The lone boy

Owen just came to me and said,

"You know the two girls in the house?"

Hmmm... let me see. Yep, I know them. Gave birth to them. I've seen them around.

"They made a mess in my room, and they won't clean it up".

He is highly concerned about the state of the house now that Santa will be coming soon. One night he went to bed and looked around and told me I'd better clean the place up. I'm working on it. I'm working on it.....

Oh, these kids are funny.

Phoebe stays with my Mom while I work. Today she was telling me about a craft she made with Nana. I said it sounded like fun. She said, "It was. You should drop by sometime."




Yesterday evening dinner was pretty loud and crazy. Finally, Chloe and Owen left the table. Phoebe was hopping down from her chair, and she shook her head and said, "Those kids. I swear."

Owen made an ornament at school today. It had a very long string around it. I thought he made me a necklace, so I put it on as soon as he showed it to me from his backpack. He said "Actually, that gets put on the tree". I also messed up when I asked him if it was a mosaic, because it had small red, green, and white squares glued on it. He then said, "What's a mosaic?"

I can't think of any recent funnies from Chloe, although a little while ago, for some reason, I was thinking about her right before Owen was born. We told her we were naming him Owen Daniel. She thought about it for a second and asked, "What will his last name be?".

Good things come in pairs.....

Phoebe found a pair of Christmas socks from last year. She was so excited and put one on, then held up the other one and gasped and said "Another one!". I'm so glad socks come in a pair for her delight.

Today she wore her new Christmas dress to go get pictures taken. She pranced around it and said it was "Sassy!".

We saw Santa at the mall on Monday. Mom was looking at the picture and Phoebe pointed to Santa and said, "That's the guy who will bring the gifts". Sadly, she was terrified of the guy and wouldn't get off my lap.



Phoebe loves to play with her alphabet flashcards. This evening we were playing with them and she got to the K with the king. She said it was the "K for the Queen Daddy". (The Q card has a Queen.)

She didn't have a nap today and was tired this evening. About 5:00 she wanted to go to sleep. I told her it was too late for a nap. She said she wanted a drink and she would just "take a little rest".

I'd love a little rest now, but there is still lots to do, like go match up all those pairs of socks......

Turkey time

Phoebe and I made some turkeys today with some of our pumpkins we have. I had some craft feathers and felt that we glued on. Just glue the feathers on the back, we used buttons for eyes, and cut the beak and waddle out of felt. She had a great time making them. I think they would be cute centerpieces for Thanksgiving dinner.




Another idea for Thanksgiving is this turkey cheeseball I made. Use any cheeseball recipe and add feathers of cheesecubes, olives, and cherry tomatoes. Use skewers or sucker sticks to stick them on. I used pecan halves for more feathers and cut a piece from a red pepper for the mouth/beak/waddle. (Is it called a waddle? I don't know.)



My cheeseball recipe is: 2 packages of softened cream cheese, a package of shredded cheddar cheese, and a package of ranch dip mix. I usually roll it in chopped pecans.

Miserable or Joyous?

I love this quote by Haim Ginott. It is so moving to me. It applies to me as a teacher, and also as a mother.

"I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.” ~Haim Ginott

I hope and pray I'm the teacher who makes children's lives joyous (at least when they are with me). I want to inspire, humor, and heal.

I know at our home that how I react to something is how my children react to it. If I am freaked out by something, the whole house is in a frenzy. If I am in a bad mood, so is everyone else. If I am happy and joyful, so are they.

I'd much rather be joyous than miserable anyway!

My girl

Finally got Phoebe's birthday pictures back. I really love them.




She is doing well with my Mom (and Daddy) while I'm at work. She likes to go every day and says she goes "by herself". She feels like a big girl to go without Chloe and Owen. I miss her, but I'm glad she's having fun. She is always glad to see me when I get home, and I get lots of extra lovings from her. She tells me often, "You are a good girl, Mama".

