365 Maze Days

Sweet Sugars

2012-02-04T17:29:00.001-08:00

Monday Morning

2012-02-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

So this is the way Monday morning begins in Younger Brother's world; at least it did this week anyway...

Seriously, it's pretty much impossible to predict what I will see upon entering Younger Brother's room - on any day!

This day had a little more flair than usual.

What in the world?!

Was he discovering his tribal roots?

I could only venture to guess.

But surely there must be some stupendous explanation for this extensive misuse of the Tattoo Pen Grandpa got him for Christmas...right??

Sure there is!

He was waiting for his sister to come play tic-tac-toe.

Of course!

Did I mention that HE is the tic-tac-toe?

...multiple games

...all ready to go

Did I also mention that this ink, being that it is 'tattoo' pen ink, does not exactly wash off in one day...or four?

Yeah.

I might have attempted to lecture him.

But I was forced to concede that I simply could not keep a straight face while gazing upon all of his creative glory, thus rendering my parental clout effectively useless.

Oh, Younger Brother, how dull would my days be without you!

Marvel-ous!

2012-01-30T20:55:00.001-08:00

And next up on the mythical runway... Asgard's new spring line!

Not Again!!!

2012-01-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's us - last night - sitting in the ER waiting for a cast yet again. Yes indeed, Princess A broke her arm...again. :( Actually, it was her other arm this time. If you were around last summer, you might remember the mini sky dive she did over the back of the living room couch. If not, click here. This time, Grandpa was here telling stories and all of the kids were amped up and preparing for bedtime. She came running down the upstairs hallway toward the bedroom, tripped, and fell either into the door frame or the door, attempting to catch herself on the way down. J and I knew immediately what she had done. And indeed, the x-rays confirmed that she sustained a buckle fracture of the radius and ulna...again!

She was such a very good girl at the hospital. She rocked the pouty lip for sure, but amazingly she never cried or fussed one single time; and she cooperated with every single thing they needed her to do. She's so brave!

Uncle A took this picture while he was with us at the hospital providing moral support and Princess A valet. Thanks for being there, Uncle A!

We picked a pink cast this time since the last one was purple, and she made sure to adorn her shirt, my shirt, and Uncle A's shirt with lots of stickers!
Thankfully, she should only need to wear the cast for about a month since buckle fractures heal so quickly. Also thankfully, the x-rays of her fracture clearly show that she really did trip and try to catch herself. Because I don't care who you are, you instantly feel like Parent Fail Of The Year when you take your toddler in with a broken arm two times in one year!
And most thankfully, the bones stayed within 4 degrees of the correct position so they did not need to "put it back in place" before they put her cast on. Praise God for that!!!

She was officially tuckered out by the time we got home - four hours past her bedtime.

She had a snack and immediately sacked out cold in our bed, which gave me a chance to elevate and ice her arm before moving her to her crib. She didn't so much as stir the entire time!

She will follow up with an orthopedic doctor in a couple of weeks, as well as with her regular pediatrician. As I think I've mentioned before, Princess A has a life-threatening milk allergy. The discussion did arise that, while she drinks soy milk and takes a vitamin, she does not have any dairy products anywhere in her diet. We're wondering if that might have predisposed her to breaking bones more easily. We're going to check her Vit D level and see if she needs to be supplemented with additional Vit D and calcium.

And in the mean time, she's rocking cast color number two and enjoying all kinds of spoiling...as well as a serious advantage in hand to hand combat with her siblings! ;)

Thankful.

2012-01-14T18:28:00.001-08:00

...really, there are just so many things to be thankful for in this photo.

Grandma's Glasses

2012-01-07T13:24:00.001-08:00

I think I could take her more seriously if she had them right side up at least.

Okay, nevermind. I officially can not take her seriously.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T22:59:00.001-08:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

...and a "baby" girl who's now BIG!

Steppin' Out (with his girl)

2011-12-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

Way back when, Big Sis earned a special trip to the zoo for memorizing the 10 Commandments and she invited Little Sis to come along with her. Wellll, Little Sis had one of her classic meltdowns and screamed pretty much the entire time. Even though Big Sis was very gracious about it, Daddy promised her a second outting at a later date, just the two of them.

Daddy always makes good on his promises. And since he's off work this week, he asked Big Sis what she would like to do for her second outting. Her choice - get dressed up and go on a dinner date with Daddy!

Truly unrelated, a couple of days ago when they were at Kohl's she called me from his phone to tell me about the 55% off sign she saw on holiday dresses. So before their date, I thought it was fitting to take her back over to pick out a special dress to wear. She came home and got all fancied up before he was allowed to see her. But it must have been meant to be, because he just so happened to dress up too - in a pink and black tie that matched her new pink and black dress just right. Of course, they weren't getting out the door without a picture!

How cute are they?!

How Many Is A Crowd?

2011-12-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

Based on our bed at bedtime last night, I'm going with...

yep, this many!

"More party?"

2011-11-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

As aforementioned in the post, "T'ea is for Toes", Friday is Tea Party Day! Normally, I am with Biggest Brother, Younger Brother, and Big Sis at their homeschool campus that day; but thanks to the holiday and a heating issue in the building that hosts us, we've had the past two Fridays off. I've decided these pics from an all-inclusive, whole family, M Family Tea Party Day are totally better off posted late than never! I mean, you just can't miss out on...

fine china

accessories

concentration

etiquette - or lack thereof

and dessert-time entertainment.

Oh, the entertainment!

It really can't be beat.

Biggest Brother opened the show with an original song called, "If I Had A Piece Of Clothing That Wasn't Frozen."

an instant chart topper for sure

and Daddy tuned the guitar as Younger Brother took the stage

with his own rendition of, "I Am Singing At The Party"

"...and Daddy is Captain America..."

they picked up a lead singer somewhere along the way

and jammed to their hearts' content

then Little Sis brought it down a notch with the tender original, "Chocolate Pudding"
while donning a moustache of - chocolate pudding

Biggest Brother does not take it down notches

I love my kids - they're hilarious

In the words of Princess A when she holds out her cup for a refill,

"More party?"

18%Grey ~ 100%Love

2011-11-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Who's the best assistant a photog could ask for?!

Thanks for helping Mommy white balance, Honey Buns.

~"concentration tongue" and everything~

You're such a hard worker!

;)

Water Filtration 101

2011-11-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

We had a fun new science project to do for school today. One of J's friends got the boys this kit a few days ago, and we finally had a chance to try it out.

Always start by reading the directions of course.

#5 was my personal favorite.

Well, since smuggling water samples from your friendly neighborhood porta-john is frowned upon apparently, our "dirty water" was a mixture of tap water, vegetable oil, and dirt.

We assembled the filter column, poured the dirty water in the top, and watched it trickle down through the gravel filter, the sand filter, the active carbon filter, and finally the paper filter.

Lookie there! It worked!

The kids were super excited to see the formerly brown water emerging on the other side crystal clear.

Voila!

(Before and After)

Thanks for the science project, Mr. J !

Smile if you love group photos!!!

2011-11-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

Would it really be a true M Family group photo if there weren't at least one person having a moment?? Surely not! Does that ever hinder my endless pursuit of just one charming picture of all five of my kidlins together?? Nope!

