So what's been going on around here?

Here's a bit of December catch up.

Kids making "funny videos" with their friends. And for some reason they are loading as still shots. I'll work on that. Millie was a happy spectator.

Many boxes of chocolate were sold for a school fundraiser in hopes that they would win an ipad.

Amelia decides to water the flowers and insists that even though it is 50 degrees outside, a swimsuit must be worn in the off chance that some water gets on her.

Many many hours are spent playing with the little darling that I watch everyday. She is seven months old and she and Amelia cannot get enough of each other!

SO MUCH DRESSING UP! Amelia makes sure that even little E gets in on all the action.

More dressing up.

And more pics to come!

Chocolate For Sale!

Andrew woke me up this morning (Saturday) at 6:50 am.  He just wanted to

"let [me] know that he was going to be outside selling chocolate bars."

Here he is.

The sun is not fully up yet.

These boxes of chocolate were handed out Friday afternoon for a school fundraiser.  I had to work until 5:30 and we had plans for the rest of the evening and he was going crazy.  He needed to be selling those bars right now!  I thought it was going to kill him to have to wait till the next day.

I seized the early wake up time and ran to the grocery store for some milk for breakfast and by the time I got back he had already sold 5.  Before 7:30 in the morning!  He sold all 50 by ten in the morning.  From our driveway!  I guess I should have let him get more boxes yesterday.

Just as I was about to hit "post" he told me I had to come in the front room right now!
This is what he made for me.

  I love you too, Andrew!

Ummmm.....

Okay, I have found a lot of interesting things while cleaning out the boys' pockets to do the wash, but this was definitely something new. Is my 5 year old really that sick of school? And how much financial freedom does he really need?

If he's looking to work from home, I'm looking to hire.

Sigh

Jacob finished his breakfast, pushed aside his bowl, and rested his chin on his hands. He sat there for a moment, quietly, and then, in a tired, slightly resigned tone, said,

"I guess I can read this Winnie the Pooh book. It should put a smile on my face."

Why Winnie the Pooh, and why a needed smile?...........

Well, the Winnie the Pooh book was within reach, and the necessary arrival of these -

was the reason he was short on smiles.

Jacob is no ordinary child. When he does something, he REALLY does it. I foresee family get togethers in the future as story-tell-athons, recounting (and hopefully laughing hysterically) all his childhood adventures.

So here's the story. Yesterday was a great day. Harmony in the home, Mom working on prepping some rooms for painting, working in the yard together (while it was only 95ish, and not yet 104), yada, yada, yada. Late in the quiet afternoon, while they were all looking at books (we are all finishing up recovering from the flu in JULY - not bitter at all), Jake decided things were a bit too quiet and starts stirring up the pot. Ends up losing his chance to hang out with us kool kats and gets sent upstairs to his room. He starts shooting arrows (sharpened pencils) at me with his bow (hanger) from his room. Naturally mom shuts his door. He opens it and begins again. Mom locks it. Yelling, banging, and then quietness follows. I continue keepin' my cool and taping off the hallway. I run out of painters tape. I go down to the kitchen to get the next roll and WHAT!?! Jacob is dragging himself up to the patio door!

HE ESCAPED OUT HIS BEDROOM WINDOW, LOWERED HIMSELF ONTO THE COVERED PATIO ROOF, AND JUMPED.

So, a long evening in the E.R. with me and three lovely, tired children. (couldn't get ahold of Mike, he was out running after work). Grrrrrr. Yes, he broke the little bones on the top of his foot, and is in a hard splint. Half plaster, half wrap. He is pretty proud of how "awesome I already am at getting around on these things!" Though the hospital bills he is now in charge of paying, and the thought of not being able to swim in this absurd heat has got him a little down. Natural consequences. Lovely things. (Though I wish I didn't have to hang around while he suffers through it.)

Which reminds me of another story that must not be left out of our family archive. Back in maybe March, Jake was out playing in the backyard. I asked him to pick up some things before he came back in, and then I went inside, inadvertently locking the door behind me. I proceeded to go into the garage to do laundry, and Andrew and Amelia came in as well, to ride their bikes. So we couldn't hear anything.....phones ringing, doorbells dinging, or.... WHOOPS - children knocking and calling and finally crying and pounding to tell me they are locked out. Jake (who's worst fear is being kidnapped) took matters into his own hands. He found a hammer and smashed out our sliding glass door - almost all of it. There was glass from the back door all the way to the front door. Ohhhhhh boy. I am glad I refrained from going with my first train of thought - which was to hang him in the tree by his toes and let the opossums make breakfast out of him -but I gave big hugs and helped calm him down and listened to his story. The poor little guy was terrified. And I felt so bad that I had locked the door, even if just out of habit!

So there it is. And I am clinging to the hope that the thousands of extra dollars these "stories" are going to cost us will seem trivial when all is said and done.

And of course, it must be remembered, that Jacob absolutely charmed every one of the 7 doctors/nurses/receptionists that helped him. Oh, and the whole waiting room. He is charming and delightful. I am so thankful for that. And as I seek to align myself with Pollyanna, I am glad that it was only his foot that was injured, and that the screen he pushed out of his bedroom window was not damaged beyond repair, and that they had crutches his size...because this mama would be having a meltdown if she had to carry a 50 pound child everywhere. I'm not sure that would have ended pretty.

So now I must get back to "the boredest boy on earth," his brother who is still dealing with an awful cough, and his sister - who just woke up and I am praying is in a fabulous mood!

I love...

the innocence of little boys. Jake was picked up for a playdate a few minutes ago. He was posted at the front window anxiously awaiting Jackson's arrival. As soon as their car pulled in, the door was flung open and both boys shouted in excitement and jumped up and down.

Big hugs and shouts are a common occurrence at the playground. Jake and Simon (not so much this year anymore) can be seen holding hands as one pulls the other toward their bandit hideout.

I will miss this as my little sweethearts grow into macho men. Really, though, it is difficult for me to imagine Jacob without exuberance. How it will manifest itself is something I look forward to seeing.