Getting ready for the UU silent auction

The silent auction at church next month is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the church. I am donating two items for the auction. Check out the church's website for more information on supporting the church. Two friends of mine made these items. They are homemade. Comment if you would like more information on them or the auction.

                                 

Just a swingin'

Ben is getting so big. So is Evan. Ben had fun yesterday swinging in a baby swing at the park before we went trick-or-treating. Evan was able to sit himself in a big boy swing and not fall out. For anyone who knows Evan that is a really big deal.

Happy Halloween

We went trick-or-treating yesterday in Helena. Each city or town in our area decided whether or not to trick-or-treat on Saturday or Sunday. So, we went last night. Of course we started out at Granny's house. Annika, Danny, and Connor were at their Dad's this weekend. There were quite a few houses that were decorated pretty extravagantly. There was even a pirate ship.

Costume contest

The goal today for Lyn at Kumon was to dress up in a costume with a math theme. The name of her costume was "dropped flashcards". She had a necklace with a ring on it. The cards fell off of the ring. The rules of the contest stated that the winner would be the best math related costume. Lyn was the only student that followed the rules. She won!!

What a day...

We started the day with fresh muffins and an onion, bacon and cheese omelet. Then we went to church to listen to a talk about nature through Walden. Ben had fun in the nursery so Dad and I were actually able to listen to the service. After church we stopped by the grocery store to get some drinks and some fresh flowers. We also picked up a couple of pizzas. We then headed to my favorite park this week, Cahaba Lily. We played for a while and then went home to play some more. We found a vase a I got my fresh flowers set up in my clean kitchen. Eliot found a bag of toy bugs, frogs, and lizards and the kids played with then for well over an hour. As I was straightening up the back sun porch  I found a real lizard. Everyone had a chance to pet it and then we let it go outside. The weather was beautiful. The kids behaved themselves. It was a good day.

The power of a clean kitchen

Lyn was a great helper today cleaning the kitchen. It is amazing how much a clean kitchen brightened my day. Our house is average sized and with all of the children you would think we need more space than we have but it all works fine. If you look closely we have seating for 14 in our modest eat in kitchen. That is if you count 3 to each bench and the 3 bar stools.  Lyn was excited and said, "Mama, we have plenty of room for company"! To help balance the room I hung a shelf. I placed an old picture of the big kids and one of my new dolls (the baby wearing one) on the shelf. I plan on getting some fresh flowers for the table tomorrow.  

Hangin' in the back yard

It has been a rough week this week. I have found it hard to find the time to connect with the kids. We have gone for walks after I got home from work. We have gone to a local playground to play. We played in the backyard. Just stopping for a few moments and just enjoying my children in whatever they are doing can work wonders. Stopping and breathing can seem so out of reach sometimes. 

I have to go potty!

On the way home yesterday Evan started wiggling. Then he was fussing. Then he was flat out crying. I asked him what was wrong and in a pitiful voice he said "I have to go potty". This is from a child that even at 4 years old consistently wets and soils his pants. So I had to listen and try to head off an accident. I pulled off at the nearest logical place, Cahaba Lily Park. I knew they had restrooms and or a grassy field. Of course they also have a playground. Evan and Eliot both went potty and then made a run for the playground. I let them know they could both slide down once and then we had to go home. We were there at least 15 minutes. They were having so much fun if baby Ben didn't have to nurse we would have stayed longer. As I put Eliot into her carseat kicking and screaming I promised them we would go home, eat, and bring everyone else back to the park. We did just that minus Lyn who was at volleyball practice. It was dark. We could not see. But we played for a while at the playground. It ended up being a good Tuesday.

Can you believe it has been 9 months?

Ben is getting so big. He is happy and healthy. He is starting to scoot crawl all over the place. He is eating some table food when he feels like it. Mainly he is still nursing. He has two bottom teeth and is "talking" all the time. I guess he knows he is the 7th child because he is such a mellow baby. He goes with the flow.

Neighborhood pumpkin patch

We are lucky to have a church down the street in our neighborhood that sets up a small pumpkin patch every year. We walked down to look at the pumpkins. Annika picked out one since she missed the field trip to the big pumpkin patch yesterday. Ben wasn't sure he liked the whole affair.

A day to remember

Next Friday is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham will be holding a candlelight service. Below is an excerpt from their website. All are invited.



Friday, October 15, 2010, 6:30-7:30 pm, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day Candlelight Service. Childcare provided.



Any time a longed-for child does not make it to our arms, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or an adoption that does not go through, there is a tremendous amount of grief, often hidden, silent, and almost always lonely. Those who have experienced such a loss, and those who love those who've experienced such a loss are invited to join us for this special service. Let's gather in the Narthex at 6 pm for a 6:30 pm service either in the Memorial Garden (weather permitting) or the Sanctuary.
RSVP to Sharron Swain at dre@uucbham.org or 945-8109.

Pumpkin Patch

Evan, Eliot, and Lyn and I went on a fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch today. We drove ourselves instead of riding with the school. We had a little bit of time to kill so we stopped by Buck Creek Park to play. It was way too hot at the pumpkin patch. The heat almost ruined the day. We still had fun though. Check out the sidebar for more pictures.  Evan was determined to find a skinny pumpkin and Eliot wanted a tiny one. Since I was the one carrying them for the rest of the day I was glad they did not pick really big ones. I am thinking about taking the rest of the kids back. There are a lot of activities there like pony rides, petting zoo, inflatables, and tractor rides.

Hand Foot Mouth

Evan ended up with a fever this past Monday. By Wednesday he had spots on his hands and feet. He had sores around his mouth and inside his mouth. Today it got a bit worse. He is itchy and uncomfortable. I have worked with young children for over a decade and Evan has the worst case I have ever seen. So far no one else in the house seems to have caught the virus. We will keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way. 

Getting into the spirit of things

I finished working on my door. It's not as detailed as I have done in the past but it is nice to look at.

Mother in Shadow

This picture was taken recently by my friend Caroline. She took it herself. The camera and the rest of her arms are hidden in the shadow. It is so beautiful. It reminds me of a Greek statue of Aphrodite. She is expecting a little boy in February close to Valentine's day so I guess looking like the goddess of love is fitting. I worked with Caroline years ago. She was always a huge help in my classroom. She is a wonderful mother to two boys already. She allowed me to give her advice when she was expecting before. It meant a lot to me to share all that I have learned as a mother and an educator. Thank you Caroline for letting me share this picture.

Happy Birthday Lyn

Twelve years ago Lyn came into this world to become a huge part of my life. She is a smart, sassy, and very nurturing child. She is great with her older brother, who has Autism, and with all of her younger siblings. At times the little kids get on her nerves but she hardly ever looses her cool with them. She may be the youngest player on her volleyball team but she is a great player. They haven't lost a game yet this season. Lyn is mature and everyone she meets feels that she is older than she actually is but she still knows how to be a kid. I am so lucky to be her mother. I love you Lyn!

Pressing leaves

Lyn went out exploring today after church. She picked out some great maple leaves. since we had some wax paper in the house I showed her how to press the leaves using an iron. All you have to do is put the leaves between two sheets of wax paper. Then place them on a towel or pillowcase. Fold the towel over them and apply enough heat from the iron until the wax melts enough to hold the leaves encased inside. As simple as that!