That is why today, when I had to run back out to the farm to give the barn cat his insulin, I thought it would be a great opportunity to snap a few "quick pics" of all of the kids together on the scenic little tree lined lane.

My plan to prop Princess A on our pony saddle to keep her in one desired location worked famously...exceeeept that she did not want her siblings anywhere inside her personal bubble (presumably cramping her equestrienne style), much less hugging her as they had attempted in the frame before this one.

Soooo, plan B: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

"Okay guys, this is going to be the angry family picture!"

Little Sis didn't quite get the memo.
Which, on a related note, what the heck?! She refused to smile for at least a dozen pictures prior to this one!

Oh well, it is truly an M Family group photo at its finest!
;)

Evidence

2011-11-02T13:07:00.001-07:00

I just sat down to eat my lunch, and....

...hmmm, it appears that something got a hold of this apple before I did!

Small bite radius, complete set of front teeth - I have a sneaking suspicion that a Princess A may have passed this way.

"T"ea is for Toes

2011-10-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

A tradition has been born here on the home front. Friday is the day that Biggest Brother, Younger Brother, Big Sis, and I all attend classes on their homeschool's campus. And Daddy has the whole morning at home with Little Sis and Princess A.

The tradition began a month or so ago with a Friday morning tea party complete with the use of the good china and chocolate milk (and very vanilla soy milk for Princess A of course.)

And it has developed into a much anticipated weekly event.

Now, it is a Daddy and princess(es) tea party preceded by a royal pedicure.

And believe me, toddler toes are not easy to paint! Not only do you have to get them to hold still long enough to maneuver the brush within the tiny workspace, but then you have to keep them from bumping anything until the polish is dry.

I have to say he does a darn good job!

Two weeks ago they were red, last week blue, and this week purple!

You look lovely ladies!

And your tattoo tough Daddy is pretty cute too.

Brush and Floss

2011-10-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I should tell J that I caught Little Sis vigorously brushing her hair with his toothbrush, or let him figure it out on his own...

Mmmm, tasty!

;)

Worthy Intermission

2011-10-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Where have you been for the past 8 days?
I'm so glad you asked!
I have been crazy busy and contending with a healthy dose of computer problems...neither of which are conducive to projects involving picture files and the internet, unfortunately. :(

Hopefully, I will have the problem straightened out soon. I'm guessing that further backing-up and consequently deleting the some 20,000 images currently hanging out on my hard drive would be a good start. :)

In the mean time however, I shall entertain you with this priceless picture of Big Sis. I posted it a few days ago on my Facebook account. But being that I know more than several of you are not on Facebook, I just have to repost it here!

Prior to a portrait session earlier in the week, I was having an issue with one of my lights. In order to diagnose the problem, I called Big Sis into the room to be my test model. I just happened to catch her off guard straight out of the jumparoo and ended up with this totally hilarious pic. It looks like a mugshot of someone from Fame! I laugh every time I see it. Enjoy! ;)

See Princess A...

2011-10-10T12:44:00.001-07:00

See Princess A run.

Made you smile, didn't it?!

Bad Deal

2011-10-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

Me: "Okay girls, I'm ready to play Barbies now."

Big Sis: "MOMMM...[Little Sis] told me when it was time to play Barbies she'd give me back Belle!"

Me: "[Little Sis], did you tell [Big Sis] that you would give her back Belle??"

Little Sis: "I lied to her."

On the upside, I am wholly convinced that Big Sis will make the very best college roommate imagineable.

She has a superb ability to coexist peacefully with anyone!

;)

Update Actualizacion

2011-10-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a few days delayed in posting this; but as it turns out, the Tooth Fairy pays extra for translation services...

And the next morning as Younger Brother sat eating breakfast with his loot spread out before him, he lost another tooth! Yes, this time it was his top front tooth. Aaaaand, he swallowed it.

Biggest Brother was just tickled pink (and wasted no time in reminding me) that I would need to write yet another note to Younger Brother's, "Spanish speaking" Tooth Fairy.

Thank you, Biggest Brother!

As dictated to me by Younger Brother and translated by babblefish.com:
"I accidentally probably swallowed my tooth maybe. Please still give me money and visit me tonight."

Hada de los Dientes

2011-09-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

Translation: Tooth Fairy

Why do I know this?

Because of Biggest Brother's waggery, that's why!

Younger Brother just lost a tooth. He noticed that a couple of weeks ago when Biggest Brother (who no longer believes in the Tooth Fairy) lost a tooth, he got to keep it. He asked me why the Tooth Fairy hasn't ever let him keep one of his teeth. So I told him the next time he lost a tooth he just needed to put it in a baggie with a note asking the Tooth Fairy not to take it.

Remembering the discussion, Biggest Brother (who is very good about playing along for the sake of the younger siblings) came trotting into the kitchen with Younger Brother, the baggie, and the tooth in tow; and announced that he had given Younger Brother the inside scoop on what to do.

Then he smiled slyly and added, "Oh, and I told him his Tooth Fairy speaks Spanish."

Ha ha, Biggest Brother, you're soooo hilarious!

(Okay, so it is pretty funny...)

After sending out a plea to my bilingual facebook friends and consulting babblefish.com, I was finally able to come up with this...

"Dear Tooth Fairy, Please don't take my tooth. Thanks!"

We'll see if it works! ;)

"Mr. Mom"

2011-09-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist snapping this picture of my dear hubby making his way from exhibit to exhibit at the zoo today. :)

Trouble

2011-09-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

What does 1 phone call that Mom has to take + 1 Princess A + 1 Beagle Dog = ?

Mmm hmm, that's right you two...

I'm watchin' you!

Bon Appetit

2011-09-16T20:12:00.001-07:00

I had to post a picture of the true delicacy bestowed upon me last night! As I was getting the girls ready for bed, Younger Brother bounced into the room and declared,

"Close your eyes! Now.......open!"

He proudly presented me this with this surprise dinner goodness.

Look!

No really, you must have a closer look...

Oh yes my friends, that is none other than spinach salad topped with grape tomatoes, croutons, dots, caramels, diced gummy worms...and a raspberry vinaigrette!
Oh, and a Reese cup on the side.

A perfectly sensible selection for tossed greens, don't you think?

(Actually, if you know me well, it does sort of make perfect sense.)

I thanked him enthusiastically for his thoughtfulness.

Then yes of course...

I ate it.

(Well, after quietly segregating an ingredient or two.)

Sidelines

2011-09-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Big Sis just finished up her last soccer practice of the season. I commend her for continuing to have a good attitude and participate wholeheartedly even though soccer didn't end up being her favorite activity ever.

And also getting props this season are Little Sis and Princess A

who waited patiently through all of Big Sis', Biggest Brother's and Younger Brother's practices and games.

Well, okay...

Even though the sidelines in the summer didn't turn out to be the worst place for a kid to be!

We'll give you the props anyway, Little Sis.

"Raindrop Roulette"

2011-09-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

Hey, kids....see if you can run from the porch to Grandpa's car and back without getting wet!

Um, Grandpa...I don't think they stand a chance!
;)

12 Day Replay

2011-09-12T20:50:00.001-07:00

Wow, has it really been almost two weeks since my last post?! Shame on me! Please forgive the randomness of my sampling for this update, but here's a bit of what's been going on on the home front over the past 12 days.

