Early Mornings with Dad

Before work this morning, Matt took the time to read the children a book. Sweet moment. I will hold this memory so close to my heart.

We also purchased a new rug last evening. Here is Thomas breaking it in... but only the "railroad tracks". I am so glad he approves.

The Breakfast Table

This is how I found Nate at the breakfast table... when I finally sat down.

Doesn't he look like he is saying grace? Yeah...he's not. He is planning his next move.

This was the next move.

Love those arms. Just love them.

Boys Will Be Boys

Our 35-year-old deck. My foot slipped through one of the boards a few weeks ago, and the deck has been looking pretty sad for some time now. Matt swears it wouldn't have made it through another summer...and it wasn't safe for the children. Whatever. I know what's up. Check out what a "terrible time" he had with Stephen...

This immediate gratification project has led to many others over the past few weeks. They had such a great time with the deck, that the boys moved on to tearing up the patio that was causing water problems for us. Matt pulled up the carpet in the front room, giving us a beautiful hard wood floor. I tore down the last of the wallpaper...making this house officially ours.

While the Cat's Away...

These mice tried so hard to be good. I wanted so badly to be the "cool" parent while Matt was away in Michigan on business, that I promised the children a week of awesomeness. They called my bluff and tried to pull an all-nighter on Sunday (during my incredibly organized sleepover in the front room).

Tommy-Boo and the instigation of a pillow fight.

*The stroller in the background is for Nathan. Sleep is hard for our little teether. Matt and I have exhausted ourselves driving around in the middle of the night to get him to sleep...the stroller saves time and gas. We pace the house with it until he dozes off. Poor baby.

Joseph and his ever-so-practical self..."It's called a SLEEPOVER, guys!"

Sarah and Nate...not wanting Mommy to be lonely at 4am.

The Green Suit

I am still scouring the archives for a single picture of Joseph with this outfit on, but this is what I have discovered so far...

Sarah- 4 months

Tom- 5 months

Nate- 8 weeks

Notice the ages of my little leprechauns. Nathan has always been on the larger side. When he was still fairly new (notice I didn't say "small"), this conversation took place:

Sarah: "Mom, can I sing Nathan a lullaby?"

Mom: "Absolutely! That would be such a beautiful, big sister thing for you to do!"

Sarah (singing, in a VERY deep voice): "I like 'em big! I like 'em chunky! I like 'em round, with somethin-somethin!"

Okay, Moto-Moto from Madagascar 2 wouldn't have been my first choice, but I kinda get what Sarah is thinking.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Grandad! You are our favorite conductor! We love you!

Happy 15th Birthday to our world traveler, Aunt Ellen! You are so special to us, Mel! Hope this year is even better than the last! xxoo

An Evening of Fun

Matt has been busy lately with projects on the house, so we took last night to just play with the kids. Nonna and Grandad came over and brought energy and presents.

Nonna giving Mommy a reprieve.

Studying with a fellow volcanologist.

Labeling the packages is so important. I am glad this concept was not lost on Grandad...he is helping me prevent future arguments.

Firsts

It took almost 7 months, but we finally started Nathan on solids! Here he is enjoying his first sweet potatoes! He actually ended up taking the spoon out of my hand and feeding himself. That is what I get for waiting so long...maybe now we will sleep a bit more at night?

Sliding, instead of crawling.

New Desk

Sarah is working so hard this year with her schooling at home. She is such a studious little thing, and has a desire for everything to be very organized and official...so much like her father. :) We were thrilled to pieces this past week when our dear friends, Mrs. Maureen and Mr. Dan, shared some of their special furniture with us!

All I want to know is: "Who is this 16-year-old and what did she do with my baby?"

Thanks, Maureen and Dan, for our new desk and supplies! We couldn't be happier!

We Have a Mover!

I put Nathan in the middle of the floor, sitting up, with a mountain of toys. I must have jinxed myself, because as I was walking out of the room (to put Tommy on the potty) I sang a little song:"I just put my baby down and I know that when I come back he is going to be right where I left him! I love this part about being a Mom! This is the best stage! Immobility! Immobility!"

