Milestones (and strawberries)

Well, I wasn't going to start out with strawberries but that's how the pictures came up so here goes: Mason, Drew and I went out to the Island on Saturday and picked 23lbs of juicy, sweet berries. That may be stretching the truth a bit. Mason actually was more interested in moving the marker flags along the rows than in picking berries. It was fun having him out there with us as a "big kid" anyway. I guess I should be impressed with my kids' honesty but neither one of them would eat a berry out in the field because we hadn't paid for them yet. I thought maybe that was a rule you could bend in a berry patch but they weren't having it. I must have beat that idea into them when we are shopping the bulk foods in Winco.

We were proud of our hard work and harvest and had a great time hanging out together.

Drew is my great helper when it comes to mashing the berries. That freed me up to do the cleaning and hulling on one end and the sugar and pectin on the other. We ended up with 15 pints of jam, 3 gallon freezer bags full for smoothies, chocolate covered strawberries which oddly enough my kids aren't fans of, strawberry shortcake, and countless numbers of fresh berries in Darcy's tummy. It was a great harvest.

So our first milestone was Bree starting to eat solid food. She had her first taste of rice cereal on Sunday. She had about 3 bites and it looked like she actually swallowed a little bit. I held off a few weeks feeding her the solid food, unlike my other kids who had it the minute they turned 4 months. I don't know if its because I felt she wasn't ready yet or maybe I wasn't ready to admit that my last baby was turning into a big girl. Whatever, I'm over it now. Let the peas and carrots begin!

Our second major milestone happened yesterday and today as Drew graduated from kindergarten! She had a very nice program yesterday at school where her class and another sang to us, we watched a slide show, and listened as the teacher gave a brief synopsis on each child and handed them their diploma. Drew's teacher commented on her responsibilty and how she must be a great big sister. Yep! That's my Drew. Today was the last day of school and I was a total boob and cried as I picked her up for the last time! As much as I am always wishing my kids were older, I sure don't appreciate it when it is apparent they actually are getting older and not quite as dependent on me as they used to be. I am so proud of Drew and how much she has grown through her school year. She learned how to tie her shoes, snap her fingers, count forever and by 2's, 5's, and 10's, improve her reading quite a bit to where she can read random kids books now, she ran the most laps in her class for the PTA fund raiser, and she showed that she truly is a very responsible young lady who is driven to succeed in all she does, without having to be asked twice. At least that's what they tell me she does at school. Its a different story when it comes to picking up toys at home. I will be glad for the break from loading all the kids in the car twice a day for the next 2.5 months, but in September we increase to 3 times a day with Mason attending preschool. But I am soooo looking forward to those 2.5 hours when it will just be me and the 2 little girls at home napping. Hopefully the weather will start to cooperate and our summer fun can now begin.

Rolly Pollies

Mason's new obsession: Rolly Pollies. Mason has discovered that rolly pollies love to live in wood chips. And wouldn't you know it, we have a great big pile of wood chips in our side yard which is a haven for our rolly pollies! How lucky can one 4 year old boy get? He comes away from that pile with his hands full of the things. As part of his birthday science kit he got a bug collecting system and observatory. That green thing in the picture is the bottom of it. I don't know how many poor little rolly pollies, both alive and dead, I have set free from that thing after Mason goes to bed at night. He makes swimming pools for them, though I have discovered they can't swim. I told him they drown but he swears they are just sleeping, probably after having such a good swim. This carboard concoction is his rolly polly castle, made from the cardboard that came with my new vacuum. And can I just digress for a minute to admit that my new vacuum with a see-through dirt canister both thrills and disgusts me. I love to see all the dirt and dust we vacuum up each time, but it is so gross that there is that much dirt and dust to vacuum up each time! The kids love to see it too, which brings on fights over who gets to use the new vacuum, which makes my life a little easier so I won't complain. But it is gross just how much junk is in my carpets. Anyway, at the time this picture was taken there were 11 bugs crawling around. I try not to get "bugged" by it all but their little flailing legs when they are stranded on their backs kind of freak me out. Thank goodness I was never a 4 year old boy or I would have failed the bug test.

Mason is 4!

My only son turned 4 a few days ago. Time flies. Mason was born during a very rough time for both sides of our family. He was about the only good thing to happen in the span of about a year. He was a much needed light in our lives. I try to remember that feeling I had then, when he is pushing my buttons now. He is such a sweetheart but he really knows how to get me worked up too. I wouldn't trade him for the world though, we will figure each other out eventually. This year Mason was all about volcanoes, dinosaurs, hurricanes, and just about anything scientific you can think of. He desperately wanted a volcano cake so I did my best to make that happen. It turned out pretty well I think. I was proud of myself I will admit. It took two cake mixes and tons of frosting to get this thing looking remotely like a volcano but Mason loved it and that's what counts.

