To Tyler...

When I first said "I love you..."

I thought I understood the full meaning of those words.

But when I watch you as a dad -

playing and laughing,

giving a big hug,

just being there -

I realize that when I first said "I love you"

I had just begun to understand all my heart could hold for you.

I thank God for making you mine-

and then for making you ours.

-DaySpring

"How can we thank God enough for you and for the joy and delight you have given us...?" 1 Thess. 3:9 TLB

Happy Father's Day

We love you!

Whitney, Jack, Trey, Chase and Tess

Girl issues...

She got my uni-brow. So did Trey, but guys seem to pull it off a little better.

She also likes to squint a lot. Sooo much personality starting to come out (maybe with a little attitude mixed in)!

And, I've decided that most of my pictures of her will be this close for a very long time. She wants to eat the camera, and there's no stopping her.

AND, that's all I have to say, because it's late. :)

Late...

Gosh, what kind of a mother blogger am I? I've got to blog about this kid's birthday... ...before it's this kid's birthday...

But I can't tonight, because it's late. In every sense of the word.

And I was going to get smarter about being late to bed. But I haven't gotten there yet. Because apparently I excel in lateness.

There you have it.

The end of an era...

Do I have any male readers, I wonder (I dare you to comment if you're out there. Now that would be interesting.)? If so, you may want to go back to your ESPN site, weather.com, youtube, itunes, or wherever it is in internetland where you guys like to hang out.

As for this blog, it's time to get reflective, in a sappy mom sort of way.

I'm pretty sure I have nursed a baby for the last time.

(You can't say I didn't warn you, guys...)

Tess will be one year old this month... so hard to believe! It's time, I suppose, but it is still a little bittersweet for me nonetheless.

You see, Tess is the last one. It's a permanent sort of thing, unless the Lord, who is sovereign, chooses us for some modern-day miracle. That made me sad for a while too, but now I'm over it. I think the baseball schedule did it for me.

Nursing is not for everyone, I know this. But for me, it has been a wonderful choice.

And a lengthy one...

Four children, and almost a four year commitment. With each baby that came along, I swore I'd at least pump and give them a bottle every once and a while. Like when I wanted to go out on a date or something. But I never did. Before you get the idea that I'm that die-hard, I'm not. I'm mostly just lazy. :)

While this made for some excellent bonding, it also made for one land-locked momma. Especially early on when feedings are so frequent. Either I stayed or the baby went with me. Simple as that. Most of the time this worked well, but sometimes it did feel like a huge sacrifice. Especially as the older ones got older, and the juggling of the schedules became more involved.

But looking back, my did it go quickly. And now that I am leaving the childbearing years of my life behind, I am becoming sentimental. You know, of the 3am feedings that you think they might never give up... now those are some of the most precious memories I have. When everyone else in the house was asleep and all was quiet (I don't know about your house, but that's a rarity around here!), what a joy it was to have that one-on-one time rocking and feeding a sweet little one. And praying. Lots of opportunities to pray in the middle of the night for me over the years... :)

Are you a weary momma today? Whether you nurse or not, it's all hard work. But I'm slowly gaining perspective. I'm trying not to wish the days away anymore. Because there will come a day when they'd rather hang out with their cool dad instead of you. You'll compete with baseball schedules and friends down the street, messy creeks and all things Star Wars.

And you might just look back on those baby days and think to yourself, "Those were simple times," even though it didn't feel very simple at the time.

Just ask me.

Now before you start to think that I'm stuck in a retrospective rut - trust me - I'm already looking ahead. There is so much to look forward to! Fun, new opportunities that come with each new stage of parenting. And possibly my favorite part... date nights with my favorite guy that can begin before the baby is in bed for the night.

Yes, I think I'm starting to like this...

Bad Hair Day....Take 2

Not to be outdone by their younger brother...."the boys" (as I still call them, which I got in the habit of doing back when they were the only 2 boys) went all out on "crazy hair day" at school -- right down to the Flying V and tie dye T-shirts. Trey got sent to the office....which was a good thing in this case....where he competed for "best hair" in the school. CHA-CHA-CHA-CHIA!!

Waiting...

This is what you get when I'm waiting on my sheets to dry before I can go to bed...

Aren't you glad I forgot to switch the load over earlier? :)

Her dad didn't think it was right that she was using her brothers' tiger and lion bath towels. Too masculine for sure. Lucky for him, the hospital had some vendor set up in the lobby last week, so one day he came home with this. Much more appropriate, don't ya think? We're slowly getting in girl gear around here. I'm even becoming a softie and bought a pack of headbands for the first time recently (thought it was time to distract from the mullet!).

You have to love a daddy who looks out for his girl.

Bad Hair Day...

...just in need of a haircut in the worst way. Problem is, his daddy likes it this way. Long, that is. Not exactly this post-nap way. My problem with the whole thing is that my little boy suddenly looks like he's 10 years old.

