Leftovers!

 One of the benefits of hosting Home Group is the occasional treat left behind. This week the kids were able to feast on cupcakes!

Yum! Yum!

Blow a Kiss

Sweet R's growing up way too fast.

New Beds!

 For Naptime.

We wanted to stay off of our freshly cleaned carpets until they were completely dry, so that meant crashing on the floor.  I had already prepared myself to be able to "spin" the event with the first flying complaint, but in no way was I prepared for the excitement that erupted.  The kids went absolutely nuts with hyper movement and squeals of delight.  We were finally able to calm down by posing for pictures.  I'm so thankful for my kiddos who roll with the punches.

Little Helpers

 We had the carpets professionally cleaned, and it took a little prep work before the working men arrived.  Thank goodness for my little helpers!  There's no way I would have been able to accomplish what my crew did in a short amount of time.  After pulling the shoe boxes and trundles out from underneath the beds, they were able to bravely crawl low to discover treasures, trinkets, and trash.  (How does the space under a bed get so yuck?!)  But they are thrilled with their "new" loot (ie lost bracelets, watches, cars, etc...)

J grabbed handful after handful of little pieces of trash. She's such a hard worker.

R eagerly crawled under, but escaped quickly when the crowd arrived.

I don't allow the kids to go under the beds unsupervised, so it's a really big treat for A anytime he gets to do it.

I don't think E did much more than squirm and giggle.  Sweet girl.

Family Fun Day

 We love Family Fun Day!

While the rest of society hates on Monday, we like to show the love.  Andy is off on Monday, so we like to relax, snuggle, and have fun all day long.  J and C wanted to get their picture taken with Daddy today.

Nana Fun

 I'm afraid Nana may let my kids have too much fun.

 No, not really.

She's on call anytime Andy and I need to be together at a kid-free Church Acadiana event.  And I think she's grown to like these times just as much as the kids.  Here are the girls playing in the water, singing songs and dancing in their special Nana outfits.  (Dollar Store play clothes she keeps at her house.)  The boys were there too, but I'm sure they were off doing boy things.

We're so thankful for Nana. 

So Blessed

My Handsome Boys

18 months

 Oh where has the past year and a half gone?!

It's hard to believe that my baby is 18 months old.  Maybe "hard to believe" is "don't wanna believe" in disguise.  Whichever it is, I have to admit that I'm having a hard time accepting how quickly time is passing.  These days, I feel like the sand of time is slipping through my fingers at a much faster pace than I'm comfortable with.

Imagine this ... in 10 short years, my precious C will be a couple months short 18 years of age.  No really, think about it.  

Andy and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in February, and lately we've been talking about what we can do to celebrate.  And in talking, we've both agreed that it doesn't feel like 10 years have passed.  It feels like we were married a few short years ago.  Surely, surely we've miscounted somehow.  Nope.  It's here - the ten year mark.  Wow.

And when I think about how quickly the past ten years have passed, my heart aches for my children.  In essence, I get 18 years (Lord willing) of influence in their lives.  18 years of calling the shots in their lives.  18 years of molding, correcting, controlling.  And even with that, my power over them is lessened with each passing day.  Is C going to be ready in ten short years?  Am I doing all I can today to prepare her for the decisions she will be in complete control to make ten short years from now??

It's slightly overwhelming and heart-breaking.  My prayer is that not only will my children be fully prepared for that transition, but also that their lives will be guided by Someone much greater than Mom.  That I will have prepared them to take orders from Someone much wiser than I.  That they will already take delight in submission to the Someone that loves them much more than Mommy.

God help me.  My time is short.

My Sweet E

 My E ... my sweet, sweet E.

These days she does indeed take the prize for most demanding child.  But someone has to play the part, and she sure is cute doing it.  And actually she is growing into a pleasant, caring, super obedient little girl.  It's just the growing pains of getting there that are so tough.  But every day is an opportunity for growth.  And as I continue to model the character I long for her to develop and hold her accountable to the behaviors I know she is capable of, life gets sweeter and sweeter for both of us.  I love my E, and am so proud of her.

Daddy's Music

Andy has been letting the kids take turns listening to his iPod.  Each afternoon, a new kid walks around singing loudly without any clue that others can hear them.  It's quite entertaining.

Crazy Routine

 I'm afraid we've gotten ourselves into a pretty crazy routine.

We begin our school at the table with spelling, language arts, and writing.  Then C and M begin to scatter for reading while J continues to work on her alphabet.  We meet again on the couch for history, poems, and eventually science.  After learning some science facts, we head back to the table to complete some questions.  C and M can read and answer most by themselves; J still requires a bit of help.  We all finish, but at different paces.  This can be fuel for disruptive chaos, so the crazy routine comes into play.

I send the child who first correctly completes her work to my bed in preparation for our reading time.  No big deal, right?  Well the girls have started a hiding game.  It began with J hiding under the blankets and attempting to scare the rest of us when we came in.  Now it has morphed into all three girls hiding under the blankets, waiting for me to come in, jump on them and say (in my big, bad voice) "Who's in my bed?!"

They erupt with squeals and laughter, and I try my best to get all of us back on track with school.  I guess it's a good break, like a mini recess.

Last Snuggles

Dad and E are enjoying last snuggles before going to bed.

Wait ... who am I putting to bed?

Surprise Visit!

 Grandma and Grandpa stopped by yesterday for a quick, surprise visit.  This made for some very happy little ladies.  Later in the evening, E was having some special Mom and Dad time when I asked her, "Who do you love more?  Mom or Dad."  She usually answers, "Mom or Dad."  But this time she said, "Grandma.  She's my favorite friend. She likes to hug me.  And she kisses me all over."

We love Grandma and Grandpa!

Friday Night Fun

Enjoying a documentary of tigers ... scary stuff

M doesn't do scary, so she encourages a pal to be by her side so they can escape together to the playroom if it gets too scary.

R is upset that we won't allow him to throw a ball around the living room.

Snuggles with Dad

Rough snuggles ... the way boys play.

The Boys

School Time

 What is it about scissors and glue?

They don't get used often during official "school" time, but when the lesson calls for them, the girls get so excited.  We've completed another successful week of school, and we're still loving it!

I can't imagine a better life this side of heaven.