Rainy Day

It's the perfect day for Daniel's last bit of vacation. It's rainy, so yard work is pretty much impossible. Instead of tackling any major projects, we're just going to hang out. We enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee and talking while the kids played. Then we breakfasted all together.

Daniel's already offered to play me in Scrabble once the kids are down for naps. What can I say? He humors me.

I've started a pot of navy bean & sausage soup that will be joined on our dinner table later today by hot, whole wheat biscuits. It's always nice when a planned meal fits the weather so perfectly.

Tonight I might slip over to do pedicures with my sisters. My toenails are an atrocious half-painted, half-not combination. I won't even talk about my tough, dry-skinned heels. Ewww.

All in all, just rainy day activities around this house. Perfect for the mood I'm in.

Progress

Hopefully the rest of our fence posts will be in the ground by the end of the day. We had 7 left to go; so far today 3 more are in and a couple more holes are in the process of being dug. 4' underground is a lot and requires moving lots of big rocks. I'm glad I get to take care of the children instead of digging!

I've been turning sod (by hand), a little bit most every day, except over the weekend when I took a break. The 128' plot for the vegetables and herbs is 2/3 done. I've also turned a section for my intended flowerbed on the opposite side of the house. It's tedious work, but I enjoy it in a strange, beat-my-body sort of way.

My sod-turning has been slow-going because I don't feel comfortable leaving the kids inside on their own for more than 30 minutes or so at a time, and it's been a little too windy/chilly to bring Aubrey out of doors. Truth be told, though, I am amazed that I can even leave them for that long. Have I ever mentioned how conscientious my biggest boy is? Well, he is. Sure, I return indoors to a bit of a tornado of toys, but I don't ever worry that something will go wrong without him running out to fetch me. I'm so blessed by him.

I should be done turning sod tomorrow. Then I get to plant, which is exciting.

Yesterday Daniel cut down all the tulips, weeded that bed, and planted our summer phlox. They looked great when we first initially started them indoors, but I'm more than a little worried about them now. They're really tiny. Oh well. If they die, I'll just have to figure something else out for the front of the house.

My wild lilies that I transplanted to beneath my bedroom windows 2 summers ago are getting very full. I'm pleasantly surprised, since even weeds weren't growing in that patch of ground. Hopefully they will continue filling that area in so that it's not just bare dirt.

Our yard has come a long way. We haven't done a whole lot to take care of the weed-to-grass ratio, but just like some gardening books said, as we simply take care of the yard, the grass is slowly but surely taking over. Regular mowing is all that's been needed in that regard. Hmm. I think there might be a spiritual lesson there.

My Bedroom

I promised a while back that I would put up photos of my newly painted and re-arranged bedroom. The problem was that I wanted to wait until my mattress arrived, a shelf was purchased for Aubrey's Corner, Daniel's dresser-top was cleared, etc. Well, the mattress has arrived, the shelf still hasn't been purchased, Daniel's dresser-top is yet a mish-mash of toys that need to be fixed, and now I also have added Buy A Dust Ruffle to my list of things to do, but I'm giving the photo-tour of my room anyway:

Looking in from the dining room:


An immediate glance to the left as you enter:

(note: the wonderful Plymouth Plantation baby basket Mom gave me 5+ years ago)

An immediate glance to the right as you enter:

(that's where all our Fuzzi Bunz action takes place!)

Close-up of a favorite piece of furniture:


The crib, containing some of Aubrey's special things that I want a shelf for:


A better look at the right-hand side of the room
(and another favorite piece of furniture-- the wardrobe):


Looking from my side of the bed out the bedroom door:


Daniel's Corner, hidden by the door:

I love, love, love the colors of the room. And I am loving the mattress. Sooooo comfy! This room's decor has been a slow progression, but the reward is so much greater for the anticipation!

Us Girls

We were a foursome this weekend, us girls. All within a couple years of one another's age. All young wives and moms.

In addition to us, there were two nursing babes and two swollen bellies full of hidden blessing.