I like my job, but it's busy and a lot to get used to. I'm forever tired. I enjoy my students. They are so cute. Yesterday one Kindergarten girl came back after being absent. I told her I missed her and was glad she was back. I asked if she was sick and she said, "No. I had bugs". That made my head itch the rest of the day. One day I was holding up pictures and we were naming the picture and the letter and sound it started with. One picture was a vase. I asked what it was and a boy said, "A flower holder". In one group we were working on the "th" sound. We were making a list of th words. One girl said "thong". Another asked what that was and the girl explained. The girl then said "Oh yeah. I've seen those at Walmart". All my groups are great. I have a group from every grade K-6. I run all over the school picking up my groups every 30 minutes. At least I get some exercise. Then I come home and run around. I don't sit down because I may never get back up. It's a non stop day from 5:30-9:30 or 10:00.

Last week brought the lovely swine flu to our house. Both Chloe and Phoebe had it, but are well now. Still a lingering cough and runny nose, but doing fine. Owen somehow escaped getting sick. I have a cold I can't get rid of. Danny is well so far. He's working lots of overtime, and most Saturdays. Life is busy, but we're well and happy, and that's what matters.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work I Go....

My gig is up. After being a stay-at-home Mom for eleven (!) years, I have gone back to work. I am a tutorial teacher at Chloe and Owen's school. It's pretty great to be at their school; I see them during the day, I can be involved with their school things still, I drive them to and from school, and I can have lunch with Owen sometimes (Chloe's lunch is at a different time than mine, not that she would want me to have lunch with her - that would be embarassing).

My Mom is watching Phoebe for me. I don't know who is happier, Mom or Phoebe. Phoebe was so excited to go there. Mom thanked me for letting her watch Phoebe. Danny picks her up around 1:30, so she gets to spend the rest of the day with Daddy. Chloe, Owen, and I are home from school a little after 3:00. Not bad.

I hope I can settle into a routine and not be too overwhelmed with work, school, home, and kids. I am grateful for this job, and grateful that I was able to stay home while my kids were little. Our baby days are over, so it's time. I'm sad that I can't stay home with Phoebe for as long as I did with Chloe and Owen, and I'll miss her like crazy, but in reality, 3 kids are expensive. Life is expensive. So, hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go....

Hilarious Playdough

Today Phoebe and I made playdough. We made orange and green so we could make pumpkins. Then we got out the Mr. Potato head pieces to create people (or monsters as Phoebe said). She said it was "hilarious". She played for a long time and said "this is making me tired". Once she said "Do you want me to make you a flood?" (whatever that means). I said sure, and she said, "Sorry. I can't."








Here's the recipe we used that always works well:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp vegetable oil
food coloring

Mix everything except food coloring in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it holds together. Stir the whole time. When it's cool enough, knead on a floured surface. Add food coloring.

Tooth #2

Owen lost his first tooth on a Saturday, and the second tooth on the following Thursday. He looks so cute. I always thought he'd be one to freak out over losing a tooth, but he doesn't. The second one was pretty loose, then he bit into an apple and it got really loose. So, he took a tissue and pulled it out. Phoebe insists that she also has loose teeth. I think it's safe to say, the tooth fairy can take a break for awhile.

Tooth Fairy

Owen lost his first tooth on Saturday. It was an exciting day for him. There was some tooth fairy discussion. Chloe still doesn't own up to the tooth fairy not being real (Chloe lost a tooth on her birthday), Phoebe thought the tooth fairy actually pulls the tooth (to build a castle), and Owen was just wanting some loot. She flew in and left $10 (the first tooth always gets more) and some pixie dust (aka glitter). Owen wonders if he rubs the pixie dust on himself if he could fly. He also wonders how she carries the money. When Chloe lost her first tooth, the tooth fairy had no change and had to leave a twenty. The tooth fairy later suffered from inflation and the poor economy, and usually just leaves a five. I think she'll be flying in here again soon because Owen has another tooth about to fall out. Let's hope she has change when it happens.

