Soccer Saturdays

Saturdays at our house means that the mornings are all about soccer!  This isn't all that different from when I was a kid.  I played soccer for more years than I can really remember.  I gave it up when I got busy working, with the hopes of being able to play later.  Well, now my knees remind me that I played and probably shouldn't take it up again.  So what is the next best thing?  Coaching my littles.  I didn't think that it would be something that I would like, but really, it is the most fun that I have had with them in a while!  Right now, I am coaching only Peanut and her team but if Monkey wants to continue with it, then I may take that up too.
I put my blogging on hold while we went to Monkey's game.  This is a kid that likes soccer but really only can give you about 20 minutes of good playing time.  He just hasn't caught the bug, and he may never get it.  But then today, something clicked.  My little Monkey made 4 goals and didn't let one ball go by him when he was playing goalie!  My heart soared!  He felt the pride and pure joy of making a goal and protecting his team from losing the lead that he helped them acquire!  I apologize for not having any pictures of Monkey playing soccer.  I have to find some.  The problem with coaching one kids games and not seeing all of the other ones. 
I don't know if he will keep playing soccer, and really I don't care what he chooses to do, but for today, I am thankful that he felt that joy that comes with the Whooping and Hollering from making a goal. 

Peanut made a goal today!  The look on her face after she did it, was priceless!  She looked over at me kind of embarrassed but with pride as if to say, "How'd ya like that?!"  She is the kid that the other teams underestimate.  She is little, but quick.  Quiet, but fearless.  She is right in there with the biggest boys trying to get the ball, and quite often she does.  The kids and parents on my team call her, their "secret weapon."  She has the makings of  a great midfielder.  We'll see.  I am just glad that she is enjoying it for now.

Summertime and the living is Easy, or so they say...

How can it be the middle of August?  Our summer started with the last day of school in early June, but the warm summer weather didn't appear until after the 4th of July!  Now our days are warm but the mornings are cool and my two older kids are starting school next week!  Some days, summer is too long and others, well it can't stay long enough. 
The kids are bored or so they say.  The activities that I provide are short lived and I can tell that school needs to start.  I have started having them do workbooks so that their brains aren't bored.  I have realized a difference between "home" school and there public school.  They both flit around on various pages never completing one and then in 10 minutes they are "bored."  At school they both can sit and do their work and love it!  Problem is, they don't view me as their teacher.  I have heard that this is one of the biggest problems with new homeschoolers.  Now before you say, "what? is she homeschooling her kids?"  I will just say a very emphatic, "No!"  While this route is definitely the right one fome, I have found that at this point in my life it would not work out for me or my kids.r so
Life has been crazy and a little hectic lately but this past month or should I say, last couple of weeks, it has slowed down to a reasonable pace. 
We finally finished the basement (insert huge sigh of relief) and listed our house July 1st.  We had hoped to get it listed sooner, it just didn't happen.  We have been averaging one showing a week.  No takers yet, but it has made me keep the house really clean!  Kind of nice.  We have tried to play with the kids now that we aren't spending all of our free time finishing a basement.  So we have found some new parks, gone swimming in the river, bike riding and just enjoying our kiddos.  It's been nice!
School starts next week.  Monkey is going to be in 2nd grade and Peanut is going to be in Kindergarten.  Monkey is really looking forward to having his younger sister at the same school.  When he asked if she was going to be at the kindergarten there and I said, yes, his reply was, "Yes, I'll get to see her everyday!"  While my first response was to say, "You see her everyday at home and I am positive this is never your response!"  I didn't say it.  I chose to embrace this moment for what it was.  It was an older brother excited to show his younger sister the "ropes" of the elementary school.  To introduce her to the world of recess and school halls.  To be able to talk to her about her teacher.  The same one he had 2 years before.  To see her in the hallway to make sure everything is ok.  It warms my mommy heart to know that even though they can fight like a couple of featherweights, they still like each other.  I think that Peanut is feeling a bit more confident knowing that her older brother is going to be there.  I get it.  I've been in her shoes.  I've been the younger sibling looking for that comfort of home in a crowd of people that you don't know.  I get that and it makes me so proud of my Monkey. To know that something is working out right.
The older kids went to play at a waterpark with some friends today.  Baby T woke up from her nap and wanted to go play outside.  It's 84 degrees but feels like fall.  It's hot, but I am wearing jeans and a T-shirt.  It feels like fall.  I love this time of year.  It's absolutely perfect.  I strapped on Baby T's Teva sandals and out she went.  Exploring.  She is 16 months and she loves to explore.  She had to give me her running dialog of all that she hears and sees.  She communicates with some words, a lot of baby babble but I have taught her to sign.  And the more she squawks about something the faster I am to look up the sign and teach it to her.  So here is a typical conversation with T.  She is looking around outside and hears a bird, "Oh!"(signs bird.) Trees are rustling in the breeze, (signs trees).  She looks down at the ground and says, "Oh!"(signs bug) sees a flower and does the baby sign for that too.  "OH!" she says and then signs butterfly. She sees our dogs and then pants.  She then turns in circles looking around and meows.  It's to say, "where is the cat? I have seen everything else, but where is the cat?"  Then she signs milk or eat.  Yep, it's snack time.  I love this time with her.  I love her sense of discovery.
I am going to miss my time with the older two when they are in school, I am looking forward to this one on one time with T. 