Of course there has been the usual stuff; J's work, farm work, portrait sessions, soccer practice, soccer games, laundry, housework and so forth. But in grander news, there has been...

...one trip to the urgent care courtesy of Barbie! Actually, the girls call it a Barbie; but I say it would be better described as a hard plastic Barbie/Little People/Princess Action Figure hybrid. Either way, it's hard...and heavy...and has a pointy crown...and will land you in the Close-To-Home clinic getting stitches when your sister playfully baseball throws it across the room "not-so" past you.

I so enjoyed explaining that one to the triage staff! Especially when my 3yo needing stitches as a result of the momentary indiscretion of my 5yo just so happens to also be the 3yo with a knocked out front tooth. Yeah...

(By the way, if you missed that one click here.)

Also by the way, Big Sis cried longer about her accidental line drive than Little Sis did! She felt sooo bad.

In other random news, we had a gorgeous sunset here last week! This was the view from the boys' bedroom. This is straight out of camera. I intentionally did not edit it in any way to show how brilliant the sky actually was!

Aaaand the #1 reason whey I have been absent from here for the past 12 days...

School is back in session!
As most already know, the M Family kids are homeschooled. So, "back to school" time actually means we have less time, not more. But that's just fine by us. We love it!

And never fear, our children do actually have social skills! ;) In fact, they have a basically normal school day one day a week, on campus, with tutors, and classes made up of other homeschooled kids the same age.

This is the first year that Big Sis gets to go, and she is super excited about it! She's an academic sort of girl. Here she is (above) hard at work learning her states and capitals. :) She is also excited that her little friend with the same unique name as herself is in her class this year. And their class is all girls to ice the cake!

I had to peek in the door and paparazzi Younger Brother and Biggest Brother too of course. Pardon the super high ISO for those who would care. ;)
Younger Brother has 5 boys and 3 girls in his class and his good buddy is with him again this year too!

Biggest Brother has 3 boys and 4 girls in his class. This is his first year doing CC and so far he loves it! True to form, he had no problem waltzing in and making new friends in about the first minute of the first day. He has always been really outgoing like that.

And guess what Mom is loving?

My one shot wonder, that's what!

I take pictures of other people's kids all the time. But when it comes to getting a group shot of my own, I must have on a cloaking device because it becomes impossible for anyone to actually look in my direction...much less look and smile!

So imagine my delight when we rolled up to school, hopped out, took one quick pic and....

TaDa!
And so the year begins!

Do You See What I See?

2011-08-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Little Sis has gotten a disproportionate share of blog time recently. But this is a momentous occasion, truly! Do you see what I see? Can you spot what Little Sis isn't wearing??

If not, click here!

We had somewhere somewhat dress/casual to go. Sis was delighted by my choice of sundresses for her; but as usual, she balked at my suggestion for coordinating footwear. After her petition for Big Sis' shoes, un-shoes, no shoes...she finally said to me, "What about these?"

"Why, yes! Yes, Little Sis; those are lovely!"

And thus, a Little Sis fashion expansion was born!

Huzzah!!!

Conversations with Cats

2011-08-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

Who wouldn't enjoy a good talk about a good stick with two attentive barn cats?!

Daddy Cam

2011-08-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

The girls love their weekend nights! They always talk Daddy into letting them "sleep" in our bed for a little while before relocating to their own room. But as near as I can tell, there is never much sleeping going on! Case in point (see above), last Saturday I walked down the hall to our room to see how bedtime was progressing so I knew how long it would be before I could lay Princess A down in her crib. As I approached the door I kept hearing J say, "Ready?" followed by a pause and an erupting chorus of giggles. I couldn't figure out what in the heck was going on until I opened the door to the bursts of light. They were taking pictures of themselves making faces in the dark, of course. I mean, what better way to get settled down and mellowed out for bed?!

Just Because

2011-08-28T05:45:00.001-07:00

...I love this photo.

Hide and Beep

2011-08-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wing Man

2011-08-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Biggest Brother's best friend/3yr running puppy love interest stopped by our house today with her mom, who was dropping something off to me. We talked for a few minutes while the kids got a chance to catch up and run around the yard. And what does a 10yo boy do around a 10yo girl that he thinks is neat? He goes all Indiana Jones and crashes through shrubbery, of course! And you can only imagine his delight when he emerged with an assistant from Kingdom - Animalia to seal his persona!

Upon seeing this picture, my friend commented on his/her (I don't know, is there a way to tell?) - the mantis'- eyes and lips. I never realized just how many "lips" a praying mantis has! Check it out...

I mean really, what could impress a girl more than a fine specimen like this?!

;)

Night Sky

2011-08-21T13:30:00.001-07:00

In kid-land you just can't beat staying up past your bedtime and swinging in the dark.

Or in Big Sis' case, in the dark, sideways, one-handed, and just a little too high.
She is her daddy's daughter!

Although, that balance could make her an impeccable equestrienne one day. ;)

"Princess Peach"

2011-08-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

Big Sis had her very first soccer game this past week. Truth be told, I don't think she's super in love with the whole sports thing in general. But she was old enough to be on the peewee team this year and I give her props for wanting to try something new. She always has a good attitude and participates, and you would never know it's not her thing; except for the fact that she happily trots along about 10 feet behind the action twirling her hair and occasionally
looking at her fingernails. Every now and then she makes contact with the ball, accidentally.

She was befriended by a little boy on her team at their first practice. He's pretty much always within 2 feet of her. And since day one he has called her, "Princess Peach." If you're not familiar with the reference, she's the little blond-haired princess from Super Mario Brothers. Big Sis does not seem to mind. ;)

A couple of weeks ago, Coach K was looking for someone to make our team flag.

She asked me if I was crafty, to which I replied, "I'm not...but my husband is!"

And thus it came to be that J was volunteered to be the official flag maker.
He cut out and frayed fabric letters for the team name and decided it definitely needed fringe around the edge. However, the sewing machine was not working out as he'd hoped and he couldn't find any sort of adhesive that would stick to the flag material. But he looked pretty cute sitting in the recliner on Friday night with the lamp pulled over top of him, the fabric across his knee, and a needle and thread hand-stitching the whole thing.

They won their first game 10-2!
Shhh, don't tell anybody. We're not supposed to keep score, even though everybody totally does.

Good game, good game, "Princess Peach!"

My Knight

2011-08-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

opponent of his brother

protector of his sisters

defender of his mother

a good man,

Younger Brother.

Tiny Flier

2011-08-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

I've taken notice lately that Little Sis occasionally has a rough way to go with other kids. I have supervised her interactions closely to see if I can pinpoint a reason why; but while she is pretty scrappy with her siblings at times, she is super sweet to other children. Still I have watched as a child will play happily with Big Sis or one of the other siblings only to turn right around and bark at Little Sis or pick on her when she tries play too. J and I have come to the conclusion that it probably has something to do with the fact that she's so small. He reminded me of our school age years when just being a grade ahead of another kid amounted to instant superiority. Nevertheless, she's a tough cookie. She so full of love! And not above a punch in the nose if you cross her. ;) In fact, I don't have much doubt that she can stick up for herself just fine! But nevermind all that; sometimes it pays to be tiny. Afterall, 24lbs + the muscle control of a 3 1/2 year old =

...perfect form and mega air in games of toss and catch with Daddy!

