Sunday Best

The boys- 

and the girls-

Clucky

My first endeavor with a whole chicken-

 earned me this- 

my first post dinner thank you note.  It reads 

Dear Mommy

I love you

I like you

I liked dinner

Thanks for dinner

Love Leah 

For Mommy

And we are holding hands and wearing fancy shoes.

Welcome Home

We're gearing up for another week without Daddy.  The last time he was gone, we made these videos to welcome him home since he got home in the middle of the night.

Leah's- sincere and simple

Adam's- ends with "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen".

Emma's- lots of screaming from Adam- 

Mine- no wonder the kids occasionally freeze up when a camera is shoved in their faces!  It's awkward.

Side note about the word awkward- someone in Leah's Primary class used the word and now Leah is trying desperately to figure out how to work it into her vocabulary.  She just can't quite grasp the concept of it, so she ends up saying things like, "What if we made lemonade but forgot to put in the sugar?  That would be so awkward."

And Adam has adopted the phrase "for real", only it comes out "fo wheel".  So he says things like, "Emma was chewing on dat book and she was about to rip da pages... fo wheel."

True Confessions

We have never told Leah and Adam where Emma was born.  We read so many books during my pregnancy about mommies going to the hospital to have the baby with the help of a doctor.  When Emma was born, they came to the hospital to meet her.  When we drive to Indianapolis, they love to point out the hospital where Emma was born!  There has never really been a good time to say, "Oh, hey!  Did I ever mention that Emma was actually born right here on the front seat of our car?!"  The moment has never really presented itself.

That has kind of nagged at me over the months.  There is no wrong way to bring a baby into the world, just ways that make a little more sense in the minds of then-four-and-barely-two-year-olds.  But I started to feel like the longer we waited to tell them The Truth, the more odd it would seem that we kept it from them for so long.  And it is quite an incredible story that certainly helps shape who our family is.

So today, when we were waiting at the car wash at the very same gas station, I turned around and said, "I'm going to tell you guys an amazing story...." And on it went, the very mild retelling of Emma's birth. 

I think Leah said, "Huh", and Adam couldn't take his eyes off of the car getting washed in front of us long enough for me to get a real reaction.

So The Truth was out.  We drove through the car wash, past the lovely hedge of bushes* by which Emma was born, and headed home.  Leah asked a few questions, like, "So did the doctor have to slice open your tummy and pull the baby out and then stitch you back up again?"  (Ahh, the joys of preschool over-sharing) to which I replied "No, but that is how you were born.  No matter how a baby is born-

whether they come out the regular way in the hospital

  or the doctor has to help bring them out through Mommy's tummy-

 or they are born right here in the car, 

the important thing is that the baby is healthy and safe.  That's all that matters."

And by then we were home and on to the next activity.

But later in the afternoon, while we were running through the sprinklers, Leah ran over to me and said, "Mom!  I was so shocked today!  I was so shocked when you told me that...

("This is it!" I thought.  "The moment I was expecting earlier today when Leah is going to tell me all of her thoughts and feelings about learning The Truth.  Brace yourself...")

...pioneers used to live right here in Indiana!"

Oh yeah.  We had that conversation today, too.  Well, that's that.  At least now they know The Truth.

*Side note on the lovely hedge of bushes.  In the spring time the trees around the gas station were in full bloom, and really looked so pretty, so I tried to take a picture of them while I was waiting at a red light.  The gas station sits next to a church and kitty-corner to a beautiful memorial garden-style cemetery that doesn't have any headstones, just rows and rows of flowers interspersed with statues of Christ as the Good Shepperd.  Although I still fully believe that the best place to have a baby is in the hospital, I think Emma picked a very pretty, although non-traditional place to be born.  And I love that I can drive by it every day and smile to myself about her grand entrance into the world.

Potty Training- Week 2.5

In the days following this post, I backed off from potty training with Adam.  I figured he wasn't ready just yet, and I have no desire to push him into doing something he wasn't ready to do.  Especially something that involves bodily functions.  But guess what?  After a few days of peeing freely in the pull-ups (with me feigning indifference but really cringing inside at the thought of having to buy these super-expensive glorified diapers for another year), he started keeping them dry.  And he started marching off to the potty, all by himself!  There were a few casual reminders from me here and there, but for the most part, he just started announcing his intentions and and making his way over to the potty.  Just like that!  Easy peasy!

And he's been quite consistent about using the potty ever since.  Earlier this week we graduated to big boy underwear, which he has also been keeping dry- only two accidents so far.  One happened right after he stayed dry during a 1.5 hour nap, and the other happened while he was playing at a park, so both understandable, in my opinion.

Adam's aversion to using a big toilet was creating a bit of a problem.  The first day of wearing underwear, we had a few outings planned, including a piano recital at a nursing home.  Adam carried his froggy potty- the entire thing- into the recital and sat on it (lid closed).  Thankfully we didn't have to use it, but I would have if needed! 

