It was bound to happen...

I knew that it was inevitable that I would have to deal with a gum-in-the-hair fiasco before I could truly be called a mother. Well, my day arrived last week with a bang.

This is the "I just got a lecture about falling asleep with gum in my mouth" expression.

She has no idea what's coming...

For all of you who will have to deal with this at some point...Peanut Butter really does work.

Yeah! Just relieved we didn't have to cut it off!

Cut my hair...

Yep, I did it. It was only a matter of time...

I tried to get Tal to take a picture and this is what I ended up with so I had to do it myself...

Not the best pic - but you get the idea :)

First (sniff) Day (sniff) of (sniff) School (sniff)

No - it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I am not a public crier and so surrounded by the hundreds of other moms in various stages of panic/celebration I was able to keep it together. A few highlights from Tal's first day.

As we got to the front doors Tal turns to me and says, "Mom, maybe I should walk by myself now." Um, I don't think so. Hello? I have earned some privleges as a mother and one of them is to walk my kids in for the first day of school thank-you-very-much.

After school as I was yet again trying to keep it together when I asked Tal how it went, "Great Mom! Just really really Great!" Okay. I guess that clears it up. No, I was not missed. No, my little baby did not spend the day wondering what his clever, witty, fun mom was up to. He just had a "really, really Great" time!

Naomi also started school. She gets to go to pre-school three mornings a week and she LOVES it. It's the great thing about having a big brother who makes everything look so exciting!

Practicing his "cool kid" stance

Getting ready for the send-off

Can you tell that Naomi wasn't quite ready to let him go?

In his class - ready to go. Wondering what his lunatic mother is doing.

Ready to go!

Calvin was definitely sad to say goodbye.

I'm such a baby - I was tearing up over this one too!

Island Park and Yellowstone

We had the best vacation this summer! We were able to spend a week in Island Park with our families. We stayed in a cabin right on the lake and spent the first few days with Andy's family and the last few days with mine. We had so much fun...eating, catching up, catching bats and just relaxing.

After watching a six disc PBS documentary on the National Parks, Andy decided we were going to visit them all. We took a day trip from Island Park and spent some time in Yellowstone with the fam. Check.

Here are a few of the highlights from the trip. (Thanks to all those who took great pictures - it seems like I was always forgetting my camera!)

Around the campfire with Grandpa Great.

Beautiful...

It is honestly a small miracle that we didn't tip over :)

The family that tubes together stays together?

Elisabeth and I at Mesa Falls.

Mesa Falls again

Daddy and Elisabeth chilling in the hamock

Naomi attempting to waterski. She didn't actually get up but no one ever needs to know that :)

Cousins - Naomi and Abby they had so much fun!

Elisabeth and Aunt Sadie - don't they both have great smiles??

Uncle Spence giving Elisabeth her first ice cream - she'll love him forever :)

Ice Cream at the Old Faithful Lodge

Naomi helping Calvin cover his mouth while he coughed...love it.

Old Faithful

Old Faithful

Such fun.

We made a detour and drove by the house I grew up in. I hadn't been there in over 15 years!

Bad Day.

Yesterday was a bad day. Okay, maybe not the worst day ever but bad enough that by 5:00 I was ready to take a shower and crawl in bed. It was just one of the those days...you know the kind when things like this happen:

• 3 of the 4 kids were sick. Not stay in bed sick...more like scream-at-mom-until-she-wants-to-cut-her-eardrums-out sick.
• My house smelled like poop and I couldn't find the source...not a good thing with 4 small kids and a puppy.
• My car smelled like poop - I knew the source (mildew from a killer rain storm) but it didn't help.
• I had to pay a bill at Wal-Mart (need I say more)
• While attempting to pay said bill I realized that I didn't have my credit card and I had no way to pay...I had to get Andy's credit card and wait in line AGAIN.
• Had to wait behind the world's slowest man at the redbox when I was just trying to return a movie!
• While unloading my groceries from Wal-Mart a guy backed up and hit my cart...luckily I had already taken the kids out.
• While fuming about the idiot who hit my cart - I cut my finger on the cart
• My doctors office calls to "give me bad news" (never start a phone call this way) about some blood work they had taken...they lost it and I have to go have it drawn again. Did I mention they had to stick me three times in both arms? And I have to be fasting?
• I go thru the ATM just as the bank experiences a powersurge and the ATM machine eats my debit card...did you know that can happen?

Anyway, I feel a little better after putting in down in bullet point...

Really?

I was just asking Tal about kindergarten. He was telling me about how some of the girls talk when they aren't supposed to...

Mom: So does your teacher yell at them?
Tal: No, she doesn't really yell at us because she cares about us.
Mom: Okay, well that's good (sheepishly wondering if he knows that even though I yell I still care)
Tal: Only, she does do mean things...kind of like a mom.

