I don't know much about photography, but I know this...

When your baby loves their snacks as much as I do, don't give them food before you take their photo.

Finn is not the "bow in my hair" type of baby, I don't know if I would have gotten these photos without the waffle, it was a necessary distraction for her to keep it in her hair.I think she is annoyed at the overall girly-ness of this outfit, it just doesn't suit her.She told me her style was more Bohemian casual.
But those cheeks, I've never seen anything like those before. I'm in love. We were on our way out the door and the bow didn't make it to past the car-seat. Sorry baby I won't do it again, but as your mother I just couldn't resist.

Boys..

Don't you just love little boys? Raising boys is so rewarding, they may cause you to expend a little more energy, but there is something so wonderful about them, a simplicity. If boys are hungry they eat, tired they sleep, energetic they run and bounce off the walls. Such little drama and figuring it all out. They can cuddle up with you in a second flat. And when they spend their time drawing a picture like this,,, they make you feel like a million bucks!

Yeah, so okay, we are all cars, but I can feel the love.

When we aren't at swim practice,,, chances are

we are at the neighborhood pool.   So it's hot, really hot... you will not usually hear me complaining about being hot... it is my temperature of choice... but it is hot, and we are not indoor folk.. so we spend a lot of time at the pool... thankfully this Mama has a few extra sets of eyes for all these kiddos.  especially since the adorable youngest one.... she is either fearless or suicidal when it comes to the water, I haven't figured it out yetAnd this is a random photo that makes me feel like the luckiest Mama in the whole world.   

Water babies

We have been spending ridiculous amounts of time at the pool for the kids swim team.  Practice every day and 3 meets this week (about 5 hour long swim meets)  Kobi and Jack are really enjoying it.  Mina and Finn could do without.  Thankfully Marc and I take turns going to the swim meets or hanging with the babies so they only have to endure the daily practices. You gotta have the team tatoo. 

Lining up for his race. 

Two peas in a pod these two.  I have never seen two kids that get along so well.  Kobi's the little Mama and Jack loves having someone take care of him. They are total opposites and it works really well for them.   Marc told me a horrific story about a brother and sister duo like this... when the son grew up he rebelled from the big sister, now of course I can't get that horrible image outta my head. 

Mommy lets us put stickers on our face to keep us busy at swim practice.  Then I cry when she has to pull them out of my hair. 
Playing with mommy's cell phone,  even though we have a bag of toys, a bag of snacks, and a volley ball court/ sandbox, Mama's cellphone and keys are the best. 

Blackboard quote of the week...

This is the quote we have been talking about this week.  I really like this new little habit of ours. I am trying to keep the sayings from going over a first graders head.  The discussions that come about are totally adorable. Nothing like talking to 5 & 7 year olds about being brave to make me take a long hard look at my scaredy-cat self. I obviously need to work on my penmanship. 

So last night we are coming home from a late night swim meet & Kobi tells me that she only wants to do the swim team for 1 more year, because when you are 9 you have to learn how to do flip turns underwater and she doesn't want to do those.  So I asked her about our little quote and she recited it perfectly... Then we made up a new quote : "  How does one become a great swimmer, You have to want to swim so fast that you are willing to give up doing turns like one of the little kids".  She is so clever.  Its the pay off for being brave baby! You can do it.  

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!

We are a lucky bunch seeing that we have the best Papa in the whole world ( I hope you all are as fortunate and you feel the same way) .  There is nothing more wonderful than a man that cherishes being a father above all else in this world.  The kids put these pretty little things together to surprise Papa. 

Lawnmower cupcakes,,, what, you didn't think they looked like little lawnmowers?  We got the recipe HERE . The same hateful place we got the instructions that started  Our Horrible Pinata experience.

 We had a fun relaxing day spent at church, at the pool and eating all Papa's favorite foods. 

How many signs of summer?

My baby was walking by me a few hours ago and I couldn't help but laugh to myself... she looks like a mess of summer. How many signs of summer do you see?

1. Speedo tan line from a 5 hour swim meet yesterday.  (yes I did apply sunblock, but there is just no getting around it)

2. Road rash on her shoulder from a bike ride to the park 2 days ago

3. Hair that hasn't been combed all day (probably 2 days, but it's summer & we are not going anywhere)

4. Messy chocolate face from baking cupcakes (she is not so sly about licking the bowl when I turn my back)

5. Obnoxious summer tropical fruit dress

Mommy Moral Dilemma

Last YEAR Marc took the kids to the pet store to get Elvin" our pet fish, who knew a Beta fish would live for over a year, especially with the kind of neglect it received in this house.   Not to mention it was the sorriest looking beta fish in the world.  Have you ever seen a female Beta fish,  they are pale white and don't have those pretty tales.. looks like an oversized Minnow.  I think the kids picked it out because they felt sorry for it.   Anyhow, his bowl was quite grimy and gross, so I cleaned it, cleaned it up really good, put him back in his pretty little bowl, and 20 minutes later he was a goner.    So do I tell the kiddos, or do I take a drive to the Walmart and buy another oversized minnow???  I'm really not up for the whole "he's in a better place, sorry I killed your poor little fish" discussion.   But maybe they would pick out a new fish, a fish that looked like it belonged in a bowl and not in a creek?  And maybe honesty is the best policy???  Isn't that the cleanest fish bowl you ever saw?  When I told Marc the fish died, his first reaction was, "you didn't clean it off with bleach did you".  Uhh, yeah I did, but it was gross, and I rinsed the little castle and the rocks off really good afterwards.   I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight knowing I am a fish murderer... 

