But wait…there’s more

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Abbie

We had an overabundance of injuries last week, and then this weekend brought on a completely new challenge. Josiah started running a fever Saturday and then Sunday Zoe and I both went down with sore throats and fevers. Josiah’s fever tapered off and did not require medicine on Sunday. So, I thought, we were dealing with a normal virus. When his rash continued, and I continued to feel horrible today, I decided to take Zoe and Josiah to get checked out. Turns out, they have strep. And so do I. Antibiotics are started and I’m looking forward to a night full of sleep and a day away from the couch tomorrow.

Anyway, so here’s some more amazing pictures from Tracy while I recover.

Zoe girl is turning in to a beautiful young lady!

My Ace-Man is more handsome each day (and he looks just like his dad in case you were wondering)…he’s also a little sillier too!

The Liam Dude…full of spirit, passion, and those adorable blue eyes that will melt your heart!

Mr. ‘Siah who no longer wants to be called ‘Siah but Josiah.

Yeah, I’m not sure what this was about…but I think it’s absolutely adorable. He’s got the cutest outie belly button out there (pun intended)

He’s so silly. I had to just include multiple pictures of his goofiness.

And, our littlest princess who can bake a cake and kung fu fight…Ceili Rain.

“Enough of this. My hiney hurts.”

This is the result of too long getting pictures done and briding with cheerios on top of a mom and aunt making him look silly. Yeah, I know it’s mean but it’ll be a great embarrassing picture for his fiance.

There’s Mr. Bryant. All dolled up and adorable. These last two were actually taken at the beginning of the shoot…hence, the happy faces.

The result…

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Abbie

So, after finishing my skirt, and the girls’ dresses, we talked Tracy into taking our pictures again. This time Mark got to tag along. We were so worried because it rained on and off all morning. We almost canceled several times, but then, just decided to go for it and, while everyone got a little muddy, we survived and got what we came for.

And now, you can see the end results of my skirt experiment, or sort of can. It really turned out much better than I expected. I added a white cording on the bottom that just really did it (and kept me from having to hem it!).

So, we get one picture where all but Josiah have a happy face.

And one where all but Liam have a happy face. Oh well…at least you can see everyone’s face.

I believe this will be our new header. Aren’t they just too precious!? Props goes to Tracy who edited out the stains that were on Ceili Rain’s leggings after she went sliding in some mud.

The boy crew!

My Three Musketeers (D’Artagnan was eating dirt at this point).

My precious princesses!

Don’t worry…there’s more (I know you are all sitting on pins and needles waiting to see them huh?).

To the Parthenon!

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Abbie

So, back to our convention/mission trip! On the way home, Liam was acting like he had a little stomach bug but we needed to stop to lunch about the time I saw a sign for the Parthenon. Now, please don’t think we made a wrong turn (and crossed a very big bridge!).

No, this is the replica that is in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve heard about it often and had never gotten a chance to see it (and I’ve only been to Nashville once so there ya go). I convinced Mark that that would be a good place to eat. And it was! There was a huge park there and if Liam had felt better we might have gone to playground and inside the Parthenon.

However he didn’t and the park restroom stalls didn’t have doors and we were all a little creeped out by that.

So, we just walked around, picked up some cicada exoskeletons, and ate lunch.

A statue we explored while Mark took Liam to potty…again. I can’t remember who this was but look!

Josiah found a train…is anyone surprised???

Isn’t it beautiful?! If you look closely at the first picture, you can see the Mark and the kids standing in the columns. This replica was built for a World’s Fair Expo that was held in Nashville.

Thus ends our adventures the first of May…but wait…there’s more!

The Bunch with Bells

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Abbie

This dates back to April, but it’s ring worthy!

My mom gave the kids some bells for Christmas a couple of years ago. It’s taken me until now to get organized enough to teach them a song or two.

At our homeschool care group’s annual performance and project fair, our crew made their debut with very little whining, complaining and dancing. Here’s the proof:

The Bunch with Bells from justabunchofcharacters on Vimeo.

Give me Liberty…

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Abbie

Retreat Center in Gleason, TN. Basically, in the middle of nowhere. Well, actually, it’s near Paris…Tennessee. Yeah, that’s about it.

