Doing the Next Thing

this photo is from last spring. i pulled it out today because i'm entering this post in the weekly challenge over at i heart faces, a wonderful photography blog i've discovered. the theme for this week's challenge is texture, and in this photo i deliberately let the texture of the azalea behind KL (3yo) be in focus rather than her face - my amateur attempt at artistry, i suppose. go visit this week's challenge at i heart faces for beautiful examples of texture, and maybe some inspiration. :)

"Mom - Kisses can dry off!" 4yo A. announced out of the blue last Saturday morning. I think he was explaining why he needed another one. "Wait - is this a cautionary tale?" 12yo C said with a smile while I was reading Storytime with the Millers the other day at lunch. I almost couldn't continue reading because I was laughing so hard. "Mommy, can I have a nutcracker?" 2yo K asking for her favorite morning snack - a graham cracker. "See, mama! See?! She hurt she-self!" K trying to show me the owie on her dolly's leg. For some reason, "she" is her all-purpose pronoun these days. "Hey, Mom - I think we can safely say I have the biggest feet in the house!" 12yo C's recent proclamation, which happens to be true. "Sometimes I just need to get out of the house!" 14yo S, after an especially difficult time babysitting The Littles. This is why he'll be spending some time interning with his Dad at work next yea...

"Mom - Kisses can dry OFF!" 4yo A. announced out of the blue last Saturday morning. 12yo C, pretending to fall on the floor and die, "Ahh, I'm dyyyiinnng!" A rushes over, bends down, proclaims, "True love's kiss!" and smooches C on the cheek. As little 2yo K tugs at my sleeve... "Mommy, you look cute! You puh-ple! I wike your shirt!" so sweet! "Dad, I wan bagel-nut." 2yo K declared at breakfast. "A what ?" asks Daddy. "A bagel-nut! Like Dah-doo!" (that's what she calls A) Turns out a bagel-nut is, in fact, a crueller! For more Tiny Talk Tuesday, go visit Mary at Not Before 7 . Happy Tuesday!

As narrated by A, 4 years old: Ketchup is tomatoes. They open the top of the tomato. They get the liquid out. They stir the liquid up and mix it, too. And then they put flour in and pour it into the ketchup bottle and then it's done. That's how ketchup goes. Didn't you always wonder? For more Tiny Talk, go visit Mary's place !

"When I grow up, I want to be a Barbarian! " - 4yo A. announced one day at dinner. We all laughed and told him he pretty much already is . "Mom, I want to know all the things about electricity and wires. Can you tell me about wires?" - A showing his insatiable curiosity about the world around him "oh, no! wah happen?" (tr. what happened?) a favorite exclamation of 2yo K, heard many times a day. " No Dahdoo!" another phrase uttered many times a day by little K, screaming her brother's name in her own wild animal voice "kugga kugga KYOO KYOO!" (tr. chugga chugga choo choo)- 2yo K, playing with the Thomas Trains. "That sure is one pretty governor!" - not-quite-12 yo C, while watching Sarah Palin at the RNC. "Yes, I am a fairy princess." 9yo M, adorned in gossamer wings and a cape, while playing with The Littles -with just enough pre-teen irony in her voice to be sure no one thought she was enjoying it too much. ...

Random Thought of the Day: Is it wrong to call my basement playroom "Thunderdome" and just close the door, hoping the screams die down on their own?

I was busy giving the Big 3 a "mini-lecture" on taking ownership of their own behavior and responsibility for their chores. I wrapped up my speech and went to find A and K. It was very quiet. A was supposed to be unloading the silverware from the dishwasher, but the kitchen was abandoned, drawers open, silverware basket perched on the counter. Ok, now I was worried. Did he let himself out of the house without permission? I peeked into the garage, to see if the outside door was open. When I did, I saw this: Of course I laughed to myself. And being the good blogger that I am, before scolding him for opening a door without permission, I grabbed my camera to capture the moment. He, of course saw me at that point and came running over so I could snap this picture: He's saying, "mwah-ha-ha-haaa" in a very menacing voice! He and K continued to march around the garage, chanting "ha-ha-haaaa" like some kind of masked pirates. These two are quite a pair - remem...

