Caleb and Leela

Let me introduce you to Leela.

Leela is any, poor, unfortunate toad/frog that happens along the same path as Caleb. I think it was Klara and him that named the 1st one, and since then, any one that he has captured since then has been dubbed Leela ("Its the same one Mom!") He carriers them in his hands, or in a bucket. One might be so lucky to get a swim in the baby pool, or a trip in a bucket to the bus stop and back. When he had he first one months ago we came up with a few rules. (I didn't want to find toads in the house, or dead in the garage, or dried up in window wells)


Leela Rules

1. Be GENTLE. No squeezing, squashing, pinching, hurting, eating etc Leela
2. No Leela in the house
3. If you come inside, we let Leela free
4. Leela does not go in the big pool
5. No putting Leela in buckets while you go inside.  

We discussed it in great detail. He explained it back to me. I was confident he had a good understanding that Leela is a live creature, and we need to be kind and gentle.

So I proceed to my motherly daily chores.

Some time later Caleb joins me in the house, no Leela.

"Where's Leela?' I asked him.
"Safe outside," he responded matter a factly.
"Is she in a bucket?"
"No."
"In the big pool?"
"No."
 "Did you hurt her? Is she still alive?" I was feeling a bit alarmed.
"No, Mom! Leela is safe," he insisted.
"Can you show Mommy?"
He smiled and gave me a sideways glance.
"OK Mom, but hes is safe," he insisted as he opened the front door and proceeded to the yard to show me.

He leads almost to the back, where there is a upside down bucket, and Leela is UNDER the bucket not IN the bucket. He had the biggest grin on his fave ever!

And my son showed me how very clever he is!

Summer Days 2019 - Catching up

Some days are hot and humid and we spend days swimming and floating in the pool, or at the beach, sunning, fishing, splashing, and digging.

Other days are wet and rainy and we dodge raindrops so we get some outside time, huddle under blankets watching the magic of Harry Potter for the millionth time, or go to the library, make chocolate chip banana muffins, or I watch from the covered porch as the kids swim in the rain (a favorite thing to do).

We spend afternoons 'babysitting' which is really me getting paid to have Sam and Calebs friends come over to play, and everyone swims, Caleb fights with everyone, and they eat lots of popsicles. They also play these great games of imagination. Recently they all get in the sand box, and mix water and sand in toy dump trucks and pretend to be getting coffee from McDondals. 

My big girls are spending copious days volunteering at a local christian horse ranch. I luv all the things they are learning. The multiply hours they are handling horses, to the prayer groups, praise time, social networking, and managing life situations in a place where they are appreciated, cared for, and respected. There is such a great part of our community I'm so thankful for.

Bryan and Klara are into their 6th or 7th season of ball hockey. Clearly they both luv the game, and are both good in their positions. We spend late Saturday mornings sweltering in the heat, and cool evenings watching them win, and lose, enhance their skill, cheer on team mates, interact with kids and adults alike. They have learned how to take losses, be respectful champions, and enjoy and appreciate the hard work of winning.

Sam is making leaps and bounds with his  verbal speech. I once spend hours worrying about his frustration, his speech, and his future. Now I am so proud of my boy. He has spend countless hours in speech therapy, countless hours practicing, and his hard work is paying off! He is almost always understood verbally here at home, and when he isn't he keeps trying until he is. His determination is something I strive for!

I'm out for tonight! Tomorrow comes with VBS for 2, ball hockey, Harry Potters birthday, and the joys and challenges of motherhood/

July 29, 2019

The Earth has been washed with a fresh rain and I can smell that rain smell coming through the windows. The fans hum, and the air in the house is still humid, but I know through the night the fresh air will creep in and it will feel cool and refreshing by morning.

Its been a long time since I've been to this space. So much has happened, good and bad, and its always a wonder where to start.

We added a beautiful girl to our brood. What a happy, sweet unexpected surprise she was. I will forever be grateful to Goran for suggesting "maybe one more?"

Ariana Hope December 10, 2018

Our family is growing, healthy, and busy. Life continues with daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly routines that are comforting, predictable, and reassuring as we are met with uncertainties that life just brings.

