She's Walking

Well...she took her first steps yesterday...on her 11 month mark. I think she'll be walking by her first birthday. Today she has taken 3 steps in a row. She is such a wild woman. Her nickname is Godzilla. I named her this because she climbs up your side or stomach when you hold her. She loves hair and has been known to get handfuls of it and YANK it. Her favorite thing to do in true Godzilla form is to wreck the Lego towers that her brothers build. She crawls right through the city and then turns on her bottom and kicks with her feet until all the towers are crashing down. Then when it's total destruction and the boys are in tears...Godzilla sits back and happily smiles at her work! As the only girl in this family of 4 boys...she can hold her own:)

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. Hug your family and friends extra tight today and be thankful for them. I am thankful for many things...big and small. For my list this year I'm focusing on the things that have gotten me through these very busy past 4 months. Although my life is busy...it is a wonderful life. I am truly blessed.

my babies...all 5 of them

my wonderful hubby

my faith and incredible church

family

friendship

my house

my country

new washer and dryer

flannel sheets

access to medical care

water

double stroller...the nanny

dark chocolate

drive-thru

pj's

frozen meatballs

frozen waffles

Internet

grocery delivery

and...bedtime;)

Just In Case...

...you ever wondered how we get anything done around here. Backpacks! Cam uses it all the time. He carries Sis all over the house doing chores...dishes, vacuuming, pick up (nothing sexier than a man doing chores;) I was trying to get some things in the kitchen done yesterday so I decided to also put a baby in a backpack. Baby George liked it too. It was a bit squishy when we tried to both fit through a doorway at the same time...and yes, I AM wearing a nightgown...what else do I wear? Oh, and Cam wanted his new tattoo to show for our pic. Pretty cool...it's an Ethiopian Orthodox cross. And...notice the little hooligans in the bottom of the frame:)

Catch Up

We have had a busy time around our house. Cam's Grandpa died on Saturday. He was a wonderful man and we will miss him dearly. Cam was able to be at the hospital to see him and stay until he went. Cam, his mom, his aunt, and his grandma stood around grandpa, holding hands and singing hymns. Grandpa was mouthing the words. How beautiful. It was a peaceful death.

Tuba has had a couple of good days at school. He is still having the same amount of seizures and some bad behavior too but we are continually hopeful and prayerful.

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving. I have groceries coming today and will start getting things ready. If I start today I might be ready by Thursday!

Mr. P is home sick from school. The babies are boogy nosed...ewwww...and coughing. Mr. P and I too have a sore throat, cough and general blah.

I ordered a chair for the living room. Thanks to all who voted. It was a landslide vote for the cozy chair. I ended up ordering one very similar in a nice soft brown fabric. It will be here in 6-10 weeks. That will be my b-day and Christmas present. I'm thrilled and hubby is off the hook for shopping.

Here's a video of Sis doing some of her tricks. Melt my heart!

Not Again

Tuba is not doing well. His seizures have escalated. He's having (or we are seeing) about 5-10 a day. The worst part is what they do to his personality. He is crabby, cranky, moody, fussy, and just downright mean. He has been having trouble at school melting down. He screams, hits, tries to bite and is scaring the other kids. NOT GOOD. Cam and I are so sad and frustrated. We have been down this road before and don't want to do it again. We will be going back into the neurologist's office soon but I doubt they will have any solutions. The VNS should start working for him again and the med increase too but....when? I'm so sad. It brings up extra fears that I push down and forget about when he is having good seizure control. Pray for Tuba and for his Mama and Papa.

Help Needed

I need your advice...again. I'm having a hard time choosing which chair to get for my living room. I can't EVER just make a simple decision. Please vote for your choice in the comments section...really I need the help.

Okay, here's the chair and table that my NEW chair will need to complement.

I like this one and would order it in brown and put a cute little pillow in it. The plus to this chair is that it is 36" high so would fill the space well.

This one is the most expensive but it nice and comfy. It's hard to tell but it has a sort of two tone color in the fabric.

I love this little chair but I fear it's too small for the living room. It's only 32" high and it seems more of a "bedroom" chair. I would get it in brown also. I don't know?
PLEASE...tell me what to do.

Suspenders

Suspenders....and....undies! I guess I don't have to get rid of all the stretched out underwear from my pregnancy...I'll just borrow these suspenders;)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

You too can participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY November 17th, 2008

Outside my window...are beautiful bright yellow and gold leaves covering the patio. The weather is lovely, mild and clear.


I am thinking...about my upcoming birthday. I want a new chair for the livingroom and I'm trying to decide what to get (I mean...what to ask for;). I got a new sofa, chair and ottoman last winter but the room needs a second chair. Decisions, decisions.