Came back 25 seconds later. Panic. Lots of toys; No Nate. Check out where I found my baby...

Is that a smile? I am now in some serious trouble. (*Cue the scary music*)

Four mobile children, four and under.

Table Manners

I know they are still really young, but I feel as though our dinner table is more like a barnyard than a place for us to bond as a family. I, personally, don't like having to correct the children all throughout our meal...I get serious heartburn. So this led me to a brilliant idea: Set up the kids' table in the kitchen and allow them to run their own dinner. When Matt was working late this week, I made pancakes for the children and told them that they would be "dining alone this evening". They set their own table, complete with silverware. I filled a pitcher with water and allowed them to pour their own drinks. It was so beautiful. I loved watching them. Sarah was the queen of the tea party, of course. She even spoke with a British accent. So funny. I allowed Joseph to have a butter knife, and he took such a long time to cut his pancakes precisely that he had a meltdown: he was so hungry, but it had to be done a certain way and he had to be the one to do it. I just soaked in the moment. Tommy was my independent angel. He wanted to be just like the big kids, so he held his fork properly and asked Sarah about the weather. Nate was so confused, but he enjoyed the show. He had a front row seat and LOOOOOOVED when the water spilled all over the table and floor. I have never heard him giggle like that!

Dinner took 45 minutes (an accomplishment because the children can usually only stay in their seats for about 12 minutes...max.) and by the time they were done they were all laughing so hard that they didn't even realize that they had done their own dishes and mopped the floor with all the water that spilled! Matt and I had a peaceful dinner alone that night. I felt so strange not having the kids at the table with us that I started to cut Matt's hamburger into bite-size pieces. I missed the kids, but maybe once a week we will give this a try. It was really nice being able to chew and swallow.

Bathing

Uncle Peter loving on our Nate (and Nate loving on Uncle Peter). Every time Peter would call Nathan his pet name, Nom-Nom, Nathan would go crazy!

Check out our Michelin Man! Love the arms. Love the face. Love everything. It is so nice to have someone else bathe Nathan. Not only do I get a break from the "splash zone", but this view is AMAZING! *Happy Sigh*

Practicing

Sarah LOOOOOOOOVES to babysit for me. While I was cleaning the walls (where did all those fingerprints come from?) the other day, Sarah "watched" Nathan. She got out all the hats, mittens and scarves and dressed him up for an imaginary snow storm. I witnessed the whole episode, and I don't know if I have ever laughed so hard in my life. The walls didn't get cleaned...the afternoon turned into a photo shoot. Here are a couple pictures of my ultra-prepared babysitter and her poor brother. Note Nathan's drool spot (blasted teething) because his bib had been turned around to make a cape!

Uncle Mark

This week, while I was down and out with strep, Mark came to the rescue. I didn't even ask for his help...he showed up on my doorstep with a smile on his face! He babysat, read books to our babies, taught school, did his own school and forced me to nap. He had endless amounts of energy and entertained the children to their hearts' delight! Thank you so much, Markie, for being the Knight in Shining Armor for all 6 of us! And many thanks to the professors of the Schwalm Home Study program for allowing this to be a week full of service projects!

Lessons

This morning was productive. It isn't even 9am and Sarah has completed her school for the day. Is it because she has truly completed all her work? No. Mommy just needs some time to digest the lesson we learned this morning:

Mommy: "Okay Sarah, now you understand the Holy Trinity. Like Saint Patrick showed the people of Ireland with a clover that there are Three Persons in One God."

Sarah: "RIGHT!!! Kind of like poison ivy!"

Mommy (super confused): "Ummmm..."

Sarah (super confident): "Leaves of three, let it be!"

Mommy (trying not to laugh): "Recess!!!!"

Oh, So Tired

When Matt and I were first married, we slept on a twin size air mattress. This is really funny to me now, six years later. As a wedding gift, we received our entire bedroom set...mattress and all. (Thanks Gumma and Gumba!) I never thought we needed a king size bed because we liked eachother, but we HAD to get a mattress to fit the frame! Initially, I thought I would use the other half of the bed for storage, but during my pregnancy with Sarah I discovered how valuable all that extra space was. Now, I LOVE our bed! And when we have to share with the children, all six of us fit comfortably, with room to spare!

