how we spent our father's day

just one caption needed:  IT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

summer break starts TODAY!!! (unless you counted last evening)

today we're starting.  we have SO MANY fun things planned...
this morning we discussed and switched out chores.  here's our list:

• match up socks  --#2
• pick up lawn (dog doo, shoes/socks that might've been left out there, toys, etc.)  --mom & #4
• kitchen clean-up after each meal (including: rinse dishes, load dishwasher, wipe off counters)  --#2
• fold and put away laundry  --#1
• fill water bottles  --#4
• sweep and mop (kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms, entry way)  --#1 & #2  SAT. ONLY
• pick up living room  --#1
• water Finnagen (3X/day)  --#3
• clear table before meals  --#5
• vacuum living room  --#3
• clean both bathrooms  --mom & #3  SAT. ONLY
• sort laundry and bring fullest pile to laundry room --#4
• empty trash cans  --#3
• wash off table (before and after meals)  --#2
• organize toys and toy area  --#1 & 2  SAT. ONLY
• vacuum rooms  --#4 SAT. ONLY
• feed Finnagen (2X/day)  --#3
• empty dishwasher  --#5
• put away silverware  --#4
• pick up toys  --#5
• walk the dog  --#1
• mow the lawn  --#1 / mom  FRI. ONLY
• do laundry  --mom
• make lunch  --mom & #2
• clear table after meals  --mom

#1 being the eldest...
these are to go along WITH daily responsibilities:

• clean room
• make bed
• get dressed
• brush teeth
• comb and style hair
• devotions

and a NEW implementation (is that a word???):  we're pairing the kids up.  #1/#4.  #2/#5.  #3/#6.  they are responsible for their partner. 
SERVICE is our word/deed for this summer. 

breakfast is to be fixed and eaten by 9am.
chores are to be accomplished before noon (unless they are a time of day chore like the dinner-time chores).

this is my documentation.  notes taken. 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

FIRE

i had another fire accident.  would you like to hear about it?  well, read on my dear friend...

yesterday was a FULL day!  we had one thing after another after another and then packed with several on top of each other to end it off. 

jones' last t-ball game was from 5:30ish to 7:30ish.  wolfie had martial arts at 7 to 8.  middle school mayhem (a big end-of-the-year party) was also yesterday from after school until 5:30.m  i also had to make and serve dinner somewhere in there... before the sports because there's NO WAY these kids of mine could wait 'till after 8 to eat!  plus, 8:00 is bed time.  it was a school night. 

so, here's how i had it planned.  i would make dinner and have it ready by 5.  serve it to the littles at 5, jump in the car at 5:20 with a plate of dinner for wolfie.  we'd fly to drop off wolfie (early) and make it to jones' warm up for his game.  aren't i good?!  see... i'm getting the hang of it!!!

anyway, i turned on the oven to 425 to preheat while i whipped up the meal (mexican lasagna).  i had the skillet on top of the stove top, which isn't normal, but it was a clear work space, so i used it.  as i was whipping, i noticed the smoke coming from the oven, and i cursed at myself for not cleaning up that mess in there... AGAIN!  it's been smoking gross smelling aroma for the past two months it seems!!!  i kept working and it kept getting more extreme.  so i glanced down at the window and saw some flames...
oh crap!  so i opend it to see how bad they were... or something.  i'm not sure why i opened the door.  to see if they were real???  and they got higher.  so i shut it.  and i told the kids there was a fire in the kitchen. 
binkins went around and opened all the windows/doors and rallied the little ones.
i opened up the other doors and windows.
jones continued to fight with his shoe.  he was trying to get his cleats on. 
i tried to decide what i should do.  if i open the door again, the flames will be fed more oxygen.  if i don't take care of it, it might just ruin the oven.  what other options do i have???
so i flipped on the fan for the _____ (loss of word) option and then opened the door.  woops.  lots of smoke.  bigger flames now.  i turned around to see what the kids were doing in binkins "rally the little ones" emergency evacuation.  binkins, boo, and starboy were all gathered together in the middle of the living room with their fingers in their ears.  totally ready for what they knew was next.  (yes, it's embarrassing that they know what's to come -fire alarm- when mom starts a fire!)
i told binkins to take them all outside instead. 
jones continued to fight with his cleats.
the smoke started to get really bad.  it was getting heavy in the kitchen.  that's when i noticed my sweet sleeping babe in her bouncer on the counter.  so, i picked her up and placed the bouncer outside too and told binkins that she was gonna have to watch her for a bit.  no opposition there!!!
then i rushed back inside.  i knew i could figure out what to do.  even though every decision thus far was stupid... i'm not stupid!
so i got the fire extinguisher.  and i blew out the fire with it. 
and then jones came up to me with his shoe and asked me to untie the knot.  it was just too tight for him.
and we all lived happily ever after.  except wolfie didn't go to martial arts.  and nobody attended jones' game except for buttercup and me.  and then the aftermath of the game... well, that'll have to wait for another post!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

5 weeks

today sweet buttercup is 5 weeks old.  she's also a month and 4 days old.  she's also very cute and sweet. 
[insert 5 week pic here]
but she's not the only one in my life!