I am honored to have these people as my family. To be able to say all of them are my children.

The house is quiet. Bedtime routine completed and most of these little people are dreaming of all the fun we'll have tomorrow. I am off to bed as well, but I promise to write more. Hopefully tomorrow.

Camping With 6!

Getting out the door took hours longer then expected. Everyone was crappy and frustrated...but we finally did it. 

Walking back from the pool where he went under 2xs and after I picked him up he went right back to running and jumping in! 

So I bombed the smores...only had tiny marshmallows! But, I brought ice cream cones and foil and we wrapped them up and threw them in the fire. 

"This is awsome Mom!" 

"Mom, wouldn't it have been awesome if u had twin girls?" 

"Sure would have!" 

"If she'd been born the same time as me?" 

"And you would have a twin sister!" 

"And we could share clothes!" 

Her kind and generous heart ♥️ 

"Hey buddy come here for a selfie!" Toad in his hands, he looks up and smiles. 

Summer Days and Baby Days

It's flying by. Somehow we are 6 weeks post partum tomorrow. We have filed the sun shinny days of summer with swimming lessons, soccer nights, visits with cousins/friends, ice cream treats, stacking wood, and late night swims.

My garden is meager and struggling...I've been slightly distracted, but it has yielded tomatoes, and zucchini. Kale is ripe and ready for picking, and I'm trusting that the flourishing potatoes plants are growing beautiful huge round potatoes for use to eat. If someone would just get to those weeds....

The pools turned green more then once...so many times in fact I have found WATER BUGS making themselves at home. It's been clean for almost a week now, we can see the icecubey pattern on the bottom and no more water bugs skimming and dividing. Only 4 more weeks, and it'll be time to close it up. I look forward to one less thing, but dread the ending of summer. No more flip flops, sun drenched kids, and ice cream smudged mouths. 

I luv these days. Relaxed summer days, watching the kids play, reading Charlottes Web aloud, and cuddling sweet growing Caleb. It's a sobering thought that these baby days are my last baby days. I cuddle him and hold him as long as time allows. I wrap him, and walk him, and nurse him, and push away any complaint that tries to surface. It's not easy, but I made a decision to focus on the positive. The new baby smiles, each new sound Sam makes, the way Klara has found a luv for soccer, the way Bryan is reading with renewed determination, the way Grace changes a diaper with ease, and Angelina bakes cookies, makes lunches, and throws shepherds pie in the oven. I'm an blessed. And in the hard moments, those moments I could almost cry, or pull my hair out, or shout at someone who doesn't deserve it, I stop, breath, picture the good moments, smiles, sounds, soccer, arms holding the baby, curly hummid hair, and long swimming legs, and I'm reminded of why I'm here. Why I luv it. I hug the kids, say my sorries, let them see me sad, so they see I'm genuine and we move forward. We smile, tell jokes, I lift that baby my arms, wrap an arm around Sam, and soak it in.

More about camping, garden pics, and 6 weeks pics over the weekend.

Klara's Ballet Pics

Klaras recital was amazing as usual. She tried her hardest, and did that thing where she sticks her tongue out the side of her mouth because she is concentrating so hard!

And she was as cute as could be!

I was asked several times how much longer I had to go before I was due. Funny how I didn't know then that Caleb was coming before I thought!

Summer Solstice with 6

I wasn't up for much. My leg was still numb on and off, and if I sat for too my bottom would go numb and I couldn't get up. The 6th one is harder to recover from then the 1st one!

But we did head out to a local provincial park for a swim, and enjoy this long late night!

running in! 

trying to find stones to skip

my tiny squish, so sweet and peaceful
my number 6
with stork bite scattered across his brown
he has made my heart grow bigger then i ever imagined 

I've tried hard right from the beginning to keep up with kids. Given them things to do, and be involved, even if I move slower, or have to wait to settle Caleb, I know they need me too.

Bryan was telling Klara "You'll see, Moms tummy will get smaller and smaller, and she feel better and better, and she'll start doing everything like before, and we'll have our mom back."

Oh be still my heart.