The Heywood Family

Elizabeth at 7 Weeks

2012-02-16T18:07:00.001-05:00

Will

2012-02-15T15:24:00.001-05:00

One of my friends took a cute picture of Will.

A Maid

2012-02-13T07:56:00.002-05:00

I'm reconsidering my decision to get rid of the maids. I just found it most stressful to have to clean up before they got here or else we risked having our stuff put in a most creative locations. I also found it stressful when they were not on time because I have a rather inflexible schedule to follow. However, I may just change my mind, if I can get organized enough. Sherry, who lost her son, Logan, on Saturday, told people to go have fun with their families on Sunday, in honor of Logan. I wanted to do something special, but was completely overwhelmed with all the work I had to do (granted I have a six week old also). Maybe a maid would ease up my work and let me spend more quality time with the kiddos.

Horsing Around

2012-02-12T22:20:00.001-05:00

22 Attempts to Get a Good Picture

2012-02-12T20:23:00.001-05:00

22 Attempts to Get a Good Picture

2012-02-12T19:59:00.001-05:00

Katie Lu

2012-02-12T18:18:00.002-05:00

After church today

What I Love About My Children

2012-02-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

My children are so much more wonderful than I could ever hope to be. When I told them Logan passed away, they wanted to make him cards and put them on balloons so they could get to Heaven. Then, they decided that he needed toys in Heaven, so they taped their own toys to his cards, though it might make it a little more difficult for a helium balloon to take to Heaven.

Looking Back

2012-02-11T17:02:00.002-05:00

What the hell happened in those two weeks between the middle of August and the beginning of September 2010? The son, Logan, of my friend, Sherry, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor; my friend, Benji, one year older than I, died of cancer; and my mother in law finally succumbed to CREST syndrome. Sweet Logan passed away today. I'm devastated. I don't know what else to say.

How to Remember Our Names

2012-02-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

This is how I was thinking I should tell people our names in order for them to more easily remember when we first meet:

The first three are easy- The "Chrises"- Chris, Christie, & Christopher
The next two- Billy Bob (William & Robert)
The last two- The Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine Elizabeth (Middleton), though I spelled my Katherine with a K)

Dads to Daughters

2012-02-10T15:25:00.001-05:00

Dads

Time to Crack Down on Kate

2012-02-10T14:22:00.000-05:00

I've had a most difficult few days with Kate. I had to take a little trip through the mall with Robbie, Kate, and Elizabeth. I was wearing Elizabeth, while Robbie and Kate were walking. Robbie was good, but Kate took the opportunity to take off in the complete opposite direction. And today, while I was in the middle of paying for groceries, she made a beeline for the exit. There will come a time when shopping is not so much of a sport. I'm looking forward to it, I think. However, it may be ever so slightly sad and lonely.

A Lot to Look Forward To, Updated

2012-02-10T14:13:00.001-05:00

Had the baby.
Had a drink.
I went to the gym.
Yard is finished being leveled, but grass needs to be planted when it's warm enough.
I'm getting a trip to Europe!
Still have braces, but hopefully not by the time I go to Europe.
Deciding on the appliances and installing propane so I can have a gas stove.
Deciding on the furniture and decorations for the boys' room.
I'm not ready for a puppy anytime soon!

Elizabeth, Sleeping

2012-02-07T10:18:00.001-05:00

Leveling the Yard

2012-02-06T17:20:00.002-05:00

I've wanted to do this ever since I realized just what a slope this was, after we purchased the house, of course. As soon as we seed it this spring it will be a perfect place to play all sorts of sports.

