Rich takes Caleb to work

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Shanda

Last night Rich hesitated and thought about it and then told me, “I’m going to take Caleb to work with me tomorrow.” And once he sets his mind to do something, he does it.

Caleb had already been put to bed for the night, but wasn’t asleep, so Rich went downstairs to get him.

The two of them walked all around the house together (I was dead tired), hunting and gathering stuff for The Big Day. They carefully chose some clothes for Caleb, socks, shoes. “Where’s your backpack, Caleb?” Caleb went off to get it, “I found my Thomas one, but there MIGHT be a spider in it. Check.” The backpack was checked and proclaimed Free of Spiders. By the time it was packed with toys, books, coloring books, and crayons it could hardly be carried at all.

It was late and I finally interrupted the endless preparations and begged, “Please, will you two settle down and go to sleep now?” Caleb was tucked in on the couch to sleep for the night and his Dad came in with me. heart

Morning came all too soon (I was restless last night, ugh)….and in the dark I opened my eyes to dimly see Rich leading Caleb through our room, on silent feet so as not to disturb Mama and baby sister.

“What is he doing in here?” I said, (lovingly).

“I’m going to give him a bath.”

I thought that was just too much and so I got up to enjoy the show. Caleb was ushered into the bathroom to be scrubbed and washed by his Dad. From behind the closed door I could hear water running and little moans coming from him (Caleb, not Dad) now and then. (It was 6 in the morning). I went out to drink coffee on the couch in front of the fire and soon Caleb emerged, pink and clean, with a towel sort of around his middle. He was bright eyed and happy. “I gotta get dressed now.” I showed him his clothes. “What’s THIS shirt?” “It’s a nice warm one that Daddy picked out for you.” “I LOVE warm shirts!”

As I helped Caleb get himself dressed, Rich came out all ready to go, handsome as can be.

It was time to put on the shoes.

Caleb’s sneakers were a struggle to get on. “Rich, they’re too small, the poor thing! He can’t wear shoes that are too tight.”

Caleb said, “I LOVE tight shoes!”

I have a feeling Caleb loves everything this morning because he gets to go to work with his Dad.

I asked him if he was eating breakfast at home or McDonald’s. He didn’t have to think about it. “McDonald’s! What do they have there for breakfast?” “Pancakes.” “Oh, I’ll have pancakes,” he decided.

They went out the door with their work bags on their shoulders, even though Caleb could just barely manage his.

Caleb is our most talkative child and I have images of him following Rich’s co-workers around, talking their ears off. He will be quite amusing I’m sure.

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, so I imagine the office will be emptyish. It will be an easier day of work for Rich and that’s why he was able to take along his little buddy.

I was outside when they drove away down the road, and I got to wave and smile and enjoy the moon.

Sarah Joy in the morning

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Shanda

A mild November morning, a treat, the outdoors called and we answered. I popped my head into Grace’s room and said, “Do you want to come outside, with Sarah and me?” We three went together into the sweet air of the new day.

It was approximately 7:30 a.m.

Sarah’s pink sweater was crocheted for her big sister, Grace, 11 years ago, by her Great Great Grandma. These sweaters (she made two others, one for Jacob and one for Ethan) have been a constant delight to put on my babies. They zip right up the back, have an adorable pointed hood to keep the little ears warm, and were made with loving hands.

After letting out the chickens, we went over to the play set and I put Sarah in the swing.

These next pictures were taken one after the other…watch her little hand….

It was a happy time playing outside with our baby. She is a wonderful heavy armful of pure joy.

Yes, she is our pretty doll, and we all adore her.

Back inside, Sarah played on the floor, on a blanket I crocheted a few years ago.

She insisted on playing with toys that matched her little nightgown! heart

These pictures recorded about an hour of our morning. Since then, we have been busy getting things done for Thanksgiving day. Ethan and I went (with Sarah) to Costco to get the turkey. We had to park way far away from Costco but we didn’t mind because the weather was so nice. We pawed through all the fresh Butterball turkeys so we could buy The Biggest One. It was 22 pounds. After getting a few more random items, we left that crazy place and came back home to schoolwork, reading, and naps.

I took a nap with Sarah and if she hadn’t woke me up I would be sleeping still. Really!

((loves)) Shanda

PS. I am thankful for YOU. Blogging has become such a bright spot in my life because of the friends I have met here. Thank you for your gracious friendship and loving notes day after day.

the thankful heart

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Shanda

Hope all my friends are having a splendid weekend. heart

Love, Shanda

and now for a word from Seth

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Shanda

Hi, my name is Seth and I am one year old, soon to be two (on February 2).

Today my mom was cleaning her house and I was, as usual, busy doing other things. My mom calls it mischief but I don’t know what that means.

Well. Something great happened! She took me outside for a walk with her.

See, the other day when my whole family was in the car, my Dad had to stop and get a drink at the gas station. When he came out, he gave my mom a dog bone. She said, what is this? Are you trying to say I’m a dog, Rich? She laughed and laughed and so did Dad. He said, well, at least it’s a homemade dog bone. Mom said, they were selling homemade dog bone biscuits and you decided to buy me one? Dad laughed and laughed again. One time I heard mom say she liked surprise gifts so I know she was really happy with Dad.

