Kids by the Lake

These are the pictures our friend Eric took the other day. They turned out so great!

Jump! Jump! Jump!

I love Jana Alayra. I think God is going to have a special reward for this woman. She has an amazing ability to win over the hearts of children with her beautiful songs about Jesus' love for them. Each one of my kids so far has learned the words and sings along to the DVD and the CD. Thanks Jana!

Pulling up!

This is how I found will when I left him in his bed to go put the rest to sleep. He was part fascinated with the crib railing and part confused as to how he got there. Such a cutie!

Perspective

Today is our 3rd day without Dad. He's away at the CCCA (I'm not sure how many C's) convention in San Diego. He should be back tomorrow before the Hume Family Christmas Party. Let's hope so...my kids really want to go and I am not taking them if he doesn't go with. I know, I could have helpers...but the kids get all crazy (more than usual) with babysitters or their older friends. I just don't think I could handle it without a breakdown. As it is, I am only going out to drop off and pick up kids from school and to go to get the mail and some things (mainly junk food) from the general store.

Well today was pretty good. Lily, Will and I had some friends over to play this morning. Will decided he wants to pull up on things, which is wonderful, but he doesn't really know what he is doing and he also falls a lot. He has several bruises on his forehead from his newest adventures. He is also only pulling up to his knees so far. He can't quite get up on his feet yet. He'll get there!

After school the boys had a friend over to play. When that was done we went to the General Store (for junk of course) and we stopped by our friend Eric's office so that the kids could get another balloon. Eric inherited a helium tank and has started making balloons for my kids. He did this yesterday and so now I think they will probably want to go everyday for a new one. Today he wasn't there, but our other friends in that office helped up fill the balloons. Fun times!

We were going to have spaghetti for dinner, but the kids really wanted pizza and that was a lot easier for me, so that's what they had. Lily had chicken and Will had baby food. Then it was bath and shower time and then off to bed. It sounds easy, but with all the reading, potty training, and harrassment, it lasted a full two hours.

On a sadder, more serious note, my mother's friend's oldest son just died in a tragic auto accident. He was 18. It really brought to my attention how precious my children are and how I want to keep them so close to me always. It also brings into perspective how little time I have with them. How the little things (no matter how annoying they can seem at the time) are so precious. They won't always want to come sleep in my bed when Darin's gone, Lily won't always need to be rocked and read to before bed, Hank and Jack won't always want me to color or to play games with them, and Will won't always want to be held so often. These things will be so missed when I don't get to do them anymore. How can I bottle it all up and keep it? Sadly I think I just have to realize how amazing each one is and appreciate the little kisses and smiles while I have them...

A mustache?

Today when I was getting ready, Lily came into the bathroom and said very dramatically, "I need a mustache! I need a mustache!" I laughed and just assumed she wanted some "make-up." I powdered her nose and off she went seemingly satisfied. A few minutes later she wanted to color and I put her in her chair with markers and paper. I went to check on Will and when I returned I began to wonder if she really DID want a mustache...

Thanksgiving in Boulder

We had a great time last week in Boulder with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Debbie. We hung out for the first couple days while Grandma and Grandpa were still working. We went shopping and even paid an important visit to Santa at the mall. (I'll try to post pictures later). On Thursday Uncle Jason, Aunt Esther, and Ava flew in from Texas. We hadn't seen them for a very long time so all of us were very excited. The kids had a wonderful time playing with their cousin, Ava. They went to the park, played with toys inside and outside, went fishing, and took a ride on the Nevada State Railroad. We had our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. It was delicious as always.
We left Nevada on Saturday at 2:00 pm so that we could be certain that Darin would be back for church on Sunday. The traffic was horrible and it took us 11 hours to get home. Yes...that's right we pulled up to our home at 1:00 am this morning. It was quite the adventure. For the most part the kids were great in the car. They slept or watched a movie for most of the way. I had to get some groceries because Darin is going on a work trip from Monday to Thursday. We stopped at the Walmart in Dinuba where I shopped from 10:45 to 11:30pm... a CRAZY time to shop in that Walmart. I had a drunk shopper almost walk right into my cart head on! It was pretty much me, the drunk shopping guys, the hooded suspicious teenage guys looking over their shoulders constantly, and the people restocking the shelves. I don't recommend shopping there at this time...I survived and managed to get stocked up for the week.
Overall we had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This weekend...