Sabotage

2011-08-07T05:57:00.001-07:00

Aaand, the number one reason why I should not have any sort of studio set-up in my home...

Yes, that would be my dear hubby responsible for the Nacho Libre cameo.

(Not familiar with the reference...click here.)

Thankfully the little girl is my best friend's daughter. He'd be on better behavior with a stranger...I think.

Cousins

2011-08-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

jewelry, purses, bows,

a barbie jeep

and two girls

very happy to no longer live 7 states apart!

Puppy Wormy Love

2011-08-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

"Mommy!"

"I found a wooorm!"

"He's my very favorite!"

"Can we take him home?"

Scenes From A Weekend Day Trip

2011-07-31T23:16:00.001-07:00

packed and ready

soymilk plenty

something tiny

bright and shiny
*

younger brother?

not sure where he's gone...

but yes, iron pirate. you may come along.

Starting 'em Young

2011-07-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of Princess A at the skate park this morning. Truth be told she doesn't actually know how to pedal, at least not that I've seen. Younger Brother just sort of gave her a shove; to which J and I both responded with a harmonious, "No!" But she loved it! Thrill seeking is kinda her thing. I think we have a definite daddy's girl on our hands.

Barn King

2011-07-25T05:56:00.001-07:00

Tommy has a bit of an awesomeness problem; he can't help it really.

;)

Fish Therapy

2011-07-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

Younger Brother has been through it a bit lately. I think, I assume anyway, that most people with multiple small children can vouch for the fact that siblings brought up in the same home environment are still distinctly different people...and some seem to need just a wee bit more intensive parental interaction than others.

Well, Younger Brother has definitely been in need of a little extra attention (or an application to West Point)! So he came with me to work at the farm on Monday and then I took him fishing for the first time, just the two of us. He was in LOVE! He caught five fish; 4 decent sized carp, and 1 bluegill. The animal lover in me has a seriously hard time fishing in the first place! But the Mama in me knew it was just what he needed. So I tried to get over it for just a little bit. I didn't take my camera, and the few cell phone pictures that I took don't seem to want to load on my computer. But apparently I don't need them. He was so excited about his outing that he ran straight to his desk the minute we got home and drew me this picture...

Thanks, "Buggy!" That's better than any picture I could have taken!

Barber Shop

2011-07-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

J decided that he wanted to do something to make Big Sis's 5th birthday extra memorable. So he invested in some clippers and shears and gave her free reign of his head for a real live barber shop experience. It turned out to be quite the event!

The Before Picture

The Sylist Extraordinaire!

And so it begins...

Whoa, these things really work!

Dad was a little worried about losing an ear, or a piece of one.

Oooh, lookin' NICE!

You know J and I have to have photos and video between us!

Such concentration! She worked steadily and most meticulously for a good 20 minutes at least.

Very 1990's Big Sis!
I like it.

If only she knew how to cut little hearts in the sides!

But for now nearly bald patches work just fine.

She made sure to repay him with a kiss for an ill-aimed snip.

And then it was time for the clippers.

All of this was great dinner theater style entertainment for Princess A, who was parked on the deck in her high chair eating Oreos.

(bzzzzzz)

Clippers are hilarious.

Alllllmost done.

Ooh la la!

Oh baby, what have you been waiting for; you should have adopted this look years ago!

I especially like the little long patch right over your right temple!

Oh that's nice too!

Great job, Big Sis!

It's the very best haircut Daddy's ever had!

(And you know it is. For different reasons than hers I'm sure.)

Thursday Morning

2011-07-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely, cooler than usual morning this morning. So J and the oldest three spent it as they always do, at the skate park. I thought it might be fun to see Biggest Brother, Younger Brother, and Big Sis animated since it's still photos that I post all the time. Here's a video snippett of their adventures today!

p.s. Our video is the skate park video. I noticed that an, "Up Next" option shows up once it has finished playing. I guess YouTube links it to other videos with similar names, but those are not ours. Just fyi. :)

Birthday Breakfast

2011-07-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hey hey, guess who's 5?!!

It's become a tradition that the birthday girl or boy gets a special breakfast out alone with Daddy. And thus far Cracker Barrel is always the establishment of choice.

And of course I have to take an honorary pre- Birthday Breakfast pic!

But when I went searching for the file to upload, I just so happened to find last year's picture as well. Oh how the time flies!!

"skwippers"

2011-07-01T13:04:00.001-07:00

The M girls are serious about their footwear. Just this morning I stood in the bathroom doing Big Sis's hair when Princess A came and sat down in the hallway with a pair of high heels. After several failed attempts to get them on her feet, she let out a scream of pure rage and I witnessed the heels go flying past me and slam into the bathroom door.

As Princess A's unbridled passion would show, she and Big Sis share a small obsession with shoes that began for both of them around 17 or 18 months of age. And they both have a rather impressive collection.

Little Sis on the other hand is a simpler girl. Well, okay there is nothing *simple* about Little Sis. She is 24lbs of pure TNT iced with unflinching opinion. But as it pertains to shoes, she will wear three things and three things only; purple sandals, eskimo boots, and slippers. None of which actually match anything - often not even each other. But any of which she staunchly insists on wearing with everything! This morning? A sundress style outfit and the eskimo boots...well, that is right after I got her to part ways with the, "skwippers."

Daddy and Five

2011-06-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Daddy

Learning "Curb"

2011-06-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Rewind to 30 seconds earlier: Hey Honey, get a shot of this new thing I'm working on!

Quote, "It doesn't matter how it ends, just get a picture!"

I got it!

Hey Honey, WHERE'S YOUR HELMET??!!!

(No BMXdaddy5's were injured in the making of this post...amazingly.)

Matching Gaps

2011-06-23T20:28:00.001-07:00

Younger Brother has had a loose front tooth for a couple of weeks now. And after gingerly avoiding it for about that long, he decided he had had enough and asked J to yank it out. Blech! I'm glad he's the tooth yanker! I can't do it. I thought Younger Brother would chicken out for sure, but he didn't!

Voila!

We realized after it was out that he is now missing the same tooth that Little Sis has missing. I thought, "What a cute picture opportunity!"

Well it doesn't always go as planned, does it?!

He's squishing my aaaaaaaaaarm!!!

She's screaming in my eeeeeeearrr!!!

There, that's better.

Very nice you two; your matching gaps are most endearing.

Storm Front

2011-06-22T06:58:00.001-07:00

...incidentally, my favorite Billy Joel album in the late 1980's. :)

...but more immediately, the cause of some pretty darn cool clouds over our house last night!

Funny Girl

2011-06-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

She has her Daddy's subtle sense of photographic humor.

Is it obvious?

3 Weeks in 60 seconds!

2011-06-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'm here, I'm here! Aaaand, once again there is catching up to do. But I should probably just own that fact and stop mentioning it, huh? Here's the skinny...

As I mentioned previously, Princess A broke her arm with style!

Daddy was in the kitchen with his back turned when she decided to attempt to climb over the back of the couch that separates the living room from the kitchen, into the computer chair on the other side. But it rolled out from under her and she did a mini sky dive onto the kitchen floor, sticking out her hands to catch herself.

