things are better

ok ok. things are looking up now. the whole sick kid thing can really bring a mama down.

but alas, thank god, everyone healed and we are all better.

first things first....

this special boy

had a birthday.

i won't say how old... but boy are our cakes getting brighter and brighter.

this little boy is really needing to be kept busy. he is really looking forward to preschool in the fall.

he is going to love it.

a yummy coffee date with mom....

unfortunately a little time out at the library.... someone wasn't using library etiquette....

and this little smooch was begging me to let her do locks of love. it's just that i personally loved her locks so much. i postponed as long as i could... hoping she would forget... but no.
she couldn't wait to get those beautiful piggy tails chopped off.

and i have to say, she didn't regret it for a second. she felt like a free woman. she looked in the mirror and said...

"i love it!"

looks like i'm not the only one excited about cloth diapering....

harumph

i feel kinda low.

as in i don't feel good.

i feel very large, but all i find myself eating are handfuls of chocolate chips.

we just got a call from school.

3rd welter down.

actually little S is on the fence and i went in today too & got a perscription.

back to the pediatrician for the 3rd time this week.

so actually there are only 2 healthy welters left and they are of the male variety.

no one has it as bad as S did.

i hate that in-between sick period. i don't like giving the kids meds unless they really really need it.

but i also don't like sickness spreading thru our house. and i don't like them being "kind of" down for weeks.

blah.

i am completely obsessed with cloth diapers.

it's pretty much all i think about.

people are talking to me, but all i'm thinking about is washing, sunning, colors, snap or hook & loop, brands, sales... etc.

i even started putting them on my cabbage patch dolls and making the kids take turns changing them.

i think i've completely gone off the deep end.

i still have 2 months to go.

this could get bad.

i'm thinking of biting all my nails off.

having long nails is overrated.

now i'm always worried about scratching the kids or breaking a nail.

it's just an added stress i don't need.

the kids are back in soccer.

they love it.

some of my beloved salt water sandals are broken.

i sent in pictures and a letter to the company.

i'm hoping for a result like in the movie summer school.

speaking of peanut butter, i made these the other day and i really like them.

jr. high styles

things i can't stop thinking about....

why is baby stuff so cute?

indy & me

i forgot to post about a fun quick getaway i had with my mommy back in january.

it was so fun.

i love visiting with my grandma, my auntie & my great-aunties.

i just love the wisdom and life stories i hear when talking to them.

the questions are so funny.

i heard things like...

so do you color your hair? how are all your kids doing in school? do they have stuff wrong with them or do they do ok? 

questions that just crack me up when coming from good 80+ year old hearts who raised their children in such a different generation but have great grandchildren in this generation. i can imagine it is so different.

i love that my mom puts on martini parties for my gram and her sisters. they all look forward to it. they put on lipstick and smoke cigarettes. and no one is allowed to make any comments about the smoking.

especially since some of them only have one lung.

i love the love they have for their aging spouses. and the way they get through their days as their bodies and minds are so different. 

i truly love it.

i love all the stories my grandma tells me. her memories, her thoughts, her insights.

i love it when she gets sassy.

my grandma spoiled me with her cooking & attention.

how many 35 yr olds have their 85 yr old grandmas making meals for them.

i just love her.

we went to cemeteries, antique stores, lunches & lots of drives

i love looking at all the old homes and buildings there.

my mom stopped to talk to this guy selling brooms on the corner. she swore she could remember him being there for as long as she can remember back.

well that was the case. he said he had been selling brooms on that corner for 60 years.

can you believe that?

she bought one.

my mom & i headed out late one night to hear my friend's band play.

they were surprised.

i love them.

going on these trips makes me realize how fast time goes

and how important it is to enjoy life.

soak up the good times and get through the bad.

as my grandma always says....

"we are all on our own journey. better make it good"

we were waiting for a table to eat. i was really hungry and grumpy. these girls were drinking beer and being silly. i was threatening them with  posting facebook pictures.

 my mom and her broom.

 this place was amazing.

one of the amazing breakfasts i stuffed in my face.

sick baby

my poor little eldest baby is sick.

she has had a big year this year and is almost done.

she had a huge school transition.

montessori to traditional.

planting gardens, making bread, discerning cloud patterns & no homework

to

uniforms, tests, grades, pressure & 5 hours of grueling homework a night

she has handled it pretty well in my opinion.

we are so proud of all her hard work.

with this intense schedule and kids not wanting to miss school even when they are sick

with the fear of getting too far behind....

she has been sick more times this year than she has ever been in her life.

several ear infections, coughs, colds, etc.

now she has walking pneumonia.

she is doing fine, resting & taking antibiotics.

she missed a few days of school to recover.

i am just so proud of this brave girl.

she has learned so much this year and worked so hard.

i love the smart, hardworking, lovely, beautiful inside & out

lady she is becoming.

easter 2013

we had an Easter miracle right off the bat Easter morning

the first picture ever, i believe,

of all of my children looking up and smiling for a picture.

i couldn't believe it!

here are all the cousins...well almost. immediate cousins anyway. we were waiting for 2 more to show up before we let them loose in the backyard for the egg hunt.

i like how the boys have their hands so nicely around eachother.

right before they started punching one another

not the best picture... the natives were getting a  little restless.... but they are all there
really anxious to be done with pictures.

they had 158 eggs to find. not sure if anyone tallied up the results. but everyone seemed pleased with their findings.

we almost made it to church in the morning w/out S pulling out some old tights. she loves wearing tights even tho it was getting really hot. of course they had holes in them but i guess it was a good idea cause that dress was a little short apparently.

beach or bust

 my kiddos had spring break split into two diff. weeks this year. it was a bummer cuz i really wanted to run off to the ocean.

so i decided to go ahead and run off with my eldest & youngest

during my eldest's week off,

so dad could stay home and work & the other kids could go back to school.

we had a blast.

the drive was so peaceful with only two kids in the car.

and we made it in record time... not having to stop every other minute ;)

scenes from the ride out....

                                                      

we finally made it!! yay!!

S found some seaweed with tons of live starfish on it.

my mama came and met us at the beach & made sand castles with R. i clearly just relaxed and watched.

me & my main squeeze

noni & her main squeeze

we ate at world famous and it was just perfect. we were so hungry. they sat us at this perfect table over looking the beach.. the servings were huge and delicious... after eating, we were completely ready to spend the rest of the day lounging on the beach.

beautiful S

another sand castle. they were so proud.

S made a huge sand turtle

salt water sandals right where they belong

R enjoying some ice cream. S ate hers in the ocean.

we had such a nice relaxing time. thx to my mom for letting us crash with her. she cooked for us & spoiled us. it was heaven. R was the perfect age for the beach... old enough to not put sand in his eyes and run away... but still young enough to be a little nervous of the water... so he was so content to just hang out by my chair and dig in the sand all day. and S was in heaven playing in the waves and finding little creatures in the water and sand.

it was perfect other than i realized my nice expensive blow up mattress has a slow leak in it. i found myself laying on cold tile a few times in the middle of the night. unless i am just over the weight limit... now we know that can't be the case... so it must have a leak.