Going to Try This Again

Blogging? What do you mean blogging? Oh yeah, that thing that I used to enjoy so much. I forgot how, I think.



Ok...



Well, let's start with the kids. I can always come up with something about them.



Here they are:

Meyson has a job at Burger King and is contemplating his future. School, military, bills, money, love...so much opportunity. He's learned the hard way that bad choices come back and bite you later. Let's hope that lesson sticks. He's a good kid facing the big, bad world. Remember that?

Brianna is looking forward to soccer starting again soon and trying to determine whether or not to homeschool again next year. She's such a social girl that I won't be surprised if she chooses to go to public high school. I think she's enjoyed homeschooling this year, but I also think she misses seeing all of her friends everyday.

Cody lives for ballet. She loves it so much and is improving rapidly. I had to remind her the other day that she is precious and special not because she's a great ballerina, but because she is Cody and God made her special and unique. She looked at me like I was speaking gibberish. I'm going to have to figure out how to make that sink in.

Carson is sick right now. She tends to get high fevers with very few other symptoms, but she's an excellent patient. On normal days she is an eager and emotional child. She likes to learn, but gets distracted easily. I think daydreaming may be her activity of choice. Carson is very musical and we would like to get her into some kind of music lessons. For now, she sings all the time which is perfect.

Memphis sings all the time too. Not much on key, but that's what makes it so wonderful. His joy just spills right out of his mouth in whatever words and notes he likes. He is still the most daring of our children; I expect a broken bone or two in the next few years. Not that I'm looking forward to that, just trying to prepare myself.

Silas needs to spend more time out in public. She wants to be in control of any and all activities at all times. Since I tend to try and run errands when Brad is home, she hasn't had a whole lot of "public behavior" lessons. So beginning with our outing to the library in which she loudly announced that she did not like the young man who was standing next to us, and ending today when she refused to obey her Sunday school teacher, is a period of time in which I have realized my mistake. Silas can be the sweetest most compassionate baby girl you've ever met. She snuggles and plays and gives kisses and is generally lovely. I think the public deserves to see that side of her and she certainly deserves to be observed that way. Another lesson to impart...sigh.

Great kids, great husband, great life.

Oh Yeah, About All Those People Who Live Here...

It's been quite a while since I've done an update on all the kids, so I'm here today to remedy that. Let me preface by letting you know that I've been printing all of my blogs that have to do with the kids to make them a sort of baby book since my tired attempts at scrap booking failed miserably.



Meyson is now 17 and facing his last year of schooling. Although he would never admit it, I do believe he is terrified of what comes after that. He has big dreams for his future including herpetology and acting and/or directing. He has an amazing talent for drawing so we are trying to push him in that direction to give him a start. What he lacks is confidence so if you see him soon a little encouragement would be more than appreciated. Brad and I are on edge because Meyson seems to be at that point in his life where he is wavering between what he has been taught is right and the "easy" looking path that those of us with more experience recognize as the school of hard knocks. We pray everyday that our voices will reverberate within him and he will choose the right path.

Brianna has officially entered teenagerhood. Unnerving is not a big enough word. She continues to excel in school and still enjoys singing in the choir. I am continually amazed at how well she plays with the little ones. Her laugh echoes through our home brightening every space. They love her so much. Bri wants to give homeschooling a try next year. I'm a little concerned that I will not challenge her enough and, compensating, will set the bar too high. A balancing act will surely be necessary.

Cody is now 9 years old which makes me feel older than dirt. How on earth is it possible that I have a 9-year-old? Anyway, ballet is her passion! She eats, sleeps, and breathes it. And she's really good at it too. I'm fairly certain that I'll need to get her some kind of calender to keep with her so that she can keep up with her many social obligations. She is the activity leader in our home and her impeccable planning skills are sorely missed when she's visiting her dad. Which she is doing now. For three months straight. I miss her so badly that my heart actually hurts, but if it's possible, I think Carson may miss her more.

