The New Phone

"Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Now you have a nice phone, so start answering it! Happy Birthday Sweetest Daughter-in-Law... in the entire world...and thank you for making us a Nonna and Grandad!" (sung to the traditional tune of Happy Birthday)

This is nearly verbatim what Matt's parents sang to me as we walked out of the Sprint store 3 weeks ago. If nearly verbatim means "I totally made this up".

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for my new phone! Thanks, Emily, for helping me name it! Names are very important for cell phones in our family, since they seem to take on their own personalities...and occasionally I find them bathing in my tub. I need to know what to yell when I open my fridge and all the milk is gone. Yelling at no one, in particular, is sooooo last decade. Now, when I question the children about who specifically (because you have to be specific) dumped the bucket of sand in my dryer, "Eggie, the cell phone" is an appropriate answer! The children are so grateful for their new scapegoat.

So anyway, my cell phone is amazing. And when I connect it to my laptop, it automatically transfers  pictures from the phone to the computer. And, in this way, I have learned that Eggie should never be left unsupervised. My phone has a nightlife...

AND...

Okay, so the first three pictures didn't take more than 3 or 4 hours for me to discover the culprit. (Emily and Steve, you are hereby FORBIDDEN to touch my phone ever again!)

But that hand took some work. Eventually, Joseph's shorts betrayed him. Level 22 on Angry Birds, my foot!

So, Eggie is now being carefully carried around in my pocket...for safekeeping and REAL phone calls. Unless you are actually trying to get in touch with me, in which case, I don't get reception.  

Cousins

Tim and Jeanine spent the past weekend here in Rochester with everyone. Highlights of the weekend included: a day at the cottage, fishing at the church pond, a pizza party at Teresa and Mike's, a family picture with all the grandchildren, and Sarah and Ella's first sleepover. I was so excited to be able to witness all of their giggling and silliness...until 10:30pm. Thanks, Tim and Jeanine, for making the huge effort to visit and stay for so long! We love having you here!!!

Through Joseph's Eyes

Joseph got a hold of the camera this past weekend. My initial reaction was to take it away, but he seemed so happy taking pictures and was being very careful. I am so glad I allowed him to continue. 

This is how Joseph sees the world.

The aftermath of the cookie-baking for the church picnic...yes, we did Halloween cut-outs.

Nathan- now I know why Joseph is "afraid" of him. Those are some terrifying chompers.

The not-quite-as-scary side of Nate. Love those squishy toes!

Joseph's chair- status post cookie baking. 

Water Table

Nathan received a pirate ship water table for his birthday. It arrived via "Big Brown Truck" in a magnificent box...in slightly less than 1,331 pieces. It took most of the afternoon to put it together. By the time it was in working order, the mosquitoes were pretty bad out in the yard. We couldn't have the children going to bed disappointed. They were so patient while we put it together.

So we filled it up in the kitchen. Thank goodness for linoleum flooring (and towels).

The water table came with two pirate outfits. I thought they would be perfect for Joseph and Boo. OBVIOUSLY NOT. Survival of the fittest up in this house.

Nathan, wondering why this is exciting and feeling like this was all a bit anticlimactic.

Love it. Love it. Love it. All 4 babies can play at the same time!

Thomas telling Nathan to share the cup or walk the plank.

Happy Birthday Nathan!!

We love you, Baby!

How big is Nathan? Sooooooooo Big!

You are so very special to us, Nate. Thank you, God, for the gift of our Nathan!

"One Year Ago Today"

So, my mom always tells the story of our birth on our birthday each year. She begins with the phrase:"One year ago today..." (substitute the number of years of the birthday child)

As embarrassing as it was growing up, I have discovered that I LOVE re-living the experience with my own children. I have taken on the tradition of telling the delivery stories in the hopes of mortifying my offspring someday.

This one's for you, Nate-Dawg!

One year ago, today, I was 14cm dilated and 390% effaced with Nathan. And they sent me home...for one more day.

The Reality of It All

Sometime in May, I decided that I had enough energy to teach the children about gardening.

