(Backtrack) Photojournal: ella mckay @ five

Last week I took Ella out during the boys naptime and we did a five year old photoshoot. I wanted to capture all the things she is about these days: reading, coloring, tree climbing, and just being her beautiful quirky self.

(Backtrack) Photojournal: 12 Dancing Princesses Party

A few pretty pretty princesses
+ A few princes
+ Decorate your own cupcakes
+ Treasure hunt present hunt
+ A lunch of the birthday princess favorites (sandwiches, raspberries, and popcorn)
___________________________________
= A birthday party fit for a queen

Not Me Monday

I did not "hide" our trip to florida last week from the blog and facebook because I am super paranoid about our house being broke into again.

Therefore, I do not have a LOT of photos to share with you and will be spending the entire week on photo catch up.
You were warned.
Or not warned.

Jeremiah's car did not get broken into while we were gone. (It wasn't parked at our house, but still.)

We did not show up at Lowes last night to get our Christmas tree only to realize they were closed and had to pacify the wails and tears of the kids with promises (bribes?) of hot chocolate. We are always on top of things like that.

I did not decorate my house with the Christmas season in mind so that all my holiday decorations would "go" with everything.
I am not that OCD.

And I most definitely did not tear up when pulling out the stockings and past holiday kids crafts (that actually survived the trash can!) when Ezra asked me where Eli's was. He doesn't remember life before Eli. I love that.

I did not go Black Friday shopping because I am way way way more spiritual and above all that American consumerism (aka: greed). And I definitely did not go to Wal-Mart of all places, the devils black friday playground. And I did not see an almost fight break out the next line over. And I did not get so nervous that I started to laugh because that is how I handle uncomfortable public situations. And I certainly wouldn't have lost sleep, gone through all that trouble, and put myself at risk just for a couple of five dollar candle sets.

Because...remember, I wasn't there.

Nope. Not me.

(non-turkey) food for thought

Frederick Beuchner wrote in The Magnificent Defeat:

The love for equals is a human thing - of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles.

The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing - the love for those who suffer, for those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. This is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world.

The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing - to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is bewildered by its saints.

And then there is the love for the enemy - love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured's love for the torturer. This is God's love.

It conquers the world.

self-portrait(s)

Ezra's drawings just recently have moved beyond squiggles and lines into somewhat recognizable actual objects and people. So fun to see.

Here are a few of his latest:














































This one is for the gramma's in his life. Ezra in action:

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thursday Thoughts (of the thankful variety)

I have so so so so much to be thankful for this year. Overflowing amounts of thankfulness emanate from my heart on this day.

The big things:
Undeserved and unchanging love from the creator of the universe.
Experiencing intimacy and dependency on that creator this year.
The best husband in the world. Seriously.
The most incredible kids ever. Most of the time. (kidding...)
Health.
Provision for all our needs (and much of our wants).
3 incredible families that lavish love and support on us.

The littl-er things:
Reflecting on fond memories of holidays spent with my Grandad and Grandmother.
Potty-trained Ezra.
Chapstick.
Durham County libraries.
CVS black friday deals (i made out like a banshee...more to come on that next week!)
Enzo's pizza.
Old Navy yoga pants.
New slippers.
Hot coffee first thing in the morning.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Homeschooling: Thankful Week

We've been studying the story of the first thanksgiving the past few weeks. We read lots and lots and lots of books...






















Sidenote: If you've never gone to your local public library website...do it. I searched for juvenille thanksgiving books and had them "ordered" to the closest library to me. I've done the same for tons of Christmas books...or any other theme we are studying.

We made our version of a thankful tree. Wrote a story about a "little pilgrim girl named Ella..."
Made a timeline of the pilgrims trek from England to America and their first year. Marked their journey on our big world map. Wrote some thank you notes. And, of course...made some handprint turkeys.

five

Today my firstborn turns five.



























I don't really remember the details of the actual day that well as I unexpectedly had my water break almost 6 weeks earlier than my due date and she became our Thanksgiving surprise instead of our Christmas present. It was all kind of a blur.

