A SIMPLE post

Hey all......

I posted over at SIMPLE today!!!

So jump over there to see the CUTE video of Christopher saying his letter sounds:)

We also have two GIVEAWAYS going.......you all can sign up for them.....

Tadpoles Munching

I'm very impressed with my camera's ability to get pretty tough pictures. It's funny, since having the new camera I've often thought about the goal of a picture is to capture what you're actually seeing with your own eyes...... isn't it amazing that we're trying to make something that our eyes are naturally(well some of use wear contacts) able to capture for a moment. Just another example of God's awesome details for His creation!!!

Ok...back to the point of this little post :)

Here is proof of how much the tadpoles like lettuce!! They love munching on it and riding on it:) Can you also see that one of my larger one is really sprouting his legs.... his little legs are so tiny:)

We're hoping to build a froggie habitat outside for some of the other tadpoles.....

BTW..... You can keep our Daddy is your prayers.....we're not sure what is wrong with him but he is laying down for the 2nd day in a row....which is not our Daddy's normal routine at all. Anyway, we think it's a combination of pulled back muscles and possibly food poisoning.... or maybe it's just something that he's caught somewhere....anyway, he feels a little better today than he did yesterday. But he's still in pain, tired and weak :(

The joys of Grocery Shopping with Little Ones

While I was at the check out the cashier was just looking at me..... and the bagger asked me if I wanted a new box because my box was "opened". More like ripped into:)

Yes, this is what happens when I bring the kids to the grocery store before naptime and after they decided not to eat their lunch. Even the turkey hot dogs have teeth prints in them. And yes, that was the condition of the fruit snacks box when the cashier was ringing it up.....

OH, and I normally don't get all these boxes of cereal but the Food Lion brand of Honey Nut Cheerios was BOGO...so TWO boxes of cheerios for $2.40....can't beat that!!!

And I got one of the questions that moms with a lot of kids get (although I don't consider myself having a LOT of kids... maybe one day): "Are all these kids yours?"

And because they were being soo well behaved, I proudly answered "Yes!" without any silly extra comments.

The Start to our Tadpole Adventure

On Saturday we had one of our avid outdoorsmen in the church drop off a pot of tadpoles. I had asked him to find me a few when he was in the woods and spotted some......

The best guess about how many were in the pot was about 50 or so. Well, I've been giving tadpoles away in groups of 10 or so. So far I've given away over 50 and I STILL have a pot full:)

Anna and I brought a couple inside so we could watch them closer......I really wanted to create a pretty "bowl" by putting them in a cute glass pitcher with glass gems and a plastic plant. BUT the tadpoles were finding places to "Hide" and they went down into the "rocks" and couldn't get out, so the "rocks" had to go! (And I had a plant at Walmart but someone must have tossed it out of the cart b/c I didn't have it at home and it wasn't on my receipt.)


Here is one of the bigger tadpoles....his legs are already starting to form and pop out!!!!

Believe it for not the tadpoles LOVE boiled lettuce. I boiled it for 10 minutes or so, laid it out to dry, then put the extra in a baggie and into the freezer.

For those that live close and brought home some tadpoles from us..... think about keeping your frogs for a little while and we can have a "frog race" at the park or our house sometime.... won't that be fun and silly????

An Update on the Nap Experiment

Anna went with Daddy and a deacon yesterday to do some visiting. This is what I found in the backseat when they returned.......

She really does LOVE an afternoon nap. But like I said yesterday in my post, if she gets an afternoon nap she will be awake until 11pm or so....too late for Momma:)

She was fussy when we woke her and tried to keep her awake. I had the kids alone last night because Brian had a meeting and so Anna challenged me a little (since it was only me she was trying to get away with stuff). But when I check on her at 9:40pm....she was asleep.

As I'm typing this Anna is on my computer "working" doing PBSkids and watching videos off my blog and some friends' blogs:) She's not acting the least bit sleepy :)

Rainy Day Outings and A Nap Experiment

We've really been spoiled the last few days with some BEAUTIFUL weather!! But yesterday it started to get cloudy once again......

The older kids and I were hoping to get a Walk/ride to the post office in before the rain this morning (while Lydia was napping). Instead we were able to have some fun "learning time". Then Daddy tried to take them on a run...MORE RAIN!!

Finally after Lydia woke up the clouds parted for a little while and the troops headed outside for their ride on the "rocket ship". Here's the picture of them crowding on the ship:) Poor Lydia ended up having to sit this trip out.... the ship was too crowded!!

the Nap Experiment

Anna has been staying awake in her bed for hours on the end the last few months..... All the kids go to bed at 9pm, but Anna will lay in her bed (with a few excursions) until 11 or 11:30pm!! Brian and I are constantly walking her back into her room and she lays in her bed "reading". Since this has gone on sooo long this time we're thinking she might be outgrowing her afternoon nap. And boy, will she nap in the afternoon....almost 3 hours when I let her!!!

