Happy New Year!!!

We decided to have a New Year's party for the kiddos.  With their ages, we decided it would be best not to stay up until midnight, so we had a count down to noon party.

We invited several people, but it is that time of year...between travel, dental appointments, and a friend having surgery, we had one family able to make it.  We were so glad to have them with us!

We made feathery masks, 

 

fruit snowmen,

 

played, ate pizza, set off confetti poppers, and used the party blowers.

Friday Funny

If there are monstoers under our deck, can we feed them?
              -Nate

Friday Funnies--Santa

Kate: That's Santa Claus

Nate: No! It's Santa.

Kate: Claus is like his last name--Santa Claus.

Nate: No, it's just SANTA!

*     *     *     *     *

The kids were talking about Santa over lunch.  At this point Kate knows the truth about Santa and we’ve told Gabby too (thanks to her sister spilling the beans, but I think she still wants to believe enough that she still wobbles in this), so only Nate completely believes the jolly man in red delivers presents.  They were discussing where to leave the milk and cookies.

Gabby: Should we leave him some vegetables?

Nate: We should leave him a peanut butter sandwich!

*To a healthy and well filled Santa!*

Babies Don't Keep

So, I've not been blogging much.

 My reason is quite cute and somewhat demading though.

 The sweet girl is giving great smiles, open mouthed kisses, and we adore her.

I've thought often about the Song for a Fifth Child by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton.  I always loved it, and while Elliana is our fourth, and not the fifth, I am enjoying her babyhood as much as I can.  She's already changed so much!

We took off from school for awhile,

though we are back at it now.

And I will gladly cradle her sweet little head rahter than type on the computer.  I'm enjoying her reaching for my hand and the way she looks at me like I hung the moon.

I rewrote the last part of the poem for today's self imposed busyness:

Oh, Blogger and Twitter will wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, email. Facebook, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby. Babies don't keep.

Friday Funny

Nate: I thought Ellie exploded.

Justin: Exploded?!

Nate: Yeah, like a poop bomb!

Friday Funny

Ellie, can we put you on the tree and have you be the angel?
           -Nate

Thanksgiving

Several years ago I helped my Mama brine a turkey.  I loved the flavor, so I always do that now.  This year I mixed my brine and poured it over my turkey in an oven bag.  Perhaps the solution was too hot or maybe I put too much pressure on the bag as I was adjusting it in the roasting pan before I popped it in the fridge for the night, but either way the bag burst.  There was brine (that had been on my raw turkey) everywhere!  I had to wash the counters, everything on them, stove top, the cabinet fronts, and the floor.  I had to remove my shoes and change my clothes.  The turkey had to brine half at a time in the brine that stayed in the pan and I just flipped the bird this year.  It still tasted good, despite my mess!

I hope you had a joyous (and less messy) Thanksgiving!

More than a Trim

Miss Gabby's hair had grown fairly long by last year.  We had started talking about donating it then.  She told me she wanted to wait until after Christmas to cut it.  The other night though, I was cutting Nate's hair and she asked me to do hers too.

It turned out to be a cute little bob.

Ha!

I happened across a recipe I wanted to try a couple of weeks ago. Things don't move very quickly these days.  I realized I didn't have enough butter the other day, so I left Justin a voicemail to pick it up.  He didn't get the voicemail in time, so this morning I put out my ingredients and got the kids together to make a quick run to the grocery store.  After much fussing over coats and who had the prime seat to see the baby, everyone was strapped in.  I hit the button to open the garage and turned the key.  Click, click, click.

Everyone out, back up the stairs.  My internet had not been working all morning and Justin was in class.  I called my parents' house to see if my Daddy had any extra insight over the dead battery I suspected (since we did this about four years ago).  He wasn't home either.  I did have a nice little chat with my Mama.

All this over a coffee cake.

Actually, I'm quite thankful.  Today's errand wasn't planned, it wasn't necessary, but it let us know about the problem before it became a real difficulty.  I don't even have to wait for this one to be funny.

After while Justin will come home and change the battery and hopefully all will be as good as new!

*And look--sentences!

FOUR

 Happy 4th Birthday to my little man!

You are full of energy,

snuggles,

sweetness,

and you can be ornery too.

You are an awesome big brother and a pretty amazing little boy.  I love you munchkin!

Last Month

Well, believe it or not, life has continued, even if I haven't found time to write about it!

 

The older girls got to go to Disney on Ice (their birthday present).

 

I held the baby.

 Justin held the baby.

 

The big girls began ballet classes through a home school tutorial this month.

 

Gabby had a birthday,

 

complete with 'hotdogs.'

 In an effort not to have another baby that refuses a bottle, the kids have been helping with an occasional bottle.

 

We've had cookie baking.

 

The littlest one gave out a few social smiles--this one was just luck, but we'll take it!

 

Justin went to a conference in Cincinnati, and I took the four kiddos to visit my parents, sister, and for Ellie to meet my Grannie.

There was pumpkin carving.

 

And there has been lots of baby cuddling.

And kissing.

And just being all up in her business!  I promise she's in there.

Maybe some day I'll be able to write paragraphs again, but I can't guarantee it!

Happy Halloween!

"BOO!"

 from two ballerinas, a pumpkin and Spiderman!

Here are my four little pumpkins!

SIX!

Happy birthday Gabby Girl!

You are funny and sweet, motherly, and a little devious.

 

We love you munchkin!

Two Weeks

Baby Girl is two weeks old.  I know that colic could still hit, but I have to say she has been an awesome baby.  She doesn't  sleep through the night, of course, but she sleeps at night.  Other than the night we spent in the hospital we have gotten a decent amount of sleep each night.  With a fourth baby, this is a truly wonderful blessing.

This week she got her first 'real' bath.  We hadn't planned to give it just yet because her belly button wasn't quite sealed up yet, but she had a major diaper blowout, so we had an emergency sink bath!  We just kept the water low for her.

Her Daddy gets kisses.

She wore her pretty pink shoes to church.

Her siblings loved on her lots.

I took her to the pediatrician this morning and she is weighing in at exactly 8 lbs.  The nurse originally measured her at 19 1/2 inches (1/4 of an inch shorter than the hospital measurement).  She remeasured when I joked about the baby shrinking, and the new measurement was 20 1/2 inches.  It is really hard to know, since they pull their little legs up so hard at this point.