Anyway, Mark and I have been discussing mission trips to take with the family. There are several organizations that offer mission trips for families but at the cost of around $500 per person. Yeah, you do the math. Oh, I wouldn’t have to pay for nursing babes though…that’s $500 less.

So, we were brainstorming and remembered that we knew a family that ran a Christian retreat center. Mark contacted them and he said there were a few things we could do around the place to help spruce it up before their summer season started.

And off we went, (keep in mind that we had not been home since the homeschool conference). It just so happens that we scheduled this trip after the big storms in April. Thankfully, Liberty did not get hit with any tornadoes but they did have over twenty trees down just on the road to get to the driveway. And on the driveway a big oak (I think) fell taking two more trees with it. There was a ton of branches and such that needed to be picked up.

There was also a trail and a challenge course all covered with large branches from all the storms. All needing to be cleared so campers could use their facilities this summer.

So, we cleared. And cleared. And when the kids and I couldn’t take the heat and needed rest time, Mark cleared some more.

The bunkhouse on the left and the conference center on the right. These places were really nice.

A view from the semi cleared trail.

Josiah worked hard. Ceili Rain did too. At whining. Ceili Rain didn’t seem to enjoy the sweat and branch picking up job so much. She mostly just followed us around begging to be held.

Ahhh, rest time. And satellite tv. No internet but we could watch PBS so all was right with the world.

We didn’t just work, we also got to play. Well, we got to watch others play. The directors sons were playing baseball so we got to see the two oldests’ last game of the season. This was the first baseball game we’ve taken the kids to. They were more impressed with the clean up crew between games than the actual game. I don’t think baseball is in their future.

Liam tried to climb the 10 foot wall…

And quickly found the ladder instead.

Zoe really enjoyed this.

I kept my balance briefly, ever so briefly.

Liam decided he wanted down after climbing the ladder to the wall. We just threw him over the side and let him drop. Not really. I helped him down the rope and Mark caught him at the bottom.

The big oak that fell on the road (like that needed a description). They already had some people come and clear out to drive around it. But all the brush was left out and needed to be moved.

Do you see the cross in the shadow. Pretty!

Yes, we all slept good at night.

Clearing…

More clearing…

Ace likes a challenge.

Zoe too.

If you can’t pull it, might as well just climb on it. The tree was struck by lightening right near the base of it, so we used that as a little science lesson and looked at the black left from it.

This is where we moved all the brush. Big ol’ bonfire is acomin’!

And as we worked, Ace’s keen eyes spotted this sitting on one of the logs…

We took the kids in shortly after this. Mark didn’t have a snake disarming tool at the time and when he did, it had slithered somewhere else. We still haven’t looked it up, but we’re guessing it’s a baby copperhead.

After all our hardwork and leaving…all the brush is cleared away. Firewood is just waiting to be moved.

And Zoe and Ace enjoyed the three story tree house!

And we actually managed a great group shot all on our own.

Ya know, I worry every time we go somewhere that the kids might get bored if there’s nothing to do. But, we had very little “entertainment” in a one bedroom cabin and they had a blast! Lots of games inside and out that they made up and all. Having beautiful weather so they could go out and climb and play was a big bonus too.

Oh, and our tick count was at four. One on Josiah, one on Zoe, and two on Mark. He won. Not something to be proud of. I’m still itching and checking!

And, I’m back…sort of

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Abbie

Still trying to get through my list and get ready to start up next week but this here’s startin’ somethings we’ve been up to this past month…

After the convention we traveled to Alabama and picked up the other half of our kid crew. We enjoyed a short visit and stories about what they did while we were gone.

One of which included Liam refusing to eat baby carrots because he thought they were bay food!

Bryant loves getting cuddles! Grandmere was a little fond of them too.

The biggest treat for the older kids was a zipline Papa bought and installed. That was one of the highlights of the weekend.

Mark also made it a point to let Papa know that Josiah likes the dirt (he will literally roll in it at home). So, Papa made sure Josiah got some dirt playing time in.

