Hospital Pictures

I have had my doubts as to whether I should post these pictures.  Each time I look at them, I can't help but smile.  My girls missed me.  They were a bit scared by their Mommy's stay in the hospital.  They can up to see me one evening.  We would learn later, they were well past visiting hours.  Oops.  They climbed in bed with me and we began the picture session.  Fun Girl even gave me a pedicure.  Such a bright spot to be able to look down at my toes.  I am so blessed to have these 2 for my daughters. 

Sugar and spice

Every once in a while it is just me and one of my sweet kiddos! 

The urge hits to do something special just them and me.

After a day at the home school conference, my sweet Princess and I

had ice cream for dinner!  Oh yeah!

We ate at the park to prevent the inevitable chorus, "What about me?"

I love times like these with my kids. 

Little Princess makes me smile.....

Sometimes, I look through files on my phone to clean up extras no longer needed.  Pictures of register amounts for recording later.  Photos of clothes taken and texted to see if I should get or not...
You know just routine maintenance.  Then there are photos like these taken by my beloved children and I can only smile.....

Seeing with New Eyes

Little Princess took the plunge.  Contacts for her !  She is growing up.  With my oldest girl, I have dragged my feet along the way.  Not wanting to rush things.  Plus I knew as she grew up the youngers would grow up a tad faster with all the newness being introduced along the way.  It has, also, been exciting to experience the firsts with my oldest.  I have worried back in my mind, that when it was my Little Princess' turn to do these firsts for her, my enthusiasm would be less.  It is different. It is still fun!  My experience with Fun Girl, has left me more experienced and yet excited in a new way... "I have a secret" excited!  I know what is coming, I am excited for her and can't wait to see her experience it.  Just as she is seeing the world with "new eyes", so am I.  I am so happy to be Mom to this beautiful young lady!

Easter 2013 ~

We did Easter a bit different this year. 

Hubby and I talked to the Easter Bunny and asked for something a bit different~

Baskets! 

 

Normally, there is a chocolate bunny and jelly beans on the table for each kiddo..

 

The Easter Bunny always comes while we are at church.

 

Starting when we had just one wee one,

Easter Bunny would always leave spring/summer fun behind

instead of candy.

Sidewalk chalk

Bubbles

Water balloons

Pool toys

 

He decided to fill baskets/buckets for the kids.

He respected my desire for just a "little" candy.

 

Each bucket had favorite snacks...

Cheez-its,
Pringles,
personal favorite sweets
Oreos,

the required Chocolate Bunny,
a couple of the kiddos received sidewalk chalk tattoos,

and they all received
Water Balloons!


 

Now I know only 4 children are pictured. 

 And if you are a very observant aunt, this might bother you...

Hockey Player was not left out.

He was working at the church nursery this Sunday while we were at home getting ready

for the big day with Hubby's family. 

We picked him up and joined the family celebration and protected his bucket till we could

present it to him.

 

Part 2 of Early Easter Fun ~ Dying the Eggs

Two days after blowing the eggs, I needed some peace and quiet.  I had the kids prep the table with newspaper.  I looked online how to dye Easter eggs, the "old-fashioned" way.  Old-fashioned in that I remembered doing it with food coloring and vinegar when I was a kid.  I don't ever remember using a kit.  I wing a lot of things, but I wanted some peace and quiet and needed to make sure it would work. 
So we made up the colors and I set them to work. 
Who knew that my younger 3 would entertain themselves for over an hour? How many eggs did they dye??  TWO EACH! 
They knew they needed 2 for each of the 2 older sibs not there at the moment.  I never know when a project will elicit the response, "But I want to do it..."  They are just at that age.  They loved blowing the egg goo out of the shelves.  They did oblige the youngers and offer their eggs up to their younger sibs to explore more creativity. 
Even though I enjoyed the quiet very much, I had to snap a couple of pictures to capture the moment. 

Different kind of school...