She suffered a double bone forearm break called a buckle fracture. But rest assured, it sounds worse (at least it did to me) than it is. Apparently buckle fractures are common in babies because their bones are still somewhat soft. So when a baby falls and braces for impact, the bone kind of accordians in on itself like squashing an empty pop can and that's what causes the break.

They heal very quickly and in fact she got her cast off today!

(Wow, I guess that proves it has been a while since I've updated the blog!)

In other news...

Biggest Brother turned 10!!!

We rented out our local indoor skate park for the occasion.

The boys had a blast!

Oh, and the big boys might have had just a little bit of fun too!

I think Daddy

and his friends

were in BMX guy heaven!

Younger Brother tackles ramps that I don't think I would touch.

And yet, Princess A is the one in the cast??!

A couple of days later on Biggest Brother's actual birthday, I took him to the farm with me and he had a blast spending the morning exploring and swimming in the river.

I had more good sense than to take my camera with us for that though. So I had to settle for a pic from my toasty cell phone left sitting on the bank.

After the weekend excitement was through, it was back to business as usual...sort of.

Princess A got her very first haircut!
She was such a good girl!

And the unlimited supply of pink lollipops that our long time hair stylist Miss N gave her didn't hurt either.
She was all about that!
And speaking of pink,

She also got a totally fabulous new pair of pink polkadot walking shoes to celebrate her new bipedal locomotion! The angle of her cast made crawling awfully tricky so she finally gave that the boot.

And last but not least,

Biggest Brother, Younger Brother, Big Sis, Grandpa and I all packed up and went on a little family inspired road trip.

Can you guess where we went??

Yep, you guessed it!

(As if the blue sky, cows and corn weren't a dead giveaway.)

Although that probably deserves a post all its own once I sort through the 400 some photos I took while we were gone!

And there you have it,

3 weeks in 60 seconds!

Mama's Sweetness

2011-05-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

According to Princess A, it was a lovely summer evening to stand in the yard and watch people go by...

And as you can see from the picture, the home front has been somewhat eventful since my last post.

For starters, Princess A broke her arm...with style!

Biggest Brother turned 10!

And I have a large amount of editing to complete before Thursday; so alas, only one picture for tonight.

But what one picture could be better than sweet summertime baby leggers?! Especially when they are belonging to a sweet baby girl with a purple cast, purple socks, purple sunsuit and a purple barrette to accessorize it!

Dentist Day

2011-05-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today was Dentist Day! Biggest Brother, Younger Brother, Big Sis and Little Sis all had appointments; but Princess A got her little mouth full of toothers checked out too.

I've found that it's just easier to schedule them all for the same time.

However after getting scraped and brushed last year while holding a baby on my lap and having four children in orbit around me, I have also found that it's easier to schedule myself for a different time! So I went last week, alone. :)

What made this visit extra special was that it was Little Sis's first ever trip to the dentist!
She volunteered Younger Brother to go first so he could prove to her that it wasn't scary.

Younger Brother of course jumped at the opportunity.

He and the rest of the kids love to go to the dentist! They actually jump up and down and squeal when I tell them it's time for their 6month check-ups.

They're a little strange like that!

Little Sis's turn.

She was not quite sure she shared the enthusiasm just yet.

But she bravely hopped on up anyway.

The bib thing was just a little big on her!

Miss J was very nice about letting her check out the instruments before she used them.

Not quite sure she was sold on that, "Tickle Toothbrush" thing though...

...but the promise of pink bubble gum toothpaste won her over.

She was super brave!

Truthfully, I wasn't too sure how she would do. She often flips out about me just brushing her teeth at night. But she was great!

I could tell she was feeling quite accomplished by the end of it.

Especially when she got to pick out her own new toothbrush from the drawer.

Great job, Little Sis!

Now your job is not to knock out any more teeth between now and your next visit!

If you missed out on that event...

click here!

Lookie What I Found!

2011-05-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Whilst digging through the sea of boxes in our crawl space searching for garage sale material, I struck gold!!!

A whole box full of original My Little Ponies dated 1983-1987!!!

They aren't my original originals...those, ironically, got sold in a garage sale. But when my mom realized the faux pas, she searched the internet to replace them and found all of these. I haven't seen them in years!

I posted this picture on Facebook and got such a kick out of all of the people that made comments on it. Especially my old roommate from college and fellow horse person, who listed all but one of the official names of the ponies pictured from left to right!
My girls were very excited to find that out! Even Mommy couldn't remember the names of all of them.

Big Sis, Little Sis, and even Princess A are really into My Little Pony right now; and personally I think the 2011 ponies are hideous! I'm not sure what Hasbro was thinking, but I digress. This was perfect timing!
I think the girls might even have been almost as excited as Mommy to find them!
Oh the memories...
:)

Updates and Stuff

2011-05-18T20:47:00.001-07:00

Well of course I coudn't post an entry without a picture! And while basically irrelevant to the post at hand, I thought these two were extra sweet!

I caught Princess A sitting on my piano bench, in her fabulous hat, scoping out an old baby picture of me and my sister.

It was a photo-worthy moment for sure.

Of course as soon as I got my stepstool out to take the picture, she hopped down and usurped it. But you can get a good look at her oh-so-stylish favorite hat at least!
***

So anyway, about that update...

It has been a crazy busy past couple of weeks around here! Not that it isn't always busy, but you know. And I regret that I haven't done a very good job keeping up with the blog! It's something fun that I do for me, so unfortunately it ends up getting the boot when there is work to be done. So here's to catching up, and what we've been up to around here:

1. The kids all had Croup in varying degrees from oldest to youngest. Princess A had it so badly that the airway constriction she was experiencing was making it difficult for her to breathe, and we spent most of Friday evening in the Urgent Care. She got oral steroids and an epinephrine breathing treatment, and is finally starting to feel better. Meanwhile, the upstairs of our house has been transformed into a virtual rain forest from the humidifiers cranking in various rooms!

2. We have been preparing for the big gigantic garage sale that we're having Friday and Saturday. I was hopeful that the mass amount of stuff we're getting rid of would start to make the house look a little bit less cluttered, but so far no dice.

3. I just ordered our new curriculum and will be beginning our summer reading and writing program in the next week or so.

4. There is more work to be done at the farm right now, so I am working extra days there. And on my own time, I have averaged 2 or 3 photoshoots per week recently...which requires editing time at night when the kids are in bed.

5. J works his usual 50hrs a week at the TV Station, and has picked up a second job cleaning his friend's office on the weekends...and works an occasional freelance shoot here and there.

So there you have it, M Family life as we know it. Crazy, but lovely and I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

Between all of our jobs, homeschooling, extra curricular activities and everyday life, I tend to get a little disorganized and a lot behind on things!

But I really am doing my best to keep up with my posts here; it's something I love to do!

In Flight

2011-05-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's official.

I don't typically write about gear, but Mommy's new lens is just entirely too much fun!

Check out the eyes on this guy!!

Or girl.
I'm no bee expert.

Too fun!

Breakfast 101

2011-05-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

Fact #1: Some foods work well "ready-made."

Fact #2: Cheerios isn't one of them.

Fact #3: Lucky Charms are way better than Cheerios anyway.

