Breakfast

Natalie was still struggling with words when her sister was born (She was 2). Grace was belting out her ABC's backward, forward, and sideways at 19 months. Between that and low enrollment, I talked her way into a co-op preschool. Now, Cam.... well, he's the youngest of 4 and a boy. The doctor told me not to worry.... he had three sisters, a mom, and a dad to talk for him. He had his own language. A few word I miss hearing now that he's three and a half and talking up a storm... full of words that other people understand. Still when he gets talking to fast, he's sometimes difficult to understand even for his father and I. Thank you to his sister for their interpretive skills. With that said....
This morning Cam and I were having our breakfast together. Everyone else was sleeping. (These are some of my favorite moments. First thing in the morning time together.... cuddling and chatting in my bed with all the kids or early morning breakfasts). I had said to Cam that I needed him to finish the bite he had in his mouth before putting in another one. I didn't want him to choke. He said "Like last night?". He had stuffed too much burger in his mouth in an effort for more Baked Lays. It's amazing to me to have these whole conversations with him. He's my little boy. Next thing out of his mouth was "Mom, remember when I was a baby....."
Like it was yesterday, my baby boy.

Pixie Picture

I was telling a girlfriend recently about this picture of Grace. It's by far one of my favorite pictures of her. She was rolling down her window. It was the weekend we went to see my husband's grandfather. Between her hair and pixie face....... Jim and I make beautiful babies together!

NAKED!

As much as I bitch and complain and love and rave about my kids, I need a break from them. It's normal. I go out for a bit and I come home to all of them. It helps make me a better mommy.

However, them getting a break from ME ....... right now, I'm down a few of my own babies and it's WEIRD! I didn't pick up Emma this weekend so there is one. Natalie is at a Girl Scout thing with her dad so there is two. Gracie is with my mom for the weekend visiting family in Yakima so there is three. Right now it's just me and Cameron hanging out watching Handy Manny. He and I are going to a Housewarming Party this afternoon while Natalie is at a birthday party (she's very popular this weekend). I'll just have one car seat in my car today.... WEIRD!

I don't remember what it's like to have only one or two kids. I'm used to feeling like a mother duck with her ducklings or feeling like I'm herding cats.

Putting the two kids to bed last night was weird. It was so fast and I didn't have to hurry anyone along or yell at anyone for the hundredth time to get back into bed and this wasn't the time to give their sister another hug and kiss or trade pillows.

After Jim and Natalie left this morning, I got to lay in bed more. Cam slept in until 9 AM! I didn't quite know what to do. So I just laid there and tried to will myself back to sleep. I kept throwing around the idea of calling Gracie or checking on Cam to make sure he was still breathing.

I can't help but wonder what next school year is going to look like.... Natalie in 2nd grade and Grace in Kindergarten. Or what about when they start going off to college...... I can understand empty nest syndrome now! LOL

I even tried to pick up an extra kid for today. My girlfriend is doing the Relay for Life and is taking her kids. I offered.... she looked at me like I was crazy :)

I feel naked without my babies all scurrying around in one form or another. Maybe if I do plenty of hair and makeup today I won't feel so naked...... NAH! I'm still naked!

Day One

The children and I have survived the first day of summer vacation with very little kicking and screaming and the kids have done well, too! We have begun the summer resting and relaxing in one of my most favorite towns in the world. Tomorrow, I am going to try and get Cameron in for a haircut somewhere. As you can see, very hectic and busy lifestyle we are leading lately. I'm still around.... just enjoying a few days of no rain. The forcast calls for it next week so I'm sure I'll blog more then :)

For the birds

My kids have been unusually needy this weekend. I have heard the word "mom!" so much over the past few days, I am thinking about changing my name. It's followed me outside, into the bathroom, into the shower, around the house, in the grocery store, to the Maple Valley Days Parade and Festival, to the neighbor's house. At one point, it was yelled just because the screamer wanted to know where I was. On the drive (80 miles one way) home from taking Emma home, I was looking for a little peace and quiet. The quiet more than anything. I turned on our CD of choice these days and turned it up. Ah, to get lost in my thoughts while driving, listening to some rockin' music. My thought were interrupted by "MOOOOMMMMMMM!". I turned the music off ticked off and answered the 5 year old wood nymph with a very ticked off "What?!?!" (Have I mentioned before that my mom tells me quite often that I have the patience of a saint? It takes a lot to REALLY try my patience. The 5 people that do it the very best though are 4 kids and 1 husband.) Anyway, my "WHAT?!?!" was answered with "I know what the biggest bird in the whole wide world is." That started a debate between sisters on the answer...... eagle (Grace) or ostrich (Natalie). It was kinda hard to be ticked off after that. That's the last thing I expected to come out of Gracie's mouth when she yelled MOM!

For the record.... the answer is the Ostrich. But now Grace says she meant one that could fly so that would go to the Andean Condor, the Kori Bustard, and the Trumpeter Swan.

You learn something new every day when you take the patience to listen ;)

Me So FAB-ulous!

I love this!

Can you tell my self esteem is doing REALLY well?!?!? Amazing what a hair cut will do!

Thank you tons to the wonderful friend who sent this to me!

All Sanity

I have been VERY confident that I don't want any more of my own children. I like my sleep and my books. I am more than happy to give any mama a break (HINT E!) and hold babies and cuddle and feed them just as long as I can give them back. I don't mind at all to do anything else baby related just as long as they go back to their mama. Did I already say that?!?!

It's been bittersweet for me that I have not been pregnant in numerous years. Cameron is almost 3 1/2. In the past 8 years..... I've been pregnant every two, changed diapers and/ or pull ups for most of them. I look at Cam and he seems so little. My baby. I can't imagine having a newborn. To think, for two previous kids I've had a year old baby running around along with the three year old. How did I do it?!?!? I am amazing if I do say so myself!

