Updates

Here are a bunch of pictures we've taken lately. I know I'm terrible at updating the blog lately.

I'm making a blessing dress for baby #5. I found fabric and I'm super excited about it.

I'm rounding out through the middle. It's AWESOME!

This is totally happening. 23 weeks I think... I don't keep track anymore. I'm really looking forward to this baby's birth. I've already started practicing my hypnosis/deep relaxation and I love doing that every day. Hypnobirthing is basically retraining your mind to think positively about birth and learning how to deeply relax so that your body can do its work without tension getting in the way. I've never used an actual program before, but Colette's birth was probably the closest thing to it, I practiced relaxation and it was a great experience. With Anna I got lazy or busy, or whatever I want to excuse myself with, but I didn't practice, and my body was a little out of the habit and her birth was longer, and more strenuous. So this time around I'm using hypnobabies program and looking forward to a short and joyful birth again. Greg is busy, and not a believer yet, but he does deep relaxation with me about once a week, I think I'll convert him to relaxation and meditation and he'll be a great birth partner.

All the kids researching tips and tricks for pinewood derby cars. When its done we'll post pictures.

Our handmade valentines this year. We had so much fun finger painting and creating our one of a kind creations.

Hanging out with my little buddy.

Dad hanging out with his little buddy. She is everyones favorite.

Colette stole my phone and started taking pictures.... so many pictures.

she's adorable.

more stolen phone pictures. Anna is my best kitchen helper.

This reminded me of my little brother Aron, who wore camo every day of his childhood and was so creative. He also thought he was smarter than everyone else... this pretty much describes Jeremiah.

Sledding at our favorite hill. Anna and I hung out on the camp chairs and stayed warm while the kids went down over and over. It was all smiles until nearly everyone ended our sledding trip in tears due to cold feet, cold hands, hungry tummies, and the disappointment that we didn't have any hot cocoa mix in the pantry at the time. :) it all worked out in the end and we all ended up taking a nap that day.

Lory State Park

 The weather has been unseasonably warm lately and so we've taken advantage of the time and gone up to the mountains. A few highlights from this particular trip:

Jeremiah practiced his rock climbing

Leah tried to start a fire by collecting wood and rubbing two sticks together.

The kids attempted to construct a shelter... you know... just in case we got stranded up there and had to hunker down for the night.

Jeremiah learned that cacti hurt when you fall on them. :)

Leah collected sticks (some I would consider logs) and desperately wanted to bring them home. She dragged them the entire mile back to the car.

 

On My Mind

Leah is the funnest person to have "pillow talk" with (its when I lay and talk to each of the kids about whatever they want before they go to sleep)

Tonight our conversation was about camping, her normal topic. She always wants to talk about when we can go camping again and what we would do on the camp out, what we should bring, etc.

Tonight was a little different though. She said... "I still want to talk about going on a camp out, but this camp out wouldn't be a normal camp out. I think we should like build stuff out of wood that we collect, like build a house, and be like, like the first people ever on the earth!"

We continued talking about what it would be like, and what we would need to learn, and to do. Then she said "But what would we do if we needed like an oil change?"... not something relevant to her like "what if we needed to go to the library, or the park, or the museum, or even the grocery store... her biggest concern about this imaginary situation would be the potential need for an oil change.

Bahahaha!

I assured her that we would build our little house on the prairie house close enough to town that we could drive into down for an oil change if we needed it. :)

PS. In this plan of hers we wouldn't sleep on mattresses, or in sleeping bags, we would go out and forage for the leaves that we felt like were the softest and make our beds out of those. Use everything from nature instead of buying stuff, she said. ...Um... she had almost sold me on the whole house in the woods life... until she went there... I would need a mattress. For sure.

A bunch of pictures that don't make sense

I finally got around to uploading photos to my computer from my phone and my camera. I really don't have time to edit them so you're getting raw and sometimes blurry photos. :) But I want to catch everyone up on what's going on.

The Girls in the snow. Anna and Leah wanted to eat the snow. Anna used her gloves, Leah, in true Leah fashion, went straight for the snow on the ground. No need to waste precious snow-eating time by using our hands right? PS - this is sometimes how she eats her dinner to her mothers chagrin.

 

 Colette just liked posing for the camera. Such a sass.

 

 

Leah, eating snow with her face.

 

I know it's november already, but back in September Leah had a birthday, she helped decorate her cake. She is quite the culinary artist. 

And the kids all playing with the neighbors. They just moved here in July, but you'd think these kids have known each other for their entire lives. This days agenda: Rob bank (check) Attack the White House, Be Famous (check) Not be discovered. :) They are all too cute.

 And Halloween 2. 

What? Your family doesn't have Halloween 2?

Halloween 1 is the FIRST time my kids get to dress up and collect oodles of candy just for being cute. (Our church halloween party filled this roll) 

Then we have Halloween 2. 

This year it was actually on October 31st when the kids went trick or treating. And, yes, my kids wore all different costumes. I told them they can change their costume as many times as they want as long as we already have all the parts. 

Enter: The skeleton, Princess, Cat, and Ranger (the only encore appearance from Halloween 1)

 This was a few weeks ago playing in the giant pile of sand that had been delivered for a patio installation at the dance studio where the girls take classes. Go home for an hour and then come back? No way! we buried ourselves in the sand.

 Oh, and homeschool.... well, lots of reading, math games, playing with each other and watching documentaries on WWII (tip: always screen war documentaries before letting your kids watch them... always)

Halloween 2014

I'm not even going to both catching up, because if I wait to do that them you'll never get any pictures! So here are some quick pictures I took of the kids before we left for the trunk or treat at church.

Anna was supposed to be a ranger from Rangers Apprentice (a book series we've been reading for the past few months). But she didn't like wearing the cloak, so we dug up leahs' old costume from when she was 2 and it fit Anna perfectly. 

Colette didn't want anything to do with Rangers Apprentice. So she was a ballerina. She wore Leah's old ballerina jacket (pink satin and white furry fabric inside) to keep her warm. 

Leah designed her costume this year. She is Evenlyn from the book series The Rangers Apprentice. She was VERY particular. (mom, does this remind you of anyone?) She drew the picture and colored it in with marker. When we went to the fabric store she compared the color of the fabric to the color of her drawing, she was VERY particular on color too. She cracks me up. THEN I started making it. "NO, the front is supposed strait across and then the sleeves are supposed to be really poofy. Then I finished it up put 8 yards of tulle under the skirt and she said "Mom, it's not poofy enough!" HA! Another 8 yards and she was satisfied.

Jeremiah is Will from Rangers Apprentice. I made the cloak, tunic, pants, and we spray painted his rain boots brown. Then he carried his bow (I didn't allow him to carry the arrows with him). He's having a great time practicing his archery. When I first made his cloak he tried it on, wrapped it around his body and stood stock still. "can you still see me?" If you've read the books you'll know why that's so funny. He quite enjoyed his costume and even slept in his tunic and pants that night.

Obviously they weren't paying any attention to me taking the photo. 

Happy Halloween!

This is what Homeschool looks like for Jeremiah

Jeremiah is learning how to animate on scratch.mit.edu

This is his first project learning how to program movement and sound. Enjoy!