Being. Eating. Laughing. Telling stories. Sharing thoughts.

They slipped out this morning in the wee hours while my baby and I slept peacefully. There wasn't a good-bye (I never thought I wouldn't wake up and I'm sure they didn't want to wake me), but it was almost better that way. We might live far apart now, but our friendship is ongoing.

I'm thankful for these friends. Tangible expressions from God that I am not alone in this thing called life and serving Christ. Encouragement that it can be done and that there is great support and joy along the way.

The Weekend Update

Daniel and the kids are officially off on their camping adventure. This mom thinks the real adventure of the weekend will be the 7-1/2 hour trip Daddy is making solo with 1 toddler and 2 preschoolers. I'm already anxiously awaiting updates as they go, saying that they are making good progress. They're so excited and I've no doubt they will have a great time.

This morning, before they left, our new mattress and box spring arrived. Finally. (The company we ordered it from shipped it in the 2 weeks they said they would, but the local delivery company took a ridiculously long amount of time to then get it to us.) It's set up in the bedroom and I just finished putting the bedding back on it. And I must say that it's huge.

Huge.

I never thought of our full-sized bed as being particularly small, but this thing is so.much.wider. The queen-sized duvet I made work on our old bed no longer drapes on the floor at the bottom corners. In fact, I might even need to consider purchasing a bed skirt now. I think I will feel a bit lost in it tonight-- Daniel won't be even be here-- but I anticipate quickly getting used to it and appreciating the extra room, especially when little people visit us in the early mornings.

Stacie, Michelle, and Sarah are on their way up to visit (I assume the trip is still going according to plan!), along with 21-month-old Mariah, for the weekend. I'm so excited to spend time with them!

My projected weekend forecast is looking very good, if a little unusual.

Wisdom Teeth

I have two wisdom teeth that I've been putting off having removed. They're not painful or getting in the way, but my dentist predicts them crumbling and causing infection in the relatively near future (read: within the next 10 years or so-- not the next 10 months) because their structure is weak or something.

Anyway.

I've put it off because it's really hard to find a convenient time for such things. And (and this is a big "and") I'm not sure how all those pain medications and things like novocain work when you're pregnant and/or breastfeeding like I've been for the past 5+ years.

Any thoughts from anyone? Am I being overly paranoid about medications?

Simply Life::

::Yesterday I turned sod for about an hour and a half total (this was not non-stop, of course, as coming by a whole hour without one of the kids needing something is pretty much impossible). Today, I have a blister on my hand and my left shoulder is achy-- I think at this point in my life, the only truly strong muscles I have are in my forearms from carrying children around on my hip-- but getting some of the sod turned for my intended flower garden was lots of fun, even if I only made a little progress when all was said and done. It was a chilly day and the black flies were thick, so keeping Aubrey out of doors much longer than that just didn't seem like a smart idea.

::I made homemade chocolate pudding before dinner since we had a gallon of milk that was on the edge of going bad. Yum. Some extra cocoa and plenty of vanilla really are the keys to good chocolate pudding, if you ask me.

::Today we ran errands: Walmart and Aldi. While it's kind of nice to have a supercenter in the area now, mostly I miss the smaller store since it was much easier to get in and out of. Not to mention that one cart just isn't enough to hold groceries and all the other stuff we buy at Walmart (like sprinklers and lawn chairs and bug spray and brooms).

One thing I have to say positively about Walmart: they are cheap. I refrained from buying strawberries there even though they were $1.24 because I like to buy my produce at Aldi (typically better prices and an overall preferable shopping environment, in my opinion), but when I got to Aldi they were $2.50. Ugh.

::Tonight Daniel has worship practice and then we'll watch the AI finale together. Based on last night's performances, I think David A. should win, but I hope David C. does. I think he's way better overall, even if he wasn't amazing last night.

