He's just a country boy...

....stuck in the city!

I don't blame you Andrew...if I wasn't holding your brother, fixing dinner, holding a camera and talking to daddy, I too would have been barefoot running through the freshly tilled soil!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

Happy Valentine's Day to Us!

What a treat! Valentine's Day and the weather is 65 degrees, sunny and beckoning us to the great outdoors...and so we answered the call. After delivering something to daddy, we headed to Castle Park, by the Potomac River to enjoy some fun in the sun!
The water was so tempting...I'm shocked we didn't come home

with three wet children!

Attempt # 34 at getting a picture of the three of them together.

At least you can see all three faces in this one!

"Let's race, Ethan!"

The shirt says it all.

A few hours outside and we had three worn out children: Marc made it to the grocery store wide awake, from the grocery store home, she snacked;  but she couldn't make it the extra 20 feet to her bedroom to nap once we got in the front door. She laid down next to the dining room table and went to sleep. TOO FUNNY!

I've forgotten...

...just how destructive a 15 month old can be. Everything is a toy; toilet paper, silverware, Wii remotes, telephones, washing machines, coins, diapers, shampoo, nothing is off limits. And so I spend my days following the trail left by this one:

But just one look at that adorable grin and my mommy heart melts. I've forgotten all about the destruction!

I've forgotten...

...how much fun it is to watch a 15 month old learn. Little E mimics everything we do. Last night I was labeling the tops of paint cans at my parents and within seconds, he had secured a pen and was trying to write on top of them, just like mommy. Today, he was holding a Wii remote in the exact same position as daddy, jumping up and down while staring at the TV. And my favorite...he's learned what Nerf guns are for. Little E's morning routine involves climbing downstairs to the basement family room, opening the drawer where our Nerf guns are stored, loading a dart and bringing mommy the gun to cock for him. It's extrememly funny to watch...he'll stand in front of our targets (this week, -AR, -ER, -OR, -IR, -UR) and shoot. Before I know it, he'll be a better shot than me (and will probably have learned more phonics at an earlier age too!).

Overheard in my kitchen

Staring intently into the mixing bowl where I have a mixture of water, honey and yeast..."Mommy, it hasn't gone potty yet. No peanut butter cups for the pizza."



We are very excited about this new phase in our lives, potty trained with Minnie Mouse underwear and choosing to visit the bathroom on our own without constant reminders.




Oh darling Marcail, I said I was looking for proof that the yeast was working, but thank you for the laugh!

Confession Time

I have a confession to make: I am scared to death of going to the dentist. Blame my father; I've inherited his horrible gag reflex and bad teeth. It's not all in my head; as a child I would often get sick while they were working on my teeth; as an eighth grader, they went to pull a tooth before the novocaine took effect, as an adult, they started drilling before I was numb...I really don't like the dentist.

I say this, because I made my husband schedule an appt for me since I can't bring myself to do it. I asked him to do the dirty deed this morning and when did he schedule my appt: tomorrow! Really, my heart is racing, my palms are sweaty and I'm already planning my defense when I get told I don't floss enough, brush well enough or come often enough. Aghhh...I really dislike the dentist.

The worst thing is, my poor little E seems to have gotten the genetic predisposition for bad teeth from my side of the family. Already my baby has what we think is enamel hypoplasia; where the enamel on his teeth is not properly formed. I'm sorry sweet boy...sorry that while you look just like your pop pop, you also got his teeth issues!

A little bit of this, a little bit of that...

It all began with three strangers...freshman at a large university, biomedical engineer majors, followers of Christ. Many years later, the friendships formed in and among the challenges of college have only been strengthened as the numbers in the families have increased. Today, the gang totals 15, nine children aged 10 and under; the relationships are so close that we begin to forget who went to college together and who married into the "gang."

Amongst the six of us, we have said goodbye to parents and grandparents dearly loved, clung to one another as the ten year old in the gang was diagnosed with leukemia at age 4, we've logged many miles flying and driving back and forth from east coast to midwest to be there for each other, we've cried on shoulders in the early morning hours, questioned faith, military, child rearing, diet, health; faced a parent with alcoholism, a mother with cancer, a father with cancer...there is something to be said for friends in Christ. Modern technology allows us to text and call at will; jobs and children keep up from being in contact as much as we like; but when Christmas vacation arrived and we all descended upon Door Co Wisconsin for a week of togetherness, the conversations kept us up way too late, the m&m's went way too fast, the games were hilarious and crazy, but most importantly, God was exalted in and among the friendships formed so many years ago.



Coming home after that drive to Wi, the kids and I continued a New Year's activity that I started two years ago:

Andrew, Jan 2010

Andrew, Jan 2011

And a list of 2010 favorites, with some side comments:

"Cocoa Puffs make delicious chocolate milk."