Yesterday was our first day going nap-free. She was busy and wide awake until 9:10pm when I laid her into her bed....when I checked the kids at 9:30pm... she had CRASHED!!! She was exhausted and gone to sleep quickly. And with no major attitude or behavior issues (that usually arise when the kids are exhausted).

We did make her lay/sit on the couch with books and then she watched videos (Little Einstein and Leap Frog) when I laid down to rest. She was quiet (but awake) for at least 2.5 hours, while Lydia and Christopher slept!!!! Today she went visiting with her Daddy and a deacon so we'll see how she does tonight. And determine if this "new" schedule will be better for her... and us :)

Summer Goal: Potty Training the Younger Two

WOW!! But both little ones are wanting to sit on the potty and Anna is finally completely potty trained minus a diaper at night..... so seize the day!! I'm thinking because they have such a good teacher (Anna). And they desperately want to be like her that this might be a good goal for us.

I had to share, she's soo cute sitting on the potty...all that chub!

Of course, like everything else with kids.... I'll try it for a while and see what they do. It might be a WHOLE summer project or Lydia might wait until next year:)

Soccer, Anyone?

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Saturday at Kids Fest

A nearby town was having a Kid's Fest at their Farmer's Market. We were pretty surprised by the large turn-out... there are TONS of kids in our area:) Would have been a good time to advertise our "We need an indoor playground in our Town" shirts ;)

The kids were a little reserved in the building with all of the activities, crafts and the dressed up animals (which always freak them out.... even Lydia will now cry).But once they got outside they really started to explore:) There were fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and a helicopter.......

And we even ran into our friend Caleb and his family.

Create one www.OneTrueMedia.com

Like Father, Like Son

My sister dressed me:)

When you Know.....

your little boy is too big for the baby swing.



And here is Baby Sister trying to be too big.....

HOw to feed the birds in the neighborhood....

First we filled the feeder (after I found it in the garage.... we haven't used it in 4 years). Then we found a good place to hang it up and made sure it was sturdy.

Finally the kids went to find some birds to invite to the "new" bird feeder :) They are just too precious!!!

The two little specks in the background are the kids inviting the birds.

A Daddy's Girl

This is what happens when Daddy is away while Lydia is home....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You're cool even with mixed up Idioms

This afternoon we played one of Anna's favorite games outside called, "Silly Animals." All of us , minus one, runs up the church's handicap ramp and looks over the side. The person left at the bottom has to pretend to be an animal and then those on the ramp guess what they are trying to be.

SO it was my turn to be the "silly animal"...so I moved Lydia to my back and jumped around acting like and making monkey sounds! Christopher and Anna just giggled through shouts of "you're a monkey, with a baby on your back".

Anna came running down the ramp and said to me, "Momma, that was cool!!" I little taken back by her "new" word I asked, "Did you say I was cool?"

And she answered, "yep as cool as a carrot." H aha haa.... isn't it supposed to be "as cool as a cucumber"!!

Oh no, she's doomed like her mother to always get idioms wrong. Brian used to have a list of all the mix-up idioms that I've uttered in his presence. I wanted to share one of his favorites....but the list has mysteriously disappeared.......

Coolster Tumblers at the park

The kids have loved these new cups!! They have been drinking soooo much that Christopher has pee-peed through his diaper, Pjs and sheets TWO mornings in a row!!! Anna was wanting soo much milk and juice I would have had to go grocery shopping two extra times a week (so she got her limit and then its good 'ole water).

Little Girl Curls

Christopher is in this letter writing phase. He just LOVES writing letters.... everywhere he goes he writes letters.....SS class, coloring at the kitchen table, MagnaDoodle in the car and outside with chalk. I know it's good for him to already be exploring letters but he's going to catchup with Anna soon and have to share her "yellow reading book"!!! H ah haaaa!!


Right now we'll just enjoy his interest in "H", the backwards "P" and some "W"s!!!

Snow cap

Here's a cute little hat that Grandma picked up off a clearance rack at Children's Place for under a $1!!! It's even cute to play with until winter comes back around again:)

Cute Pic and Gross Antics

My mother-in-love shared this with us!!! What a GREAT photo!!! Thanks!!