The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce

2012-02-06T09:09:00.001-05:00

After Willpower, prompted by my former neighbor's divorce, I read The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce, and I thought I'd highlight some of her findings. The author has followed children of divorce for twenty five years at the time of her writing, from the height of divorce's popularity. She goes through the lives of a few adult children of divorce. While not all of the children turn out completely messed up, they usually take longer to get their lives together, which wastes valuable time and energy. Everyday doors close. Children of divorce are defined by the event similarly to the way that adopted children are defined by being adopted. Children of divorce are always "waiting for the other shoe to drop." I completely understand that sentiment, and it was very enlightening to know why I felt that way, and to know others in my situation feel that way, too. In my case, I have pretty much everything I could ask for, but I do always hear a small (and sometimes not so small) voice in the back of my head say that it could end in an instant. And while it could, that is true, not many people have the voice continually reminding them. Back to the book. Divorce is more devastating on children the younger they are at the time. Hmm, and what else? I thought it was interesting that these adult children of divorce rarely have more than one or two children. I enjoyed reading the book, and I highly recommend it.

The Littles This Morning

2012-02-03T10:41:00.001-05:00

The three little ones.

A Lot To Look Forward To, Revised and Updated

2012-02-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

"In the next few months, we're going to get a baby, I'm going to have a drink ;), I'm going to get my braces off, we're going to get a puppy, we're going to get new appliances for our kitchen, we're going to level our side yard so it's more usable for the children, and we're going to get bedroom furniture for the boys. It's a lot to look forward to!"

Had the baby.
Had a drink.
I'm getting a trip to Europe!
Still have braces, but hopefully not by the time I go to Europe.
I get to go back to the gym.
Yard is in the process of being leveled.
Deciding on the appliances and installing propane so I can have a gas stove.
Deciding on the furniture and decorations for the boys' room.
I'm not ready for a puppy anytime soon!

5 Kids, 6 and Under

2012-02-02T12:58:00.001-05:00

I can say that for just a few more days.

Please Pray for Logan

2012-01-31T08:02:00.001-05:00

http://prayersforlogan.blogspot.com/

Football

2012-01-28T16:16:00.003-05:00

Chris was practicing throwing and catching a football with the boys this afternoon. Love my family! :)

More Babysitters

2012-01-26T07:48:00.000-05:00

I have given in and gotten a babysitter again. However, it's a high school student, and it's temporary. It's really amazing how six hours/ week makes all the difference! I can take the older boys to their activities without having to chase Kate or haul Elizabeth around. Normally, I would do that, but I'm just so sleep-deprived that I can't really handle it right now. I can also take a nap when I'm desperate.

Blog Post that Touched Me

2012-01-21T11:29:00.002-05:00

Blog Post that Touched Me

Redheads

2012-01-20T09:20:00.001-05:00

I have to admit that I'm a little surprised that I have two redheads, especially since the last person in my family to have red hair was born 133 and 135 years before Robbie and Kate. It's a neat little link to the past

Today

2012-01-19T10:58:00.002-05:00

Can you tell I'm just taking one day at a time?

Dad: Last day of work before our four day weekend thanks to his company's generous paternity leave. We were up late because we were and still are having trouble connecting Dad's Christmas present/ new toy to our wireless internet.
Mom: Taking a crash course on home appliances because dishwasher was fixed and then died immediately. We need a new dishwasher, but we were going to change completely over to stainless in two months. I was not prepared to do it quite yet. My back still hurts. I was only up for a little over an hour last night, but we got to bed late (see Dad's section). While I'm now allowed to have a little drink at night, I'm now not allowed to go to the gym for another three weeks. Argh! I think the gym calms my nerves more effectively than the booze, plus you can do it at 10 am!
Chris: Off to school on time. Only issue was his losing his coat this morning, which was stuffed in his book bag.
Will: Will's eyes were much better after the doctor gave us new eye drops yesterday, so he went to school, but his star student week has been postponed.
Robbie: He is at school. The show and tell theme is things that sparkle, so after I was so proud of myself for having made his lunch early, we ran around trying to find something that sparkles. Boys don't have sparkly things so we borrowed Kate's sparkly shoes. Of course, then I told the kids to get in the car, but Robbie had since lost his lunch box. Argh! Finally, I found it, and got him to school.
Kate: Always asking me to put on her shoes in the house, but then always taking them off in the car...
Elizabeth: Did a pretty good job sleeping last night, minus the three o'clock hour. She is three weeks old today!

