But I succeeded!

Since the other day was St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d do something fun and make green omlettes for the kids. I just put a few drops of green food coloring in and we were set.

The older kids thought it was terrific! My usually picky Andy devoured his eggs. Ferris, however, would NOT eat them!

She crossed her arms, turned her head, stuck her nose in the air and said, “‘Wike it!!” (Translation, “I don’t like it!”)

I tried everything I could to get her to eat them. She just would not!

She loves “regular” eggs. Devours them and asks for more. Green eggs are NOT her thing, I guess.

Last night, I had a baseball meeting, so Nate stayed home with the kids and “cooked” dinner. (Read: ordered pizza.)

A few minutes ago, Ferris found the pepper that comes in the box with the pizza from Papa John’s. I tried to warn her.

“Ferris, that’s hot. Put it down!”

She couldn’t help herself, so I let her learn her lesson the hard way.

Within seconds she was spitting pieces on the floor and looking at me earnestly. “‘Picey!! ‘Picey!! Mom, ‘picey!!”

Poor, sweet girl. Finding the food world can sometimes be a very cruel place.

We had small successes all around yesterday. Ferris pottied in the toilet! We haven’t officially started potty-training, but when she asks, I let her sit there. She earned two jelly beans for herself and her siblings! All were grateful!

Brady asked me to teach him to tie his shoes again. I showed him one day last week. He’s six now. I’d been putting it off because he’s a lefty and I’m not. So, I showed him again yesterday. He got it! I’m not kidding!! He even learned the extra step of double-knotting them! Makes me blissfully happy.

Connor had a few good hits while playing baseball outside with his brothers. He really relishes being included with “the big boys.” We’re really looking forward to his baseball season. His Daddy will be his T-ball coach!

That was yesterday. Today, however is a bit different. Today is big for Grayson.

I should state now that we know we’re weird. We’ve never claimed to be normal.

We have a tradition of celebrating each baby’s nine-month “birthday.” We call it their “Inside Out Day,” meaning they’ve been “out” as long as they were “in,” relatively speaking.

We don’t throw a full-on birthday party or anything, but rather choose to celebrate the event with simple family activities. Perhaps a trip to the park / playground is in store for the day. Or a special dinner cooked on our honkin’ new grill. Or maybe a camp-out on the living room floor. Maybe just a movie and popcorn night. We haven’t decided!

We’re just happy Grayson’s part of our family! He adds so much with his little personality. He’s a snuggler and a cuddler and a grinner and a goofball. He’s ours… and we love him oodles. We thank God daily for him.

Trust me when I say I’m glad he’s out and no longer in, too!

Today, as we finished school, I sent the 5 oldest kiddies out to play. When I looked out the window a few minutes later, this warmed my heart even more:

I didn’t even ask Andy and Brady to swing with their sisters. Makes a Mama so happy!

Here’s my quick version of a recap:

It started with cake. All Ferris wanted for her birthday was “cake.” Anytime anyone asked what she wanted, she said, “CAKE!” She wasn’t disappointed. We did get her some other things, too.

Doesn’t she just look TWO?!

Grayson is continuing a never-ending growth spurt. He also continues to melt hearts with his endearing smile. He still loves his swing… so much, that I caught him trying to climb into it after a bath the other day.

Can you believe he’s pulling up and walking around furniture already?! He’s not even nine months old yet.

Somewhere in the last few weeks, I also helped a little bit with the baseball drafts for our local Babe Ruth / Cal Ripken leagues. I’m the newly appointed Player Agent, so it’s fun to be learning the ropes. We’ve also done school, design work, baking, cooking, laundry and dishes, but no one wants to see photos of those things! Somewhere in there, I also made this cute cake:

Some friends of ours are expecting their first (!!) baby. This cake, in case you can’t tell, is made out of diapers. So cute. Yet practical. Just like me… *ahem*

Last but not least, I’ve been cleaning up messes… like this one:

Some little boys will do anything to be like their Daddies.

I was standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes (which is where I am most of the time.) I called the boys in and we had the following conversation:

Me: “You guys know it’s part of being a family to help out around here. Do you guys want to wash these dishes instead?! Do you know how old I was when I started washing dishes?”

Andy (age 7): “No.”

Me: “What do you think?”

Andy: “Um… 8?” Smart kid.

Me: “No. Brades, what do you think?”

Brady (now 6): “Um… 5?”

I just knew my point had to be sinking in: They could have it worse. They could have to straighten up the living room, put their clean clothes away AND wash the dishes, too.

Me: “No. Connor? What do you think?”

Connor (4): “I don’t know.” At least he’s honest.

Me: “FOUR! I was four-years-old when I started washing dishes. Nana would scoot a chair up to the sink and I had to wash ALL the dishes.”