Years ago, I was a long term substitute in a second grade classroom. The teacher had three bins full of random bits and baubles that were seasonally coordinated. She called it the "Imagination Station." When indoor recess was required, the kids clamored to play with these dollar store treasures. Trying to entertain my three young ones has proven to be challenging at times and so, I decided to give this idea a whirl. Never did I imagine the response it would get...hours of playing together, sorting and collecting, sharing and swapping, creating and imagining, making the little brother belly laugh. My $6 spent at the Dollar Store was well worth it!

Sorting into small fabric bags

Collecting taxes from the poor to give to the rich, only to have them stolen by Ethan Hood!

And finally, the Marc quotes of the week: "I have pea-knots in my hair and acorns in my knees." Translation: knots in the hair and aches in the knee.

I can't Make this stuff up!

Today, after pulling apart a pompom, Andrew says to me:

I've taken the tuft from the Truffula tree...now when you have another baby and learn to knit, you can knit a sunbonnet for the baby, like Baby Carrie had. And then, we can have another one, that'll make seven, and I'll find another truffula tree and that baby can have an orange sunbonnet.

No, I'm not pregnant!

The little idiosyncracies that he pulls from the books that we read amazes me. We leap from couch to chair, pretending to be the panther chasing a horse (his sister) from Little House in the Big Woods. We collect taxes like the Sheriff of Nottingham and store tangerines in our backpack in search of an adventure just as the narrator of My Father's Dragon.

Life is never dull when you have a five year old who loves his books!

Look Who's Three!

Sweet Marcail, how fast you've grown! Wasn't it just yesterday we were holding a squalling baby girl in our arms?

Three years old...opinionated, sassy, prone to temper tantrums, loving, caring, full of life...you are a joy sweet daughter! Enthralled by all things pink and sparkly, you asked for pinkalicious cupcakes for your birthday and mommy was happy to comply.

Some days you are a mystery to me...lost in the world of My Little Ponies, playing quietly and contentedly with your dollhouse, giggling with delight when Ethan laughs at you, screaming when Andrew looks at you the wrong way, sorting and organizing your hair bands. Being a mommy to you takes on a different look than being a mommy to Andrew!

Happy Birthday sweet girl. You bring such joy to our lives and we are so blessed to call you our daughter!

Go with what you know...

A recent walk around our house revealed:
Our oldest curled up amongst every blanket and pillow he could get his hands on, hidden behind a chair, reading a book.

Our daughter on the table surrounded by playdough, content to "cook" for all those in the family.

Our youngest, taking a brief break from his destruction...long enough to lull mom into thinking she may catch up. I know it's not true, but a girl can hope, right?

What I should be doing...

the list is endless: laundry, sweeping, baking, washing dishes, folding clothes, Sunday School prep. But, it's a sunny 75 degrees, there's a light wind and the laptop and I have moved outside. And I watch and listen: my oldest two children are on a nature hunt in our backyard. Each carrying a simple plastic box, I can hear the oldest say to his sister: "This is nature Marc. God created everything, even this leaf. A feather...Mommy, what type of bird does this feather come from? Is this a seed from a tree? Look, purple flowers."

The laundry, the cleaning, the baking...that's not going anywhere. But these moments with my little ones are fleeting and so I sit and enjoy.

"Where's the Entrance to Get Out?"

Asks Andrew of his little mouse house.

Thank you, Laura Joffe Numeroff, for entertaining my son for a full hour as he painstakingly built his very own mouse house, complete with desk.

All we're missing is the mouse....so for now, Farmer Jed will have to suffice.

Overheard this afternoon:

"Andrew, baby Jesus crying. Sing."
"No, Marc. I don't wanna sing."
"Andrew, baby Jesus crying. SING."
"Oh all right. Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he..."

I forgot...

...just how much fun two year olds can be. Marky's vocabulary feels like it has exploded overnight; just yesterday she pulled a blanket off the sofa and asked me to snuggle with her. It's almost as if she's been blind and is now seeing the world with renewed vision. She's funny, opinionated, charming, flirty, caring, sincere and a complete mystery to her father. In some ways she is so much like her older brother and in others, she is the complete opposite. I never knew parenting could be so much fun, so humbling, so frustrating, such a blessing.

A belated Happy Valentine's Day. We spent ours nursing colds, one of which turned ugly and sent us to the ER, and replacing a toilet -- the romance never dies, does it? :-)

thumbprint hearts on salt dough clay ornaments for each family member graced our seasons tree

homemade heart shaped doughnuts were a special treat during the blizzard of 2010

Outside the snow is falling...

...and falling and falling and falling. The media is referring to it as snowmageddon, the snowpocalypse, a blizzard of epic proportions. Washington, DC, has shut down; the postal system is not delivering mail; our church services for tomorrow were cancelled as of 9 am yesterday, before the first flakes fell. It's a little piece of heaven, if you ask me. The wintery white world forces us into a gentle rhythm of life. Yes we'll continue to attack the shoveling even as the snow falls, but already, we find ourselves slowing down to just enjoy.

