If You’re Ever in a Stare Down Contest

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.

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Starting off…

We had a busy couple of weeks recently.  So, be prepared for an eyefull!

To start off, we attended a convention (more on that tomorrow).  We took three children with us and left three to have some extra special Grandmere and Papa time.  And the highlight of the trip…

…the pool at the hotel.  It was a very, very small pool…but it was adequate for Bryant’s introduction to “bathing in clothes.”  He thoroughly enjoyed it, by the way.

His highlight though had to be this:

He met the cutest baby in the world!

 And showered him with lots of kisses.  He even talked to him a time or two.  And he talked back.  That was a treat for my littlest man (who, by the way, is gaining wait very well.  He’s up to 17 lbs 10 oz in two weeks).

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Happy Mother’s Day to Me!

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.

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Keep Your Mouth Shut!

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.

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Bumps Bruises and Burns…Oh My!

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.  

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Bryant’s Nine Months Old

Yep, he’s nine months already!  And not walking…so, all of us who thought he would be…we’re wrong.  He’s close, though.  I’m thinking now maybe 11 months will be his point of walking.  He’s getting brave…letting go, standing for a few seconds, and then plopping on his rear.  Pull up.  Repeat.  And he thinks that is the coolest thing since sliced bread (which he doesn’t like…but that’s okay).

Here’s the stats:
16 lb 10 oz (3%, yeah, more on that in a second)
29 1/4 inches long (80%)
18 1/4 inches head (85%)

So, yes, if you follow his stats closely (you know, if you’re the grandparents), then you’ll notice a drop in his percentile on his weight.  I’m impressed that, even though he’s following Josiah’s growth track he didn’t here.  I’m actually glad.  I worried enough when Josiah lost weight between his six and ninth month. 

Dr. B was not too worried.  I told her eats three times a day, nurses four, and enjoys everything we can shove in his mouth.  And would prefer we do that quickly.  He also wants to be on the floor nonstop crawling and pulling and moving everywhere.  She was not concerned and didn’t feel we needed to be.  She just encouraged us to amp up his fats (no, that does not mean I can give him a steak but I can give him lots of butter, avocados and the like).  She also said that she would prefer to see a skinny baby that a fat one…way harder to deal with obesity than just healthy skinny eating.

I knew he was skinny and wasn’t really surprised to see a drop.  But a drop into the single digits was a bit surprising.  So, we are giving him lots of yummy healthy fats and letting him go until he gets full. 

And, a new fact, Dr. B said that studies have shown that infants introduced to peanut butter early on tend to not develop allergies from peanuts later.  And all you allergy worriers can go out and find the studies to prove otherwise….just reporting what the good doc had read recently. 

Grandparents, don’t freak out.  I can assure you he is on track for his development and we’re not starving him.  All my babies tend to get skinny when they get mobile and then “fatten up” a little when they start eating more table foods.

Now for some Bryant fun.  Bryant’s started doing these funny faces.  At first it was just random, now it tends to be when he’s in our arms and we have his food and are getting it ready for him.  Or when we sit down to feed him.  I think it’s because we say, “Oh, what are we having tonight?  Avocados and banana with squash…yummy” 

Posing, but when I told him that was not what I wanted, he obliged and performed for the camera…
Better, mom?
Here ya go, one more time!
I crack myself up!
And, I’m adorable to boot! 

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Shower Curtain Re-Vamp

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The girls’ bathroom shower curtain was made of this flimsy sheer type material.  But, it matched perfectly and I bought it four years ago and figured, if needed, I’d swap it out later when it was totally destroyed.

Later has come.  The top stitching started to tear, the hook holes were tearing and ripping the fabric.  I knew it needed to be replaced.  But guess what?!  No one makes shower curtains to match purple bathrooms in a butterfly theme.  I was frustrated with my search.  Then, I decided to get creative.

Here’s the shower curtain all spread out.  See the rip in the bottom right corner.  I had started cutting when I realized I needed to document be it success or not.

Here’s the finished product:

And here’s what I did.  I cut off right below the rip in the curtain.  I measured off the cut height and then cut off the same amount from the bottom.  I’m a big fan of symmetry.  Then, I cut a strip of fabric twice that height.  I wanted it to be extra sturdy for the hooks and thought that reinforcing by folding the fabric over would help. 