We are not getting enough sleep. Mr. Teething Nate has decided that he would like to eat all night long. It's comforting for him. And Mommy never says no. (Why is it so hard to say no? Because he is sooooooo beautiful. And edible. And he might just say my name one of these days and make EVERYTHING worth the effort!) Okay, so the other kids hear Nathan having the time of his life all night long with Mom and Dad and they just can't miss out. These pictures were taken at 4am.

Nathan, paying for it, later that day.

Remember when?

It is strange to think about, but I remember when the dining room table was a log cabin in the middle of the forest. I remember when the best forts were made of couch cushions and blankets. I remember when snow was really ice cream and I could build my own city (to live in by myself) out of Marble Works, Legos, Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. During these snowy days, I have been paying close attention to my babies and their AMAZING imaginations. Maybe it runs in their blood. Maybe it is a coincidence. But they play a lot of the same things that I did when I was young. Yesterday I got down on the floor with Joseph, in his aircraft carrier under the table, and allowed myself to be swept away. It was delicious! There were trains on his aircraft carrier. And SANTA CLAUS!!!! Oh, and some planes...but only because it wouldn't have been an aircraft carrier without them.

I have to appreciate every, single moment. Someday my floor will be uncluttered. I won't be the giant who endangers innocent trains when I walk by. I won't be the Abominable Snow Monster in the North Pole. This is a reminder to myself to slow down, get down on the floor, and lower down my expectations...life is complicated enough.

Slinky! Slinky! Everyone loves a Slinky!

Oh My! Anything that holds the babies' attention for more than 3 minutes is a favorite of mine. These Slinkys had us in stitches for a good hour yesterday. It was truly revealing of the childrens' individual personalities. Sarah was trying so hard to make it work precisely the way that Matt had showed her to. Thomas dragged it up the stairs, bending and busting it...and then chucked it down, repeatedly. Look how excited he gets at how it works!

As a side note: Sarah's outfit is an original. She is wearing a cape and lace shirt my mom made for me when I was a child. She painted and sewed her own ziti necklace. The Fancy Nancy tutu and pajamas just make me giggle. It has been painful in the past to allow her to pick out her own clothes. Now it is so much easier at the store...I don't even have to try to coordinate tops and bottoms. The louder, the better.

1-23-11 Tommy's Second Birthday!

It's hard to believe that our little Tommy-Boo is 2 years old already...and yet it feels like he has always been with us. He is a joy to all of us and brings such an incredible amount of energy and laughter to our family. We love you, Tom! "Haggy Barfy!"

Some of our favorite "Tom-isms"

-"Don't do dat!"

-"I can't. I'm too biddy!" (busy)

-"I don't want to be two! I want to be an engine!"

-"Sorry, Jesus!" (as we walk out of church every weekend)

2 Corinthians 12:9

If I could get super-personal for a minute, I would tell you that one of the greatest struggles for Matt and me (as parents) is patience. I have been praying that God would grant me more patience, an especially helpful gift during these cold months. (The children have been bouncing off the walls, literally. It is really funny.) Anyway, the moment my plea for the gift of patience left my lips, I began to get a little anxious. God has an incredible sense of humor, this I know.

CROUP. All the way around. Every single child.

What can I do but praise Him for the opportunity to practice patience?

This picture was taken at 2am. It was way below freezing outside. This was the second round of cold, dry air for Nate. Poor Matt barely slept at all. I was in charge of the warm, humid shower therapy inside...Matt wore his jacket, hat and gloves all night long. I absolutely HAD TO document this moment. This picture speaks so loudly to me of God's grace. When Matt came back inside, we looked at eachother and said, "I have nothing left." An incredible peace came over me. His grace was sufficient. We could do this...He could do this through us.

Now that we are healthy, I think back to those late nights and early mornings and marvel at God's grace.

I am done being grateful now. No more licking the shopping carts at Wegmans, Sarah! I am done with sickness for the year.