a real life fairytale

Super Bowl

2012-02-13T07:42:00.000-06:00

Someone had the bright idea to invite the whole 4th, 6th and 8th grades to our house for a Super Bowl party last Sunday night. I assumed that a couple of kids from each grade would come and that they would be watching the game the whole time.

Apparently I was off by about 30 kids. And very few really wanted to watch the game...

I LOVE how this picture shows the 6th grade girls on one side of the driveway and all the boys on the other. Oh, adolescent behavior...

A little Super Bowl snack. The crowd also put to shame TEN pizzas!

Pretty sure the trampoline was not meant for this much weight.

Huck Finn and his 4th grade buddies.

Well, they may not be able to tell you who won the game, but I'm sure they would all say they had a great time!

Sport's Day

2012-02-10T08:26:00.000-06:00

It was "Sport's Day" at preschool. Whatever that means. But it was a good opportunity to dress up Miss Muffet and LBB.

Her pout cracks me up.

This is what happens when I say "Smile for just ONE more picture and then I will be done".

I can hardly stand the cuteness.

It's been a while...

2012-02-08T21:14:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to get my ducks in a row.

Balancing 2 teenagers, 2 toddlers, and an active boy in between has been harder than it looks.

But I can take a challenge.

We have seen many doctors lately, started eating healthy (-er), getting in bed early, and having more of a daily routine.

And I would like to get back to blogging.

I have missed you, my friends.

Letting go

2012-01-25T21:12:00.000-06:00

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Today I...

2012-01-01T21:12:00.000-06:00

Took a walk.

Comforted my son who was distraught over falling asleep before the ball dropped last night.

Put away more Christmas stuff.

Bought groceries which were greatly needed.

Jumped on the trampoline with Miss Muffet.

Made steak and mashed potatoes for dinner.

Christmas day

2011-12-28T21:29:00.000-06:00

All the big girl cousins.

Tea party with cousin Sarah.

We said we would never buy a trampoline. And technically, we didn't. Santa brought it.

ALWAYS one finger in the belly button.

Taking his favorite girl for a ride.

First bike!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T21:11:00.000-06:00

A fun Christmas Eve party at our house after church...

A little excited to get a wii from Mimi!

Hooray for pencils!

Rock'em, Sock'em

Feeding her baby doll. The first time I have ever seen her do this.

Making cookies for Santa with Papa.

All ready for Santa to come... now time to go to sleep...

2011-12-28T20:59:00.000-06:00

The kids made homemade cards that we took to a nursing home on Christmas Day.

Ice Skating

2011-12-28T20:37:00.000-06:00

We took the kids ice skating, a first for Little Boy Blue.

Bo Peep is a great skater. She gets it from me. Heehee

The big kids took turns helping LBB on the ice.

And I watched from the side. I don't do well in cold temperatures. Or falling on ice.

Anyway, someone needed to keep an eye on the diva.

Christmas lights

2011-12-27T13:38:00.000-06:00

Every year we put on our pj's and grab blankets and hot chocolate and head out to see the Christmas lights.

Can you feel the excitement? We call this FFF (Forced family fun).

Then we get in line with all the other people that had our idea.

WOW!

Even the dogs like the lights!

Until next year...

2011-12-25T08:29:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Fire trucks and Nursing homes

2011-12-23T09:55:00.001-06:00

Everyone loves to make cookies, right? But what do you do when you have more than you can eat?

Take them to the fire station, nursing home and to your grandparent's house!

First stop- our local fire station.

The firemen were SO nice. They gave the kids a tour of everything on their truck.

And I know who was the most impressed!

They even put on their gear and showed the kids there was nothing to be afraid of if we ever had a fire in our house.

Miss Muffet turned on the lights...

We love our local firemen and are grateful for all they do to keep us safe!

After leaving the fire house, we visited Nino and Grandaddy for a little Christmas caroling.

With still more cookies to give away, we stopped at a nursing home and visited with several residents. I forgot to bring my camera in, but the kids loved interacting with them and of course the senior citizens loved all the cookies. In fact, we will be going back on Christmas day to bring handmade cards and pictures that the kids have made to brighten the seniors' day.

Cookies!!!

2011-12-23T06:59:00.000-06:00

We spent the day making dozens of cookies! Some to eat... and some to share.

Family Force Five

2011-12-22T17:24:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, all Goldi wanted was her two front... row tickets to Family Force Five!

And, of course, we had to make it happen. Even if it meant a trip to another town and spending the night in a hotel. It was all she wanted for Christmas, right?

Waiting outside for the "VIP" experience...

Meeting the band Hawk Nelson

Family Force 5- Goldi made the gold duct tape "5" that Chap Stique is wearing.

Goldi also made portraits of each of the band members to sign...

This is Fatty saying, "WOW, It creeps me out! This looks just like me!"

After hanging with the band, it was time for the music.

Merry Christmas Goldi!

kid's trees

2011-12-22T03:08:00.000-06:00

Each of the kiddos have a tree in their room that they get to decorate.

Huck Finn and LBB's tree: sports

Bo Peep's tree: pretty purple

Goldilock's tree: artsy color

And I spy an artist at work now!

I told them to smile and I got the 'robot' instead

2011-12-21T10:33:00.000-06:00

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

2011-12-21T08:59:00.000-06:00

After finally getting a Christmas tree, we gathered around to hang the lights, ornaments and angel on top.

Bo Peep picked the colors: silver, white and blue.

A nativity my great grandmother made... she would have been 106 this December.

And to all a good night....

A Christmas tree hunting we will go!