I turned the fabric right sides together and stitched the ends to keep it with a finished look (note:  when doing this make sure the fabric is the exact same length of the curtain.  I was pretty close but it was off a bit and I did have to adjust some.).  Flip the fabric right side out and press.

Take the raw edge of the fabric and pin it to the raw edge of the wrong side of the curtain.  Stitch. 

Flip the fabric to the right side of the curtain and press and stitch again.  Then add button holes (another note, make sure you measure the distance between shower hooks on a standard curtain  before haphazardly putting holes in your newly revamped curtain!) the same width as was on the curtain.

All done!  It really was super easy and went very quick. Okay, so it would have gone quicker had I not totally messed up the button holes, but lesson learned.  So, now the girls have a “new” shower curtain, and I can marvel at the fact that I found fabric with the exact same colors as the shower curtain.  Really.  It’s amazing how well it matches!  I was thrilled with my find!

Here’s another look at the curtain:

And, if you can tell, those hooks on the walls are the most adorable towel hooks I found at Hobby Lobby (disclaimer:  I paid for those and can get excited about them all I want).  I waited until the wall art went on sale half price and picked up four for the girls’ bathroom after I had gotten one for a hand towel hook.  I love them.  I think towel hooks are much easier for the kids to hang their towels up on.  And, since the bathroom doubles as a guest bath, there’s plenty of room for guests to hang their towels on it.

I cant’ believe I just raved on and on about towel hooks.  Oh well.

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Attack!

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 So, Saturday of our Kabining trip was waaaay hot for the middle of April.  To remedy that, we hit the local Wal-Mart and picked up enough water guns for a whole trip of campers.  Fire Away!  The afternoon was full of cool water fights.

 This is how we filled up the water guns!
 World’s skinniest Sumo Wrestler!

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Make New Friends

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We had the privilege and excitement of hosting this young, Young, family (hahaha), the weekend of our mission conference.  The Youngs are missionaries with Biblical Ministries Worldwide and will, by God’s grace and timing, be going to Scotland to work with church planting there.

We were thrilled to host this family and their fun children.  Their two little ones just fit right in and Nathan and Krystal (the mom and dad) didn’t seem too disturbed by our plethora of children.  Mark and I were thrilled to have them in the home and talked with them late in to the night on two occasions, not even realizing what time it was.

Yeah, I think Nathan was praying he’d be released soon from this chaos!  Ten points if you can guess who’s missing.

These are all the missionaries who attended and spoke at our church’s conference.  I’d love to get the videos for the Louks up, but I can’t figure out how to embed it in here, so I’ll just point you to their website and tell you, you must go see what they are going to be doing in Romania starting this summer!

See they fit right in…fixing toys and such.
And, Mark and I had the privilege of watching their children while they attended a ballet put on by a local company here.  They actually trusted us with their kids.  Little did they know…
I called it “twin practice” in hopes that one day God will bless us with twins (yes, you read that right…I would love to have twins although the odds are greatly stacked against us).
 Madeleine is a couple months older than Bryant.

 Pose for the camera kids.
 What are you???
Madeleine also cut a tooth while they were there.  She was pretty grumpy when we kept her and at one point she and Bryant were both competing in cries.  I smiled and saw all the other dear children covering their ears and announced that we could handle twins.  Mark laughed.  Anyway, we didn’t realize she had cut a tooth until she had kept Nathan and Krystal up all night.
Mr. Miles was a trip.  He enjoyed “playing” the Wii.  He was close to Josiah’s age and oh so much fun.
Please remember to pray for Scotland and the Youngs as they prepare to serve Christ!
You can learn more about what they are doing here:
Or go to their website:  Pray for Scotland.

And if that isn’t enough jabber, one of the reasons we were thrilled about having the missionaries in our home was because of the great influence they can have on our children.  It is our desire that our children seek to serve Christ and to bring Him glory through all they do, whether that is living in a hut in Africa or working inner city missions or a “regular” job in the states.  We also want them to be aware of the great needs that are both here in the US and abroad.  Hosting missionaries for a brief time gives them faces to the names that they hear so much about.

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