I am thankful for...the good nature of my sweet Baby George. He is the EASIEST baby ever. He is so mellow and all smiles. He was doing his first big belly laughs yesterday. What a precious gift.


From the kitchen...I'm thinking of making Martha Mac and Cheese. It's a Martha Stewart recipe and it's the yummiest mac and cheese in the world. It depends if Cam gets home today in time for me to make it. It's A LOT of cheese to grate and takes longer to make than the average dinner I've been making lately.


I am wearing...jeans and a sweater...socks too. I know, What? I'm actually dressed today. Had a shower, blow dried my hair, put on make-up too. Cam offered to go out for breakfast. Nothing like food to get me up, ready and out the door.


I am creating...the kids and I made a paper chain of thankful items. Each night at dinner we add a few links to the chain. By Thanksgiving it should be really long.


I am going...to run to the store later today. Patrick is the snack person this Wed. and I need to get the drink and napkins.


I am reading...my book club selection I See You Everywhere. Not really loving this book but I'm getting through it.


I am hoping...to get my holiday shopping started this week. I'm very excited about Christmas this year. Dreaming of all the girly things I want to get Lydia. Plus...her 1st birthday is just days after Christmas!!!


I am hearing...Mr. P playing video games, Baby George slurping on his fingers...so sweet.


Around the house...are everyone's socks. Why do my boys (hubby included) leave socks all over the place? I will think of it as a nice reminder of the great people I live with;)


One of my favorite things...A tall single shot non-fat latte with a package of raw sugar.


A few plans for the rest of the week...Play group with some girlfriends and kiddos on Thurs. Out to dinner on a DATE on Friday...YIPEE. Saturday is a big pre-Thanksgiving get together with MIL's friends...super fun. A fun week with lots of fellowship. Just what I need and love


Here is picture thought I am sharing.

One Word

I stole this meme from Dawn.

It’s easy–ONE WORD answers only.

Where is your mobile phone? Car
Where is your significant other? School
Your hair colour? Fake
Your mother? Protective
Your father? Industrious
Your favourite thing? Family
Your dream last night? Long
Your dream goal? Peace
The room you’re in? Family
Your hobby? Blogging
Your fear? Illness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Healthy
Where were you last night? Home
What you’re not? Bored
One of your wish-list items? Chair
Where you grew up? Washington
The last thing you did? Scold
What are you wearing? Pj's
Your TV? Huge
Your pet? Naughty
Your computer? Respite
Your mood? Hopeful
Missing someone? Grandparents
Your car? Squishy
Something you’re not wearing? Makeup
Favourite shop? Target
Your summer? Full
Love someone? Powerfully
Your favourite colour? Red
When is the last time you laughed? 8:00 am
When is the last time you cried? Recently

Consider yourself tagged

Superwoman

I heard Alicia Keys song Superwoman today and I just LOVE it. It's my new anthem. I'm singing it to myself...especially on those long hard days.


'Cause I am a Superwoman
Yes I am, Yes she is
Still when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes, I'm a Superwoman

Great Opportunity

I heard of this great program and had to share it. In light of Jane's article on Fair Trade last week I was especially excited to see this. Go to http://saintscoffee.com/. You can purchase delicious Fair Trade coffee AND...proceeds support orphans. One pound of coffee supports an orphan for a month! Our church is going to switch from the nasty bulk coffee they currently use and try the Saint's Coffee. Maybe your church, work place, social gathering or home could use some good coffee...one that gives to a great cause.

Camping is for the Birds!

Seriously...I LOVE camping. I told Cam that when he is done with grad school I'm going to buy a pop-up tent trailer and we are going camping. I would love to have a little piece of vacation property that we can camp on. There is just about nothing better than a hot dog and a marshmallow on an open fire....mmmmmm. I know the boys would love it too. Cam's not fond of camping...he says he got all "camped out" in the Boy Scouts and the Army. Too bad...we are going and it's going to be FUN. We have gone camping about 5 times in 14 years. Most of them were fun but the last time we went it was really BAD. We camped at the ocean on the Oregon coast. Tuba was 9 and Mr. P was 2. Just after pitching our tent and setting up camp it started to rain. We went to bed in a light drizzle. We woke up to a hurricane force winds and rain...well, nearly. Our tent would blow all the way down to our faces and then snap back up. You could hear the wind whipping the ocean up and it sounded like a huge tidal wave was going to come over the sand bar and wipe us out. Cam and I laid there awake most of the night...the boys slept peacefully. Our air mattress lost all it's air about 20 minutes after going to bed so we were now uncomfortable and scared. As soon as it was barely light out we got up. Our fire pit was a huge lake. Our bedding was all soaked...we were in a waterproof tent too. Cam took one look around and declared, "pack it up, we are going home!". The boys and I balked and instead booked a hotel. The weather ended up getting nice too.
Anyway...this cute bird house was made by the guy who came out to clean our chimney. He sells them out of his van. I couldn't resist it...at least the birds have a camper until I can get one.