Another Snapshop

2012-01-18T07:55:00.000-05:00

Dad: Back to work. He drove in case he needs to come home early.
Mom: Does she now have pink eye or are her eyes just red from lack of sleep? Do I need to make my own dr appt? And take four kids? Oh, and I have a lower back spasm. Oh, and I have to be home to answer the door for the dishwasher repair man because our dish washer has been out since Friday.
Chris: Off to school on time.
Will: Eyes are not better so I'm taking him (and probably three other children) to the doctor today. If I wait until a certain time, I'll have a babysitter.
Robbie: He is home with me today. No, he cannot play angry birds all day.
Kate: Issue-free.
Elizabeth: Prefers to sleep in bed with me, which is not my preference.

What is so hard is that I have two kids who are unreasonable because of their ages. The only other time I had kids so close together was when I had Chris and Will. It was hard then, too, but I didn't have three others. The three others are good and bad. It's more difficult to leave the house and there is more to think about like school work, birthday parties, and sports schedules, but at the house it's easier because the older kids entertain and even hold the baby. For some reason, while 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 was easy, 4 to 5 just seems like a big leap.

The good news? 1) Dad's Christmas present arrives Friday. 2) We also have some fun home improvement projects in the works.

Snapshot

2012-01-17T09:32:00.001-05:00

What is everyone doing today?

Dad: Going back to work today after MKLJr day off. He had this super ambitious idea that he should clean out the attic.
Mom: I'm very tired. (See Elizabeth section.) I was very overwhelmed when we took five children to Target yesterday, and I'm still recovering.
Christopher: Caught the 90 minute delayed bus because there was snow. He has to pass out the invitations to the boys in his class for his laser tag birthday party.
William: He's home with pink eye, but it's his star student week. He'll probably be well enough tomorrow to get all the attention star students deserve.
Robbie: He's about to go to preschool.
Katherine: She's becoming very self sufficient. She eats oatmeal all by herself. She also eats her vegetables without giving us any trouble whatsoever.
Elizabeth: She sleeps a lot still. She gets up once at night, but after that, she spends a good amount of time grunting and snorting. She's a terribly loud sleeper.

Hips, Recovery

2012-01-12T11:19:00.005-05:00

I suppose I'm very sensitive to relaxin, the hormone that relaxes the joints. Throughout the pregnancy and two weeks postpartum I felt as if my hips were unstable. However, I woke up today and got out of bed without feeling that my hips were about to collapse. Yay!

Chanel No 5

2012-01-07T11:16:00.001-05:00

I know it's ridiculous to allow it from a 19 month old, but Kate LOVES to wear perfume, especially Chanel No 5. At least she has good taste.

Elizabeth, 8 Days

2012-01-06T21:06:00.001-05:00

The Sweetest Little Girl

2012-01-01T09:37:00.000-05:00

For some reason I worried about what Kate was going to think of a new baby. I worried that she would be jealous, but she's not jealous at all. I think she is very happy to have a little sister. The first thing she did was give Elizabeth her favorite doll and cover her with a warm blankie. Kate is such a sweet girl.

Chris and Elizabeth

2011-12-31T18:11:00.003-05:00

I was most surprised to find a baby with hair!!! And black hair? I guess while all the other children are recessive babies, this one is not! I don't know why that would be so unexpected.

All the Children

2011-12-31T18:08:00.002-05:00

Christopher Matthew, 6 1/2, William Alexander, 5, Robert Edward, 3, Katherine Lucia, 19 mo, and Elizabeth Joan Heywood. I am so madly in love with my family!!!

Elizabeth Joan Heywood

2011-12-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

She was born yesterday at 6:40. She weighed 8 lbs 1 oz.

Christmas III

2011-12-26T18:40:00.002-05:00

Chris on his new motor scooter.

Christmas II

2011-12-26T18:34:00.001-05:00

Kate, getting into her stuff.

Spy glasses.

Kate loves her new shoe collection.

Christmas Morning I

2011-12-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

The kids coming into the living room at 6:30am. Will, with his new train set. The angry birds erasers were a big hit. Robbie and his new chair.

