laying in the grass

chattin' about life

Abby's place in our family?

I think this photo says it all.

brothers

I love that when the boys are having trouble getting along, pulling up the macbook photo booth turns fights into fits of giggles and all is well in the world again. (for a little while, at least)

magic

When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.

                                                                           ― J.M. Barrie

My Little Girl

a thousand words and more

I really love this picture. Even though it's not a great "face shot" of the kids, it's a beautiful shot of their relationships with each other. The older ones are so loving and tender, and the younger ones feel the support they get from their big brothers and sisters. They are interested in each other's lives, they have conversations with each other; they are true friends. I love that.

What. The. Heck.

Sometimes my kids do crap that just leaves me speechless. Today that happened twice- with the same child. Micaiah reminds me a lot of Isaac when he was little; a sneaky little stinker.  This morning at the appalling hour of six-something-o'clock am, Micaiah climbed into bed and woke me up (and Abigail) with a half dozen honks on a BIKE HORN! (where did he even look to find a bike horn at such a vile hour?) Want to know why he did it? He wanted juice. Then when I recounted the events to Jeremy, Micaiah stood off to the side smiling and waving a foam finger with #1 written on it, clearly quite proud of himself.

But wait, don't forget he did TWO awesome things today. The second one happened this evening, just after he'd gotten out of the bath. He was still naked, and stood up on a recliner chair in our living room. He then proceeded to grab his little wiener and spray pee all over the living room floor!!!!! WHO DOES THAT?!?!? Thanks heavens I don't have any carpet in my living room, but come on, are you freaking kidding me?

a couple of studs

This week

Half my kids have the flu, including fevers and vomiting. Jeremy is training at a new job, and has to work doubles every single day. (that means I'm alone with the sickies) Jeremy's car broke down, and neither he, our car savvy neighbor, or AutoZone can diagnose the problem. (it's looking like a replacement car may be needed far sooner than anticipated) I'm not feeling well to boot. This week is awesome.

The more you know......

Did you know monsters like to eat money? It's true; Nahshon told me so tonight. At least now I know where all my cash goes! Also, alligators eat mushrooms. Who knew!?

every single time

no matter how many times I pull up the webcam, Nahshon is always amazed he can see himself!

Did I really just do that?

I took the five oldest kids swimming today.  We had planned to go to the super cool new pool in Lynnwood, but we got there 15 minutes after the open swim session had started, and they were already at capacity! My kids have been looking forward to trying out this pool for almost a year, and they looked so heartbroken, so I rushed them back to Everett to hit up the pool at Forest Park.  I was feeling frazzled trying to get there as fast as possible so we could at least have an hour to swim.  When we walked in, the lady at the register asked how old Nahshon was, and I said 3.   Yes, 3!!!   Genna piped up behind me and said, "no he's not, he's four. Oh wait, no, you're right, he's three." And so we went with three.  It wasn't until hours later that I was really questioning it. I actually looked at my Facebook timeline to see what I had posted on January 21st, and here is what was written:

Happy 4th birthday Nahshon! You make my life fun, little man :)


Well crap.  I don't really feel that bad about the pool thing because he never went passed the stairs (apparently 3=free, which I did not know at the time, and there were only about 8 other people at the pool, so it's not like him being there kept someone else from being able to come in and swim), but seriously, I forgot how old my kid is? Not cool.




*for the record, my kids had a great time at the Forest Park Pool.  One of the lifeguards brought out the rope swing, and Genna, Elijah, and Isaac all tried out the diving board. They were so happy to go swimming they didn't hold a grudge for a single second that we weren't at the cool pool. And next time we try Lynwood, we're going 45 minutes EARLY!

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

friends

Carly Patterson!!!!!

Tonight the girls had the opportunity to meet Olympic Gold Medalist, Carly Patterson!  She's in town doing promotions for the Pacific Rim Games here in Everett.  While Bella isn't familiar with Carly, Genna watched her in the 2004 Olympics.  She was three at the time, and doing gymnastics at The Little Gym.