Well, this old dog bone was hanging around the kitchen too long so Mom said, Seth do you want to go outside and give this bone to Parker with me?

As soon as I heard the word, GO, I was nodding my head up and down. That means yes.

We started to go out the door but it was pretty cold so Mom said, sit here while I go get your shoes and coat. I was feeling so good that I obeyed which I think surprised Mom because when she came back there I was, still sitting in the same spot.

Soon I had my coat and my shoes and we started to walk down the hill. I was going too fast down that hill so I said, whoa, and then Mom held my hand.

As soon as I saw our Dog, I threw the bone. Mom said, no not yet and she picked it up and took it to the dog. I didn’t get too close because I don’t like the dog to knock me over.

Then, we walked way over to the chicken coop. Mom went in front of me faster than I could walk and I started to be mad and cry. She ignored me. She does that when she knows I can do it myself without any help.

When we got to the coop, mom let out the chickens and collected one egg. I took the lid off the feed bin and grabbed a handful to throw at a chicken. That’s how you feed them. It was so fun.

Our rooster is very scary. He runs at me and knocks me down. One time he did it and Dad yelled to my mom, do you want a child with only one eye? She said, absolutely not, we need to build a fence!

If I see any chicken at all, I sit down and yell GO at it. I think if I sit down on my own, it will not knock me down. So I sit, yell go real loud, and point my finger away in the direction I want it to go.

When we were done with that, we kept walking around some more on the lawn. Mom was cleaning, like she always does. She picked up stuff off the lawn and I went over to throw a rock in the pond. When I threw it I said, bye. . Mom. . and I waved at her and went to get another rock. Mom wondered where I was going. I get my rocks from the lower driveway and then go all the way back to the pond. It is so fun to throw them in. I do that and then I turn around to smile at my mom because I know she is very proud of me.

Then, I saw my little ride on toy and went on that. I like it just fine, but Mom says if you see it at Target do not buy it because it will fade and not last.

I rode on my toy for about 10 seconds and then I remembered that we have a big thing to jump on called a trampoline so I ran to that but mom said no we are not jumping on that today. I surprised her because when she said no I did what my brothers do and I begged by saying please please. They do this and a lot of times she changes her mind so I tried it and it worked! She lifted me up and let me jump. I bounced a little and then I took off my shoes and threw them so I could jump better but then I decided not to jump after all. So mom sighed real big and had to sit me down and put my shoes right back on but I know she didn’t mind.

After that I had to go inside again. I love to be outside and I hope I get to go out there again soon.

That is all. Thank you for reading about my walk.

PS. On our walk my mom picked up one glass jar, 2 legos, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 jackets, one empty plastic bag, a hair brush, a water bottle, and some broken plastic. She wonders if she is the only one who sees the garbage and stuff. She is wrong. We all see it but she is the only one who thinks to pick it up. She also brought one egg into the house, in her pocket. I think my mom is wonderful. She is doing the best she can. I know that because I hear her say it real loud sometimes.

two roosters

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Shanda

I’m sitting on the couch and Sarah has wriggled her way over to my sneaker and I feel her little fingers touching me. She’s on her belly, not making a sound, but her little feet are gently going up and down as she touches things. She’s so cute.

Seth is by my side, ready and willing to push the buttons on my laptop.

Ethan and Jacob are talking and being funny and (of course) looking for something to eat in the freezer. They are always hungry. (I do feed them.)

Not sure what the others are doing but I just saw them a minute ago.

I haven’t blogged lately because I haven’t been feeling well since Saturday (just a cold but w/a sore throat, headache, and fatigue). Also, my mother in law came on Sunday afternoon with her two girls. Rich and I got to stay overnight at a hotel that night, just the two of us, both not feeling well but not willing to pass up the opportunity to get away. We had a great time together. We ate at the hotel that night (I had french onion soup and a nice salad, he had scallops over corn risotto). After eating, we walked through the city a couple of blocks so that he could show me his office. No one was there and it was fun to have him give me a tour. He has big enlarged pictures of us on his office walls and outside the door there is a collage of Sarah’s baby pictures, announcing his newest addition. Rich’s office is neat and organized.

On Saturday, we went to the mall for a little bit and then back to the hotel to sleep. We got home at about 7:30.

Rich’s mom and the girls left this morning, with tears flowing from Grandma because she didn’t want to leave, and the children begging her to stay– either that or buy the piece of land down the road. LOL

We had a quiet afternoon with the babies napping, children studying, and me reading and sipping my coffee in the quiet.

Marcia C, if you are reading this….I wrote you back today and so did Grace. Thanks for the fairy article you clipped from Family Fun magazine, we LOVED seeing it and we can’t wait to get outside and make more fairy homes.

I took these pictures last week when Ethan and Superman walked into the house with a surprise for me:

We have one rooster named George and it is now apparent that out of the chicks we hatched out this summer, HE HAS A SON. We just can’t tell a female baby chick from a male, so it is only now that we have made this terrible discovery. George himself is a problem, as he has a tendency to knock Seth down once in a while, or run and jump at the other small children in the family. Now he unfortunately has a descendant, whom the children have named ROMEO. However, I keep calling him George Jr. I can’t help myself because he looks exactly like his father. Well, not exactly. George Jr has green legs and black eyes. Big George has red eyes and black legs.