And speaking of Carson, she is a whopping 6 years old. At least that's how many years ago she was born. I fully believe she ages in somewhat the same way that dogs do because I sometimes think she may be more wise than I. Or anyone else I know for that matter. She says things like, "Mom, don't you wish you could just start over in life? I do." I never know what to say when she says things like that. I just smile and make a mental note to write that down later. Her new hobby is collecting bugs. It has been somewhat traumatizing. Her first three were "Buggy" the beetle, "Buddy" the moth, and "Lily" the spider. They had to be released before we took a trip to Dallas and you would have thought we were having a funeral. Currently her pets include "Leafy" the leaf bug and "He Who Has Not Been Named" the spider.

Memphis. What else can I say? He's just Memphis. Full of joy and life. Full of energy and wonder. Master of the monkey bars, king of extreme. He takes corners on one wheel. Sometimes he falls on his face (thank God for helmets) but in the next second he's up and trying again. No matter how many trials life throws at him, the boy just keeps smiling and shining. He has really come a long way with his speech and showcases that by singing all the time now. He still scares me everyday, whether I'm worrying about his fearlessness or his tendency to develop unexplained tumors. His exuberance tempers my worry. Most of the time.

Silas is a passionate child. Many things evoke very strong reactions from her. If she hears a song she will sing and dance until she falls down. If somebody tells her "No" it's tantrum city. And these are the kinds of tantrums where you can actually see flames shooting from her eyes. She bites, she claws, nothing is off limits. BUT, when it's time to cuddle, you have never snuggled so well. She wraps those tiny little arms as far as she can get them around your neck and squeezes you like you are her own personal stress ball. She will kiss all of your boo boos. The sweetness oozes from her every pore. And if you really want to see her passionate side, just mention Dora. Oh. My. Goodness. Dora hung the moon, didn't you know? She went over the troll bridge, through the icky, sticky mud, and to the top of gooey geyser, where she then hung the moon.

There you go. Now you are caught up and I have one more post to print and add to the books.

Who's The Parent Here?

Today was a lovely day. Finally. It's been a long, cold winter and all the kids want to do is play outside. I hate telling them they can't go outside so I was very excited to say YES today when they asked.

We grabbed the bikes and scooters and headed to the front yard. They were about to take off when I reminded them that they needed to wear their helmets. Carson said, "Mom, do I really need to wear my helmet? I'm just gonna ride my scooter." I told her that yes, she must wear her helmet and she wanted to know why.

I should have resorted to the old standard, "Because I said so," but instead I said, "In case you decide to jump the curb." Of course.

Now Carson is only 5 and really doesn't know what it means to jump the curb so I had to explain. She looked sideways at me with her big, brown eyes and said very seriously, "Mom, is that really acceptable?"

No...no it's not. Not for a 5-year-old (unless it's Memphis!). Thank you for helping me gain some perspective sweet, sweet little daughter.

In The Name of Cake

Today Cody, Carson, Brianna and I made a cake that is only comparable to what the food must taste like in Heaven. It is called Gooey Butter Cake. Try it. Today.

Anyway, this cake has to cool for awhile so that it doesn't drip down your arm. I don't care personally if it drips down my arm. I'm not ashamed to be caught licking my arm when it is Gooey Butter Cake I'm trying to retrieve, but I'd rather not have to give all the kids a bath afterward.

EVERYONE is very impatient for it to be ready. They keep standing over it, breathing the incredible flavor in only for me to shoo them away for fear of a lovely drool topping. Carson wants to know when, wwwhhheeeeennnnn will it be done. What time can we eat it? How much llloooonnnngggeeerrrrrr?

I told her that I am incapable of computing the speed at which heat leaves a solid object, but that she was welcome to google it if she wished. Instead she held up one little finger while a sly grin matriculated on her face and she said, "Tell me when it will be done or.....bellybutton squish!!!"

That means I must quickly shield my bellybutton before it is brutally assaulted by her tiny needle of a finger. It's not the worst thing she's ever done in the name of cake, but I will spare you those details.