::I'm almost on week three of fuzzi bunz for Jackson. I was kind of vacillating about what kind of cloth diapers to go with for him, but I've found myself so in love with fuzzi bunz for Aubrey that I decided it was worth trying for him, too, particularly because it's risk-free. So far, so good, though-- as predicted-- his diapers are way grosser to deal with than Aubrey's. I predict that I will keep them. Now I just have to time things so that he's getting potty trained at the time Aubrey outgrows her smalls and needs his mediums.

::Daniel is really gracious with and kind to me. I watched him work on the fence yesterday and was struck by how that fence was my idea and my desire, but he's the one making it happen. Last night, he stayed home to spend time with me instead of playing tennis, which happens to be one of his favorite things to do. During these days off, the constant from him has been, "What can I do for you? Do you want me to vacuum? Do you want to play a game? Do you want me to work on the fence? Can I do something to make dinner simpler to prepare?" Unbelievable and totally undeserved.

::I've been thinking about a couple things this week:

1. Priorities and how I make time for the things that are important to me. I wonder how many things are important to God that I excuse myself from because I tell myself I don't have the time. I also wonder how many things I am currently making time for that God wouldn't necessarily have me spend myself on.

2. How casual I am with my speech so much of the time. This is not new to this week, as in the past few months I have made more than one phone call to others apologizing for things I said, but I am feeling even more pressure from the Holy Spirit in the last few days to think before I speak. It's humbling and uncomfortable to feel the heat of conviction so frequently after I say something, but it's also amazing to know that He's committed to helping me change and grow.

3. Blessing. I am so blessed! And I want to be more intentional about blessing others. Not only give when somebody presents a need, but to the point that I am anticipating needs and hopes and wishes. I remember reading one time on Kathy's journal about how we usually buy new things for ourselves and then give the old things we have away, when maybe it ought to be the other way around at times. I want to do that more.

Vacation

Yesterday began 2 weeks "off" for Daniel. Yup, he's taking a vacation. We're not planning on going anywhere-- other than Daniel taking the kids to Cook Forest this coming weekend-- but I'm looking forward to it just the same.

Our plans for the 9 days we'll all be together here at home include continued work on the fence (rails need to be put up along one side, there are a few more post holes that need to be dug around my vegetable garden area, and we need to finish painting), a family day with movies and fun foods, digging sod and planting some perennials that Mom is going to give us (Daniel's already promised that he's going to watch the kids a bit so I can do some of this!), and spending lots of time reviewing Scripture memorization and training the kids.

I'm looking forward to getting things done, but mostly I'm looking forward to all of us being together a lot.

Yay!

Changing

The days are long, the months are fleeting, the years are vanishing. I look at my children and I wonder when this happened-- when they became little people who voice opinions and have fears and imagine all sorts of wonderful things. And I think, Lord, change my perspective that I might always see the big picture... so that I can better understand the smaller parts.

Gabriel is thinking and processing so much these days. He peppers me with questions all day long. He wants to learn and know things. Yesterday he told me he wanted to sit on the porch and look at the tulips and think about Peter Pan. For those who are familiar with Anne, Gabriel is my [more realistic] Walter. He is talented and insecure all at once. I worry that my perfectionism will crush him, so my prayers for grace and humility to change are more fervent than ever. What an amazing little man-child.

Bronwyn is the same and changing all at once. She has recently been the biggest challenge for me, which probably means she's reached a new stage and needs new activities and new chores. She is incredibly quick to forgive, to share, to smile, to leave dirty socks trailing the stairs. Whether picking on her brothers, kissing Aubrey, talking to me, or sharing a story, she is rarely quiet and almost always interacting. I love her and I absolutely adore her chubby cheeks.

Jackson is unbelievably cute and stubborn all in the same breath. My sunshine and my handful both! I don't know how he manages! He wants to be a big kid-- to fight Gabriel in imaginary battles, run outside with squirt guns and kickballs, be done with the booster seat, drink from a regular cup, and hold Aubrey-- and yet he loves to snuggle and be comforted by his mama's kiss. Were it that he could stay my baby forever.

