Little Bits of Life

Adventures of a Grass Crawler

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Now don't you think that is a happy looking kid?

It was a glorious 70 degrees here today. We took to the out of doors and Little Dude had his first taste of grass. He liked it so much he went back for more. He laughed as he pulled it up by the fistfuls and flapped his arms around. He loved crawling around and inspecting this strange phenomenon. We giggled at him and watched him explore.

I half expect summer to start in February this year. Wouldn't that be excellent??

Of Cold Weather and Inside Entertainment

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:32:00 +0000

It's been rainy this week. We've been inside.

A lot.

And then it went and got cold. I don't like being cold, so my Little Man showed off his mad skillz and built a fire for me. He's been working with his Daddy and has learned to build a pretty good fire. He adores tending the fire, building up the coal bed, adding more fuel, and manning the billows.

We're keeping warm. Thanks, Thomas!!

Another favorite rainy day activity is playing with the camera. Below are each child's favorite picture they took this week.

Sarah Grace captured her brothers wrestling on the couch. I'm pretty sure Daniel won. He's got his brother completely wrapped!

Thomas professes his love for our mantle every time I change it. Currently he can't decide if he likes my growing paper whites or the valentines hearts more.

Elizabeth chose to take a few (dozen) pictures of her little sister. Anna hammed it up and enjoyed the attention.

And Anna...she 'likes mhy feet because they're up in da air all waggley!'

The Word 'Ranch' Suddenley Means More Than A Kind of Salad Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:56:00 +0000

Daniel is eight months old. Somewhere along the five month mark, I decided that I was done carrying baby weight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of gal who gets all bent out of shape because I can't wear my favorite pair of jeans from high school. I opted out of that size as soon as I pushed out that first baby and my hips informed me that they were comfortable with their new shape, thankyewverymuch. Four more kids down the road, I have a goal in mind and it's not pre-baby size.

So after I made my decision to lose the weight, I did what I typically do; I thought about it and procrastinated a little and wondered how to go about achieving my goal. I'm not exactly a self starter or a stick to it-er when it comes to exercise. I need support. I need somebody to expect me to be there. I don't care if they are better than me (which is pretty much a given) or a little behind me, so long as they walk the road with me.

Or at least don't leave me so far in their wake that I choke on the dust.

As I was pondering the situation, a little email landed in my inbox from Living Social. I do love me a deal, people. And this one was for one month of Adventure Boot Camp. So I bought it! And then I informed my friend Jennifer of the deal and begged her to do it with me.

I'm really a wallflower and all those unfamiliar faces would have sent me straight to fetal position and thumb-sucking.

We looked at our schedules and picked January as our starting month. This worked out well for me as I could happily eat my way through the holidays and also procrastinate some more.

Now mind you, this is the first week, so I have a grand total of two classes under my hopefully-soon-to-be-smaller belt. We meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

At 5:30.

AM.

Ahem.

That's early, people. Really early. Especially for a woman who luxuriates in her bed until 8AM most days. (read most days as every day except Sunday, when we have to have the family at church by 9)

My body is having issues more with the hours I'm demanding of it than the rigors I'm putting it through. But there are some muscle soreness issues, too. Yesterday as I was getting Daniel out of bed for the morning and bringing him downstairs, I made it down about three steps before I realized that I might very well be jeopardizing his sweet little life by carrying him any farther. I totally called in Thomas for back up.

It's the first time, even through five pregnancies, that I have truly wished for a rancher style home.

Now Jennifer is a volleyball coach and she is making me look old and feeble. I'm trying to not let my delicate ego be totally bashed, but the fact is she's running circles around me. AND she's coordinated. It's only been two days and I've already lost count of how many times she's corrected me or re-positioned me so that I'm doing things right.

This is why I don't dance, folks. A girl has got to know her limits. Mine are walking and chewing gum.