Control-Freak Santa

We didn't plan on getting to visit Santa when we went to a local Christmas decoration supply store, but he was there and the kids were so excited. I thought it would be a great opportunity to let them visit the jolly, old elf in a not-so-chaotic environment. It will go down as one of the most bizarre visits with Santa that we have ever had.

My brother and his family came in for Thanksgiving and they were in front of us in line. My nephew Hayden has a sweet obsession with St. Nick and Bill and Kim thought he would be overjoyed to see the big guy in person. As is common with two-year-olds, he instead had a panic attack and became permanently fused to his mother's side. 

Santa began his campaign to prove that he, a complete stranger, knew just how to force Hayden to comply. He told Kim to stand nearby while Carson and Memphis visited with him so that the little guy could see that there was nothing to worry about. Santa told Kim to put Hayden down next to her and hold his hand. Try as she might, Kim could not get Hayden to release his death grip on her, so she just stood where she had been instructed.

Apparently, this was not acceptable to Mr. Claus and he began to say things like, "You're not listening to me," and, "You need to follow instructions," to Kim. She finally had enough of the abuse and walked a little further away where Hayden could watch from a distance. It wasn't far enough away because Santa continued to bark instructions at her until she gave up and took Hayden to see the much less bossy stuffed version of Father Christmas at the back of the store. 

By this time, a full five minutes had been wasted and I was beginning to get very irritated myself. Santa had many instructions for me as well and I took lots of deep breaths to maintain my composure. 

I have a very nice camera, a style not normally carried by someone who does not know how to capture decent pictures with it. Even so, Mr. Claus felt the need to direct where I should stand to get the best shot. In fact, he was overly concerned with what poses he wanted me to capture. So much so that he did not even ask the kids their names or what they wanted for Christmas. 

It made for some pretty cute pictures, but overall I think the kiddos were quite disenfranchised with the whole experience. I've been explaining to them ever since that St. Nick was just cranky because nobody had brought him any cookies. Carson wants to make sure that if we go see him again we take plenty with us. Weird, weird Santa man.

A House Divided

It is football season although, for the most part, you wouldn't know it around our house. We are not huge football fans, but we do enjoy a good game every now and again. Being Texans, we are always happy to see a Texas team do well.

Last night, however, our Texas Tech Red Raider football team played the #1 Texas Longhorns and you can bet we were all hyped up for the battle. Brad, Cody, and I (and of course Memphis and Silas) are avid Red Raider fans, while Brianna, Meyson, and Carson (yes, they got her) were pulling for the Longhorns.

If you follow college football, you know that Tech pulled off a thrilling victory in the final seconds of the game. Woo Hoo!

I am appalled at Carson's endorsement of the Bevo crowd, but, of course, my blood runs black and red. So, when I was praying with her last night at bedtime, my prayer went like this:

"Dear God, Thank you for this day and for my precious Carson. Please keep her dreams pleasant tonight and let her know that she is so very loved. And go Texas Tech. In Jesus' name, Amen."

There was a long silence, and then, "Longhorns forever, longhorns forever, longhorns forever!" in a teeny-weeny girl voice complete with the hook 'em horns sign. ***Sigh***

Happy Fall Ya'll

The halloween season used to be a big deal to me. I used to let two little girls peruse the costume sections of the McCall's books at the craft store. Then we would pour over every conceivable fabric in the store until we had found the perfect ones for their chosen costumes. I would spend $30 easily by the time we had left the store, and then I would spend hour after hour slaving away at the sewing machine, often whispering angry words at it.

Now there are six children who need costumes and the ritual has been reduced to a wild rummaging through the closets to find anything that will work. Why don't I just start a month earlier and sew all of their costumes? Because, I'm not (completely) insane.

Here's how it all turned out:

Carson is Snow White. I dug out the old dress that I had made for Cody a few years ago, borrowed a curly black wig, threw in some white tights and black mary-janes that we already owned, and voila! A beautiful Snow White costume for zero dollars and zero cents.