2011-12-15T07:56:00.000-06:00

One of my most favorite days of the year is when we pile in the car and head out to the Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree for our living room. This year we made the trip later than usual because of so much rain we have been getting on the weekends.

But finally, a clear and beautiful day...

Searching for the perfect tree.

Bo Peeps "I don't want to smile" face

Miss Muffet's "I don't want to smile" face

Now home to decorate the last tree...

Where does your elf hang out???

2011-12-07T21:06:00.000-06:00

If your family doesn't have an elf... do not despair. This is our first year and even the older kids are really getting into it! It's not too late to bring in a little "elf help" to watch if your kids are being naughty or nice.

If I wasn't so stuffed with turkey, I'd eat 'em

2011-11-28T18:13:00.000-06:00

Decorating the kid's Christmas tree last night...

Helping mama get the ornaments out.

Most of our ornaments we have collected since Goldilocks was born. Some date back to when Brent and I were little.

My little helpers are ready to chop down a BIG tree now and get to decorating again!

2011-11-26T09:19:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving week this year, our cousin came to visit from Tennessee! How fun to have a house full of kids to play with...

Ethan and Little Boy Blue

Watching Toy Story III

Frequent check ups on the dogs

A fun time at the park

Ava

Thanksgiving day:

Nino and Grandaddy

Aunt Gayle, Papa and Sophie

Jen and Lance

The kid table. Do you remember sitting at the kid table when you were little?

Allen, Jordan and Scarlett

The 3 youngest cousins

A yearly tradition... Thanksgiving day football game:

After dark smores

Wendy and Scarlett

Olivia enjoying her smores

Happy Thanksgiving Week

2011-11-25T21:19:00.000-06:00

The little kids enjoyed a Thanksgiving Feast at their preschool...

Poor Miss Muffet had been bitten by a mosquito just days before and her eye was swollen huge.

My little Indian "Great Buffalo"

"Great Buffalo" and "Naughty Mosquito"

Can we get a break?

2011-11-22T18:27:00.000-06:00

After petting the horse today at Market Street...

Huck Finn ended up in the E.R. with a severe allergic reaction...

Add it to my growing list of things I now have to worry about. Ugggg.

How a 1 yr old makes pancakes

2011-11-18T08:57:00.001-06:00

Pour in the mix

Drop an egg on the floor

Ask mama for a new egg and crack it over the bowl

Pour in milk

Stir up with a whisk

Be really proud that you are doing it all by yourself

Clean your hands in the dish water

After mama cooks your pancakes, eat with butter and syrup

Enjoy!

Goldi's birthday party...4 months later

2011-11-17T07:55:00.000-06:00

Goldi's birthday was back in July, but she has been planning since then to host her party in November at the Renaissance Festival. We took about 8 girls last week...

I think Goldi and her friends would agree, it was worth the wait!

I heart little boys

2011-11-15T19:55:00.000-06:00

Child Labor

2011-11-14T09:50:00.000-06:00

We have some new rules around here.

As our first three children begin the process of growing more independent, we as parents want to teach them how to live on their own successfully. Part of living on your own is knowing the value of a dollar. And the value of hard work.

For a few years now, our children have had jurisdictions or chores they must do around the house. They take turns washing the dishes, unloading the dishwasher, helping with laundry, take out the trash, clean their room, vacuum the den... all without pay or allowance. It's part of our "Many hands make a light load" motto. But recently, it struck Brent and I that whenever the kids want to buy anything, we just fork over the money. They are at an age where they are perfectly capable of earning their own money and paying for what they want to buy. But we didn't want to pay them for the chores they already do as a member of the house.

So we came up with a list of jobs and corresponding value to those jobs. Things like: washing the car... babysitting LBB and Miss Muffet... babysitting for neighbors... cleaning the back porch...washing windows... anything we might pay someone else to come in and do they now how the chance of earning the money for themselves.

I took them to our local bank and they each set up a checking account. I deposit the money they earn straight into their accounts and they each have a debit card that they now use to buy anything it is they want to buy. Even a candy bar. It is already paying off... the $100 outfit that Goldi wanted the other day wasn't as appealing when she was told it would come out of her debit card. Score!

Here they are washing our cars last week. They are really good at it. Since they are paid by the hour, it can take several hours to detail our cars. We now have really clean cars.

And the cutest little helper:

What do you do to teach your kids responsibility? Any suggestions?

2011-11-12T08:47:00.000-06:00

Miss Muffet certainly looks like she is feeling better now...

Wouldn't you say?

Birthday weekend

2011-11-11T18:05:00.000-06:00

This past week I celebrated my 26th... er 36th birthday. We went out of town with our good friends Scott and Amy for some "grown up" time. Things like dinner without a highchair and sleeping in until 8. It was luxurious.

We found a road side cupcake truck for a little birthday treat.

Catching up with my beautiful friend Celeste while in town.

Why does every trip with me conclude with Dairy Queen? Why?

HaPpY BiRtHdAy weekend to meeee!

Happy 10th Birthday Huck Finn

2011-11-10T10:44:00.000-06:00

I love you so much! You are the sweetest, kindest, smartest, most loving, sensitive, athletic, caring, giving young man I have ever known. You make me proud every single day. You are a prince charming. One day a beautiful princess will be so lucky to meet you. Until then, you are my little prince. Happy birthday sweet boy!

