BOO

Happy HALLOWEEN!!

Award

Mallory was given the Award for Responsibility today at school! Can you imagine my daughter getting that award?? Well I can't think of a better award for her to receive.. She is the most responsible 8 year child I know. How could she not be? Being that she is the oldest child of 5! She is always keeping track of the little boys for me even when I don't ask her to, she does her chores most days without being told, and almost everyday does her homework without being asked.. She is more responsible than I am okay well lets not go that far, but this was the perfect award for her!

I didn't go to the ceremony cause the little boys were still sleeping so I sent Clint with the camera and well his photography skills aren't the greatest so here is the best picture out of the 5 he took..

Mallory we are so proud of you!!

Birthday Update!!

It is official I have a 8 year old daughter.. How did that happen? Anyway here are a few pictures from the day.. I think she had a great day. Clint and I surprised her at school with Sonic for lunch! Then when she got home she had a package and some cards waiting for her to open! She got a radio from Grandma and Grandpa Gibbs, and money from Grandpa and Grandma Meade, Great Grandma and Grandpa Gibbs, Uncle Jay, Aunt Emily and Drew, and also Great Grandma Meade!! She was very thankful and excited for all of it!! I think she may use some of the money to buy herself a scooter and the rest she will put in her savings account!! From us she got that adorable white hat and 2 webkinz!! We had birthday cake (chocolate with chocolate frosting) and ice cream after school and then we took her out to eat at the restaurant of her choice! I know we treated her like a Queen!

On Saturday she is taking her two closest friends Lucy and Grace to the movies! That should be a fun time!

The pictures above are her wearing her new hat and looking at her webkinz, her blowing out her candles on her cake and her opening the radio from her grandparents!!

It was a great day! And she really is 8! And I really couldn't ask for a better Daughter!! Love ya Mally Moo!!

Cute Cute

Carter got in the van after preschool today and as we are driving home says to me "mom someone in my class likes me" I said who and he replies " I don't know her name,but she says I am handsome!" Oh boy here we go!!! I am going to have to beat girls away from my front door I can see it already all these cute boys I have are going to be TROUBLE!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest, kindest, prettiest, most helpful 8 year old girl I know!! 8 years ago today I checked into the hospital to be induced. Daddy and I were so excited we could hardly wait to meet you! We checked in at 7:30 on Friday the 27th anticipating your arrival later that night, but you my dear had other plans to stay in the womb and hang on!! My labor progressed very slowly and hurt pretty bad. Daddy stayed by my side all day and helped me through the contractions we tried everything to make me more comfortable. By 8p.m I was so tired and hurting pretty bad and only dilated to 2 cm, finally around 12:30 my doctor ordered me an epidural I felt so much better after that and by 2:30 a.m. I was 10cm dilated and ready to begin pushing.. after 2 long hours at 5:32a..m on Oct. 28th you were born and my life was changed forever.. I couldn't imagine my life without you!! You are the best daughter I could have ever asked for. Daddy and I love you so much and we are so greatful to have you in our lives!! Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

Love

Mommy,Daddy, Mason,Carter,Cavin and Maxton

Pumpkin Patch 2008

We took our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday after Clint got back from his retreat. The kids had a great time picking out "their" pumpkins and playing in the corn maze and the hay!! It was very windy and a little on the chilly side so we didn't stay for to long, but we did have a good time! Maxton and Cavin really seemed to enjoy it the most!! We are all looking forward to Halloween on Friday!!

Why???

Why in the world would they do this?? Yes that is TOOTHPASTE in their hair?? Silly Boys!!!

Weeks like this...

So Clint is leaving on a mangers "Retreat" today and I feel lost already... Days like this are kinda of depressing for me, it is not his help I miss it is the adult company.. You see when you spend 12 hours a day alone with little people just another adult in the room is nice. Someone who actually understands why you are so tired. Someone to listen to your day and you to theirs. Not to mention that I have to take Carter to gymnastics tonight and drag the other 4 kids with me which will be a treat in itself, but it is not my first rodeo I will be fine!! I miss knowing that someone will walk in the front door at 6:30 or so and take a little bit of the load off me if only for a hour or so... How do women do this for months while their husbands fight for our country, or women of traveling men?? Do you get used to it? Because I don't think I ever could. When Clint is gone I tend to give myself a break, I don't clean as much or cook as much it gives me an excuse to be lazy!! if that is possible with 5 kids. so if he was gone for months at a time we would live in filth, eat take out, go broke from eating take out, i would weigh 500lbs, and then when he came home he would just want to leave again!!!! Anyway that is my day. On the plus side it isn't raining here right now!!!