We went to the store, picked out packets of seeds, and decided when and where we would plant them.

Sarah and I drew up plans. Matt made me a raised bed in the back yard. We bought special soil. It was going to be great. I told the children to grab their packets of seeds and come watch how I planted the flowers in the front planter. Then we could plant their vegetables. As I was showing them, ever so precisely, how to dig the hole and place the seed in and cover it up, their seeds disappeared magically. Couldn't figure it out. Then came the sprouts of green. "Wow," I said. "I have never seen marigolds come up this fast!"

This is our front planter, where normal people normally put normal flowers.

We have corn. And gourds. And strawberries. Oh, and one flowering marigold.

The children were tossing their seeds into the holes I dug for my flowers.
Perfect.

*Sigh*

Ok, so then we tried again. The children took their leftover seeds to the sand pit in the back yard. They planted thoroughly, meaning everywhere.

I prepared them for no garden. Every day I reminded them, "Children, these probably won't grow. You need good soil. Sand doesn't really nourish the plants properly."

 Here is their garden.

 They actually have ears of corn.

View from the kitchen door, where I am reminded every day of miracles. The sand pit is on the left.

I probably will not earn any awards for best gardening display. The neighbors have not thanked me yet for my brave planter selection. I shrug my shoulders and sigh everytime someone comes to my front door and asks if they saw corn and pumpkins on our porch.

But the harvest and the children who were able to witness the fruit of their labors are enough for me.

Children are unpredictable, but then again, so is God.

Lesson learned.

Joy

I am not posting this picture to show you how my husband tries to torture our children.

LOOK AT THOSE TEETH UP TOP!!!! All 4 at the same time...baby is so brave.  

Nathan is also, much to my chagrin, walking with assistance. I tried for so long to prevent this day from coming. All my hard work seems to have done is encouraged the speed of his steps.

Before, if I saw Nate standing, I would go over and gently sit him back on his bottom and tell him:"You don't really want to walk."

After that, all I would have to do was give him the look from another room and he would sit down independently.

I think he caught on sometime in the past 3 weeks. He sees his older siblings running around in circles and he wants in. Now he runs...as fast as his chunky little legs can carry him. Around the playroom, up the stairs...the child is unstoppable. All he needs is something, or someone, to hold onto. Sarah is so incredibly obliging too...she'll guide him around the room to his heart's content.

Our baby is a toddler.

Best Buds

Thomas does this for all of us. If Matt has a particularly hard day at work, if my day was full of struggles, if Sarah is upset about anything, if Joseph can't work through something independently, or if Nathan doesn't want to be strapped in to his booster seat...Tom is there for comic relief.

Changes

Joseph will be starting preschool in September. How and when to prepare him has been a struggle for us. He received an early birthday present this past weekend. A bookbag. He can already put it on by himself and walk around like a big guy, even though the bookbag is as big as he is! The transition begins...smoothly.

Church School

Our home parish, Holy Ghost, runs their Religious Education program in the summer for two weeks. Sarah, our social butterfly, was so eager to be a part of it. I, the insanely clingy mother, was not so eager to let go: How would she do being gone most of the day? Would she cry for me? She has never been away from me like that! What in the world was I going to do without her!?!?! She doesn't know the first thing about school or how to raise her hand or be quiet when a teacher is talking or how to...

We get to the class room.

She finds her seat independently.

She puts her name tag over her head.

She flashes a smile and says:

"See ya, Mom!"

Joseph, Thomas, Nathan and I cry all the way back out to the car. Our girl is so big.

Summer Birthdays

Celebrating the summer Pernot birthdays. So many memories. So much laughter. Oh, so sweet.

Playtime with Uncle Nick

Top 3 things I am always saying to Nicholas:

1) Nick, please stop scaring the children!

2) Don't teach them how to do that! 

3) When they wake up at 2 in the morning with nightmares, I am going to call you!

They look severely traumatized, no?

Thanks for always making us laugh, Uncle Nick.