Fishin' With Dad

Getting to spend time with just one kid at a time has seemed so precious......I guess becuase it is starting to feel like we have too dang many kids hangin' around us! And they ALL want time alone with mom and dad. I do think, though, that it is important. Because life is always so hectic, fast-paced and passes us by at the speed of light so it's best to do what you can whenever you can.....even if it isn't planned. Last Saturday the girls went to a movie with a friend and Reese was feeling pretty special not only to get to go fishing with dad, but that mom was actually going to go fishing, too.

He did have a bit of luck and is reeling one in in this photo. Mom enjoyed watching and taking picutres and dad was in charge of getting the fish to bite. We all had a great time and I was reminded of the compassion my little boy is made up of and it most certainly tugged at my heart strings......The breeze got a little chillier and he asked me if I had a jacket for him and I said no, but that he could have my sweatshirt if he wanted it. He turned around and looked at me, surveyed the situation, asked me if I just had short sleeves on under it and said, "no mom, I don't want YOU to be cold". Now please tell me, please, that this part of him will never change....

Reese's Turn!

We have been blessed with some beautiful weather, though today it is windy. Anyway, Reese has been practicing baseball a lot. And when he's not practicing baseball, he's running around kicking the football. I have made myself put my video camera in a very handy place because this little boy is growing up way too fast. For a kid who barely said a handful of words at the age of 2, he sure has made up for it. And there are too many video ops that I have let pass me by. But this weekend I was sure to get this on tape.....for Uncle Mark, who will be helping disect his swing in the near future, for Mr. Patrick, who I know would love to be pitching to him (you wont hurt your arm but you better have quick reflexes!)....for the college scouts in the year 2023....and for me. To never forget my little boy before he grew up...

Today's Science Lesson

We did science today and I thought it might be interesting to show you a typical science class...



The blue bottle is our first experiment....didn't quite work. We were finishing up studying air pressure and today was our first experiment with chemical reactions. What better (and easier on mom) than some old baking soda and vinegar. It did the trick and trying to explain this to the kids is another challenge. Esepcially when Reese always has his 2 cents worth to get in. Take a look.



The commentary by Emma was not prompted at all. I was just trying to get the lesson across. I don't know, do ya think?

Buck Up Little Camper

I have reached the home stretch, I do believe. They call it the 35/5 mark on the coolest of pregnancy websites. That means 35 days left or 35 weeks along or 5 weeks left or something along those lines. I thought weeks 37-40 were miserable but I am slowly remembering it is more accurately the final 7 weeks that are miserable. Lots of discomfort and some pains, belly turning rock solid and plenty of pitty parties for myself. Only I'm usually the only one attending.

Yes, it's time to suck it up and just ride this journey to the end. My husband helped me realize this, actually. It wasn't exactly a pleasant lesson, but one I needed, nonetheless. I was getting all tied up in all the aches and pains and fatigue and added pounds and extra pimples and not liking much of this pregnant thing at all. Though he didn't exactly say it to me this way (he is a smart man), it's time to buck up. I know that I am lucky. I am extremely lucky. I am truly blessed not only to have this child growing inside me at all, but also to be so relatively healthy and able to even endure all of this. I am lucky to be getting jabbed in my ribs, my hip bones, and out my belly button. I am lucky to be sharing this with my kids who can understand and appreciate and have true wonder and awe with what is happening before their eyes. I am lucky to have a husband who puts up with a roller coaster of hormones, emotions, tears and moods and then finally to know when I need nothing short of a kick in the arse to suck it up and hoe the road ahead of me. Thank you, honey. I didn't know it then, but I know it now. That's just what I needed... I love you more than you will ever know.

CJ

Yeah, wow, big. Still 5 weeks to go? I am tired, moving slower, trying to be as healthy as I can possibly struggle to be. And most of all, excited as all get out to meet the baby! Been thinking about names a lot:
Girls: natalie or gabrielle or gabriella

Boys: kayce, gage, jaiden, ugh! need more suggestions!

Too tired to think of anything else to write. My brain, like my legs---out of commission!