But I do remember with astute clarity the moment I first saw her.
The moment I first held her.
The moment we lay on the hospital bed, skin to skin, and made eye contact.
The first whiff of her sweet newborn baby smell.

Bliss.
Love.
Deep.

Those first few months I felt like I vacillated between flying with euphoric bliss (the first smiles and laughs) and drowning with guilt ridden anxiety (am i holding her enough? am i holding her too much? oh my gosh it has been too long since she has eaten. oh my gosh she just ate 30 minutes ago.)

We slowly found our way...

and today she turns five.

She has changed me so much these five years. Motherhood has changed me. I learned (and am still learning) to die to my selfishness, my desires, and to my insane illusions that I had any control over anything much less another little person. I learned that all my preconceived notions regarding good motherhood were just that: preconceived notions. I learned to trust my instincts and to go to the word of God for wisdom.

I've learned that she is an amazing little thing:

Oh so independent but loyal at the same time.
Loves food with a little heat to it. Spice not temperature, that is.
Creative, unique, and dances to the music she hears in her own head.
Can (and does) colors all day long.
Don't rush her into anything.
But don't be afraid to push her a little.
Has a surprisingly strong competitive streak.
And is astonishingly good at manipulating.

It is also worth noting that I also learned in these past five years that there is no such thing as caffeine toxicity. And that bodily fluids really aren't that big a deal. And showering every other day is actually better for your hair. And that peanut butter is really really good.

I'm not sure why I got the blessing and privilege of being her mommy. I'm not sure I'll ever know that.

All I know is that I am forever thankful for the difference she has made in my life.

Happy Birthday my sweet Ella McKay.

Shutterfly Holiday Cards

It's that time of year again. Trying to get the perfect family photo. Although, with three kids in the mix this year...my standards of perfection have long gone way way (way) down.

As long as we are all five in the picture...that'll do.

Last year and this year we used Shutterfly to make and print all our holiday cards. We also used a very simple layout to make up adoption prayer cards that we sent out to friends and family to announce our adoption. Something like this one. Believe you me, I had done all the research and comparisons...and shutterfly was the best priced option, and the quality was good.

I am super excited to find out that they are offering 50 free holiday cards for us bloggers this year.

Sweet. I love free.

My favorite thing I have used them for is to make some photobooks. The lazy, er...busy womans scrapbook. I recently made a very simple and kid-friendly one full of photos of Eli and his orphanage and our trip to Ethiopia...just for him.

















He loves it. I love him loving it.

They also have really cute cards. Spoiler alert: I plan on using this one this year.
And calendars.

Go check them out. And bloggers...go check out the blogging promotion.

Memory Monday

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

25 and 26, respectively

(Now that we've moved on from all the bed posts...)

I am over the moon excited to introduce you to my two newest siblings, Stella and Annabelle:























Aren't they be-yoooo-tiful!

My parents passed court this week and hope to travel to bring them home from Ghana in early 2011.

Welcome to the family Stella and Annabelle!

Drum Roll Please...

Well, I know everyone has been waiting on pins and needles waiting for the results of our little research project.

Thanks to all those who helped us discover that our hypothesis was wrong. The size of the bed seems to have little if no bearing on how many children a couple has. Seems there is more to it than just sleeping in the same zip code, although that does help a lot.

We will now return to my wife's regularly scheduled and more meaningful blogs.

Fun in the Sack, A Research Project

Ok, now that I have everyone's attention with that title, I need to let everyone know that I am not Jenn. I am her adoring and adorable husband. Its early, bear with me and my sarcasm.

As many of you know, Jenn has recently posted about our "Graduation" from a Full size bed to a King size bed. I have to admit, its pretty incredible. Like a "where have you been all my life" kind of incredible. I swear Cherubim sing every time I lay down in it.

As incredible as it is having a bed go wall-to-wall in our tiny "Master Suite", it has caused us to question a few things. One of these questions (OK, its really the only only question) is whether or not the size of the bed a couple has correlates to the number of kids said couple has.

Our hypothesis goes a little something like this. "The smaller the bed, the more children a couple generally has. The larger the bed, the more likely it is for the couple to forget each other's names and have to reintroduce themselves periodically."

