why I love library day

I love library day because this picture wasn't the least bit posed. Because they really do just come home and sit and read for a really long time... and it is quiet. And lovely.

And because I just found a handy-dandy new children's library! No big people books, just stuff for kids. Meaning, this place is filled with color and games and puzzles and coloring and kids books galore. And the most important thing? Nobody thinks twice about and busy toddler who is not yet so good at sitting still or being quiet.... and very unhappy to be contained. But yet, ironically, he does actually sit for a little longer and play a little more quietly here when there are so many fun things to do that are his size... and he doesn't have to be contained. So we spend lots of time there and have fun. And mommy's not stressed, therefore children aren't stressed, therefore a good time is had by all.

And, as if all that isn't enough, there is a great playground just outside across the parking lot. So we read and meander and browse and color, then we run and play and laugh and be loud.

Long live the Children's Library! It was fun.

staycation

Ever just need to get away?  Well, we did.  Actually it was more of  a staycation than a vacation, but still.  A few weeks ago, we spent the weekend at a cabin down on the beach here in town.  The military has cabins down there that are very affordable and great option for a little family getaway.  We had a beautiful view of the water, and even though the weather was beginning to cool a bit, it was perfect for playing on the beach.

One of my favorite parts was the (very) few minutes of quiet in the morning, watching the sunrise over the water while sipping a hot cup of coffee.  That would be my happy place.

The time spent on the beach was perfect.  A beautiful way to wrap up the summer.

Surf's up, dude.

The kids all had a blast running around, digging holes and riding the waves with Daddy.

Finding treasures in the water's edge. 

And, of course, none of this fun would be possible without the Daddy.  The best Daddy ever who hauls all of the beach gear to-and-fro, with a smile no less.

And this little guy had so much fun.  This is pure mischief in the form of a boy.

One night we went down to to the boardwalk, heard a bit of jazz band, had ice cream.  And this is what your hands look like if you play in the sand right after you eat ice cream.

And I was there, too.  Ken took this picture from our balcony.

This is my other happy place.  :)

why

Going.....

Going....

Gone.

And this, my friends, is why I have so few pictures of all of my children together.

Trick-or-treating

On Sunday, we had a trick-or-treating good time.

Of course I tried to get a picture of all of my trick-or-treaters, but the little one is fast.

Just a blur, he would be.

But he was there.  A Chicago Bears football player.  He fits the part.

Hannah was a Princess from the Reformation period.... the same outfit that she wore for the Reformation Day celebration at school on Friday. I think she's getting so grown-up looking, don't you think?

Jake was Spiderman, of course.  Although he's never seen a Spiderman cartoon or anything else, he's seen toys and thinks he's the coolest.  It's a boy thing.

As Jake was strutting around as a super hero, the girls kept calling for him to "rescue" them.

He was more than happy to oblige. 

And here's the Prima Ballerina.  Every year Claire is some form of a ballerina.  It's just her thing.   But that makes costumes easy, right?

And Grace... who was going to be a Reformation princess until 1 hour before trick-or-treating... became a fuzzy caterpillar!  This was the best I could do on such short notice, but I think she turned out pretty darn cute.

The kids hit the streets and this year, this little guy was right there with them.  Rather than the stroller, we used his monkey-leash (I didn't get a picture of it... but it's cute and practical and used often these days).  Regardless of what anyone might think of such contraptions...he loved the freedom and we came home with the same 5 children we left home with.

We were obviously the first ones to hit the streets in our neighborhood.  But soon the streets were bustling and a fun time was had by all.  A memorable family night.  And Claire's already counting down the days until next year.  

things I want to remember....

Nathan will eat pretty much anything.  I love that I can catch him sneaking veggies off the table before dinnertime.

All kids sneak snacks, but peas?  Awesome.

Sleep-overs that the girls have.  Hannah has her own room now, but nightly they beg to sleep together.  It's fun to be big and have your own space, but nothing's better than sisters.

And, of course, bathtime with all these tiny hineys. It's a party in the tub.  Every. Night.

My amazing husband who painted our front room for me.  It's the school room and we spend alot of time in there.  It's also the first room you see when you walk in the house.  It was this marvelous 1987 rose/mauve color.  And even though this house is just a rental, Ken painted it a great landlord approved neutral color.  I could have painted it, but I'm usually preggers so he's somehow become the painter de facto in our family.  Anyway, it looks soooo much better and it makes me smile. He makes me smile.

Another Gracie creation #793.  This time from a tortilla.  Great goalie mask. 

