Monday, August 30, 2010

So....6 months after moving here I'm finally getting my craft area set up.
It's going to be upstairs in our loft area...probably not the best spot,
but it's what makes the most sense for now.
Hoping that since it will be out in the open
I will be more likely to keep it clean.
We'll see. ;)
I had an order come in this weekend for 4 scrapbooks...definite motivation to get busy and get set up fast. So I've been reorganizing....
...and re-painting. This is Brian's childhood desk, and will fit upstairs perfectly. And, since I'm going through a "red" phase right now, the color makes me happy.

Today I had this really cute little helper to sort buttons with me. :)
Kind of thought it would be a good educational thing for him to do,
since we've taken the year off from formal preschool.
Two things I learned today:
1) This guy is a great sorter/organizer
2) I need more buttons. ;)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Before and After

Today was the day. 5 weeks after the unfortunate accident at church camp...the green cast came off! Not sure who was more excited, Harrison or me.
Probably him....but I was a close second.

I know he felt so free after getting that thing off....his scrawny little arm is weak, stiff, and a little sore, but according to his doc has healed beautifully. He is now armed with a brace to wear during all daily activities, still has to sit out for 3 more weeks in PE, and THEN will finally be freed up to resume his active, busy, accident-prone lifestyle. *gulp*
And now, please excuse me while I run out to purchase a gigantic roll of bubblewrap.
Me, paranoid? Nah...not at all.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The Linebacker

That's his nickname. My friend Tomi started calling him that first. Then random people at church started calling him that. And although we've tried really hard not to label our kiddos so that they are free to try different things until they discover their passion, sometimes names just stick. He truly was born looking like a little linebacker. Broad shoulders (trust me on that one) ;) huge hands, and solid as a rock. So, the name began, and has since stuck.

Today might have been the beginning of him showing more proof
of the truth of his nickname.
He definitely had fun. :)


And, although I don't want to brag (really, I don't)....he was kind of a natural.
I know it's probably just the proud mama in me and all, but this kid may just be the one that makes me finally find a love for football.
We'll see.
Sweet.

Determined.

Tough?
Definitely, when he needs to be.

But mostly, he's smiley. :)
And more like a teddy bear.

Monday, August 23, 2010

The Middle

Today my middle man came home from school
with his first homework project of the year.
A family project~ we're all supposed to contribute to
decorating this apple however we want to.
My kind of project. :)
When I asked Hud how he wanted to decorate it,
he said he wanted to draw a picture of his family.
He grabbed his markers and got busy....look who ended up in the middle, holding hands with his Mom and Dad? :)
Apparently, he is very happy with his spot in the family. The psychology-lover in me gets really excited about this kind of stuff~ I believe that kids reveal A LOT about how they feel about things through drawing. It's clear that our Hud feels very secure and loved, and that makes this mom's heart very happy. And while I worry that by being the middle kid means he sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, and his more laid-back personality at times gets overshadowed by his slightly *ahem* higher-maintenance brothers, maybe I'm worrying for nothing. I worry about a lot of things.....have I mentioned that before? ;)
This kiddo has rocked his first 3 weeks of 1st grade.
I'm so proud of him~ he's reading like a champ and is a math whiz.
Now, if only his mom would get on the ball and finish teaching him how to tie his shoes.....
I think it's going to be a great year. ;)

How very much I love our family.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A Boy, His Dog, and a Butterfly

Otherwise entitled, "The Most Random Post Ever." ;0)

I'm not really an animal person. I mean, I like them okay. In theory, I think pets are great. They teach responsibility, they're cute......I used to envision a big lab sitting at my feet keeping them warm while a fire blazes in the fireplace, him or her playing fetch with the kids, going on long walks with the dog on leash, etc. etc.
And then we welcomed Addy into our home.
She was abandoned. She needed a home. Harrison met her, fell in love, and begged us to let him keep her. She was sweet, gentle....and completely covered in long black fur. But b/c I'm a sucker for those sad, pleading puppy eyes (Harrison's, not the dog's) we agreed. And now, for almost 3 years, she's been a part of our family. She sheds. Everywhere. She's neurotic. Absolutely refuses to fetch anything for anyone. Scared of the vacuum, the doorbell, Hud's pet hamster, strangers, car horns, other dogs....you get the idea.
She's also sweet, incredibly gentle, patient, doesn't chew on anything, hardly barks ,plays well with the boys, sleeps and lays around a lot. If she was furless, she would be the perfect dog. ;)
So even though my equally neurotic, OCD self is constantly sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming in effort to rid our house of dog hair, I've accepted that she is here for the long haul. Love the relationship that she and Harrison have. The way she comes to life when he comes home from school. The way she sits at his feet to keep them warm. She is part of our family. And so my battle of the dog hair continues. Grrr.