So we need a little help to publish this in Scientific Weekly and get our Today show interview, if you could comment with the following information it would give us something to laugh at.

We need the sizes of beds you have had as a couple, the number of children you currently have or will have, and the size of bed you had when you had kids. Thanks!

King-ed

When Jeremiah and I were oh so young we went out shopping for furniture for our first apartment right before our wedding.

Of course being the naive (and frugal) people that we were (still are?) when it came to choosing a bed we looked at the options...full, queen, and king...and thought oh, we won't mind being close and a full is so much cheaper.

So that's the route we went.

Ahem. Just a few months into this whole marriage thing we realized we might have made a mistake. Sure, we like cuddling. But not when we were trying to sleep.

And especially with a man who likes to sleep with his arms crossed behind his head. Which means I have elbows in my eyeballs at random times throughout the night.

1 year. 2 years. 3 years. 4 years. 5 years. 6 years. 7 years go by.
1 child. 2 children. 3 children later.

Why did we buy a full sized bed again?

Then last weekend my parents gifted us with a king size bed.


















King sized, people. That's like 17 times bigger than a full.

We slept the whole first night without bumping butts, pulling elbows out of eyeballs, or smelling stinky middle of the night breath. Amazing.

Fast forward a whole week and we are still in amazement. And adjusting. Can I admit I sort of miss those elbows? And if you have to bump butts with someone...

Just saying.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

How bout you?
I'd love to hear about any newlywed naivety you quickly learned the truth about?
Or any frugal decisions that you regretted later?

Thursday Thoughts (and worth your time)

It's been a busy busy week around here and today is my first opportunity to not to have to run anywhere or entertain anybody. While I've loved all the fun of the week and wouldn't change a thing...I am a girl that needs a certain amount of white space in her life. And I am so looking forward to just chillin' with my kids today. Building some train tracks. Going for a walk. Jumping on the trampoline. Reading some books. Ahhhh.

Anybody else a white space kind of person?

I've been getting my coupons in order for CVS black friday deals coming next week. I've been out of the CVS game ever since Eli came home (priorities, ya know) but am excited to make a jump back in to score some freebies.

Ezra asks me numerous times a day, every single day if Christmas is coming tomorrow? (The very first thing he said to me this morning was "Is Christmas coming in one minute?") This is going to be a fun 6 weeks. Forget the traditional 25 days countdown calendars...I need to make up a count down to Christmas that starts at Halloween apparently.

Some things I've read recently that are Worth Your Time:

I love her honesty and how she writes about the messiness of adoption. A holy mess.

A new take (and welcome jolt of perspective) on the thankful tree.

Ella turns five next week. For some reason this milestone seems exceptionally big to me. Five years is just so old. How in the world do I have a five year old?

























I love this photo of her. And I think I am going to love five.

Happy Thursday!

Vulnerability

As a mother you are given a front row seat to see the things your children are struggling with.

Ella may be all sweetness and smiles to her sunday school teacher, but I know her penchants for lying and manipulation. I know Ezra's struggles with self control. I know Eli's need for control.

And if I'm honest...I struggle too with the very same sin. Lying. Manipulation. Self Control. Need for control.

I've been thinking a lot lately on the need for vulnerability with my children. For me to not act as though I have it all together and that I've mastered all my sins in front of them. Because, they may not be able to verbalize it yet...but they already know my struggles. For they too have a front row seat into my life.

I'm in danger of parenting like a hypocrite when I don't acknowledge my very own vulnerabilities to my children. When I discipline and instruct without regard to the very own thing I have struggled with that day I run the risk of their forming a seed of bitterness for the sin I haven't acknowledged...even though it has been out to display for them to see. (And experience.)

Of course I am responsible for disciplining, training, instructing and I am not implying that I just forget about those responsibilities until I get all my act together(um, which will be never on this earth!)...but to add the aspect of vulnerability will only enhance my children's relationship with me and more importantly...their relationship with Christ.