Lots of snow a couple of weeks ago. Add a mom that is suppose to be resting and having speech issues, the kids get to pursue their personal interests. Little Princess needed a hat to cover her ears while playing in the snow. So she whipped up this beauty! I was tickled to walk into my room to see her waiting for me. She wanted to know what I thought of the flower before she secured it onto the hat more permanently. BEAUTIFUL!

Sibling Sweetness Melts My Heart

One particular day, I entered my living room on two different occassions.  I found THE MAN with his sister(s). 
1065.   School for her + WebKinz for him

1066.  Itouch game together.

Birthday dinner Dad's Bud style

Dad's Bud is nine! He chose Red Lobster for his dinner. We went for lunch.

 

Dad's Bud is our adventurous eater. If he is interested by it, he will try it. So a couple if years ago he saw an ad for Red Lobster and declared he wanted to give it a try.  Saw the poster for snow crab legs and said, "Hey let's try those." He has no concept of money, when someone else is buying. He tried them, he liked them.

So this birthday we are back and he asks to order a pound of snow crab legs! My eyes jumped out of my head. Dad said sure, it is his birthday! He is thrilled.

 

While Dad's Bud was enjoying his lunch, Little Princess was trying to getting past the fishiness of the restaurant.  Even her chicken chicken alfredo was tasting fishy.

 

And when she looked up and across the table all she saw was her brother in heaven, making crunching sounds she just couldn't stomache.

I tried to trade places with her.

She sat next to her brother, but she didn't have to look at him.

 

Alas, that didn't work.  She could still hear the crunching. 

She left her plate for the to go box and we went to the car.

Fresh air for her, and less noise for me. 
My head was hurting.

 

 

Happy Birthday to Dads' Bud!

Unfortuantely, that is all the pictures I have of his Birthday Day pictures.
Hoping for some family birthday pictures this weekend. 
I was so worn out, I slept the rest of the afternoon.

Body Art courtesy of Sibling Love

After a full day of running around, I sat down to do some memory work with THE MAN.  His shirt shifted and I was like, "What is that?"  Lifted his shirt to discover his latest body work.  Love how the belly button (aka tickle dot) is incorporated into this work of art.  It is then I discover he didn't do it!  He asked his sister to and she honored his request. 

Girl's Weekend

The last several years we have done a lot of traveling for hockey. 

It has been fun.  Then Fun Girl decided she wanted to try swim team again.

This time, we found a team that was a really good fit for our Fun Girl and her family.

She has been having soo much fun, she wanted to travel for meets.

With sick brothers at home, we hit the road. 

Just the three of us girls.

We learned some navigation lessons.

Listened to music, chatted and just enjoyed the estrogen levels. :)

The biggest difference with swim team is trying to find your person!

Under water.

 

Don't blink or you could lose your swimmer.

 

 

I was amazed during warm ups!

I texted this video to a friend.

She responded back with:

"It's Where's Waldo ~ Fun Girl style!"

She is right.

 

 

 

Bringing in personal bests while trying to overcome Bronchitis

left her Momma in awe.

 

Then a Momma showed up at the pool with cupcakes.

No ordinary cupcakes.

Next thing you know, I was headed the 5 blocks over.

 With Little Princess by my side

we oohhed and ahhhed.

 

 

Decisions, decisions ???

 

 

 

Choices made!

 

 

We were well behaved all through the remainder of the meet.

We waited till we were in the car.  With forks in hand we each started sampling.

Nope, no pictures.

No one wanted to stop eating long enough to take pictures.

Pure selfishness.

The other two would not have stopped sampling! 

YUMMY!

 

Sisterly TLC

I come home from the doctor's office with Hockey Player last week

and discovered The Man on my couch.

 

But it wasn't as simple as all that may sound.

 

He has my bed pillows arranged just so,

providing him with support and cushion while he plays on someone's I touch.

 

I, of course, wonder who he thinks he is to be able to lay around in such comfort and leisure?

 Instead of laughing,

 I ask in my motherly tone why he is not working on his school work.

He doesn't mention feeling sick or having a cold.