Milk, Cookies, and a Note to Santa

2011-12-26T18:11:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve Preparations

2011-12-26T18:06:00.000-05:00

Robbie unexpectedly dumped the reindeer water into the reindeer food, making reindeer oatmeal.

The kids writing a note to Santa.

Chris and Will's School Christmas Parties

2011-12-26T17:58:00.001-05:00

Will made reindeer food at his party. He gave the his teacher, the assistant, and his eighth grade buddy presents for Christmas.

Christopher made gingerbread houses at his party.

More Christmas Decorations

2011-12-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

These are from our family room, which has a fire place, and our living room.

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

These are from the dining room and foyer

Santa

2011-12-22T20:26:00.001-05:00

Gingerbread Man

2011-12-22T20:23:00.001-05:00

Getting Our Tree

2011-12-22T20:16:00.005-05:00

Again, I never had a live tree when I was growing up, so I insist on a having a live one now!

Outside Decorations

2011-12-22T20:13:00.001-05:00

I love decorating the outside. It's one of those things we never did when I was a child so it's definitely something I insist on for my children.

Missing Out

2011-12-21T20:01:00.001-05:00

I just have to say that if you miss Robbie's childhood, you are really missing out! He is the absolute cutest kid. Today we had a good laugh at the boys making "scary face" and "shy face," for example. It's stuff you just have to experience to enjoy.

Today's Doctor Appointment- 38 Weeks

2011-12-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

I'm 38 weeks today. Baby looks just fine. Because I'm advanced maternal age I get all sorts of extras. Today, I got another ultrasound, which was fine. She is approximately 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and very low.

For the Record

2011-12-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

I have nothing to say except I'm still here.

Kate Kisses

2011-12-20T07:39:00.004-05:00

Kate loves to give kisses, which is pretty amusing in the middle of church when Dad is holding her. She gives him a lip smacking kiss on one cheek and then the other and back and fourth. We try to get her to stop kissing, but she doesn't really want to listen.

New Years Cards

2011-12-15T08:59:00.003-05:00

Unless baby girl makes her appearance early, we will be having New Years cards instead of Christmas cards this year.

The Hardest Working Husband

2011-12-15T08:57:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I just cannot believe how hard my husband works. Then he comes home and helps me out with the little people. I am so appreciative of what he does for us!!!

Full Term

2011-12-15T08:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was full term (37 weeks). I'm having a lot of contractions, especially at night when I'm running around getting things back in order for the next day. They usually stop when I sit down. Today, they've started during the day when I'm running around, which is most unfortunate because that's when I get most of the physical work done. I'm so grateful for the hardest working husband in the world who really helps me out!!!

Kate Hugs and Kisses

2011-12-15T07:41:00.002-05:00

Kate just learned how to give really cute lip smacking kisses. Now when she wakes up she runs around the house giving her parents and all her brothers big hugs and kisses... again and again. We all think it's really cute.

Chris's School Pictures

2011-12-13T11:25:00.001-05:00

Will's School Pictures

2011-12-13T11:06:00.001-05:00

Robbie's Preschool Pictures

2011-12-13T11:02:00.001-05:00

Cravings

2011-12-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

I guess it could be worse, but the only craving I have had this pregnancy is for turkey and cheese sandwiches with mayo. I just can't get enough of them.

Picture with Santa 2011

2011-12-11T17:35:00.001-05:00

Kate's Favorite Book

2011-12-09T22:11:00.001-05:00

Kate has a favorite book with lots of fuzzy animals you're supposed to pet. One picture says to tickle it with your toes and then tickle with your nose. Kate decided to pet every fuzzy animal with her nose. She doesn't just "pet" it, but nuzzles it. It's really cute. It sent her brothers into a fit of laughter. I wish I could get it on video, but there's never a video camera when you need one, right?

Will and Shoes

2011-12-09T11:07:00.001-05:00

Can you say absent-minded professor? First of all, Will has not only memorized multiplication facts, but he understands the concepts. I have asked him lots of different questions, mostly with the lower numbers. He thinks about it for a minute a gives me the right answer. So, I think I've established that he gets the concept. However, he has a terrible time with shoes!!!! There is definitely some sort of shoe issues among my children. Will forgets to wear them, unless reminded. And half the time he has no idea where they are. It sometimes causes problems in our house as everyone is rushing to get out in the morning. (Kate has her own shoe issues and/or obsession.)