This was a pretty busy weekend. Darin spoke for SOLID, a young men's conference here at Hume. During his down time he worked on putting the Christmas lights up. He was very excited about it this year and made big plans. He ended up having our friend, who isn't afraid of much, go up on the roof and do the eaves. The house looks amazing!

We (the kids and I) stayed home much of the weekend and played around the house. Will practiced his ninja skills. He's getting pretty good with his sword... Lily spent most of the weekend pushing her stroller around the house. Several times it went with us to the dining hall. She also took it to the sand on Sunday morning. She doesn't like to push a baby doll around in it though. She likes to push around her Bopos (pacifiers).

Tomorrow we are headed to Nevada for Thanksgiving. We are hoping to leave early in the morning so we can get there at a decent hour...My brother and sister-in-law and their daughter are coming to Nevada to visit. They are from Texas so we don't see them much. We are all excited for a visit!

Hume Family Thanksgiving Dinner

Last night was the family Thanksgiving Dinner. It takes place in the dining hall. It is a time when all the staff gets together and the dining hall cooks a big Thanksgiving dinner. The K-2 class does a short program and then there is a speaker who gives a short message. Last night there was traditional turkey dinner as well as an Italian Thanksgiving and a Southwestern Thanksgiving. The food was amazing. We all got dressed up and then went to have a good dinner with friends. We watched Jack and Hank recite some poems and sing a few songs. It was a very nice time.

School Pictures

Today we got Jack and Hank's school pictures back. After viewing them, I realized that they seem even more "home-schooly" than in years past. They changed who took them so maybe that's why. Also it was freezing out that day, so in several of the photos, Hank looks like a hunchback because he is trying to stay warm... Oh well the boys still look handsome in the pictures.

Nothing much else went on today. I walked around the lake with some ladies. One more of my friends told me that their family would be leaving come December. I am beginning to feel like I am missing something...is there a reason everyone is leaving? Darin and I don't want to leave, we like it here...but wow... there is a large turn over right now.

The boys played at their friends house today. Lily took a late nap and is now currently tormenting me and Will by randomly going from singing to yelling to crying to laughing in her bed right now.

I made some pumpkin bread for Jack and Hank's Thanksgiving party at school. It was from a kit, so it didn't take much work. I did add some chocolate chips to switch things up a bit.

Finally, Darin is out speaking to the college group here at Hume, so I am here once again, doing laundry (when am I not doing laundry) and trying to find something to watch, that he won't mind missing. I do need to make some green play-doh for preschool, so there's something to occupy my time.

William really does belong...

Well Will proved it this morning. If his looks didn't give it away already --- he is really a McWatters. Left alone on the living room floor for 30 seconds while I watched the boys walk down to meet a neighbor to walk to school, Will managed to find some good mischief...

Pictures from yesterday...take 2

Rainy Day Schedule

Well I don't know what happened but the pictures multiplied! I have tried to fix the problem... but I don't know what I am doing, so it may be worse now... it was worth a try...


Remember in school when it was raining and you had to have "rainy day schedule." As a kid I always loved it because it meant playing Heads up Seven Up during recess time. As an adult I have come to realize that I dread "rainy day schedule" as much as my teachers probably did back then. Heads up Seven up was just a ploy to occupy us and keep us quiet. Today I found myself trying to come up with ways to occupy and quiet 4 squirrelly kids.
The boys actually played very well together, and things went pretty well. They didn't get up quite as early which makes a world of difference. It is so discouraging when you have done everything you can think of and it is only 9:30 in the morning.
To break up the day we went the the snack shop with some friends. It was a great time to get out and no one was at there so it relieves us Moms from worrying so much about the fit so and so is throwing...
Darin came home around 4:00. We are SOOOO glad he is back. We went to church and then came home to go to bed. Because tomorrow is a holiday, the boys are watching a movie in bed. They feel like rebels as they are staying up "SO late!"
We are going down the hill tomorrow to do some much needed shopping. The boys will be going to visit friends that moved to Fresno from Hume. They are super excited.

Playground

Playground

Today, after cleaning up the house a little, watching a few shows and napping (Will only) we decided to go to the playground for a while. We walked for "exercise" as I told the complaining children but it was mostly just to take up more of the morning. Lily got a hold of my change purse last night and decided it was perfect for holding Bopos (pacifiers). She has good taste (expensive too.) I emptied it of my things and then she carried it around all morning including to the park. She's definetly a girl after Grandma Braithwaite's own heart!

Finally! A tooth!