It's Like We Should Just Give Kids Boxes Instead of Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:24:00 +0000

I epiphany-ed. I asked for your help. I agonized. I made decisions. I dove in and did it.

And the school room is more or less complete. It's cozy, it's functional, it puts everything in one place. We love it!

Books and crafting supplies are within easy reach for little hands. Rather than being stuffed in a closet, the games are out in the open and we find ourselves engaged in gaming and puzzling so much more. The school table is open on all four sides, a wonderful change from having one side pressed up against the wall. The room is bright and cheery without being pre-school primary.

We really do like being in there. One would think that with such a nice table top to have as a work area, the kids would craft right up there on top of it.

But nooooo...

...they'd much prefer to be under the table.

As least I cleaned out from under it.

Of Pipe Cleaners and Tu-Tu's

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

It's Saturday. It's been ah-mazingly lovely the later part of this week.

And then the drizzle moved in last night.

Joshua is playing piano. The older three kids either are at neighbors houses or the neighbors are at our house, depending on who wants to play what. Daniel is sleeping. I am crafting (well. not now. now I'm blogging.) And Anna is entertaining herself in various ways. She's made cakes out of blocks, read books to me and her baby dolls, and this.

Pipe cleaners and a colander. Quiet, not messy, somewhat creative. And all this while wearing her pink tu-tu.

The clothes are what really matter.

A Tale of Two Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0000

The three girls, Anna, Elizabeth, and Sarah Grace, all share a room together. It has a bit of a dormitory appearance due to the three twin beds lining the wall. The fact is though, they generally do really well. They really enjoy sharing the space and having one another there to play with. I pray they always do well.

However.

One of our girls is a bit of a Neat Nik whilst another one tends towards a Messy Mae. Neat gets up every morning and makes her bed up pristine and precise. Messy would just as soon leave all her stuff piled up where ever it lands when she throws back the covers and crawls out of bed.

Neat ensures that her dirty laundry is dealt with properly. Messy has a tendency to leave it laying around until I tell her to pick it up and deal with it.

Neat has a very organized night stand drawer. Messy has problems opening hers from time to time due to it being jammed full of stuff.

Neat is meticulous about her books and her toys, carefully stowing them when she is ready to move on. Messy plays until she is done and walks away.

When the girls are sent to clean their room, Neat starts by cleaning out from under the beds and moving everything to one pile. Messy looks helpless and overwhelmed, frustrated by the very thought of organizing.

Neat rarely gets upset with Messy. They have a system worked out between the two of them. Messy honestly does much less work, because she can't comprehend where to begin. Neat assigns her one little task at a time and patiently goes about doing more than her share while diligently delegating to Messy.

It's not always an easy chore for them because sometimes Neat gets exasperated like anyone else. Frequently, Neat looks at Messy and tells her to go on so that Neat can just move about and quickly finish the job. Messy occasionally gets sassy and stubborn with Neat because she doesn't want to be bossed. It's a delicate balance, but one they handle exceedingly well, given they are 6 and 4 years old.

I've no doubt that it will become harder for them in years to come, but I appreciate so much the hearts they have and the way I see God moving in their lives daily. Neat would like to have her own space so that she didn't have to contend with the haphazard messes of her sisters, but she recognizes what she would be giving up. Messy makes more and more of an effort as time goes by to keep up her end of things.

I just hope that our Anna will integrate into the understanding her sisters share!

Back Patting

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:16:00 +0000

Just when I thought that maybe we might have us an understanding about the whole laundry thing around here, I spied this.

That would be my 7 year old's skivvies carelessly tossed over a support beam of our school table.

And, really, what more can I say?

Daniel - 8 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:20:00 +0000

Yes, I did skip the 7 month post. I meant to post it, but I didn't. My chocolate supply was low and my poor brain just couldn't churn out a post with no chocolate to spur it on.

Anyway.