Fact #4: 6, 4 and 3 year olds allowed to start on breakfast while you get ready for work will open up two jumbo size boxes of Lucky Charms, pour bowls with cereal towering an inch higher than the rim, leave most of the cereal...and not one single marshmallow anywhere in sight.

Fact #5: Even Princess A knows you only eat the marshmallows!

(It's inborn knowledge apparently.)

Fact #6: If you want to have seconds, you need to finish what's on your plate first.

So you'd best find a place to stash all of that "other stuff" that everyone knows you're not really supposed to eat anyway!

"I Spy"

2011-05-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Bug Support

2011-05-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

"Mommy....

...I wish we had a fixer machine!"

Oh yes, Big Sis. Wouldn't that be a nice thing to have!

He Loves Her!

2011-05-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

TK Olympiad

2011-05-03T19:25:00.001-07:00

Younger Brother and Big Sis (not relatively speaking) had their first gymnastics showcase this past weekend. As near as I can tell, it was a precursor to the meets they will eventually have in the future; but at this stage it's just a fun way for parents to see what they've learned and for them to feel extra-accomplished. The whole event was super cute!

Each athlete was introduced individually, and they all paraded into the gym to music like the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

They were broken down into teams, and there were five different events that each team completed in rotation.

He landed on his feet!
In practice he landed on his face. :)

Next up is my favorite picture from the whole event...

My daughter is such a picture of pure style and grace on the beam!! :D

When all of the events were finished, each gymnast got to stand on the "podium" to receive his/her medal...and wave to the crowd of course!

They both did a great job being up in front of all of the spectators. In fact, I think they both ate that up!

And speaking of eating, we went through the BK drive-thru on the way home to treat each of the kids (our kids that is) to cherry icees.

J wanted to keep it a surprise as long as possible. So when he ordered a crispy chicken sandwich and five cherry icees, and the slightly taken aback drive-thru worker asked to be sure she had heard correctly...he explained that he was just, "really thirsty!" :)

You know, I personally don't feel like five kids is "a lot" of kids.
It's a blessing for sure! But beyond that, I don't feel like it's any big deal or anything.
But then there are the occasional times when J and I look at each other and think,
"Holy cow....we just ordered FIVE cherry icees!"

"Boo's" Eye View

2011-04-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today I learned what the world looks like through the eyes of my not quite walking, still very fond of crawling, 16 month old daughter. I gotta say, I think she may be onto something. It's fascinating all there is to see when you're just 8 inches off the ground!

Okay Princess A,

help us have a look.

(This one is my favorite. This tiny spider was hard at work spinning a web atop a single blade of grass. Click on the pic and zoom in...he's totally looking at me!)

Yes Princess A, you are most definitely onto something!

Sweet Sweet Big Sis

2011-04-27T20:31:00.001-07:00

...with a curly on top.

Way to go, Buggy!

2011-04-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Younger Brother had his subject mastery testing for CC. CC (Classical Conversations) is the national, tuition-based, Christian homeschool program that we are a part of. Mastery testing is not mandatory, but it is highly esteemed, and the title a great accomplishment. These kids are truly incredible! I'm reasonably sure that I would not even be able to recite all of what they know.

There are two forms of testing; Memory Master and Subject Master. Memory Masters are able to prove that they know 100% of the material for the whole year in all subjects. Younger Brother is Kindergarten age, so I thought that might be a bit much for him. Subject Masters are able to prove that they know 100% of the material for the whole year in a specified subject. Younger Brother chose Science. And I just have to say of his accomplishment, that this is no Sesame Street science curriculum. I don't have video of him doing his proofing, so I am going to list out the questions he had to answer to pass his test.

While he was off meeting with his tutor, I sat anxiously across the table from Grandpa M. As is always the case with my children, I was far more nervous for him that he was about it! I'm pretty sure he didn't give it a second thought. And I'm told he transformed the Indiana Jones Lego guy in his hand into another character as he was answering the questions. And that is why homeschool is awesome. ;)

Growing more and more anxious as the minutes ticked by, I fiddled around with my camera.
And then, he emerged!

Victorious!

In fact, the reason it took so long was because he had passed his Science proofing with flying colors and decided to go ahead and ace History too!

I hadn't even prepared him for that!

*

(Above) He is holding the cards I use to quiz him on his memory work. He does not get to use them for the test. Here is a sample of his testing. He must restate the question in his answer.

Question: What is Newton's first Law of Motion?

Answer: Newton's 1st Law of Motion is...An object at rest tends to remain at rest and an object in motion tends to continue moving in a straight line at a constant speed, unless an outside force acts upon it.

Question: What are some parts of the sun?

Answer: Some parts of the sun are...Core, Radiative Zone, Convective Zone, Sunspots, Photosphere, Solar Flare, Corona.

You get the idea.

Here are the questions he answered correctly to earn the title of Subject Master in Science:

1. What are 7 types of biomes?

2. What are 3 types of consumers?

3. What are the parts of the food chain?

4. What are the natural cycles?

5. How do animals react to environmental change?

6. What are 6 forms of pollution?

7. What are 5 kinds of stars?

8. What are some parts of the sun?

9. What are the names of the planets?

10. What are the phases of the moon?

11. Name the other bodies in our solar system.

12. What are some names of U.S. space missions?

13. What are the states of matter?

14. What is the difference between an acid and a base?

15. What are the 2 forms of energy?

16. What is Newton's 1st Law of Motion?

17. What is Newton's 2nd Law of Motion?

18. What is Newton's 3rd Law of Motion?

19. What is the 1st Law of Thermodynamics?

20. What is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics?

21. What is the 3rd Law of Thermodynamics?

22. What are 3 characteristics of light?

23. How does heat flow?

24. What units are used to measure electricity?

*

I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty darn snappy for a 6 year old!
Of course, I am a little biased. ;)

*

The history facts are a little more lengthy, so I won't list them all out.

CC uses history sentence songs to help the kids remember names and dates, and they are tremendously effective!

He correctly answered all 24 questions on history facts beginning in 800 A.D. with Charlemagne and ending in 1994 with the election of Nelson Mandela and the ending of apartheid.

And the crazy part is, he enjoys it!

He loves reciting everything he's learned for grandmas, uncles, friends, whomever.

Clearly a trip to get a special celebratory treat was in order!

So he picked out pretty much the biggest ice cream cone of all time on the way home!

Way to go, Buggy!

You have earned it.

We are oh so very proud of you!

Sweet Scene

2011-04-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Forgive me while I play catch up. It's been a busy weekend, and I have several days worth of posts that I have yet to tend to. Going back to Friday....

It was a very late night for all of the kids! We had booming thunderstorms overhead from bedtime until about midnight. And while Princess A could care less about storms, there wasn't really a good way for me to steal away to feed her and tuck her in with scared siblings at my side. So she stayed up and watched Action Bible Songs with Little Sis.

Well, Princess A did a little better at the "staying up" part than Little Sis.
Exhaustion finally won out for her.

I took advantage of her slumber to go put Princess A in bed, and returned to see quite the sweet little scene in my living room.
Those who have followed my blog for a while know that Younger Brother and Big Sis (not relatively speaking there) are the best of buddies! And he is always very concerned about taking care of her.