I puppy sat for my mom for a night when she had to go back to work and didn't want to leave Violet alone- this was about a week or two after she got her. To make a long story short... I woke up on the floor next to Violet's puppy bed. It was a very long night! That's when I said I didn't want any more babies.... two or four legged kind.
THEN......

My neighbor's dog had puppies. It was amazing to watch the whole process of two babies and an hour later there was another then another. Watching the puppies open their eyes, run around, 'play' with one another. The kids and I have been rallying for keeping one. Not knowing that my husband had already been researching the breed. Natalie is terrified of dogs but she's held two out of four of the puppies and has petted them and rubbed noses and given kisses. She said as long as the puppy doesn't get any bigger then she'll be fine. We figure she probably won't notice after awhile. I go back and forth about keeping him. Sure, he's great to cuddle and love and give kisses BUT cleaning up poop and if he was to ever get sick...... up in the middle of the night...... do I really really want to do it?! Look at that face though!!!!

The girls and I have been calling him Gus.... you can't tell but he's the biggest out of the litter. He's a chubby little guy. He reminded us of the mouse from Cinderella.
Jim has been going back and forth between Gus and Frank. Cameron is all about Frank. Frank??!?! you ask? Yes, Frank. Shortly after Jim and I met he ALMOST had me convinced that he had changed his name and that he born Frank Worthington. I then remembered the story his mom had told me about how he got his name. James.... he was named after his grandfather. His name was almost Douglas James or James Douglas (Doug is his sperm donor). Then his mom got mad at the sperm donor and his name then was James Cameron. She said she always loved the name Cameron. So the joke has been Frank. Puppy still looks like a Gus even though Frank has sentimental value.

Gus? Frank? To keep or not to keep? Have I lost all sanity completely?

Proud Moments

Highlights of Proud Moments as a Mother:

-Each of my children smiling and laughing
-Each of their first crawls, steps, and runs
-Completely potty trained
-Every time they use please or thank you without being coached
-Unrequested hugs and kisses
-Each time they ask whys and how comes, coming up with their own solutions (I am amazed at how their minds work!)


Highlights of Proud Moments their Father has had:

-Teaching his son to pee in the woods while camping
-Having his son be THRILLED to hit the leaves on the bushes as he's peeing in the woods
-Taking the kids out on the boat
-Having 3 out of 4 kids wanting to be involved in the cleaning of the fish or razor clams
-Anytime any of his children 'toots' louder than him especially when it's one of the littlest ones

And last but not least, when his wife takes his son with her to Old Navy so she can TRY to buy a pair of Capri's and the mannequins were sitting at a three year old level, his son went from tank top clad mannequin to tank top clad mannequin, cupping their chests replying "big, fat boobies!". After a quick explanation as to using the word 'fat'*, thank goodness he wasn't really understood by anyone else who heard him "big boobies, big boobies, big boobies, big boobies!"


* I am really uptight when it comes to my children using certain words. No matter how cute he was when he discovered the boobies!

You Clean Up Nice

Faithfully, Monday through Friday I am usually without make up or hair done. My shower lasts just as long as a three year old can eat an Otter Pop. My legs can go up to a week without so much as seeing a razor...... that or my husband comments about the fuzzy leg warmers I'm wearing, then the three year old gets two Otter Pops during the next shower. My hair, once 2 in 1 shampooed and conditioned, is really lucky some days and subjected to bang blow dry and flat iron..... those are days that I've already run into my blond pig tailed neighbor (who is probably one of the very few over 25 / mom of 3 set that could look great in pig tails... Bitch!). I manage to throw deodorant on my always clean shaven underarms. Then sometime after lunch but, before the bus comes to drop Natalie off at home, I brush, floss, and mouth wash my teeth. My uniform is wonderful cotton pants that I own in a ton of different colors and an Old Navy solid color tee in an offsetting color, white socks, and sneakers. So as you can see I'm pretty high maintenance.
When I do put a little bit more effort into it.... it does wonders for the self esteem! I am one hot mama!
*After asking for feedback from my children... Gracie's response was asking if I had brushed my hair and that it was very fluffy..... Natalie asked if I was going to a costume party. I was going to play Bunco. I don't get out very often but when I do, I am a party animal (only in my brain) :)

How Cute Are We?!?!?!??

Number Seven

In a previous blog, I came up with seven random things you did or didn't know about me. Number seven on that list was one I just threw together because I couldn't think of anything else. Sure, I could have renamed it 6 Random Things about Me but that would have been too easy! During the drive to Seattle, the ferry ride, and drive to Jimmy's grandpa's house, his 78th surprise birthday party, keeping the kids occupied during all of this, the sleepover visit there ('camping' in Papa's RV while my husband fell asleep inside on the couch), and then home again...... I came up with number 7! No, I am not obsessive!

#7. I do not like sweet potatoes, yogurt, coffee. Only because of other people, did they love sweet potatoes as babies, Cam and Gracie keep Yoplait in business , and all three LOVE coffee ice cream. I LOVE veggies and salads. The three love salads and veggies. We are picky when it comes to veggies...... nothing canned unless it's corn. MUST NOT BE MUSHY! Cooked= warmed, still crunchy. As a kid, I sat down in front of the television with a nice big bowl of iceberg lettuce! Bags of chips (if and when we buy them) sit in the kitchen until I end up throwing them away. I can't keep fresh fruits and veggies in my house. Berries, grapes, oranges, bananas, watermelon, kiwi, apples! Cucumbers, celery, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, corn on the cob, zucchini, spinach! Artichokes, mushrooms, and asparagus! (the last three are for me!) Lions and tigers and bears- oh my!