whatever

so i guess i am messy.

that’s no secret to anyone who knows me.
but you have to make a mess to create what is in you…i think.
and messes are fun.
just ask my kids.

a few new layouts…

and for a totally different subject…
sean lost one front tooth.
he made $1.73 in change from dad’s coin jar.
the other one is so wobbly…barely hanging on.
i had craig try to pull it out this morning.
they had picture retakes today.
don’t you think toothless kids are the cutest?
but instead he will be half toothless and one crooked wobbly tooth.
maybe he will smirk instead of cheesey grin.

and now i am off to see that tiny sweet baby.

so this is our chart.
i am not very organized…but i am visual.
these were the chores that when i asked for help they would all scatter…
except talby. (“can i help? can i help?!!”)
it hangs across my view from the cooktop…easy to see whose name to shout.
but now it’s assigned…and surprisingly
they do it.
with little or no complaint.

if possible they can choose what dinner we make.
and then they help prepare it…
even shaping meatballs!
it’s been fun for all of us (i think)

i would say that the after dinner part is what we need to work on the most.
there is still a bit of disappearance when it’s your night to clear or wipe off
but now they get called back in instead of me giving a big
“nobody ever helps me” SIGH and then doing it myself
and being mad about it all night.

talby and sean also empty the dishwasher every day.
annie helps when she wants to.
and then lauren and scott switch off loading the dishwasher each time.
(we have lost several glasses & plates in this process but it’s a small price to pay)
they also clean the bathrooms on saturdays.
clean their rooms.
and change the pets’ habitats.

what do your kids do?
what more should my kids be doing?
do your kids do laundry?
how much?
folding, putting away, actually loading and unloading?
i am curious on your thoughts.

my phone rang at 3:12 AM last Friday night.
my neighbor.
her water broke…4 weeks early.
i got dressed & slipped down the street to stay with their kids.
so exciting.
we waited to hear….and waited….and waited.
finally i got the call at 10:30 PM (i think?)
baby london was here.
she was only 3 lb. 10 oz.
but she is healthy…doing great.
today i got to see her.
she was so precious, tiny and beautiful in every way.
she is God’s gift.
congrats jen and russ.
i look forward to watching her grow.
it won’t be long before she is running around
in a princess costume up and down the block with the rest of them.

she is the tiniest baby i have ever seen.
just so sweet.

and then 2 days later my friend Kim had her baby benjamin.
he was 7 lb. 9 oz.
he was so content…and lovely.
i couldn’t hold either baby because i have a cough.
it was killing me.
i was having serious baby fever in that hospital.

Kim i thought you looked wonderful.
i was thrilled to see you so happy this morning.
benjamin is going to bring so much joy to your family.
he is so adorable…and I WILL be holding him all of bible study.
i know i will have to fight to get him though.
i can’t wait.

i see alex in this face?
what do you think kim?

“i help you mom.”

“ugh…it HEA-BEEE”

“here i come mommy!”

she pushed it across the driveway as fast she could and ran right into me.
i laughed so she did it again and again.
seeing her in that hat was making me giggle.

then talby jumped in our picture and that made annie giggle.
there was alot of giggling going on.

(you can see our neighbors construction in the background…very cool)

fall sports are over.
and since i have been accused of not caring about sports…

lauren tried volleyball for the first time.
loved it.
she wishes the season was much longer.
she received the ‘most improved’ award!
she moved from the B team to the A team mid season.
it was so nice to see her really get in to a sport.

scott chose soccer over football…gasp!
he plays everyday at recess
he was really working at improving.
he scored almost every game and played hard!

this photo perfectly captures sean on the soccer field…
in his own world.
i believe this is spiderman?
he loved playing but can easily be distracted by his thoughts.

talby was finally old enough for soccer.
big year.
the only time she was unhappy was when she had to be a defender
staying by the goal…she hated that.
she just wanted to kick it!

feet photo by sean…one of my favorites.

annie wants her own soccer game so badly.
and she was tired of the camera.

and for the record…
i do care about sports.
i just don’t always enjoy being around the pressuring parents that are there.
i may show up to a game one of these days with a poster that says “HAVE FUN”
and run up and down the field shouting it…louder than the other parents
also having 4 kids in tow with me for every game is sometimes tough.
and i am not usually happy with my pictures i take.
but i do care about sports.

saturday was the family outing for craig’s office.
hanging out at the zoo.
lauren wanted to hide behind the camera that day…
kind of nice to share that job.

here’s what i look like from the back.
there were many of these…i’m not sure what she was trying to capture
boredom?
but i kind of like this behind-the-scenes shot of our life.

i took this one.
goats always look so annoyed.
they look like they can’t be bothered by you…
“you bore me” he says.

bob vila at work again.
craig is so good at stuff.
i am not trying to embarrass you honey.
just so impressed at all you can do.

new garbage disposal.
so look out rotten leftovers.

do you have zingo?

it’s bingo – with a ZING!
annie adores this game…
but it’s for bigger kids.
i got it at target.
it’s for ages 4 – 8.
but it’s easy enough for her to play
(even though she doesn’t play fair)
my other kids love it too…when annie lets them play.

do you like the shirt?
this is the picture that talby drew last school year for ms. kristin.
now it’s the new school logo.
it’s grandpa in a wheel chair and a little girl…both very smiley.
their preschool is in a nursing home
and they visit the grandma & grandpa’s everyday.
it is so neat.
annie tells me if “gwwammpa howard” was there.
i have a shirt too.
i’m one proud mama.

i have so much too do.
and of course that means i can’t do anything unless i do one more scrapbook page…
i am horrible about that.
if i have chores that must be done…
i can’t think of anything but scrapbooking.
my brain is a mess.

so here it is…
sticking with the love of preschool.

now.. i guess i have to get some cleaning done.
bummer.

can you hear that?
shhhhhh….it’s quiet.
okay.
12 years in the waiting…
i have all my kids in school
and i have a small break 3 times a week.

since lauren was 6 mon. old i have been surrounded by children.
i was a nanny and took her with me.
then when i quit that i did daycare from our house.
when i quit that i had so many kids of my own that it was its own daycare!

i have had 4 or 5 kids with me almost everyday for 12 years!
wow.
and it’s been great.
that’s exactly the way i wanted it.
but now i am ready for what lies ahead.

i have no big aspirations.
i want to be creative…
relax…
exercise…
i will enjoy every minute.

naturally i started with the creative.

(technically i made this one 2 weeks ago.)
i just wanted lorel to see it.

and those brown letters…so cool.
they are made from transparency sheets…
the designs are clear and the letter is brown.
they are made by Making Memories.
self adhesive…love them.

this was what i made today.
i don’t think i’ve hand sewn on my page before?
maybe once.
it was fun to work with.
some paint too…and the last of my blue bling.