Ells Birthday

So I'm a little well a lot behind and i have one week till school is out and then maybe no blogging will ever take place unless I make Shadd do it. 

Drum roll... how is this girl 5?

      

We spent the whole day and next celebrating this sweet girl.
Spoiled by her brothers with fun gifts in the morning. I love how perky Sager is this morning.

I personally love her E pillow. And check out that stroller. She's been requesting that for quite sometime. Its large and in charge and looks just like mamas.

And her birthday cakes and special crown headband (gap does it again)

Then later that morning

She celebrated Bitty Baby style with her friends... aren't they adorable with their dollies!

We ate cupcakes, had fruit cups and pink lemonade

Then we decorated shirts for our dollies (not the easiest with fabric markers on onesies plus it was so nice outside I think they were all itching to go play without any boys around). Of course these shirts went with their tutus that Ells and I made. 

Then we opened gifts and Ells was so blessed by her thoughtful and generous little friends. She introduced them all when they arrived and I can definitely see her as a budding hostess as she gets older.

After the party - Ells and I hit the road and went and saw Cinderella at the theatre

Of course the parties wouldn't be complete without the family! We love these parties and often can't wait til the next one on the list. Thankfully our family grows by the minute it seems so they are more and more often.

Grandma D never ceases to amaze us with her beautiful and delicious cakes. Kinda spoiled there for sure. And daddy didn't disappoint with some homemade cookie dough ice cream and lots of liquid smoke on the pork (the guy thinks it smells like heaven)

This year even Ells made the decorations - glitter stars. The picture really doesn't do them justice. And everyone brought their dollies even the grandmas and greats which I totally forgot to take a picture of. One of these days I will be better at documenting all the details. Well maybe when someone other than the host has to take the pictures really. So like never.

Still can't believe that Ells is actually 5. This is a big number because it implies kindergarten etc and well just big changes on the horizon.

Ells,
You have really blossomed this year. Last year and still every now and again we were really struggling with you. You were spirited and we just weren't trained and versed in how to handle it. But this year with patience and diligence and well just maturity you are one of my favorite people to just hang with. I can't even imagine how much fun we will have in the years to come and the relationship we will have that well just can't seem to be replicated. I am lucky and honored to have you call me momma. I just pray God will help me live up to that famous title. Love you more than you will ever know.
Your one and only momma

Kindergarten concert

Shadd had his first music concert. He did great. Of course mom totally forgot the good camera so we had to opt for Dad's phone. Not the clearest but still fun to document. 

The other two had a blast watching of course.

Of course we were lucky enough to get to see grandma and grandpa that night too.

Z: 9 months

So I totally skipped 8 months. Whoops. 

How is Z already 9 months. Where has time gone?  

Someday my baby will be big. 

I know every mom says it but wow time does seem to fly by. 

So what's the big guy up to these days, uh?

Sleep - well after a few antibiotics for ear infections which never worked we tried the chiropractor and he seems to be doing much better.

Will definitely give that a shot first next time.
Still getting up once a night but he nurses in about 5 minutes so I have yet to break that habit and he is cutting all four of his next set of teeth at the same time. Poor buddy.

And after nights of three or four times a night wakings. I will take once anytime.

Eating: Well he is kinda picky but he loves mixed foods and he loves real food. Had his first pizza, chicken nugget, sandwich and hamburger so far and loved them all. He loves finger foods and devours bananas and eggs.

Still nurses quite a bit but he is super fast just like everyone else.

He loves to laugh, dance and smile. And lately he loves his momma. Although daddy is still the go to rocker.

He is cruising furniture and free stands but still yet to take a step. Still a bit chicken.

He also still can't roll over when he is laying on his back. I blame it on learning to do everything else. But you know what to do if you want him to stay in one spot (i don't though because thats just mean!)

He's an explorer.

