Sunday, October 30, 2011

an excused absence

i find it funny that when i say i'm going to start posting twice a week that my computer gives out on me... well... one little part of my computer. the replacement will arrive any day and i have soooo much to share with you when it does. see you soon!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

she loves her daddy















most of my children want mama when they are hurt, sick, or tired.... but not this one.... she is daddy's girl. she wants everything from daddy. she follows him around throughout the day. she can't go to sleep at night without something from her daddy... whether he tucks her in, gets her some water, or takes her to the bathroom... mama can put her to bed but she will not go to sleep until she gets her daddy. her most popular phrase right now is "i need my daddy!" and, if you can't tell from my typing, she really emphasizes the "need" part. 
now there could be many reasons for this special connection. it could be the diapers daddy changed or how he often fed her breast milk bottles. it could be how he gives her four wheeler rides, or lets her steal his pillow. it might be how he lets her have a doughnut if she calls it a "bonut" (he has a few weaknesses). whatever the reason... this bond is wonderful and, with the birth of a new sibling eight months ago, it had perfect timing.

Monday, October 17, 2011

the speed of life

















 my, oh my, how the time flies by. 

life seems to have many speeds over time but when you have four children i believe it is faster than light. i keep telling myself that i am going to get back to regular posts here (at least twice a week), that i will get completely caught up on laundry and dishes, that i will pick ALL of the apples, and that i will get the kid's halloween costumes finished early (as in not finishing them the night before they wear them), not to mention the countless other promises like regular exercise, date nights, special alone time with each child, early bedtimes, healthy dinners, etc, etc. sigh. it might be possible some day. i try very hard not to get discouraged when i can't accomplish these things. my method which is very strange (and i'm not recommending it to anyone since technically it dosen't even work.... it just keeps me from getting to depressed about never meeting my goals) is to change my goals weekly sometimes daily and constantly take a different approach on how i tackle my day. i know it probably sounds a little crazy but it's working for me right now.... kindof.... like i said it keeps me from getting too discouraged and that is very important.

i am really excited about the things that are happening around here. matt has been getting some work done on the house (outside work). he has been sanding and painting trim, repairing siding, he painted my doors red! which i love. he is also coaching maiko's soccer team this year which keeps him quite busy (two practices and one game each week). i am still working on preserving any food that comes my way. we just canned the last tuna we will get this season and i have the last three boxes of tomatoes waiting for me in the kitchen. i am also working to pick as many apples as i possibly can. i am going to make hard cider this year. i am very excited about it. the kids are growing like weeds in the sun. some reading and writing, one just learning letters and numbers, and one just learning to crawl.

life is crazy, but wonderful, and i think i'm learning to keep up.


Thursday, October 6, 2011

goodbye summer.... you will be missed








this was our last summer moment.

i almost didn't photograph it. i was busy and i thought "yes, they are all playing outside together i can finally accomplish something." then i thought "but what are they up to over there?" and as i watched i discovered they were having a pretend camp fire. then i realized, with the start of school just a few days away, that this would surely be the last fire of the summer. at that point i had to grab my camera and take a few pictures.

the photo was taken in the first week of september. i was certain, at that point, that i was not going to miss summer. the chaotic, completely disorganized days.... the dry, hot weather.... i new i would not miss that. but now, looking back at these photos of that last summer moment.... i suddenly realize that i already miss summer. those sweet, disorganized days of sleeping in and wearing whatever.... those dry, hot afternoons spent almost entirely out of doors... yes... i miss summer. i do believe though, that summer would not be near as special and appreciated if it was not so short and sweet.

goodbye sweet summer.... see you next year.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

all about food





ollie update:

  • she is 8 months old now... can you believe it? only 4 months left and we are at the 1 year mark, what!?
  • she is in love with food. bananas, peaches, applesauce, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, salmon.
  • salmon is her favorite.
  • she is getting dangerously close to crawling... wiggling herself all over the floor now and getting up on those back legs (all she needs to do is figure her arms out and she's off).
  • she is a thumbsucker. love.
  • she smiles all the time! i don't remember any of my other babies smiling as much as sweet ollie.
  • all of her siblings adore her. layla often tells me "mom, i love you and ollie but i love ollie just a little bit more. when she grows up though i will probably love you more." (that one always puts a smile on my face.)
we bought her those first few jars of carrots then (with some great support from my little helper bee) i got back into the habit of making her baby food. you know what i realized? i love making baby food. it is such a quick and simple yet extremely rewarding task! currently she has been enjoying our banana peach mixture. i am really looking forward to the banana avocado. hey, don't knock it until you try it... it is seriously an amazing combination. we discovered that one when eislee was a baby and i always make extra because me and maiko like to eat an entire batch ourselves. pretty sure i'm going to have to start making banana avocado smoothies. seriously.... try it.... i dare you.