The Hendricks Family - old...will be deleted soon!

moving the blog

2012-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Hey all.....I am moving my blog over here..... www.aninheritanceofdelight.blogspot.com join us over there! And stay tuned over there for some big news!

Blessings!

2011-08-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Only God have scripted these wonderful women into my life:
Seriously, when I look at this picture, all I can do is marvel.

On the far left is one of David's sisters, Greta. To think that when God granted me the desires of my heart in giving me David as my husband, He ALSO granted me Greta is a gift upon a gift! Greta is a kindred spirit. I love love love watching our kids play together. Jack and Isaiah were overheard playing behind the shed while in Oregon, making farting sounds and laughing uproariously each time. Later, Isaiah informed Uncle Mark that he had a best friend, Jack, who spits well. (Great. So glad my 6 year old has a reputation of being a good spitter. Ha!)

Next is Sara, on the other side of me. Ironically, I have known Sara most of my life. Her younger sister and I were good chums growing up. Sara married David's step-brother, which I think sounds really strange, so let's just say that she married David's brother, ok? If there was ever a family that I looked up to growing up, it was Sara's family. And now I am related to them. Wow.

Then Kathleen. I guess technically she is my step-sister-in-law, but we will just say she is my sister. Another kindred spirit with whom I share so many common interests! Former teachers, homeschooling, natural food loving mamas. Kathleen is a rare find. (And she makes a mean salsa too!)

In yellow is Janelle, another "sister". There are two super really important things about Janelle. First, she has four kids. That makes her pretty cool right there, right? I think so! She is a good mama and truly enjoys her kids...and it shows. I love that about her. And I love that she is Spencer's mommy. Spencer is going into 4th grade and Jack ADORES him. Follows him and copies him and generally hero-worships him. And Spencer takes it all in stride and includes and loves Jack. And I know that it takes a good mama to teach an older boy to endure that kind of affection. =) Here is Jack sitting with Spencer...literally sitting WITH Spencer:

Karyn wraps it up. I hope to share more about Karyn soon and all that we have in common. That will be a post for another day. But suffice it to say that the Lord provided an over-the-top blessing in this "sister". One of those gifts from Him where you can't help but laugh and know that God just wanted to bless your socks off through it. That's Karyn.

Between those mamas, we have 17 kids, spanning 6 months to 4th grade. 17 cousins whom are being raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 17 cousins to run and play "boys chase girls" with:

17 cousins to have birthday parties on Grandma's patio with:
8 girl cousins to paint toes with:

17 cousins to have an impromptu worship time with:

We are blessed beyond measure with our family and they way the Lord has so graciously written our lives together.

Oregon Fun!

2011-08-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

We are slowly recovering from 2 full days in the car. Everyone is glad to be home, though we had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends.

After arriving in Oregon, we had one day to relax before we headed up to Portland for the morning. We met our good friend, the Pecks in Washington Park where we enjoyed playing and walking around the Rose Garden.

Molly took some time to smell the roses:

And Pete wanted to sniff them too. Have you ever tried to let a 35 lb. toddler sniff roses from your shoulder? It's not easy!

Leave it to the kids to find water to play in. Jack informed us that he wanted a fountain like this for our yard:

The whole gang:
This family is such a blessing in our lives. We only get to see them once a year, but the fellowship is sweet when we do. Their kids are growing up to be caring, gentle, loving followers of Christ. And we always walk away from our time with them encouraged.

Pete got bored...and wanted to take pictures. I love his cute face!

More Coast Fun!

2011-08-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite place to be when we lived on the coast:

It's gotten alot bigger, but it still a cool place to hang out....and still free! (Though they do have a suggested donation listed now.) The current octopus they have on display cannot be touched as she is a bit "spunky", I guess. That was a bummer, as I had talked to the kids about how the octopus wraps around your arm and starts to squeeze until they realize you are warm-blooded. Oh well.

We went to Nye Beach today. David decided to get a "real" kite to take with us, though the day was so absolutely amazing again, there really wasn't enough wind to keep it up. It was funny watching David, though!

Jack and I watched a gull pull in a crab and start eating. We chased off the sea gull, because Jack had been wanting to hold a crab. WE didn't save it in time....2 legs and a good amount of the insides had already been eaten, but Jack held it up, quite proud.

The first night, we ate at Mo's Annex....which overlooks the bay. Lovely! David "splurged" and had some gluten.....in the form of clam chowder. Jack liked it, the other kids tolerated it.

More to follow.....

Oregon Coast

2011-08-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to slip away to Newport for a couple of days. The kids loved seeing the ocean, watching the sea lions and all the boats, and it was fun for me to see old favorite haunts!

Took the kids to my favorite place to get salt water taffy....I was glad to see it was there 20 years later!

Kenzie, Molly and Jack at Yaquina Beach....on an amazing day. Sunny, warm, but not too warm, slight breeze....

The kids building castles....of sorts.

Sibling love...

Rough life....

Friday's Ramblings

2011-02-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

It has been a good week. A very good week. David and I committed some time back to using Tapestry of Grace as our spine curriculum going forward. Lord willing, we will use it all the way through. To say that I am excited would be a gross understatement. And I know David is excited too, because he has been playing with the book lists, organizing, prioritizing, sorting by what our library system has, and highlighting in various ways within Excel. And we have been on a book buying binge the last couple of months.

But this week in particular has been good. Sunday, a dear friend informed me that not ONLY had they officially decided to homeschool their two boys next year, but she purchased Tapestry too! Yeah! Thursday morning, my other dear homeschooling mom friend told me that she and her husband, after a lot of prayer, talking, and reading ALSO have purchased Tapestry! The support will be wonderful and fun!