Aubrey is interested in everything. She wants to grab and touch and hold all that she can. Yesterday and today she fell asleep in her basket-bed on her own. It just kind of happened. I needed to get some things done and she was tired, so I laid her down thinking I would retrieve her when I finished emptying the dishwasher. Little did I know that she would be asleep when I returned. I almost wanted to wake her... to take back that opportunity for more growing up... How did we get here?

They are changing, as they should. Most days I don't see it. Most days I wonder if I will ever have a child who can tie his own shoes. I hate that I overlook the small bits of progress, only to realize all at once how far they have come. I want to savor every change, no matter how tiny. Not just so that I can tuck it away as a mother wants to do, but also so that I can praise and encourage every step along the way.

8 Months

My baby is eight whole months old today.

Now she's got two razor-sharp teeth. She rolls all over and lands herself in precarious positions (like wedged between the loveseat and the dresser in our living room). Her babbling and squealing have reached new heights in the last month. I think she's probably around 14lbs now; she's wearing 6-9 month clothing. She has the cutest cheeks and cheesiest grin. Her complexion is getting creamier every day.

She visited New York city for the first time this past weekend. While downstate, she met one of my cousins, Leah, who is 4 months old and lives on Long Island.

Best of all, our Aubrey-Baby just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.

And, ohmyword, do we love her.

We've Been Busy

It's senior week for one of the area campuses. Several of the students who are hanging around have volunteered the last two days to help us with a project that we've really been wanting to get done for the past 2 years.

Yup, you guessed it: building the fence.

This is no small project. Around where we live, fence posts have to be 4' underground to be below the frost line. They've started working both mornings by 9am and have put in full days. (You try digging 4' holes every 8' or so and see how long it takes you.) A power auger and a jackhammer have helped-- in addition to providing some fun-- but there's no replacement for muscle and sweat, especially when there are lots of large rocks that need to be removed.

We've shared every meal together. That's been, without a doubt, my favorite part.

Take a look:






























And, yes, as a matter of fact, they're still going:




When it's completely done, it will look like this all along the road:




Nice isn't a good enough word for how the fence will look or how great these students are. It's pretty humbling, actually, to have them work so hard for us. I am a blessed girl.

Children's Books

b
Around here, we have a bedtime routine of reading aloud from a Chapter Book each night when my children are laying in their beds. It's a calming routine, for both them and me. So far we have read

Charlotte's Web
Sarah, Plain and Tall
All-of-a-kind Family
Stuart Little
Peter Pan
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Winnie-the-Pooh (all 4 original books)
Beatrix Potter, The Complete Tales
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

and we are about to conclude The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Some favorites on my shelf that I look forward to reading aloud are

The Shoe books (I own 3)
Caddie Woodlawn
The Secret Garden
The Chronicles of Narnia

I also want to buy for bedtime reading

The Boxcar Children
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
The Borrowers
The Little House Collection
The Wind in the Willows

I would love recommendations of books that were much-loved by you as a child. I plan on continuing this routine of bedtime reading for many more years and, while I anticipate repeating certain books because they're just that good, I want to have plenty of new material.

(Please keep in mind that I have both girls and boys I am reading to. I do want my boys to appreciate all sorts of literature, but don't plan on reading aloud Little Women or A Little Princess, etc., because I don't want to entirely bore them either. I figure Bronwyn and Aubrey can read those wonderful books on their own once they get a little older.)

Now It's Officially Spring

We had our first (of the year) groundhog-in-our-yard sighting this morning. The kids were very upset to see him in the middle of their flowers. (Their flowers = a large patch of wild day lilies in the bottom corner of the yard that they have happily claimed and faithfully "tend.")

Groundhogs are not nice animals, just for the record. They're rather territorial. Every year this groundhog makes me nervous to send the kids out to play on their own.

Fortunately, a bunch of college seniors are coming over this week while they wait around for their graduation ceremony to help Daniel build a fence and to torture (and possibly eliminate, if they're lucky) said groundhog. Hopefully, by the end of the week he'll at least be convinced that our yard is not a good home.