Brady (pointing to Connor): “Then make HIM do the dishes!!”

*sigh* He IS four, after all. Crazy kids.

School, housework, graphic design projects, dishes, laundry, registering all of our town’s Babe Ruth / Cal Ripken baseball players, preparing for a baby shower we’re hosting for a friend, laundry, baking cookies, dishes, and all this while my husband goes a mile a minute in other directions.

Nate has been working for the police department, flying helicopters, hauling dead bodies, outfitting squad cars, training to become an umpire, teaching others to fly helicopters, training to become a T-ball coach, meeting with potential graphic / web design clients, picking up countless gallons of milk for me, and other stuff I’m sure. I just know I’m forgetting at least one of his jobs!

We’re enjoying every minute of it though (except maybe the laundry… yet, I enjoy the REASON for all the laundry.) We’re endlessly blessed. God takes care of us in ways we never even realize.

My list is different than Nate’s in that most of my jobs don’t pay cash. Mine, however, have much sweeter rewards. Here’s one of my “paychecks:”

Grayson, 8 months old.

First prize was $500, second prize was $250 and third was $125 (I think.)

While I was writing our name and phone number 50 times last March, the boys wanted to know what I was doing. When I explained, they started dreaming of how they would spend $500 (sooo much money!)

Andy decided he’d buy Cubs tickets. We haven’t been to Wrigley Field since he was 5 months old. We live about an hour away. Sad, I know.

Nate heard our conversation and told Andy that if we won FIRST PRIZE in the raffle drawing, we’d get Cubs tickets. Second or third? We wouldn’t be able to go.

Can you believe that last May, during T-ball opening day, they drew MY NAME?! I honestly screamed very loudly!

I was 8 months pregnant and had 3 other tiny kids around me, plus two on the field. People were sure I’d spend the cash on diapers. (I did… most of it.)

Why am I just now writing about this? Well, here’s the deal. The Cubs are a popular baseball team. Wrigley Field is iconic as far as diamonds go.

Finding 5 (or more) tickets together late in the season was impossible, or at least very, VERY expensive. Mortgage payment, or Cubs game? Tough call. So, we told the boys we’d have to wait until next season.

Guess what? It’s next season!! Woo-HOOO!!

Cubbies tickets went on sale yesterday, and guess who ordered some?! That’s right, baby!

We’re not going until May, but we’re all giddy. Nana has graciously planned to come up that weekend and spend game day with the girls doing, you know, girly things. The boys are thinking about much more difficult things:

Should we wear Cubs jerseys OR should we each wear a shirt donning one letter that together spell G-O  C-U-B-S? What’s your vote?!

Happy to oblige.

Maybe I should pay myself to redesign my blog, since my youngest — who is nearly 8 months old now — is still not pictured. Ooof!

I shall return!

Last night, we were all relaxing at the same time (it’s rare!) I was snuggling sweet baby Gray on the couch and Andy moved to sit next to me. “Mom, can I hold Grayson?” he asked sweetly. The boy, though only 7, know the joy of holding a little one.

I passed Grayson over, fully expecting him to fuss a little. He did, but only for a split second.

When I looked back at the two of them, this is what I saw:

Pardon the cruddy quality of the photo (it was taken on my phone,) but they looked so content together. 7 years and 7 months. *happy sigh*

How do I know?

Well, the other day, Evan had to go to the restroom. As often happens here at home, Ferris went in with her, I suppose, just to keep her company.

Or so I thought.

I heard the toilet flush and then Evan flitted out of the bathroom and Ferris toddled out after her. They were both smiling.

Evan looked up at me and excitedly explained, “Mom, Ferris wiped my bottom for me!!!”

I tried not to laugh. I looked down at two precious smiling faces. Both were obviously pleased at their teamwork.

I’m glad they’re learning a thing or two about service, but that might be going a bit too far. Alas…

If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is!

As you may remember, we started a new tradition last year of allowing the kids to choose a special outing for their birthdays instead of a gift. Because there are a few of us and usually a newborn, big family activities are few and far between. Last year, Andy chose bowling and Brady chose ice skating. This year, Connor wanted a campfire (which got rained out,) and Andy chose a “man-date” with Dad to Bass Pro Shops.

So, I knew Brady had been thinking long and hard about what he wanted to do for his big day.

His initial ideas were no-goes: rock climbing (no where around here, plus he’s too small,) laser tag (not enough of us to make a whole party,) go-carts (it was January… no tracks open in our area!)

About a week before his birthday, he got all excited and said, “Mom, I know what I want to do for my birthday.”

I couldn’t wait to hear.

“I want to go to McDonald’s. Could I get a Happy Meal?”

I tried not to smile too big. “Yes, Buddy. If that’s what you want, you could certainly get a Happy Meal.”