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This week has been refreshing in many ways. It's always nice to feel a renewed sense of community with people. Not only my fellow homeschoolers, though I need that too! But I also got a chance to get away last weekend with 3 other friends - friends that from the exteriors, you would say, "really? You four?" Our interests, hobbies, life walks, etc have all been so different. And yet, we had deep fellowship because we had the most important thing in common - our faith in the Lord and our desire to see His Bride, the church, truly beautiful. It is such a blessing when God opens your eyes to see, again, the gift of fellow saints.

And yet, with true community comes greater pain. One of our dearest friends here lost his father yesterday. It was sudden and unexpected. And because we love our friends, we hurt for them. When a fellow saint is struggling with how to help their teen, you feel it more personally. True community hurts more, doesn't it? And perhaps that is why we are seeing less and less of true community. Especially in the church. It takes time, which we often have parceled out to too many places. And it hurts. Hurts to see others hurt. Hard to hold each other accountable. And yet, there is deep joy in knowing that you have THAT kind of community.

Ummm, there's a hole in my wall!

2011-02-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Great Chimney Demolition of 2010-2011 (and Lord willing, it WILL end in 2011 and not extend to 2012!) made great strides this weekend. In December, when David's brother, Migl ( Jack's new spelling for Michael) was here, they managed to knock the chimney below the roof line so that a new patio roof could be put in. This is about where they got it:

This past weekend, David and buddy Todd, got the rest of it out. This involved:

* 9 hours of jackhammering
* dust. dust. more dust.
* that's really about it

You know you have good friends when they will give up a Saturday to literally have their body jerked around by a jackhammer. Todd has new appreciation for "Shaken, not stirred." And then, his darling wife, Wendi, brought the men a nice big lunch from Pei Wei, because she knew I was a little tied up with the kiddos. And she knew that David could not have gluten OR grains. And she knew what he could have from Pei Wei that would meet his needs. We are blessed with good friends. Which I may lose by posting this picture....

And if I am totally honest, I have to say I was LAUGHING when I took this picture. How cruel am I that I laugh in the face of such misery and pain? But oh....those poor tired faces....and they still had about 4 hours left after this picture was taken!

So at the end of the day, I had this:
Yes, that is my living room you can see THROUGH THE WALL. But the chimney is out and we are nearly ready to reclaim the lost wall space that was wasted in the fireplace that we never once used.

Next on the list, besides the obvious fixing the wall is scraping the popcorn ceilings in this room. Messy, but nearly as messy as the re-texturing is after....I find that stuff they spray up there in the strangest places for months afterward. Ah well. As Jack puts it, "We keep working and working on this house. And pretty soon, it's going to be the best house ever!"

Garden Fun!

2011-02-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my family came down and helped get my garden in. David and Jack had been building the boxes over the past week or so, and it was time to get them filled and plants in.

We did 5 beds, each one about 4x8. Raised bed gardening is recommended in Phoenix as it is more water efficient and easier to keep tabs on the health of the soil.
My mighty men, flexing their muscles. David hauled a ridiculous amount of dirt from the front driveway to the backyard!

The kids had so much fun watering the plants once they were in...
My brother helped get the fencing up to keep the bunnies and dogs out....
And Pete did lots of cuddling with his Papoo...

It is very exciting and somehow satisfying having a garden. Granted we have not actually gotten anything out of it yet....but it will be good. assuming the frost didn't kill everything. But here is the lineup for this planting season (we get two short planting seasons in Phoenix...one in Spring, which is now, and one in fall):

*broccoli
*cauliflower
*sugar snap peas
*Green beans...lots of 'em
*cilantro
*basil
*parsley
*carrots
*cantaloupe
*watermelon
*cucumbers
*peppers ... bell and hot
*tomoatoes

And some sunflowers and various flowers that bugs hate. =)

Later this afternoon, we will go take all the coverings off the plants and see how bad the frost was to them!

From the mouths of babes....

2011-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

Or at least 5 year olds....

I was tidying up the house for the 5th time this morning while Jack was busy doing something at the table. When I came to see what he was so absorbed in, this is what I found. I love it. God IS good because He WAS good. Has always been good....and thus can continue to always be good. And then the only response that you can possibly come to when that all sinks in: I love Him.

Been a Busy Few months...

2011-01-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

In bullet points:

* Homeschooling. It's been a blessing. Watching the kids learn and grow...I am so grateful that the Lord has given me such joy in it. If I am completely honest, I feared that while I was committed to it, I wasn't sure I would love it. But I do.

* David's feet/health issues continue. We are now seeing yet another doctor with yet another treatment plan. But I feel like he is actually maybe starting to put all the pieces together. We did a DNA test that revealed he needs to have a strict gluten free diet. Ugh.

* Learning how to cook Gluten-free. For the most part, I have loved the challenge of figuring out how to make yummy healthy foods that are gluten free. But there are days when it is tiring and frustrating.

* Putting in our first garden! Yeah! We did about 160 sq. ft. of raised beds and actually got veggies in the ground this past weekend. I will post pics later. Of course, there is supposed to be a hard freeze this week. Of course. I mean, I shoulda known that we would have a hard freeze like this in PHOENIX....in the middle of our SPRING. So now we are scrambling to get ready to cover the beds.

More later....

Good Friends...

2010-11-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

We are blessed to have good friends. Friends who will have fun with you and love your kids as if they were their own. Friends whom, when your son calls to tell them that he made Jesus the king of his life, send him a card in the mail and give him a little gift to celebrate. Friends that will text me to make sure I spent time in the Word today. Thank you, Lord, for dear friends and sisters.