I am 8 months old and...
...I can hold my own bottle. In fact, the day after Mom published this, I decided it was time to do it myself.
...I am crawling!!! It's SO cool.
...I have found I like to eat paper. Nom-nom.
...I have a new tooth on top, bringing me to a grand total of three.
...I love sweet potatoes.
...I found my squealer. Mommy and Daddy seem to grit their teeth a lot when I use it. Wonder why? I think it's fun!
...I LOVE bath time. The squeals echo in there!
...I like my feet, but I'm not particularly limber, so I don't get to chew on them often.
...I do this really cute lip sucking thing to help alleviate the discomfort from teething.
...I am an expert raspberry blower.
...I sleep ten to twelve hours every night. Mommy LOVES it.
...I weigh sixteen pounds.
...I'm beginning to try to pull up on things.
...Look out world! I'm on my way!!

New Year's Eve Day

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Because I like to believe that I am neat and orderly, I will ignore the fact that I am about to post about New Year's Eve Day before I've even had a moment to look at pictures from Christmas.

But let's not get hung up on the details, hmm?

We spent the beautiful day just relaxing and basking in the being together and being home. Except the part where we loaded up the kids and their bikes and took off to one of the local parks. (Can I just throw out a high five to God for the 60-something weather in December?!?!??? Awesome!!) This particular park tends to flood. Every time it rains, I think. The older kids rode their bikes around while I sat on a bench and made a Playground Friend as she and I watched our 3 and 4 year olds get dirty. Joshua strapped Daniel into the baby seat on his bike and rode about for a bit, too.

Eventually the older kids came back and found that one of the sidewalks was still flooded over. They took turns riding through the water. The video demonstrates the personality differences in my Sarah Grace and Thomas.

Five Minute Friday: Connected

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:30:00 +0000

START
~~~

We come into this world with a dependency on being connected. We cling to our Mommas those first few years as we discover the art of breathing, eating, walking, and talking. We make friends at each playground we visit, rarely remembering their names, but quite clear on the details of whatever game we invented.

School years give us a glimpse of understanding the world around us as we learn how numbers and verbs and history and construction paper all interrelate. We make friends with whom we tell our secrets and grouse about the cruelties of our inexperienced lives.

Soon our hearts are drawn towards the special bond of a lifetime. We say the I Do's and our lips meet, announcing to all present of the connection we have and the commitment we are making.

And it starts over, this time from a different perspective. We watch our bellies grow with the miracle of a child. How our bodies are connected to theirs for those magical months, and the beautiful fragility of forever wearing our hearts outside of us when the wrinkly, crying babe is laid in our arms.

We live our lives reaching out and making connections. We are a being made to give love and need love. Our hearts long to have deep and meaningful relationships. It's the perfect way in which God has designed us. It's overwhelming. It's beautiful. It's hard.

~~~
STOP

These five minute exercises generally find me unable to fluidly get my thoughts into order and tapped out. But I do so love them. How about you?

What We're Up To These Days

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:20:00 +0000

What's going on?

Not much of anything. Just one day at a time, doing what we do, learning little bits of this and that, and enjoying the holidays.

Family time is precious. We've had the wonderful gift of a lot of it lately. Even with commitments and obligations, we've had plenty of time home to just be who we are.

How about you?

Photo courtesy of Life's Mirror Images

An Anna Birthday - 3 Years!

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:56:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that three years ago this little one was born. It was spitting snow outside, determined to be cold and slushy.

The weather wasn't the only 'determined' thing I ran across that day. Anna was born with high expectations and determined to do things differently than her siblings. Oh, and she did.

She still is.

She is such a joy to watch grow up. She still has preconceived ideas of how everything should work and isn't afraid to let you know when things don't come to pass as she has planned. She's spunky and humorous and strong-willed and loving.

For her birthday, she wants 'fwower cake dust wike wast yeawuh and Baby Sophie to come.' And folks, that is just what she is getting: A flower shaped cake and her favorite little friend, Sophie.