In case you don't remember Carly, here's a photo from her time in the Olympics:

We've been really lucky to watch a couple of the competitors from the Pacific Rim, practicing at the kid's gymnastics gym. What a neat experience for my little gymnasts!

sometimes it's just tough to be me

I really love this little girl

I guess macs really are easier to use

A couple weeks ago I finally got my own computer (been waiting a very, very long time- even had to rent a computer from my college for one of my classes!), and I opted for a macbook.  I've heard people say macs are more user-friendly.  That actually wasn't one of my considerations when I picked it, but the other night while I was in the shower, Noah was in my room doing this:

First, I'm not sure how he even managed to get into my room because I've never seen him be able to open my bedroom door.  But once he did, he managed to open and turn on my computer, open the photo booth, and snap a picture of himself! Bella heard squeals of excitement from my room, and came to check it out just in time to make a cameo in Noah's photo session. Guess I'll have to be a bit more careful where I leave my laptop from now on.

weight loss update

As of today, I am down 21 pounds since January 1st!  Jeremy is down....................... 3 pounds! So far I'm feeling good about winning our bet   :)

And the award goes to.....

Abigail is home!  She's still sick, but doing much better.  I can tell she's pretty worn out from the whole ordeal, but she's also much more at ease now that she's home- surrounded by the people that love her most and sleeping in her own cozy bed. It's amazing what a night or two away in the hospital can do to the parents in a situation like this, so I would like to take a moment to thank everyone that gave us a helping hand.  In no particular order:

My dad, Jed- Jeremy took Abby and Micaiah to Swedish in Everett to get checked out. When we learned Abigail had to be transported to Children's in Seattle by ambulance, my dad went over to take the ride with her.  This allowed Jeremy to bring Micaiah home, and gave me time to pack a bag.

My mother-in-law, Ann- She came over and stayed with our sick crew while Jeremy helped get me and Abby settled at the hospital. (and he had to drive my dad home)  Ann also came to the hospital and stayed with Abby for well over an hour so Jeremy could take me home.

(I hadn't slept in three days and was already sick when Abby went in.  By 8pm last night, I was done. I knew if I didn't get home and get some rest, I was going to be a patient right along with my little girl)

My brother-in-law, Greg- He brought me coffee at midnight, and again the next afternoon.  He was even willing to pick up fresh clothes for me (we didn't know Abby would be staying more than 1 night), despite the fact that by doing so, he would be giving up his time to rest before going on a 16 hour shift.

My friend, Rachel- She called me while I was in the ER at Children's with Abby, waiting to be taken to our room.   It reminded me of when my friend Stephanie called when Micaiah was at Children's for surgery; those little acts of friendship are never forgotten.

Technology- Without smartphones, webcams, and Facebook it would be so much harder for me to give everyone that cares about Abby, quick updates on her condition.  Likewise, it allows all those people to show their love and support easily.

Friends, family, and strangers- there were many people sending love and prayers to Abby, some who have never even met her. Every single person who gave her a thought, we are thankful.

My husband and kids- a baby landing in the hospital can be chaotic, even in the best of times; throw in the fact that I had 7 other sick kids (4 with ear infections) and it's enough to make your head explode.  As always, everyone pulled together  and worked hard to make sure Abby had whatever she needed to be well.

Welcome home, baby Abigail!

girl time at the hospital

feeling a bit better this morning

watching her stories

no more tubes in her nose!!

Hopefully the next photos I post will be of her at home, feeling all better

hospital slumber party

Me and Abby are crashing at Children's Hospital tonight.  This afternoon Jeremy took Micaiah down to the new Swedish Hospital in Everett because Cai woke up screaming and pulling at his ears. (that'd be ear infection #4 for my crew this week) I told Jeremy to just take Abby also because 1.) in case she ends up with an ear infection, we might as well have her ears checked while he's there to save us the trip. and 2.) Abby has a cold and I noticed last night her breathing was rather labored. Turns out Abby has Bronchiolitis, which is a viral infection in the lungs and airways.  They are suctioning her every few hours, and having her wear a nasal cannula; As you can imagine, she just loves having little tubes shoved up her nose. (little miss smarty pants has already figured out how to pop them out, even after the nurse double taped them in place) I'm really hoping she'll be well enough to go home tomorrow, but it's really up in the air at this point.  Unfortunately I'm sick too, but since Abby is still nursing, I'm the better choice to stay with her. Her oxygen levels go up and stay up when I hold her, so I'm doing my best to stay awake and keep her close; hopefully it'll help her recover faster.  Thankfully, I have an awesome brother that lives in Seattle, and he brought me a giant coffee at midnight; thanks Greg!! I'll post an update when I have one. Until then, please keep little Abigail in your thoughts.