Where Did That Post Come From?

2011-12-07T23:04:00.001-05:00

Monday, Tony came to give Chris and Will their piano lessons. Since it's the holidays, he was thinking of helping them learn something to play for family. That's when he asked about my family. That's when I told him the situation. That's when he was completely shocked (and since he also works in the school system with the dysfunctional kids, it's not easy to shock him). He just loves to teach Chris and Will, and is just completely impressed with their talent. He really thinks my kids are great kids and anyone would be so proud to be related to them, etc. And that got me thinking, unfortunately (pregnancy hormones didn't help, either). But, I'm back to my usual self now. I guess the miserable, abusive childhood I had makes me appreciate so much more the incredibly wonderful adulthood I have now.

One Week

2011-12-07T12:57:00.001-05:00

Seven days until I'm full term. I've got to get this baby moving because her bony head is knocking against my bony hip bones and it HURTS!!!

Will and Multiplication

2011-12-07T12:50:00.001-05:00

Will came up to me yesterday and announced that five times five is twenty-five. Four times four is sixteen. He rattled off a few more facts. At first I was like, "Very good, Will," because I was in the middle of cooking dinner. Then I realized that Will is giving me multiplication facts, not addition or subtraction, and he's in kindergarten. I ask him where he learned this and who taught him and he only replied with an explanation, "Five times five means five groups of five." I suspect someone on the bus is teaching him, but I don't know for sure.

Muppet Movie

2011-12-06T12:34:00.001-05:00

Chris took the boys to see the Muppet Movie. They loved it, especially Robbie, who can't stop talking about Fozzie's fart shoes. Chris even liked it despite the anti- big oil theme. I'm just shocked that movies cost $7.50 for the matinee. Imagine my brother in law taking his family- $80+ for a matinee before popcorn!

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T15:09:00.001-05:00

I'm very thankful for my husband in so many ways!!! Hmmm. Will I be able to make it to day 30? I feel pressure to plan ahead. Maybe I should just be thankful for one thing about Chris tonight so I can save the others for later... This is very stressful for me!!!! :)

Day 2~ I'm thankful for my first baby, Christopher, who has such a good heart.

Day 3~ I'm thankful for a house that rarely loses power.

Day 4~ I am thankful for the health of everyone in the family. I remember when I was a little girl, and we were always told in school to be thankful for our health. I always thought that was a given, but unfortunately, now I know that it's not.

Day 5~ I am so thankful for my second born, Will. He just loves to learn, and he's very good at entertaining himself.

Day 6~ I am thankful for my religion. Years before I converted to Catholicism, I would read a Catholic prayer book I had found, especially when things were really bad. Catholicism has and continues to sustain me.

Day 7~ I am thankful for my mother-in-law. (How many people can say that?) ;) She was very good at seeing the positive in everything and assuming only the best motives in people, qualities she passed on to my husband, and I'm trying to practice more!

Day 8~ I'm so thankful for my little Robbie. He is just pure sunshine and happiness. He's always smiling, and love to tell jokes. In fact, he'll do just about anything to get the rest of us to laugh.

Day 9~ I am thankful for my little Katie Lu! Someone once told me that you have two chances to get the mother-daughter relationship right, once as the daughter and once as the mother. I'm so blessed to have this chance to get this right.

Day 10~ I'm thankful for baby girl whom I'll get to meet in seven weeks.

Day 11~ I am thankful for all those in our military who put their lives on the line everyday to protect our freedom. Happy Veterans Day!

Day 12~ I am thankful for my hometown, Damascus- for the friendships that have I've had most of my life, for the sense of community, for the landmarks (Jimmy Cone- haha). Even though it is known to some as that dry, farm town/football town in the boonies, it was a great place to grow up.