We were joking around...posing like the the "young'uns" do these days, and my mom was just snapping away. This one makes me laugh. I'm a dweeb, Julie on the right is a dweeb with me, and Faith is just plain mortified to be seen with us! Ha!

My kids are blessed to have good friends. Friends who will swing and swing and swing with them...

I think Jack and David spent over and hour swinging. So sweet.

And friends they can be silly with....

Birthday Girl...

2010-11-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is 3. Firmly past any form of babyhood and quickly leaving toddlerhood for a preschooler. I was reminiscing about the night she was born with a friend today. Weird how it can seem so long ago and yet like it was just yesterday at the same time.

Her arrival into this world definitely matches her personality....fast and furious....and on her own time table. But, my goodness, does this Little Miss bring a lot of joy, laughter, cuddles....and a fair amount of hair pulling... into our lives.

She is a humorous mixture of tomboy and princess all rolled into one curly headed child. She will squat down to talk to a bug, then squash it and walk away. She will ask me if I am ok if she ever thinks I am in pain. And she still likes me to kiss her owies. Her little arms snake around your neck for the best hugs and she sings "Twinkle Twinkle" and "You Are My Sunshine" at the top of her lungs with her Daddy every night.For some odd reason, I have always called her "Lou". Not sure why. But recently, when telling her "goodnight, Lou" as I leave her room, she calls after me, "I'm not glue!".
We love you Miss Molly Lou Glue!

Butterfly Birthday Party

2010-08-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

There are times when you realize how incredibly blessed your children are. I had one of those moments last weekend.

My mom has always done an outstanding job of making birthdays special. Without the help of the "experts" at bouncy places or Chuck E Cheese. I have wonderful memories of my birthdays being uniquely fitted to my tastes. Simple, yet always going all the way.

Kenzie, for quite some time, had been saying that she wanted a party only with Nanny and Papoo, James and Emily, and her family. My parents made the butterfly party an unforgettable evening, to say the least.

We were instructed that a butterfly wing contest was part of it. So the week before, the kids and I made wings, glittered wings, and glued jewels on wings. And Kenzie was excited that Daddy made his own wings. (Seriously, how many dads[outside of my own dad, of course!] would design and paint his own butterfly wings....and WEAR them?!)

Once at Flagstaff, we decorated....
And donned our wings....

Is that not one of the cutest little butterflies EVER?!

And we waited for our other guests to arrive. James and Emily (my brother and his wife) were up until 3 am making their wings.....again, my little butterfly princess is so blessed.....

How many Uncles will wear tights? Tights, I say! And emily had on the funnest boots ever!
AND...Emily's sister, Anna, and her boyfriend Justin, came too....by choice. They WANTED to attend a 4 year old's birthday party and dress up.

Here are the male insects....
Obviously quite confident in their manliness. (Justin's wings were so cool....he made them out of disposable bakeware!)

And the ladies....we were laughing. And vying to show off our wings...Emily kept hogging all the room! =)

And the Hendricks Family....butterfly style!
We had crafts....
And of course, a splendiferous Nanny cake:

All for a little girl who wanted a butterfly party. No 25 children. Just a group of family that loves her dearly. And she loved her party. Thanks, Mom, for continuing the tradition of meaningful birthdays! And thanks, Dad, for supporting mom in all her crazy plans to make the day special for Kenzie. The way you quietly encourage, clean up, wash dishes, clean up, wash dishes, make butterflies, wash dishes, wear mylar wings, and do more dishes is such a picture of servanthood. Mom can do what she does best because of how you support her. So, thanks for making Kenzie's day so special.

And here is what Kenzie, Molly, and Jack spent a good portion of the afternoon doing....Butterfly Dances....

Fireworks...

2010-07-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

We had the most wonderful location to watch fireworks from....our front yard! When we heard the first "Boom!", we headed out front. We pulled out lawn chairs or sat in the back of the pick-up. No crowds. Beautiful.

We hadn't really planned on letting the kids stay up till 9 to watch them. But it ended up that we had friends over and they were still here when they started...so we all got to watch them together. Fun! I had to talk Jack through all the safety precautions that the people who were shooting the fireworks had taken to protect everyone from the "fire in the sky". He was concerned that he just had to trust me that there was a firetruck there, just in case. He kept wanting to see it. Ha. my little OSHA inspector in the making. Kenzie covered her ears through pretty much all of it. Molly peed on David (SO glad she was on HIS lap...not mine!). Other than that, it was fun!

And I am finally getting around to pulling pictures of the fireworks off my camera. A couple favs...

All these were shot manually atISO 1600, 1/40 sec, and f2.8 - for those that care!

My Princess Kenzie turns 4

2010-07-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today is my sweet Kenzie's 4h birthday. I am really having a hard time believing she is four. I really think she must be three. I sat and just watched her a bit today....and I think she must be four. She has long gangly legs.

And scraggly hair that somehow always looks like a mess...

And she has some attitude....

But she always wakes up from her nap wanting to cuddle with me for a few minutes. And she likes to containerize. Bags. Plastic totes. whatever....it gets repurposed for her "stuff". And she carries it around for days. And she loves Goolash. And she likes to convince me of things by telling me "that's a good idea"...like, "Mom, we should go get a cupcake. That's a great idea!" And while she can push all my buttons so quickly, I love this princess to pieces and pray that all her strong-willedness will be tethered to being glory to her Lord. She has a tender heart...wanting to pray this evening for a mother in China who is imprisoned for her faith in Jesus. (Voice of the Martyrs) She can be such a momma hen to Peter....whether he wants it or not. And she always always makes us laugh.