My Girl

Lydia is....."Soooo Big"! She is learning all kinds of fun tricks. She claps, waves and loves to show how big she is. She loves to sing songs and will rock back and forth to request Row, Row, Row Your Boat....also loves to sing Patty Cake. She was laughing hysterically tonight as she would stand for a few seconds on her own and then plop onto her hiney and crack up. She and Tuba have loads of fun playing. They crawl and chase each other around. My favorite thing she is doing...she wraps her little warm hands around my neck and lays her head down and snuggles into me...gives me kisses and hangs onto my hair. Melt my heart! Also, her hair is getting long enough for clips....whoohoo! I've had such a fun time doing her hair each morning. Now...if I could just get her to leave the clip in her hair:)

Fair Trade

My friend Jane, fabulous mom and fellow blogger also has a newspaper column. Read here her latest column about Fair Trade. With all the coffee/chocolate consumption in our house and in this part of the country it's good information to know.

Glow in the dark necklaces

Glow in the dark necklaces. Cheap fun for hours. I got the boys to go in their room, shut the door and play for an hour with the necklaces. It wasn't quite dark outside and they were DYING to try these necklaces out. I convinced them that their bedroom was darker than the rest of the house. It was an hour of blissful peace for me...I'll have to order a case of these;)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY NOVEMBER 3, 2008

Outside my window...is rain, rain, rain. It's cold and dark again today. The Fall leaves are amazing though...bright yellow and red. Half of the trees are bare already.

I am thinking...about Thanksgiving coming up and what I want to cook for the big day. We will be staying home for the first time ever. I'll cook a yummy turkey dinner and watch movies and play games....and eat yummy pie too.

I am thankful... that Cam is home today. The babies have terrible colds and coughs. It's so nice to have his help with the kiddos...and a friend to spend the day with.

From the kitchen...the Halloween candy is calling my name...oh, Becky...come eat me! I have no idea what's for dinner yet...maybe a pot roast and potatoes...or soup and biscuits?
I am wearing...my pj's of course. Green t-shirt and pink and green plaid pj bottoms...and bare feet.

I am creating...a thankful art project for the boys. We are going to make a list of things we are thankful for over the next few weeks and put it up on the wall or window. Last year we made a Fall tree and each leaf had a "thankful" item written on it. Maybe I'll do the same thing...or any ideas from you would be welcome...leave ideas in the comments section.

I am going...nowhere today. Besides sick babies, and Mr. P home from school sick...I'm sick too. Bad sore throat and headache. I'm happy to spend the day at home getting everyone well...or at least keeping us comfy.

I am reading...my Book Club selection should be coming from Amazon today and I would love to get started on it.

I am hoping...the cold virus in our house goes away quickly and doesn't spread any further.

I am hearing...the bathroom fan that someone left on...the boys watching Playhouse Disney...and the clicking of the keyboard.

Around the house...one baby is sleeping in her crib, one baby is sitting in his bouncy seat looking at me..."hi baby boy", and two boys and a kitty are snuggled on the couch watching TV.
One of my favorite things...is my new washer and dryer!!!! I am am amazed at how much laundry it can hold. I am doing so many less loads per day. It is also so fun to watch. Tuba and Sis love to sit in the laundry room and watch it go. The green lighted diplay looks like a UFO and makes the room glow.

A few plans for the rest of the week...I need to take something to the frame shop, and I hope we are all well enough to go to the library on Friday. Our annual church auction is coming this weekend and I'm putting together an Ethiopian basket. I've got all the items now so I just need to assemble it.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
Tune in tomorrow to see what this is. If you want to guess...leave it in the comment section.

Halloween Fun

We had a fun and busy Halloween. We went to Nana's work to visit, went to Grandma Sue's to visit and then went to the Godparent's house for a party. What a fun day!
Visiting Nana's work

Tuba the Good Witch...he spent the night passing out candy...loves to pass out candy!

Mr. P....I mean...Anakin Skywalker.

Sis is a little cheerleader...girl costumes are SO much fun:)

Busy Guy was supposed to go as Spiderman but I found this ladybug costume in our Halloween box and begged him to wear it. He was so nice and agreed to wear it for his Mama. My heart just melts...I've never seen anything cuter! Tuba wore this costume when he was a wee one too. Cam calls it the Manbug costume since no little boy should be a Ladybug!
Baby George was a skunk. I love this costume too...he's my third baby to wear it.

My MIL...she's so fun.

I was spider lady with a big tarantula on my head....and Cam was an 80's rocker! What a hoot...that is the worst hairdo I've ever seen!