Playing in the sprinklers in the backyard.  This summer, in order to be outside, you pretty much had to be wet.  Or else you would melt.  We had fun putting pool at the bottom of the slide and splashing in like gangbusters. 

I can't believe that I have another Kindergartner this year.  It made me happy to write Claire's name on her school books this year.  She's loving school and having lots of fun.  Every Friday the parents come to school for lunch and prayer and their closing hymn.  This week was pizza Friday.  So fun to eat with the girls and then watch them sing Amazing Grace with their classmates.  

This is Kitty.  Claire's best friend for the last 4+ years.  Now kitty rides to school with us in the mornings and "naps" in the car until I pick the girls up at noon.  It's sweet and strange to see Kitty laying in the back of the van all alone.  I realize that C is growing up.... but she's still not too big for Kitty.

Claire lost her first tooth last week. G had to have one pulled today because her permanent teeth were crowding it out.  Han just got braces.  Nate is getting his "eye" teeth.  Jake just has a great smile.... one that shows all his teeth. Teeth are taking up alot of mental energy in our house right now.  5 kids equals about 100 little teeth.  The tooth fairy is one busy individual around here.

The weather is finally getting cool enough to actually enjoy the outside world here!  We have a hoop in our driveway and family basketball is becoming a nightly routine.  Han is really good and can beat me in Horse.... not that that's saying that much.  But she is good.  Nate loves being in on the action too.

He's only about 2 feet tall.

But the kid's got game.

These little ones really make our life so very full.  Full of all these little moments that I don't want to forget.  Nathan is picking up a few more words now.  My favorite is "okay".  Anything you ask him now....the answer?  "Okay."  So simple, But I love, love that sweet little voice.

As a reminder to myself, in these sticky, messy, exhausting days.... these are the things that make it all worthwhile.

summer days... part 1

You've heard of drinking from a fire hose.  Well, this is blogging from a fire hose.  Or something like that.  

I really enjoy keeping track of our daily and weekly goings-on through this blog.  It's something I keep that I hope to be able to show our kids one day.  So that, when I look back at these days as one big blur of child rearing,  I'll have the pictures and the stories of those little things.  Little things that will hopefully remind me that these times were so much more than just a blur.  So much more.

But in the blurriness that sometimes is, there are just not enough hours in the day to capture these thoughts and pictures.  So, sometimes I have to do it all at once.  When the kids are sleeping and the wee hours allow.  So here goes... a start to our summer in review.

After a long roadtrip and lots of help from my father-in-law, we got here in June.  It was hot and has remained that way for most of the summer.  I know I should have expected this, but I think I've been in the north for too long.  I've grown rather fond on mild summers and this beautiful concept know as seasons.  But, none-the-less, we are in the south now. And in case we didn't realize it, there was a nice welcome sign to remind us.

I think I should have donned bare feet for this one.  But the baby on the hip should suffice, don't you think?

And another sign to make us aware of our proximity to the good ol' Mason-Dixon.

You just don't see signs like that in New England, folks.  You just don't.

Anyway, since we've been here.  We've been enjoying all the great things about Southern living... being close to home, good food, Southern accents, pick up trucks, awesome Walmarts, etc.

We've checked out the area and kept ourselves entertained this summer. 

We watched butterflies emerge from their chrysalis'. 

The kids named them Wisteria, Petunia and Spotty.  

Since we've freed them, the kids are sure that they can see them (and identify them by name) everytime we see a butterfly.

Filling the need to nurture, the girls have also collected a variety of other bugs.  But none of these were cuddly enough so....

We got Alfie.  Meet the newest member of our family... a grey tabby kitten we adopted from the local animal shelter.  Bless him, he is a patient cat.  He has been loved, toted, pushed in wagons and carried in every manner imaginable by lots of loving little hands.  Though we thought we would prefer a dog, we have discovered that a cat is just what our family needed right now.  Low on maintenance, high on love.

And speaking of love... Ken built the kids a great swing set for the backyard.

And he had lots of little hands to help.

Very little hands.

But mostly, everyone just enjoyed being outside with Daddy.  The smell of bug spray in the air.  Cheering him on, playing games.

Just enjoying summertime .....

and awaiting the completion of the new swingset.

Thanks, Daddy.  It's awesome.

Now that the weather is finally cooling off a bit, we've been able to spend more time enjoying the outdoors.  Playing basketball, riding bikes, the parks.

With summer ending, we're focusing on a whole new batch of new things coming up in the Fall.  God has been good to us as we've transitioned here. We've seen Him answer alot of prayers and are continuing to pray.  So much learning and changing.  So much more to catch up on.  But that will have to wait for another time.

More to come....