If You’re Ever in a Stare Down Contest

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Abbie

Well, let’s just say don’t ever enter a stare down contest with Liam. He was not extremely happy with my meal choices for supper the other night and let it be known by his extremely grumpy face (which for Liam is a goofy face). Mark decided he’d try to match wits and make the same face and a few other goofy ones to get him to smile.

It almost worked.

Until Liam announced, “Your frown is making me toot.*”

That did it for Mark. He lost. Liam just continued right on with his grumpy face.

After Mark recovered, though, he got Liam back and managed to disarm the grumpiness and squeeze out a smile.

We win.

We always win.

We may have to change our drawers from laughing so hard….but rest assured.

We.

Will.

Win.

*In case you don’t know what a toot is…you’re probably better off not knowing. I’ll just say it’s a bodily function.

Happy Mother’s Day to Me!

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Abbie

This Mother’s Day I have racked up. Hearing Voddie Bauchum Jr. (and hopefully meeting him), Kevin Swanson, and Ken Ham. And getting some other great goodies (which I received early due to our gallivanting across the southeast)…

Hats for the kids!

Nah, I got something nice and shiny but it wasn’t jewelry (thank goodness…what is a mom of six little ones going to do with jewelry???). I finally got updated mixing bowls! And a surprise…a mandolin (I think that’s right…it’s one of those super duper veggie slicer/dicer/julienne things).

The kids enjoyed the bowls as well.

Fashion accessory, “fun” mirror…not just a mixing bowl anymore!

I love my gifts and being able to celebrate fun and practical gifts. For the record, I really don’t want jewelry. I hardly wear any except my wedding ring/engagement ring. When we got married I never really though I’d have six children. So, I didn’t register for large family items (like a mandolin, very large bowls, etc…plus, we lived in a one bedroom apartment that was about the size of our kitchen now…not conducive to housing large items), so I’m ecstatic when I get practical gifts. They make my everyday normal days go so much more smoother.

Keep Your Mouth Shut!

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Abbie

Life is never dull around here.

Case in point: We’re in the throes of the stomach bug around here (or, hopefully, the end of it) as Ace decided to release his stomach contents this morning. On top of that, we’re also in packing mode…yep our bunch is hitting the road again. So, as you can imagine, our days have been pretty busy and today was no exception. At one point, Bryant was fussy, I was trying to make lunch and things were piled up everywhere. Liam walked into the kitchen with his metal toy cars (like the Hot Wheels) and proceed to do a Liam thing which is never stay still. He bopped his mouth with the car and then, in Liam fashion, started to wail and moan. He typically does this over little things, stubbing toes, getting bumped into by a brother or sister.

I had had enough of the drama and decided to let him know as I rushed around the kitchen, “Liam, that’s enough. You bumped your mouth with the car. It’s no big deal. It’s not like your bleeding…” It’s at that point I look down and realize he was bleeding. God shut my mouth up about that one.

Thankfully, he is not our drama king when it comes to blood (just pain…I have no clue where they get this pain drama from), a wet paper towel and a covert attempt to put a bandaid on a split lip (his attempt not mine…I do have a college degree people) and he was all better. He did have to relay the drama to daddy and I had to admit my pride in not seeing to the wounded immediately.

Bumps Bruises and Burns…Oh My!

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Abbie

Last Monday night was date night. And this is how it started…
Sunday, I’m a little queasy and not feeling quite right. Mark felt the same on Saturday but after a few hours felt better and chalked it up to being out in the heat working. We both dismiss it and decide to continue with our plans to go out.

Monday rolls around and I still don’t feel too well. Mark’s a little queasy at this point but we both are determined to celebrate our 15 year dating anniversary.

I decide to get fancy and actually cook on date night. After the designated time in the oven the chicken wasn’t done, it was after 5 and I still had to feed Bryant. I got Bryant “tanked up” ran to the closet to get dressed and left Mark to keep an eye on the chicken.

As I’m trying to get ready, I heard a yell and thud and lots of commotion in the kitchen followed by Bryant’s cries. I run in to see Zoe holding Bryant and Mark trying to get to him.