Vulnerability in action when applied to parenting can be as simple as asking my children to pray for me when I am struggling with a bad attitude. Or apologizing for losing my temper. And not adding a big ol' BUT to that apology.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you...BUT you need to obey when I tell you to pick up your blocks."

Ella has this habit of coming up to me (when I am in the middle of cooking dinner, refereeing the boys, and the telephone is ringing at the same time) and asking me a question like: Can I color?

This is what runs through my head at that moment:

Um. Really? You are really going to ask me that?

This is what I say to her (usually in an exasperated tone):

Go for it!

One day a few weeks ago she told me "Mom, I really don't like it when you say that to me."

And I stopped.
And thought about it.
And realized I wouldn't like it said to me, especially in the tone I was saying it.

And I pushed back all my feelings of "I'm your mother, I can say anything I want to you. It's not like I told you no or something mean...I just said 'go for it'!"

And instead I apologized.
And told her that I would try hard not to say that again to her in that kind of a way.

I wish I could say I am always aware and intentional about being vulnerable and recognizing those teachable moments.
I don't.
But I'm working on it.
And my kids know it.

And that's the whole point.

Phillipians 3:12

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold for me.

Weekend Recap

Better late than never, eh.

The rest of our time with my Dad consisted of a walk around the pond (which included some football while walking, of course), Dad doing his park naturalist thing (he used to be one), and the funniest fashion show you ever did see...






















































































































































































And Eli got to go on a Daddy Date to his first football game ever!

Not Me Monday

I did not get peed on (my entire right shoulder) by one of my children at church yesterday.

That same child did not manage to completely soak his pants, socks, and underwear at the same time.

(Long long story...)

Of course I always keep a spare set of clothes for all my children with me at all times. And I always update that spare set to keep up with their rapid growth at regular 3 month intervals.

Therefore, I did not end up playing musical clothes with the boys to come up with two outfits that kept them at least partially covered and dry. Stylish, not so much.

And of course I always keep a spare outfit for me in the car, so I did not just accept the pee and go on throughout my Sunday.

Sorry if you gave me a hug yesterday.

(I am noticing a trend of a lot of bodily fluids mentioned in my not me monday stories...)

Memory Monday

Isaiah 66:3

This is the one whom I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

The White Flag of Brotherhood

About a week ago we noticed a big change in Eli.

His whining went about 90% away.

Even more specifically...his whining over Ezra went about 90% away.

It is like something clicked in him and he has decided that being a brother to Ezra is not such a bad thing.

Did he decide that Ezra was his fate in life and he better just accept it and move on? Did he decide that Ezra really wasn't all that bad? Did he build up a level of trust in Ezra? Did he realize that he has his own unique position in our family and that he is equally as loved as Ezra is?

I don't know. I may never know what caused the "click". All I do know is that I am loving watching my boys acting like brothers.

The other day they had both woken up early from a nap and were still in that sleepy in-between stage. I snuggled them up in the chair with a blanket, some snacks, and let them watch some Mater's Tall Tales on the computer. So sweet together:


























And some more of their not so still but sweet none the less moments:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

River Rats

My Dad is down for a visit, along with four of my siblings. It is a rare treat to have my Dad here and we are enjoying every minute!

(Five is actually a pretty small number of them to come visit...but that is because they had to leave room in the van to bring us our new king-sized bed. More to come on that subject later.)

We went hiking this morning along the Eno River. I left the house wearing a hoodie, vest and tennis shoes. I came home missing a few items and looking like this:































I am looking like this not because I got hot. But because I fell in the river. The kids made it across safe though. And we all know that is all that matters.

Everybody except me and the two littlest boys left to go see a movie this afternoon. As I was cleaning Ezra up for his nap he sneezed and this fell out of his nose:

















A berry.

My response: Holy Moly Ezra! (Yes, I said holy moly. Still not sure why?) What is that? How long has it been up your nose?!! Don't ever ever ever stick anything up your nose.
His response: Oh, dat feels much better.

This may look like any old 15 passenger van...but don't be fooled.

