Day 13~ Don't laugh. I'm thankful for facebook. I know that may sound crazy, but being a stay at home mom, hundreds of miles from "home," can be very isolating. And trust me, I have no time to write letters or have prolonged telephone conversations at this point in life. I really enjoy staying in touch with people for the five minutes I get here and there. :)

Day 14~ I'm thankful for my education, which no one can ever take away. If something were to happen to Chris and all the insurance companies were to go under, I'd always have it to fall back on. (And I may actually work at a job that pays one day in the distant future.)

Day 15~ I am thankful for getting older. I know, it's better than the alternative! But also, age brings more stability, security, including financial, a more emotional even keel, and wisdom. I admit, I'm not a huge fan of *looking* older, but it's worth it! ;)

Day 16~ I'm thankful that my husband has a great job he loves that supports all of those children.

Day 17 & 18~ I admit I was having a hard time being thankful yesterday, but today is a new day and I'm twice as thankful! :) I'm thankful for two sets of parental figures- The first is Arlyce and BJ Wortman. Arlyce took care of me my first year of life, and it's from her and BJ that everything good in me comes. My MIL even said I have a lot of her mannerisms. It's funny how important that first year of life is, even if you can't remember it. The second couple is Gerry and Cathy Roth, who are/were a great example of living a good, Catholic life, and who probably influenced me more than anyone to convert.

Day 19~ I am thankful for friends. I know it seems odd that 19 days into it I'm just now saying it. With such a crazy life schedule, all these young kids, jobs, travel, doctors, dentists, school, activities, family events, it's sometimes easy to give friendships a low priority. I'm thankful for all the friends I've ever made, and especially for the newer ones up here that are slowly making Stratford, CT feel like home.

Day 20~ I'm thankful for sleep! And for wonderful husbands who let me sleep for 12 straight hours!!! It does wonders for my attitude and energy!

Day 21~ I am very thankful for the nice ladies at church, especially the ones who volunteer to watch Kate so I can attend at least some of my older children's school events!!!!

Day 22~ This may seem a little superficial, but this pregnant chick is thankful for sleep number beds. I usually like a firm bed, and I definitely need it firm when I bring a newborn into bed. However, right now, with all that weight on my hips, I love that I can make it super soft. I melt right into the bed sleep well without aches and pains.

Day 23~ I'm thankful for second chances, and the people who give them to you. :)

Day 24~ I'm thankful for Christmas cards. It may sound crazy, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting the mail in December!!! We already received our first card. :)

Day 25~ I'm thankful for miracles, big and small!!! Especially since having children, there have been so many close calls that could have turned out tragically. Thank you, guardian angels!!!

Day 26~ On this, the first day of Advent, I'm thankful for hope.

Day 27~ I'm thankful that I only have one month left until I get to meet the newest little Heywood. :)

Days 28, 29, & 30~ The final things I'm thankful for today are babies and their innocence, nice weather, and good news. Since this is the last thankfulness status, I just want to add some bonus thankfulness-es: I'm thankful for the diversity of humans and their talents or gifts, and I'm thankful that this is the last entry because it can be difficult to appreciate 30 different things. I find myself going back to family and friends again and again, which really isn't so bad, either, as long as I continue to be thankful.

Emotionally Abusive Mothers

2011-12-05T14:50:00.001-05:00

Emotionally Abusive Mothers about says it all.

General Characteristics of Emotionally Abusive Mothers

Making the child/teen feel responsible for the mother's feelings.

Threatening them in general.

Threatening them specifically with rejection or abandonment.

Threatening them with vague, unstated consequences.

Using force upon them.

Invalidating their feelings.

Laying undeserved guilt on them.

Placing undeserved blame on them.

Dominating the conversations.

Refusing to apologize.

Always needing to have the last word.

Judging or rejecting their friends.

Sending them to their rooms for crying.

Locking them out of the house.

Using punishments and rewards to manipulate and control them.

Invading their privacy.

Under-estimating them.

Failing to show trust in them.

Labeling them.

Criticizing them.

Giving them the silent treatment.

Failing to give them real explanations.