How do I know who to Marry?

This was the question that my 5 year old daughter asked me the other night.  As I was snuggling in bed with her, waiting for daddy to come up to say goodnight, Peanut quietly asks this.  "Hmm..Well,  that's why I pray for your future husband.  So that when the time comes you will know."  She processed this and then asks, " What if you like 2 boys and you don't know which one to marry?"  Oh boy. "And what if you love a boy, but he doesn't love you as much as you love him?" Well,  "Or what if a boy loves you more than you love him?"  I think I said something like, "Well, you need to pray and ask God to show you which one is truly the one that He would want for you." And to answer the other two, it was something like this. "Then you should end the relationship to be fair and understanding of their feelings."
My chirpy little girl then kept on dreaming, during the snuggle time, of her future wedding.
Statements coming out of her mouth like, "I want my wedding colors to be Purple and Pink and definitely Blue." "Mama? Who will be my flower girl and ring carrier?  We don't know any little kids!"  To which I answered, " Maybe Monkey will be married and have a kid so they can be your ring bearer/flower girl."  "Yeah, that might work.  But what if it's a baby?  A baby can't do that."  I then said, "Well, one of your bridesmaids could bring the baby down the aisle with them."  Peanut processed this. "Ok.  Baby T will be the one carrying the baby down, since she is going to be my bridesmaid."  "I don't know who else will be my bridesmaids though.  What if I can't think of anyone?"

Phew!  Did I mention that this is an actual dialog that I had with her?  She is 5 not 25?  When Monkey came into the room she told him her plans to have his children be in her wedding. 
It was difficult not to laugh at some parts of this conversation, but the whole time I just kept praying.  "God, keep her dreaming.  Prepare her for the man that is going to be her helpmate.  Prepare him to be the man of God that she needs him to be.  I pray that she listens to You and sees the man that you have prepared for her.  "
I love this girl with all of my heart.  She keeps me thinking.  I wonder what Peanut will be like when she is ready to walk down that aisle to the man that she has been dreaming about most of her life.  Thank You, Father for this amazing and beautiful person, thank you that you have given her to us.

June 10 on 10

1.  Good Morning!  My little snugglebug waking us up this morning.
2.  Monkey and his Best Buddy on the last day of school!
3.  Monkey and his teacher.
4.  Strawberry plants
5.  Rhubarb, yummy!
6.  Peanut
7.  Playing in the sandbox
8.  Tree swing
9.  Monkey and his buddy playing the Wii
10.  Polly Pocket or racing car?  Hmm..

