this counts for a bath, right?

Instead of VBS our church has Music Camp.  And it is awesome.  My kids have been gushing about all the fun they’ve had and I’ve been hearing bits n’ pieces of the songs they’re learning ever since I picked them up on Monday.  I think the theme for the week is the book of Esther.  Anyway, yesterday we met friends after camp for a (hot) picnic.

I was a little surprised Arianna actually stayed sitting with the rest of the kids. Usually my babies like to bolt.

Drew was cracking me up with the “chair” he found.

And he stayed like that for quite some time.

Funny that we had this many girls in pigtails!

Madeline turns 6 today (!!!) so on the way home from the park we stopped in W*mart for an early birthday present – BABY POOL!

(It was mid-90s yesterday; water-playing absolutely necessary.)

Watch out, she’s armed!

We finished up our day o’ fun with a $5 pizza from Papa John’s (Tuesday special).

(And yes, I totally counted that as a bath.)

{small style}

Sooo, I can’t seem to write a coherent blog post these days but I totally can participate in this super cute mini-people party! Since, you know, kid clothes are my hobby…

(Kinda like What I Wore Wednesday but for the littles. Yeah, FUN.)

I took my two little girls to the children’s museum on Tuesday and met a friend there.

On Adelaide: dress is MJC, ruffle leggings are from Babies R Us, and jellies are from Old Navy.

On Arianna: tee and top are MJC, ruffle jeans are customs from Emmifaye Boutique (Etsy), and shoes are Livie & Luca.

She was running and tripped head first into the little mini picnic bench – nice forehead, huh?

Pearls are Madeline’s, I think they came from Walmart. I love how Arianna knew exactly what to do with them. :)

For other Small Style, or to participate, visit Mama Loves Papa.

(Yep, still here)

(Alternate title: S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E)

Okay. I’m having a hard time. Yesterday was just plain out bad and my brain felt half asleep the whole day. I said yes to things for my kids that I never should have agreed to because clearly they were things I didn’t have the energy for. Being cooped up due to rain DID. NOT. HELP. (Have I ever mentioned my kids don’t have school on Wednesdays? I was loathing that policy right about 10 a.m.)

Today’s better. I feel better. I think I struggle more with ante-partum depression than post-partum. Once the baby’s out it’s party time, you know. Paint the cabinets, get going! Now? Yeah, notsomuch.

ANYwaaaaay, just didn’t want to leave anyone hanging. We had Adelaide’s little birthday party over the weekend (rained out, go figure!) and I’ve been trying to get around to finishing the photo editing ever since. I’ll get there. Someday, right?

Welcome to springbreak

I feel like we already had our spring break last week (and now there’s no Grandmommy around to distract us). But we’ve got some fun things tentatively planned so it should work out okay. No beach trip, unfortunately. ;) (Although, Arianna at the beach sounds more like a nightmare.)

I haven’t mentioned this here yet but I’m sure a lot of you are wondering about the on-going status of Andy’s job search. He’s been in a real estate course these past couple of weeks and takes the state exam tomorrow. It’s been busy – he’s gone all day in class and then he studies all evening. I was SO glad my mom was here for the majority of it. They did a practice test at the school last Friday and he got a 98% – so I’m not too worried. The plan is for him to work as the buyers agent for a friend of ours (also a realtor but pretty much only sells.) They’ll be a team of two and I know it will be good. I told Andy I just want to eat and wear cute shoes.

Arianna’s finger – doing well! The stitches aren’t quite all dissolved so it still has to be wrapped up. (But we did ditch the splint after three weeks.) I tried to wrap just her finger but she had it pulled off in about 3 minutes. So hand it is.

The kids have been loving this weather, and are pretty much staying outside the entire day. Andy took Drew and Madeline on a long hike over the weekend and he said they did great with NO COMPLAINING! I’m pretty sure I’ve complained on every hike I’ve ever been on. (ha) Right now I can barely manage the grocery store without feeling completely sore afterwards (doesn’t help when I had to cross the store three times looking for lighter fluid). I’m definitely entering the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy.

Lighter fluid – yes, the Lewins came over for BBQ on Friday night. I love having them over because I don’t feel pressure to clean first. Love friends like that. We stayed outside mostly anyway, and ate on the deck. I love spring! (And I’ve been wishing all weekend I had taken her up on that offer to leave us some of her homemade chocolate pudding pie.)