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July has been consumed with VBS and homeschool curriculum. VBS went well. I was totally blessed by the volunteers...such work and heart was put into every little bit of it.

And now it is time to think about the school year. Goodness, I sure can whisk myself into a tizzy about it. I mean, my oldest is going into Kinder. And I think that I need to read every catalog, complete with highlighting and dog-earing (yes, that's my new word). One day I will have it all figured out. I go to sleep and then suddenly, I don't have it figured out. Sonlight Curriculum. Tapestry of Grace Curiculum. Keep It Simple, He's Only In Kinder Curriculum.

This weekend was the Homeschool Convention. I actually did not attend any sessions, though I walked around the exhibit hall and drooled. I left my wallet with my mom. This prevented rash buying...the having to ask your mommy for your wallet thing. And I did good. I am so excited about the school year. And about our Co-op. And about being able to run again. And about making over 20 loaves of bread a week. And about sleep. And about....

But I think I have it figure out. At least for the next 6 hours, right?

Homemade Caramel Corn

2010-05-05T21:59:00.001-07:00

Homemade caramel corn is the devil.

Hi, my name is Carrie. And I am Foodie.

2010-05-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

A foodie meaning that I like to eat food, yes. But even more so...I like to MAKE food. Alot. And I really like to make food from the BEGINNING....

So I got my Mother's Day/Tax Refund Gift early this year:

AND...

This has been pure bliss for me. That Gorgeous Bosch can handle the mixing of 8 loaves of bread at a time! The sound of that 800 watt motor just kneading away is music. Of course I cannot fit 8 loaves of bread in my oven, but that's not the point. The point is that the Gorgeous Bosch CAN do it. And I get to walk away whilst it does it.

I have been making bread for 11 days. That's cool. But the somewhat alarming thing is...I have made 30 loaves of bread in that 11 days. Is that normal? Does my butt look bigger?

It helps a little that much of that bread has been given away. I now have 6 families whom I am making bread for on a weekly basis. My house smells like a bakery. All.The.Time. Did I ask yet if my butt looked bigger?

I documented the inaugural run of it all:

J is my official wheat grinder. He loves to keep on eye on it.

Jack took this picture of the grain hopper. A mixture of hard and soft wheat as well as some Kamut thrown in for yumminess.

A giddy Carrie, fighting the urge to throw that warm flour in the air and break out in a song and dance. (I had more energy then, way back 11 days ago before my butt got big)

The first loaves. Maybe your computer screen is scratch and sniff? Probably worth a try, because it smells amazing.

I have since purchased commercial bread pans that are not so wide.

Today was a new venture. Tortillas. Armed with only wheat flour, a pinch of salt, a bit of oil, water, and a rolling pin....we produced these:

And then, before I knew what had happened, an avocado jumped into my hands, fell open, and spread itself on one of these tortillas...

I inhaled the first one so fast, I had to make another avocado/tortilla roll to taste test. It was really yummy. The tortilla was soft and full flavored.

And then, a mere 30 minutes later, it was lunch time....
Some homemade re-fried beans (I don't re-fry, though, I just mash), cabbage, avocado, sour cream, and hot sauce in a yummy soft, supple, full-flavored tortilla.

What will it be tomorrow?

Easter Dresses

2010-03-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Growing up, Mom always did Easter dresses for me.....they were a way bigger deal than Christmas dresses. Last year, I attempted some simple dresses for the girls....then wound up having a baby on Easter morning. Talk about plans getting changed! Anyway....I bought some material.....

And a pattern...pretty sure it has been over 15 years since I have used a pattern....
Loved my new island for cutting, measuring, pinning, ironing....

They still need to be hemmed, but I can't/won't do that until after this Sunday so the girls cannot coerce me into letting them wear them THIS Sunday. [Whew...that was a run-on sentence!]

Can't wait to see them both dolled up in matching digs!

Cultivating Love

2010-03-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

I want my kids to grow up being best friends. Don't laugh....because I think it truly can be done. And in not a weird, "I'm-homeschooled-so-I-only-have-my-siblings-as-friends" kind of way. There are lots of moments throughout the day where I fear that this is just a very far fetched dream. Like to today...and yesterday, when J pushed his sisters...again and again. And then again for good measure. And it frustrates me! But I choose to hope. To hold onto "those" fleeting moments....

Little Miss M was scared here...her first real "roller coaster" ride at Knott's Berry Farm, and J grabbed her hand and started consoling and reassuring her. I pray often that this boy's tender heart will always be so compassionate and empathetic.

(he pulled his blankets next to her bed to sleep....I found them like this last night)

We recently started emphasizing to the kids that God gave them very special best friends when he gave them each other. Why is it that we have to intentionally cultivate friendship between our children? When one of them mistreats another, I ask if they would treat [insert some friend's name here] that way. "No, way, Mom! I wouldn't treat them that way!" So we are working to understand that our siblings are worthy of the same treatment.

I feel like I have that above conversation alot. But then there are those times when you get to eavesdrop on a conversation between them. This one between my two oldest....nearly 5 and nearly 4:

"K, are you my best friend?"
"Yes, J, you are my best friend!"
"Oh, thank you!"
"You're welcome"

"Hey, J, are you MY best friend too?"
"Yup, K, I am!"
"Oh thanks!"
"You're welcome too!"

And that was it. They went on with their playing, each with a little grin...that special knowledge that you have a special friend.

Here they are giving each other an "elephant hug" at the zoo...