And hot chocolate. Because it's cold outside. I think she enjoyed it!

We love you, Anna Joy! Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

Making Beef Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:19:00 +0000

I love soups and stews. I will confess that I don't just love the peeling and chopping aspect, especially since I tend to make double or triple batches so I can freeze it or have left-overs later in the week. However, the children are growing and with that comes greater capabilities. And so I start handing out the sharp objects more freely now.

This is how these pictures came about. Thomas peels (because my seven year old boy is more likely to lop off his finger than my six year old girl) and Sarah Grace cuts. Thomas is haphazard but cheerful in his work. Sarah Grace is meticulous and jubilant in hers. Who am I to rain on their little parades?

I still have to deal with the raw meat, though. Blech.

Daniel - Six Months

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Photo Courtesy of Life's Mirror Images

I am 6 months old already and...
... Mommy says it doesn't seem like that much time could have possibly passed, but I guess it has.
...I am an expert bubble blower.
...I love to grab onto my feet and play with them.
...I light up like a Christmas tree when somebody talks to me.
...I don't know what a Christmas tree is.
...I still wake up regularly in the night because I've managed to flip to my back. I don't like it there. Mommy or Daddy trudge in to put me back on my belly so my frustrated cries don't wake the whole house.
...I will eat solid food if Mommy insists, but I would much rather have someone cuddle me close and give me a bottle.
...I don't want to hold the bottle. My title is Baby!
...I love to jump in my jumper.
...I enjoy riding around in the Ergo, but prefer the B'jorn so I can see what's going on.
...Mommy doesn't think I will ever crawl, but just go straight to walking.
...What's walking?
...What's crawling?
...Who needs either? There are plenty of arms to carry me!

Anna - Not Quite Three

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0000

The child is a wealth of words. People trip over themselves when they learn that she isn't even three years old. It's perfectly natural to us, though. I mean the entire family likes words. Joshua likes big words. I like lots of words. Thomas knows every word. Sarah Grace wants to know what every word means. Elizabeth has words, but is drowned out by her siblings. And so it is that Anna's vocabulary is larger and more correctly used than your run of the mill 35 month old child.

Her learning processes are very much so on average, though. Hilariously so, when you consider how broad her language skills are.

Example 1
Doo-Doo. Enough said. (I wonder how much longer I can allow her to go on with that...)

Example 2
As we were on our way to ballet this week, Anna was talking about cars.

"Is dat a Punch Buggy, Mommy?" (Slug Bug, Punch Buggy, you know the game, right?)

"No, baby. That's a PT Cruiser, like Memum has."

"Oh," she replied. After a few minutes, she pointed out another car. "Is dat one a Punch Buggy?"

"Nope. That's a Honda."

Why she thought it looked even remotely like a VW Bug, I will never know. But she is two.

So later this week, she looked out the window as we were waiting at a traffic light.

"Mama! It's a gween Punch Buggy!!"

"No, Anna. It's not a Punch Buggy. I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Oh... is it a Ponda?"

I giggled as I replied, "Not a Ponda, either. It's a Toyota."

"But it's gween, wight?"

"Yup, it's green."

After several moments of repeatedly mumbling 'Toyota' to herself, she piped up again.

"Does a Toyota bwing toys, Mommy?"

Example 3
We love to sing around here. Frequently, as we drive to and from places, the kids will hum a song and try to get their siblings and me to guess what it is. Anna tends to hum Jingle Bells and the Alphabet Song a lot. So when it's her turn to hum, we can all pretty well guess it in three notes. But today she veered. She hummed the "Oh come let us adore Him" parts to "O Come All Ye Faithful". (What? Your not already singing Christmas songs?)

The other kids were stumped and so I guessed. Since I was right, it meant it was my turn to hum a song. I hummed about half of "A, Your Adorable" before anyone guessed it. The older kids, sitting all the way in the back of the van, couldn't hear as well as Anna, who sits just behind me. She got all excited and blurted out...

