently waiting"

Today at church our son announced over the microphone, "Mommy has a baby in her tummy!"
(The pastor calls all the kids to the front to pray for them before they go to Sunday School, and lets them share something)

A few days earlier, my son said, "Mom, God talked to me! He said my sister needs to lean not on her own understanding!"

Yesterday, my first daughter was touching my leg and said, "it feels like daddy's face!" Sigh...