Okay, the people are calling. Here’s to a good springbreak!

raw honesty

WELL. Yesterday (the first half, anyway) was… well, just bad, bad, bad. Later I ended up hiding in Madeline’s top bunk and cried. (And if you don’t occasionally have those kinds of days too, I’m not sure we can still be friends.)

It started fine, then Arianna’s hand got smashed in the door and she spent the rest of the morning pretty cranky, following me around whining or demanding to be held. We were out of milk (her consoling naptime partner). I finally put my foot down and we all went to Wmart just to get the milk. In the rain.

When we got home she somehow got a hold of a sugar bag, got it open, and dumped it out on the floor between her legs and went to town. All while I was bringing in the groceries. (I would have gotten a sugar-coated photo if my head hadn’t been about ready to combust.) One huge gritty sticky mess. My kitchen floor is still a little crunchy. (That’s the part where I went and hid.)

SO THANKFUL Andy came home after a half-day and we pushed up our sleeves and scrubbed our house. I’m the kind of person that if my house is out of control, my life feels out of control. He’s been really busy with temporary construction-type work and I’d been sick, add in a few wild kids and you have a situation bordering on disaster.

Oh, and then the prong of my new(ish) vacuum plug broke. On Cleaning Day. Go figure.

ANYway. We did get things under some sort of order, I got a bag of toys ready for donation, and we have some momentum to finish things up today. I only tell you all that to say – THIS IS THE REAL DEAL, FOLKS. We all have terrible, no good days.

(And believe me, I put Arianna in the nursery last night at church so I could breathe in peace.)

there’s a boy in my belly

Another post I’ve been putting off!!

Alternate title: What I Really Look Like

Sooo, surprise? Us, too! I’ve been (rather foolishly, apparently) waiting for Andy to get a job before I announced this pregnancy because, well, the timing.

BUT. I know God is faithful and He cares for ALL of His children. We’re leaning hard on that.

And yes! We already know it’s a boy. (Long story.) So, while we probably wouldn’t have chosen to have Number 5 at this particular moment in our lives, we ARE excited AND thankful.

I dress them crazy on purpose

So much FUN.

Happenins

Arianna decided she can crawl. She didn’t even do that rocking thing babies often do – she just all of the sudden took off across my sisters’ living room Sunday, and that was that. (Same day she got another tooth — what does she think, she’s going off to college tomorrow?)

Madeline likewise took off riding her bike without the training wheels. And it was the same sort of way, as if she’d been doing it forever. (I guess we should have taken them off earlier.) Funny thing, Drew was the one that went to the shed and got Andy’s tools out and took her training wheels off all by himself.

Yeah. WHO NEEDS PARENTS?!

Genius

So, speaking of child labor, Drew just took it upon himself to take his stack of laundry out of the basket on my bedroom floor and put it all away.

The lightbulb, it just went off.

Inspired, I asked Madeline if she wanted to put away her laundry, which she did, (mostly) perfectly.

Now. There are plenty of things my kids help with around the house but I’m a bit, uh, particular about the way things are washed and folded. Plus my mom did all the laundry growing up and so it’s my way of paying it forward. But getting it put away??? TOTALLY my kids’ job now.

Totally.

(What else do you have your kids do?)

Mama Drama

I had just finished cutting Drew’s hair last night and there was still hair everywhere and I was changing Arianna’s poopy on my bed, got poop on my sheets and then I hear “_____ peed in the bathtub!” It was one of those moments. IfyouknowwhatImean.

They had slept late during their nap yesterday, which means they were wired at 8 p.m. while I was exhausted. Funny how that works. I didn’t yell at anyone, though, so there’s that.

And then Adelaide’s been doing this get-up-a-million-times-a-night-after-I-put-her-down thing, even after being disciplined for it. She’s a wee bit, um, headstrong. But the things she says are so hilarious it’s almost worth it just to see what she’s gonna say.

The kids don’t go back to school for another full month, and a very very hot one at that. It sort of makes me want to curl up in a ball on my closet floor or just set up a tent right next to the pool. Thankfully we have plans tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday with friends – everyone needs a daily dose of good old family fun to keep the spirits high. We may even be in B’ham this weekend before her baby comes.

Ooh, and then my mom and sisters get here soon. The kids are talking about it by the minute. And I may be, too.

And it’s up!

Yesterday, ALL BY MYSELF, I drug the remaining top-bunk box down from the attic, and started getting the bed set up. Andy had to pick up an extra bolt (one of the included ones was stripped or something) on his way to work, but we were able to finish last night. The kids were so excited they barely paid attention to their bedtime story.

