Sidewalk Chalk Is Non-Toxic, Right?

One is Fun!

Lucy is One!

Miss Lucy is one!

 She is a busy little girl that only stops to sleep and sometimes eat.

I don't have many photos of her looking at the camera anymore because I can't get her to sit still long enough.

The photos are either blurry,

or they are of the back of her head.

She has definitely mastered walking and has about mastered running!  She loves to climb.  Any time the baby gate is not in front of the stairs she makes a dash for them.  She also loves to sing!  When she finds a paper, she holds it up like it's sheet music and sings her heart out.  She does the same with any kind of book, although she is beginning to love to have them read to her, too.

She is BUSY!!!  Either I don't remember the other kids (except Elizabeth) being in to everything, or I'm not such a youthful parent anymore.  I call her The Tornado.  How can one little baby make such messes so quickly?!  I just think she is going to be a smarty pants and is curious about everything.  Or at least that's what I tell myself as I've put the Tupperware back into the cabinet for the 89th time each day.

Happy birthday, sweet Lucy!

Who Needs Toys?

Sometimes I laugh when I think about the difference in my parenting from Ross to Lucy.  It's not that I love #5 any less than #1.  It's just a natural loosening up I guess.  For instance, with Ross I think I never left home without anything he might possibly need - toys, extra clothes, wipes and diapers, books, etc.  I laughed recently when at church I realized there were no toys in the diaper bag for Lucy to play with.  I offered her a shoe.  And last week I gave her some dental floss to hold while I was shuttling kids back and forth.  She seemed to enjoy it.

I don't think she even needs actual toys for Christmas.  I might just send the kids around the house to wrap objects we already have on hand.  Maybe a toothbrush, coaster, tape, Q-tips.  They're just as fun, right?

11 Months

Lucy is officially a little walker!  With her new found mobility comes a curious nature.  She is in to EVERYTHING.  She opens cabinets, empties drawers, rips up papers, climbs everything, and on and on all day long.

She has brought so much joy to so many.  Her role in our family has been especially important at this very sad time for us.  My brother, Ben, passed away very unexpectedly two days before Thanksgiving.  Lucy's smiles, tender snuggles, and happiness have helped our hearts.  Our entire family has been together a lot over these last two weeks.  The night of Ben's funeral we had a sleepover at my parents, even though we just live one block up the street from Mom and Dad, and my sister's family lives about three blocks away.  All sixteen of us brought pillows and sleeping bags, just to be a little closer to one another.  As we all gathered for bedtime prayers in the living room, Lucy entertained the crowd.  She climbed all over the pallets, clapped, giggled, and put on a show.  Everyone was laughing and cheering her on.  I had the distinct impression that those ten minutes of pure joy she was bringing to our wounded family were the reason she was sent to our family.  I think back nineteen months ago and remember the shock upon learning a baby would be joining our already large family.  How grateful I am that our Father knew we would need her so much at this specific time in our lives.

They're On To Me

After twelve years of parenting I've figured out why I have naughty little children.  Much too often I CAN'T  HELP LAUGHING WHEN I SHOULD BE DISCIPLINING!

Case in point:  Mallory got in trouble and we had to make good on a threat to send her to bed early.  An hour after she was sent to bed, I walked around the corner to find her sitting on the stairs playing with her doll.  I stopped in my tracks and gave her The Look.  She immediately replied with a straight face, "I can explain it all."  She proceeded to concentrate really hard and was deep in thought for about ten seconds.  She then responded, "Actually I can't.  It's too hard to explain."  I had to stifle my giggles behind Lucy's little head, but Mallory was on to me and broke out in a laugh herself.

My kids are smart!  They've figured out that all they need to do is say something witty or clever and I lose it.

Crazy Things I've Heard This Week

*Do poor people use socks instead of napkins?  (Drew)

*I'm gonna name one of my kids Cute Face if they have a cute face.  (Mallory)

*Mom, you look like a penguin with swagger!  (Elizabeth, embarrassed as I showed her some of my dance moves)

*Lizzie!  You're getting into my darkness!  (Mallory, said as Elizabeth blocked the light as she was crafting)

*Me:  Mallory, why are you wearing two pair of underwear?
Mallory:  In case we have a fire and the other ones fall off.

~Everything I've ever posted from Mallory, she has said seriously.  She has never said any of these things to try to get a laugh, unlike some of the other kids.  That makes what she says even funnier to me!

I Want To Remember

It's these little things I want to always remember.

Lucy always perches her tiny little foot on the handle of her high chair tray.  Always.  And it makes me smile.  Always.  I want to remember this.  Just like I want to remember when Ross was her age he always kicked off his right shoe and pulled off his sock every time he got in his car seat.  And I want to remember how Elizabeth held a section of her hair and rubbed it against her mouth and nose when she was a sleepy toddler.  And I want to remember how Drew loved earlobes.  He liked to feel them.  He loved to feel a newborn baby's earlobes the best.  And his cousin Sterling's.  If he loved you, he rubbed your earlobes.  And I want to remember how Mallory said "squirrel."  When she said it, it sounded like "squeal."

It's the small things that make a mommy smile.

Halloween 2011

I'm a bit behind these days!  Halloween 2011 is in the books.  This was the first year Ross didn't dress up.  Sniff, sniff.  He hung out with my nephew, Grant, and some friends while we took the other kids trick-or-treating.

 The above photos were taken by my talented friend, Kacey.  The backdrop was painted by her mother.  Talent obviously runs in their family!

 Elizabeth was inspired by a friend and chose to be a mime.  She won a costume contest with this cute little number.  And of course she had an act which she gladly performed upon request.

 Drew (not so happy to have his photo taken) wanted to be Mario.  More specifically he wanted to be this Mario riding Yoshi.  I always feel a little bit of pressure with the confidence the kids have in my costume-making abilities!  I made an attempt, and it was utterly ridiculous.  I really wish I would have taken pictures, but just imagine Squidward instead of Yoshi.  Epic fail.

 Mallory's cute little owl came from recycled sweaters from the thrift store as I said in a previous post.

And Lucy's little sock monkey costume also came from a thrift store sweater.  She, too, won a costume contest for "Most Original."  She was the cutest little sock monkey around!