"It's A Yowr Dordullbuh!"

I let her have it.

Five Minute Friday - Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:50:00 +0000

For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.

For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

Won’t you join us?

START

I played with the puppy to pass the time and hopefully hide my nerves. There was a back-of-my-mind fear that the little bundle of black poodle fluff might just pee on my dress and then what would I do? I watched as she bounced all over me, seemingly on springs. As I scratched her ears, I noticed my un-manicured hands.

Honestly, today of all days, they should be pretty.

"Leah! My hands need help! Do you have a file? Can you do my nails real quick?"

My friend calmly responded and sat next to me, gently taking my lightly shaking hand.

"Helloo?"

Two old friend rounded a corner with smiles and hugs. I patted the belly of the very pregnant one and laughed with her as she moaned about a hot and long summer and swollen ankles.

"Girls! Let's go."

We trooped down the steps and went to our appointed positions.

I hid by a door, but I heard his voice and Lora had to remind me to stay put.

Finally, the doors opened and the music floated out. I stood there clinging to my Daddy's arm, searching for the face of the man I loved. The man I was about to pledge my life to.

I laughed out loud as I saw his jaw drop. I had to be reminded to slow down and take my time down the aisle.

I remember finally resting my hands in his, and it didn't matter that they weren't manicured. I was glad the dog hadn't peed on my dress, but realized that wouldn't

STOP

Intervention Needed - Where I Plead for Your Help

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I'm about to expose a dark secret that I've been keeping from all of you who don't know me in real life. I hope I don't disappoint you.

I've written several posts on how to keep a clean house while living with lots of little people. The truth is, my kitchen stays clean, the guest bathroom stays clean, the living room is usually neat, and the dining room stays pretty neat. We don't let people upstairs where the bedrooms are, so let's not speak of that.

Then there is the 'Imagination Room'. The entire rest of my house can be spic-and-span, and this room will look like a bombed out building. In fact, the picture below represents this room in relatively good shape.

I know. It's a disgrace. A scar. A reality.

We call it the Imagination Room for several reasons. First of all, we never imagined we would have a room that we had no idea what to do with. We never considered that there might be a black hole right in the middle of our house. It's where my sewing machine lives and crafting stuff lands. And I do enjoy the crafty side of life, so there is a good bit of stuff. Joshua's keyboard and sound equipment reside in here. The computer sits on the bottom of an old china cabinet that I have mostly renovated (the doors are off because a.) it allows more air to circulate for the machine. b.) it's a good place to prop our feet when we sit here. c.) I haven't painted them yet. d.) of all of the above. Take your pick.)

Mostly it's called the Imagination Room because I like to tell people to 'imagine it's clean and neat and organized' when they come in my house. That's the cold, hard truth of it.

Another space I haven't shared with you is my school area.

It's the breakfast nook just off our kitchen. It's the perfect size for our school table and the bookshelf. It also boasts the busiest walkway in our home: from the living room into the kitchen, just between the table and the bookshelf. The walkway is plenty big enough...unless there are colored pencils and coloring books and game pieces and folders and books and stuff on the floor. Then it's considered pretty hazardous.

I'd like to tell you that the kids never, ever leave their stuff laying around. I'd like to tell you that they are perfect angels about cleaning up behind themselves. But you'd call my bluff, and that would just be embarrassing.

It only took eighteen months for me to see that the Imagination Room needs to be our school room. I'm quick like that. Homeschooling isn't a short term decision. And I have five little people who will be processing through in the next 20-ish years. So why on Earth would I NOT dedicate an entire room to our educational pursuits?

That poor bookshelf is crammed full and I have baskets and boxes and tubs and drawers filled with other stuff that we use regularly. That bookshelf needs friends. We have flashcards that would greatly help our children if they were displayed at all times but I don't have wall space in the current school room, so they rarely make it out. The world map is hanging on the wall in a different room because, again, there is no wall space in the school area. I don't mind my home bearing marks in different places of our homeschooling, but it would make it easier on the kids if they didn't have to walk back and forth.