Will got his very first tooth today after months of hard work growing it. It just broke the surface so you can't see it (sorry no photo yet) but you can feel it if you stick your finger in there. It is his bottom left tooth. I am sure more are on the way, thus explaining the persistant runny nose and slobbery chin. He is doing well though. He also just started taking baths in the regular tub. Tonight he tried to pull himself up the the edge so he could get a match box car. He loves to eat those things!

Darin is gone to Ojai, CA this weekend so I'm a single mom again. After doing it by myself for a week last month this doesn't seem so bad. He is planning on being back by church on Sunday night.

We had a good day. Will, Lily and I went on a walk with some friends this morning. After we picked the boys up and had lunch at home. After school, Jack and Hank had a friend over. Then we all went to the Snack Shop and met some friends there. Now the boys are watching ET up in their room, Lily is looking at books in her bed and Will is dreaming of the yummy taste of hot wheels. All is peaceful for the moment...

November 8, 2007

Today is just another busy day. Tonight we are having friends over for dinner. We are each making a soup and bringing it to share. I am making a Tortilla soup in the crock pot, but I am also going to make a Pumpkin Bisque with the leftover canned pumpkin I had from the dessert I made last night.



I taught preschool this morning from 10:00 -11:30. Lily and Will went to a sitter's house during that time. Lily loves going to people's houses and wakes up on preschool days "so cited!" The boys went to school and then they are going to go to a friend's house for the afternoon. Darin is busy at work today. He has a lot of things he is trying to get done before he leaves for a retreat he is speaking for in Ojai this weekend.



We went to the staff auction Tuesday night. I learned several things on that night. First I learned that my children are not good with sitters. I guess deep down I probably already knew this about them, but who wants to admit this to oneself if you have to (or want to )be gone away from them... Well we left Lily, Jack and Hank with a sitter from 6:00 to 7:00. One small, easy hour, right? In fact we had fed, bathed and dressed them all before she got there. I gave her simple instructions for them to watch a show, put Lily to bed, the boys watch one more show, brush teeth and go to bed and read for a little while. I even gave instructions on how and what to expect with Lily going to bed. Well we got home after an hour and you would have thought a tornado had gone through our home. Every toy they owned was in the living room, Lily was running around (not in bed) with two tattoos on her hands. Hank decided that it would be a great idea to color his face in with black marker while the baby sitter was upstairs unsuccessfully putting Lily to bed. When washing it off, managed to get marker everywhere!

There was food on the floor, pillows all over and one frazzled babysitter. It was very humbling. I don't know if this is how they always are, and the sitter just has time to clean up the evidence, or if this particular babysitter just lost all control...It left me very uneasy...



Another thing I learned is that although I always have dreams of finding some amazing lost treasure, used things are kind of yucky.... The staff auction is a time when all the lost and found items from the last year are arranged into categories and set out on tables in the dining hall. The really great lost items are sold for $1, $2 or auctioned at the live auction. The general lost items including most clothing are sold by the bagful. You can get a small bag for $2 or a large for $5. We got one large bag. We told ourselves before we got there that we were going to try to supress the urge to rush to the tables, push or feel anxious about any of the items, since we didn't need any of them.



Darin and I have never been to staff auction night. Some people take it very seriously. I realized it was mostly like a 2nd hand store...I felt the need to wash my hands several times before I finally felt clean. Well I did find a few cool things. I found several sweatshirts for the boys, a couple shirts and a couple pair of pants for the boys. Darin found a jacket he liked. I also found two of our sweatshirts that the boys had lost two years ago and was able to get them back. The best find was a Stitch sweatshirt that Hank loves. That alone was satisfying. We left before the live auction. We decided we didn't really need any of that stuff and we didn't need the extra stress in our lives. ( I always feel anxious, like I really need whatever is up for bid, which is crazy since it is usually junk or something I wouldn't want in any other context)



Well I guess that is enough of my rambling. I came across this cute video of Jack and Hank when I was trying to load up my mom's birthday video. Jack is just about 3 years old which means Hank is about 18 months old. It is adorable and weird to see them being so little. It will make you smile...

Grandma's Birthday!

Happy Birthday! We wish we were there! Love you!

The great candy splurge and purge!