And speaking of animals....look who spent the day at our house yesterday.
Isn't she beautiful?
She seriously spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon in our flower beds. I could see her outside our front door, and when I finally went out with my camera to take some photos of her, I'm pretty sure she stopped to pose. :)

And then the much-needed rain started, and she fluttered away.

But not without waving goodbye. :)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

This isn't my first post about our music-obsessed son.

And I have a feeling it's not going to be our last. :)
H3 got a real guitar from Uncle Todd and Aunt Beth last week, and to say he loves it would be a giant understatement. The obsession continues. And I admit that it's a little louder in our house than it was before, but I'm loving it. Love that he has sparked an interest in something so early in life (this started before he turned two) and that as he grows, so does his love for music.

And now, it looks like his biggest brother is jumping on the bandwagon. :) H1 starts guitar lessons at school next week. :)


Now we just need to get H2 on drums and we've got a band. :)

Rock on.

Monday, August 16, 2010

H3 and I are back from our adventure in Texas.
He had a blast, and I did too. Great little mini vacation.

He spent lots of time outside with Papa...driving his monster truck
and helping "fix" things. :)



He swam and swam and loved on his Mimi.

And he drove his monster truck some more.


And then I got to hang out with my sisters....I am so very blessed to have these two.
We laugh, we talk, we understand each other in ways that no one else does.

These two, along with my parents, loved on and played with my tiny man all week, giving me a much appreciated break....it means so much to know I don't have to worry about how well he is taken care of. He was king for a week. :)




Love my mom and dad too.
As much as I don't like living away from these four, I do love the quantity and quality time we get when we are together. Focus on the good right?
That's me, Polly Sunshine. ;)


So happy this one got to have such a special week.
How very much I missed him.
So glad to have him back home.
But now I know I'm brave enough to let him do things like this.
We're growing up. ;)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

A Couple of Firsts

While these two were starting 4th and 1st grades.....



...this one was taking off with his aunt and uncle to spend a week in Texas.

If you can't tell, he was REALLY excited about his trip. And I was really excited for him. Crazy that he is big enough to actually do something like that. I got to fly in to pick him up on Thursday (and spend the weekend!). Everything went great~ the big boys had a great first week of school (unless you count Hud catching a virus and missing two of the five days), Hunter had a great time with family in Texas, and I managed alone during the day here. It was weird, but good in some ways. Made me realize that I need to resume my former hobby quickly. :)

My babies are growing up. Way too fast.
Thankful I get to watch them do that...wish they would just slow down just a little.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

We're still here. You know, in case you were wondering. :) We've been soaking up the last days of summer, enjoying lazy days of sleeping in, watching tv, mid-morning breakfasts, late afternoon lunches and naps, movie-going, swimming....all that to say, we're in for a very rude awakening tomorrow morning when school is back in session.
But for today I'm going to relish in this last day of summer, and remember our first summer in our new home that was full of days of....

ice cream-eating on the deck (complete with silly faces).....

... hanging out at the park.....

.....a little late-afternoon (still in our jammers, complete with bedhead) drumming....


....lego-building (once again in our jammers~ are you seeing a theme here?) :)....

....playroom redecorating...

.....running through sprinklers with the neighbor kids....


....eating at fab hole-in-the-wall restaurants with Papa.....


....and loving the visit with Mimi and Papa.....

.....AND getting to spend the weekend with Aunt Reagan and Uncle Jon.
We are seriously loved. :)

So now, we are off to our last-day-of-summer dinner out.
Tomorrow our oldest will be a 4th grader, our middle will be a first grader, and our baby will be boarding a plane with Aunt and Uncle to spend a few days in Texas. *gulp*
That's a lot for this mama to process, so I will be spending the day at the movies. :)
Really excited for all three of the boys
(and excited that I get a bonus trip to TX later this week to pick my tiny guy up). :)
But for now....I'm off to enjoy the last day of summer.