For his birthday I found a science-lab-in-a-box. He has completed all the tasks except for painting the globe. He has crystals growing, he built a volcano, and had daddy set up his weather station and rain gauge. Here he is digging for dinosaur bones while his jealous sister looks on. He takes these safety glasses to bed with him now. What a cutie.

Grandma and Grandpa gave him a noisy dinosaur that has bitten all of us and growled in all of our faces. What fun boy presents are!

Mason will be starting preshool in the fall and can't wait. He is ready to go. Drew has been his own private teacher lately and he will have no problem keeping up with class. He is a smart little guy when he will slow down long enough to talk to you. He is still a lover of Fire Chips (Doritos) and also loves broccoli. He adores Bree and loves to hold and kiss her. It will be fun to watch their relationship as they get older. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with this sweet, and sometimes sour, little boy in my life. I love you Mason, even though you rarely want to hear it!

Bree's Blessing

Bree is 3 months old! I seriously cannot believe she has been around that long. Time flies when you live in a foggy haze of sleep deprivation. Actually, the past 3 nights she has slept through the entire night from 7pm till about 6:30am. Perfect! I find myself holding on to her a little longer than usual, trying to get every little bit of snuggling I can before my sweetheart decides she is too busy to lay quietly in my arms. I am soooo going to miss snuggling babies but I am soooo looking forward to having 4 big kids too. She is already working on her tummy muscles and is a pro at holding her head up. Oh my sweet Breezy. She still cries when she feels neglected, but she has longer and longer spells of contentment. Hopefully as she gets bigger and can amuse herself the cries will stop. She has found her fist to suck on and I think that helps a bit too. If only she could have found it 2.5 months ago!

Here is our family on Bree's blessing day. I figure we have about 5 years before I will pay to have a picture done professionaly, especially with the attitudes some of my kids have. I love Mason's look.

This is Bree before her blessing. The dress she is wearing was worn by me and my sisters, and all 10 of our daughters. Its kind of short on Bree but she was 3 months old when she was finally blessed. The bib was made by my grandma and the tatting around the edge was made by Bree's great-great-great grandma. Pretty cool. Hopefully my girls will have some girls that can also be a part of this tradition.

As Paul was walking to the front of the chapel with Bree she started to cry. Imagine that. I figured she would scream through the whole thing but she miraculously stopped crying just as Paul started the blessing. I was so surprised and so proud of her. Makes me think she knows exactly what she is doing and can shut it off if she wants to. It was a beautiful blessing and I am so thankful that all our family could be there. We ended up with 35 people at our house after church having a taco party. We had a great time with everyone there and we were so thankful that the 2 hour drive didn't deter them from coming. We are blessed with an awesome family on both sides. My kids are surrounded by family who would do anything for them and love them so much. What a blessing family is. I can never express how much my family, and my in-law family mean to me. They are the best!

# 6!

No, I am not pregnant with twins, yesterday was Drew's 6th birthday! Wow, she is getting old. Pretty soon she will start losing teeth and going to school full days, and then she will stop thinking I'm the coolest person in her life, and then she will need to wear deodorant and get all secretive, and then she will get her license and avoid me as much as possible, and then she will graduate and my Drewsy will be gone! But I am getting a little ahead of myself. I will admit that she is growing up and no longer has the babyface I am used to. She is still beautiful but I don't know what to do with a six year old. Hopefully we can figure it all out together.

So anyway, here is the cake I made for Drew the morning of her birthday. I worked that afternoon upstairs on the computer. Darcy woke up from her nap so I turned on Finding Nemo and set her up on the couch downstairs where she was sitting nicely, sucking her thumb, watching the show. I thought nothing of how quiet she was being till she came upstairs with chocolate all over her face. Drew and I figured she found some cookies. It wasn't till work was done and we went downstairs that we found this. . .


Darcy got into the cake! Drew was quite miffed at her little sister. I tried to fix it but she took chunks of cake so there was no way to repair it. It wasn't that big of a deal, except that Darcy, sweet sweet Darcy, pulled a fast one on us when we thought she was quietly watching Nemo. Instead she was quietly ruining her sister's cake.