Procrastination

2011-11-04T06:26:00.001-06:00

I feel bad that I procrastinate with you blog. I think of you often during the day. Like when I take a picture of the babies naked, holding hands and giggling about how cold they are. I want to upload my camera at that very moment and write a poem that captures the innocence of a young child and their sibling. But instead I have to grab a towel because one of them starts to pee on the floor and my sweet moment turns into a game of chase around the house where someone always slips, or bumps into furniture, or hits someone for not following some unwritten rule about the proper way to chase a naked baby around a house. Once everyone is dressed again, I have forgotten where I put my camera and it really doesn't matter because if I don't make Miss Muffet eat her lunch right now, she will not want to go down for her nap at 12:00 and then I won't be able to wake her up in time to pick the big kids up at 3:00. And I might have time to blog once she goes to bed, but the kitchen counter is covered in dishes because someone, Goldi, hasn't been keeping up with her job and they really need to be washed so that we have a plate to eat off of again. First though, the dish washer needs unloading.... ahem Bo Peep. Oh yah, this is her day to go to school so I will be doing that as well. "what's that Little Boy Blue? Play animals wif you outside? I can't honey. I've got to unload the dishes to clean the dirty dishes to upload my pictures to blog about how much I love you and your sister to have a memory of all the sweet things you two do before I loose all my brain matter and can't remember what a computer is. "

Hope you understand, dear blog. For now in this season of life, while I am stuck in the middle of teenagers and toddlers, I will have to procrastinate with you. I will upload and write when I can... but that probably will never be enough. If you had been smart, you would have been a production blog. Like the team of people that follow Kate Gosselin around and video everything her family does. If you would just follow me and add it to my blog, my life would be complete. And everyone could see raw footage of me washing dishes, wiping rears, driving kids to cheer or basketball or football or art. Stuff that really makes good internet watching.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T07:27:00.000-06:00

Boo!

The kids opted for a non family themed costume this year. Bah Humbug. We will all be dressing alike next year! Whaahaaaaaaa

Carving pumpkins is our most favoritest thing to do.

An army soldier and an 80's girl

a bug

a tired little pumpkin

Goldilocks and her friends

After a little costume change into a lion... we walked the streets.

Sweet Miss Muffet didn't understand why she needed to wait at the door for people to hand her candy. At every-single-house she tried to push her way inside. No doubt she was scoping out the decor like her mama.

Trick or treat!

2011-10-28T20:28:00.000-06:00

Miss Muffet is doing so much better now. Thank you all for your prayers. It was so comforting to hear the stories of your own children, either here or on facebook, that have gone through the same thing. If you have any advice on how you keep your children from having a repeat febrile seizure, please let me know. I am trying to learn as much as I can about this now.

We are gearing up for a weekend full of fall fun... including Halloween. A few days ago we hosted a family costume party at our house. Miss Muffet still wasn't feeling great at the time, so she opted for no costume. But I'm sure by the time Monday rolls around she will be ready to rock her little pumpkin duds.

My Grandaddy... always the prankster.

Dinner was complete with "mummies on a stick", "pumpkin seed spinach salad", "tombstone cupcakes" and "blood orange brew".

My brother Wayne and his wife Wendy.

My brother Zach with his new baby's hat on :)

My parents: the rocker and the witch.

Love my little pumpkin football player.

We played a "toss the ball into the bucket" game.

My Aunt Gayle.

Everyone took a turn... so I had to put them to shame with my mad skills.

Even the naked babies played.

I don't know what to say about the bobbing for apples.

It was just gross. And scary.

and wet.

Hope you are enjoying the fall season with the one's you love!

Muffet

2011-10-23T20:26:00.000-06:00

Last night Miss Muffet had a seizure.

We had spent the day at a fall festival and she was feeling well, playing and posing for pictures in the pumpkins.

Other than a runny nose, she was feeling fine. Later in the afternoon, she felt warm, so I gave her some Tylenol and let her sleep on my chest for a while.

I was busy arranging some things in her room during her normal bedtime, so I was about 30 minutes late in rocking her to sleep. Just as she was dosing off, her legs began to jerk and then her arms and she stared up at me. At first it appeared that her face was saying "what is happening to my body?" but in reality, her eyes would be frozen in that same blinkless stare for over 20 minutes.

When her body went rigid, I began to scream for help. Brent and the other children came running in and Brent (who is a doctor) told me to call 911. As if in slow motion, I could not find a phone in our house. As I finally got the dispatcher on the phone and was giving him our information, Brent began to yell that Miss Muffet was no longer breathing and her little body was blue. She was still rigid and convulsing, her eyes still stuck in a stare.

We made the split second decision to leave the other 4 children at home alone and drive Miss Muffet to the nearest ER ourselves. The ambulance was taking too long, and we both knew there was a very small window to get her help before it was too late. As we drove away, the children were at the back door crying and talking to the dispatcher from 911 on the phone.

When we arrived in the parking lot, only about 3 minutes from our house, Miss Muffet began to breath again. I had been holding her in the backseat and tried to pry her jaw open, but it was in a tight lock. The doctor came into the lobby and took us to a room. We had left without shoes or cell phones. Our other babies were back home, scared and alone, praying for their baby sister.

The doctor ran many tests on Muffet, and my parents soon were notified by Goldi and my mom came to the ER and my dad to our house.

After 4 hours in the ER, she was stable enough to go back home. Exhausted and terrified of her fever spiking again, I slept with Miss Muffet next to me and checked on her through the night. She has been feeling well today, but as night falls I am anxious that it could happen again.

As you lay your children down for bed tonight, please hug them extra tight. Use kind words and spend your time investing in them and not the distractions of a busy mom. I am struck by the fact that if I had not been rocking Miss Muffet later than normal last night, she would have been alone in her crib when the seizure occurred. I could have been facing a different reality today. Instead, God granted protection to Miss Muffet. His peace is with us and I glorify Him for the life of my beautiful baby girl.