Cody is Hermione from Harry Potter. My mom gave me an old nun costume which I cut down to Cody's size, we borrowed a Gryffindor scarf from Bri, painted a wooden dowel brown for a wand, and braided her hair early in the day for wild Hermione hair. Again, zero dollars and zero cents.

Brianna is Sarah Palin. This was Mamaw's (Brad's mom) idea and we loved it. I inherited a skirt suit a couple of months ago that was perfect, she already had the glasses, and we spent some time straightening her hair and putting it up in a Palin-esque manner. Free again.

Bri would only commit to the Palin idea if I agreed to be Hillary Clinton. Now let me just make it very clear that I am not in any way endorsing Hillary, I just happen to resemble her more than McCain. I'm not sure that everyone at our church carnival got the joke.

Silas is a mandrake. You know, the screaming baby plants that they re-pot in the first Harry Potter? I started with the ladybug outfit that I made for Cody. Obviously, I did not use the red part with the black dots on it. Brad and I cut some leaves off of his canna plants and I attached them to the ladybug bonnet. She was the cutest little killer mandrake ever.

Memphis is Batman. The bodysuit cost me $3.99 at a thrift store and the cape was one that Meyson had used in the past that we cut down to fit Memphis. He's not a fan of Batman really, but it was the only costume at the store that would both fit Memphis and cost less than $20.

We went to the annual festival at our church this evening and the kids had a blast. Memphis in particular was so much fun to watch. This is the first year he really understood what was going on.

He found a big mural with the beloved Bob and Larry on it and his reaction was priceless.

He is much more brave and skilled at climbing than we thought he would be. I really thought he would need some help climbing up the ladder in the big inflatables, but he not only did not, but climbed them like he had done it a thousand times before.

Getting candy was a huge thrill for Memphis and he soon figured out that he could charm his was to more than his fair share. He would skip the games and run straight for the person manning the candy bag, sign "more, please" and hold his bag open for them. Who could resist that? Nobody at our church apparently. He made quite a haul.

We knew it was time to go when he couldn't go two minutes without throwing a fit. His feet became immovable cement blocks and his voice went to full volume as he screamed his disapproval that he was not allowed to pickle fish for the 15th time. He would then become a limp pile of wailing flesh complete with a bloody nose. No joke.

The last time, I picked him up, potato-sack style, under my arm and walked very quickly toward the door with my hand over his mouth. I'm pretty sure that at least a couple people questioned whether or not he belonged to me. Yes, yes, the out of control, screaming banshee is mine. Thank you very much.

Recuperating

We visited our county fair yesterday and we are still exhausted after a full night of sleep. It's tiring enough to walk a long way and to subject your body to the rigors that some of the rides provide, but on top of that we were constantly looking around us to make sure we still had six little bodies with us. I can't even imagine the freak out if we were to lose one of them.

Cody and Carson are particularly hard to keep up with because they tend to be easily distracted by the noise and lights and crazy looking people. More than once I turned around to find them totally absorbed in something that had caught their eye.

We had the double stroller with us which takes Memphis out of the equation, thank God. Had he been loose we would have spent the entire time running after him shouting, "Hey you little monster! Don't you know we are here to protect you from the huge machinery and insane carnies? Stop running away!"

Brianna spent the afternoon trying to steal my cotton candy. I am very serious about cotton candy. It is the most amazing creation ever. So, I was glad that it seemed to satisfy Bri and the other kids when I gave them each a little bit.

Silas did amazingly well riding in the stroller or strapped to the front of either Brad or me. At one point, while I was wearing her, Brad was trying to talk me into riding a particularly scary ride. I said, "Alright, alright, but if I die it's your fault," and we proceeded to make our way over to The Inverter.

Meyson thought that I was going to leave Silas strapped to me during the ride and was extremely distraught at the thought of how scared she would be. He began trying fervently to convince me that it was a really, really bad idea. He's a good big brother.

We never did make it over to The Inverter, much to Brad's dismay, but I think everyone else got to ride everything they wanted to ride. Now we have a whole year to recover and it's a good thing because we're going to need it.

