In Which I Recall Some Crazy Mommy Moments

*Sometimes* life with four kidlets is calm and peaceful...but mostly, it's quite busy and wild.  It seems to go in spurts. This is a tale that reminds me how thankful I am for friends who actually stay friends with me after seeing us in all our "glory". 
My dear friend Malissa came over with her two boys this morning to play.  The big kids wanted to play outside in the snow.  So I start the ever-long process of bundling them up to go outside.  I get to the part where I'm putting Mr N's coat on and Malissa asks if it is a new coat. She hadn't seen it before.  Now, this should have been my first clue as we see Malissa quite a bit.  But I answer, no, it's not new, etc. and put it on him. 
Meanwhile, the girls had finished getting ready and went outside.  And didn't shut the door.  All of a sudden I realized I couldn't see Mr G, so I went to the door only to find him outside, without coat, hat, mittens, etc. (but he did have shoes on!) running to the backyard.  I was in socks.  I almost went out in socks to grab him, but since he was headed to the back and not the road, I decided to take a few seconds to pull on my boots.  I grab Toddler G who started screaming because he wants to be outside, and go back inside to finish up with Mr N.  Something doesn't seem quite right when I look at Mr N but I let it go.  He goes out and I start getting G ready.
I look out our back window to check on the kids and realize Mr N was wearing Mr G's coat.  It's a few inches too short in the arms.  *Sigh*  When you have kids close together, their clothes can really look the same, I promise.  So I finish with Mr G, grab Mr N's coat and head out.
Mr G runs into the garage and I can see him playing with his Cozy Coupe, so I figure now is a good time to get Mr N changed.  I get Mr N out of his small coat into his actual coat and turn to check on G.  He is now running in the snow.  In socks.  His boots are in the garage.  *Sigh*  I pick him up and give N one more minute to play and we head in.  So that was like 1 million minutes to get ready for 5 minutes of play.  Oh well.  =)
At this point, I can't get over the fact that Malissa hasn't run from my house with her two children tucked under her arms.  We get the kids out of their snow gear and settle them down with Curious George on Netflix.  I told her about our new fish and how we changed furniture around upstairs (completely unrelated incidents) and we go up to see it.  (I brought Toddler G with us, of course).  We go upstairs and there is the fish happily in his tank.  And there is the fish food....all over the floor.  I don't know which of the Fab Four is the guilty party, but I do have my suspicions...boys....
Embarrassed, I clean it up and she's very kind and says she understands. 
We go back down to the living room and hear screaming.  I look and find Mr N and her littlest boy in the glider...tipped on its back.  Mr N is screaming and her little one is just staring into space.  I think he was in shock or something. 
Well, the rest of the playdate went by without incident and now the kids are quiet...G is sleeping, N is putting together his puzzles from Christmas, and the girls are beading in their room.  So, why did I type this out?  Because though I can get frazzled with all that happens in a day, this is the stuff life is made of!  And I absolutely love it!  I love that we are making memories and that I have a good friend who still loves us even though she sees our imperfections.  For some reason, I don't want to forget these crazy days.  I know someday I will look back and my heart will ache for my little ones to be little again.  So I'm trying to cherish these moments, as crazy as they may be.

Life in Pictures - December

We've had a fun December so far! 

 

We put up our tree...and let me tell you, the bottom half is almost completely bare now.  =)  I'm glad they are having fun with it.

We had our first snowfall...Jared was pleased that Mr N could help this year!  Use those muscles!

The kids got dressed up for our Christmas program at church

We've started growing out Miss O's bangs....we'll see if we can make it this time...we've tried before and then caved and cut them. 

Mr G in our 1s and 2s class, waiting to perform

Mr G, Mr N, and Miss O were all in the preschool singing part.  Then later, Miss O went up with her class and had a speaking part.  She did great - a real natural!

Mr G is the youngest in our class.  Eventually he just sat down!  I was proud of him for staying up there as long as he did!



Mr N did great singing and doing the motions.  The 3 songs were: Happy Birthday (to Jesus), Baby Jesus, and Away in the Manger

Miss R went up with her class and hung an ornament on the tree.