Why we love St. Louis

2011-10-21T21:44:00.001-06:00

Because the fall brings this:

And this:

While on our recent trip to St. Louis, Little Blue Blue, Brent and I visited Grant's Farm. It is a charming attraction that used to be the home of President Ulysses Grant. It is now home to the Busch Clydesdales.

Feeding the camels at Grant's Farm.

One more trip to the St. Louis zoo. LBB and I could live there!

I can't even tell you how special it was to spend a few days alone with my little man. I think he enjoyed being the only child too, although he did ask for Miss Muffet a lot!

When we lived in St. Louis, we would take the kids to this pumpkin patch... so full of memories for us.

Before heading back home, we had one more stop... the ARCH!

We took this tiny round elevator to the top of the arch where you can get out and look over the city. Not a big fan of small spaces, but I endured it for the sake of the team.

Enjoying the fall leaves before the trip home.

And that, my friends, is why we LOVE St. Louis!

Meet me in St. Louis

2011-10-15T08:01:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Brent, Little Boy Blue and I flew to St. Louis for a conference. We lived here a few years ago, and since we are doing the whole let's go visit every place we have ever lived in tour, we decided to bring LBB along for our walk down memory lane.

LBB is enjoying being the only child for a few days.

We woke up early to get a start on our day together.

Brent had to be in meetings all day, so LBB and I headed to the St. Louis Zoo, one of my favorite places to take the kids when we lived here.

He couldn't wait to find his favorite animal... the giraffe.

Until he saw the gorilla, and then that became his favorite animal.

Or was it the wild pigs?? I'll let him explain...

The stripes on a zebra always amaze me!

He was so excited, he couldn't contain his smile all day.

He got this monkey to pose with him on the window.

On the carousel.

The train conductor let LBB say "All Aboard" on the station speakers!

Can't wait to see what we get to do today in St. Louis, little buddy!

dust storms and tumbleweed

2011-10-14T08:41:00.000-06:00

Although this fall has been crazy busy, it has also been crazy fun! We took the kids on a very long road trip to visit our old stomping grounds... Lubbock, Texas. The oldest kids were born in Lubbock and were only 2, 5 and 7 when we moved.

Every trip includes a stop at DQ

Arriving at our hotel.

Me and my precious friend, Marlo. (She hosted the kids at her house while we were visiting. They had a blast!)

Guns Up!!!

A little shopping the next day :)

We took the kids to see the Tech campus... hoping to inspire good grades. Goldilocks says NO WAY to a big school, Huck says BRING IT ON and Bo Peep can't decide. So like them!

One of our favorite places while living in Lubbock. We would take the kids on Saturday morning to Krispy Kreme for donuts. They couldn't wait to get inside...

They make the donuts hot and fresh everyday. The kids were mesmerized watching the process of donut making.

I thought about getting my head under this ribbon of hot icing and letting it flow straight into my mouth.

Girl with attitude. This is her hungrymodelwantsadonut pose.

"Mom, I got it all over my yegs!"

This is what most of my pictures look like. And that is way I pray every night for patience.

Our old church.

Our first house. Both the girls were born in this house. It was so small, you could plug the vacuum in ONE plug and vacuum every room.

Brent planted this tree in the yard 14 years ago. We paid $14.00 for it at Home Depot and the tag said it would get to be 10 feet tall. OOPS!!! I think it may have been miss tagged???

Our favorite place in Lubbock- a huge wooden playground. I would bring the kids here all the time.

Before the big game...

Our friends joined us for tailgating before the game...

Goof balls. (yes, Bo Peep is wearing lipstick. She wanted to look like her mama.)

Guns up???

Before we headed home, we had to pick some cotton. Another tradition when we lived in Lubbock. It's funny how your kids remember the little things the most.

Goodbye Lubbock. Thanks for the memories.

Girl Trip or Bust

2011-10-04T13:08:00.000-06:00

This past weekend 7 great ladies and myself headed north for a girl's trip. We had a blast! Here is a recap of ~~Girl's Gone Wild~~ Mothers of a Total of 28 Children.

Half way stop- Dairy Queen. A road trip tradition!

Shelby and Rebecca doing their best "facebook" pose.

Me and Alia.

The next morning we headed out to shop... armed with fanny packs and a buggy.

Jennifer deciding how to decorate her Christmas tree.

Arriving at the largest trades day ever (us and about 2 million others!)

Rebecca and me.

"We break for fried pickles"

Hilarious- Rebecca hadn't bought anything all day... until she found styrofoam cups that said, "If I die in Wal-Mart, drag my body to Neimans!" You just have to know her :)

Me and Gena.

The great pumpkin. It took 3 people to carry it to the car and then filled the whole trunk.

Pizza dinner before driving back home. What an awesome time we had! Love you Alia, Jenni, Gena, Rebecca, Carrie, Shelby and Jennifer! Can't wait for the next girl's trip!