Nope.

  Instead he very quickly starts his explanation with,

"It was Little Princess's idea!".

Now that was a new one.

  His sister's idea to pamper and fluff her brother.

Yeah, right!?!

Then he story comes out.

 She opened a door, smashed his foot and left a mark on it.

 I am sure the drama and anguish that was displayed was being left out of the report.

 She was sorry and didn't mean to hurt him.

 In an attempt to make it all better she took care of her brother.

 He looks really hurt, doesn't he?

I want a Little Princess for a sibling.

Rapunzel she is not!

Little Princess is well a princess. 

She might be Cinderella, she likes shoes.

She might be Belle, she likes to read and dance.

She might be Snow White, fair complected, dark hair, ruby red lips.

Rapunzel she is not.

Stick her in a tower, she will not let down her hair.

She will CLIMB out of her tower and be free.

She is sweet.

She is tender.

She is kind.

She is loving.

She is compassionate.

She is STRONG!

 

There was a climbing competition at the Y this weekend.

We weren't sure how to make it work. 

Hockey Player had a tournament in OKC.

Then my head cold worsened.

I wasn't sleeping well.

In a hotel, that is not a good thing.

It was decided best for everyone if mom stayed home.

The girls were given the choice.

Then Fun Girl's cold worsened.

Little Princess definitely didn't want to be alone with the boys.

AND she had a competition to entice her away from a trip out of town.

As the boys drove south, we headed north to the Y.

 

Warming UP!

 

Stretching and demonstrating flexibility

 

 

 

Half way across the boulder

 

 

It is hard to tell in this photo, but she is hanging on by her finger tips.

She is trying to get her footing so she can inch her way to the right.

 

 

To the corner and now to cross the bridge!

 

 

Pulling up and heading to the red and yellow markers on the right

 

 

Touched at last!

 

 

One exhausted girl

750 points

She took 2nd place. 

7 point difference between her and first.

She tied her friend for second.

She chose chalk as her prize.

 

Jane, she is a favorite part of my week!

I first met Jane 8 or 9 years ago. 

Fun Girl wanted to learn to play violin.

A friend recommended Jane. 

She even took me to her kiddos lessons. 

Still wasn't too sure about entering the world of music lessons.

I knew in theory, I knew music instruction was invaluable.

But private lessons and the cost of the instrument had me concerned....
well invaluable, means there is a value.

A big commitment.

As always, God has provided. 

Since that day, all but our youngest have gone to Jane for lessons.

Fun Girl started with violin.

Then she added piano as Hockey Player started to play.

Fun Girl has moved on in her interests but to Jane's we go every week.

Hockey Player

Little Princess

Dad's Bud

and maybe one day The Man

Jane's home is one the children adore.

Her yard is something out of the Secret Garden.

Lots to discover,

a tire swing for waiting siblings

daffodils in the spring

cats and kittens lounging in the sun....

in her home...

piles and piles of music...

and she knows where each piece is located.

I believe every she has kept every gift every student has given her.

A testament of the love and respect given to her by all who enter her life.

 

 

Before every recital piece is played, the performer

must stand, tell his name, age, grade and something about him/herself

and the piece to be played.

Meanwhile, siblings are encouraged to get comfortable

and pet the audience.

 

 

garlands of glitter and pizzazz

sparkles and memories

 

 

momentos of a life time of teaching

 

 

When I look around, I can't help but smile.

Pumpkin Patch at home

My children!

Each one is unique.

Each one has their mother's heart.

Each demostrate their individuality in all they do

even when picking their pumpkins. 

Naming is courtesy of my girls!

Left to Right

The Mutant,  The Character, The Alien, Cinderella

HOckey Player,       Fun Girl,       The Man,     Little Princess

 

Boo

Dad's Bud

Pumpkin Patch #3...Last but not least

Favorite glimpses of Autumn.

Taking time to Pause and Enjoy

the Now and Here

It was a beautiful day!

 

 

Another snack break :)