My little ladies man

The other day after gymnastics, Nahshon let out a big, frustrated sigh and said, "Brielle wants to be in love with me, but I was already standing next to Addison! Ugh!"  Oh dear, Nahshon, what ever will you do?!?

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

how DID I do it?

That is the question of the evening.

Tonight Gennavieve, Elijah, Isabella, and Issac are all off on an adventure with grandma, at the pond. (that means my four oldest kids, my helpers, are gone)  Tonight I'm home with four kids aged 4 and under, and it's been............. challenging.  As I'm settling Abby, Nahshon and Micaiah seem to have found donuts in the kitchen.  While dealing with the donut issue, Noah has helped himself to 600 pieces of construction paper.  In the middle of cleaning up the construction paper I suddenly remember we own a dog, who has been sitting quietly in her kennel for....... crap, five hours! (quietly, that is, until I remembered she was there, then suddenly started barking like a mad man; not that I blame her of course)  Take the dog out, get her fresh food and water, and Abby wakes up and screams. And round and round we went all night.

Beyond frustrated, I kept asking myself what was so different tonight than what life was like not all that long ago when Genna, Elijah, and Bella were three under three?  Well, there is the obvious of the fact that tonight there are 4 kids.  We didn't own a dog back then.  We lived in a slightly smaller home (an apartment), that had baby gates. Baby gates = no access to the kitchen! (sadly, that doesn't really work in this house)  Genna, Lij, and Bell were nothing like my little guys are now; daredevil, base-jumping, crazy climbing, body-slamming, monkeys! As I was trying to make a quiche for breakfast tomorrow, I remembered that I didn't cook back then.  Of course I cooked a bit (spaghetti anyone?), but nothing like I cook now.  I also never baked. We had less stuff (kind of goes hand in hand with having less kids), and I didn't have my husband trying to build a business in my dining room.

If my other group of kids had been here, Genna would have taken care of the dog, Bella's super sugar sniffer would have found out Nahsh and Cai the moment they got the donuts out and she would have cut them up into small pieces so they could all have a little treat without getting over sugared up, Elijah probably would have already been doing art and would have given Noah paper and crayons before Noah even had a chance to make a mess, and Isaac would have been waiting with open arms to hold Abby if my time and attention was needed elsewhere. It was nice having a night with my little ones, but when the rest of the crew comes back, I'll be sure to think back to this evening the next time I feel like I'm having a chaotic day.

I love it when kids misspeak

Isaac let out a long, dramatic sigh yesterday and proclaimed:   I'm really dumbed out today.

Interesting choice of words my son, interesting choice.

don't ask her, or she might not tell

I could hear an argument brewing on the other side of the house, but since I encourage the kids to work things out themselves when they insist on acting like drama queens, I wasn't paying attention to the cause of this particular dispute. (perhaps you've notice a recurring theme here?)  Bella wanders out to the living room, lets out a big sigh, and says, "don't ask me what they're arguing about. Just don't ask me." I nodded vaguely and thought to myself; awesome, 'cause I wasn't gonna ask.  I guess Bella couldn't read my thoughts because she then said, "don't ask me what they're arguing about, don't ask....................... they're arguing about a remote, just in case you were going to ask." OK then.  I still wasn't going to ask, but I figure it's good to know I can care less than I didn't care before, now that I know they are having a dust-up over trivial dribble. So, thanks, I suppose.

I guess he's a moto-moto man

Last night Isaac and Nahshon were having a squabble in the next room.  I could here they were arguing, but couldn't hear what they were arguing about. (nor did I care, actually) Nahshon thought I deserved to have my share of the conversation, and burst into my room the way only a 4 year old can when they are desperate to tattle about something insignificant:

Nahshon looked me straight in the eye and said, "I didn't say I liked butts! I said I liked big butts." 
me: *blink**blink*
him: *blink*blink*
me: *blink*

and with that he turned around and left the room, mumbling under his breath "and I cannot lie"





And with that, I part you with a song. Enjoy.

So I've heard

Word is, people who tell others they are trying to lose weight, are more successful. Well, I'm all for success, so that's what this post is about.  I've been at it for a month now, and have already dropped 10 lbs!

My goal: have all my extra weight, from all my pregnancies, gone by Christmas. 