Now, with that in mind, I need your assistance. I need to paint the walls of the school room. And I'd also love to hear your ideas for a fun and functional space. The room is 17 x 12 feet with fantastic natural lighting. However, there are no overhead lights. Mr. Bookshelf up there is gaining three buddies and they will run from wall to wall down the 17 foot wall that has no windows. My school table (which I LOVE) is 4 1/2 feet square. The other seventeen foot wall has two windows. One twelve foot wall has a window (pictured above) and the other wall has a four foot wide door that we will be hanging drapes across so that the room may be closed off.

If you need any other info, holler. If you have wonderful things that work for you, or dreams of what you'd like, share it or link to it in the comments. If you Pinterest, please @ me so I can see pictures. If your brilliant and want to come do this for me (just for the satisfaction of creating something and maybe some brownies), bring it!

A Lovely Rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:56:00 +0000

She was all alone, unloved and unwated. Her once maple colored finish was dull and dingy. She seemed to slouch into her surroundings, begging to be noticed, yet desperately trying to fade into the background.

But I saw her. She was perfect. Her lines were lovely and feminine. She was strong, despite the lack of care she'd been given. It was simply a matter of asking price. When the yard sale owner quoted me the price, I tried not to grin like a loon. I simply pulled the $5 dollar bill from my wallet, handed it over, picked up my beauty, and took her home with me.

She sat in the garage holding other yard sale treasures until her big day came at last. I popped the back off and then sanded her just a bit. Her new home was to be in the girl's room, so I painted her with a bright, cheery yellow to compliment the colors in the girls room. I took her backside inside and measured for her new dress. Then I cut the fabric and mod-podged it into place. Once dry, I put her all back together and she sat in the living room for a couple of weeks to cure.

And here she sits in all her glory. She is lovely and loved and stands proudly, waiting to see what her little ladies choose to adorn her shelves with.

Linking up at:

Kid Photography - Botanical Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:11:00 +0000

On our last trip to the Botanical Gardens, I remembered to take the camera so that the kids could work on their photography. Then I promptly misplaced the camera.

I know, your awe in my ability to keep up with things, how very organized I am, and my grace in doing it is seeping through the computer screen. Thank you.

Never fear, the camera has been located (for the time being) and I grabbed a few pictures to showcase the much loved activity of picture taking.

By Elizabeth

By Sarah Grace

By Thomas

Tuckered Out

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 02:46:00 +0000

Thomas, Sarah Grace, Elizabeth, and Anna are in Scottsboro with my parents this weekend. A long weekend, actually, since they've been there since Wednesday night. We pick them up tomorrow.

The house is a train wreck, but I haven't sat down much since I hit the ground running Thursday morning. Deep cleaning has happened, but the surfaces got piled up. It's an insane cycle.

We also had a yard sale today. Suffice it to say, things have been busy and this little guy has been a trooper.

But he's done now. Sleep claimed him in the middle of playing.

Just Another Day

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Life is entertaining. Truly.

Y'all remember Doo-Doo? He's resurfaced again. With one of his buddies in tow. Anna is beyond thrilled. The day she found her beloved friend, she carried him all over the house with her. Some of her other favorite toys are little felted wool fruits and foods that I ordered from here for Christmas last year. Among those foods are strawberries, potatoes, cookies, bananas, and peas in a pod. Now that you have all that information...

Anna was quietly playing with her toys on top of the coffee table when I noticed she kept contorting her little body at odd angles.

"Anna, do you need to go potty?"

"No, I need to play with my Doo-Doo."

*commence giggling*

"Well, honey, let's leave Doo-Doo there and go potty real quick. He'll wait for you."