So I think we will keep working on it. Looks like it might be worth it in the end.

Of our Favorite "Michael Michael"

2010-02-01T11:27:00.001-08:00

This week is my baby brother-in-law's birthday. So I thought we would compile a little tribute to "Michael Michael". The kids call him that because, well, apparently "Uncle Michael" is confusing and hard, and saying his name twice is just kinda fun. So Michael-Michael he is. =)

I first met Michael when he was like 7 or so. This adorable freckle faced kid who has such a tender heart. I remember he made me a daisy chain once. I truly do feel blessed to have married into a family where I didn't inherit "in-laws" but gained brothers and sisters....friends.

This was at our wedding....David with his siblings...Michael looks sooooo young here! This is May 2001

Probably my all time favorite picture of the two of us. Summer of 2004, I think.

Michael got me hooked on Scrubs while we were in Oregon one Christmas. We had far too many Scrubs marathons that week. This picture is a tribute to the Janitor's wife (or mom?) who only had the thumb/pinky combo.

More recently, Michael came and visited (and SAVED OUR BUTTS!) in December and helped redo ALL the ducting in our house that had to be done due to the kitchen remodel. It was soooo wonderful having him here....I had a running buddy....the kids had a lego engineer......

And David had a fellow project-a-holic!

Happy Birthday, Michael-Michael! We love you and thank God for you!

Of The Diva's Eyes.....and cute little mouth!

2010-01-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

Of Not Caring That I Haven't Posted in 3 Months!

2010-01-27T19:40:00.001-08:00

I am just going to ignore the glaring dates. I am going to pretend that I have already recorded Thanksgiving (hahaha....what an adventure that was!), Christmas, and New Years and that it is just now time to record this week's happenings.

We have had one of those very nice weeks. One of those weeks where the kids are happy to play with their toys and busily enter into a world of imagination and kindly interact with each other (for the most part anyway). Which is why I must *MUST* record this week - because I know that such will not always be the case.

Twice this week, I haven't even bothered to pull the kids out of their imaginary worlds filled with Legos, castles, trains, baby care, or their own version of Hell's Kitchen for school. They were so immersed that I figured there was nothing I could possibly teach them than what they were better learning on their own at that moment.....

Wendy (from Peter Pan) prepares a meal for Snow White and a Roman soldier...
Bet you didn't know that Roman soldiers also had a fearsome weapon - the popping cork gun. I tell you....it's what led to the collapse of many a civilization.

I love the amount of concentration involved in all this play!

We did do some school the last couple of weeks. We have been studying elephants and made our own biscuit elephants for snack one day.....

BIG HIT!!

My littlest man is leaving infanthood behind at a breakneck speed. It breaks my heart. I love each new phase, but how is he 9 months old and 27 lbs already?! But oh, how I love his precocious personality!

EVERY time I take a picture of him....this is what he does for me:

Do you know how many times I kiss those cheeks? They just call to me.

Of Nothing in Particular

2009-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

And another month has slipped by.

But we have been busy. Really we have.

Lots of riding bikes(in our dress up clothes, tiaras, and too-big shoes)...

Lots of learning....

We made raisins(talking about the sun)

and applesauce(talking about apples) in homeschool co-op.

And the J-Man is reading. kind of. He has figured out the red BOB books are easier and likes to read those. The pink ones "are too hard". He can read them....he just doesn't like to take the time.

Hmmm...in other news...

We had our Annual Harvest Festival at church last weekend. We went as the cast of Peter Pan. Aren't we just precious!

I think he makes a pretty stinkin' cute pirate!

And a new favorite of mine....

Those eyes!

Grace and peace...
Carrie

Of "cwafty things" and a Brave Mama

2009-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

My parents put together a very clever Christmas gift for the J-Man and the Diva. A container of "cwafty things" as the J-Man calls them. Two huge organizer thingys full of just that - items to be crafty with: pipe cleaners, stickers, glitter glue (ugh), beads, felt, glue, etc....

They LOVE the "cwafty boxes". Before I pull them out of the LOCKED cabinet, I have to read stories about bravery. Think little train engines that could, brave little toasters, and so on. I have to give myself the pep talk. I am sure other moms have given themselves the same pep talk: " I WILL be that kind of Mom. I will be the kind of mom that let's her kids create, experiment (ie MAKE A MESS)." And it is all worth it....but goodness is it scary.

Just in case you were wondering if her dress was dragged through the glitter glue on her paper here: it was. And if you were also wondering if it washed out: it did!

The Dive is especially fond of the glitter glue. Fond enough to glob 3 tubes on one piece of unsuspecting construction paper.

The Tank likes it all. Particularly if she can color it or adhere it to her body. *Sigh*

The J-Man is a "just-so" kind of person. He will fuss and fuss with re-arranging his craft box half the time, and spend the other half gluing things together. Loves those Popsicle sticks.

And because I want my kids to be THOSE kinds of kids that know how to clean up after themselves, we begin the "Cleaning Up from the Crafting Expedition" energetically. And then I realize that really, they have helped clean up enough and I can get it done a lot faster. But I bite my tongue at stick it out to the bitter end, helping them "clean" up after themselves. All of this WILL pay off in the end....that's what I am telling myself anyway.

And because no post is quite complete without a picture of ALL my Precious Little Ones, here is my only kiddo not currently into "cwafty things"....

He sure has the being cute thing down, though!

Of Sibling Affection

2009-09-22T20:25:00.001-07:00

Please tell me my kids are not the only ones that argue. Fight. Find joy in harassing one another. There are days when I truly think I am not a mother, but a referee. If they had their way, I would be more of a statistician - who won which round and in what kind of record time - that kind of stuff.