I came back to find the two of them curled up on the couch playing DS together, and him occasionally stopping to hug her and give her a kiss on the top of her head.

Even a nervous Beagle dog could see, it was surely the best place to be in a storm.

"Look, Mom! No hands!!!"

2011-04-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Princess A took 4 or 5 steps all by herself today!

And she has officially mastered going from squatting to standing without holding on to anything.

It's so much fun!

See?!

Maiden On A Mission

2011-04-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

"Brother and Me"

2011-04-18T09:54:00.001-07:00

"My big brother loves me so much! And I love him so much...even after he tried to pick me up, and dropped me off the couch onto my head."

My Son Thinks He's Tron...

2011-04-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Newest Addition part 2

2011-04-14T11:47:00.001-07:00

Today is J's 35th birthday! Which can only mean one of two things. Being that I dubuted his new bike two posts ago, that leaves just one more thing it could be....

A New Tattoo!

I really like this one!

That's Sputnik in honor of my dad,

and one star for each one of the kids.

B is for Bipedalism

2011-04-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

bi-ped-al-ism: (n) the condition of being two-footed, or of using two feet for standing and walking.

Well, we're not quite there yet...

But we're oh so close!

Newest Addition

2011-04-10T23:22:00.001-07:00

Lookout, Daddy has a new bike!

And with this long awaited break in the weather today, he finally had a chance to try it out!

Growing Older...And Younger

2011-04-10T21:01:00.001-07:00

I recently celebrated my 31st birthday. Yes, that's right - 31. I have to say, 31 was easier to swallow than 30. And I know that every year, every day, is a gift. And that I have been richly blessed over the course of them. I was reminded of that yet again, when my Dad stopped by for a surprise visit and brought me this fantastic cake!

It looks like a lot more little people than it seems to see them all lined up on a cake. :)

This picture spurred all kinds of jesting comments from my husband and well-meaning friends.

"Where is J?"

"Surprise! You're a single mom of FIVE!" -B

"I'm on the complimentary cupcake with a frown."-J

But we all knew the intention.

And it was an awesome birthday surprise from the kids to me...orchestrated by Grandpa of course!

Best cake ever!

It also led to perhaps my favorite exchange of the evening:

Me: "Thanks, Dad!"

Little Sis: "That's not Dad. That's Grandpa"

Me: "He's my dad. And your grandpa."

Little Sis: "I'm not Grandpa!! >:( "

Hehehehe.

And speaking of Little Sis, apparently grown-ups aren't the only ones who would enjoy turning back the clock every once in a while.

While I made dinner, I let her ride around in the Moby wrap for the first time in ages. I used to do everything with her strapped to me when she was a baby.

It turns out, she thoroughly enjoyed getting to be the baby again for a little bit.

And I got to spend my birthday with the best company ever!

BEWARE of BOY

2011-04-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Surely warm weather must be almost here, as I found myself looking on the "poetry" of this familiar scene again today.

And this is surely our fence...

with the padlock, the dog sign, and the boy on top.

And this is the boy, who's superior climbing skills, led me to find myself actually having to make the rule, "No playing on the roof."

Oh Younger Brother, may gravity never get the best of you!

Face Time

2011-04-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

Libbs is such a great dog!

She gets far too little recognition.

Here's your shout out Liberty.

You're the best, and we love you!

Cute As A Button

2011-04-03T21:42:00.001-07:00

Twinkle Toes

2011-04-03T21:39:00.001-07:00

Aloha, Grandpa!

2011-04-03T20:49:00.001-07:00

Grandpa just got back from a trip to Hawaii. And today he came by bearing all kinds of island goodies! Here's a look at just a few...

If anyone can rock the muumuu look, it's Princess A!

Really, you just have to have a certain kind of figure to pull that off. ;)

Her sisters got necklaces and hula outfits, which they loved!

And much to Daddy's relief, they felt the coconut portion of the outfit was best suited for the dog.

Oh Liberty, you are infinitely patient!

The boys weren't around for pictures because they were off having some kind of galactic battle. At least I assumed as much by their occasional appearance with a blaster gun, and one of my island princesses (post-pictures) passing me in the kitchen like this...

Thanks for thinking of us, Grandpa!

And most importantly, we're very glad that you're home!!!

Incriminating...

2011-03-31T11:58:00.001-07:00

"Princess A, do you know what happened to Mommy's cell phone and the blue marker??"

"Okay, I forgive you."

Friends For A Lifetime

2011-03-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today marked 2 years exactly since I said goodbye to my childhood horse and lifelong friend, Sugar. It was a bittersweet morning at the farm for sure. I spent a few minutes in the bottom pasture where she is buried beneath big beautiful trees, along the bank of the river where I used to take her for handwalks when she got too old for me to ride her. Those of you with large animals probably know that a "resting plot" is not the typical way to part with them. So I am so thankful to Mr. A and Mrs. R for giving her a place there!

Anyway, enough with the sad stuff. I did say, "bittersweet," not, "bitter" after all! I decided I'd do a post today to commemorate her life; and as I started looking back through old pictures I was moved by truly what an amazing journey we had. I would never ever have guessed that the neglected little grey mare with melanoma that came into my life in grade school, would be with me long enough to happily carry around 4 of my children! In fact, I was newly pregnant with Princess A when we lost Sug. So in a way, she crossed paths with her too.

Okay, enough chatter. Here is a sampling of our journey in pictures. Enjoy!

I think I was 10, maybe 11 here?

(Somewhere in here I went away to college, came back, and started a family.)

That's Younger Brother in there!

It's waaay more nerve-wracking to be on the parent end of horseback riding!

She always took good care of them.

Big Sis

Little Sis

I miss those ears. They were unusually small and fuzzy for a horse, so sweet...

...just like her.

Happy trails to you, dear friend.

You will not be forgotten.

Sweet Love

2011-03-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

That smile is sunshine to my soul!

DS SOS

2011-03-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

We have fairly strict guidelines in our house regarding video games. Without them, I'm reasonably sure that, Younger Brother especially, would hardly do anything else! Unless an exception is made, the kids do not have video game privelages on school days. And regardless of the day, chores must be done first; and they don't typically bust out the electronic devices first thing in the morning. Cruel world, I know. ;)

Anyway, Nintendo DS is a highly sought after activity. And one that is painfully difficult to wait for, apparently. So much so that Younger Brother couldn't wait for J to come in the door from his morning freelance shoot; he had leave him a message that could be seen from the street!

In his haste, he left out a couple of words. But you get the point.

I suppose I should be thankful that he chose window paint as his preferred method of communication.

I mean, at least he didn't decide to do this

click here

...again!

It was a bit reminiscent of days of old, I will say...

"Supermoon"

2011-03-19T19:20:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, I think it's pretty cool that this unique lunar event is taking place on my baby girl's birthday.

She's already in bed. But I did take a minute to grab my camera and tripod, and snap a few pics for her to see when she wakes up.

Check out the detail on this puppy!

(Click on the picture to see it larger.)

I so wish I could upload the non-compressed version for you to see!

Celebrate! - Life Wisdom From A Three Year Old

2011-03-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

On your special day, ALWAYS paint your nails your best shade of red,

and eat your birthday cake with your fingers!

Close Proximity

2011-03-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

I am REALLY mad at my sister right now!!!!!