wolfie started martial arts at the beginning of this month.  she has karate on monday and wednesday from 7-8.  she's doing extreme martial arts (xma) on tuesday and thursday, which is like a jackie chan type of gymnastic/martial arts form from 5-6.  on friday she's learning some other gymnastic type of funness and a weapon's class (2.5 hours of 3 classes: 4:30-7).  on saturday she has a class of self defense called krav maga from 10-11.  all these are helping her get into shape, but also teaching her some good self discipline and respect.  next month (i think) she's going to narrow down her classes to one or two of the arts to pursue. 

binkins lost another tooth.  she's reading like a pro and is super excited to dig into chapter books finally.  she LOVES to hold her sister and help out in any other way, especially if it means not doing what she's supposed to be doing. 

jones was the little red hen in his kindergarten visual arts performance.  it was really cute.  unfortunately i didn't get any good pictures, but i was there, so i'll just testify to its cuteness!  he's reading early reader books and unlike his two big sisters, doesn't get frustrated with it.  he's great!!!  also jones started t-ball the week before buttercup was born.  it's a hoot to watch 4-6 year-olds learn the sport.  they all clock out almost simultaneously after about 30 or 45 minutes.  but he's learning and they're improving. 

boo has cut naps out of her day now for sure.  she needs quiet time but doesn't do very well at it either.  she has started sleeping in 'till about 8:30ish, but she doesn't go to bed early either... i don't think it's really that healthy, but i can't force the girl to sleep!

starboy loves being a big brother.  he likes to boss his baby around, but he also absolutely LOVES to kiss and pet her.  all the kids really like to hold buttercup.  starboy is going through a rough phase and we're adjusting our training methods with him.  he's a good, sweet boy, but he's learned quite a bit of stubborn naughtiness somewhere (i can't imagine where though!)
[insert pop and i pic here]
otter pop and i have little bit been looking for a home to buy.  it may be 6 months up to 18 month until we get one, but it doesn't hurt to look around and see what's out there. 

i'm still really juggling around the mom duties and staying sane, but it's getting better each week.  all the running around is new and crazy and i certainly don't love it, but i do it and then we scrounge for dinner each night because that's what i SHOULD be doing... 
[insert dinner pic here]
so, on to that... dinner... because that is what i should be doing right now!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

sneak peek

i had my maternity photo shoot yesterday and i am beyond excited to get to see the pix, the babe, and share them all with you.  i had an awesome time.  it was so fun.  we went to this perfect outdoor idaho location.  and she got some amazing shots.  it really really was so fun.  i love taking pictures!  i am so excited and really can't wait, but i'll have to and until then... here's a mini peek-a-boo into what the photographer got when she dropped me back home:

wolfie was at a babysitting job, but that's alright because i can't picture her posing for any of these shots with me...  i'll have to ask her tonight and see if we can add another just for memory's sake. 
memory... hm... that's a pretty name!

if you're local and pregnant, i really recommend you looking into birth photography and hiring this photographer.  she's a strong christian who has recently discovered her calling in photography = birth photography.  it might be an awkward thought at first... but if you think about it (and go to some sights -click on the first "birth photography" link in this paragraph- to see how amazing it is), i'm sure it won't take you long to realize that it's an awesome investment in order to capture a miracle of a memory that can't be honestly captured by anyone other than an outsider.  when you're birthing your babe, it's completely inconvenient to be taking pictures!!!  and if you request your husband, or personal family take them... they're not only missing out on the memory (because they're behind the camera), but they're missing in the photos too!  i'm so excited to have this opportunity to have buttercup's birth be preserved by photography by a great gal who's amazing at what she loves to do!!!!! 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

ketchup

i have some catching up to do here in blog land.  it's quiet time though, so what better to do?! 
first is yesterday's post about last week's family fun adventure (using up the last of my downloaded pictures), then this one, and lastly: my monday menu post.
first, i'll start off with something that i learned.  i got an email today that stated march is National Peanut Month.  so, i agree with them that it's the perfect time to share amazing recipes using peanut butter.  whether your sweet tooth is craving brownies, bars, or cookies there's sure to be something in this peanutty list you'll love.  or maybe it isn't a sweet tooth at all, and you can share some yummy healthy meals with peanut butter added!  (even though all of these listed don't look like links... they are.  don't be afraid.)

