I crept to her room to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight after getting home moments after bedtime.
I found her “writing” by “candlelight”.
How do people not like kids?
Month: February 2015
a good use of snow
We’ve had a huge pile of snow on the porch roof.
We’ve barely been able to see out of our windows.
So I left the big girls a message.
Frozen colored water balloons
because it was cold enough to work…
our sweet ducky is two
Birthdays start early in our house. We “woke” Katriel with a birthday song and dressed her up in her “Minnie” clothes.
She was excited to see balloons and decorations, but was mostly hungry and asking for breakfast.
Nan was over early and brought her present then. Hanny volunteered to help her open it.
It was pretty much a normal day from then on. Dinner was pancakes and sausage. It took ForEVer to make the pancakes as I had forgotten that I was down to one griddle. It was a mess of a day, really…
She enjoyed a birthday phone call.
Then a few gifts.
A microphone from Nene.
And a dress, some sneakers, and GOLDFISH from Mommy and Daddy.
I think the Goldfish were her favorite part. 
And cake. There is always cake.
Singing Stew
I’m not sure which came first.
Stewart wanted to join the choir.
Stewart wanted a suit.
He got both.
The suit was a special gift from God. After finding nothing that would work at Goodwill, and me not being willing to spend $80-150 on one, we’d all but given up. Then, as I was walking out of Macy’s with him a thought popped in my head. Amazon.
In about 3 minutes this was on the way to our house. $33. They only had one and it was his size. Found it on the first hit.
Pretty cool.
Thank you, Jesus.
A jewel Stewart found…
Stewart likes to reread through the blog.
This morning he found this oldie. We all got a chuckle out of it.
So I am reposting it.
Nice to know I hated snow as much 7 years ago!
Remember:
Beau is Stewart
Champ is Nigel
Skeezix is Marie
Angel is Tabitha
November 21, 2008
Snow and sisters!
There are a few rules in our house about the great outdoors.
Number one is you may not play outside without an adult before you are pushing four and then it has to be with your older sibling(s).
Number two is Mom doesn’t go out in the cold unless you are in trouble.
Number one is you may not play outside without an adult before you are pushing four and then it has to be with your older sibling(s).
Number two is Mom doesn’t go out in the cold unless you are in trouble.
Every once in a while I have been known to bend the rules. Not often. You can count that on one hand. I’ve taken smaller kids outside a few times just to take a photo and say we did. I did it when Beau was pushing two. Did it when Beau was four, Champ was two and Skeezix was a few months old. That day (evening actually) was fantastic. We slid down the driveway on the ice in our sleds. We miss our cul-de-sac! And today was the third time.
So today I was feeling like I should let Angel experience some of the “joy” of winter.
The big kids have been playing out all week and I think she thought she was missing something.
So we ravaged the closed and found enough gear to properly dress her. Navy pants, pink coat, green gloves, Mickey Mouse boots, a royal blue snood. She was good to go.
What about Mom? It was a bit too cold for my driving jacket and leather gloves. I don’t own a hat of my own. I put on one of JB’s hats, one of Skeezix’s scarves (it mostly fit!) some of JB’s old mittens and two coats. What about my feet? Okay – I remember that I DO own boots. I usually just wear sneakers when I snowblow the driveway. But I do own some. They aren’t my size, but a few years ago I saw boots on sale at Kmart for $1.99 a pair. They didn’t have my size, but they did have some 1 – 1½ times larger. That is better than smaller! So I have boots that I think I have worn 2 or 3 times. But where are they? I headed to the basement to find them. Headed over to the shoe tote. I threw open the lid. And what I saw brought tears to my eyes.
WATERSHOES! Beautiful watershoes! And SANDALS. Lovely sun-faded sandals.
I am definitely a summer person.
*sigh*
I did find the boots. I slid them on and out we went. Boy was it fun — not.
Angel was not impressed. Granted there wasn’t enough snow for real sledding. She may like that better. The kids’ best fun is from going down the slide in their snow pants. They WHIP down that thing!
Angel was not impressed. Granted there wasn’t enough snow for real sledding. She may like that better. The kids’ best fun is from going down the slide in their snow pants. They WHIP down that thing!
NOW before you judge me too harshly… remember I’m a good mom the other three seasons of the year! Remember those amazing cakes I make them on their birthdays? 😉
And here is a WONDERFUL sister story.