“Could you ask Daddy if we could go inside?” When there are 6 kids in 6 carseats, sometimes the drive-thru is a much quicker, easier option.

“Sure. I think we could do that.”

Because his birthday was on a Saturday, I knew Nate would likely have to work. (Saturdays are busy days at the airport.) So I warned, “We’ll have to see what Daddy’s work schedule is like. We may have to go on Sunday… Or maybe just the two of us could go alone.”

His eyes danced a bit. “Just me and you?!”

I refrained from giving him a grammar lecture. “Yes. We’ll see. We could probably all go, though.”

“No! I want to go with just you!” I wasn’t sure if he was being selfish or not, but my heart was melting a bit.

It ended up being just the two of us, though we could have gone as a party of eight. He genuinely wanted the alone time. I did not want to miss it, either. Ten years from now, when he’s 16, he’ll likely be mortified that a McD’s date with Mom was all he wanted for his sixth birthday. I, however, will cherish it.

I let him pick whatever he wanted for his dinner. He chose wisely: a cheeseburger Happy Meal with apple dippers and chocolate milk… and an Oreo McFlurry for dessert. He even gave me a bite. I shared my fries with him.

He was thrilled to get to pick out the table. He chose a high-top with just three seats (something we can’t do when we’re ALL together.) It was a pretty big deal.

I also surprised him with a trip to the library, where he got his very own library card… another big deal.

Happy Birthday, Brady Boy!

I think you’re a big deal, too. Thank you for my date. I had a lovely evening.

The other day, she wanted to hold him on her lap. He was holding each of her hands with that death-grip babies use when they feel insecure. (He can’t help it… she doesn’t weigh much more than he does.) Evan noticed how tightly he held on and she said, “Mommy, Gwayson’s stwong!”

“Yes,” I agreed. “He is.”

“Not as much as me, but he’s stwong. I’m VEWY stwong, but he’s a tinny butt stwong.”

I’m sure she meant ‘tiny bit,’ but that’s not how it came out. Cracked me up. Still does.

She carries it around the house and if she sees it somewhere, she repeats “Bible!” until it’s in her posession again.

I’m hoping it’s a good sign of things to come.

After all, snuggling up with God’s Word each night can only lead to obedience, right?

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  (III John 4)

When Grayson arrived (and was a BOY!), we knew the kids would all be thrilled. Yet, we also knew that Connor would find it extra special to have a baby brother! A first for him!

Today, more than seven whole months later, Connor still likes Grayson an awful lot.

I was washing lunch dishes (OK, they were actually lunch dishes mixed with last night’s dinner dishes, etc.) and Connor came into the kitchen smiling.

“Mom,” he said, “I’m so glad you had a baby boy who is cute and funny.”

And he left. And my heart melted.

There’s no second greater joy than to see your children love each other (book of Christa.)

Connor, holding Grayson the day he was born.

Since she surprised us three years ago by arriving two months early, she has not stopped amazing us. Her size has never been an obstacle for her. Despite the fact that she weighs less than her little sister (Ferris is 13 months younger than her,) Evan has NO problem keeping up with the big kids… She talks circles around many of them, too.

Nate and I took her on a date all by herself on Saturday. She cracked us up. She was excited all day that she got to go on a date, but by the time we got in the van, it was evident that she wasn’t sure just what a date really was!

“Daddy, is a date somethin’ you ride on?”

“No,” Nate explained. “It’s something you go on. It’s when you do something fun with people you love.”

“Oh…” she said. Then she started SCREAMING, “DATE, WHERE ARE YOU?! DATE, I CAN’T SEE YOU!! COME OUT DATE! WE NEED TO GO ON YOU! WITH MOMMY AND DADDY! WE’RE NICE PERSONS!!”

She’s a trip. Today, she’s at the Tea Room with Nana and she’s wearing a princess dress.

So hard to believe that she once weighed just 2 pounds, 12 ounces. As the nurses joked, I practically sneezed her out.

She’s got more spunk than I sometimes know what to do with. Here’s how I described her in this year’s Christmas letter:

Evan remains the fireball that she was at birth. She is still much smaller than others her age and appears that she may never outgrow that “preemie” title. She has a big personality and flits around with a song in her heart, though much of the time the lyrics are made up. She plans to marry Daddy one day, but for now spends her time making giant messes, like creating a winter wonderland in her room out of baby powder or  perfecting unique hairstyles for Ferris using diaper rash cream as super-strong hair gel. Thankfully, she takes instruction well and is becoming a proficient cleaner. Evan also loves babies and is often seen with two or more dolls at a time. She gets that from Mom!

She recently graduated to a new toddler bed and she’s very proud of it. She’s our girl and we’re thrilled about it.

We love you, Monkey! Happy Birthday.