1. Bake Not, Worry Not, Peanut Butter Bars — So easy! Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge — Just want to eat it all
3. Classic No Bake Peanut Butter Bon Bons — Love
4. Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies — Perfect combo
5. Mouthwatering Peanut Butter Cookies —  So freaking good 
6. Double Peanut Butter Cake — Peanut Butter lovers unite!
7. Easy 15-Minute Peanut Butter Fudge — Scrumptious
8. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie — Yummy!
9. Grandma's Classic Peanut Butter Cookies — Favorite 
10. Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie —  So simple
11. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies — Classic taste
12. No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls — Truly the best!
13. Amish Peanut Butter — Old fashioned 
14. No-Fail Bake Sale Peanut Butter Cookies — The best
15. Perfect No Bake Peanut Butter Balls — A favorite

and now onto something else:  my thoughts.

otter pop left for his last business trip of this winter yesterday morning.  he's only one time zone away this time and thankfully he's getting home thursday night (friday early morning) instead of friday night (early saturday morning), like the others.  i got really nervous last night that i might go into labor during the night.  no symptoms or signs... just going off of murphy's law.  but then i remembered that my brother and sister-in-law said they'd be in town 'till wednesday, so that calmed my nerves.  when i called my sister-in-law, (i'll call her "nicole") right before bed to remind her to be on call and answer her phone in the middle of the night, she informed me that they're leaving town today (monday) instead...  eek!  so i hope murphy is lawfully wrong this week and that i don't have the baby while her daddy is out of town!  i don't think i will, but man this girl feels HUGE. 

this pregnancy reminds me a lot of my pregnancy with binkins.  of course i'm about 20-30 pounds heavier and almost a decade older (give or take), but i guess the span between starboy and buttercup was enough for me to build back some "normality" to my abdomen.  there is absolutely NOTHING between my skin and my huge uterus.  i can see EVERY SINGLE MOVE she makes and i'm starting to get deformed because she's growing so big that i'm not as round as i am bumpy with her little shoulders and heels and elbows and whatever else she sticks out of her "circle" home. 

she's funny too, that she really plops on over to the side when i lay down.  when i get back up, i have this big lump over to the side of me... it takes her a while to get back to the center.  or, it hurts to roll over to the other side while she takes her time to adjust to the move. 

also, a difference with her and the others is that she's reaching all the way up to my ribs.  i've heard other pregnant women talk about getting kicked in the ribs, but never experienced it personally.  i think my torso must be long enough that my others have had plenty of room staying away from most of my skeletal system.  well, buttercup will every once in a while pry a little boney something up under my rib cage.  it DOES hurt!  (they weren't kidding!)  and i'm really glad my others left me alone up there!!!  on the flip side, she also will sick something boney down by my pelvic bones and try to tickle me.  THAT feels weird too!!!  i'm just wondering how long this girl actually is!  either she's gonna be about 24-25in. long... or she's just a real active mover and stretcher. 

i wonder what she's gonna look like.  i wonder if she'll have lots of hair like boo and starboy did when they were born.  i wonder if she'll have binkins and jones' ears or ones more like starboy and boo's.  i wonder if she's going to have cute little feet like jones.  i hope she's sweet like my others...  <3  i'm wondering all these things, but really i'm not ready yet.  so, i hope she stays put for a few more weeks! 

i decided that i hope she's born the last week or march, or in april.  that's when i'll be ready for her.  also, i'm completely terrified of labor and delivery.  i'm trying to learn everything i can about how to relax and be calm and relax my body so that she can come out nice and natural ---like how God created me to do it. 

these are all my current thoughts... or a lot of them, at least.  since otter pop's not here, i'll share them with you.  also, i'm wondering what we'll call the little girl. 

wednesday hair post #3 in 2012

wouldn't you know it...  my camera broke.  its batteries went dead half way through closing the lens.  it's happened before and i've been able to remedy it, but not this time.  it's frozen. 

however, i did do TWO hair-dos on my girlios this past week.  i think the father-daughter ball hair festivities reminded them (well, binkins really) that i could still do hair... AND that i love to.  so, now she's letting me do her hair each morning again.  little boo never fired me.  but now i'm having more fun with hers too.  still a no-go on the old one...  i think our time is past.  :(

boo first:

1. i parted her hair down the middle.
2. i tied her short front hair back on each side of the part, leaving her bangs hanging down.
3. i sectioned off some more hair, and on each side -again- and put another piggy, but pulled it close to her ears. 
4. i pulled the rest into low piggies.  she looks SO cute in piggies.  her hairs different lengths are so hard to get into tails though...  here's how it worked.

i love the little smiling reflection in the mirror!!!

simple simon.

and now binkins: 

1. i parted off the front half and the back half of her head with an ear-to-ear part.  i put the back half in a pony, to keep it out of my way.
2. i gave her a side (in the front) to middle (center of head) part.
3. i started braiding toward the back, on the short side of the part.  i french braided back, up, *around the back (by the ear-to-ear part), back up towards the front, around the front, and back to where i started... a halo. 
4. now this part is confusing to explain, because it's even confusing to do... *when i started braiding around the back, on each strand that i brought to the back of the head, i'd drop some hair off (this is called an angel braid).  i've tried to do this other ways, but this is the only way -so far- that i've gotten it to hold.  it's not quite as pretty as the other ways... but since it held, it's prettier at the end of the day!
5. when i got to the start of the braid, i braided just a bit further and then pinned it it and curled (yes, i never thought i'd have to CURL my binkins' hair!!!) the angel strands and the end of the braid pony in ringlets.
6. she had a few sticker-outers that i covered up easily with a simple flower clip.

see: 

not so simple simon. 
now... why don't you take the time to read through some of my previous posts that you've missed...

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."