Cute kid stuff

When Chloe is in the bathtub, she fills the tub completely up and since I'm the last one to get my bath every night, I sometimes run out of hot water. I hate nothing more. I love a hot bath. So I yelled in and told her to turn off the water. She didn't hear me, so Owen ran in and told her. I couldn't hear exactly what she said to him, but he came in and said Chloe "bad talked" him. I hate that bad talking.



Phoebe calls Owen her boy. I love that. She told the neighbor this evening that her boy was riding her tricycle. She tells people about her boy all the time. I was talking to a cousin I ran into at the store and she told them our kids were at school. Yesterday I heard her tell my Dad something about her girl Chloe. When she talks about Chloe and Owen together, she calls them the kids.



Phoebe is suddenly into playing store all the time. She calls me "lady" and asks me how much things cost. Then she bags up everything we own into plastic bags. It's usually books. Then I have to give her a receipt and tell her to have a nice day. Once I forgot to tell her to have a nice day and she said, "I'll have a good day". Yesterday she put all the bags in her little shopping cart and took them and put them in the chair. Then she got in the chair and pretended to drive. Today she wanted me to go outside while she rode her tricycle and she told me we'd go outside and then play store in a minute. We're on a tight schedule around here.

Every night at dinner I ask Chloe and Owen to tell me the best and worst parts of their day at school. Owen is really loving first grade. He always tells the best part of his day (today it was playing with the parachute in gym), but usually says he didn't have any bad parts. Today he did say when his friend had to change his card (their discipline plan involves changing the color of their cards).

Chloe is doing well in sixth grade and likes her teacher, but isn't really thrilled with going to school in general. She told me that two boys "asked her out". Out? Where are they going?? She told them she was already "dating" someone. I can handle the boy stuff okay, but I don't like the bad talking. ;)

Phoebe Leann's 3rd Birthday

Three years ago on September 14th, our last baby, Phoebe Leann, was born. She was born a beauty and a blessing, and remains a beauty and a blessing three years later. We have treasured her and enjoyed her, loved her and delighted in her.

Her first birthday:




















Her second birthday:




















Her third birthday:




















She had a princess party the day before her birthday and she had such a good time!




























































































I thank God every day for my little princess.

The Game Farm

Over the weekend we went to the West Virginia Wildlife Center. We always called it the Game Farm or French Creek Game Farm. I loved going there as a kid, and Danny says he did too. We've had Chloe there two or three times, and Owen once when he was a baby. It's about a three hour drive to get there, so we don't go very often. Some pics of the day:

Chloe is 11???

I don't know how in the world Chloe just turned 11. But she did. Eleven years ago on August 28th, Chloe was born. She was a tiny thing at 6 pounds and 6 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long. The most wonderful, perfect, beautiful thing we had ever seen. My labor and delivery with her was horrible. No epidural and more pain that I could have ever imagined. We were so happy to meet her, to love her, to be her parents. She was my first baby, the one who made me a mother.



Being the mother of an eleven year old isn't something I thought about when I was pregnant with her, or when she was a baby, or even a toddler. It is sometimes interesting and not always pleasant. She is a delightful daughter though and is one of my greatest joys and blessings. Now at eleven she loves makeup, wild jewelry (less is more means nothing to her), especially earrings, gum, crazy clothes, pandas, reading, her new cell phone, magazines, sleepovers, and polishing her nails.

On her actual birthday this year we had a little cookout and an ice cream cake. We finally relented and got her a cell phone that she has been dying for.




For her party we rented the pool. She had a great time with all her friends despite the cool evening.





It was a great birthday and I hope she has many more happy ones! I can't wait to see what the next year brings (I think).

NO JUMPING

I find these pictures hilarious because of the sign that says NO JUMPING. Chloe and her swimming pals, Leah and Camryn, are jumping in the pool on the last day of summer before school started. We ate lunch at the pool that day and they had a fun time.








Owen and Phoebe had fun too, but didn't do any jumping in the water.




We'll swim this weekend for Chloe's pool party (it is supposed to be cold which has me stressed out about her party), and that will be it for swimming this year. Goodbye summer.