It is the perfect picnic spot for a passel of kids. Especially easily entertained ones.





























































After movie and naps we are headed to Enzo's for pizza tonight. If you live in Durham (or within an hour radius) you have to go there for the best pizza ever. Seriously. It is the best pizza I have ever eaten. No. Really. You can thank me later.

Happy Friday!

Cold Shower

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What?! You never do this to your kids?

Our motto is: What's the point in having them if you can't have some fun with them.

Happy Thursday!

What Mommy Needs To Know: The Girl Edition

It really does matter that my shoes are on the right feet.

It really does matter that my underwear is not backwards.

Pants? What are pants?

(Of course I put them on myself)

Racing stripes? Ugh. As if.

If it can be made a princess or fairy it will be made a princess or fairy.

If it can be dressed up it will be dressed up.

If it can be bossed around it will be bossed around.

The little things ARE the big things.

The little-er things ARE the bigger things.

The little-est things ARE the biggest things. Accept it and move on.

Functional clothing is an oxymoron. My clothing is an expression of myself. Fashion over function every. single. day.

The more accessories the better.

It really is necessary for you to tell me every single thing I want to know. Accept it and move on.

Daddy will out-awesome you 50% of the time. (He's just not that good at painting fingernails.)

It's really annoying when you ______________ (depends on the day and mood).

I love it when you hug daddy.

Ok, chime in with your girly additions!

What Mommy Needs to Know: The Boy Edition

It really doesn't matter if my shoes are on the wrong feet.

It really doesn't matter if my underwear is backwards.

It really doesn't matter if my pants are on backwards.

(Just be happy I did it myself!)

Racing stripes in the underwear are just a part of life. Accept it and move on.

There is no such thing as a full belly. Or a closed kitchen.

Quiet is a bad bad bad thing for you.

If it can be lined up like a road it will be lined up.

If it can be driven on it will be driven on.

If it can be jumped off of it will be jumped off of.

Clothes (and shoes) are purely functional. (See the above 1st three points.)

Daddy will always out-awesome you.

It really is necessary to make all the modes of transportation noises. Accept it and move on.

Burping and pooting are just a part of life. Accept it and move on.

It's really annoying when you suck in all the air out of the room every time we do something remotely dangerous.

I really like it when you hug Daddy.

All of you other boy mommies...anything else you'd add to the list?

Not Me Monday

My boys always make it in the toilet. And therefore, they would never have such an extreme miss as to get their underwear, pants, socks, shoes, bathroom rug, and toilet paper roll...sopping wet.

And of course they would never just ignore the mess and allow the next child to walk all in it and proceed to traipse it all through the house.

Oh no.

Not my boys.

I did not lose a library movie.

And I have not renewed it the maximum amounts allowed.

And I am definitely not contemplating sending my almost five year old daughter to be the one to face the music and tell the Librarian.

Oh no. Not me.

(I really hope you don't remember the story of the gingerbread man.)

Memory Monday

Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

2 Thess 5:16-18

Eli Conversations

It is not all slow going in the language department for Eli. In fact he is quite proficient at:

Why?

I don't want to!

No!

Mine!

and Eli's turn!

Here is a typical conversation that we have about 1,472 times a day:

Eli: Momma, what's that?

Me: That's a fork.

Eli: Why?

Or another favorite:

Eli: Momma, where's Daddy?

Me: He's at work.

Eli: Momma, where's Daddy?

Me: He's at work...he will be home at dinner.

Eli: Momma, where's Daddy?

Me: (sighing) He's at work.

Eli: Why?

And lets not forget this one:

Me: Eli, go and put your shoes on.

Eli: Why?

Me: We are getting ready to go to the ________.

Eli: Why?

Me: We need to get __________. Please go and put your shoes on.

Eli: Why?

Me: JUST GO AND PUT YOUR SHOES ON NOW!!!!!!!!!! And say "yes ma'am"

Eli: Yes ma'am. Why?

Eli Update

I haven't written much about Eli lately. Which I guess is a good thing because I tend to use this blog to help me process through my hard feelings.

So...not much writing = not so many hard feelings = a good thing.

It is really really hard for me to believe we are in November and that Eli has gone through a whole season with our family. Four months of life as a Hambrick. Unbelievable.