And yes, since you were wondering, it takes him a bit to "wake-up" from a nap. We know this by now and we're pretty good at giving him his space until he's good and ready.

Unless we want to take his picture, that is.

An Easter Story...

Although we downplay the Easter Bunny quite a bit, somehow three growing boys still believe. I'm not even sure we've ever admitted to there being an Easter bunny. But he's famous now, because this year he got the credit for bringing the Star Wars movies into our house. You should have heard three boys squealing like little girls. No candy necessary.

Twas the night before Easter... and we panicked. The Star Wars Easter Egg Color Kit was no where to be found, and time was running out. Each boy had admired the box at length: Jack read the back of the box at breakfast several mornings. Chase carried it around with him for days, following me, asking me if today was the day we could color eggs. Trey might have even slept with it one night. But when crunch time came, the treasured box was MIA. Every boy claimed that another boy had it last. So instead of the much looked forward to TIE-fighter egg, we would have to use the boring, plain colors left over from the year before.

The disappointment didn't last long though, because plain ol' egg

coloring can even make a busy adult happy.

Jack still dressed up like a Jedi even though the Star Wars theme was compromised.

We don't have to think too long around here before we find a pretty

decent excuse to make sugar cookies...

With no family in town for us, we were blessed to spend the Saturday before Easter at the Brovonts for an Easter Egg Hunt. Many of our great friends were there - even the Brookes and the Wombles were able to make the trip from out of town! We started out with brunch...

What a fun table! These kids have played together since they were babies, and my, have we added to the numbers over the years!

Jack and Tess waiting for the hunt to start... Ready for the rules (and our first attempt at a group picture!)... And the hunt begins (ah, and the satisfying scene of children running in open spaces)!

I think Chase stopped each time he found an egg to eat what was inside. Scary thought.Although these pictures might give the impression that Easter for us is about eggs and bunnies, what you don't see captured here was our study as a family of the TRUE Easter story.

Six days before Easter Sunday, we got out our two sets of Resurrection Eggs by Family Life. Before bed during our reading time, we piled onto Jack or Trey's bed and opened two eggs each night. Inside of these eggs (12 in all) are objects that help tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. There is a wonderful devotional booklet that comes with the eggs that points to specific scripture and helps to complete the story. Let me just say that the boys could not WAIT for the next night to open up two more eggs. They were begging to go onto the next part of the story! What a meaningful week we had in the Word being reminded of the real reason we celebrate Easter!

The Family Life website says it best: "The Easter holiday may be the best time to tell your children of their need for Christ."

Easter morning with better things to do...

Summer!!

Remember snow?! Well don't! Because it's currently 82 degrees outside, and I am headed out the door to work in my yard. I love working in my yard. Let's see how long these children can nap. Blog, schlog... I'm outta here!

Blessed...

I'm sitting at the computer with a pile of dirty laundry on my lap after a very satisfying day as a mom. Not every day ends on an up note when you're in the thick of motherhood, but today I'm just feeling very blessed. What a privilege it is to be the momma to Jack, Trey, Chase and Tess. Thank you God, for these gifts from You. Help me Lord, to teach them to know and love You.

Now to the laundry room, where I end most days. As I fold each hole-in-the-knee pair of jeans and treat each chocolate milk-stained shirt, I will pray for the child who wears them. The ministry of motherhood. There is no greater calling for me.

Kitchen Fun

I really don't have much to add to this madness... it kind of speaks for itself. Chase will be three next week and has the attention span to go with his age. So when his brothers are at school and he's needing some excitement in his life, I'm pretty game for anything that will occupy his ansy little self for longer than one minute per year he's been alive.

What you may not know is that each item was taken from a drawer and strategically placed in it's spot after careful reasoning and calculation (while Chase narrated his thought process the entire time). This kid is a good mix of his older brothers - part analytical, and part goofy-hilarious.

Now, if this would have happened with Jack, say 4 years ago, I would have washed every item before putting it back in the drawer - and would have definitely put it back myself, organizing each piece as I went. But I am much less bothered all these children later. Chase had to pick up his own mess (after we admired it for several hours). It was most unorganized. Crammed in drawers in all sorts of uneven ways. Fingerprinted. Straight from the floor.

But maybe, just maybe, Chase will pick up his dirty socks for his wife oneday. I'd like to think that we're both learning something along the way.

I still refold washcloths, sometimes. If I don't refold them, I at least have to face them all in the same direction. But I'm getting better...

...baby steps.

More whistling while we work...

Yesterday we stripped beds for washing, and you would have thought it was Christmas around here. Now, ask them to make their beds (or ask them to make mine... hey, I'm no dummy), and it's like pulling teeth. But there's something about the words "boys" and "destruction" that just go together, almost like peanut butter does with jelly. This is one job they are giddy about. And I don't even need 80's music to boost moral.