Giving non-explanations such as "because it is wrong" or "because it is inappropriate" or "because it is a sin"

I was first locked out of the house when I was about six years old. The last few in the list, my mother was particularly good at. BTW, (#3) you can't say they were empty threats, lol. However, it was good timing because my children don't even know who she is.

Cool Living Next to Yale

2011-12-02T14:38:00.001-05:00

Kate got to participate in this study.

Christopher's Thanksgiving Party

2011-11-28T21:59:00.001-05:00

Will's Thanksgiving Party

2011-11-28T21:55:00.001-05:00

Will's American Indian name is Stormy Cloud. Very appropriate!Will is in the back row, second from the right (fourth overall).

Kate Sleeping

2011-11-28T21:51:00.001-05:00

I just think babies are so cute when they're sleeping, even if it's when they're eating.

Looking Back

2011-11-28T21:42:00.001-05:00

I love this blog because I can instantly look back to any date and see what was going on in our lives. I love to see the kids and the family grow.

37 Days (16 days until full term)

2011-11-28T16:28:00.001-05:00

This is not an even number of days or weeks or anything, but I just wanted to complain. I was feeling so overwhelmed, but this weekend we got a lot accomplished so I'm a wee bit better. I'm having a hard time finding the energy to keep up with day to day tasks, not to mention preparing for Christmas. Half the presents are purchased and all the decorations besides the tree are up. At 34 1/2 weeks, I won't go into details, but I think I'm very sensitive to relaxin. Sometimes I feel like my left hip is not even stable enough to support my full weight. Anyway, the doctor said the baby's head is very low, so I'm getting all sorts of wonderful side effects of baby being low. I can't believe I have so much time left!!!

Piano

2011-11-28T16:25:00.001-05:00

Will has blown through his first piano book in three months where most kids take six to eight. Good job, Will

Speaking of Being Kind

2011-11-25T12:21:00.001-05:00

On the way home from Thanksgiving last night, Kate was very tired, but she couldn't get to sleep. She was crying and fussing most of the way home. Robbie was so nice to her, trying to comfort her and holding her hand. He did a great job trying to make her feel better.

Chris's Thankful Paper

2011-11-24T07:52:00.001-05:00

The first grade class wrote letters and the school mailed them to us. I thought it was so special- it almost made me cry. I love the first thing he's thankful for, being kind to him, because that is something I really stress among siblings. They have to always be kind to each other, and I think for the most part they are. Then he lists what Chris and I do for him. He really does appreciate us.

Kate's Temper

2011-11-24T07:49:00.001-05:00

It should come as no surprise that Kate has a little bit of a temper. She is downright mad about getting rid of bottles. When she is offered a cup, the first thing she tried was running away as fast as she could. Her new tactic is taking the cup (which always has a lid, of course. We're not stupid.), and hurling it across the room. She's got quite an arm!

Piano Lessons

2011-11-21T16:11:00.001-05:00

Tony, the piano teacher can't stop praising Chris and Will. I made a practice chart that they get to check off when they practice. It makes a big difference, especially with Chris since his pieces are getting harder.

Christopher, Fractions

2011-11-21T16:09:00.001-05:00

Christopher wanted to begin to learn fractions, too. So now they're both decorating pizzas with fractions.

Fractions

2011-11-20T10:59:00.001-05:00

Will wanted to learn a little math this morning so I began teaching him simple fractions.

A Lot To Look Forward To

2011-11-19T14:12:00.001-05:00

In the next few months, we're going to get a baby, I'm going to have a drink ;), I'm going to get my braces off, we're going to get a puppy, we're going to get new appliances for our kitchen, we're going to flatten our side yard so it's more usable for the children, and we're going to get bedroom furniture for the boys. It's a lot to look forward to!

Straight A's

2011-11-10T18:46:00.001-05:00

Christopher got his first first grade report card today- Straight A's. Yay!

Eight Months

2011-11-09T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today begins my eighth month, which means 8 weeks until my due date, or 6 weeks until I'm full term. I'm anxious to meet this little girl!

Dadda!!!!

