My stick figure family picture...

I got the link from Life is Good (my friend Cindy's blog). It's just too cute. You can have a custom sticker made for your car. Wendy (Truly Blessed) did hers too... What fun!!!

Whoops. Here's the link... Our Stick Family

Big bad baby boy can sit...

Here's Cael. 5 months on Sunday. He is getting very good at sitting. The Boppy behind him is for the mama's peace of mind- nothing else. He's emptying his toy box and having a great time. He still thinks he's getting away with doing something naughty while he's happily removing one toy at a time!

Who needs a playpen?

I let Kjersten entertain Cael a bit this morning. I guess she got tired of holding him...

Sleeping like a baby...

I love the pudgy little hands tucked BEHIND his head! Ouch!

Kjersten's Macaroni skeleton.

We studied Madame Curie and x-rays last week. Kjersten's teachers sent them home with a bag of pasta and a piece of black paper to make a skeleton. This is Kjersten's rendition. Doesn't it look friendly?! And yes, that says "to: rhys from: kjersten." She loves her brother!

Friends

Kjersten and Rhys had Kenna and Keaton over the other day to play. Brennen loves them both. We sure had fun. We hope they do as well!

Where (how) else would he sit to do math facts?

Comfy, Rhys?

I have a really good excuse... Honest!!!

I have been without internet. For nearly a week. Can you imagine?!

Unfortunately, once restored (Tuesday afternoon), I was so busy with trivial little things like schoolwork, housework, appointments, and sleep, that I was unable to tend to the blog until now...

But, I'm back. Aren't you relieved?

What to do when you have too many toys...

Let me start by explaining this is not a punishment to my children. This is to help us determine how many toys they can realistically play with and put away. I have worked very hard in the last year to whittle down the massive number of toys we own. It's a daunting task with young children. The youngers will eventually play with everything the olders have. What to do?

I have tried putting toys in bins in the garage, but the rotating becomes it's own chore. I have sorted and organized to make putting the toys away very very easy. Alas, my children just seem to have too many toys. So... I had an epiphany of sorts....

I took all their toys away. Not all, actually. All but one. Rhys chose to keep his Legos. Kjersten chose her baby doll with a few accessories. George kept his bin of Rescue Heroes. I took all the other toys and put them in Kjersten's unfinished (pink) bedroom downstairs. I kept all the books out and all of Cael's toys. Besides those, the family room is empty. Rhys' bedroom? Empty. Kjersten's room? Empty.

The deal is: When they can manage to keep their toy picked up, their clothes off the floor (down the laundry chute or in the dresser), and their beds made for the week, they can choose another toy from the pink room. When that toy is kept picked up along with the previous requirements, they can add another. And so on... until the toys aren't being kept picked up. Then we'll work backward. Eventually, we should hit on each child's personal quota of toy tolerance. I think this is a good thing to work out BEFORE the holidays. Don't you think?

Here's the "pink" room from the doorway and then from the corner by the wire shelving.

Doesn't look like many toys, does it? It is, I promise! It helps that, as the kiddos get older, the toys get smaller. Magnets, legos, puzzles, etc... don't take up as much space as baby dolls, Little People, and play kitchens!

Biker baby?

Who gives a baby Elmo "Live to Ride- Ride to Live" tricycle gear complete with a "pleather" jacket? Great grandma Peggy, that's who.

Here's a photo of my darling baby boy in his new digs...

Real snow?

Brennen was beside himself on Saturday morning. We woke to big fluffy flakes falling... He could hardly wait to go snow boarding. I didn't have the heart to tell him that was quite a ways off.. Fortunately, he forgot by lunchtime. Whew!

Guess who is pregnant?

Ha ha... Not me!

My friend, Tawyna, got me good. At MOPS last Friday, she had the nerve to draw a key chain from the pregnancy announcement bag. I have barely recovered from the shock! She has three kiddos and the youngest will be six. Wow!

Now, I know I did that to her last year- sprung the happy news on her in front of 50 other people. But that's different! LOL! Really. I had a good reason. I just can't remember off hand what it was.

She, on the other hand, just did it to make me look confused and discombobulated in front of everyone. Thanks a lot, Tawnya!

Oh yeah. And congratulations. Really! Now, I have to find someone else to share a room with in Texas...

