a little fresh air

I don't like going outside when it is cold and especially not when it is cold and rainy. But the kids love to go outside, rain or shine, hot or cold. Today Marlow and Eliot talked me into watching them play a little soccer in the front yard while it was cold and drizzly. Marlow chased Eliot around for a while with the umbrella while he kicked the ball. After a while it stopped drizzling and they played a little one on one. Even though it was cold and I had to bundle Gemma in a blanket while I watched them play I was glad we went out. They had blast getting a bit of fresh air. After about 45 minutes I was able to persuade them back inside for a cup hot chocolate.

Eliot

Saturday night the three big kids spent the night with some dear friends -- it was Marlow's first spend the night experience and she had a super time. With the big kids gone, Joseph and I had a pretty easy night with Eliot and Gemma. I really wanted to get out so we went to get some dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. We don't go often because eating out with five kids is expensive and usually goes best at pizza/ice cream places -- I think you fellow Chattanoogans know the place I am talking about. We had an hour wait (they told us 30-40 min) so we went on a little walk. Eliot chattered away, asking questions, and looking at things. It was really nice being able to take our time with him and not have to rush him along. We finally got seated. The entrees that Joseph and I selected weren't really things Eliot would like -- so we ordered him his own meal off the children's menu: pizza, fries, drink and a scoop of ice cream for $5 -- definitely the best deal there. I think it was the first time we ever ordered a meal for one of our kids when they were just two years old. We generally get them meals to split or we share with them because they never eat much (or eat as much as they are served). Eliot ate half his pizza, drank his root beer and ate most of his ice cream -- he was not a big fan of the fries, but I'm not going to make him eat them. I don't remember what we talked about, but he was a good dinner conversationalist -- on a two year old level. At one point a waiter walked by and smiled at Eliot and said something to him. Eliot smiled really big at me and said, "He say 'Hi cutie'." Just as Gemma was starting to lose it from being super tired, we finished up and left.


Eliot in his favorite truck/digger pj shirt, ballcap and underwear, drinking hot chocolate and eating banana bread.

The next morning Eliot woke me up, I was changing his diaper and he wanted to wear underwear. I wasn't feeling really brave so we agreed to put them on over his diaper. He was so excited about the underwear, he didn't want to wear pants -- if you put pants on over them, then nobody will know you are wearing them, duh. So we went downstairs to get breakfast. The house was really quiet and he asked, "Where's Ezra?" -- spending the night "Where's Asa?" -- spending the night "Where's Marlow?" spending the night....."Oh, me have some hot chocolate?" Sure, why not.
He's probably one of my most mischievous little guys, but he sure is sweet. He loves his brothers and sisters and was so excited to see them when we all met up at church. But even without the other kids he was joy to be around and totally enjoyed hanging out with his mom and dad.

A new tree

At first glance, you might think this is one of those pictures taken right before you cut down the Christmas tree you've selected. But no, it is not so! Our friends Dennis and Carolyn Wilkes get a live tree every year, decorate it for Christmas, then plant it... or give it away to be planted.

Each of the four older children wanted a part in the hole-digging process, so it took a while, but we finally got it planted! I wanted to document the size of the tree and the kids, because those kind of pictures are especially fun to look back on.

I like that you can see Spots (one of our 3 cats) climbing around on the treehouse. I used to think cats were all bored creatures. But I guess since these three have each other to play with, they always seem to be having a great time. A very adventuresome bunch.

We had a nice break from the cold today. Spent the afternoon playing in the yard. Here is a shot of the kids taken during their sliding marathon.

baby sling

My friend Michelle made slings for her kids for Christmas. I was telling her how much I liked them and could she help me make one for Marlow -- and she had an extra one that she gave me!

Eliot wearing the sling with his baby.


Eliot checking his baby.


Sweet boy


Marlow....she can't wait to grow-up and be a mom.


This is what was going on around me while I was trying to post this entry....I was holding Gemma, Eliot was leaning on my shoulder and arm and Marlow was leaning on my leg. She was singing "Jingle Bells" and asking lots of questions. Eliot was trying to tickle Gemma the whole time and asking to see pictures of himself.

The Stressful Lives of Children

I overheard my ten year old sister Carson talking to Ezra and Asa today about school:

"Enjoy your life while you're young ages because when you're in fifth grade it's disaster -- actually it started for me in third grade."


Carson watching the fish

a glimpse

Here is a small look at how things can be in between the pictures of smiling happy kids and delightful outings. Kelly took a couple short videos when no one was paying attention -- a contrast between the rosy life a blog can paint and the reality that sometimes people fight, kids whine and a house full of children is loud.

