Art Camp

This week concludes our two weeks of camps. I’m so excited to not have to get up and go everyday.

Zoe had art camp last week. It was hosted at a local art institute. She had an absolutely wonderful time. She was in the Mixed Media class and learned how to use different things to create art. So we have a monster, scratch art, turtle in 3D, an aquarium, and a yarn person that she used as a stamp. Pretty cool! She’s still very much interested in all things art (you should see this girl in an art museum…she could probably stay in there for hours). So, we are looking at her getting art lessons this year. It’s amazing how God has given her an eye to look at things and find the details and beauty in them!

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Backwards Day??

Our day yesterday…let’s see…

The plan was: Ace goes to soccer camp. Mom goes to gym. Kids hang out and play in nursery. Change. Pick up kids. Pick up Ace. Go to the pool.

Easy peasy.

Dropping Ace off was the easiest part.

As we were walking into the gym, Zoe took the bag that contained my water bottle and various sundries and dumped it out thus busting my water bottle completely up.

Dropping two kids off at the childcare, I tried to head out that door to take Ceili Rain and Zoe. However, two other moms thought they could fit in the small check in space and crowd the door. Instead of being patient and waiting for them to get a clue, I tried to squeeze out and presently bumped Ceili Rain’s head on the door frame giving her a nice little bruise and sending me into worry mode that she had a concussion. Does not make for a fun workout. I busted my rear for 20 minutes and then went to check on her. She was snoozing and thanks to putting witch hazel on it before I left, it was only a small red mark.

Before I went to check on her, I changed into my swimsuit, thinking about how smart I was that I could put my swimsuit on without checking the back from the front (that’s the bottoms of the swimsuit I’m talking about). I’m so smart. More on that in a second.

So I go to pick up the kids. As we left soccer camp, Josiah decides to just pitch a fit. He had not been corrected, or disciplined in any way. He’s screaming and standing and not moving. I have Ceili Rain in the single stroller, so I couldn’t pick him up and actually put him in it nor could I carry him. My main thoughts right then were that I needed to get Ceili Rain out of the heat and the blazing sun and that if we could make it to the car we could actually make it to the pool. So, I did what any sensible mother did. I picked him up and put him in the basket underneath the stroller seat. In my defense it was a big basket and he stopped crying until we made it to the car, where I made him stand out of the car to get his self-control…which lasted for a split second.

Surviving the fit picthing, we head to the pool. We don’t lose anyone or anything in the process. As the kids are off playing in the wading pool, I take my cover off and began to wonder if I’ve just gained more wait…my swimsuit seemed to be riding up in the back. Hmmm. The front seems to be a little high up (which was nice as I didn’t have to keep pulling the top down). Hmmm?? Then it hits me…I had put my swimskirt on backwards people! Oh yeah, I’m really smart. So, I decided either we wouldn’t stay very long, or I would just pray and wait for my friend to show up with her four kids and beg her to watch my five so I could swap it around. It was about 10 minutes later, and she appeared! I begged, she agreed, and I ran to change it around.

Crisis diverted…the rest of the afternoon was good, except Ace fell and scraped his knee, hands, and elbow. Josiah then somehow pinched Ace’s finger on the chair while he was wailing and pinched off skin. Everytime I tried to help Ace, he thrashed and wailed and moaned. So, after making sure nothing was stitch worthy, being the good mother I am, I left him to thrash, wail, and moan. We left shortly after.

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Ceili Rain’s Four Months!

I know I recently posted this picture but I just think she’s adorable all cuddly like that!

Here’s the stats:
13 lb 12 oz (75%)
25 3/4 inches long (90%)
16 3/4 inches in the head (65%)

She’s jumped from 35th to 65th for head so she’s getting a big head being the baby girl. Nothing new to report medically…she’s tracking on the growth chart and just growing and developing like a baby.

Since she decided to roll from her back to her belly on Tuesday, she decided to roll from her belly to her back on Wednesday. While she’s not proficient at rolling, she’s getting there. I think by Thursday she realized what she had done and the benefits it provided as far as being off her belly…that was a plus for her.

She continues to be a most excellent baby. We’ve moved her from the closet (it’s quiet and secluded) to “the girls” room for night time. She’s loved the transition so far. She loves to coo, splurt and laugh at her brothers and sister…and us. But when she’s tired, she just wants to be left alone and sleep. She has now moved from wanting to sleep on her back to her side or belly (which is fine now that she can push herself over). Her favorite past time is chewing on two to three fingers. Not in the front like she’s teething (because she’s not teething…just because she’s four months does not mean she’s getting teeth) but on the sides.

She’s settling into a routine now which is great. I was beginning to panic that we were still going to be trying to figure out nap times when school rolls around, but I think we’re pretty much set…as long as mommy can stay at home (which starts next week) and not continue to run around the world with all the kids.

Since I was asked (in front of the kids) if I was a saint or insane today, I thought I’d just share…I’m neither…just very blessed!

