Eight Years

This morning's conversation:

Him (after he had walked to the church for the morning, called on the phone to say): "Happy Anniversary."

Me: "It is not our anniversary. Our anniversary is tomorrow."

Him: "No. It's today."

Me: "Oh. You're right. Happy Anniversary. I thought it was tomorrow."

On the Feast of Stephen

I'll give my sister-in-law credit for finding this children's book first, but it's been one of my favorites from the library this month. Good King Wenceslas is one of my favorite Christmas carols, and that's probably why I like this book so much--a good excuse to sing to my girls.

Christmas Dresses

Favorite Holiday Classic?

Can you guess the favorite holiday classic movie at our house?

Put Up and Take Down

We put up our Christmas tree this evening. It is our tradition to put the tree up on the "Rose Sunday", a marital compromise between the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I love the house decorated for Christmas. The decorations make me feel like a kid again, especially when Nat King Cole is crooning the Christmas Song in the background. This childlike glee can be directly contrasted with the grown-up anxiety I feel knowing that the girls are going to break my ornaments. Ultimately it is just a matter of which one(s) and when. It's probably best not to get attached to any of them, but holiday sentiments tend to run deep.

We took down Izzy's crib yesterday afternoon. I always expect this particular transition into "big-kid" to be a lot harder for the kids than it turns out to be. I have issues--not them. She collected the nuts and bolts and put them in a ziploc bag, and then waved bye to her crib as it went upstairs into the attic. I stalked her bedroom door last night after bedtime, impatiently waiting for screams of a toddler needing comfort, but the cries never came. Sniffle, sniffle. My girls are getting so big.

Baby Trip

My husband and I have taken a trip each time I have been pregnant. With Claire we went to Greece, with Lillian we went to New York City and with Isabel we went to Chicago. Obviously the trips have gotten shorter and closer to home with each child.

On Thursday we went to a Resort/ Indoor Waterpark Hotel only 22 miles from our house. We booked the Kids Suite (with bunkbeds) and played in the water for an overnight. We all had a really nice time, even if for Chris and me, it was enjoying the experience through our children. I certainly think that we will go again--but not necessarily because of impending childbirth.

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. I am so bad at grabbing my camera! Not that I wanted to show any of you pictures of me in maternity swimwear anyway. Izzy kept pointing to my stomach, which was partly exposed from under the tankini top (yikes), and saying "Belly!". Thanks Izzy, you know how to flatter!

Pineapple Keikei Hula

Our neighbors just got back from Hawaii (how about a giant snowstorm to welcome you home from sunny 85 degree days?). They bought the girls floral leis which have been inspiring much creative play. Izzy, who had been wearing the lei all morning, even through breakfast and the choking incident, suddenly had an impulse to take it off for the picture. :(

For anyone who still needs to buy a Christmas gift for their children, I highly recommend the playsilks modeled in the above picture. My girls play with them every day. They take on a variety of uses--doll blankets, hats, dresses, fort canopies, slings for "broken arms", and even grass hula skirts.

Today's Tasty Treat

There is never a dull moment at my house (just wait a few weeks, right?). This morning I gave Izzy a usual box of math manipulatives to play with while I did math with Claire. She ate one! A glass mancala stone! She started choking, vomited on the floor, her face was bright red and tears were welling up in her eyes...I started having visions of quarter extractions...and then she swallowed it and went right on playing like nothing even happened. I called my doctor who said she would be fine--it should pass right through without a problem.

Sigh.

***FYI: I linked to a previous post about Lily and Claire's ER adventures this summer. Lily's heel is just recently "healed" (ha ha). It is still tender and she insists on wearing shoes a size too big as to not put pressure on the scar tissue.

I Hate Corelle Plates

Corelle place settings are supposed to be unbreakable. Corelle lies. They break, or rather explode into hundreds of pieces. I know this because my daughters are breaking unbreakable plates at an unbelievable rate. I am down to 7 from 20 a few years ago. A majority of the explosions have occurred in the last 3 to 4 months. I asked for new place settings for Christmas. We might be eating off of paper for Advent 4.

Corelle is free to use my daughters in quality testing. It is possible, I suppose, that the combination of 6 and 4 year old girls is lethal to dinnerware. Or maybe it's just my kitchen floor--the patina of crumbs, milk spills and marker scribbles sets those plates to pieces.