He really is amazing. Uh-mazing.

Here's the low down:

He is sleeping like a champ at night from about 8pm till 7am-ish. Takes a 2 hour nap most days, and wakes up crying for about 50% of his naps. However, we figured out (just this week) that 95% of the time when he wakes up crying it is because he has to go potty. If we take him potty he usually goes back to sleep. That would have been good to know about 4 months ago.

He is eating like a champ and the only foods that he doesn't like are blueberries and cooked carrots. Everything else he will eat with some encouragement. I know he is up to 30lbs now and am sure he has gotten taller as he no longer fits into his size 2t pants.

He is running faster and slowly building up those muscles. His balance and coordination are improving and he throws with surprisingly good accuracy. Here's proof of some progress:

(I had planned on putting in a video of him jumping on the trampoline - but I can't at the moment. So you'll just have to wait for it.)

When he first went on the trampoline all he would do was hug the side and/or cry. See. (Or at least imagine in your mind.) Progress.

The language thing is still slow going. I know he understands us pretty well and he can say a lot of words...it is just his enunciation that is really...blurry. He has a lot of difficulty with "S" sounds and basically any other letter sounds that require him to close his lips to make. I started calls this week to get some speech therapy going.

His surgery is scheduled for January 7th. Sigh. I know it is necessary...but I am not looking forward to it. At all.

He has become really affectionate with me lately. Wanting to be held. Giving kisses and hugs. And he still shadows me pretty much all day long. We have noticed some venturing off to play downstairs or outside (without me!) lately. Which I am not complaining about.

His relationship with Ezra is improving week by week. We can have whole sections of the day now without a fight breaking out between them. They both love playing with their cars and trains and have worked out a unique dynamic when playing: Ezra loves the building of the roads and tracks and Eli loves the running of the cars and trains on the roads. So Ezra just keeps building and Eli keeps vrooming. Progress, people. Progress.

And, again, on the honesty front...my feelings and attachment towards him continue to move forward each week. But in a two steps forward, one step back kind of thing. I don't even always know what throws us "off" but it happens sometimes...and I usually end up going to the Word and reminding myself of how equipped I am with the love of Christ to love Eli. And that helps. Going to 1 Corinthians 13 and replacing the word "love" with my name and honestly asking myself if I am loving my son in this way always resets my mind...

Love is patient. Love is kind.

It doesn't envy or boast.

It is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way.

It is not easily irritated or resentful.

It does not rejoice in wrongdoing but in the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

We love you Eli Cade. (And am learning how to better love you more and more each day.)

Not just to the kitchen and back...but to the moon and back.

Thursday Thoughts

I am in time out as I write this. Sometimes a mommy just needs a time out herself, ya know.

I am so fed up with technology. Fed up. If it's not stolen around here its broken and if its not broken it just isn't working right. Computer. Camera battery charger. SD card. Phones. Sigh.

So no photos for a little while until we get everything replaced and/or fixed. I feel like I'm blogging blind without my photos.

Ella and I made a big pot of my favorite minestrone soup this afternoon. It is a soup kind of day around here with all the rain and cold. I'll pass on the recipe for you in case it is a soup kind of day where you are too:

Ingredients:

1 lb (or less) ground hamburger

1 small onion

1/4 to 1/2 head of chopped cabbage

1 can of northern Beans, drained and rinsed.

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

4 cups of chicken broth

2 cans of bean with bacon soup

A couple cups of cooked bowtie pasta

Cook hamburger, onions, and cabbage together. Season with salt, pepper, garlic if desired.

Add in rest of ingredients. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

I've made a pretty good dent into my Christmas shopping already this year. I am so excited about the upcoming holidays and getting to experience them with Eli. Ezra and Ella are old enough to "get it" this year and are happy to fill Eli in on what the excitement is all about. It is going to be so fun this year!

Ella and Ezra are really into making up stories at the moment. Ezra's stories always go something like: Once upon a time there was a fast car. The end.

Ella told me one last night that started out with this line: Once upon a time there was an octopus. His name was colorful. He flew to Ethiopia.