See ya soon Babe, Miss you, love ya, be careful!!!

We Made It!!

Well me made it to Centralia!! My parents were happy and surprised to see us.. Unfortunately my dad has to work all weekend so he won't be able to see to much of us, but any little bit counts!! The kids are so happy to be here.. And I always love to visit because my Mother in Law is the Best a girl could ask for she cooks meals, cleans up, watches the kids, gives baths and whatever else I need. . It is like a mini vacation for me!! Anyway all is well at "home"!!!!

i get it now..

My mom said I needed to read this book, so I got it from the library a couple of days ago and of course I don't want to put it down, but I think the reason she wanted me to read it is so I would come "home" cause that is exactly what I am wanting to do is go home and see my parents, my brother, nephew, sister in law and grandparents and my kids are itching to go as well imagine that? Clint didn't put up a fight either so I think we are heading that way after Clint gets off work today. I am suppose to attend a baby shower for my only girl cousin on my mom's side Jill tom. so it works out well!! I am excited to see how big my sister in law is getting since she only has a month left before she gives birth to my new niece or nephew!! I am getting ready to start packing now. I am not telling my parents we are coming I would like to say so that is so I can surprise them, but really it's cause I don't want them to runaway from the chaos that is coming their way!! J/K!!! So Em if your reading this shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! See you soon and plan on saving some time out of your busy weekend for me!!!

Pictures of Mallory and Carter... What do you think?

For my memory...

On Sunday the kids were playing outside after supper as Clint and I sat at the table having an adult conversation in peace and quiet which doesn't happen very often in this house when Cavin came in the house to see Clint eating a brownie so he sat up on the chair to see if he could get a bite (surprise surprise) and so Clint being the nice dad he is gave Cavin a bite, Clint says to him "Cavin I love you" and Cavin says back to him" No Thanks I love Mommy"!!!! It melted my heart and broke Clints!! I am sure tom.. he will have a totally different answer!!

Last night Mason and I were the only ones left downstairs as it was almost bedtime and Clint was upstairs brushing teeth and playing with the other kids. Mason told me he got a post card at school for his flat stanely project from Grandma, I said which one (he has4 he knows well) and he said the one with PaPa and then broke into song "papa the sailor man" (you know like popeye the sailor man.. It was so darn cute!!!

Maxton learned a new word yesterday "WOW" he says it so funny!! So at 15 months he says
MaMa, DaDa, Buba, CarCar (carter), bad,no,dog,ball,baby,Wow,that, hi, bye, and others I am sure I am forgetting... He signs more and is working on the sign for milk.. he follows directions like get me your blankie, go find carcar, where is sissy?, get a ball, go outside, go bye bye.. He seems to be doing pretty well. At his well child check last week he weighed 24lbs 5oz and was 32 1/2 " tall... so everything is okay for now. He does have a few new spots on his right elbow which seem to be making the area on his little finger flare up, but they assure us all is okay. He will have another set of MRI,ultrasound, xray when he gets a little older to check the status of the malformation.. He is also bowlegged but our Doc says there is nothing proven to correct that only time so we will just wait and hope that he isn't bowlegged forever or I guess maybe he could move to the ranch and be a cowboy!!!!

What if?

What if two siblings seem to HATE each other... How do you teach them to love, respect, play nice and just bee good brothers to one another? My middle boys Cavin 3 and Carter 41/2 seem to HATE each other.. My Monday and Wednesday mornings are so peaceful the reason for that is Carter is at Preschool, but the minute Carter gets in the van to come home the fighting,crying,name calling,hitting, punching, spitting, screaming chaos begins and doesn't end until Mason comes home from school at 3:15.. It makes for REALLY LONG DAYS.. And well I am at a loss for what to do to fix it? My other kids all get along Great even Wonderful on most days but these two don't have good days together. Once in awhile they have good moments of quiet happy play, but those are short lived and few and far between.. I am not sure what to do I have of course explained, punished and separated but nothing seems to work.. It is breaking my heart and to be honest my ears!! I am sure this to will pass and hopefully quickly in the meantime I am looking for solutions so if you have some please leave me a comment!!!
Sincerely Heartbroken and Going Crazy Mommy of 5

cute pictures