2011-11-09T13:27:00.002-05:00

Kate LOVES Dadda!!! Today, she found two family pictures and one wedding picture with Dadda in it on different sides of the living room. She ran back and forth pointing to the pictures of Dadda while giggling with joy at her discovery. It almost brought me to tears (of joy, of course) at how happy we all are with our intact family.

Will's Worksheet

2011-11-04T16:50:00.001-04:00

His handwriting could use a little improvement, but he is just in kindergarten. He got some of his 9s and 6s backwards. He also makes some of his 1s look a little too much like 7s, but you get the idea...

Will's First Sick Day

2011-11-04T15:45:00.001-04:00

Will loves school and did not want to stay home today. To bribe him I said I would teach him some math, including subtraction with numbers up to 18 and double digit addition. He's so my child!!!

Sickhouse

2011-11-04T10:17:00.001-04:00

Kate and Will are sick. It's been a while since children who are too little to vomit in the toilet have gotten sick. Cleaning up puke all over the house is definitely one of the lesser joys of motherhood. The lesson I have learned is that the day is not so bad because the children are usually lethargic (positive spin) so you can get other stuff done, especially laundry- lots and lots of it!!! The other thing I've learned is to just gather all the towels in the house and put them within puking distance of wherever you park the baby/toddler. That way, you generally only have to move the towel to the washing machine, which is much easier than scrubbing sofas and rugs.

The Boys Soccer

2011-11-02T20:26:00.001-04:00

Happy 3 Year Anniversary of Your Baptism, Robbie

2011-11-02T10:40:00.001-04:00

Baby Girl Update

2011-11-02T10:18:00.002-04:00

The ultrasound showed that baby girl is doing fine. She's in the right position and practicing breathing. She is 57th percentile in size (Approx 3lbs 14 oz). This is a picture of her face.

Fatigue

2011-10-31T19:50:00.000-04:00

I suppose most people would not be surprised that I'm a little tired these days, what with four children, seven, almost eight months pregnant, doing all the chores myself, going to the gym most days of the week, yadda, yadda, yadda. However, I'm more exhausted than I'd really like to be. Maybe it's the anemia. Maybe it's the sleeplessness due to the weight on my hips and the reflux. Maybe it's the crazy dreams that awaken me. Whatever it is, I'm exhausted!!! Fifty-some days, Eight, plus weeks, One month and twenty-some days. However you want to look at it. Hopefully, the time will pass quickly. BTW, I had an appointment today and I'm measuring small, so I have an ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T19:12:00.000-04:00

Kate, you've got to stop moving!

I should use sports mode when I have so many restless children.

With the neighbors.

And they're off!

Halloween Decorations

2011-10-31T19:07:00.000-04:00

It looks a little odd with the snow, don't you think? You can't really tell the difference between the fake spider webs and the snow topped bushes.

The Great Halloween Snowstorm

2011-10-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

I took a before picture.

Then, after.

Then, the pumpkins.

Then, after, after.

How to Get Tons of Attention

2011-10-30T19:20:00.003-04:00

1) Have a whole bunch of kids.2) Have them behave in church.

The Baby

2011-10-30T10:21:00.002-04:00

The official due date is January 4th, but I have an induction date scheduled before New Years, so I'll be able to toast in the new year with a glass of champagne (and possibly get this girl in school a year behind Kate ;).

Robbie's Preschool Halloween Party

2011-10-27T22:28:00.001-04:00

In the first picture Robbie is upset that I wasn't dressed up as a "doctor," that is to say in my PA lab coat. In case you're wondering, Robbie is Bumblebee Transformer.

In the last picture I didn't realize the other guy was completely in the way.

My First Attempt at Putting Bows in Her Hair

2011-10-27T22:23:00.001-04:00

Pickles

2011-10-27T11:31:00.001-04:00

I hate pickles! In case you didn't know that and were interested. I hate the smell. I hate the juice. It's so disgusting that I can't eat anything that the juice touched. I'm like that with absolutely nothing else. I don't really like asparagus, brussels sprouts, or processed meats, but they've got nothing on pickles.

On Dignity

2011-10-23T22:12:00.002-04:00

Read this.