Making a list and checking it twice

We're going on VACATION!!! Large font and all caps are awesome, but don't quite convey this kind of excitement. I can do better.

Now imagine the same sentence, shouted as only Oprah can do, arms thrown in the air. Maybe a fist pump(not of the Jersey Shore variety, but a classy Mrs. Winfrey one) thrown in. I also love the visual of Oprah pointing in turn at Michael, each one of the girls, and I.."and you're getting a vacation, and you, and you!"

Yes! That's close to the excitement in my household at the moment. We're finally taking our first family vacation. :) Long overdue and I'm so ready! With the excitement comes the anxiety. The packing alone is daunting. I've got lists coming out the wazoo at this point. Those lists keep getting revised and rewritten. Can you tell I like to be in control of the situation? Someone's gotta keep a handle on things like making sure everyone has enough socks, sunscreen, snacks. That someone is yours truly. Also on the lists are my worries. Worries of time management, traffic, our two dogs who will be boarded for the first time in their canine lives...and the list goes on. Worry is useless, but my mind won't hear that. I'll be glad when we're buckled in the van and headed on our merry way. The worrying won't stop, but by that point it will be too late to worry about what I did and didn't pack lol! And if all else fails, there are only about 3,000 Walmarts on the way to pick up whatever didn't make it into our luggage. ;)

One thing I know for sure, list or no list, is that we're going to be in for one of the most exciting weeks of our lives!

Happy Birthday, Ella!!!

On March 11th, 2008 our baby Ella Sophia came into this world at 11:55am via c-section. She weighed 8lbs, 15.4 ozs and was 21 inches of pure sweetness. We were so ecstatic to welcome her into our fold and were counting our blessings as our family grew from five to six in number.

There are so many special moments that stand out vivid in my mind from that day. Michael and my mom in their matching surgical gear ready to team up for another installment of Here comes baby. Hearing Ella cry as she took her first breath and the tears that instantly flowed from me. The nurse bringing in a picture they'd photocopied in the nursery so I could gaze at her as they let me recover in the O.R. (this was to get me to my room/baby faster). Ella being ready to nurse right away and latching on like a little pro. Kissing her head full of dark hair and marveling at how tiny her feet were. Introducing her to her big sisters who all shyly came forward to initiate their baby sister into their pack. How precious they looked in their matching pink big sister shirts and witnessing their love for Ella at first sight. Michael proudly holding his fourth baby daughter in his arms and the look of love on his face. Seeing my parents beam with pride over their 8th grandchild. The happiness that was in the air. The pain as meds wore off. The knowledge that it would soon fade. The love that surrounded me. Such an amazing day! Has it really been three years?

Enjoy every moment of being three. I love you more than these words alone could ever express! Happy Birthday, Monkey!!!

This time next week

In one week my baby girl will be three. 3?!!? Yep, three whole years...or to break it on down 1,095 days/156 weeks/36 months old. Do you hear that? Oh it's just the sound of my heart breaking. Not to mention that all my experiments to bend space and time have been a bust. For now I'll have to accept that my kids are going to keep on growing.


OK ok so that's not really such a bad thing. Infact watching your own children learn and grow is pretty awesome. There's nothing better than the look on a child's face after they've accomplished something new. I'm terribly proud of the sweet and smart little girl Ella has become. She's excited about her birthday this year which makes it more exciting for all of us. All she's been talking about for weeks is the pink Dora cake Meme is making her. :)

Sigh. There's no holding them back and that's how it should be. While I may not be able to keep them babies forever I'll always have plenty of photos, videos, and best of all memories.

Can I do it?

This is a question that I get asked a lot. A whole lot. I'm thankful that as my children grow they want to do things on their own or want to help me. Truly I am thankful, but..you knew there was a but in there somewhere...some days it gets tedious. When I have to get something done I want it done with as little hem hawing as possible. Well, that just doesn't happen when you add kids to the mix.

We all know patience is a virtue. Boy have I learned that. God says that patience isn't something we should pray for, but instead something we must learn. I always thought I was a patient person, but over the years have realized how little I probably had. The good news is patience grows with time. I thought of this today when I was making lunch. Ava and Ella wanted PB&J. Ok. Ava asked to get everything out. It would have been faster for me to do it, but instead I stood back and watched her grab the jelly from the fridge, climb to reach the peanut butter from the cabinet, and fish out the butter knife from the drawer. I set about opening the jars and started to make the sandwhiches. Then Ava asks, "Can I do it?" I inwardly sighed, but handed over the knife and helped instead. That's when it hit me. When the older girls were younger I would have  told them it was just quicker for Mommy to do it, etc. Just like a video game my patience score has been bumped up.