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Happy 4th of July!

Okay so I’m over a week late…Zoe had art camp this past week so I’ve been more than busy! So, without further ado “how we celebrate our 4th!”

Aunt B and I cleaned up while Papa, Grandmere, the older kids, Mark and Uncle B took the kids out to do some fireworks and pop those snapper things.

Note, the girls with the ears covered and the boys looking on with great interest.

My own little pyromaniac!

After family worship and getting ready for bed, Papa had some really colorful fireworks. Zoe fearless with a glint of cousin O covering her ears.

Josiah thought they were pretty cool too! Cousin G, not so much.

This concludes my posts on our 4th of July weekend. I know you are all thrilled to get back to the pictures and lives of our children at home doing boring ol’ stuff…cuz that’s just the way it is here…nothing much to report…anyways…
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40 And Counting

This month marks 40 years of marriage for Papa & Grandmere. To celebrate, Aunt B and I (oh yeah, and Papa and Grandmere’s sons!) threw a surprise anniversary party on the 4th of July. Yes, the timing quite interrupted a lot of peoples’ schedules and celebrations, however, that worked for us since we were all going to be there.

We wanted to celebrate as 40 years is a big deal. They are not only showing us how to stay together and the commitment they’ve made to each other, but they also creating a legacy to pass down to their grandchildren.

Aunt B and I collaborated for a gift. We took individual pictures of the kids feet and put it on a poster. We added Isaiah52:7 “How beautiful are the feet…” It was a great way to show them how much we appreciated their faithfulness to God and how it is being passed down to other generations.

We kept it casual and enjoyed a pot “blessing” (ya know, instead of potluck…anyway) meal with close family and friends.









Now, I will say that Papa snooped at his sister’s house and saw the invitation about 10 days out. Sneaky little thing. To his credit, he kept it all a surprise for Grandmere. Which was really cool to surprise her. She really didn’t have a clue until we started setting things up in the house and pulling things out.

I think the next time we try to pull something like this off, Aunt B and I are going to wear nametags:

Mine: My name is Abbie. I’m married to Mark (the younger one) and we’re the ones without twins.

Aunt B: My name is Aunt B. I’m married to B and we’re the ones with twins.

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Swimming Time

By now you’re probably thinking you’ve seen enough of my kids and adorable nieces and nephews…guess what?! It’s my blog, I can post pics of them all I want to…so here we go.

Papa and Uncle B and Mark set up the swimming pool…after a little play in it, the kids took a break to eat popsicles.

That’s the cutest way to eat a popsicle if ever I saw one.
Here too! This is Cousin H.
Simply adorable!

Mark then set up the slip n’ slide that Josiah got for his birthday. In retrospect, since our little ‘Siah is none too fond of the sprinkler water things, we should have saved it for Ace, but it worked out that the others got to play on it. Mark showed them how to slide which was quite fun for him. No, I didn’t get on it…one of us had to be ready to drive the van to the ER. No major injuries…these things are more tough and Papa and Grandmere’s yard has less rocks than mine growing up.

Cousin J…he’s the oldest, and I think was really glad to have something he could do since he’s now too big for the little pool.

Ace diving!
Zoe

Cousin O

Cousin H…a little word about him. I’ve described him as “Liam on speed!” He’s a great kid but he is high energy all the time! Lots of fun too.


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The Surprise Part 1

We were told well before our trip that Papa had a surprise for the kids. Knowing Papa, he’s always got something cooked up for them and it could be anything. So, on Saturday morning, right before a photographer came to the house, in rolled this…

The kids ran from window to window to see what it was and guess.
When Zoe realized what it was she said, “Papa could have given us candy as a surprise but this is waaay better!”

Getting set up…

And…you’ll have to wait till the next post to see it in action!
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Some Cute Kids, Part 2

Yep, one of the twins with Grandmere…still not sure which one.

Cruising…one of them is walking but I can’t tell who it is from this picture because they’re both cruising.

She’s just too adorable not to take multiple pictures of!

Here comes cousin (I believe TJ)…

Out comes the pretty bow…”No stinkin’ bows around here, thankyouverymuch Aunt Abbie!”

Taking a break with cousin J.

I wonder if he knows how cute he is? It’s those eyes!!

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Some Cute Kids, Part 1

Told Ya! And this is just the beginning…

Still on a choo choo kick.
“Choo choo!”

Ready, set…go Papa! That’s cousin O in the middle.


All I can say is it’s Mark with one of the twins…no clue which one but it’s one of them. Sometimes, I can tell them apart if I’m looking directly on to them. Thankfully, TJ had a scratch on his head and once Mark told me that, I could tell them apart. I can’t wait for them to get older and then it’ll be much easier.

Cousin O getting some Ceili Rain drool love!

Now that’s some sweet lovin’ for Grandmere!

Where’d all the footballs go? Oh!

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