Whatever. My new plates will not be Corelle.

Belly Shot

How cute are we?

Lauren--I am very jealous that you get to go first!

Thanks

What a wonderful weekend! We left for Grand Rapids on Thursday morning to be with my husband's family for the big dinner. My sister-in-law cooked a pretty amazing turkey (she used Martha's dry brine recipe), as well as some fabulous cornbread stuffing and various pies. She also served "crockpot granola" from this blog (which I am sure to frequent in the coming months) the next morning. It was so good to be there and the cousins had a grand time playing!

We drove home on Saturday, without too many tantrums or traffic jams, in time to feast again with my family at my parents house. My sister was there with her family, as well as my brother and his girlfriend. It was so good to be together even if it was only for a few hours. It is rare for my family to ALL be together now--maybe once or twice a year, I cherish those times immensely.

Reflecting on this past year I was not only thankful for the time spent with these families that I am so blessed to be a part of, but also for all of the unexpected changes this year has brought. Who would have guessed that I would be homeschooling and carrying #4 (BOY!) last Thanksgiving? Certainly not me, but I couldn't be happier.

Beer-Belly Pants

We decided to go for a walk at a local state park yesterday. It was cold and we were getting ready dressing in double-layers. My long-johns were too small months ago, so I borrowed my husbands (which are also too small, but fit a little better). All of a sudden Chris started hysterically laughing, holding his belly, trying not to fall over. Something was really funny and I was missing it. It was me. He told me, with tears running down his cheeks, that I looked just like one of the "fat guys at deer camp--beer gut and all" standing in his long underwear.

Very funny. Very funny. (Grrrrrr)

Dog Bird

Here is Izzy "reading" her favorite book. The bird sound she was listening to (the Black Vulture) sounds more canine than bird-like. She was tenaciously hunting through the book looking for the picture of the "doggy".

Bakery

Mom, I got your message and immediately got up from the computer to take their picture. They were playing "bakery". (Don't ask me. I don't have answers.)

Mommy Woes

I overheard the girls playing house this morning. Claire, who was the mother, was complaining, "I have been in the house with the babies the whole time! Could you please come home? I would like to go out!".

I had to smile.

Pictures

Obviously tired...

Bucket-head monster Isabel...sorry that I don't have an audio clip so you could hear the fierce growling.

Apple pie. "She liked it! She liked it!"

Fall Girls

What beautiful weather the past few days! I think that most of our leaves are down now...lots of work to do.

Bee Very Scared

A picture of the tantrums she has been having lately.

Putting on this costume again must have been awful.

Look at that face!

Fine now. What are her mood swings going to look like at age 16?

Self-Portraits: A Conclusion

Disturbing likeness...

Lily asked to bandage her ear like Van Gogh. She thought that was the best self-portrait we looked at. I think that is an interesting window into her mind...maybe she isn't as mentality stable as she leads us to believe. :)

Happy Halloween

Not as amazingly cool as the Ollie pumpkin...but still festive.

Every Mother Needs One of These Signs

Trick-or-Treat

Lily the Zinnia, Claire the Cowgirl and Erin the Pregnant Skeleton

Trick-or-treating was yesterday. Maybe it's a stupid tradition in this part of Wisconsin to trick-or-treat on the Saturday afternoon before Halloween, but that is how I did it as a kid and I like it. (***Auntie Kristen: The girls want to know about Gracie the Ghost.) The girls had a great time and got lots of candy. Let the chocolate harvest begin!

Izzy was still napping when this photo was taken (when all photos were taken). I will have to stage a picture this afternoon with Izzy in her bumblebee costume--it's really cute.

Big Sister Brag

The newest issue of Higher Things magazine came in the mail the other day. My little brother was a contributor! I wonder how many single Lutheran girls have sent him fan mail! :)

*Note: The link above will take you to the Higher Things website, but you will not be able to read his article unless you have online access with your subscription. You should sign up! It's good stuff!

Maternity Duds

I got a Bella Band for my belly. I can't even begin to explain how amazing it is. I feel so much better at the end of the day when I have been wearing it. It lifts and supports AND holds up the annoying maternity jeans.