Back at home, Mr G is quickly earning himself the nickname "Linus".  He's always dragged his blankey around, but now he's been playing our little piano too!

 

 

As Mr G gets older, the boys have been playing together more and more.  This picture makes me smile.  Although, I have to say, they can get into mischief together too.  Just a few minutes ago I checked on them and Mr G was in his crib and Mr N was crawling in too!  My first thought was, "Mr. N, don't climb into the crib."  My second thought was, "HOW DID MR. G GET INTO THE CRIB IN THE FIRST PLACE?"!!!  These little boys - gotta love 'em!

We also had a birthday party for the bea-u-tiful Miss Kaycie, who will be officially a member of the family next September.  (She's marrying my baby brother).  =)

 

 

 

 I should also include that Jared has finished his first class at the technical college and he did great!  We're so proud of him!

Well, that's our December so far! 
Merry Christmas!!  =)

 

 

A New Book

Miss R is almost always busy reading a book or writing a book.  Today she began a new one...(shown here with permission, of course)...

The Girls and the Kangaroo
by Miss R
Chapter 1

Once a girl was neglected.  Yes, neglected.  I do not know how.  It is a sad way to start a story, you are saying, but it is all right in the end.  This girl was a little baby and had been asleep when neglected.  It is a bit sad at first, but it, as I said before, it is all right in the end.

The girl had brown eyes and hair - but wait!  There's another with blue eyes and blond hair, also a baby girl.  A boomer, or male kangaroo, saw the one with brown eyes and brown hair, and, thinking she was a joey left by someone, took her.  Soon, another boomer took the blond hair and blue eyed one.

They each took the baby they found to their doe, or female kangaroo, and the does opened their pouches, and the boomers dropped in the babys in their does pouch.

When the babys woke up, they were not suprised, they thought they were nursing on their mommy, so they drank kangaroo milk.  It strengthened them....

...Many years later Kanga (who was the brown haired one, 7) and Roo (who was the other, 5) had learned to hop and had very strong legs.  Many a time had they been out of the pouch and many a time had they hopped in their mommy's pouch for a dingo, but suddenly "Cluck, cluck" came their mommys danger call.

Two Blessings of Homeschooling

There are many reasons why I love homeschooling, and two happened this week. 

1 - We can take advantage of the glorious December weather we've been having to go to the Nature Center with another homeschooling family...on a Tuesday...morning.  It was so so so good to be outside, let the kids run around, and see Creation.  We saw several deer walking through the woods - breathtaking! And really, this should count double-duty as Phy. Ed. and Nature Study/Science.  =)

 2 - Pajama day...like every day this week!  I love the relaxed atmosphere of being home, learning and growing together.

Miss O is writing her known words in her Word Book

In classic Miss O style, she has dotted her I's with heart-balloons, and then extended her N's to the sky.

Miss R getting ready to play store for math class.  She is learning how to make change.  Today was an exciting day for me as I saw her "get it".  Yay Miss R!!

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving we went to Iowa to be with Jared's family.  This was a huge treat for us as we don't get the opportunity to celebrate with his parents very much.  We had a wonderful time.  The only drawback was that the boys were very sick and unfortunately we spread the illness "love" around.  Sorry to everyone who has gotten sick from us! 

Staying in the hotel was a "dream come true" to Miss O.  All of the children were so excited!

For family pictures, our family wore red. 

Grandpa Dean's Family

Grandpa Dean, Grandma and Grandpa, and our Family

Jared's family is really delightful.  We did all sorts of things, besides eating our huge Thanksgiving meal.  Some did various "talents" for our entertainment.  Miss R and Miss O did ballet.  We had a birthday party for one of Jared's cousin's girls.  We took pictures.  They did a name drawing and when you won you got to pick a prize from the prize table.  Aunt Twyla demonstrated how to fold a fitted sheet, and I went home and did it and it looked amazing!  Cousin Rachael did a ThirtyOne Gifts demonstration.  The children played and played and played some more with all of the cousins.  Grandpa Dean told a story about the pilgrims and the broken arrow to the children.  I'm probably forgetting something, but it was really a fun time!