All the news that's fit to print

This past week plus a day has been insane for the family. Last Monday we had a marathon trip to Birmingham where Finn saw an allergist. We are trying to get to the bottom of her allergies/sensitivities/non allergies. We are not sure at this point what she's allergic to other than the environmental stuff. The food allergies that were diagnosed last year are now being called a curve ball. In a nutshell, she shouldn't have positive skin tests like she does because she hasn't had a classic reaction. We are waiting on blood tests results to help us figure this puzzle out. While we were there, Chloe started acting sick. By Tuesday morning the fever was high so she stayed home. I kept her home Wednesday but sent her to school Thursday. She seemed better and did make it all day. That night the cough started. I sent her on to school Friday but ended up picking her up early. She was really sick and couldn't catch her breath due to coughing. What do you do when you can't get an appointment with your doctor and don't think it's ER worthy. You sleep in a chair for two nights and give the strongest OTC cough meds you can give. She's finally turning a corner only to have the boys coming down with it. It's not the flu though. Yesterday I spent most of the day figuring that last part out with a visit to the doctor.
*****Very important story coming up--- Finn scored a basket in her Upward game Friday night. I sure hated I missed it and might have been jealous of those who got to be there. I'm pretty certain they didn't cheer as loud as I would have. Chloe needed me to be with her though. And even though I was sad, I'm so thankful she had people willing to jump up and down for her and a referee in the game who didn't call a foul when she ran over and hugged him.

Today has been one of those days that makes you wish you could hire that assistant you always dream about. It's Tuesday and it's my favorite day of the week. It's MDO day and it is supposed to be my time. Well, since Hutch was sick I kept him home. I didn't want to but I could tell he really didn't need to go. I let him watch a lot of shows while I made cupcakes for the soccer party tonight. I wanted to make an adorable soccer ball cupcake creation but it ended up closer to a featured photo on the wrecked cakes website. Thank goodness the kids didn't care.  When Hutch realized he was completely missing school, he cried the most pitiful cry and said "all my friends will be mad at me".   At one point in the afternoon, I walked outside and realized Martha the bunny was not in her cage. I freaked out because its not like a dog with a collar. She would never be found. I had to leave to start the dance craziness so I didn't get to search long. The entire afternoon I just kept praying the rabbit would be found before I had to tell the girls. I'm guessing I prayed about 100 times! We were rushing home from dance to go to the soccer party and I uttered about 5 prayers in a row. After the last one, my phone rang.  It was Granna and she had an amazing story to tell.  My next door neighbor was at her house asking her if we had a rabbit.  Martha was sitting in the driveway of his house.   So TeeTee and Granna raced up there while I sped home from dance.  Martha is safely ensconced in her cage with a  heavy brick on top now.  I grabbed Finn and headed off to the soccer party while J.B. and Hutch were loved on at the gray house.  J.B. is sick now.   I ran all day long it felt like and it's been nice so far today to be lazy.  We have bad weather headed our way soon and I'm exhausted already.  But to quote Dory, "I'll just keep swimming, just keep swimming".

Kirsten our newest Craigs  list American girl find---I used a handy dandy picture tutorial and restrung her arms and legs.  She can now stand up like she is supposed to without falling over.

A gorgeous night sky picture I posted on facebook, but it was so pretty you need to see it twice.

J.B. being cute as TeeTee tried to get a picture of his pants on the ground.  None of his pants stay up very well due to his very skinny waist.

Finn bathed and dressed both boys for bed the other night.  I think I'll start calling her Lilliantoo.

A little bit of food coloring, some toothpicks and the girls had a marshmallow surprise in their lunchbox.

The soccer ball cupcake brownie creation.  It tasted good.  That's the most important thing right?

Picture Post Picture Post, who wants another picture post?

Taking a walk

Hutch sleeping with his book snuggled up tight

Chilling at an upward game

power tools rock

 

 

we hammer in the morning, hammer in the evening

 

 

chloe's fancy hair do from a card that came with one of her dolls

Sticks and stones and stubborn boys

Sunday afternoon we spent the entire afternoon outside. The weather has been incredibly awesome the past few days and we have taken full advantage if it. The girls have been riding bikes more and I am happy to report Finn has taken off down the alley more times than I can count. This is huge for her and I am very proud. While we were outside the girls decided that they needed to build a dad trap with wood and mechanical things. When they realized we were not going to give them those items, they resorted to scarecrow construction. This is Hula the Scarecrow.

Stones really are not a part of this blog post but using the words thin mint and caramel delites upset the flow of the title. We are knee deep in cookies over here and our only worry in this world is will all the boxes sell? So far it hasn't been too bad .

Today Hutch decided to really show his beloved MDO teacher his stubborn side. Another tyke bumped into him causing his block gun to disintegrate before his very eyes. He melted and proceeded to scream. For so long he missed lunch . He was still refusing to clean up the pieces on the floor when we arrived. So after trying to reason with him (so not happening), I sat outside and read a book. (Note to self-- buy Jamberry for the kids). After he stopped complaining that his legs wouldn't work and his hands hurt, I convinced him to pick the blocks. I got him to tell me the colors after I claimed green was blue. Then we broke the small stack into three pieces. I claimed one was so heavy I couldn't lift it and asked him to help since he was so strong. He quickly came to my aid, me being a damsel in distress and all. He's such a prince!!!!