The month of April

April started with the 1st.  As does every month.  But we know that it is April Fool's Day, and until you have kids it is a day that gets a little forgotten.  My older two kids are now truly understanding the "Fool" part of the day.  Starting off the morning with a "Mom, there is a horse coming down our road! Come look!"  Let me set up the scenario for you.  We live in town and on a road that is a main bus line.  So while this may seem like a gimme in the "I'm fooling you" department it wasn't.  Just 2 summers ago we had a moose that was roaming through town and we see the occasional coyote too.  Oh, and may I just add that this was done BEFORE my morning cup of coffee!  So, both Jeremy and I went to look out the window and before we could say anything we heard the snickers of Monkey and Peanut going on behind us.  Then they both loudly said, "APRIL FOOLS!"  "WE SO GOT YOU!"  Yes you did, my dear children.  Yes you did.  When did they grow up?  I can remember trying to explain jokes to them and it not really registering in their little minds.  Now I am thinking about all of the future April Fool's Days that we have to look forward to!  I am hoping that they are all as benign as this past one.  Somehow, I doubt it.
We have also been madly finishing our basement.  This is a huge time vacuum.   It is almost there and this requires a whole post on it's own with pictures.  Maybe another time.
As the month progressed I was thinking about T's birthday.  She was turning 1!  In all the preparations of that I nearly forgot that my own birthday was the day before.  I said nearly.  I didn't forget and neither did my wonderful husband.  Sweet baby T and I shared our cake, because really, how much cake can one person eat in a week!  Ok, don't answer that!  My folks and one of my brothers came over to help celebrate an eventful weekend.
After the birthday celebration weekend we had a fairly low key week before we celebrated Easter.  I love Easter.  It is such a great reminder of why I am a Christian.  I am so humbled to think of the love that our Savior has for us, for me.  Mind blowing really.  Anyway, the Saturday before we had our town egg hunt that even the baby was able to participate in.  Then Sunday, the kids donned their Easter outfits and did quick Easter basket hunt and then we were off to church.  After church we were invited to some friends farm for Easter supper and egg hunt.  It was fabulous!  Ever have one of those friends that when you walk into their home you immediately feel as if it's your own?  Physically, it was so different than our own families, but the energy, chaos and warmth felt the same.  There were ALOT of kids running around, which was so great!  And plenty of grown ups to just hang out and be together.  We had an amazing time and I am so thankful for these friends of ours.  We love them!
Now this week, we are slowing down and having a quieter week.  I am thankful for the eventful month that we have had.  Next month looks to be a little less hectic but then we have to gear up for Monkey's 8th birthday at the end of it!  How is he going to be 8?

                               Peanut, in the brown sweats and white shirt, loves soccer. 

                                              Sweet Baby T, 12 months old.

 Monkey wanted his hair cut into a mohawk, until he saw what it looked like and then he had me shave it off!  The idea appealed to him but he isn't a boy who likes to experiment with hairstyles.

                                Peanut and the rest of the town at the egg hunt.

                                     Going through their loot at the egg hunt.

                                                             At the farm on Easter.

                                          I hope that everyone has had an amazing and blessed April!

April 10, 2011

With this morning starting with church it can be a little challenging to get my pictures when I am supposed to be listening to our pastor.  I had my camera out at one point, because I thought it would be a great picture to take of everyone praying, but my husband nudged me and told me it was a bit inappropriate.  Ok.  Maybe so. I was just trying to get my picture for the hour!  So, later I made a trip to the fabric store and also went around looking for signs of Spring. With all of that in mind...
Here is my April 10 on 10!

Table for 5: March 10 on 10

Table for 5: March 10 on 10

Sweet Baby T

Sometimes we joke about the "T" meaning, 'trouble', or 'tenacious'.  She is those things and more.  I see that in her looks and personality she is a blend of both the older two.  Determined is another word to describe this sweet baby girl. 
Our morning usually starts off around 6:30 +/- with me going in and getting the little babe.  Nursing her and trying to coax a little more sleep time while I nurse her.  At about 7 the older two come down to start their day.  Before I can let T roam around, we have to make sure the baby gate is closed and the dog water is up.  If either of these things aren't done, our sweet little one will find out about it and head for one of the two.  It's inevitable! 
At 10 1/2 months she has 6 teeth and when she hugs us she also bites.  While this wasn't a bad thing when it was all gums, it's now proving to be a bit painful.  The saying, "Love hurts" has taken on a whole new meaning! 
T also loves my hair.  And I don't mean just in a hair pulling kind of way, but she likes to put it in her mouth (yuck!) and when she is nursing, she plays with my hair instead of her own.  If it's in a pony tail she searches around until she can find it.  Even if that is my bangs!
She loves her older brother and sister so much!  The squeals that she gives them is so cute!
Her walking around is getting surer and more confident as the days go by.  Just this week we have seen her go from walking only in one room to walking through all of the rooms! 
T is also quite the snuggler.  She will be so busy roaming around and then you turn around and she needs to be picked up to get a hug and kiss and then she is off again on another adventure.  What a blessing this little girl has been to our family.

                                                       Baby T 10 months old

                                                                Catching snowflakes

                                                                Hmmm....do I dare?

(Notice her princess castle?  I love my new Slice machine.  It's like a Cricut, but it was not as expensive.  You can use both machines for fabric!  Who knew?  But it's a custom shirt made for her by me!)

  That is a day in the life of our sweet girl.

March 10 on 10

I saw this on a friends blog.  Every 10th of every month she posts 10 things in her life that day.  Well, here are 10 of mine.
There are more exciting days but as you can see, we are having a very gray and dreary day.  Mud, mud and more mud.  Monkey is growing his hair out.   I'm not sure why since he hates to brush it, but oh well!