I am not sure what action we will be taking to solve this problem. Our chickens have been free ranging but it may be time to build a fence for them.

Well, Ethan found something to eat….big shredded wheat biscuits, to be eaten dry.

Jacob also found something…..an entire bag of frozen ravioli that he is going to boil up and eat. He says they are all for him.

Please pray that my sore throat and head ache goes away soon. Thanks!

Seth was just sitting on the floor next to Sarah and she was looking up at him with trust and joy. He took the toy he was playing with and inserted it right into her mouth until she gagged on it. (It was a toy syringe from the toy doctor kit)…….she didn’t cry at all, just gagged while Seth laughed and I said, “take that out of her mouth!” She absolutely adores Seth and loves watching him and his antics.

I cleaned out the junk drawers in the kitchen today. I had four of them and they are now completely empty.

What are you doing today?

One more note: Seth just grabbed Sarah’s cheeks and kissed her on the mouth. She yelled at him that time. LOL

sister day

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Shanda

My sister Amanda came over today with her little girl, Naomi~

Naomi gives me big hugs when she sees me. She sat right next to me in church on Sunday, which made me very happy. I love her SO much.

Naomi Isabella

She’s closest in age to my Caleb and they hook up and do stuff together when she visits. It’s quite cute to see them play and talk.

She’s four and a half and can do backbends.

Here’s Nay with her mama:

And one more, Jacob took this one, of Amanda and me:

After our little photo session we all (10 of us) went down to the Elvis diner in town for lunch. Ummm, can someone say crazy times? It was fun though and I got to have a big cold cherry coke (a treat).

When we got home, Amanda and I helped Grace pack. Amanda took her back home for a sleepover with Abbie (Amanda’s older daughter). Tomorrow they are going to the American Girl Place for Abbie’s 10th birthday party. They will have such a good time but it sure feels strange with Grace gone. heart

Guess what I’m going to go do now? I’m going to go to bed to read my book with Sarah and take a little tiny afternoon catnap. Doesn’t that sound cozy? Seth is already sleeping and the other 4 boys are downstairs in their room playing.

Happy Friday!

PS, I was just thinking about this picture. How cute is this? From almost 5 years ago….Amanda and me with CALEB and newborn NAOMI…….

quick post

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Shanda

I found this big baby doll at the thrift store this past Saturday for $4.50 and gave it to our Sarah. It’s quite delightful, having another girl!

Happy Thursday to you! ((hugs))

joyful motherhood

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Shanda

“…by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned….” 2 Corinthians 6:6

Look. Really look for the joy. A potato thrown into the washing machine by little hands. A silly face drawn in crayon on the wall by a four year old. The unexpected note, story, or list left behind by a beginning writer. The funny things they say. The funny noises they make when you least expect it.

Listen. Really listen. That soft, trusting little voice asking YOU for something. The prayers they pray at mealtimes “Thank you that Mom took us to the liberry today”, their hopes and dreams. “I want to fly, Mom”…….the stories they tell, the songs they sing or play, the conversations they have with each other. They are amazing.

Stop. Just stop. The house can wait. Sit down on the floor and see what happens. Someone will come near sooner than you think. They will bring a book, or a toy, or just come flop in your lap. You can tickle them. Or, read a book to them as you sniff their hair and wonder when you gave them their last bath.

Write. Keep paper near. Put dates on everything because time doesn’t stop for anyone. You’ll forget who said what when. Write the things that make you laugh. Write the things that are in your heart, what you see there and what you are thankful for. These are the things you will remember and talk about when they ask for stories about who they are.

Say yes because it makes your heart grow big. Yes to the pancakes when you didn’t get much sleep the night before. Yes to the running around outside in the rain, yes to “one more time, two more times, three more times” of the SAME book, yes to more minutes before bed time. Yes to bubbles in the tub. Smile big when you say yes.

Smile, too, when they wake up from their nap. Let your babies see your smile and happy loving eyes. Show them with your face that you think they are precious, wondrous treasures, because they are.

Snap. Take pictures with your camera that will soften your heart and put a tear in your eye later on when life slows back down. Instead of crying over the spills, photograph them. Instead of yelling at the toddler who gave the baby her first cracker, find the humor in the moment and grab the camera. These are the things our daily life is made of and it is beautiful.

Pray. That God will open the eyes and give wisdom to the mother-heart. The heart He made and gave you…..He knows our needs and offers abundant resources of peace, joy, love, and grace.

pretty in pink

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Shanda

Does anyone else agree with me that this is the sweetest book cover EVER? I was at anthropologie Saturday afternoon and made this happy discovery. MY FAVORITE, Anne of Green Gables, wrapped in old timey hardcover clothbound PINK with teapots, cupcakes, butterflies, cherries, teacups, and ribbons. Honestly. How could it get any better than that? It’s on my Christmas list but if I’m good, Rich said he might get it for me sooner. heart