But there are moments. Those amazing moments when I actually hope. When I see little glimpses of the best friends I want my kids to be....

He is so good at entertaining his little brother whenever we ask!

Here The Tank is "reading" to the Pooter. These two have a very close relationship. He just gets this goofy grin whenever she happens to look his way. Love it.

This one is post library trip. Checking out the new books....wearing dress up clothes. They do this just about every week...pour out all the books and take turns swapping. They usually each come up with a favorite....The Diva's favorite will always be a pink book. That's how she picks books at the library...if they have a pink binding, they get checked out. Hey....at least she's not judging a book by it's cover! Ha.

This is my new favorite of these two. Can you see the mischief?

Of Yummy Cookies

2009-09-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

The kids and I made the most delicious cookies ever. Well, the two older kids helped while The Tank was napping. Only on rare occasions am I brave enough to bake with her help:

(and this was just an ordinary coloring session! Black eye compliments of the playground...)

Imagine letting her near the eggs or a canister of flour. Yeah, it's about as scary as you can imagine....if not more.

Anyway.... we made these:

Animal Cookies. These are not your typical sugar cookie. They are much more liked frosted animal cookies...with a coating rather than a frosting. These paired with a chilled glass of milk was pretty much worth the 5 miles that I had to run to burn the calories.

The J-Man thought they were pretty tasty too...

And the poor Pooter. He just watched us eat them with very longing eyes....

You can get the recipe Here

However...rolling it out in between the wax paper was a bust. Much better to let the dough chill, then roll it out and cut.

Of Swim Teachers Who Wander into Our Lives "by chance"

2009-09-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to sit back and say, "Well, now. That could only have been done by the Lord."

In March, we signed the J-Man up for swim lessons at our local community pool. David usually took him as I was hugely pregnant and not too keen on sitting outside in the "heat". J-Man really liked his teacher, Miss C. In fact, he liked her sooooo much that when she was absent one day and had a sub, the J-Man had a melt down and didn't even do his lesson. We ended up having Miss C come to our house and do lessons in our pool with both the J-Man and The Diva. I liked her instantly. The Diva adored her. She is pretty convinced that Miss C is secretly a princess. Some days, Miss C is "Earl" (Ariel) and others she may be "Bill" (Belle). Through the course of the summer, we came to find out that Miss C was homeschooled, came from a large family herself, and was just a wonderful godly woman! No wonder we all loved her! And she even talked about God while giving swim lessons!

We had our last lesson for the season last week. We already miss her. But I think it is so cool how she just "randomly" happened to be Jack's teacher that first lesson. What a coincedence, huh?

Of Dancing Divas and Library Books

2009-08-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

We were recently given a HUGE bag full of dress of clothes. The kids have very much enjoyed them. The fireman costume has been a huge hit and I have been "rescued" from countless "fires" around the house by the oh-so-brave J-Man. There was one dress, however, that The Diva initially had discarded and it made its way to the bottom of the dress-up tub. It resurfaced the other day and you would think that this girl had been given a check for a large sum. She has worn this dress-up costume (a bride get-up, I am assuming) and has been alternating between being a Domestic Princess:

And a World Class Ballerina:

We did discover that trying to go to the bathroom in all of this fluff is a challenge. Definitely a two-woman job. I find it so amazing to watch my girls, though. Why is it that some women find it necessary to argue that there is no difference between the sexes, when there so clearly is. I find it amazing how girls are so clearly attracted to femininity, even from a young age. And yet, we try and take this from them, all in the name of so-called equality?! Both of my girls like to fuss over their baby brother, like little mother hens. This is not to say that the J-Man does not care for his baby brother, because he does. But it is a more protective, looking-out-for kind of care.

Anyway....I will step off of one of my many soapboxes now.

I was recently reading a blog post of an old friend and she was talking about library books and how you never know what you are going to get: a bomb or a gem. We had this book come home with us last week:

While I don't know that I would call it a 'bomb', it certainly lacked in creativity and story line. Bob is a rather dull bear and likes it that way. His friend "Jack" is the wild and crazy one who likes to surf, visit alligator swamps, etc. Bob prefers dusting his house plants and sitting in empty parking lots. The J-Man became a little agitated the first time we read this book. He found that though he shared a name the the bear named "Jack", he related more to "Bob". Not that my J-Man is dull, but he does thrive on routine and knowing what is coming next.

"Mom, I think I am 'Bob', not 'Jack', in this book." Funny how kids can be so in tune to their own personalities at such a young age!

Of Teaching Boys to Spell

2009-08-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here is it August, nearly September, and I haven't posted since June! Wow. Wonder what the heck I do with all my time. What's that? I have 4 kids, you say? Ahhh, yes. Perhaps THAT is where my time goes.

We started homeschooling the J-Man this month. I use the term loosely at this point, since he is just at that pre-school age, but we do sit down for 1 - 1 1/2 hours several times a week and "do school". Superman and I have spent a plethora of hours discussing homeschooling as of late and are now 100% convinced that we are totally thrilled, excited, pumped, and also a little terrified of the fact that we feel the need to homeschool.

Anyway, the J-Man had known SOME of his letters in no particular order (and by some, I pretty much mean he knew "J" since that is what his name started with). He was never very interested in letters and such. Not if there were tools to play with or messes to be made. I wasn't concerned. And rightly so.....for in the two weeks that we have been working on it, he knows all his letters and most of their sounds. We started "spelling" together on Thursday. You know, the kind of spelling where the child asks "how do you spell 'Mom'?" or "what letters do you use to make the word 'cat'?". well, the thing is with boys...they don't really want to spell "mom" or "cat". The words J-Man wanted to spell extended beyond the 3 letter, short-vowel words I wanted him to focus on. After working on MY words of choice for a bit (cat, bat, pig, bug), we worked on HIS choice.