On boredom and baseball weather...

Ok, baseball practice officially starts for the older boys next week, so this cold weather needs to get out of town ASAP. Otherwise, I might have to break our "no-movies-in-the-van-unless-it's-a-long-trip" rule to pass the practice time with the little ones while we wait. And let's just say that this momma does NOT like to break rules unless she has to.

So we continue to get creative indoors, and this might just be my favorite idea yet. You guessed it, I'm letting my kids watch way too much TV putting my kids to work!

With each addition to our family, the love has certainly increased, and so has the workload around the house. We have a family mentality around here. We help each other. And it's not for pay...usually. It's for what we like to call a "happy heart." Now before you get the wrong idea, check this out. Work can be fun. And I mean lots of fun. It's all in the presentation, I like to think. I can demand in a grumpy voice for my kids to pick up their toys, and it'll get done, but not without some attitudes (and probably some compromised work). Or, I can turn on some 80's Gold worship music really loud, set the timer, and challenge the boys to some sweet dance moves while they pick up and try to beat their previous record in the "cleaning time challenge". Hmm... I know which one I'd respond to better.

I've been going through the kids' clothes sorting out sizes and seasons (those tubs are a bit overwhelming, aren't they?!), and came across lots of things Chase had outgrown that needed to be returned to the ever-so-generous Costello family. When I say generous, I mean that we're spoiled. Big time. Only the Costellos would let us borrow, not one, but three pair of the same size Crocs for a two year old to run in all summer long. Nice.

So because we try to be responsible (ok, so really we just have a two year old who likes to get really dirty), we had some scrubbing to do before the Crocs went back to their home. I stuck Jack and Chase on the job, and they took their job seriously. We played music really loud, they talked and laughed together, and they got to use as much soap and water as they wanted. My OCD wanted to monitor the soap and water amounts, but you can't spoil all the fun when you ask your kids to work. And we talked about responsibility. About how when you borrow something from someone, you want to give it back to them in just as great of shape as when you got it. And instead of that turning into a lecture, it turned into a great conversation about how much we love Cade and Jace and want to bless them. Ah, can you feel the love?! They might have even forgotten momentarily that they were working...

Clean shoes and "happy hearts," and everyone wins, right? Turns out they're getting smarter by the day, so I'm not sure how long I'm going to get away with this method. Here's another news flash: I'm not always patient and creative when it comes to getting my kids to accomplish a task (heh, I had you fooled, didn't I?). Sometimes the work just plain needs to be done, no questions asked. Kids dilly-dally and days get long. But we're family.

We work together. We play together. We might as well have fun while we're doing it. I remind myself of this often. I am 35, you know. :)

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - e.e. cummings

"...she can laugh at the days to come." - Proverbs 31:25

A Day in the Life...

These two are pals (I typed "buds" at first, but realized that I now have a girl to consider), in a limited baby sort of way. Chase can't wait until Tess is ready to do something besides occupy his mom's precious time. Like play dress up. We certainly need a Tinkerbell around here to round out the cast.

She has no idea what she's in for.

Tess - 8 months!

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary...

I hear this phrase often in my house: "Mom, can we do an activity?"

Now this is code for different things depending on the child.

Jack: It has to involve multiple, complicated steps with materials that we never have on hand, like a laser beam or a jet engine.

Trey: It's crafty and artistic in nature, but make it simple, or he'll get frustrated easily. This will make him whine for a half hour straight, all while I'm in the middle of making supper, the phone is ringing, and the baby needs to eat.

Chase: Lay lots of paper towel down, and plan on at least one spill of the paint rinse water. If scissors are involved, clear out anything of value, including all clothes that he is wearing. Oh, and be prepared to intervene every 12 seconds.

So when they ask to do an activity, my first logical response is, "Sure, who wants to color?!"

Of course not. It could never be that easy.

Plain old coloring has lost my children's interest, especially in the wintertime - when all of a sudden nothing is as interesting as it used to be.

So we resorted to this, and it was a huge hit:

Put them on the floor, and miracles happen. I'm not sure why this is, but somehow by simply changing the location, coloring became the coolest adventure ever. And they were entertained for more than 15 minutes. No water spilled, scissor slits through pants or lasers needed. And I barely intervened (except to help Chase practice writing his name). Sometimes I have to stop being 35 and get into the head of a 7, or 6, or 2 year old... and what do you know?

The ordinary becomes extraordinary all over again.

I should have gone to college for this stuff.

Surviving the Winter, one small extraordinary moment at a time...

Checkin' In...

Since I've yet to download LOTS of pictures (still documenting our Winter activities, you know!) and it's been forever since I posted, thought I'd tide you over with some pictures of the boys...

More to come soon (including lots of girlie pictures - her hair is officially long enough now for a hair bow!)...