A few shots from this weekend

We've had a busy couple days at our house with Mom and the three girls, and Katie and her two boys visiting....so I haven't had much time to sit at the computer. Here are a few pictures from this weekend's adventures.


Katie took the kids to the playground by herself two days in a row to get them out for a while -- 8 kids one day, 9 the next -- what a super mom/aunt/sister. They had a blast both times ... in this picture they wanted KT to catch them in mid-air.

Gage playing in the big tire.

My good friend Amber and her two youngest joined us for our adventure at the aquarium. Here is Bailey, Oliver, Mom, Eliot, Mason, Marlow and Amber (with baby Willem in the stroller) by the touch tank, trying to pet the little sharks and stingrays.

We saw the big sea turtle up close for quite a while as it swam back in forth. I love how up close you get to see such amazing creatures.

Mason, watching a shark.

Marlow, Eliot and Oliver in a glass cave at the aquarium.

Mom -- this weekend's birthday girl.

The long slide is always a big hit with my kids.

We do not only love the big slide because it is fun, but because Joseph built it....for real. Our playground was a volunteer built playground and he headed-up the big slide project. We're pretty proud of the part he was involved with -- it is a hot item at the St. Elmo Playground.

Marlow was too scared to slide, but she enjoyed watching with Katie.

Super Katie herself, swinging Gage.

Meal times are pretty busy, making the food, feeding the kids, finding an empty chair...

Gage doing a bit of reading

One more slide shot....we have about fifty. Marley sliding with my nephews.....by the way, it is really hard to slide on such a long slide with two little kids. Once when I was pregnant (BIG, like 8 months) with Gemma, I slide down this slide with Marlow and Eliot and somehow we got all messed up and I ended up falling right off the end of the slide clutching Eliot and trying to keep Marlow from falling too. There were TONS of people at the playground that day so it was pretty embarrassing. Everybody was worried about me because I was pregnant....I felt like I should jump up and yell, "Ta da!" like I was just preforming a crazy sliding trick....but like I said, I was kinda big and not very good at jumping.

The "super hero" poses ... they all look pretty super to me.

Running errands

As many of you know, I have been running 3-4 days a week during my lunch break. Even though running certainly has benefits, it's not exactly practical. I mean, you run 2 miles, turn around, and run back. Nothing is delivered. Nothing is picked up. So it is nice, since I work just across the river from downtown, to occasionally make my run practical by running an errand. On foot. I've run to the bank to deposit a paycheck. I've run to the mechanic's to pick up my car. Just the other day, I ran to the post office to deliver my passport application. That was a fun one. As I ran, clutching a manila envelope full of important documents, my imagination also ran... I became Kevin Bacon in Quicksilver... only without a bike. I wanted to run full speed ahead, paying no heed to the "Don't walk" signals at the intersections, dodging traffic and running up and over cars that got in my way. I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was chasing me which would force me to duck into a parking garage and then get chased all the way to the top where I would have to leap to the nearest building... Yeah... That was a good run.

Brrrrrr

Aren't we always wanting what we don't have? Today is rather chilly and overcast, which makes me miss the hot summer days -- flip flops and the pool. On those hot summer days I'm sure I am longing for the cold of winter -- a cozy sweater and a cup of tea.


Asa this past August having a little snack while playing in the pool.

So, I have on my wool socks, a sweater and the water is boiling for my tea. I will try to enjoy this day for what it is -- a rare cold day in Chattanooga.

My Dear

Marlow can't help but pretend to be a mom. She calls Eliot many different nicknames, but today he is "my dear" while they play "bed time" in the kitchen.


In bed eating cereal...a treat for sure since we don't eat upstairs and certainly not in bed.


A tea party scene I came across in the play room. Somebody's been playing with my buttons!


"My Dear, you have to go to bed now my dear. And I don't want you to get up. I am going to sleep now too my dear, and I am very tired and I don't want you to wake me up."

**Wow, the "Marlow Mommy" says the exact same things I say to my Marlow girl at night! -- except I don't say "my dear" so much. At least I know she is listening and absorbing....too bad she still gets up and argues at bed time.


"Ok now, my dear, eat your cereal and go to bed."


Making a list. I make lots of lists. So does Marlow.