"Okay...", but she paused. Gathering up her two favorite toys, she carefully duck-walked over to me. At this point, I could tell she really needed to go pee, but she had to take care of first things first. "Mommy, will you hold my Doo-Doo and my peas for me while I go to da poddy?"

I tried not to laugh, but I couldn't do it. I'm really very juvenile that way. I was also Mommy enough to agree through my giggles, hold the toys, and carry her to the bathroom before we both got wet.

And since we're on the topic of bodily functions, I've got another one for ya. I usually leave this kind of sordid thing for other people to talk about, but occasionally a Mama's just gotta share.

Daniel is such a good natured baby. He's a little co-dependent, even for a baby. The kid does not know how to be alone. And rightly so. His siblings are in his face all.the.time. Rarely does the child get to breath fresh air because some-little-body is hovering 6 to 18 inches over his sweet little face. However, he seems to prefer to live life this way.

So when I changed his diaper the other day and tossed a towel over his boy parts so as not to have an indoor sprinkler and then walked away for a few minutes, it came as no surprise when he started fussing after a minute or so. I was in the dining room helping one of the older two kids with a math problem that had them stumped and I knew where the little girls were, so I wasn't concerned about Daniel and his fussing. He was just lonely.

Or so I thought.

When I wrapped up things with Thomas and Sarah Grace, I rounded the corner back into the living room where I had left Daniel laying on the floor. He had managed to flip onto his belly (a feat he doesn't accomplish with any ease at all) and was on the bare wood floor. And not happy about it. I laughed and talked to him as I walked over to him. As I neared, I realized that there was a less than pleasant aroma wafting from his general vicinity.

The little towel had been useless. The kid hadn't peed. He'd rolled over, and in his effort to roll, he had projected poop all over the floor and up the wall. Not even a drop on his little bottom. Clean as a whistle.

Believe me when I say I diapered that there boy up quickly just in case he wasn't done. Then I set about the business of cleaning.

Just A Quick Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Here is one of the projects I've been working on this week. A bookshelf for the girls' room. Bright and perky, don't you think?

Please excuse my wonky photography. I take bad pictures on a good day. When I'm trying to squat in a dress to get a decent angle, I also take crooked bad pictures.

Obviously I Wasn't A Boy Scout

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Several months ago (as in I was still pregnant with Daniel), I was asked to help with a 'Decorate on a Dime' event that a lady at our church is heading up. When she asked, I snorted and waited for the punch line, y'all.

You see, I have ideas about what I want to do, but our budget says that I have to do a lot of these things slowly. In an effort to speed things along, I have learned to refinish furniture to suit my sense of style. I have also learned that I really enjoy doing these kinds of things.

But the sanding and priming and staining and painting and wood filling and sanding and waxing and sanding of furniture takes time, a precious commodity around here. My people still want to eat every day. More than once, even! And my husband expects clean underwear in his drawers. And we home-school our children.

Point is, if you walk into my house and notice it looks disjointed, it's generally because I just haven't gotten to that project yet. And I am a little particular...I would rather have nothing than have something that is just a place filler. This might explain why only three of the nineteen windows in my home have curtains...

So way back when my friend Allison (who is an incredible home decorator, by the way) asked me to do this, I said, "Sure! That sounds like fun!" (after I recovered from the lady-like snorting, of course.)

The event is tomorrow night. I have 33 hours and eighteen minutes to be ready for this presentation. And sixty-eleven projects going at once.

I meant to complete some of the stuff I was working on before Daniel was born and tackle a few more projects. I wanted to Be Prepared and have time to get all beautified before the presentation. But time got away from me. Newborn, laundry, food, and school among other things vied for my attention. So now it's crunch time and here I sit blogging.

On the other hand, I've got some good before and after pictures that I may get around to posting to the ol' blog. One of these days. Maybe. Perhaps.

I make no promises. Now I'm off to add another coat of paint to something...