Getting Closer....

.....to what? To even more uncertainty? As my due date nears (okay, I'm not thinking due date, I'm thinking about 2 weeks BEFORE my due date), my emotions are rollercoastering. As the economy plummets (?!) and our finances still are hard to handle, I have to admit I am now looking at the financial side of having another baby. We have never really looked at another child as a financial burdern. We've always had good insurance so that was never a problem and our budget always had room for the baby necessities and then some. Disposable diapers, baby food, binkies, toiletries, wipes, etc. etc. etc. It was an added expense, but one that certainly was not a bother. With the state we are in now, however, I look at things like traveling, hotel rooms, airfare, that seem almost impossible with 4 kids. Let alone the cost of eating out and clothes shopping or whatever. Granted, 2 years ago when we decided we wanted/needed a 4th child to complete our family, these thoughts were not even in existence. But low and behold by the time we get to this point, everything has changed.

I know brighter days are ahead and I know we'll get back on our feet. But what I know and feel very strongly is that our family is ready for this. I know we are all excited about meeting our newest member and watching him/her grow as the other 3 have. I know that this family will be bursting with the love we have to share with this little individual and that he/she will have an amazing life filled with faith, hope and love from being a part of this family. I watch Patric with the kids and can't believe how incredible a father he is with them and can't wait to see him starting over with another little peanut to love from scratch. And the best part of it all is that this, this is what makes us richer. We'll be fine, no doubt. But more importantly, we are incredibly blessed with a whole lotta love that doesn't cost a thing.

Swim Team Banquet & Karly Jo

The girls had their swim team banquet last night. It was a really neat event and the girls both got awards, as did every one on the team. I think it means a lot to get recognized in front of their peers and their family. They both were very proud and it was fun to watch them. The swim organization is a class act and has a great group of swimmers whom are blessed to have a tremendous support group in their parents and volunteer coaches. Click here to check out the team.

I had a very lazy day. In fact, after not getting much sleep last night, I actually slept in until 11 thanks to the time change. I awoke to a barage of emotions, however. My little girl is turning 7 this week and she's my little me. She's my middle child with the middle child syndrome and all but also has the biggest heart and most compassion I think a kid can have. She is always the first to check on me or detect something wrong. She takes care of her brother almost as well as I do and worships her family completely. She's definitely strong-willed, don't get me wrong, and VERY stubborn, but her family means more to her than anything. She is a girly girl, and has a strong flare for fashion, but material things are relatively insignificant. She's easy to buy for because almost anything makes her happy. But my strong emotion this week comes from the fact that she's growing up. I don't know if it is a birth-order bond or what, but she's always been my little buddy and after an entire semester of a LOT of angst of homeschooling her, we finally got over the hump and I treasure every minute I get to spend with her. I feel as if I'm watching her transform before my very eyes. (Check out her senior picture-type pose above.) She has the biggest of shoes to fill already in big sis Emma and her swimming accolades, but Karly is determined not to get lost in it. She is her own person. She is brave. She is courageous. She is strong. She is very indecisive. She is beautiful. And she is growing up fast. And I hope always she stays my little buddy. My coffee shop girl. I love you sweet pea. Happy #7!

Our First "State Meet" Experience

Wow, Emma is only 9 and we are already doing this sports thing...."all the way to state". I told Patric we forgot to soap our windows with cheering phrases like "Take State" or "Beat ____". Ha! That's a joke because we are just laughing at ourselves for getting so "into" our kids' activities at such a young age! What are we setting ourselves up for????? We haven't even gotten to our boy yet!

We headed to Los Alamos this weekend and cheered Emma in her first state swim meet. She had personal best times in 3 of her 4 events and even placed 8th in one of her events! We were super proud of that and even though the entirety of the swim meet, with all the waiting, humidity to endure, loudness and elbow-to-elbow viewing of the events, was pretty much miserable, we had an awesome weekend! You can view her results here. This video is of her 100 Free style. Not the best placement she had, but the other videos are too big to upload....so here you go.....