Bryant was sitting at the play kitchen having a good ol’ time. Mark went to check on the chicken in the oven. When he pulled it out (it was in a 9X13 dish on top of a cookie sheet), the cookie sheet slipped and tilted and the baking dish bumped out and fell on to the floor…and slid across the floor towards Bryant. It slid, ya’ll. Bryant was sitting a good distance away from the oven too. Upon our examination, we thought he may have been burned on his leg. That was not the case though. But we didn’t find out until the next day.

While all this is going on, Liam yells at the top of his lungs and comes running down the hallway. I think he’s just frustrated about something (because that’s the kind of kid he is) and sent him back to his room to cool off. Bryant gets calmed down and I head to the closet to get myself ready. Liam finally walks in while I’m putting on make-up and announces,
“I’ve got my self-control mommy.”
“Oh good babe. What’s wrong?”
“I fell and hit my head on the metal thingy on Ace’s bed.”
Believe it or not, I did stop what I was doing and give him a hug and talked to him quickly. He was good to go.

About five minutes later we’re waving goodbye to the babysitter and the kids. I hugged Liam and he flinched. I rubbed his head and, sure enough, he had a goose egg on the back of his head. He said it hurt but we checked for signs of a concussion and he had none. That kid’s got a hard head.

Mark and I tried hard to have an enjoyable date. And we did…when we weren’t moaning about how bad we felt or running to the bathroom. There’s no telling how many people we infected that night!

Tuesday morning dawned with me even more sick than before. I got Bryant up to nurse him, in between bathroom trips, and noticed a nice blister on his hand. He had not gotten burned on his leg but on his hand. Since he had his nine month check up that day, I saved my call in to the doctor for another crisis.

Doctor B said it was a 2nd degree but it wasn’t deep, nor large enough to warrant a trip to the burn center. They did their best to wrap it with gauze and treat it in house. And we were told what to look for for an infection. I was told to keep it wrapped up to prevent infection. Dr. B also reassured us that those accidents happen and relayed a story of her toddler standing beside her and grabbing the iron that was a safe distance away.

And now I ask, do you know how to wrap a baby’s hand and how to keep the bandage on? Because I do…now. Here’s my secret:

See ya gotta wrap the gauze between his thumb and pointer finger. And then around and then between his pinky and fourth finger and then around and then between his fourth and third finger and then around and then tape it.

But that’s not all. All no! That is not all. The final touch…

A glove.

Oh, let’s just say it’s our tribute to the late “great” King of Pop! And let me tell ya, that glove can, in no way, hinder this little man from climbing, eating, and doing other 9 month old things.

If that wasn’t enough. Tuesday found us praying hard for our family and friends in Alabama. We also praised God when one of the larger tornadoes missed our family by about five miles.

I’m not done.

Thursday night, Ceili Rain and I were playing. I was laying down and she was in front of me. She threw her head back (as only a toddler can do…full force of her body behind it) and whammed into my front tooth. Luckily she didn’t catch the edge…just the main part. So, no damage was done to her. Just amazingly unbelievable pain to me. After much calling and waiting, I was able to see a dentist on Friday and learn that it was just badly bruised and to be easy with it the next few days.

I’m not done.

After returning from the dentist. I was visiting with Tracy, who braved my children for a little while. Zoe was downstairs doing cartwheels (a newly acquired skill). We were up in the kitchen or somewhere. We heard Zoe scream and run. I went after her and she was laying on her bed hyperventilating. Upon inspection, I found a nice gash in her side. One of her cartwheels landed her on the wooden toy box and left a large scrap on her side. Mark checked it out and we both noticed it wasn’t deep so we bandaged with tape and gauze and went on.

That night I went to take the tape off and saw red all around it. We both panicked. First thoughts, it’s blood…that much blood is not good, maybe we should take her to the er to have it stitched up. Second thoughts, it’s a rash. Zoe’s allergic to tape. And finally, realization. Zoe was wearing a pinkish red shirt. The lint from the shirt stuck to the tape. Phew!

And that was what we did last week.

On another wonderful note, we are over the stomach bug and it doesn’t seem to have taken anyone else hostage.

Just a Bunch of Characters

Musings of everyday life in a house full of Characters.

Tag Archives: Liam