Once Upon A Time...

As part of our homeschooling, Cody and Carson have been doing a study of Cinderella. This has more educational opportunities than you might think. The study includes botany (the study of the pumpkin), math (telling time, measuring feet), social studies (how a princess acts), etc. By far my favorite activity came today. For the language arts portion of the study the girls had to write their own version of the story. There was a prewriting page to help them gather their thoughts and keep them on track. Carson, of course, had to dictate hers to me. Here is her rendering for your enjoyment:

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a girl named Cinderella. She was a maid and she lived in a faraway house on the beach in Mexico.

Her step-mother and step-sisters were always nice. They bought her what she wanted. They let her go hunting and get a starfish and they let her pick leaves and flowers. They bought her pumpkins. They ate pumpkins and they bought her scissors. They let her ride on a horse, go to a restaurant, and go fishing. They let her go to the ball and sharpen her own pencils.

Cinderella asked if she could go to the ball and if she could go see her fairy godmother. Her fairy godmother waved her wand and said the magic words:

"Poopy Locky Wo Poo Pea Soup Dee!"

She gave Cinderella a dress and a carriage made from a pumpkin. It was pulled by a horse and a horse was driving and there was a pig that made it go.

There was a storm and the pig ran away. The storm went away and a big pencil came. Cinderella was outside and she got smooshed by the big pencil.

The End

This story is the opposite of the traditional Cinderella. In every way. It cracks me up that it is so sunny and wonderful up until Cinderella is smooshed by a giant, runaway pencil. Carson is too short to use our pencil sharpener, and apparently this is an issue for her. She considers it a privilege to get to sharpen her own pencil. She may grow up to be a science-fiction writer.

I Told You Funny Would Return

I know, I know, it's been a long while. Sorry. Would you believe that I've been busy lately?

Anyway, I'll make up for it with a couple of Carsonisms.

Sunday morning I was getting myself ready for church. I pulled out a pair of pantyhose (yes, I own pantyhose) and began to inspect them for runs as I just don't wear them very often. Enter Carson:

"Wow! Your tights are big, Big, BIg, BIG, BIIIGG! Mom, those are some big tights!"

Yes, thank you.

And then later I was applying my makeup which, I suppose, I should do more often. Enter Carson again:

"I'm glad you are putting make-up on Mom. Then you won't be scary, scary, scary!"

Thanks again. Where, by the way, did all of this emphasis come from? Really, it only serves to add insult to injury that my hose are big times four instead of just plain big. And you thought I was self-conscious before.

Almost Love

I left the house one night last week, leaving Brad with all of the kids except for Silas. Carson took full advantage of my absence when she decided to get herself a snack. At first glance, Brad thought she was drinking milk from a bowl using a spoon. Turns out it was sugar. Lots and lots of sugar.

Of course, Brad got upset with her and, seeking his love and approval, she said, "I love you Daddy." Undoubtedly she had that teary, wide-eyed look of innocence.

He replied, "I love you too, with all my heart, my precious girl."

"Well, Daddy, I barely love you!"

Oh, Snap!

Yesterday Carson and I were talking about something. I can't remember exactly what it was now, but it had something to do with her not being able to do a particular activity that she wanted to do.

When I told her she couldn't do whatever it was, she said, "Oh snap!" I laughed, recalling that that is what the characters in Chicken Little say when things go wrong.

Then she said, " Don't worry Mom. 'Oh snap' isn't a bad word. But 'oh crap' is a bad word, huh?"

I guess I need to come up with a different word to use when things go wrong.

Lemonade Anyone?

Brianna, Cody, and Carson have been begging to have a lemonade stand for about a week. The weather had other plans. But today we finally had a nice day and they were very excited. Brianna came up with the idea of having a "wacky" theme for their stand, hence the costumes. If you look closely you can see a very unhappy Memphis trying desperately to join the fun.