Fast forward to Friday. I get out his magnetic letters and the old cookie sheet and then get called away by the need to rock the Pooter back to sleeop. When I come back, I see that word. Not "bug", or "cat", or "mom". But THIS word:

Of ALL the words he remembered, it had to be this one?! Really? Teaching a boy to spell is going to be interesting, to say the least. I even questioned him, wondering if it was purely coincidental that this word appeared. I asked the J-Man, "What is this word here?"

"Oh, that spells 'poop', Mom. Two "p's" and two "o's". That's how you make the word 'poop'."

Of Super Cool Toy Stores

2009-06-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Superman and I decided to put the kids on a tv fast. Not that they really ever watched much - we don't have cable, but we thought it would be good for them to spend ALL their time having Mom read them stories, coloring with Mom, "cleaning" with Mom, cooking with Mom, etc. Let's just say that Mom is a little worn out! So, I compromised - I let them watch ONE show....it's on at 11:30 - right when I am making lunch. Is it terrible if I now adore this show:

That darling little sheep and pig and frog.....they suck my little busy ones in, rendering them quiet and still. "It's a beautiful world!"

We recently borrowed this really super fun board game from our neighbors. After playing with the J-Man and the Diva, we decided to purchase it ourselves. I strapped in the three big kids, leaving the sleeping Pooter with Dad, and headed to Brilliant Sky Toy Store. You must look at see if you have one around because they are truly the most amazing toy store I have ever seen. My kids roam the aisles, PLAYING with the toys...what a novel idea, a toy store that lets you play with the toys. And if I am truly honest, I roam the aisles playing with toys too. I think my little herd would be perfectly happy if I "accidentally" forgot them there. I tried it once, but the really sweet college kid that worked there chased me down. (Kidding. really.)

Back to the super cool game. Apparently, Superman and I really enjoy having our butts KICKED by a four year old. The Diva plays her own little game in her corner of the board, adding an exciting dimension to the game - the board is always in flux because her pieces are laid down(incorrectly) and then removed at will(also incorrect).

Anyway, the game is called Blokus:

And yes, I am serious when I say that the J-Man has beat us, fair and square. The truly maddening bit about it is that he has absolutely NO strategic approach - he just plays the game, blissfully unaware that he is dominating the game. He giggles when he sees us look at each other and roll our eyes in utter frustration. Hmmm....maybe he is just a genius in the making - one of those people who have no clue how smart they really are. I keep telling myself that I am one of those types - I just have no idea the depth and width of my brilliance. Hey, it helps me sleep at night.

But, no, really, it's a fun game.

Of the Addition to the Chaos

2009-06-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. I have been terrible at this blogging thing. But in my defense, I have been perhaps a little bit busy.

I thought that child would NEVER come. This photo of me and Superman, sporting our bellies, was taken one week before PLO#4 came.
Holy Big Belly, Batman! Mine, not his.

Easter morning brought us a sweet surprise when Precious Little One FINALLY decided to join us. He (yes, another BOY!) was/is huge. Born at over 10 lbs., I am still trying to satisfy his constant hunger pains. At least that is his story. My side of the story: Mom can't be doing too badly when you weigh about 16 lbs at 8 weeks (I'm not kidding, people). I was tempted to re-nickname PLO#3 and give this one the nickname of "The Tank", but since I am easily confused, figured that would not be good. And time has revealed more endearing qualities about our new little one: he farts alot. ALOT. Kinda really all the time. So, without further ado, meet The Pooter:

Mmmhmm....I know he is adorable. Those cheeks are so incredibly kissable too. Nice and smooshy, just the way they should be.

In other news, the J-Man turned four. Which all of you probably know, since he feels the need to announce, "I'm four!" to anyone and everyone we encounter. There are many things, we are told by J-Man, that he can do now that he is four. One of the more benign rites of passage is riding his bike without training wheels. See how he tips his bike just-so, making sure YOU are aware there are no training wheels on that bike.

The Diva, is no longer Tinkerbell. She has gone through an identity change and is now "The Piscesses". Oh, don't know what that is, eh? Let's me interpret for you - "The Princesses". As in the Disney princesses. She IS them, collectively. Sometimes she is "Earl" (Ariel), and other times she is Cillella (yup, Cinderella). They are always referred to as one, though. Like they are one poofy dressed monster with several heads.

She is our goofy Princess though, that's for sure. And she is a perfectly wonderful second Mommy to The Pooter:

And what fun would life be without The Tank. No seriously. This girl has become a rocker chick. She takes her brother's super cool toy guitar and bangs her head while playing. She is pretty fierce in his head banging, often knocking herself over in the midst of it all. Nothing quite like seeing an 18 month old rock out to "Wild Thing" or "Smoke on the Water".

=

And in true rocker fashion, she kisses her "ax" when she is done.

You should all hop over to my favorite place to get a laugh and feel pretty good about myself:

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Of the Diva's Need for a Napkin

2009-03-24T15:52:00.001-07:00

The last week or so, while folding the massive amounts of laundry that these three kids generate, I noticed a recurring stain on many, no, all, of the Diva's shirts. There was a huge stain all around the front neck area, arcing in the shape of a smile.....umm, similar to a bib. Confused was I.