Boy or girl? That is the question...

Speaking of babies...

My friend, Wendy, is expecting #7 (yeah, really...) She has 4 boys and 2 girls- in that order. She had her ultrasound yesterday and she's having a...

Gotta look here to find out... Truly Blessed

Congratulations Wendy and family!

The Bug Man cometh...

It's better than Christmas in my book! I love the bug man. Now, he's sprayed his miracle-in-a-bottle and I shall no longer live in fear of walking around barefoot! Ahhhhh...

Seems I've been tagged...

What are my favorite things... (other than my peoples...)

1. Rain. Despite my previous post, I really do love the rain. Really love it!
2. Office supplies. Goes with the type "A" personality and the desire to organize all things. Homeschooling merely feeds the need!
3. Steak. Good, grilled, medium-rare.
4. Red Vines fake licorice. This is a post-partum addiction. Hope it resolves soon.
5. Neil Diamond, Cat Stevens, and 60's country music. Thank my parents for that one.
6. New socks. Jason and I share this love.
7. Daisies. In a round, clear, glass vase on my table.
8. Clean laundry. Love the smell. I even buy candles to recreate the smell. Easier than actually doing laundry!
9. Being pregnant. Love every minute of it, including labor and delivery.
10. Bubble gum.

I could go on and on. I'm very passionate. I don't like or dislike things. I love them or hate them. Little falls in between. So, that's an incomplete list but it'll have to do...

Speaking of library books...

Rhys used to be limited to six books per library trip. That's my personal quota for books I want to search for the day they are due... Looks like I'll either need to bump that up or go more often. he checked out six yesterday (on our field trip) and he's done with four and halfway thru another.

What once was lost is now found...

Okay, I have decided giving a six year old a library card isn't the brightest idea I've had. But... I did it. I even allowed Brennen to talk me into letting Kjersten check out a book for him. It's not a book I like. I wouldn't normally allow it, but it was a little harmless drivel and I was IN line at the check-out.

Go figure... That's the book we lose! Argh!! For 50 some odd days, we've been looking for this inane book. Daily reminders from libraryelf.com taunt me... Reminding me that I will be buying this stupid little book...

Yesterday, whilst at the library (co-op tour for my middle-grammar kiddos), I talk to the librarian. She explains that I already owe $3.30 on her card, will owe $8.50 for the book should I not produce it by the 29th. (She did renew it so it gives me some leeway to find it.)

Well, a second attempt at a bribe (this time $1.00) for the finder of said book worked! Book is now being closely watched, lest it wander off again. In the book drop it goes- tomorrow.

The winner is...

Good thing glue is non-toxic...

As you can see, the letter of the week is "C". I warned his teachers... repeatedly. We learned last year, that any and all craft projects involving food items would be consumed en route home. Yesterday was no exception. The candy corns never stood a chance!

Happy little Cael

George in disguise...

He's actually in Kjersten's clothes. Still a cute little boy.

Children of this era...

Here Kjersten is talking on my cell phone to Evan while they "meet" on club penguin. Usually Rhys would be right there with them, but he was gone to karate.

George....

Before we left to take Rhys to karate tonite, George and Kjersten were playing school. Kjersten was pretending to be one of her teachers. Not to be left out, Brennen told Kjersten he was going to be Theresa (one of his teachers) and that's what he proceeded to pretend. Oh, to be three...

On the way home from karate, we drove by a highschool football practice. Brennen told me that he cannot wait to be old enough to play. He wants to "go in for a landing" (catch the ball?) and he wants to "tip those guys" (tackle them). Love it!

After the football conversation, Brennen read to his "class" the rest of the way home. He played all parts: teacher reading book, student interrupting teacher, teacher gently explaining that he is reading the book and will be glad to talk after he's done reading...

Today, George invited one of his favorite teachers over to play Nemo on the Play Station. She loves him so- she just might come!

He actually went to co-op in his PJs. He did not want to get dressed when I had time to help him. I warned him that should he not dress at home, he would go in his PJs and dress there. No playing until he was dressed to his shoes. He happily got into the van in PJs and socks, jabbered all the way there, dressed in his room, then went to play. It's hard to be angry with a kiddo who cheerfully accepts consequences. He's too happy for his own good!