The scene was pretty adorable. Every time a car passed, Cody ran around hollering like an Indian, Carson would do the hula, and together they would shout, "Buy some wacky-tacky lemonade!" When I finally liberated Memphis, he would raise his arms and shout with them, only his sounded more like, "Ahhhh-da-da-ba-doo-ma!!" Or something like that.

I guess their gimmick worked. They made $11.50 in just over an hour. Not too shabby.

Worm Art

Today we did worm art. That's not a typo. Carson's science lessons lately have centered around soil and how it has everything that plants need to grow. The suggested art project for yesterday was to put a blob of paint onto a piece of construction paper and then to drop a worm into the paint. The purpose was to illustrate the tunnels that a worm makes in soil.

The worms are supposed to inch along the paper dragging the paint with them. This happens when the worms you choose are young and spry and not deprived of oxygen. I am obviously not someone who cares for worms on a regular basis because I didn't think twice about keeping them stored with their tub inside a plastic bag. Worms have to breathe too ya know.

Of course, I knew the more kids we had grossing out over the worms, the better, so I invited Nicole and her kids to share in our fun. She was very grateful. I believe her exact words were, "What if the boys eat the worms?" A valid point.

So, this morning we set seven kids at the table and we had a total of eight worms that survived. A couple of them even squirmed in the paint a little. Overall though, the worms were a flop.

Carson livened things up when she shouted, "Mom! I need a new worm because I broke mine." Sure enough, she had two pieces of worm. Nice. That coupled with Claire feeling the need to toss her dead worm's carcass from hand to hand and give everyone else an extreme close-up of the corpse, really made this project less disgusting. Needless to say, no worm autopsies were performed. Cause of death: oxygen deprivation followed by drowning via paint.

Color?!?

I am going to do something I've never done on this blog before. I am going to publish some color pictures. I know, I know crazy, right? Don't get used to it because I'm switching back immediately after this post.

My dad and step-mom came to visit last weekend and somehow let Carson convince them that they needed to paint her and Memphis's room. Here are the results:

The houses represent our house, Brad's mom's house, my mom's house, Brad's dad's house, and my dad's house. There are three different cities connected by a single highway. We plan to add some more detail here and there, but overall I think it turned out really neat.

This was Carson's contribution:

Meyson took one look at it and said, "Hey! Who added the death sticks?" It is now hidden behind a bookcase.

Oh, and yes, the ceiling is now the sky.

From The Mouths and Fingers of Babes

I suppose some of you have come over from Nicole's blog after reading about my darling Carson's plans for the future. She apparently has become quite the little eavesdropper. And, in Brad's defense, his recovery has been somewhat slowed by the unrelenting activity of Memphis.

But, I will go ahead and take this opportunity to share a little conversation between Carson and Claire. Probably Claire's attempt to retain her throne of things that make people die laughing.

Nicole and I took all of the kids to Krispy Kreme (they should be paying me for all this advertising) for a tour of the place. It's actually pretty neat and it's short enough to hold the kids' attention. And you get a dozen FREE donuts. Can't beat that.

When I picked them up from VBS, Carson and Claire informed me that they had donuts as part of their dinner there. I remarked on how they must be getting sick of donuts by now and then:

Claire: "If you eat too many donuts, you get sick."

Carson: "They didn't make me sick, but if you eat your boogers then you get sick."

Claire: "Well, I don't get sick when I eat my boogers!"

Of course not! It is possible that Carson's nasal excretions hold more infectious material than Claire's.

And I have one last little morsel of profane humor for you today. I have a sweet, wonderful, innocent baby girl who, apparently, had been pushed too far on this particular day.

Ok, I'll stop taking your picture for Pete's sake. No need to get hostile.

Don't Leave Children (or Donuts) Unattended

Yesterday I bought some Krispy Kreme donuts. Cody, Carson, Memphis, Silas and I were taking a trip to New Mexico to drop Cody off with her Dad for a visit. Between the five of us we ate six donuts. Of course, Silas ate the most.