I love being a mom and am convinced that I have the best kids ever. Even if I have moments where I need to put myself in time out.

Happy Thursday!

dia-logue(s)

Ezra: Mommy, I wuv you to the moon and back!

Me: Aw, buddy I love you too!

Ella: Mommy, I love you to the kitchen and back.

Me: Um. Thank you? I think. I love you too.

Program Interruption:Insanity and/or Robbery

I had planned to write a nice update on Eli for today. But, instead I will interrupt my previously scheduled program to let you know that I might have truly gone insane. Or we were robbed yesterday.

My computer is gone.

G.O.N.E.

I left the house for a few hours yesterday, with the computer plugged in and left on our green ottoman, where I always leave it. I returned a few hours later to a missing computer.

I look for a little while thinking that maybe I left it in the bedroom? No.

Bathroom? No.

Office? No.

Hmmm. This is weird.

Call Jeremiah..."Did you come home and get the computer?" Um, no.

Even weirder.

Look again.

And again.

Call Jeremiah back..."Are you sure you aren't trying to surprise me by making me a calendar or blog book or ________ for Christmas and just aren't telling me that you came back to get the computer while I was gone?" Um, no.

Hmmm.

Could someone have stolen it?

No way. TV is still here. Camera is still here. Ipod is still charging on the counter.

Search the house again.

And the van.

And the outside of the house.

Check doors and windows.

Call Jeremiah back..."Either I've gone insane and threw the computer in the trash can or someone has broken in and stolen it." I'm coming home.

Jeremiah double/triple/quadruple checks the house.

Still no computer.

Not that I am beyond moments of insanity...but I am pretty OCD about putting things back in their place. Especially something as big as a computer. As opposed to my keys, ya know. How does a computer just disappear? Unless it was stolen.

Call the police.

They come and we file a report.

Call and talk with neighbors. Suspicious van sighting mentioned by one.

This is so weird.

And unsettling.

And sad that I had to give the kids the "there are bad guys in the world" talk.

And a lot of work changing all our passwords for all of our billing done from that computer.

And always that nagging thought that maybe I blacked out for a few minutes of my life and threw my computer out in the hayfield.

I also think that whoever robbed our house was insane. We are definitely not the house to target if you want to get make some money. And you are taking a really big chance that we would be home which you couldn't tell from the end of our driveway. Insane robbers.

I am so so so so so thankful we weren't home and that nothing else was taken.

And maybe a little frustrated that we had JUST put about $300 into the computer because the hardrive and cd drive had recently crashed. And loving my husband who had the forethought to back up my pictures and videos within the last month...so I didn't lose the only things (besides my children obviously) that would have been irreplaceable.

Ok. Now, back to our regular scheduled program.

Homeschool Photojournal: Pumpkin Week

Wigged Out

Regular Sundays are a harder day for Eli. He goes to his class with Ezra and does great...but he is always tired after church. And a little needy from (I think) being away from me and our normal routine for several hours.

Add on a Family Fun Festival, complete with pony rides, the blorb, inflatable slides, candy, horse & carriage rides, funnel cakes, popcorn, and more...and he was really tired (and more than a tad overwhelmed) by the time we made it home late in the afternoon.

And like the good momma I am, I woke him up after a very short nap, put him in his lion costume, terrorized him by drawing whiskers on his face, and took him trick or treating at the Trinity Park neighborhood. Which, by the way, is like something out of a movie on Halloween night.

cRaZinEsS.

Needless to say...he was a little wigged out (pun intended) last night.

And. In all honesty. I was too.

I mean...just look at his happy and excited face:
























Yes. Sadly, that was the best and only picture I got of our night. I was single parenting it and more worried about losing Ezra (who REALLY got into the whole trick or treat thing) than capturing nostalgic photos.

And did you notice that i got Ezra to wear his spiderman pajama's? That is huge progress people. HUGE.

Who knew that candy could be such a motivator?

And yes, I did spend a good 10 minutes convincing my daughter that she still looked like Ariel even with a shirt on underneath her costume.

So today has been a much needed quieter day. Filled with fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and lots and lots of cuddles.