Demolition Crew

The kids and I put together a gingerbread house over Christmas break...we actually never finished decorating it, but the other night they wanted to go ahead and eat it.  It was an inexpensive house (aka: super cheap) I picked up at Target so I did not expect for it be very tasty, but I agreed to let the kids tear it up.  They had fun taking it apart and eating the candy, but everybody agreed that the gingerbread did not taste good.  

... getting started

....trying to get a starlight mint off a hunk of rock hard icing

.... having a little taste

... taking it apart

... reminds me of when we bought our house

... trying to chew some candy off the front wall.

I can only handle so much these days with all the kids, but I hope next year we can make our own gingerbread house that looks cool and is actually delicious.  We have an awesome cast iron gingerbread mold to make a gingerbread barn with animals.... be looking for pictures next Christmas :)

Sisters

Marlow and Gemma snuggled up in the early morning.

A bit of catch-up

After Gemma was born we went for a long time without updating our blog (as I'm sure you noticed) and there are a lot of pictures and events that never got posted. Since nothing much happened around here today I present a few random pictures from this past summer and fall.


In November I went on a retreat with my small group and left the four older kids with Joseph. He took them on a long hike one day. Occasionally someone would run by on the trail and at one point a guy with really short running shorts ran by. In the picture above the kids are looking at the the guy with the short shorts.

Eliot then yelled, "No pants!" and this shot is of the kids cracking up at the thought of Eliot thinking that someone ran by without pants on.

The boys love to tie their tire swing to their swing set, which keeps the tire stuck up in the air, and then the climb in and out of it or trap each other up there. This was one weekend when their friends Oak and Meadow spent the night.

The slumber party crew hanging out before bed. They have know each other since they were born and it is hard for me to believe they have gotten so big. I am so glad that they have remained good friends even though we don't see them as often as we'd like.

Eliot is really enjoying the train set and he likes to include his tractors too. He loves tractors.

A shot of Ezra -- I love that face.


Marlow and Eliot play really well together....partly because Eliot lets her do this kind of stuff to him. Not only does he "let" her, he likes it. Just as a reminder: he also likes trains and tractors.

Asa is a pretty goofy guy. I have a hard time finding a serious picture of him...he is always making a silly face or pose or wearing a wig....or goggles and a head flashlight.

Tuesdays

Tuesday is the day we go grocery shopping. Tuesday is not my favorite day of the week. Shopping with a 3 yr old, 2 yr old and 8 mo. old is pretty difficult -- tell you something you don't know, eh? I don't really have a choice because I don't like to shop at night after the kids have gone to bed -- I like to chill at home with Joseph.

So before we left this morning I told Marlow and Eliot that they had to sit in the cart, no walking around. They argued, but I stuck to what I wanted to make the shopping trip manageable. So we got to the store, I buckled Eliot in and Marlow promised to stay put in her seat. I was holding Gemma in the sling since she doesn't sit quietly in her carseat anymore -- if she can see me she wants me to hold her. They behaved because they knew that when we were almost done, when we get to the produce department, if they have been mostly good (nobody is perfect), they will get a free cookie from the bakery. Eliot was also hoping to sit in the yellow car in the arcade section before we leave.

Eliot was not good. He whined and cried VERY loudly because he wanted to walk and didn't like being strapped in. He was bad for quite a while. Every time I would stop to talk to him or quiet him Marlow would smile at me and say, "Am I being good mom?" She was being wonderful and she kept pointing it out. I gave them a snack and got Eliot to laugh a bit as we continued to shop and he kind of snapped out of his bad mood......then he pushed Marlow's foot off the side of the side of the cart where she was resting it, and she reacted -- and hit him in the face -- pretty hard. He cried very loudly, she said he started it, we talked, she apologized. We neared the end of the shopping trip. I added the last bit of produce to the cart and Marlow smiled and said "Time for our cookie!" I squatted down and told them I had some bad news: Eliot did not behave most of the time we were in there and did not get to get a cookie, Marlow was good most of the time, but then wrecked that when she slapped her brother and now she doesn't get one either. I have been trying to stick to what I say when I warn them about something and it is really hard. So, I said no cookie, but I would still let them sit in the little car in the arcade -- they perked up a little and waited patiently while I paid for the groceries. As much as I don't like to shop with kids, I don't think it is fun for them either -- it is really difficult to just sit there for an hour or more while your mom goes through the store reading labels and loading the cart. I hated going grocery shopping with my mom when I was a kid, and I doubt she enjoyed it much either.

So, they got a small reward for their time sitting in the cart. It doesn't look that exciting to me but they love it. Sometimes, if I have fifty cents, I even put money in it and they get a minute ride.