Phew, what an afternoon....it started at 2pm (that's a bad sign...b/c it's when everyone is ready to take a nap). The kids were playing in the living room while I was still cleaning up lunch (our kitchen sink is clogged for the 2nd day so we're having to improvised). As Brian was heading out the door, Anna announced that someone had a stinky. Brian called back that he had just changed Lydia and I had just changed Christopher. Knowing that I could finish the task I was working on I said that I'd be there in a minute......

Anna came running back in not 30 seconds later saying that Christopher had a "stinky mustache"???

Somehow Lydia's stinky diaper had been removed and had landed on the carpet, creating quite a mess. And little Inspector Christopher decided to "smell" it and stuck is nose in the mess. When I got to him, he had stinky all over his nose and around his mouth.... EWWWWWW!!!

Leaving the stinky on the floor, couch cushions and couch I grabbed the two little ones and put them in the bathtub. And I called Brian back into the house to help:) In the bathtub, Brian took everything away from the kids....toys, shower curtain.....and didn't turn on the water for safety (we were both busy scrubbing the living room). They had NOTHING to do in the tub....but play with the rest of the stinky on Lydia's bottom......... EWWWWWW!!!

Life with little ones...... priceless :)

Sorry no pictures.... would have been truly disgusting to have the visual but I was dealing with the mess and smell at the time. It didn't even cross my mind to snap a picture of it until I thought of blogging it while I was dressing two clean little monkeys.

But now they are all sleeping and peace (and cleanliness) have been restored.... for now:)

Getting soo Big soo Quick!!!

We've been using both our highchair and booster seat over at the church for evening meals this week. So Lydia has been spoon-fed by Momma the last few mornings!!! This morning while I was making her oatmeal, she sat at the table and ate banana slices... she looked so grown-up, I had to do a video and some pictures:)

When we get home from service....

The video says it all........

(oh ignore the messy house.... that's just what happens with five people living here and Momma busy with other stuff.... really it's clean, just untidy)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our Day

Well we had a "normal" Monday plus revival:) And we spent a good part of our day with Andrea and her crew!! Check out her blog and video montage of our day together:) Here

BPA- Free Products

I'm totally not in the "know" about all things safe for our kids..... I have to trust our government's regulatory services to regulate and test stuff to make sure it is ok for us and our kids. It seems from the blogger-sphere and now from the Today Show, bottles and sippy cups are being questioned. OK, we survive on modern no-drip sippy cups.... I'm not sure how our parents survived the toddler years without them :)

I was needin' some more for the older two kids but with all of the buzz about BPAs and sippy cups, I've been a little hesitant. Today I just went ahead and purchased two that the kids have been really asking for:) (Actually I'm trying to get them to only have sippy cups outside the house but have tumblers with simple lids inside the house...part of growing up!!) So I purchased the Playtex Coolster tumblers with the no drip stoppers for them but they weren't allowed to open them until I checked online about whether they were BPA- free!!

So online I was lead to the Playtex webpage that is offering a free sample of their Nurser Drop-Ins that are BPA-free and well as a chart that contains all of their products and whether they are BPA-free or not. It was very helpful!!! And for being such a BIG company I was surprised that they had already become almost completely BPA-free!! So Playtex items, at least the ones analyzed, are "safe". And my kids can finally open their new "sippy cups".

Another plug for Playtex sippys....these cups are durable!!! A friend passed down some cups to me before Anna was born that had already been used and Lydia is still using them (were talking 4 different kids and over 6 years). The valves are what need to be replaced when they start to wear....but ALL of the different style Playtex cups I've purchased have the SAME valves!!! One size fits all and it makes it soo easy looking for the right components to fit the cups:)

Bedtime Reading

We love reading with our kiddies:)

The Gift of Laundry?

Just wondering if anyone out there has the gift of folding and putting away laundry???? I'm really good at sticking it in the washer and dryer...not soo efficient in the folding and putting away :)



The laundry was actually folded this evening before I started blogging!! It will be put away in the morning :)

OIAM 2008

What a GREAT crew!!!!

Saturday was a very busy day. I wish I could have done more physical labor....but keeping the kiddies, visiting the residents and taking pictures kept me pretty busy:) I also was able to talk to our church members and was so encouraged by their amazing servant hearts willing to work ALL day and do ANYTHING that needed to be done. Their hearts were soo amazing that it was emotionally overwhelming to me at times.