old pictures and practices

2011-09-29T15:27:00.000-06:00

I really need to change my title picture. Miss Muffet is like 6 weeks old. But I'm just too tired to do it. Not sleepy tired (although I am) but more like lazy. The laziness of a person who hasn't changed their children's picture in like, oh I don't know, a year and a half? Speaking of Miss Muffet, I love the way she falls asleep in my arms when I rock her. I wipe her wispy little hairs away from her face and stare down at her as she closes her little eyes and falls asleep. She looks so much like Goldi did at this age. I have been very nostalgic lately. I've been looking at old pictures and pretending like the big kids are little again when they are talking to me. It's like one of those weird insurance commercials. I see them as 2 or 3 years old, but they are actually 12 or 14. Time really goes by too fast. It is raining outside. It never rains here anymore. I think rain makes the day seem longer. Goldi loves the rain. She wrote on her college information packet (yes, she is only in 8th grade) that she wants to go to a college town where it rains a lot. Guess I won't be seeing much of her after 18. Bo Peep wants to start gymnastics again. On top of her 6 hours of cheer leading practice per week plus a football game every week. Gymnastics and piano lessons again and tennis lessons again and basketball starting in November. Which would be fine if she was an only child, but obviously, she's not. I got a new cookbook the other day and I can't wait to try it. Ok, if I couldn't wait then I would probably have gone to the grocery store by now. But my laziness has prevented me from making a list. So we eat sandwiches every night. Except for last night when I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes. And had to run out the door because I realized I was late for a painting class I had signed Goldi and me up for. Pictures of our awesome paintings to come. First I will need to upload the pictures to my computer. Which I may do after I help Huck complete his homeschool before he has to run out the door for football practice. Which begs the question, I am really lazy or am I just tired?

Happy 5 Years

2011-09-28T07:09:00.002-06:00

This month marks the five year anniversary since my husband and I opened his medical practice. We celebrated with a little lunch last week. We are both SO grateful for the wonderful staff we have and ALL the hard work they put in each day.

Here's to the next five years!!

If I can't find Miss Muffet in the morning...

2011-09-26T20:18:00.000-06:00

I should look in the laundry room. She is probably doing her hair.

Or wiping her face.

Or trying on masks.

You know, just stuff you do in the morning.

Busy

2011-09-24T17:53:00.000-06:00

I always say, "You can tell how busy a person's life is by how they neglect their blog".

Ok. I've never actually said that. But I do believe it could be true.

And you can see by the looks of my blog that I have been terribly busy.

Here is a quick recap of what we have been up to and what is in store for the future:

-My sweet husband and father of my 5 children picked the oldest 3 up early from school recently and whisked them away to the airport. They had no idea what plans had been made for them (Bo Peep expressed that she was hoping she had been picked up early to be told we were having another baby. Um, no honey). They were actually flying to Disney World where the 2 day Christian rock concert "Rock the Universe" was being held. They survived the trip WITHOUT me, but all admitted concerts are way more fun with mama groupie.

-All the kids have switched bedrooms with each other and I am the one left to organize and redecorate all their stuff. Goldi moved out of the hot room above the garage and opted for Miss Muffet's room which has both a bathroom and closet. (Unlike Gold's original room in this house) Miss Muffet was left homeless until I masterminded a transformation of LBB room into a baby girl's nursery. LBB was forced to bunk with big brother Huck Finn, and because of closet and bathroom sharing arrangements, they were relocated to Bo Peep's old room and she took the boy's old area. Her new room just got a pretty coat of pale lavender paint and now I've just got to pick out bedding and drapery to finish it. Goldi's room is almost done- a funky, artsy urban looking room with a Anthro bedspread, a big ol' orange chair and books "floating" on the wall. The boys kept the football theme with a mix of three year old's toys and stuffed animals. Whew! Talk about fruit basket turn over!

-I'm still homeschooling on Tuesday and Thursday. Do you remember the show "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?"? Well, I'm not. Nor a forth grader, sixth grader or eighth grader. Thank goodness they go to school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. At least they will have a chance of getting into college.

-Miss Muffet and LBB think they are twins. Literally. They copy every thing each other does. She wants to wear underwear like him. He has to eat whatever she is eating. They must play with every toy together (and fight over every toy). They hold hands in their car seats. They kiss and hug and bite each other. They are showing me that parenting in your twenties was easier than parenting in your thirties.

-This is my last weekend at home for quite a while. Next weekend I am taking a girlfriend's trip. I don't even know the last time I did that. Oh yes I do. It was when I turned 31.

-The weekend after that we are taking the kids to a football game in Lubbock, Tx. That is where the oldest three were born. They love it when we get to go back and visit.

-Then it's off to St. Louis, Mo. Again, a city we have lived in, but this time it is for business.

-My mom and I are planning a trip to NY. Just us two... just for fun. Can't wait. New York in the fall. Yes.

Our calendar is quickly filling up and I'm not sure if that means my blog will be completely neglected or full of awesome photos from fun times ahead. Guess I'll have to wait and see if I have time to unpack my suitcase and upload my pictures before the next adventure starts.

Are you ready for some football?!?!

2011-09-18T14:07:00.000-06:00

We sure are!

Our family loves football... to watch and to play.

And since my oldest boy has a mama that won't let him play tackle, (yes, I know. But he had such a pretty face. I don't want injuries. I'm sure it will happen sooner than I want anyway.) he gets the pleasure of playing flag football another year.

Miss Muffet loves to cheer on her brother at his games:

And stick her finger in her belly button. Which she is addicted to. Don't ask.

LOVE this photo. Ok- Bo Peep is sitting on her daddy's lap. At a football game. But when I go to take a picture of her... she gives me the "you are so embarrassing" look. Because apparently when you are 12 years old, it is perfectly acceptable to still sit on your daddy's lap in public, but smiling for a camera is not.

My handsome quarterback. Too handsome to play tackle.

Daddy gives him knucks after a great pass for a touchdown.

Coloring break.

Tattooing one's body with stickers.

You know where I will be every Saturday this fall.

Birthday Party at the Winery

2011-09-17T21:05:00.000-06:00

Friday night Brent and I went to our friend's surprise birthday party at a winery out in the country.

