Life in Pictures

Hello, friend! (Come through my new front door, take your shoes off, put on some cashmere slippers-that I have for all my guests of course!-and let me pour you a cup of joe, stir in a shot of French Vanilla creamer if you prefer and we'll catch up...albeit one-sided, but that's how it goes in this land of technology.

I am writing to you on a glorious Monday morning, glorious because I woke up at my intended time (4:45) and have had a very, very quiet home to enjoy all by myself and indeed, these moments are treasured! Especially after nights like last night, when all heckeroo erupted, and at one point I was in a flat stared daze, all hope of anything merry and bright ever coming into what appeared to be a long, thankless week...months...years ahead. But then...I snapped out of it. Kinda.

You see, the period before the dinner hour (we'll say 4-6pm) is, on most days, the 'full moon' portion of it. It's as if all stops are pulled in who can be the whiniest, loudest, clumsiest, demandingest (my word, couldn't stop the 'est' trend) and fussiest. It's a competition none of the 5 can resist entering. And almost every time, they are all winners. It's enough to make one check oneself into the nearest coo-coo house (and want to stay there voluntarily until they're all in college!). :)

(Quick sidenote: In between paragraphs, I heard John crying upstairs, so I brought him down with me. And like it goes every time, when one is 'missing' the other one knows it. Ray just joined him. Now they are both contented. Amazing).

Anyhoo, Curt has been working ever so diligently to get our previous home completely moved out and sparkling clean, so most of this weekend he was going back and forth doing just that. Which makes for yet another extened week (or so it feels). So last night, after temporarily losing my mind trying to make Christmas Cookies with the two oldest (completely hair brained idea), I was scurrying around, heating plates of Thanksgiving leftovers (THANK YOU MOM!), placing them in front of the children, realizing that they probably had each had a pound of American cheese in the hour before dinner (to keep them pacified til daddy got home) and hoping they would at least eat the peas and corn. Well....let's just say by mid-dinner, Curt was rocking a twin in his arms (whilst stuffing in lukewarm roast pork), the eldest of my daughters was have a pre-pre-pre-menstral breakdown, in which she would not stop crying b.c she did not get her way, and when Curt finally got strict with her, the youngest daughter was startled and started crying FOR her older sister. So, two screeching cries...and then laughter from their older brother, who found this funny--and was quite pleased that HE was not the one in trouble...and to top it off, in protest and defiance, my littlest girl sent her divided toddler plate soaring through the air like an expert discus player. It was at that point I threw my hands up and said "FINE! It's a 6:30 bedtime for ALL of you!!! Maybe 5:30 if you do not get happy NOW!!!" ( I think I spoke those words at 5:29).

In any case, not every part of every day is that crazy...but the effects of that dinner still linger with me (I still have the shakes) and it helps to write it down and realize that it is just a part of the season of life we are in. I am doing my best to embrace the pace...the lack of perfection in all of this. I want to love my children and for them to sense that THEY are the MOST important. Not a perfect house or a orderly life.

Below are a few pictures of 'everyday'...and moments that I truly treasure:

Christmas Cookie baking with the two eldest little ones. They were of the peanut butter/Hershey Kiss variety. When I turned my back once, I turned back around to see this. I asked her what had happened to the chocolate kiss that had been on top of the newly baked cookie. She did not seem to "know" what on earth I was talking about!

Chief Kiss Wrapper Remover


A new favorite: Rolling (and fetching) the ball in the laundry/mud room). If I've said "ROLL, not bounce!" once, I've said it a billion times.
So we need a little Christmas, right this very moment...and that's about all it took me to make this little centerpiece.

Making Christmas ornaments. These craft times are all of about 10 minutes, but I want to get them in now and then.

The Climber. She is my little "Nix Nux" (for all of you who know PA Dutch!). She climbs every climbable surface (and eats anything she can find, even though I feed her well!!). Here she swiped her brother's apple and is quite pleased about it, thank you very much.
Hours of play...those cupboard doors are made into 'front doors', 'van doors' and whatever other imaginative place they come up with.
We all love having dad and mom close enough to drop by on a Saturday morning.
And I love having you stop by whenever you can on my humble little blog. Thanks for taking the time to read!