The REINFORCEMENTS have arrived!!!!

Oh how I have been looking forward to this day, almost as much as the kids...When Grandpa's car comes rolling up the street after several weeks of being gone, we can hardly contain ourselves. 

Poor man can't even get out of his car before being tackled by the kiddos. 

He doesn't seem to mind.  

He even comes bearing gifts!  Outsiders would say that I love when he comes to town mostly because he REALLY helps me with the kids, I will not lie, I do love his help, but seeing my kids bask in love like this warms my heart like nothing else. My family is complete only when Grandpa is in town.  YIPPEEE!

The view from the Sandbox..

Progress is being made with these two.  We pray that the progression continues, we still have a long way to go. It is my hope and prayer that our girls will grow to be great friends and have a strong bond of sisterhood. 
In Mina's defense, Finn is a mover and a shaker.

 If one were constantly trying to hoard their toys and snacks away from her, it would be quite the undertaking.  

As good as its gonna get.. for now

I can not believe that I have yet to get a decent photo of all the kiddos together. I have not been up for the battle. When I try to corral the kids all together and then pull out my camera you start to hear moaning and groaning and teeth gnashing. I tried this morning at 7:30a.m. before we headed out the door for church. All of us dressed, fed, and 3 out of 5 kids actually had a comb put through their hair.

Personally, I much rather take photos of each of them one by one.  

My baby girl just finished up her Kindergarten year.  Cliche or not, I can't believe how she is growing up so quickly.  I vowed a long time ago to always let my children know how much I love the person they are growing up to be, and not dwell on the fact that they are not babies anymore.  

Tonight when she went to bed I threatened to put bricks on her head to keep her from growing any taller while she was sleeping (yeah, I know, I broke my own vow).   

And then this guy, he will be a Junior in High school next year, half of which he will live in Beijing, without his Mama.

He is working 2 summer jobs, a camp counselor and at a local restaurant, and he sometimes thinks I am the toughest Mom in the whole world.  I love the man he is becoming. I wouldn't want to be 16 again for anything, so much stress, so little perspective.  He is handling it all much better than I ever did.  I pray for his protection and his ability to make good decisions...It's all about making good decisions.... 

 

Nothing says summer time like...

High fructose corn syrup and Red dye #40. What is it about these horrible ice pops that scream, "Summer time". My need to carry on childhood memories overrides my Mommy guilt enough to buy one pack of these things every year and the kids love them...

You gotta lean all the way back to get every last drop of that nasty juice.  I haven't had one of these in years but just looking at this makes my throat burn with sugary overload. 

Oh no, tragedy, what do I do now Mommy? 

Blackboard quote of the week...

I saw this quote and wrote it up on the blackboard in my kitchen.  It has sparked a few good family conversations so I am going to change it every week and try to find an inspiring verse or quote to get us all thinking and talking, please share if you have any good ones!  

 I like this one especially because I am trying really hard to make choices not based on fear and worry, but choices that will help us live brave and full lives. 

If only for a moment...

Marc and I realized that the kids were all sitting down quietly in one place at one time.  We both

 looked at each other in complete amazement...  Of course I didn't enjoy the moment, I ran for my camera, and my husband smiled because he knew I couldn't resist and just soak it up.  Finn was already getting restless in the 5 seconds it took me to dash for the camera.

  

So I realize that I am such a complete novice that I didn't change the shutter speed on my camera, hence Finn is just a blur... but for some odd reason I think it really depicts what was going on here, in this short but sweet moment.  

Our evenings are spent poolside, practices or swim meets nearly every night.  Makes for busy days, but the kids are really enjoying it.That's my girl.

Swinging Sisters. Mina loves to play Mama to Finn, it is funny too because she is like a strict Mommy..   Always correcting her, scolding her, or telling her what to do.  But we will go with it for now, because it is something, and thankfully Finn doesn't fully get it yet.  I can tell with each day she lets her in just a little more.   

Mina is still struggling with sharing anything and everything, but has been much better with Finn, especially when we are out and about and not in "her space".  Finn's adjustment is going well, she still has no words and barely even babbles, she is a bit behind with her motor skills too.  I would say she is more on a 10-12 month old level, but picking up quickly.  I am not for a second acting like we got it all together over here.  I am trying to figure out the necessities of being a Mommy of 5.  There is this wide eyed look people give you when you tell them you have 5 kids, I got the same look when I said 4 kids.  I used to be a bit put off  or better yet even feel a bit self-righteous by the look and following commentary about, "Oh, my goodness, how do you handle 5 kids", or "I could never do that."  We always had  a good thing going, and I could keep it all under control while looking cool as a cucumber and having dinner on the table at 6:30 when my husband walked through the door.  Not happening right now!  I have let all of the frivolous Mommy things go, big dinners 7 nights a week, and my floor could use some vacuuming and I think my bed is unmade.  But the hardest part is feeling like I can not give each of my children the one on one attention they all want, need and deserve.  So on top of feeling overwhelmed, I am feeling really guilty.  The timing of coming home with a new baby, right at the beginning of summer, when all the kids are home hasn't helped our case.  I so badly want to enjoy my wonderful children, and soak up all these amazing little moments.  I don't know how to do that when I am just juggling all of the needs.  I do know that it will all come.