Things have been crazy chaotic here, as usual. We’re having the bus painted, “spring” cleaning our basement and garage, dealing with medical issues… the list goes on and on.

Just so you all know I still love you, here’s a bit of humor to, well, humor you!

Remember this? Back when Evan was “tiny bitty” and I compared her to Chicken Little? Well, here’s another comparison from the same movie…

Here’s the character “Fish Out of Water” aka: “Fish.”

And here’s our home-grown version… “Grayson” aka: “Gray.”

I think they’re both pretty cute.

My peanut-sized preemie Evan is almost four! It’s hard to believe.

She had her first dentist appointment today and did great… she even came home wearing a plastic tiara. Next week, she’s going with me to get an official (not-from-mom) big girl hair cut.

Yet, she’s still maturing. I just heard her say to Ferris and Grayson:

“Everybody! Listen to me… I could be cool and groovy if you didn’t treat me this way!”

Huh?! Where does she get this stuff??

Apparently, we’ve got a lot more maturing to do.

It’s a new year…

So, it’s out with the old.

And in with the New!!

My husband and boys are really into this show on NatGeo channel called “Wild Justice.” It follows around California game wardens and tracks the issues they face.

Seeing how it combines wildlife and law enforcement, my boys can’t get enough. (In a recent episode, the wardens caught some bear hunters who were trying to keep a bear’s gall bladder to sell on the black market. Apparently bear gall bladders are used for medicinal purposes. Interesting stuff.)

Tonight’s episode followed the wardens as they went deep into the forest and found large patches of marijuana growing. As the story unfolded, I asked my big boys if they knew what marijuana was.

Andy, who just turned 8, said, “A town in California?”

I explained the truth, but was secretly relieved that he had no idea what it really was!

It’s not only Connor’s favorite color, but it’s the only word to describe Grayson after he eats spaghetti. Though, he doesn’t just eat spaghetti… He devours it and enjoys every morsel.

I’m kicking myself because I didn’t take a picture of him this afternoon, before Nate hosed him down cleaned him up.

Imagine, if you will, a nearly 18-month-old version of this:

Just like Mr. Hamilton… It ain’t pretty, but it sure is funny!

We just had a blizzard here in the Chicago area. I need to go to the store. My husband has been working long hours (thankfully in a 4-wheel drive.)

The idea of taking 6 little ones out in the 12-degree cold and driving a 12-passenger van on icy roads doesn’t really appeal to me. Call me boring.

So, we’re coping with the food we have on hand. I’m quickly running out of essentials. We’re nearly out of bread and milk and cereal (which is more than essential in our house.) So, I’m getting creative.

I actually made chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. More sugar than I would have preferred… but it did make up for the fact that every school in a 20+ mile radius was closed for a snow day and we were not! The kids ate cookies, then started with math.

For lunch, we had “butter noodles.” You know, egg noodles slathered with butter and sprinkled with a little pepper. We had some “salad,” too. In this case it was romaine lettuce, carrots and dressing. Creative? I know.

We just finished dinner. I had the foresight to put on a crock-pot of pinto beans! Yum.

I’m glad my kids are flexible and have low standards! Andy just ate three bowls of beans and then said, “Those were delicious, Mom. Thanks.” Really!

Hopefully the roads will be better in the morning. I don’t know how much longer I can be this creative.

I’m sure this time of year is crazy busy for everyone! Here, it’s no exception.

The Dreamboat husband has shot 2 deer in the last couple of weeks for hunting season. Because he’s a hardcore DIYer, we process them ourselves. It’s not as disgusting as you think… He does all disgusting slaughtering outside and only brings it in when it already looks like meat.

Christmas shopping is getting done later than usual this year. Time and money have rarely met this year! It’s December 9th and I still have about 25% of my Christmas shopping left to do, maybe more. Generally, I try to get all my shopping done before Thanksgiving. Not happening this year!

We don’t even have our tree up yet. School, hunting, graphic design, pregnancy fatigue… Ah!

The upside is that our kids are crazy eneretic with a twinkle in their eyes. They want to bake goodies constantly and they have grand (read: expensive) ideas of gifts they want to get each other.

I haven’t even finished our annual Christmas letter, and I have to send it off to a California printer to be printed!

Maybe I should quit making excuses and get off here. I have a letter to finish and shopping to do and babies to cuddle and cookies to bake and …

It’s been a rough week for me around here. Minor physical side effects of pregnancy have left me in some pain and simply exhausted. School continues, as does laundry. I have graphic design projects going on and things I want to make for our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. We had family pictures today.

Yesterday, I looked at the condition of my house (chaos, havoc, disaster) and couldn’t take it any longer!

I started cleaning but was easily overwhelmed. I couldn’t be on my feet as long as I’d like and fatigue (brought on by dehydration) was making me crazy.

So I did what every pregnant woman should do… I huffed and puffed and sent my husband, who was supposed to be hunting, a text message.

It simply said something like, “I can’t clean anymore. I need help.”

I wasn’t sure what I expected. I think I hoped he’d rally the kids and supervise when he got home.

He amazes me sometimes. Often times.

He came home shortly after I sent the text and got the kids moving. He dove right in, too. When all was said and done, our house still is not spotless… But it’s a million times better than it was.

To make matters even better, he decided we should eat dinner out! We got the kids ready and headed to Cracker Barrel. Yum.

I’m so thankful that my Dreamboat knows when I’ve reached my limit. He knows when I’m dog tired. He knows when I need help and a break.

I’m so thankful that my Lord gave me such a caring husband, too. I’m certain we were designed for each other.

Tonight is our annual Pie & Praise service at church. It’s my favorite service — hands down! I’ve made 3 pies.

To show my husband how thankful I am for him, I made his favorite pie for the first time ever. From scratch. It’s lemon meringue!

I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Grayson is almost 17 months old now. He says quite a few words, but one word is far and away his favorite word.

“MOM.”

Now, I’m not complaining that his name for me is the word I hear the most from him… But he may need to expand his vocabulary a bit as he matures. Allow me to translate, according to Grayson…

Mom- my beautiful mother
Mom- I need help with something.
Mom- I can’t reach something.
Mom- Hold me!
Mom- One of my siblings has taken something from me.
Mom- Look! There’s something cool!
Mom- I want to snuggle!
Mom- I’m stuck.
Mom- I’m wet and need a diaper change.
Mom- I stink and need a diaper change.
Mom- Hey big brother! I can’t quite say your name, but in Mom’s absence, could you help me?
Mom- I’m so excited!
Mom- I’m thirsty.
Mom- I’m frustrated.
Mom- I’d like out of my high chair now.
Mom- I’d like out of my crib now.
Mom- (Rarely) I’m so excited to see you, Dad, that I can’t think straight!!

Today my little girls are flitting around the house in their “princess dresses” (which are really just fancy party dresses my Mom bought them at Goodwill.)

Evan just told me they had to hurry to get to their princess party in time. Didn’t want to miss their princes.

So, I’m faced with an ethical dilemma. Should I let them keep looking for men in white pants and navy coats with gold buttons and epaulets? Or should I tell them the truth: that real princes wear police uniforms? Or, at the very least, camouflage?!