It was quite a drive, but thankfully my parents offered to watch the kids until late in the night.

Country sunset.

The winery barn.

Brent and the birthday boy and good friend- Chris Seay.

Old friends- Kelly and Jamie.

The crew: Hanna, Lisa and Chris Seay, Bud Royer, Jeremy and Jamie Wells, Liz and Robbie Seay

Field Trip

2011-09-15T21:09:00.000-06:00

Because I also love Thursdays...

During our homeschool day today, we decided a field trip was in order as a reward for all the work we have put into school the last few weeks. My mom came along as we painted pottery at a local craft room and I had the kids each place their hand print on a platter that I am going to finish for Thanksgiving. Some of us got a little more paint in our hair than on our pottery, but nothing a bath couldn't clean up.

Why I love Wednesday

2011-09-14T14:29:00.000-06:00

I drop off the village people.

And then spend the day like this:

Stop for this:

Add in a lunch with him:

And carve out enough time for a pedicure and car wash and...

that's why I love Wednesdays.

Hee Haw!

2011-09-05T21:46:00.000-06:00

Saturday night was a blast at our friend's Labor Day barn party. Little Boy Blue and Miss Muffet stayed up until 11pm (4 hours past their bed time!). They loved dancing to the live band and running through the barn lined with huge, gorgeous horses!

This party had it all... live band, Mexican buffet, face painting, video game van, photo booth, and lots of beautiful horses!

My cowgirl...she decided she wants to start riding horses again after being back in the barn.

My parents

Watching the kids dance was precious! Not sure if this was "the worm", but they spent a lot of time rolling on the dance floor. We had to drag Bo Peep to the car. That girl can p-a-r-t-y... I'm afraid for the teenage years. Very afraid.

Thank you Harvill family for an awesome night of fun!

How to clean a playroom 101

2011-08-31T09:09:00.001-06:00

Because of my ~~OCD~~ love of organization, I thought I would share with you some tips for cleaning a playroom or child's bedroom full of toys.

With five kids and lots of birthdays and Christmases throughout the years, we have accumulated our share of toys.

I have come up with a way to make the most use of floor space (meaning only having out a few toys out at a time to play with) and keeping the toys interesting to play with (storing the majority of toys and rotating them).

Here is a typical playroom floor if left to my children's devices:

The first thing I do to organize our playroom is to sort the toys into categories. I pick a dozen or so of their favorites and I put those into a basket. These are the 'floater' toys, they get moved from living room to bedroom to study, depending on where I need to keep the kids busy playing.

I like to organize the smaller toys into medium size clear tubs with lids. Ours have labels such as: trains, music, legos, rescue heros, etc. I bring these out about once a week and we all sit on the floor together and play and then put them back into the tub when we are finished.

For larger collections of toys, I use the large clear tubs with lids. In these boxes I keep things like Miss Muffet's tea party toys and baby dolls. Like with the smaller tubs, I bring a box out one at a time and when the kids loose interest in them, we all throw all the toys in the box and back in the closet it goes.

And for things the kids play with everyday, I have stackable drawers that they can easily pull out and get what they want. These drawers include puzzles, farm animals, and toy cars.

To add a personal touch to our playroom, I love framing the kids artwork and changing it out with the seasons.

And lastly, no playroom would be complete without a collection of children's books. I LOVE children's books. I admit, it's one of my weaknesses, but I think it's a pretty good weakness to have.

So what is your advice for staying organized under a mountain of colorful plastic? Do you have any tips for controlling the chaos of the playroom?

Hobby Lobby has fall stuff!

2011-08-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

You know what that means? Time to take your kids there and have them pose on a huge pile of fake pumpkins and smile for the camera. Isn't that why they pile up all those pumpkins?

And don't forget about the gigantic corn cob on the way out! Nothing says "Autumn" like a 3 foot long corn cob.

Bo Peep

2011-08-28T14:59:00.000-06:00

She is sugar,

and spice.

And everything nice.

When it's too hot to go outside

2011-08-27T14:04:00.000-06:00

The kids and I bravely roamed the scorching isles of the local nursery in search of plants to bring color back to our otherwise brown and dried up surroundings.

Just as the heat was about to overcome us all, the little two found a mud puddle to splash in.

After a good clean up, we headed home with a few pretty things to cheer up the view.

Now we just stand in the gloriously cool air conditioning and pretend it's not as hot as the surface of the sun outside. Here's hoping the plants last outside longer than we did.

Date day

2011-08-26T17:03:00.000-06:00

My husband and I go on a date every Friday. We have a babysitter for the little munchkins and we normally will go to lunch, shop or see a movie. This day was "The Help". I highly recommend you see it. And if you can, bring a hot guy with you.

First day of school

2011-08-23T14:10:00.000-06:00

Second day of school...

As my husband left for work this morning, he whispered in my ear, "Have a great day honey. And teach our children well." Isn't that sweet? If you are new to my blog, no... I did not let my children quit school after the first day. We attend a University Model School. Our kids go to school MWF and I homeschool TTh. It's the best of both worlds! The kids have friends and sports and structure, and we all get two extra days a week to spend together... learning! Learning school, learning about each other, and learning life.

Welcome back to school kids!

Our summer in pictures

2011-08-21T09:02:00.001-06:00

2011 Summer was...

Swim parties

Basketball with friends

Nature walks

The museum

Outdoor concerts

Awesome time at cheer camp

From girl...

2011-08-19T21:02:00.003-06:00

to teenager.

My, oh my

2011-08-10T08:27:00.000-06:00

"Where did this blue come from?"

"It's over here too!"

"Who did this?!"

"I should have know it would be you."