Drew asked for, and received, a Zhu Zhu Pet something or other. I didn't think it was that cool when I bought it but let me tell you that thing is the hit of the family. Well, for the kids anyway. I find the noises it makes highly annoying but I find the noises my kids sometimes make highly annoying too. I believe Drew had a good birthday. At least she didn't call it her "Worst day Eeeeeeever!!!!" as she had done the 2 previous days when I told her to clean up her messes and put her socks in the laundry basket. See why I dread her getting older? She can be a bit of a drama queen at times.

Speaking of annoying noises, Bree is still screaming her lungs out whenever she is not being held. Well, maybe that's being unfair. She does tolerate tummy time or back time on the floor for about 10 minutes a day, but other than that she is still my screecher creature. Have you heard that song by Beyonce that goes something like, "You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare?" Well the version I sing to Bree is "You can be my sweet Bree, or a beautiful nightmare." Fits her perfectly. When she is being held she is absolutley the sweetest, most kissable little thing. Put her down and she becomes a nightmare. She has actually slept through the night twice recently though, so I have to give her props for that. Hopefully my zombie days are nearing an end. That is, if Darcy would quit falling out of bed. Today we moved the beds around in the kids room to pen her in a bit. She is now wedged between the wall and the end of the bunkbed so unless she crawls to the end of her bed while she's sleeping, she should hopefully stay put. I'm not betting on it though. She is a crazy sleeper.

Drew is playing T-Ball again this year. I didn't want her to miss out on opportunities just cuz her mom is crazy enough to have 4 kids under 6 so we signed her up to play. What a logistical nightmare it has been. Especially since I am working just about every afternoon and Saturdays for the month of April, which coincidentally is when her games are. It makes it tough for all of us to get to her games with smiles on our faces. Unless of course it is a forced smile on my part to keep from freaking out over it all! Actually, it has been fun to watch Drew play this year. She is hitting the ball well, probably due to the fact that I told her I would buy her ice cream if she hit the ball to the trees. This has been a major incentive for her, even though our freezer is usually stocked up with ice cream on any given day of the week. Of course I will buy her the ice cream at the end of the season just for her great effort. She has also lost the skip she threw in last season as she ran the bases. She looks much more professional now ;)

I better mention something about Mason . . . He is getting so big! I think he skipped right over size 4T and is now wearing 5T clothes. He isn't even 4 yet! I have also signed him up for preschool starting in the fall. My baby boy is definitely a messy, potty-talk loving kid. But I love him just the same!

March 2010

Where to begin . . . According to my calendar at the beginning of the month, March was looking pretty calm. Funny how things aren't what they appear. In my crazy hormonal state I suggested to Paul we either camp or get a hotel room at the beach since we would be near there already for my niece's baptism. Unfortunately he took me up on it. Actually, it wasn't all bad. In fact, the only bad part was trying to eat dinner at Mo's in Newport. Paul's mom and niece met us at the aquarium where we got to see all kinds of fun water animals, and then we went to dinner. Anyone who has been there knows Mo's is an extremely tight fit of diners and staff. I had Bree asleep on my chest and Paul was trying to wrestle with Darcy. She threw the bucket of garbage, her color crayons, and finally her chocolate milk on the floor. I had had enough of her, her cries, the stares of the other customers, my life, the universe, etc. so I left Mo's with a baby on either hip and a death stare that had people running to get out of my way. We hung out in the car till the others were done with dinner. My family just isn't ready for dining out in a sit-down establishment. Give us a drive-through and we are good to go! That night we stayed at a hotel and swam in a freezing pool. The next day we walked on the beach and Drew wrote our names in the sand. We also hit the outlet mall in Lincoln city to try to clothe my children who are exhibiting weed-like tendencies. Thank goodness for summer when they can run around in shorts and bare feet and it doesn't matter if their clothes or shoes fit.

My Breezy is now 2 months old. Wow time flies! I will officially dub her my most difficult baby. Drew had that distinction up till now but Bree has blown her out of the water. Bree is absolutely adorable and so kissable and smiling and cooing and as soon as you set her down she turns into a screaming maniac. I have never seen a baby act like this. If she is not being held she is screaming. And I have tried to let her cry it out but the screams only get louder and more intense till you are sure she will burst. I would love to sit and hold her all day but unfortunately I have other responsibilites. She was also extremely backed-up for about 3 weeks but fortunately her system is working better now. She makes for a stressful time. I am so proud of my other kids for the patient way in which they deal with her. Sometimes Mason will cover his ears and yell at Bree to be quiet but mostly they have been extremely understanding.

Paul's mom, sister, and nieces all came to visit and play with Bree. Believe it or not, we do like visitors at our house and we had a great time with them. We have a HUGE family and always appreciate the time spent with them.