I watched her throughout the day at meal time discovered what was going on. She was pulling up her shirt to use as a napkin. Immediately we started correcting this behavior, showing her how to use a napkin. She quickly informed us she was not interested in doing it our way, thank you very much. We continued to get on her case about it and now I am pleased to say that she properly uses her napkin and not her shirt. There were a couple of days though, where I would catch her looking furtively at us to see if we were watching...

To be completely honest, The Diva's eating "skills" are perhaps among the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I am thinking of having Mike Rowe, of America's Dirtiest Jobs, come and "enjoy" a meal with her.

One reason it is absolutely repulsive is that she puts her tongue INSIDE of her cup while drinking. I do not have a picture of this because it is hard to take a picture WHILST rescuing the table from the deluge that is sure to come from trying to drink this way.

Another reason (and there are many that I am sure I will be so kind as to share with you) is that this girl is already practicing to be a World Record Holder in Chubby Bunny. Or maybe that big hot dog eating contest (which I also find terribly repulsive!). Point is, she STUFFS her mouth with food, to the point that her eyes bulge, and she gets this slightly panicked look in her face. Slowly, she begins to chew and that's where it gets nasty, because it oozes. Whatever is in her mouth oozes out from a sheer lack of room in her little 2.5 year old mouth. I was kind enough to NOT take a picture that showed said "oozage".

BUT....being the Diva that she is, in spite of the fact that this is very UN-diva like behavior, she looked Gooooood while she, ummmm, "ate".

Of Dinner Time Drama

2009-03-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

I know that there is meal time drama in most, if not all, families. I am sure we are not the only family that has their 3.5 year old son hop up to the table, carefully examine the contents on his plate, slowly raise his head to look his mom in the eye, and announce, "Mom, we are NOT having a good dinner."

You can just see the slump in Superman's shoulders at this point. One because he carefully coaches the J-Man to THANK mom for the great dinner and this is clearly not a step in the right direction. And two because he knows at this point that meal time will be a long drawn out affair, and not the nice kind of long drawn out affair that some dinners are. Namely, dinners in France without kids.

But dinner time has been even more, ummm, entertaining since The Tank decided she wanted to join us at the table and not be stuck in a corner strapped in a highchair.

Both of our darling female PLO's have a serious affinity for protein. Especially of the animal variety. This is a trait that comes directly from their father. They apparently were born equipped with protein radars, giving them the ability to hone in on any protein on their plates immediately and then to proceed to consume massive amounts of said meat.

Sunday nights are our "Breakfast-As-Dinner" night. You may also read that as: "Mom is too tired to think up and prepare something more creative for dinner" night. Usually we have waffles, hashbrowns, and bacon/sausage.....a nice healthy meal, eh?

This past week, it was bacon rather than sausage and we discovered that The Tank kinda likes bacon just a little. When she had finished what was on her plate, she eyed her daddy's plate for more and screeched, while giving us this perfectly precious face:

You can see the desparation, the greed, and rage in her face there. Lovely. Fortunately for all of us, Dad appeased The Tank....

And she proceeded to eat MORE bacon than her father did. Impressive.

I will have to share The Diva's need for a napkin later, though. The kids are waking from naps and I suppose I should tend to them.

Introductions, Mission Statements, and other Sundry Items.

2009-03-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

For starters, I should begin by stating that I have never been unable to find, misplaced, or otherwise lost my kids. In all honesty, this doesn't mean that I haven't at times been tempted. Heh. But, keeping tabs on 3 toddlers, age three and under is NOT an easy job. Oh, yes, and throw in the fact that Precious Little One (PLO) #4 is due any day, and the sheer chaos is complete.

This blog, I suppose, is mainly being attempted for 2 reasons:

1) I know, or least I fervently pray, that someday, SOMEDAY, I will be able to look back at my chaotic existence and laugh. In the midst of grape fights, underwear swapping, and Goldfish smashing parties, I admit at times I cry. But SOMEDAY, it will be funny. Right?

2) The family. I take lots of pictures. I put them on my computer. And there they stay. Never to be printed for the dear family. So now they can see our PLO's (Precious Little Ones) and see that, indeed, perhaps viewing them on blog is the safest, cleanest option.

I make no promises that this mockumentary of life in our home will last more than a week.....not that the chaos won't last more than a week, but that my ability to share it won't.

Superman and I currently have 3.9 PLO's. Yes, I am married to Superman. More on that later, because right now, I am talking about our Precious Little Ones.

PLO #1, the J-Man. Quickly approaching birthday #4 and already planning his birthday party. Including the most important part - what kind of cake he wants. Currently he wants a train cake. But, being that he is my son, he reserves the right to change his mind 15 times between now and the end of May.

PLO #2, The Diva. She is. She really is a diva. At 2.5, this girl knows how wrestle and play in the dirt like the best of them , but dang it, she will look Gooooood while she does it. Her favorite attire is currently skirts and t-shirts with Tinkerbell on them. As it should be, because she IS Tinkerbell. Or at least so she says. And don't try to argue with her....it hurts.

Oh, and she is very serious about her food.

PLO#3, The Tank. Rest assured this is a term of endearment, not a rude reference to her size. Don't be fooled by the cheesy grin or adorable curls. This chickadee can hold her own. Which is good, since she has the Diva and J-Man with which to contend. Not even 1.5 yet, The Tank is the queen of "Snatch and Run". What? Haven't heard of this game? It goes something like this: Snatch your brother and/or sister's favorite play thing and RUN LIKE HECK. It must be really fun to see how irritated they get because The Tank plays this game an AWFUL lot.

PLO#4, We will let you know soon. Hopefully very soon.