He is a smartie - he loves to travel to Ells' room and grab her doll house lamp. Its the first thing he goes for anytime he travels that way and if you have been to our house that is quite the trek from the living room. He has also lately been hanging out in the laundry room. So far no playing in toliets but i'm sure that is next. Right now I just fish things left and right out of his mouth and do my best to pick up all things small and inedible around the house. Not the easiest job with three other sloppy eaters.

He loves to be outside and he loves his brothers and sister.
He is full of expressions and can't seem to get enough attention.
Lately he has been quite the groover especially to "House Party" - just cracks us up.

I'm always amazed at how much they come alive in these last few months before their first birthday. Its just like their little brains start to turn on and lots of stuff starts to click. They were just so helpless and snuggling only a few short months ago.

Z you are such a fun little guy. We are so lucky and blessed to call you ours.

So thankful I get to capture him the most. Why? Well he is by my side more often than not and well he just changes from minute to minute it seems. Plus he seems to keep us laughing about #four most of the time. The crazy wild number four.

Spending some one on one time with my littles

As a mom to four littles sometimes I feel like I just get one on one time with them to just listen to them individually.

I mean its crazy around here most of the time and well as Sage knows (he repeats himself a lot and yells that no one listens to him - and they/we don't) it is tough to get a word in edgewise. 

So we implemented a night of the week where each child gets to stay up an extra 15 to 30 minutes and just hang out with mom and dad (and sometimes z)

Well its been fun. Most of the time Shadd wants to play Blokus (he actually kills d and i most of the time). We say its because he studys the game afterwards and calculates how he can better himself  - if that isn't a glimpse into our future (just another hour on the golf course or 50 more free throws)

Ells likes to craft or read or play games. She told me she wants to be a "sew"er when she grows up and a cheerleader. 

And well Sage has been so so much fun. He is a planner and has big ideas for his night. He played Blokus his way which was fun one night. He also has just a lot to say and it was fun to just spend time focused on them.

Of course they all wondered who has thursday and we said "we do" and at least for now we do til z gets to take over that night. 

We are trying to plan and carve out extra attention and time for them to just make sure they know how special they truly are.

So breakfast with Shadd one morning before school - I mean its the least I can do when I totally space off muffins for mom at school and he has a small breakdown with dad in the car. Our date totally saved me a couple days later.

And we cherished the couple days off from school during kindergarten screening and made the most of our time while Ells was off doing her thing.

writing a letter to his new pen pal

Ells and I finally got around to her jam berry nails, which by the way are super fun.

 And we got to sneak off on her birthday and see Cinderella which was super fun.

Plus tackle some bracelets with the rainbow loom. I will definitely miss that girl next year when she is off to school.

Imagination Station

Shadd last year finished a summer reading program for a magazine that we adore. Its called Clubhouse Jr. If you don't get it and have little kids it is a must. We read it every month from cover to cover. I used to get a magazine called Faith n Stuff back in the day and we still have them or at least my momma does. Not sure how they are still around and in hanging on because our "chuck the ducks" as we call them look pretty shabby after we read through them.

Anyways he got a free book. Imagination Station - a chapter book spin off from the Adventures in Odyssey. Well we ordered all nine and just completed them. I think mom and dad enjoy them as much as the kids. Ells and Sage kinda lost interest but they like to pretend they are traveling in the 'imagination station' (thats the picture above)

All I heard was...

"lets dress up and travel"

then once in the machine

"push the red button" and "it all went black"

They were listening - even from across the room sometimes. 

It matters what you plant in the ears, eyes and hearts.  I just pray they see more and more of Jesus and less and less of ugly me. 

A downright solid belly laugh

A few weeks back, Shadd had an early out and well no one napped and the afternoon kinda drug on. 

However we did have a bit of fun and laughed harder than I have in a really long time messing around with photo booth. 

If you have a mac or iPhone. Try it. 

Here are the out takes.

Screen shots from my phone which we sent to D who said "creepy"

And of course how we really look.