A Child's Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:22:00 +0000

Bedtime prayer is a special time. Here is where much of the heart-talk between the girls and I take place. Here is where questions are asked, thoughts are voiced, worries are aired, and fears are wrestled. Here is where many of the rewards of Motherhood take place, and where we find our children in intercession for others. It's a sweet, sweet time.

Right now, at this moment, the girls all pray on their own. Joshua and I tuck them in and he kisses them before he goes off to the boys room to pray with them. It thrills me with each child when they speak the prayers of their heart after a year or so of repeat-after-me prayers. It makes me look forward to that special time with the girls even more to know that all three of them have things they want to say and want to express, with regards to prayer or to the whispered chats.

We always start off with me walking around to each bed and tucking each girl under the covers and a bug hug and kiss. While I make these rounds, we all sing a hymn. My sweet Sarah Grace, who sings loudly and adoringly and off key. Elizabeth, whose voice is barely a whisper as she hides half behind her beloved blanket, but whose heart is sincere. Anna occasionally misses a word or four but sings right on pitch and always with a smile.

After the song ends and all three girls are tucked in, I settle on one of the beds to pray for them. I ask them if they have anything they want me to pray for, and then we do.

Then, the precious begins. We take turns with which girl begins. All three of them start off something like this:

"Dear Lord, Thank You for the day so great. Thank You for the world and how You made it. Just thank You for Mommy and Daddy and Thomas and Sarah and Elizabeth and Anna and Daniel. Thank You for friends and family. Thank You for our church and our friends there and thank You for our house. Thank You for my soft blanket."

And then they diverge. Sarah Grace goes on to thank God for how she gets to learn about Him and to pray for people who don't have homes and for children who don't have parents. She prays for any person she can think of that has an illness or is pregnant. She gives thanks for Jesus, the life He lived, the way He healed people, and how He died for her. She wraps up with asking God to "just put a hedge around Satan so he can't do his mean tricks" and then assuring Him that she loves Him very much and is so glad that He lives in her heart. "Pwease help me to be good and to love others."

Elizabeth goes on to pray in broad strokes, encompassing pretty much every person in the world in one way or another. She then reiterates her thanks for her blanket (each girl has a special blanket from their babyhood that they love), tells God she loves him and thanks Him for Jesus.

Anna...now Anna just started praying on her own a few months ago. She is at the stage that I find endearing and entertaining. She prays with her eyes wide and her head on a swivel. She gives thanks by name for her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. Then she goes into great detail and gives thanks for every. single. object. in the room. Or at least the ones she can make out by the glow of the night light. Then she thinks carefully about what she might have forgotten and is thankful for those toys and books and clothes and food items that aren't in the room with her. And always, her toothbrush.

I laugh, but then I remember that God loves to hear her sweet prayers. She can't comprehend, in her two year old mind Who God is and all His greatness, but what she does know is the she wants to talk to Him. She is beginning to understand that He is responsible for all the good we have. Including our toothbrushes.

Daniel - 5 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Has it really been a whole month since I last posted one of these? The time, it is a flyin'.

Photo Courtesy of Thomas

I'm five months old...
...and let me tell you, I DO NOT LIKE SLEEPING ON MY BACK. Are we clear on that point? If I flip over in the middle of the night from my belly to my back, I go just a little berserk until somebody flips me back over and tucks my blanket around me.
...and my Mommy thinks that this habit is only slightly high maintenance.
...and I have a tooth!
...and another almost through!
...and incidentally, I drool. A lot.
...and I really and truly believe that I need somebody to talk to me about 85% of my wakeful time.
...and I would really prefer that somebody just carry me around most of that time, too.
...and I like sweet potatoes and apples.
...and man! Do I ever know how to have some massive blow-outs.
...but Mommy doesn't like to relive those moments, so she said I can't tell you any more than just the essential facts.
...and I am The Smiliest Baby ever, according to Mommy and Daddy.
...and I am much adored by my Big Brother!
...and my Sisters, too!
...and life is good!