Around the dinner table

We are working really hard at making sure the kids learn decent table manners.  Not great, not Emily Post standards, just decent.  So we basically won't be embarrassed in public.  Well it appears we are failing miserably.  Tonight at the table, Hutch took two carrot sticks off his plate, stuck one on each cheek (like horns) and started mooing.  He said "I'm a cow."  We all lost it laughing which is a bad bad thing to do but it was so so funny.  The best part of all, J.B. took two carrot sticks and stuck them on the side of his face too.  I'm raising two class clowns.  Lord, help the teachers at the elementary school for they know not what they'll get.

Basketball

Last year Finn tried playing basketball with the church's Upward program while Chloe kept cheering. The same thing happened this year and last week we had our first Friday night of fun. Finn didn't make a basket during the game but she had several awesome assists. Chloe did wonderfully at cheering and was just a perfect combination of enthusiasm and peppiness.

 

The pictures were all taken with my phone and I had little boys crawling in my lap so they are not the best.  Forgive me please.

Say What?????

One day we were taking a walk and Hutch kept telling J.B. that if he walked in the freet he would get mooshed.

And one day, when we went to pick Hutch up from the gray house after we had gotten the girls at school, he said "how was your day,  ladies?" when he got in the car.

All about love....

Not quite two weeks before Christmas a horrible thing happened at a school. I watched a little too much news coverage and was depressed for days. Most of the victims were children the ages of my girls. Even being far removed I hurt. I did my best to put on a happy face but Christmas had an air of sadness.  I was getting more and more successful at putting it out of my mind. Until I ran into a friend at the park. The subject came up and she said that one of the little girls looked like Chloe to her and that she wasn't the only one who thought it. For a few minutes I was back on that day and the hurt came back. I swallowed it down and jumped back into the moment watching my kids play. 

I am following some face book pages of victims and one set of parents use the phrase love wins. Even in the depths of their grief they proclaim love does and will win. It's inspiring to say the very least. 

On Friday when I was sitting on the floor at MOPs working on a heart shaped door hanging it hit me. I could add a reminder for myself and hopefully never ever forget those kids and that school. On the back of my heart in purple paint I wrote love wins. And maybe some day when the girls ask I will be able to tell them why I did it.  I'll tell them about that family and those kids, and how love wins.  Because it does.  Just look around. 

Boys and Street Urchins

Ever since Hutch turned 3 (and he did although there is no blog post to prove it yet), he has been obsessed with more and more boy things. Motorcycles, lasers and shoot guns are all part of his day from the moment he wakes up. When he isn't talking about those things, he is in the backyard digging in dirt or talking about big pucks and dump pucks. He is all boy and although I am still more comfortable in the midst of dolls and princesses I love him more than anything.  

We have had awesome weather the past couple of days and have spent lots and lots of time outside. We even had the windows open today. This afternoon the kids wanted to go to the park so we said okay. They decided that since it was winter they needed cold weather gear even though it was mid-60's. Here is my ragtag bunch of street urchins-- Gypsy Rose, Deckhand Pete, Floopsy the dog, and Fashionista Finn.

P.S. Urchins is a term of endearment bestowed on my monkeys by a wonderfully sweet old man at our church. It sounds slightly better than ankle biting curtain climbers.

My lucky day

New Year's Day is a scary day. There are lots of rules and guidelines on how to make the new year the best one ever. One full of luck and good fortune and only happy wonderful daisies and rainbows. We all know that those crazy superstitions don't matter but it's still a little bit fun to sit down to a meal of blackeyed peas and hog jowl. This year we added turnip greens to the menu. I have always been anti-greens because of the way they look on the plate. This year, though, I decided to set a good example for the kids. I was slightly surprised I didn't gag and totally shocked I enjoyed them. I didn't have seconds but I got through my normal size serving with ease. Yeah me!!!! It's probably a good thing I did too, because I washed clothes today. That's a huge new year faux pas but I had no choice. I'm hoping the peas and greens I ate will offset any damage I have done. I'll keep you posted.

The other picture is of an original piece of Chloe artwork. She diligently applied perfectly sized stickers to her artistic medium of choice, white printer paper. One sticker spoke to me a little and it says live life everyday. I think that's very good advice for this year and all the rest I hope to be blessed with. So I'm going to start really living and blogging this year. Stay tuned.

2013 Here we come!!!

I'm so far behind I will never catch up but I am committed to making 2013  the year of the blog.  I have a lot of grand ideas and things I want to share with the few people who still check in from time to time.  Aunt Kaye, I know you have pretty much given up on me but I pinkie promise to do better.  I have four awesome kids and as much as I tell myself I will remember what they say or how they looked on that day in June, I don't always.  So this is where the memories will be preserved for the ages.  Or until I forget to check in again for months....  :)