Our Day With Cousins

Not too long from now, the only cousins who live nearby will be relocating. We're pretty sad about this.
But today, while their mom did some sorting in order to do some packing, they came over. We were pretty happy about that.


First, we made chocolate chip cookies together.


(Aidan was in my arms and Aubrey was in the johnny-jump-up at this moment.)


Then, the girls played with Bronwyn's dollhouse...




(Aren't they so cute?!)


while the little boys played with the train set...


(OK, they're pretty cute, too...)


while Gabriel entertained Aubrey.




(Aubrey's expression sums up Gabriel's idea of "entertainment" quite perfectly.)


Lunch was very gourmet: PB&J, pretzels, and oranges.




After naps and a bit more playtime, it was movie time. When Daddy/Uncle Daniel came home, he joined them for the end of it.
Don't they all look so very lively?




Before the cousins had to leave, Aunt Abby/Mom brought pizza (and soda!) and we all ate together. Yum.
But I don't have any pictures of that. I was too busy eating.

It was a fun cousin-filled day!


And, yes, I had 6 under 6 in my house. I don't think daycare laws would approve of the adult/child ratio.

:: currently

:: my tulips are about to burst into color! (The price we pay for having very shaded tulips is that they take longer than everyone else's to bloom; the benefit of the shade is that they then stay in bloom much, much longer.) They are thriving this year, with lots more buds than last year even. So wonderful!

:: in the way of things that grow, our seeds are also doing great! Our squash plants tried to take over (surprise, surprise), so they got moved to a separate planter. The summer phlox that will be planted along the front of our porch once the tulips have died are so cute and tiny at present. So far our basil is doing the best of everything else, though a surprising amount of sage and rosemary have also made appearances. The peppers are lagging far behind with just a few sprouts, which is disappointing since we all love peppers around here.

:: tonight is our 3rd college ministry-related BBQ this spring. The predicted high of the day is a whopping 57* (brrr), so the party is being moved indoors.

:: we're embarking on birthday season around here. I have 4 siblings whose birthdays fall in May. Add to that my mother-in-law and we average more than one birthday a week. I have to say that Merrick's birthday celebration takes the cake around this house. Sorry, Jamie, but Gabriel really doesn't care what you get this year!

:: it's time to get "unplugged" around here, though I'm not quite sure when we'll start. No movies, no TV for a week. The other day Gabriel whined to me, "But we haven't watched anything today!" and I realized that we had been on a string of the kids watching a PBS Kids show or a movie every.single.day. Ugh. This is not their fault, but mine. I resort to that method of occupation all too readily, especially when I'm busy trying to get things done. It's not fair to them and I need to change.

:: I made a delicious pot of a fish chowder last night. It was the second time I've made it and it turned out much better. My problem is that I rarely follow a recipe exactly since I'm always trying to find ways to make it healthier and more inexpensive. The first time around was a bit of an error, but this time it was really yummy.

:: my friend who's having two babies soon visited me yesterday. I love her. She's a great person and an easy companion.

:: next week is officially slated as "fence week!" The wood for this fence has been sitting in our basement for... well... a year. Finding the time for projects is a challenge. But it's senior week for a number of the students (the week between finals and commencement) and they're coming over to help Daniel with building the front and side fences. To say I'm excited about this project getting started is a major understatement!

:: yes, I got on board the fuzzi bunz wagon recently. I've been seriously considering cloth diapering for over a year, but took this long to make the plunge. I can't believe I didn't start sooner! It's easy and fun and so convenient! My absolute favorite part is never running out of diapers. No more, "Oh, Daniel, you need to stop by the store even though it's eleven o'clock at night because I only have 2 more diapers in the entire house." I hadn't anticipated that benefit, but in my estimation, it just might be the best part.

:: my three friends from Pittsburgh are planning a visit for Memorial Day weekend. I can hardly wait! It's been far too long since I last had a chance to just sit around a table or living room with them and talk. I love them so much and miss them like crazy. While they're here, Daniel is planning on taking the 3 big kids to Cook Forest for a weekend with his family.