We have been going back and forth about the bedroom situation. I will spare the details. When to put the girls together, what kind of bed to get them, and when will Angel stop peeing herself at night? So last night after I read the girls a bunch of books on Skeezix’s bed and boy is that thing comfortable. It is a double bed recently given to us from my mom. I turned to Angel and asked her if she wanted to sleep with Skeezix. She LOVED the idea. Skeezix was a bit less enthusiastic. She likes to fall asleep the minute her head hits the pillow. So I put down a liner and got her pillow and to bed they went.
There were three interruptions.
The first one came a few minutes after light’s out. Skeezix came running down to tell me Angel was talking to her. I went back and reminded them the rules. I then stood outside the door to see if I heard anything.
About 90 seconds later Skeezix comes charging out in the hall and was surprised to see me. She tells me, “She’s talking again!” I don’t believe she was and I say so. I think her breathing was bugging Skeezix. Tucked back in.
About 5 minutes later, Skeezix comes out to say it happened again. So we put Angel back in her room. Or tried to. She went ballistic. Tears, sobbing, inability to breathe. She was out of control with sadness. I calmed her down and said we could try again tomorrow night. “No Mommee, now. I sleep wiff Rie. I doan talk no more. Wiwwy. I doan talk no more. Peeeez.” Sob. Sob. Sob.
Well, she is the baby of the family. I took her back in and tucked her in.
This morning I hear feet on the stairs at 6:10AM. Skeezix with her usual morning search for Daddy [see previous post about this.] But it really was WAY too early. Then I hear the feet come back up and into my room. Just as she opens the door to my room I faintly hear Angel’s voice down the hall. Skeezix stands there with her hands on her hips. Oblivious of the time, obviously. “SHE’S TALKING AGAIN MOM! PUT HER IN HER OWN ROOM! SHE SAYS SHE DON’T PEE ON ME.” Pee? Pee? That is code word for Mom-get-out-of-bed. So I jump out of bed and there is Angel in the doorway. Holding herself and saying, “I no pee on Rie Mommee. I no pee on Rie.” I said, “Do you have to pee now?” “YES!” she replied as she beelined for the bathroom!
She was so proud of herself. I tried to tuck them back in, but about 20 minutes later they were up for the day.
Mining for jewels
Marie dug into her last unexplored Christmas present today. She unearthed 11 jewels. 
Without ever leaving home.
SHE is a jewel.
Zechariah 9:16
On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
Wild Wings and Bird Song Trail 2015
I’m not one for field trips. They interrupt the school day.
I’m especially not one for outdoor field trips in the winter. They are outdoors
I’m especially not one for outdoor field trips in the winter. They are outdoors
But – as this one was one we hadn’t done in four years, and the day was already being interrupted for a WCC for Katriel, I decided I’d take the three older girls to this one. I do like raptors and we’d just read the book, Poppy, by Avi.
I’d wondered if I should take Johanna, but she was super-animated and enjoyed herself tremendously.
Marie and Tab got to dissect owl pellets.
While the girls looked for what the owls had had for lunch, Hanny played with giant plastic bugs…
I wanted nothing more than to leave once we were done. But we’d come with sunflower seeds, and 16 inches of snow was not about to deter my daughters. Even the one whose legs are only a little more than 16 inches!
Before we even had gotten ready to feed the birds they started zooming at us. As Tab simply POINTED to something a bird dove toward her hand. We were all delighted and excited.
It was COLD. While I was never fast enough to grab a great picture of a bird in Marie’s hand, she was very good at standing still and they visited her often.
Sweet Johanna stood as still as she could, but as birds landed on her hand, she often startled and dropped her seed to the ground…
After we’d been out a bit, I asked her if her hand was cold. She gushed, “YES!” so we put her mittens back on.
After we’d been out a bit, I asked her if her hand was cold. She gushed, “YES!” so we put her mittens back on.
That seemed to do the trick.
Cardinals joined in the fun.
Tab had her share of birds, as well.
Matthew 6:25-26 <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-23308A" data-link="(A)”>“Therefore I tell you, <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-23308B" data-link="(B)”>do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-23309D" data-link="(D)”>Are you not of more value than they?
Tab’s phone
Dayspring Disciples 