Here's how I plan to do it:

Exercise: My goal is daily, progressive exercise.  I'm shooting for daily workouts, that way when I do miss a workout, it really won't be that big of a deal.  For the entire month of January, I only missed 3 workouts. (1 on Nahshon's birthday, 2 for being too sick to hardly move)  By progressive, I plan for every 10 pounds I lose to add a new element to my workouts.  I started with just cardio on my eliptical, and now that I'm down 10 lbs, I'm going to add a little free weights.  After another 10 lbs, I'll add another element to my routine, etc....

Diet: I don't "diet".  I believe in whole foods, and cutting calories through portion control.  I'm much happier following a french diet and eating foods I love rather than having bowl after bowl of plain steamed broccoli day after day. Crusty bread and olive oil? Yes, please, but just a little! ;)    Since I'm nursing Abigail, I can't cut my calories too much though.

Motivation and Rewards: I'm setting little milestones for myself, and as I reach those, I'll reward myself to help keep myself motivated. First up, a little pampering with a mani/pedi!  Jeremy and I also have a weight loss competition going, and the winner gets............. anything they want!!!

Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because sometimes, you just have to tell it like it is

What a dad said to a certain 4 year old tonight:

You shoved a bead up your nose? You're an idiot.


*that might seem really harsh, if in fact that certain 4 year old hasn't watched us fish beads out of the nose of a certain 2 year old time and time again.

FRECKLES!

(you can click the picture to make it bigger, and get a better look at her beautiful freckles)

a day at the pond

This summer we took a pic of (almost) all the kids on the big rock, up at the pond

But perhaps you are wondering, where is Nahshon?  Well, he's here:

having a moment

a boy and his balloon

my girls

beam routine

It might take a minute for the video to load up.......

The music you hear is from a floor routine happening nearby, and the woman in black standing in front of the beam that Genna hugs after her routine is her main coach.

that's one way to catch snow I guess

I'm surprised he didn't end up with tiny icicles dangling from those lashes

is he trying to be subtle, or do we need a review of the calendar?

Tonight for dessert I made an apple crisp, which turned out mighty fine, in my opinion.  I asked Isaac if he liked the dessert to which he answered in the affirmative, but then suggested I make it again in two years.  Um, thanks?

Yikes! I'm really behind on posting pictures!

For now, please enjoy this picture of my little princess cuddling up with her big bro Elijah

What's wrong with his eyes?

That's what my mom asked me when she first saw this picture:

Then she realized those big black circles around his eyes are just his amazing eyelashes. They are full, jet black, and a good half inch long; they frame his baby blues just perfectly.  It's not fair.

On another note, isn't this a beautiful picture?  My friend Rachel took this, and it showcases his love for his baby sister perfectly.  He truly adores Abigail, and she's quite the lucky one to have Isaac as a big brother.

sweet baby girl

Thank you Rachel for this beautiful photo!

my love

Jonathan Horton!

can you spot Genna in the sea of little gymnasts?

Olympian comes to Leading Edge Gymnastics

Introducing Abigail!

Meet the newest member of our family:

Abigail Leighla

This little cherub arrived at 11:19am on November 27, 2011 weighing in at 8 pounds 5 ounces, and measuring 21 inches long.

The birth was pretty uneventful, which is just the way I like it.

The bigger kids are all so excited she's finally home, and Noah and Micaiah seem to be warming up to her OK

Welcome to the world sweet Abigail, we're so glad you're here!

your guide to my 40th week of pregnancy

I have not made it past my due date since I was pregnant with Genna, and seeing how little Abigail has no intentions of introducing herself to the world anytime soon, I thought I'd make a handy little guide for my friends and family on how to deal with someone (me) in their 40th week of pregnancy. 
*note, in the past 4 days I've probably had a grand total of 5 hours of sleep*

1. Don't ask me when the baby is going to come. I don't know.  If I could accurately predict things like that, I'd be a very rich woman.

2. Don't ask me when the Dr. thinks the baby is going to come.  He doesn't know.  If he could accurately predict things like that, he'd be a very rich man.

3. Do not, under any circumstances, tell me when it's best for YOU, for the baby to come. I don't care, and she doesn't care.  If it seems that your schedule and social calendar is more important, I'll probably just leave you off my contact list for when she does come. I'm serious.

4. If you see me and I'm still pregnant, do not ask me "no baby yet?" or anything else along those lines.  I won't call you stupid to your face, but I'll be thinking it, and you'll be able to tell I'm thinking it.