Thanks kid. Nothing like a healthy bit of perspective with your dinner.
Turns out, the "mean things" he was referring to were time-outs - so I guess I am a mean mom :)

Out little Ansel...

The great thing about Tal turning into Ansel Adams is that he catches the beauty of everyday moments that I sometimes miss...

The chronicles of Lego man

To go along with my last post. Tal has discovered my camera. I laughed out loud as I was going through my pictures the other day and found this series.

Funny things...

Tal is growing. Everyday I see it as he struggles between the little boy he was and the bigger boy he's becoming. In the crosshairs of this growth come some pretty funny moments...here are a few...

Last Saturday Andy took Naomi on a little date. While they were gone...
Mom: Tal, should I mow the lawn?
Tal: Mom, sometimes you need a day off...I'll watch all the kids for you
Mom: Yes!

While we were watching Where the Red Fern Grows...
Tal: (With tears in his eyes and a little crumpled chin) Mom, sometimes when I see things that are sad it makes me sad.

After I sucessfully unclogged the toilet:
Tal: Mom, you are the best toilet-fixer in the world...well other than those other guys who fix toilets.

The other day Tal got in trouble for something. His punishment was to put his bike ramp away - he wailed the entire time. A couple of days later:
Tal: Mom, the other day when I was crying you didn't give me a hug and tell me it was okay.
Mom: (Big oops moment)

And my favorite. A couple weeks ago the kids were fighting I got mad at Tal - thinking he was the instigator - only to find out he hadn't done anything wrong. As I was wallowing in my shame...
Mom: Tal, do you think I'm a good mom?
Tal: Of course (said in a tone like, duh)
The funny thing is - he was so convincing it actually did make me feel better!

I love this - I don't need positive self-affirmation when Tal's around. On Sunday Andy was harrasing me about something...
Mom: I know what I need. Tal, Do you think I'm a great mom?
Tal: Yes! Like the best in the whole world
Mom: (Smirking in Dad's general direction)
Dad: ...

Wicket

So, we did it. We made the plunge and did something we said we'd never do (the first sign that we would indeed do it)...we got a puppy! I was visiting an out-of-town friend at her moms - who had just gotten an adorable little Shih Tzu. We thought he was so sweet and when she mentioned that her mom might not be able to keep him I casually said she should let me know if he needed a new home. I didn't actually think her mom would be ready to let him go, nor did I think there was anyway Andy would go for it...well, I was wrong on both counts. He is a wonderful little guy who the kids are totally taken with. There were a couple of rocky weeks in the beginning but somehow the little guy has worked his way into my heart too!

By the way, he is named Wicket after the Eewok...not to be confused with Wicca (the cult) or Wicked (the play).


This picture cemented Wicket's place in our home - can you tell how much she loves him?



Little Rascal

Calvin turned 2!

Somehow I have lost all of my pictures from Calvin's Birthday :( But just so he knows how much I love him - here are a few of my favorite things about him:

I love to watch him run - the way he catapults his whole body towards his objective

I love how he's teaching us what it means to be a boy. Into everything, making messes, loads of energy...phew!

I love the way he plays doggie - his way of getting mom to stop and pet him :)

I love to watch his mind work. He is such a little engineer - even though he can't communicate I feel like I can see the wheels turning!

I love how much he loves Naomi. I never anticipated the connection he would have to her - I thought he'd stick to his brother - but he adores his sister!

I love that even with all the frustration he is feeling at his lack of communication I can still glimpse what a sweet, sweet boy he is.

Calvin has such a good heart - I felt this the moment I first held him. What a joy to have in our home!

Naomi Turned 4!

Naomi turned 4 in June. I can't believe how fast time is flying. She has really blossomed into a fun girl. Here are a few of my favorite things.

• I love the way she gets really serious when she is talking about something important. Her eyes get big and her expressions get really exagerated.
  
• I love the way she will sit and hold her baby sister while she cries. Tal and Calvin will abandon the baby when she starts to cry but Naomi will just sit there and try to soothe her.
  
• I love how she can make anything girlie (remember "cinderella hulk") but isn't afraid to get dirty or wrestle with her brothers.
  
• I love how enthusiastic she is about her new adventures even though she is afraid "no one will be her friend"
  
• I love how she tries to make people happy.
  
• I love how much love she has to give. She will sit and pet the dog for hours just happy to have found an outlet for her affection.

She is a beautiful girl and we are so lucky to have her in our family! She decided she wanted a My Little Pony party - which lets be honest, was just as much fun for me as it was for her!

Birthday girl!


That's her "Cutie Mark" on her cheek - pretty cute!


The little ponies!


Making "pony tails" which were really just barrettes with their choice of ribbon that they could wear for the pony races!