Goldi

2011-08-04T09:47:00.001-06:00

Dear Goldi,
You are a complicated, beautiful, gifted young woman. In your eyes, there lives an old soul. Your smile warms the earth. Your tears flood the oceans. To me, you are my treasure.

Goldi has new glasses

2011-08-03T09:40:00.000-06:00

leaving for the first time

2011-08-02T09:15:00.000-06:00

Sweet Bo Peep left this morning to go to cheer camp at a college a couple of hours away.

She was so excited to ~~get away from this crazy family~~ be at camp with her friends, she could hardly stand it!

It's only been a couple of hours, but we already miss you Peep!

Jackie and a pool party

2011-08-01T09:09:00.006-06:00

Many of you know my mother-in-law, Jackie, and of her recent stroke this past Thanksgiving and heart attack just a few weeks ago. She is recovering great from both, and as you can tell by these photos of her in the pool with the kids last weekend, she is almost fully back to her old self! What a miracle.

Sunscreen safety, Miss Muffet.

Brent and his mom.

Come on... you can do it!

Ta-da!

So, of course Bo Peep has to try it...

Not to be outdone by her siblings.

And we were blessed with a beautiful sunset to conclude a perfect day.

If you are wondering where I have been lately...

2011-07-31T21:09:00.000-06:00

I have been enjoying these last few weeks of summer with my family before school starts again. Where does the time go? Really?

The Help

2011-07-23T20:12:00.000-06:00

I love, love, love this book!

Who wants to get a group together to see the movie when it is released August 10?

2011-07-20T07:22:00.001-06:00

Sanibel Island

2011-07-19T13:22:00.001-06:00

Sanibel Island is also known as the sea shell capital. And being as it is a quick drive from Naples, we had to check it out. I'm always in the "homeschool mom" mindset, so I made my kids tour the sea shell museum. You never know when useless facts about sea shells may come in handy.

Walking along the beach searching for shells.

Naples

2011-07-19T13:06:00.000-06:00

More pictures from our trip to the beach... because you can never see too many water-logged, sun burned people.

Mimi and Huck Finn

Kissing at sunset.

Happy,

Happy Miss Muffet.

What we do when we are not covering ourselves with sand and frying our skin...

We watch Scooby Doo.

Oh yes, and eat ice cream...

Where in the world are we?

2011-07-14T15:45:00.001-06:00

We packed up our flip flops, bathing suits and beach toys and headed to the airport on Tuesday. A couple of hours (and a crying one year old with painful ears) later...

and where in the world do you think we are?

Need another hint?

How about this:

The Diva in her glasses.

We brought my ~~nanny~~ mom along for the fun.

Miss Muffet not so happy about sand in her face.

If you guessed Naples, Florida then you were right!

Sweet Sophia

2011-07-08T21:11:00.000-06:00

Tonight I had the joy of babysitting my niece and of course we had a little photo shoot :)

Here is a peek at 1 month old Sophia...

Are you ready to rumble?

2011-07-08T16:09:00.000-06:00

14 years ago today you made all my dreams come true.

Happy Birthday Goldilocks. I love you more than you will ever know.

ramblings

2011-07-06T21:49:00.001-06:00

Today I took the kids to the mall to buy swim suits for our upcoming trip to the beach.

I left the little kids with my mom, which made for a much more enjoyable shopping experience.

Our cable has been out for a couple of days.

It's not that bad, because we are on a media fast anyway.

A media fast is when Brent and I feel like we have lost all control of our 5 little ~~monsters~~ angels, and we take away all t.v., computers, video games and movies for a length of time. Usually a week.

This results in more FFT (family forced time) and better behaving children.

Miss Muffet has been waking up early again.

She went from getting up at 6am, to sleeping until 8:30am, and now is back to 7am.

Did you know most Asperger girls don't like swim suits?

Apparently they are tight and itchy. This makes for a long day shopping.

Nonetheless, Goldi bought TWO swim suits and I am happy to report is now wearing jeans, shorts and tennis shoes.

She has learned that she could walk on glass if she put her mind to it.

I am very proud of how hard she has worked to overcome her texture sensitivity.

I am still bewildered about Casey Anthony. I personally believe that even if she didn't kill her baby girl, she should go to jail for the rest of her life for partying while her child was "missing". I'm harsh like that.

Our dog, Emma, had to be shaved today. We neglected to brush her long hair. And when I say "we" I mean the kids.

I guess it is time for bed. Someone is going to be up at 7am. Urg.

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T20:36:00.000-06:00

Or "Happy American Idol" as Little Boy Blue greeted everyone today.

Miss Muffet on the other hand was not feeling the festivities...

Happy 4th!

She thinks she is 3

2011-07-03T09:06:00.001-06:00

And you wonder why I am turning gray.

Funniest video ever

2011-07-02T08:52:00.001-06:00

King Ranch Casserole

2011-07-02T07:10:00.000-06:00

So, our frig is fully stocked this summer and I love having extra time in the day to cook. Even cooking with the whole family until our counter can't hold any more and we get to share our abundance with parents of brand new babies and grandparents in their eighties.

Last night I made a yummy recipe that the kids enjoyed.

King Ranch Casserole

cooked and shredded chicken

butter

chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic

chicken broth

cream of mushroom soup and cream and chicken

diced tomatoes with green chilies

oregano, cumin, chili powder

sharp cheddar cheese

corn tortillas

Saute veggies in butter til tender. Add 3/4 cup of chicken broth, soup cans, 2 cans of tomatoes and spices. Heat. Layer in dish: half of the chicken, half of soup mix, 1 cup of cheese, 6 tortillas torn in strips. Repeat and top with more cheese. Bake til bubbly. Yummy.