There were six donuts left in the box this morning. I gave Carson and Memphis three of them for breakfast this morning and then I went back to my room. I was lazy. I thought that maybe on this Sunday morning, while Brad is recovering from "open heart surgery" aka no more baby surgery, I could lay down for a few more minutes. I figured since these parents of six were down to three children, we might be more likely to be allowed a few extra moments to snooze. I was right.

Brad and I slept right through Memphis noticing the donut box on the counter. We were unconscious when he took the box from the counter and went to find Carson. We were completely unaware as together they opened the box and devoured the three remaining donuts and replaced the box on the counter as if nothing had happened.

We were so oblivious that we didn't realize anything was amiss until Brad went to get himself a donut and was terribly disappointed to find that the box was empty. And when I asked Carson what had happened, I saw a lie forming in her mind. Her eyes shifted and she looked guilty. Fortunately for her, she used her better judgement and aborted her attempt at a fib. Instead, she laughed her cutest laugh and said, "I guess we ate them all."

I should be telling you that she was then punished for eating unauthorized quantities of donut, but honestly, I'd let them eat six dozen donuts for the chance at a little extra sleep. I would love to give you some more updates, but I have to get to Krispy Kreme before they close.

While She's Not Sleeping

Wow. I didn't realize how harsh sleep deprivation could be. Actually, Silas sleeps better than I have any right to expect, but she still wants to eat every couple of hours. I can't seem to remember the things that I want to blog about.

I will share a cute Father's Day story though. On Friday, I pulled all of the craft supplies out and had the kids make Father's Day cards. Carson dictated the following message for the inside of her card to Brad:

Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day
I hope you enjoy your gift.
I want to buy you a barbie.
I bet you would like a crab.
Happy Father's Day
Love, Carson

He, of course, loved it, although I'm betting he wouldn't be as happy with a crab as she thinks he would be.

We celebrated Memphis' second birthday. He got a lot of hot wheels cars and a case to carry them in. He loves to put all of the cars in the case, but then it's too heavy for him to carry. We can hear him coming a mile away. The case dragging along the ground behind him and the occasional "thump" when it bounces against the back of his legs has become a typical sound in our house. And it makes a pretty funny scene too.

Memphis' birthday marks the end of birthdays for our household until January. Well, sort of. Brad's and mine are close to Christmas, but we don't require elaborately themed parties. Anyway, it's a good thing because we need the next six months to save up for Christmas and the next round of birthdays.

It's late now and by some miracle Silas has fallen asleep, so this is where I take my leave. Sleep sounds sooooo good.

Her First Few Days

Silas is a wonderful baby. As is typical for new infants, she eats, sleeps, poops, and cries, although the crying does not usually last very long. She had her first official photo shoot while we were still in the hospital. I was delighted to find her alert time on day 2 coincided nicely with some really nice light coming into our room.

She is already Daddy's little girl. She loves to hear Brad's voice and his chest is her first choice for a good sleeping place.

My mom brought the three little kids to visit us at the hospital. Carson asked to see my belly, rubbed my stomach and said, "You got another one in there?" Thank you Carson. She was probably the most excited about Silas' arrival in the days before the birth, but when I called to inform her that she had a little sister, she said, "Yay! Can we have a lemonade stand today?" Sure, why not?

Going home

Cody cannot catch a glimpse of one hair on Silas' head without begging to hold her. She is the little mommy.

Memphis is surprisingly sweet with Silas. When he sees her, he runs to kiss her head. It doesn't seem to bother him that he may squish her little arms or legs when he leans over her, but it does bother me. Imagine that. He's going to be an incredible big brother.

First bath at home

Meyson and Brianna have not had the pleasure of meeting their new sibling yet, but they will be home tomorrow. They are very excited.

Silas is precious and we can't help but just stare at her and smile for much longer then we really should. She is a little miracle.

You Might Have A Complicated Family...

...if your four-year-old has to refer to "Daddy" in three different ways just to get her point across.


Today Carson was trying to tell Brianna something about Brad (who was sitting next to her) when she said, "your Daddy...my Daddy...which is that Daddy (pointing to Brad)."