Ahhh, the bunkbed. This was Paul's project. He worked on this for weeks. I thought maybe buying a bunkbed would be easier but Paul took it upon himself to make them. The kids loved every minute of the process. I guess their memories are worth more than the time it took to finish them. And let me just say, if we ever have an earthquake you will find me hunkered down on the bottom bunk. Nothing can harm this massive stucture! They turned out beautiful and the kids play on the top bunk night and day. Thanks daddy!

Paul's birthday was a much anticipated even by the kids. Mason walked around for 2 days with the cake mix box and we had all kind of plans for the celebration. Fortunately it doesn't take much for the kids to think it was a rip-roaring party. Poor Paul, he doesn't ever get much of a party or surprise gifts since he only wants computer stuff and I have no idea what anything is or what he would need so he always has to buy his own gift. Same with Christmas. But at least I know he is getting what he really wants. When Mason is older he is going to ask why we let him make such crazy faces in every picture we have of him for 2 years. The funny thing is that he thinks he is making a nice smile for the picture. I sure love my little guy!

Darcy moved into a big-girl bed two nights ago. Well, she was supposed to anyway. She is in the room with Mason and Drew now so I can move Bree out of my room into the crib. Darcy is quite a bit younger than the others were when they moved out of the crib and the first night we layed with her for an hour and a half trying to get her to fall asleep. I left Paul snuggling with her and a little while later it was quiet so I thought he had been successful in getting her to sleep. I walked in the room and was trying to spot Darcy in her mass of blankets when I heard the plastic chewy rings moving that Drew uses as a gate at the top of the bunkbed. I looked up and there was Darcy at the top trying to get through the gate. Paul was blissfully asleep on Darcy's bed. It was so darn funny, if not a bit scary, that we gave up for the night and put her back in her crib. Last night she succumbed to sleep after fighting it for only an hour. She did great! She only fell out of her bed once, I think, and didn't have any bruises to show for it this morning. I call that a success!

My calendar for April is full already. I have signed up to work just about every week-day afternoon and Drew has t-ball games to keep us busy. I am under no illusion that April will be any easier than March. But, that's what makes life fun I guess.

Mason's Big Day

Monday was Mason's first visit to the dentist. Saying he was a bit nervous is an understatement. He forgot how to dress himself, put on shoes, connect his seatbelt, push an elevator button, use a drinking fountain, etc. Luckily Paul was able to take the three girls to the park while I dealt with Mason. I'm not sure what I am telling my kids about the dentist leading up to the visit, but when he climbed up into the chair his mouth immediately popped open and stayed that way till the hygienist forcibly closed it for him. Drew was the same way at her first visit. Its all I and the hygienist can do not to laugh at these poor, frightened little bodies. He was loving the cool sunglasses and almost made it out the door with them but had to give them back in the end. He was given a clean bill of health, no cavities! He also got to choose a toy out of her treasure box and my little boy chose a sparkly star "magic wand" as he is calling it. Paul has some concern in that Mason has also started carrying around his sister's pink purse. We have to tell ourselves its a "man bag." Now Drew is excited to get to go to the dentist so she can get a magic wand too. I haven't told her yet that Mason took the only one left in the box.

Here is Miss Bree, already a month old! At least I think she is. I'm all confused. With my other kids it was easy to know when they were a month older. On the 20th or the 8th. But Bree was born on the 31st and not all months have 31 days so now I don't know when to take her monthly picture! I guess on the last day of each month makes sense, right? Who knows. All I know is she is gaining weight like a pro (look at that double chin already!), she is starting to lift her head up and push away when I am holding her, she is still a HORRIBLE sleeper at night which I will forever hold against her, and she has the lung capacity of an opera diva. This girl can scream like no other baby I have ever heard. And she screams often. Bree is not my easiest baby to say the least. Its a good thing she is so darn cute with fat, kissable cheeks to make up for it! Mason still seems to be her biggest fan out of the older kids. Darcy will actually pet her head and call her Baby B but she hasn't kissed her yet. She gets close but then turns and walks away. I am proud of how Darcy has adjusted. She still has her tantrums and her crazy business at church, but overall I think she adjusting pretty well and she seems to like me again, thank goodness! Paul and I are adjusting too, I think. 4 kids is A LOT of work but I just keep telling myself I never have to do this again and each day it gets better and more of a routine for me I think. Though I really look forward to when Paul walks through the front door at 6pm for some help!

We like to start the brainwashing early in our house. Here is my sweetheart in her Beavers garb and she is only a couple weeks old! Thanks Grandpa!