It's homemade bread (from here: http://morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/2007/03/amish_country_b.html) and potato soup, fires in the fireplace, reading books while munching monkey bread, movies and sewing, just sitting and staring at the precious babe in my lap. Oh my, how I love this snow that forces us all into a slower pace of being.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Enjoying this blog...

http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/

...now, if only the maid would show up to finish the laundry, cleaning and cooking, I could go on a creating spree. Alas, I am the maid, the nanny and the owner of the laundromat and so, I will file away some of the projects found here until I have a spare moment or two to discover myself once again. :-)

25 Random Thoughts on this rainy day

Extremely random thoughts all swirling around in my head at the same time...don't you wish you were me?

1. I miss my camera. Daily I would reach for it to snap pictures of my growing brood...and I wonder if I should pay to repair the lens or just buy a new one. Will it be the same camera when the lens is repaired?
2. Why is it that my four year old son can be standing on top of something and never find it while my 2 year old daughter can find something downstairs, two rooms away and buried under couch cushions?
3. I really should go dig out our snow clothes for the youth ski trip tonight.
4. Sometimes I miss the days of sleeping in, reading books till all hours of the night and eating junk food for lunch.
5. On the food note -- I miss chicken too!
6. I'm feeling convicted to keep Andrew in worship with us but can't get him to sit still for five minutes at a meal.
7. Sometimes a homemade chocolate chip cookie makes the day so much brighter.
8. Why is there a roll on the floor under the table?
9. And why don't I have a canine vacuum cleaner?
10. There was a Sunday School coloring project in my freezer this morning.
11. Can a woman drown in dirty laundry?
12. There are two marbles, a lego, candy hearts, some loose change and two receipts in my pocket right now. Oh, and a pacifier.
13. Still chuckling over the episode of "The Office" last night.
14. Does eating Gobstopper Cookies at 11 am count as breakfast?
15. I still have a gift certificate to CBD to spend...the problem, it's not enough for my ever growing wish list.
16. In all things, moderation, except books!
17. How can I quickly defrost a ham?
18. I'm not really fond of my new haircut.
19. My children make me laugh (daily!)
20. WOW! I need to find the broom and sweep before the day is done.
21. its hard to type onehanded
22. my children make me laugh -- daily!
23. I would love a Sonic cherry vanilla Dr Pepper right about now!
24. "Do everything without arguing..." -- this song keeps running through my head.
25. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for me, for me -- How cool!

11, 13, 3...

What do these numbers have in common? They are, from oldest to youngest, the age in months at which my children slept more than, say, three hours at a stretch at night. I still recall to the day (September 18) the first time Andrew slept seven hours at night...I woke up in the middle of the night in cold sweats, thinking he was dead. Marcail may have actually slept through the night because I forgot to turn on the baby monitor and made her cry it out. Most likely I was pregnant with our third and so exhasuted that I just never heard her!! But Ethan...sweet little Ethan...born five weeks early, weighing almost a pound more than his brother...sweet Ethan is a great sleeper. And this week, we've been averaging six-seven hour stretches of sleep at night. Now, if I could only learn to stay on top of laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. and get to bed on time!!

Thirty Days of Gratitude

This is the time of year where I become more accutely aware of the many blessings God has bestowed upon me. And so for the next month, I set about putting pen to paper, fingers to keys, to simply put into words that for which I am so very thankful.


1. Family...my amazing husband who's a fantastic father to our three rugrats. And those three little ones who frustrate me, delight me, bring joy into our lives and bring me to my knees daily.
Daily I thank God for the gift of my family!

2. Sunshine...after days of rainy, cold, gloomy weather, God sends the sun to dry out the land. Our bodies ache to be outside, soaking up the rays and so we go, enjoying the creation that we've been given the privilege to be a part of.

3. The privilege to vote...the freedom to voice my opinions, the ability to help choose our next leaders. What an awesome responsibility!

4. Childhood...what fun to experience it again through my own children. Climbing tractors and trees, raking leaves, searching for acorns, driving, reading books, cooking...through the growing up and "maturing" process, I somehow forgot that there is joy to be found in the simplest things. Finding a wooly bear is a delight, jumping in leaf piles brings laughter and smiles; flour, salt and sugar on the floor can be cleaned but the pure enjoyment of interacting with kids while cooking can never be replaced. May I never grow too old to enjoy the little things!

A Halloween of Firsts

• Dressing up...per Andrew's request, we have Farmer Andrew and his herd. Sister Marc playing the role of pig and baby brother playing the role of cow. It was our first time trick-or-treating (in the rain) and Marcail really enjoyed the candy! She also perfected saying Thank You...quickly learning that candy didn't go in her bag unless she used her manners.

• Carving pumpkins with the kids...a first for us. Yes, these are the pumpkins from our infamous pumpkin patch visit.

• Baby's First Halloween...which automatically makes me think of four years ago when we began this journey into the crazy, chaotic world of parenthood with...

Andrew's First Halloween. The boys are three years, 51 weeks apart in age. And so, Andrew and Ethan are about the same age in these two photos. Time certainly flies when you're having fun!