(That photo doesn’t show the depth well, but it’s really a full on the bottom and a regular-sized twin on top.)

Arianna slept in there, too, in the crib. She woke up once (at 2 a.m.), nursed, and then slept the rest of the night.

(And there was much rejoicing.)

A bumpy day

So today my girls and I attended half of our church’s Ladies Tea. It was one of those times where it just struck me sitting there that this isn’t worth it and we got up and left. Maybe next year, when they are older and I’m not stretched quite so thin; not as many little girls needing things or a nursing baby.

Plus, I had been holding Arianna while trying to manage with the chicken salad, and a mayonnaisey piece fell down the front of my shirt.  (Sorry…just had to share.)  Funny, except when you’re over-tired and already a wee bit stressed.

I also forgot my camera.  These were taken at home after we had relaxed some and she had been fed.

It’s red and snappy and they…are future Olympians

I hadn’t intended to ditch my blog for nearly a week — there just wasn’t anything blog-worthy going on! We were mostly house-bound after Andy’s car died a rather miserable death and he needed mine to get to work…

HOWEVER.

On Saturday we found a potential car, ran the history reports, called my sister to come stay with the kids, drove about 45 minutes away to see it, decided to buy it and then did, that afternoon. I had asked the Lord to make it easy if that was what we were supposed to do, and everything kept falling smoothly into place. So that’s that, I have wheels again.

The again-found freedom must have gone to my head, however, because I took all four kids to two different Targets today, on the hunt for various sizes. (Please tell me mine aren’t the only kids who like to “hide” behind the stroller and pack n’ play boxes.)

As we were leaving the second store, I was paying for $1 popcorn for the ride home (SO THAT THEY WOULDN’T FALL ASLEEP) and heard the cashier say “get down!”

Turned around to find Drew standing on the counter above the bar-stools and Madeline walking on the half-wall above it that separates the food court, using it like a balance beam.

WHO ARE THESE CHILDREN AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

(You can imagine how our conversation went on the way home…“We do not walk on the furniture, even in Target!!!”) In all the pulling-children-from-places-they-should-not-be, one of Adelaide’s “flick-flocks” got left. Some amazingly kind soul in the parking lot went and found it and brought it out to me.

Yes. I am that mother.

Oh… Yeah…

So my friend Sarah asked me today if I’d started washing newborn clothes and generally getting things ready.

That would be a negative, Tower.*

Honestly, I sort of forgot about all that stuff. I suppose I need to dig around and find the infant car seat in the attic, shake the dust off and wash the cover. I have no idea where my nursing bras are. And hospital bag? What’s that?

Have I pre-registered at the hospital? Another negative, Tower.

(I have my GBS test on Friday and so I’m planning on swinging by the hospital on my way home.)

(If I remember.)

This has all felt so far in the future for so long, it sort of seems shocking that we could very well have her here in two weeks.

My oh my, where did the time go?

(*My dad was a pilot. He always said that to us.)

The Journey Begins

Alternate title: “Adelaide’s wearing a hot pink diaper”

Several weeks ago Dolly mentioned she was thinking of switching to cloth diapers and showed me the ones she was trying. That got my mental wheels turning, visions of future dollar signs saved in my head.

I never would have dreamed doing cloth with Drew… I didn’t really know anyone who wasn’t using disposables and assumed the cloth options were still like what my grandmother would have used.

So imagine my surprise when I found out about this little gem:

It pretty much works the same as a disposable, save that you don’t actually, you know, dispose of it.

Since then I found a few really great sales, and let’s just say there’s no turning back now. I have a few disposables left, but I’m saving them for church. Adelaide’s been wearing panties during the day but she’s been wearing a cloth diaper the past few naps and last night I crossed my fingers and put one on her for overnight.

12 hours later, she woke up dry. (I mean, the diaper was soaked, but her jammies and sheets were dry.)

I bought only the one-size (adjustable to fit babies 7-35 pounds), and the bulk of them will be used by the new baby. But I figured I might as well have her be wearing them in the meantime; there’s no sense in spending even more money on any more packs of Luvs.

Good thing I’m not easily embarrassed

Yesterday, and quite possibly the day before, I was in a Funk. (And I can’t even blame PMS for it.) Finally during naptime I decided I needed to get out of the house, just to clear my head.

So I did what any normal person would do, and took my kids to Target.

The last time I was there, which would have been Monday for bigger socks, my kids were AWFUL. Madeline got yelled at by an employee for running around ‘hiding’ in the middle of the toddler clothing rounders and then both she and Drew climbed behind the pack n’ play boxes.

