The Past Few Weeks

We've had a bit of Spring and winter all rolled into the past few weeks.

Grace went bike riding while Anne and James splashed around.

I love having James!  He wanted to go sledding, but realized that mud wasn't good for sledding so he opted to go boating in the neighbor's large puddle.

  Edwin read the girls Treasure Island for bed time for the month of January. Then Grace attended a Pirate Birthday party at the Children's Museum.  She came home with an eye-patch and hat which were worn every night during bedtime stories with dad.  The girls then watch Treasure Planet with the neighbors and before I knew it I was making Pirate skirts one Sunday afternoon.

We built Pirate Cove when the snow and cold returned.  James found his pirate costume and joined in with the adventures and fun.

I finished all 90 blocks....none are the same.  Now I'm working on the sashing and I hope to have the quilt top finished before baby arrives.

Like I said before the weather is crazy and we had snow again.  Anne and James and I had a snowball fight while Edwin and Grace made bread for dinner. 

We also made a little snowman.

For Valentine's Day this year we had heart shaped pancakes for breakfast.  Heart jelly sandwiches for lunch.

And we enjoyed a lovely bouquet of flowers.

The Lilies bloomed later in the week and we have been happy with the colors and lovely things Heavenly Father makes.

James learned how to make a towel look like a dead chicken.

Anne is back to wearing Super Power hats.

James has taken up jamming on the guitar.

And when things got crazy with the neighbors the other night we turned everyone into pigs.

Tape doesn't stick well on a running nose...but sick or not, James was not going to be left out of the fun and off the camera.

Florida Winter

James and Anne love to watch the city workers busy in our neighborhood.

Several times in the fall they come and vacuum up the leaves so I don't have to bag them....just rake 'em to the curb and the city will vacuum 'em, mulch 'em, and send 'em to the compost. 

This is by far my favorite city service.

Because the kids are waving and treat the men like celebraties they do an excellent job cleaning my curbs and keeping things nice and tidy.

We had a brief snowfall in December, it lasted a few days before the 50 and 60 degree weather arrived.  Anne was excited to find tracks in the snow.

 

All those snow clothes made me realize how small my little girl really is.

Kindergarten is a wonderful time.

The snow came last week, but I doubt it will linger too long with the rapidly rising temps.  We've been at the park tons this winter.  Crazy weather we're having.

Curlers

We finally found some sponge rollers and we all think they are fabulous. 

James likes to curl his hair too. 

 He's having such a difficult time being a boy in this house full of girls.

Messy, Messy

James was the sweetest little baby.

He accepted his sisters' love and adoration.

James was willing to do whatever the girls wanted.

I should have known trouble was on the way when he learned to stand up in a moving wagon at the playground.

Nothing seemed to deter him from his destination.

He's always been fond of sweet treats, cold things, and anything that contains a straw.

There was a time James took four baths a day in the kitchen sink.

We thought it was funny that he couldn't walk, but he could roll watermelons around all over grandma's floor.  Who needs a ball when you've got a melon anyway?

As I mentioned before he bathed after every meal time.

Oh, then he discovered rocks, gravel, and sand.  Delicious, no?

One day he helped himself to the raising roll dough.  Sneaky little guy opened the back door so I thought he was outside for a few minutes, but then I heard the clatter.  James washed his hair in the dough as well as my entire stove and floor.

He's enjoys painting.  It doesn't matter the canvas.

And now he's big enough to really be a help in the kitchen.

One day I believe he'll be a bit neater, but for now, my house is chaos, and I'm really doing my best.

While visiting family this summer a relative asked, "Is James always messy, or do you just like taking pictures when he's messy?"  After two days she concluded, "James is always messy."

One of our little friends from summer daycare would constantly say, "James is a messy boy."  And I would certainly have to agree with that wise little man.  Some of the things I regret not having pictures of include the day he had a rootbeer can explode in the kitchen, the day he painted the table, chairs, all his clothes, and the carpet pumpkin orange (residual stains still remain) and the day he bleached the bathroom by himself. 

Oh, lovely little James, you are a messy boy. And we love you!

Summer Day Care

I know, I know....I've been lost from Blogger world for a long time. 

So maybe seven kids, travel plans, and a few set backs kept me away from the computer.

But, I did take pictures and here's what we've been up to this summer.

Anne-rock star glamour girl

Jackson- Summer child (5)

Age is depicted by number in parenthesis, not their prisoner number.

Rayyan- Summer child (3)

Shelby-Teen helper and drama extrodinaire

Circus activities on the peach tree

Rayyan with older brother Dhia- (6)

They were bees in the play they wrote, directed and starred in.

James at the water park

Jackson at the water park

Alicia-Summer child (7)

Servant James indulging Her Majesty on a ride through the park

Grace with her inner plumbing. 

 This summer the kids traced their bodies and placed their major organs as they discovered their body systems.  I was too lazy to cut 200+ bones per child so they each had to deal with just a femur for a bone.

My dining room looked like a crime scene for a good portion of the summer while little bodies were awaiting their organs and stuff.  A bit creapy....perhaps. But I'll do it again I'm sure.

Summer Here... and Gone?

We've had a few warm days.  This is how we spent them.

A wind storm came through and blew all the blossoms off the trees.

We gathered many from our neighbor's drive-way to

go swimming with them....

turn ourselves into flower fairies...

and sweep, sweep, sweep.

Nothing like pink flowers, warm weather, and children for the afternoon.

We're back indoors, hoping to bring out the pool again soon.