Today I had enough of the candy temptations at our home. We had so much candy that after sorting out what the boys liked and what Lily could eat, we still had a bulging, large ziploc full of candy and a small ziploc for Lily. The boys have been pretty good about eating only a few peices a day, but Mom and Dad have been going crazy. Mostly me, but it doesn't do any of us good to have so much junk food around. So Darin came up with the idea to let them eat as much as they want, and then throw out what's left. After school today we did just that. From 3:00 - 3:30 we could eat as much as we wanted of the candy, which I dumped into a colossal pile on the kitchen table. After eating as much as they could stand, and after several lectures to me about how wasteful we were being, we tossed it all into the trash. (Well to be honest, I kept a few small packs of mm's and smarties for the drive to Nevada this Thanksgiving) Overall it was quite liberating, and I just may get back onto my diet. I seem to have the will power to stick to my diet only when there is nothing but cheerios and old tortilla chips in the cabinet. Sad isn't it?

I got a new rug for the living room and kitchen. They were a birthday present to me from my kids and Darin. The one in the living room is a large 8 ' X 11' rectangle. The kitchen is 4' X 6'. They are really nice and go well with the colors of each room, but they shedding all over all of us. We now look like we have a red, brown, yellow and offwhite cat. Oh well, the living room looks beautiful even if we don't. Hopefully after a few more vacuumings they will not be shedding as much and I won't be so itchy!

Currently no one is crying and everyone seems pleasantly occupied so I need to get this posted before someone starts crying or Darin gets home for dinner.

"You're gonna shoot your eye out"

Saturdays are pretty good days around here. Darin is off work so he gets up with the kids while I get to sleep in a little. He makes everyone egg and sausage burritos every Saturday morning. Today he had to do a seminar from 10:30-11:45 so the rest of us all just chilled here at the house. The boys played PS2 (another weekend only activity.)

After lunch the boys went with Darin to shoot the BB gun. They got the gun from a friend of Darin's who used to work here. They are always looking for opportunities to shoot it. This explains why they tried to convince the new babysitter to let them shoot it last Thursday. Thankfully, she shut them down on that idea... Anyway they took some cans and went out to practice their aim while Lily and Will took a nap. I did a little cleaning during this time. We also had a few former Joshua students stop by for a short visit. It was nice to see them.

For dinner tonight we walked to the dining hall. Lily insisted on walking by herself instead of riding in the stroller. It takes a few minutes more due to her independent ways of life. We finally made it, had a nice dinner and walked home in near darkness. I am not sure if we'll be able to do this much longer, especially with the time change.

The boys took a shower for the first time up in their bathroom. This is because Will has graduated from the baby tub in the kitchen sink to the regular bath tub. With the addition of one more body the tub was getting a little crowded. The boys were excited to use the shower in their bathroom. They are all getting so big.

Our friend Stephanie is coming up for the night. She'll be staying until after Darin teaches in church tomorrow night. We are excited to see her since she hasn't been here in some time now. Anyway, that's pretty much our day. Wait...Hank just came downstairs and told us Jack threw up on the floor...I guess all good things must come to an end...

Halloween 2007

This year we started a new Halloween tradition with Hank and Jack that we will hopefully be able to adapt to the whole family one day. We decided to make our own costumes for Halloween since the boys don't like dressing up as much any more and it seems like such a waste to spend the money for just one day. The thought is that it would be nice to spend time together making something and it will hopefully be cheaper than the expensive store bought costume. This year we decided to make robot costumes. Darin and I got all of the supplies and then we set out to work. Because the boys are still too young to cut with a razor by themselves or use a hot glue gun, Darin ended up doing most of the work himself. I think we paid slightly less than it would have cost us for a store bought costume, but I was happy with the results. They turned out great! The boys were really proud of the costumes. The costumes were hard to move around in but they were awesome. They had working lights and everything! Next year we will take trick o' treating time into consideration and plan a costume that is not so hard to manuever in.

Lily was Cinderella, of course. She had the head band, the dress and the shoes. It was fun, and she looked beautiful. Poor Will went as himself (in halloween jammies). When it comes right down to it, I knew (from experience) he and I both would be more comfortable with this option as opposed to some floppy, big costume. I did feel a little bad when people kept asking me what he was going to be and I had to answer, "Nothing." That's what happens when you are the fourth child--your momis just too tired to go all out!

Anyway, it was a fun time. The boys and I carved their pumpkins in the afternoon while Darin was at work. It was actually kind of nice because the boys were able to clean them out by themselves this year. I had them tell me what they wanted the jack o latern to look like and then I carved them. They turned out pretty good. I have been practicing the last couple of years in the preschool class, so I am getting pretty creative with the carving.

The boys and Lily went trick or treating at the dining hall with all of the conferrees that had brought candy. After that they went around camp to lots of houses getting more candy than any kid (or parent....) needs.

After the kids went to bed, Darin and I and some friends watched a scary movie. It was a great Halloween.