Adelaide somehow escaped from the lap belt in the cart and climbed out and ran off. I was not amused. We got several Looks. And yes, they paid the price of disobedience once we got home.

So this time I told Madeline she had to sit in the double stroller with Adelaide. And, on a whim, I agreed to Drew pushing the whole thing.

He only almost ran into someone once. For the most part he did great. He was a little slow to walk next to and he didn’t exactly push a straight line. But it kept him more than occupied and he took his responsibility VERY seriously.

And, in case you’re wondering, this is what Adelaide wore the entire time we were out:

She has a thing or twelve for accessories.

I survived

…day two of Operation Drew Can’t Get Dirty.

Yesterday was much better than Tuesday. We even managed to get out in the morning for a few errands; the bank drive-thru and the grocery store (Drew sat in the stroller with his leg propped up). Of course it would rain when we were walking out, so I had him cover his leg with a plastic sack.

I know, I’m so industrious.

Other than that, it was much of the same. Movies, books, coloring… and lots and lots of pain killers.

“I’m coloring the eggs green because I couldn’t find white.” – Madeline, age 3 1/2.

I shall never step foot in McDonald’s again.

You would think, after being cooped up so often in the last several weeks, my kids would be glad to be out and about and would behave themselves and act like civilized children.

Well.

I took them to the play area in our mall yesterday morning. (Andy had to work all day/night.) Adelaide had pulled out and lost her earrings, and the regular ones I put in as substitutes she can get out in the blink of an eye. I needed more of those piercing studs that are much harder to remove, which is why I chose the mall for our outing. That, and the play area is free.

The mall part of the trip went without a hitch. We left even though it was lunchtime, because I didn’t feel like dealing with the chaos that is the food court. But as soon as everyone was buckled in their carseats, they began to complain how hungry they were, and I still had to stop in Wal*mart.

(We were out of wipes. If you’ve read here for any length of time, you know that Adelaide in diapers means we must have wipes. Lots and lots of wipes.)

So I thought we could eat quickly at McDonald’s and went through the drive-thru. They wanted to eat inside, and I was fine with that because it meant the mess would not be in my van. So I picked up the food from the window, parked, and we went into the kid/play room and sat down at a table.

After the kids had eaten, of course they ran off to play. I wanted to wrap it up (I mean, we’d just spent an hour playing at the mall!) and so I called for them to come down and get their shoes on.

Crickets, they are chirping.

Madeline comes down and begins doing her potty dance. You know where this is going, don’t you?

Adelaide, unfortunately, is too short to get herself down – she can’t see that she’s only inches away from the next level of the split-level-ladder-thing. So I sent Madeline back up to help her because no way was I going to cram myself into it and attempt to get her. And Drew was out of earshot, as far as I knew.

I spent the next ten minutes yelling at various children to help their sister, no go down the slide, okay show Adelaide where the slide is, no JUST HELP HER DOWN ALREADY. Madeline was again at my side, “I have to poop, Mommy, I have to poop!!!” I’m screaming at the others at this point to come NOW and finally had to do the unthinkable – climb up there myself and get Adelaide down.

The next thing I know, Madeline is pulling her hand out of her pants, covered in poop.

(!!!)

(I’ll delete this post before she’s a teenager. It can be our little secret.)

I, as calmly as I could, wiped her hand, grabbed all our stuff, somehow managed to gather Adelaide, and herd them all to the bathroom in the back. I tried to clean up Madeline as best I could (why do they not have paper towels when I need them?) with water and toilet paper. Adelaide and Drew played with the hand dryer in the meantime. Loud.

I threw the offending panties in the trash, explained to her that we were just going to have to throw that pair away and she’d just have to ride home in her jeans, scrubbed our hands, and began herding them out to the car.

As I was opening the door to walk outside, OF COURSE I dropped the HiC orange drink I was carrying and it splashed up everywhere. When it rains? It pours.

Suffice it to say, we did NOT go to Wal*mart then. We went last night after Madeline’s bath, naps, and dinner. But clearly my kids were out to get me yesterday because they were TERRIBLE the entire time we were there. My glares and threats meant nothing (until we got home). They ran, danced, played tag, and touched EVERYTHING. Madeline even climbed up into the icebox and shut the door while I was swiping my debit card.

Oh, and I had repeatedly ran into the same couple on every. single. aisle. They even pulled behind me in the checkout lane. An audience. Figures.

(Perhaps I should’ve titled this post “Adventures in Humiliation.”)