One Cute Who

I know, I know, still haven't finished my last post.  I will get back to it.  But in the meantime, I believe there's a Who missing from Whoville!

Persistence and Victories (Part 1)

I'm certain I won't finish this post all in one sitting.  It's been stirring in my head since last week, but I haven't had the time to sit and write it out.  I need to though, even if it takes multiple posts.  I want to remember this time.  It hasn't been the most fun, parts are, but other parts have been more trying than fun.  But....it's the persistence part I want to remember.  Persistence in parenting.  Never easy.  Never.  To keep on "keepin' on" when the going gets tough and you see no evidence of your hard work feels wearing, heavy, and just a tad exhausting.  The seed (one of many) you were trying so hard to plant.  Deep in your heart, you know you planted it, but with no evidence of root.....

Finally, one day, randomly, you see it!  And my, it looks even better than you imagined.

*Being beckoned already by an unhappy toddler!  Be back....*

2

Happy 2nd Birthday, Gaby Girl!

Pigtails!

Gaby's first pigtails!

It was so fun to do her hair!

Wild Weather

We have had some crazy weather lately.  Seriously, crazy.  This was our backyard after a 15 minute storm on Sunday.  Intense rain, STRONG wind, and just a little hail.

These next two are from today.  It started raining early this morning.  Not sure what time.  (Looking at the clock doesn't usually bode well for me returning to sleep!)  The roads were awful for the school runs this morning.  This is the main street just around the corner from Clay's bus stop.  Good thing he only rides the bus home!

This is the intersection just outside our neighborhood.

I was praying just a little bit while toting all my babes around in this this morning.  That whole "don't drive through standing water thing"....yeah....there weren't any roads that didn't have standing water!  I've never seen the roads this badly flooded in six years of living here.

5 Months

My sweet Lane is five months old today!  Five. Months.

I'm not going to get the couple photos I was able to grab today uploaded tonight.  Too tired.  The day started out rough, but turned out very well.  VERY thankful.

Elena is awesome.  Just awesome.  By FAR, my most adaptable kiddo.  Today was one of those days when she kept falling asleep at all the "wrong" times; 10 minutes before we got home from dropping the boys off, in the Baby Ergo at the grocery store (had to wake her to get her in the car seat), five minutes before we made it through the pick-up line to get T....and she never wakes and screams.  Just seems to pretend that was a real nap and carries on with her joyful self, smiling and cooing at anyone who looks her direction.  She's a doll.  I know this is her lot in life as #4, but I still feel bad that it seems she's never prioritized.

Any who....love you, sweet Elena Grace, more than I will ever be able to tell you.  Truly, you have changed my life for the better in unpredictable ways and given me insight into things I never would have otherwise known.  (I'll share with you one day when you're much much older.)  For now, I'm cherishing today and the very vivid memories of you gripping my heart with full-force powerful love, five months ago today.  Love, love, love you.

Way Too Late

I think my 5 1/2 year old, who never went through the terrible two's, is going through them at 5 1/2.  I would go back and redo his second/third year all over again with full-on terrible two-ness to avoid doing this now, at this age.  Way too smart to make this anything but extremely challenging and emotionally exhausting.

If you're so inclined, please pray for us. :)

The Big and The Little

Thoughts From Last Week

Well, we all survived the first week of school!  It was a great week and a very challenging week all packed together.  Some thoughts (stream of consciousness):

Picking up Thomas on Monday was a pinch of a nightmare.  It took 50 minutes to get the kiddo.  Don't think we even covered a 1/2 mile.  It was 107 degrees.  He was hot and tired and thirsty, but generally, in good spirits.  By Friday, pick-up was complete in 17 minutes.  Big progress!

Monday night, Thomas was making dear comments/inquiries about the length of school.  "Are there any days I don't go to school?  I get tired!  It's so long, I feel like I live there."  It was a little sad, but cute too.  We had another talk about how long school was sitting in the parking lot on Tuesday morning, but that was the last he mentioned it.  He was in very good spirits each day at pick-up and he slept super well all week!  Really precious--on Saturday morning, he came out of his room dressed in his school clothes!  He had even taken them out of the laundry basket because he had no more clean uniforms!  Sweet boy!

The boys are so different.  Heard all the "bad" things about school from Clay as soon as he got in the van.  All the good things started to trickle out around dinner time.  Thomas told me all the wonderful things the second he was picked up.  No mention of the hard stuff until bedtime.  So different those two.

Pick-up with Clay was long too on Monday, but improved each day.  By the end of the week, the bus was only three minutes behind schedule.  We have a little lag between T's dismissal time and C's bus arrival, but snacks in the van seem to keep everyone happy.....and G's beloved blankie!

My days with the girls seem so quiet.  I love having time with just the two of them.  Even allows me quite a bit of one-on-one time with each of them while the other is napping.  Precious.  Soaking it up.

At home after school was a little nutty.  Not bad, just kind of crazy.  The boys were both very wound-up.  Thinking it will be tricky once homework starts next week.  The plan is to do snack, chores, and homework before playtime.  We'll see how it goes.  Gaby's so happy to have them home, she's vying for their attention and Elena usually needs to be fed, so I'm occupied for a few.

Had some intense conversations with folks this week.  I've always been such a passive person.  When I get hurt or angry, have a hard time speaking up (even when it's warranted and perhaps, even necessary).  But God has really been growing me in this area and boy, did he provide me with some opportunities to use my newly found voice this week.  Once with each of the boys' school principals and once with a family member.  Each was brought to a successful resolution (well, the school problems anyhow) and I found some freedom in having a voice.

I did not eat well this week.  And I'm eating ice cream while I type this.  Ugh.  Stop! Tomorrow is a new day, yes?

Working with a particular counselee at church for the past few weeks has been intense.  Intense.  But life-changing for both of us.  Can't say much about her situation due to confidentiality, but for me, God has shown me in a new and powerful way how infinitely precious and valuable each person is to him.  It's made me look at EVERYONE in a different way.  And just a free tip, give more simple blessings.  The power of the spoken word is amazing.  It might just change someone's life.

Yesterday, was a TOUGH day.  We went through some stuff with Thomas that was not fun.  Teaching moment.  Had to be done.  No way around it, just had to plow straight through it.  No compromise on morals.  Tough.  Wearing.  Just plain hard.  Ronnie said he was going to pray last night that that was our toughest day of parenting ever.  I was totally on board. :)  Don't think we're going to get off that easy.  Just a hunch. :)

Bottom line--we survived!  And we're all still smiling....mostly!