Who could YOU share your dinner with tonight?

Have you ever cooked 28 meals in one day?

2011-06-30T08:49:00.001-06:00

Me neither.

This may be her best sketch yet

2011-06-29T08:34:00.001-06:00

Only half way finished, here is a picture of Goldi and her favorite lead singer:

Speaking of rock bands, look at what I arrived home to the other day...

Yes, while I was out running errands, Goldi took the little kid's chalk and doodled a note to me on the driveway asking to go to yet another Family Force Five concert.

And what do you think my answer was?

What we've been up to

2011-06-28T07:50:00.001-06:00

Yep. That's about it.

Huck Finn loves babies

2011-06-27T08:53:00.001-06:00

What a catch he will be one day...

3 words... Red. Bathing. Suit.

2011-06-26T07:46:00.000-06:00

Bo Peep turns 12!

2011-06-25T07:25:00.001-06:00

Bo Peep recently turned 12 and invited some friends over for a slumber party. No matter how many slumber parties I've thrown over the years, I'm still not accustomed to little girls running through my house screaming.

To occupy the little darlings, I planned some fun games. Like the "get a partner and a roll of tin foil and make your best outfit out of it for a fashion show". They like it.

And the "put make up on each other WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED" game. They really liked it.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the "run around outside at midnight with flashlights and look for the candy we hid in the yard" game. But again, they liked it.

Happy 12th Birthday Little Bo Peep!

They did it again.

2011-06-24T19:25:00.000-06:00

Today.

On our walk...

They can sleep anywhere...

2011-06-20T21:03:00.000-06:00

those numbers four and five.

My kid is more talented than yours.

2011-06-17T11:38:00.008-06:00

He makes his mama proud.

She just realized she is not the center of the universe

2011-06-16T11:38:00.000-06:00

Meet Sophia Rose

2011-06-15T07:18:00.002-06:00

My brother and his wife welcomed their first baby into the world this week.

Little Miss Sophia Rose.

She is tiny... and perfect... and a miracle.

We love you Junebug.

Goldi's painting

2011-06-14T13:23:00.000-06:00

"Cherry Blossoms"

Dining Room it is!

2011-06-11T14:57:00.000-06:00

So, hot pink is not very traditional. But neither are we!

Painting: Goldilocks' original "Cherry Blossoms"
Drapery fabric: Clarke and Clarke
Wall color: Sherwin Williams Neutral Ground

2011-06-09T07:25:00.001-06:00

What room would you like to see next???

LBB room update

2011-06-08T10:23:00.001-06:00

He graduated to a big boy bed!

Huck Finn's room

2011-06-06T10:12:00.002-06:00

"Boys Only"

My plan is to add beadboard to the bottom half of the room and paint the top half a light blue.

Pillows: Serena and Lily
Duvet and curtains: custom
Sports wall canvases: Posh Tots
Beds and dresser: Pottery Barn Kids
Nightstand: Target

Bugs

2011-06-04T10:01:00.001-06:00

Little Boy Blue

Has taken a liking to bugs.

He carries one sweetly wherever he goes.

So why did he do this?

Nobody knows.

Sneak peek at Miss Muffet's recent photo shoot

2011-06-02T07:18:00.002-06:00

The model with her cupcake and silk dress...

Now posing in a bathing suit among the fountains...

Being a swimsuit model is not all glamor.

More pics to come soon!

homemade kidmade pizza

2011-06-01T08:29:00.002-06:00

Every once in a while, I put my God given right for child labor into action and make my kids cook dinner for me. Tonight was such a night. ~~Because I felt lazy~~. Because I want my kids to be responsible adults who can cook a meal for themselves one day.

I started by throwing them a can of refrigerated pizza dough, grated mozzarella cheese, whole buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil.

They decided it would be fun to roll the dough with a rolling pin (big mistake, it shrunk up the size of a pancake. It took them 30 minutes of stretching to get the dough back to it's original size.)

Maybe throwing the dough in the air will stretch it??

Now to arrange the toppings. Of course there was a competition as to who's pizza would turn out the best. (And, yes, we frequently cook in our underwear. And there's a kid potty on our kitchen floor. I will understand if you turn down our invitation to dinner now. )

Finally, a yummy pizza and I didn't have to lift a finger. Except the ones I used to hold the camera.

The highlight of our summer so far:

2011-05-30T21:29:00.000-06:00

Watching a man replace the glass in our broken window.

Like I said, not much going on.

On my mind

2011-05-25T21:05:00.000-06:00

Please join me in praying for the victims of the recent tornados. This story has been on my mind all day...

Rescue workers are desperately searching for a three-year-old boy who disappeared when a tornado hit his home in Oklahoma, killing his brother and injuring his pregnant mother.

Ryan Hamil has not been seen since the storms hit last night in Canadian County.

His 15-month-old brother was killed and his pregnant mother and five-year old sister are in a critical condition in hospital.

The toddler was with his mother and two siblings in their home in Piedmont, northwest of Oklahoma City, when the tornado struck on Tuesday.

They had taken refuge in a bathtub when the storm hit.

The children's father, Hank, who runs a crop harvesting business, was away when the tragedy happened, but has returned to Oklahoma to help with the frantic search.

His wife Catherine, 36, is reported to have several broken bones, bruises and cuts. Doctors said that they could still feel the heartbeat of her baby, which is due in October.

A team of over 200 people are searching the area around their home using infrared heat seeking devices. They are also using a boat to look for the boy in a nearby lake.