My sister bought me a pair of MediPeds compression socks and I wore them for the first time Sunday afternoon. Again, amazing. Definitely not a cute or fashionable hosiery choice, but my bum ankle didn't swell up.

I would highly recommend both garments for pregnant mommies!

Portrait Studies

We study a different artist every month, past artists include Picasso, Degas, and Durer. This October however I decided to do self-portraits as our big art study and project. These are the before shots. The actual portraits will follow as completed.

Exploding Bellies

Claire: Wow Mom! Your belly is getting really big!

Me: Thanks. (sigh) You know it is going to get a lot bigger.

Claire: Yeah. I think it is going to get so big that it will explode.

Gourd Girls

Gourds gifted to the girls from the garden next door.

The gourd-people the girls created moments after the first photo was taken--with a stolen permanent marker! Ahh! Izzy destroyed hers. Imagine that.

Birdhouse

Modeling the birdhouse, a gift from Grandpa, and Christopher's new haircut (certain inquiring females wanted to see a picture).

Greek Party

No frat boys invited!

We were treated to a live production of Aesop's Tortoise and the Hare, staged in our very own amphitheater (the stairs).

The Olympic champion enjoyed feasting on olives! Her dad enjoyed the bottle of wine.

Claire made a poster of the Greek alphabet (seen in background). Lily and I turned our dining room into the Parthenon--complete with 6 "marble" columns.

Wedding Dresses

A couple was married at church yesterday. The girls watched longingly at the procession of the bridal party as they walked to the park to take pictures.

Lily exclaimed in a too-loud voice, "Mom, she has a nice dress, but it doesn't show her nipples."

"What?!!!"

"It doesn't show her nipples. I want a wedding dress that shows my nipples."

I think she meant cleavage, NOT nipples, but whatever the case, so much for teaching my daughter modesty.

Front of the Loom

Mom: "Claire, your underwear are on backwards."

Claire: "No they're not! It says Front of the Loom right there."

Mom: "That says Fruit of the Loom not Front of the Loom."

Flowers From the Garden

Gussy

I had my 20 week ultrasound this morning. Like always, it is so amazing to see a perfect tiny person--the heart, spine, and toes all formed just right. How can you deny the Divine after an ultrasound?

I was very surprised to hear "boy parts" uttered by the radiologist. The girls are very excited at the thought of a brother, as is my husband. Me? I just feel bad for the little guy...he'll have 3 big sisters! What will they do to him?

Very Sad Day

I broke the glass lid for my favorite cast iron pan today. I am beyond upset...it was a family heirloom. I feel like crying.

How am I going to make my No-Knead Bread or pot roasts this winter?

Some Birds and a Few Bees

At dinner last night, Claire asked us "How does a baby get inside a mother's womb?" We asked her to clarify her question--was she really asking what we thought she was asking? She was. I told her I would talk with her after dinner, I needed some time to think about my answer.

I have been thinking that she would ask sooner or later. We have looked at lots pictures of developing babies in-utero (especially since I became pregnant) and handled the baby models at Pro-Life booths at the county fair. It is only logical to wonder at some point how it all happens.

I purposefully checked out a bunch of books about plant reproduction this past spring to read aloud as we began to work in the garden. I thought that being able to talk about male and female plant parts would be an easy way to explain everything when the question finally came up. I was right, it was really helpful that she already knew that a "male part" and a "female part" had to come together to form a seed or in this case a baby. I got out our copy of In the Womb so she could see pictures of the sperm and the egg coming together and told her that this was conception. All said and done, it wasn't so bad, especially because she loved looking at the rest of the pictures in the book of the developing baby. I am dreading her future question about how the sperm actually gets inside the woman's womb (as she calls it). How do I explain that to a girl with no brothers?

Claire is 6!

My big girl!

Grandma had a birthday too! I won't tell how old Mom.

Claire received a lot of thoughtful gifts. Chris and I gave her the "pink scooter" she has been requesting since riding on cousin Michaela's scooter. She was very happy to give it a test ride.

Lighthouse Family

Chris and the big girls got to climb to the top...I had to change Izzy's dirty diaper. Somehow that doesn't seem fair. :)

Field of Sunflowers

Vacation Pictures

I didn't take that many pictures. Jeannette could you send me some please?