Kissing Boo-boos

Christopher has been making amazing progress on both bikes..... on the Dora bike he is going faster and getting "stuck" less. One the new 16'' bike he is actually peddling! He has to push down with one foot, pushing it until he can't reach it and then he pushed down with the other foot. It's encouraging... maybe we did purchase the "right" bike since he is already peddling it:)

This morning and afternoon while on the Dora bike he kept falling off and landing on his bottom and knees??? I'm still not sure HOW he got in those positions but I quickly saw WHY he was falling off. He has started to peddle sooo fast and then turn the corners onto the sidewalk soo quickly it was just throwing him off:)

While I was cleaning up his skinned-knees, he fussed because they hurt. I tried the whole "Mommy kissing the Boo-boo" trick. He looked up at me with his pouty face and said, "No, Mommy tiss them harder." I guess my gentle touch isn't enough for "tough boy" boo-boos :)

Country Living.......air shows and flowers

Our adventures yesterday.....

Warning: The worm part is very LONG..... but I thought it was cute!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here's our finished products!!!! Yay, I think they turned out pretty cute!! The kids did bits and pieces of each stage..... but they are young.... Momma still has to do the majority of the work:)

Our Wednesday chats....

After the kids played a while in the nursery at church this evening, I sat down with them and talked through the Bible stories that they have been working through during Sunday School (and that I use throughout the week to re-enforce what they have learned in Sunday School).

So I quickly went through the story of Josiah and we concentrated on what he did after his servant and priest found the Word of the Lord in the temple. I shared how they read it to all the people, how the king "torn his robe" because he was so upset(saddened) that the people hadn't obeyed God's Word.

After I finished reading, Anna looked up at me and said," Mommy, why did the king 'rip his pants'?" Hah ahaa... what a hoot!!!

I also asked her "Why do we obey God?" I mean this is a good question for anyone.... it monitors our internal motivation and gives us the reason to follow what God has laid out in His Word!! Even when it is hard!!!

Do you know what my darling answered??? "To tell other people about Jesus and because that is what He tells us to do." No bad for an almost 4 yr old!!!

I did guide her through her memory verse from February that said "We love Him because He first loved us." That obeying God is a way we can show Him we love Him. So we obey out of love for God, too!!!

Father, please help me to capture all the moments I can to guide my children to You, Your perfect love and Your wonderful plan for their lives. Let me not be distracted by all the plans of my own heart and chores that always need to be done. Help me to guide them through my own love for You seen in my actions, attitude and words.

A Busy Morning at Our Friends' House

Andrea strikes again....armed with her camera and a LOAD of busy kiddies!!! Last time she referred to them as Hamsters... this time we're rabbits:)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The cool thing was that we completed a couple of our goals today:)
* Got the Epi-pens renewed :)

* Replenished the Honey Nut "almost Cheerios" supply

* Deposited a check :) But no lollipops :(

* Got the pots painted for Operation InAsMuch. I've hoping for a project for the kids...so they "helped" paint the ceramic pots and later this week we'll put in some plants and give them to the owners of the homes we'll be working on, on Saturday! Maybe I'll be able to take pictures of the nursery we'll visit to get our little flowers... it's beautiful there with everything in bloom!

* Had lunch with our friends

* Broke in their new sandbox

* And got their Wednesday BATHS!!!

Andrea, thanks again for the pictures and video:)

Christopher's new bike

Grandma and Grandaddy got Christopher a new bike while they were here..... we think from the blog posts they felt like he had outgrown the red tricycle:)And he really had, plus I was a little uncomfortable with him riding the short tricycle (not to mention it took him FOREVER since the front wheel was soo small).

Once we got him on the bike we realized that it would be a bike he'd have to grow into and that Anna could use until his feet would reach BOTH peddles. The funny thing was that he hadn't even tried to actually ride the Dora bike, just because if it's out of the garage Anna is on it:) You can see from the picture WHO has really enjoyed the new bike... she can goo soo FAST now!!!

Well here is our evening walk/ride and Christopher on his "new" Dora bike :) He's been riding this bike for all of three days. And it was a bike that Anna didn't even get until she was 3 yrs old and here's my little 2 1/2 year old mastering it:)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yes, we did......

In an effort to restock the kitchen we decided to head to the grocery store. And we ate our dinner with our friends, Andrea and her crew, at the local Wendys!! We've mentioned to each other that we need to get shirts made for our kids that say "Our Town needs an indoor playground!!" written on the back and then let our kids GO in some of the establishments!! This is of course only a joke....it's definitely not Wendys fault that we don't have restaurant with an indoor playground....but maybe with Super Walmart coming in we might have a chance :)

Andrea is of course always armed with her camera:) She got some pictures and a video...that she shared on her blog that I'll share (sorry for those who might read us both)!!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thanks Andrea!!!

And just for those who are mortified that we let our kids do this...... the restaurant was pretty empty. One of the Wendys employees came out with a frisby in an attempt to "play" with the kids :) So a big Thanks to our local Wendys for being kid-friendly and parent-understanding!!!