I'm only sitting next to her because you're making me!

Not on your next life!

2011-03-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

For those of you, "Non-Facebookians" out there, I just had to post one of my husband's updates from this weekend... :)

He writes:

Just told my son after he was caught sneaking candy, "You better stop the stealing or you are going to end up in a jail cell with a guy named Bubba." To which he replies, "Isn't that a Chinese guy that makes everyone worship him?"... No you tool, not Buddha.

Call me, "Nona!"

2011-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Currently, my daughter's alter ego is more cooperative than my daughter. Therefore, it appears that, "Nona" is going to be sticking around for awhile.

She started on this kick last Wednesday, when she asked me to call her, "Nona" 109 times, yes, 109 times during the last 30 minutes of her mommy-and-me class!

It was excessive to the point of comical, so I started counting.

I've surely lost count since then. But a week later, she is still insisting that I address her alter ego directly. And "Nona" seems to have a cooperation rate of nearly 100%, whereas Little Sis' cooperation rate is currently hanging out in the 5% to 10% zone.

So, "Nona" it is!

Alright Nona, time for your nap.

Happy On A Horse

2011-03-04T11:50:00.001-08:00

Ahh, the old days! I was seventeen when this picture was taken. My summers growing up were AWESOME!

And now, I'm passing the torch.

It seems there's someone else who's as happy on a horse as her Mama always was...

...hmm, and I gotta say, a wee bit cuter!
:)

Biggest Brother

2011-03-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I did the photos for a Daddy/Daughter dance, and Biggest Brother went along as my assistant. I spent the evening on the first floor taking the official, "couples photos." And Brother spent it on the second floor taking candid shots of everyone at the dance, as well as going back and forth and letting each group know when it was time to come down to me. He was a big help! Plus, I used him as my model to get the lighting and camera settings adjusted. Which was great, being that I finally got some fun images for a Biggest Brother blogspot cameo appearance! I feel like I hardly ever get to take pictures of him since he is gone at school for most of the daylight hours. Plus, he's not a baby anymore. So he's off doing his own thing a lot of the time, and not right under foot the way that the little ones are.

This was the fabulous photographic setup loaned to me by my lovely and talented sister-in-law. I had sooo much fun with it! And hopefully, one day, when I manage to glean about 6G's from the cushions on my couch; I will be able to acquire some gear as delightful as this!

Anyway, it was fun while I had it.

And here (drum roll please)

is Biggest Brother!
***

Well, I had to make him take at least one serious picture for grandparent purposes. :)

He's getting so grown up!!!

I can't believe he's going to be ten in two months!

Couldn't Wait!

2011-02-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well...I didn't want to post these out of order. There is actually a reason why I had this fabulous photographic setup for one brief shining weekend. But I just couldn't wait to post this picture of all 5 "M" Children together!!! I literally had a minute and thirty seconds, an hour past bedtime last night - and took 5 shots with the hope of getting one...just one...nice group photo!

So here you have it!

Considering the circumstances, I am pleased as punch with this picture!

All of my sweet beautiful babies; all in one spot!

YAY!!!

When I see them all lined up, I am truly humbled (and thankful) to have been blessed so abundantly!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory..."

Eph 3:20-21

Hide-And-Go-CHEEEEKS!

2011-02-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

Ohh, you found me Booboo!

Good job!

"Grand Old Princess"

2011-02-23T19:35:00.001-08:00

Let it be known, I had nothing to do with this!

But I did find it AWESOME.

I was working downstairs when Big Sis rounded the corner dressed as "Sleeping Beauty" (self-proclaimed), and asked me to take her picture in her pretty outfit.

Yes, my friends...

Behold,

Sleeping Beauty 2011!

Pigs In A Blanket

2011-02-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

precious piggies

in a pile of blanket

Just for the record...

2011-02-21T19:37:00.001-08:00

...that small crash I heard on my way down the hall tonight definitely had nothing to do with Little Sis. I mean, I'm sure she would not have been standing on the kitchen table or anything. And if she happened, by not standing on the kitchen table, to kick over a glass of water (or two); she certainly would not have thought that covering her eyes would make her whereabouts undetectable.

And there is positively no way she would have decided to get rid of the water on the table by licking it up.

And I am most definitely certain she would never have finished drying the kitchen table with her sock!

I mean, that's completely inappropriate. Such things would never be allowed to transpire here!

Nor would I ever take part in sending mixed messages about appropriate behavior to my children by foregoing intervention and photographing hilariously naughty moments instead.

You know, just for the record.

"Aurora" In Wonderland

2011-02-20T23:46:00.001-08:00

When in doubt about how to get to the second floor of the doll house...

Try the stairs!
*
Rats! Where is that shrinking potion when you need it?!

T is for Craft Tuesday!

2011-02-15T21:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Craft Tuesday! I posted all of these pics late last night, and promptly fell asleep before captioning any of them. What can I say, it's been a busy week! Anyway, as you know we have chosen to homeschool Younger Brother. (Actually, it looks as though we will likely be homeschooling them all next year; but that's another topic for another post.) Anyway, it seems to have worked out that each day of the week has developed its own theme. Review Monday, Library/Field Trip Thursday, and a house favorite....Craft Tuesday! I am the one in charge of the academics, and J is (among other things) in charge of thinking up and executing the weekly craft project. I think daddy is having as much fun with it as they are! This week it was:

A Cardboard Town

We have been saving all kinds of boxes and paper towel tubes etc. for the past couple of weeks.

A little imagination + scissors, paint, glue, and tape = Voila!
*

This was a house on the frontside,

and some sort of waterworks/waterfall on the backside.

...and a colorful one at that!

This house came complete with a twin bed for a Lego Guy inside.

And towering above it,

the town's water supply...
*

a diving board watertower!

*scroll back to picture #1 for scale*

Because really, it would be a waste to have a structure that tall with no good reason to climb it and dive off!

I've always said Younger Brother has a promising future career on Nitro Circus!

But I digress.

******

Two weeks ago, Craft Tuesday also involved the building of a town.

Only this time it was...

Toothpicks and Marshmallows!

They loved this one,

probably because it was edible.

And I loved this one, except for walking through my dark living room in bare feet that night and stepping on half of a broken toothpick, stuck point-up in the carpet.

That was awesome!

Still a good idea nonetheless.
*****

And last week's Craft Tuesday activity...

Pipe Cleaner Fun!

There were silly hats

alien spiders

handcuffs
(of course)

keys

(of course)

and glasses.

Brother and Sis had a dispute over what this should be.

He said it was a bomb.

She said it was clearly a flower.

I feel a Peter, Paul, and Mary song coming on!

Oh and,

"Hey guys, has anyone seen my phone?!"
*

Later in the day, pipe cleaner fun yielded a classic, "Younger Brother was here!" moment.

Found it!

Click here for another, "Younger Brother was Here" moment if you missed it.

And here ... he had just recently turned 4 in this one!

Man I love that kid!

You know, occasionally wanting to pull my hair out aside.

Three Times Sweet

2011-02-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

So I know Princess A has monopolized the blog recently. Buuut, I figured I'd make it an even 3 for 3 before returning to regularly scheduled programming.

She is, afterall, sweeter than frosting pie!