5. If you get offended by a cranky pregnant woman, get over it.  At this stage of pregnancy, I'm not sleeping. At all. Seriously, show up at my house at 3:30 in the morning and you'll find me doing laundry or making extra cranberry sauce to go with turkey leftovers. (my laundry is so caught up that I can't even fill the wash machine at the end of the day!!!)  That level of sleep deprivation is turning me into the type of crazy person you might not want to be alone with in an elevator.

6. If you call or text me and I don't answer or respond, don't keep calling and texting.  There's a 95% chance that enough of the kids are being quiet that I'm attempting to rest.  Seeing as how I'm not sleeping, every moment of peaceful rest is VITALLY important to me.  I'm not screening my calls, I'm pressing the silence button without even looking to see who's calling so you can take heart I'm not ignoring you personally, I'm ignoring everyone.

7. Don't tell me to hang in there.  I warned my Dr. that the next person to say that to me was going to be hung up by their toes until this baby comes out. Yes, I said that to the man who has the power to write me a scrip for pain pills after the birth; that's just where I'm at right now.

8. The ONLY person who gets a pass on any of this is my dad, and my dad alone. (nope, not even my children get a pass)  My dad gets one because he really doesn't know better, and I'm OK with that. (On Thanksgiving he asked when my due date was, I told him Saturday.  He then asked what time! ahahaha!)

Some day I'll have pictures of little Abby for you to come back and see.  Until then, whatever.

what's going on with baby?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No contractions, no sign that she wants to come out any time soon.  Jeremy was 100% sure she'd come the day before Thanksgiving.  It's 5am, Thanksgiving day, and...... nothing. Don't ask me when I think she's going to come; I have no idea.  And please, for your own safety, do not tell me when you want her to come- I promise you're not going to like my response. Other than that, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

oh, how things have changed

Late last night as I was getting a glass of water, I saw the big box of dishwashing tabs we just purchased from Costco sitting on the counter.  It's a box of 200 dishwashing packs, and when we bought it Jeremy estimated it would last us about 1 1/2 to 2 months.  When I spotted the number 200 on the box last night, I bagan to think back to our first apartment, when it was just me, Jeremy, and baby Gennavieve.  Back then, a box of 200 dishwashing tabs probably would have lasted us nearly a whole year!  That led me to thinking about our laundry; why did it seem like we always had so much laundry to do back then?  It would litterally stretch down the hall- how did that happen with only 3 people?  These days we almost always have two buckets full waiting to be washed, but it doesn't seem so bad considering there are 9 of us. (although we have burned through more than a couple of washers and dryers!) Our little pantry could EASILY hold a month's worth of dry/canned foods.  Today our entire kitchen can only hold about 2 weeks worth of food.  It's rather amusing to me to think back on how things used to be, but of course I wouldn't have it any other way!

and he just keeps going

Today in the car Bella asked me where Everett is.  I reminded her that it's the city we live in, to which Isaac said, "have mercy, I thought we were in Washington!"  I began to explain the concept of city, county, state, country, continent, hemisphere, planet, universe......... Which caused Isaac to ask, "what's a planet? Does it have wings?"  Wow.  On a brighter note, Nahshon noted to me today that the feet on a tree frog look a bit like suction cups.  He gives me hope........

out of the mouths of babes

Today Isaac told Jeremy that I woke up with really bad leg crabs.  I wonder if leg crabs would hurt more or less than the massive leg cramp I woke up with?

Booo!

TOP ROW: Elijah, Bella, Micaiah

BOTTOM ROW: Isaac, Nahshon, Noah, Genna

For the record, Genna found her design in a pumpkin carving book.  She apparently was looking at the book upside down, and thought she had picked out a ghost design.  We were gone when Jeremy traced it on her pumpkin (after questioning the other kids if they were sure Genna had picked a witch design), and after she came home and started cutting it out she commented that she thought Jeremy had traced it upside down.  We compared the design in the book to what was on her gourd and figured out it was her that was reading things wrong! hahaha! 

continuing with the classics

Sadly, I had to miss Bella's show during the Chocolate Classic weekend at gymnastics, (Jeremy and I had to make a trade off due to lack of sitter) but Jeremy made sure to take lots of pictures for me.  

warm up time: 

beam routine:

floor show:

this one is my favorite picture of the day

vault:

what would a Chocolate Classic show be without a medal made of chocolate??

Nice job, Bella!