I definitely can't promise I'm not going to lack patience some days and lose my cool. That's the great part of being human or better yet a woman. You never know what mood you're going to get. ;) However I will take this simple memory and draw from it. I will continue to nurture the girls, but also encourage them to learn and embrace them doing it on their own.

Is it over?

February's a short month and all, but geez. Who hit fast forward? I'm convinced time has evolved and gotten faster or something. Seriously.

February was a great month in our household. My man got me flowers not once, but TWICE this month! He said the best part is seeing the smile on my face for something as simple as flowers. Well ain't he a sweetie? *cough* most of the time *cough* Hehe, but I love him all of the time. I also love our girlies so let's catch up on them.

Ella decided potty training was cool and she's been diaper free for a month now. It's still weird not to be changing diapers and sad in a way. Hey, when you've been doing something for almost 10 years straight it becomes the norm lol. My baby girl will be three this month. Insane. She's gotten to be such a big girl and just makes us laugh all the time. I just love to snuggle her up every chance she gives me.

On to Elise who lost another tooth last month. She was freaked that it was a permanent one since she's almost ten. I assured her it was a baby one and that she'd keep losing them until the last little bugger took it's leave. She's gotten so big and is a totally fabulous tween. She loves to read, talk about boys, and watch "grown up shows" with me like The Vampire Diaries(lol really that's probably more of a teen show, but I love it so we won't split hairs).

Next is Olivia who has become the object of several boys fancies in second grade. I understand why as they gaze into her big blue eyes with long lashes..not to mention she has THE cutest giggle. Lord, help us. One certain Lothario even went as far as to proclaim his love by presenting her with a rose last week! Definitely will be keeping her on lockdown once she's older. ;)

That bring us to Ava. Well she continues to amaze us all the time. She's reading on a second grade level already and has moved on to kicking booty and taking names in math. She's curious about everything and is always.asking.questions. She's also our tomboy, so forget girly toys and someone get this kid a motorcycle or another Nerf gun lol. She also loves playing xbox with her Daddy, especially her Indiana Jones games.

Michael and I were blessed to find one another and blessed to be able to create this family. They are my pride and joy. If  I said thank you thousands of times each day it wouldn't be enough. Even on the less than perfect days God is so good!

I'm excited to see what March has in store for our family. I wish a lucky and happy month to each of you!

Storm Season Is Here

Batton down the hatches and get your first aid kit ready, because storm season is here. Wow. It feels like it was just this time last year and man we had an active season. There were six or maybe more tornado warnings for this area in the month of March alone.

It looks like we're in for the same activity this year. We had our first and second tornado warnings of 2011 on Thursday night. It actually turned into overlapping warnings for our county as two different storms headed our direction, one from the west and one from the south moving NE. Funnel clouds were spotted within ten miles of our home, but thankfully no touchdowns were reported here.

I am fascinated by tornadoes. I watch every show that comes across Discovery, TWC, etc...and ok I'll even admit Twister is one of my favorite movies. I watched it twice last month alone. Well Encore was showing it so how could I resist? It's another of my quotable favorites..the better to annoy Michael with! Seriously though I thrill at the prospect of getting to actually witness a tornado in action. It always makes me feel a bit hypocritical, because I don't want to see one hitting our town and especially not our home. I don't wish them on anyone else, but then I want to see all the footage once the storm has ended. Does that make me a tornadic voyeur?

Yes.

Things are lining up for more severe weather tomorrow evening. Some rain and storms are possible late tonight into tomorrow morning, but then it will warm up and the sun will shine. Bing bang boom this is what will make the atmosphere unstable just in time for the next line to move in tomorrow night.

As much as I love the awesomeness of mother nature at her worst, I do pray for everyone's safety and always hope that if one has to fall that it will be in a very remote area. Be careful this storm season and remember not to wait too long to take shelter. Things can go from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. Stay safe, my friends!

Lazy days of winter

That saying usually has summer tacked at the end, but hey it happens to apply this weekend. We've been loving this warm windy weather. It's lovely outside at a perfectly pleasing 72 degrees. Windows are open and we're going to fire up the grill for the second day in a row.

Beyond the weather, we've been enjoying just spending time together. I love when the six of us can just hang out. We've watched movies, played games, video games, the girls have made lots of art, we took a drive through the country, and spent time outdoors. There's nothing more precious than this time with our girls.

Besides doing some dishes and laundry no other real work has gotten accomplished since Friday. How much do I love this? More than I can say. I can play catch up tomorrow with the housework, but I can never get this weekend back. 

I leave you with a poem that I completely love and adore...

Song for a Fifth Child

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth, Empty the dustpan, poison the moth, Hang out the washing and butter the bread, Sew on a button and make up a bed. Where is the mother whose house is so shocking? She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking. Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue (Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo). Dishes are waiting and bills are past due (Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo). The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo. Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue? (Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo). The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow, For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow. So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep. I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.