Sweet little K, the baby of our family, turns 2 today. Happy Birthday, Little Dear!

I have not been very good about writing down quotes from all the kiddos lately, but every 5 minutes something funny comes out of A's mouth. The 3-year-old formerly known as the BLT (Busy Little Toddler) always has a busy mind, busy body, and - happy for you - a busy mouth! Since I'm worried I'll not remember the cute things he used to say, I thought I would first take a walk down memory lane. "Gulley, gulley, gulley" 12 mo. old - the sound A. would make, with paci in mouth, when we were tucking him in at night. We all loved the "gulley gulley." "ka wass, kie" tr. "car wash - cry" At 18 mo. he was deathly afraid of the carwash and would tell perfect strangers how he cried. Who knew that this phobia would become an obsession? "If you have a valid wash code, please enter wash code." The phrase uttered hundreds of times, at the peak of his car wash obsession, when he would act out the process with his cozy coupe under the...

Just a couple of nuggets that made me smile this week: "This is a calamity and it bites and scratches." 3yo A, describing a pink stuffed poodle while playing "Animal Show." "The Cave of the Cyclops is under the desk." 8 yo M, playing The Odyssey with A. "One, two, apple!" 22 mo K is starting to talk a little more, and this is the way she counts. "apple" seems to stand for just about anything, from actual apples, to butter, to ladybugs, apparently! Pop on over to Mary's place for more Tiny Talk Tuesday!

I don't have time for distractions this week. We've got a lot of schoolwork to get through, Easter Sunday to prepare for, and the house needs some TLC. But my sweet 22-month-old KL is sick. She follows me around saying, "up" in the most pitiful voice and my fleshly self groans inwardly at having to stop what I'm doing to pick her up. But what a hypocrite I am! In the very week I'm trying to focus my children's hearts on Jesus, I forget that He stopped what He was doing (in Mark 10) to bless the children. Mark says He was "indignant" that the disciples tried to give the kids the brush-off. I think He would be indignant with me this morning. So with a repentant heart, I'm off to spend more time cuddling and less time worrying about what's not getting done. After all, she turns 2 in a couple of months, and before I know it, my little chick will be grown and leaving my nest. "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, fo...

The tribe dances in a circle, covered in war paint and pounding their chests, chanting unintelligibly. Debris is scattered 360 degrees across the area. Exciting scene from Lord of the Flies? No - the scene with my two little guys in the basement! Apparently one of the Big 3 forgot to put his pencil box away after school. A and K, who often express their creativity with markers on non-washable surfaces, discover the treasure with glee. I wish I had been there to witness them removing overalls, shoes - everything - and beginning to paint themselves. I'm sure it was a sight. Instead, My Sweetie discovered them dancing around the office chair, goin' tribal! His very loud, very contagious laugh drew me downstairs, camera in hand. I didn't think it was quite as funny, but since everyone else seemed to, I smiled and captured the moment. My chidren's dignity will not allow me to post pictures of the full effect of this activity ... they were literally covered in marker, top of ...

Here's what happens when you're baby #5, sick, and your Mommy is busy addressing Christmas cards... ...you fall asleep on the floor, listening to "Baby Santa's Music Box" while waiting for Mommy to come put you in the bed for a nap! Poor thing!

Perhaps it's my own fault...a self-fulfilling prophecy. I knew before I ever became a mother that I would hate potty training! Somehow I managed to survive the first three. It wasn't easy and they each had their own particular issues - but I survived. I thought I might despair while training #4, but recently - magically - we achieved success. Now we face a new challenge - paper control! Let's just say he's not worried about saving trees. Episode #1 of The Paper Chase: Wipes. I noticed A. was in the bathroom - "Don't flush until Mommy comes to help you," I said as I went to deal with another issue. I returned and peeked in on him a couple of minutes later. He was standing by the potty, with his hand on the "flusher." I looked in the bowl and to my horror saw two huge stacks of flushable wipes - basically the whole box - floating around! "Don't flush yet!!" I yelled as I ran for a pair of rubber gloves and a plastic bag. I rounded th...

Looking out over the southern part of Tampa Bay from the De Soto National Monument