I casually mentioned to Adam the other day that I thought the seat part of his froggy potty would fit on a big toilet and keep him safe from falling in.  He was very curious to find out of this was true, and it was!  He's happy to use the big toilet now, as long as the froggy seat is attached.  Thank goodness- that is much more manageable- and discreet.

We've now reached the stage where Adam wants to know if he can really use the potty anytime, any place.  So, if we have 3 stops planned, I can plan on 3 trips to the bathroom.  I don't love this stage, but I'm happy to show him all the potties in the world if it means that he'll use them!

The real amazing part is that he has kept his pull up dry at night, too.  That is a really long time to not go potty!  I'm just amazed that he's doing it, and I'm certainly knocking on wood about that one.

I never, never thought I would say this, but I actually think that potty training this time around (so far) has been kind of fun.  I haven't really stressed over it or pushed it, so it's gone at Adam's pace, not mine.  Which means he's ready.  And it is really fun to stop everything else that I am doing to run into the bathroom and cheer along with Adam at the contents in the toilet.  He insists that I jump once and clap my hands- sometimes I think he's the one training me!  I am just so proud of him- and he is proud, too.  The other day I said, "Way to go, Adam!" and he said, "Way to go, myself!"  This is a HUGE milestone, and he's doing really  great.  I'm sure we still have a quite a ways to go before we're officially done (heck, Leah peed her pants just the other day... and I can think of the last time I did, too... whether I was pregnant at the time or not, I won't be saying) but we're well on our way!

Annual Strawberry Fest

We were more than ready to head out to Annie's Orchard to pick this year's supply of strawberries- we ran out of freezer jam last July, and frozen strawberries in February.

The weather was beautiful this year (last year I kept Leah, Adam, and my 8-month pregnant self plastered to the AC in the car while Jason, Grandma Suzanne and Auntie Emily very kindly picked the strawberries in the blazing heat), and we had a great time as the Four Musketeers!  Leah was picking beautiful berries by the handfuls, Adam was happy to eat berries by the handful, and Emma was kind enough to sleep for the first half of the trip.  Jason wasn't able to join us with his mad super-picking skills, and I didn't pick nearly as much as our family would have liked.  We're hoping to head back out before the season is over. 

But we still managed to do a whole lot of this- 

and a little bit of this- 

to get a bunch of this-

Yum!

It's officially a tradition!  Previously blogged about here and here.

Storytime

We have a weekly bedtime story skype date with Grandpa Mark.  He reads a book to the kids, or, this week, Leah and Grandpa alternated reading pages of Hop on Pop.  They crack up when he says things like "This story is called 'If You Give a Mouse a Candy Bar' or makes one of his many silly Grandpa faces.

Last night Adam was so disappointed that it wasn't a "Grandpa story night".  The kids love having a different storyteller once a week, and I love that we get to visit with Grandpa so often.  It's amazing how close technology can make us feel, even when we are so, so far apart.

Wholesome Recreational Activities

Another goal Jason and I set for our family this year is to get outside and enjoy nature more.  Anyone who lives in Indiana understands that this is a little bit tricky.  There are no mountains, lakes, canyons or deserts within a quick drive to explore.  A few nearby pockets of forests are the only respite we have to acres upon acres of corn and soybean fields.  But we put camping on our list of "to-do's" this year, and I am highly motivated by the potential of putting a checkmark next to a goal. 

So we went camping this weekend- our first time since this mild adventure back in 2007.  We went with our adventurous camping pro friends Rachael and Neil, which made it 10,000 times more fun than it would have been had we gone just the 5 of us. 

I had great helpers packing up on Friday- it took all morning to gather our clothes, camping gear, and food.

 By the time we hit the road, the kids were exhausted.

 Jason and I were just glad to finally be on our way.

One thing we both noticed about this trip was how much work it takes to go camping (with three adorable but basically helpless junior campers in tow).  Of course, they helped as much as they could,

 and being adorable always helps fill in the gaps,

but overall, we would have loved to have more time to just sit and enjoy nature and visiting with our friends.  Between setting up the tent, cooking the meals, cleaning up the meals, quieting nighttime fears, chasing away over-eager racoons and several trips to the bathroom (or the beloved froggy potty),

there really was never a dull moment in the trip to sit back and relax.

The kids loved cooking over the fire-

and eating way too many smores

 or just plain chocolate.

As the sky got darker we all gathered around the campfire and told "spooky" stories, and Jason will tell you the very best part of the trip was pegging racoons with rocks as they crept under our picnic tables over and over again.  Not that I could blame the racoons- 7 kids made for quite a mess on the ground.  They were just a little too persistent for my liking.

Later, after all the kids were tucked into the tent (that we have nearly outgrown), and we finally called it a night, Jason and I took a minute to look up at the vast blanket of stars.  I thought about how I am not afraid of the dark like I was as a child.  I don't have the luxury of being afraid of the dark anymore- I have to be brave for my kids now.  I thought about how many times my parents took us camping when we were kids, and how those are some of my favorite childhood memories now, and how I never once said thank you for putting so much effort into creating those happy childhood memories for our family.  I thought about how far I've come as a mom- there was a time when I would have never, ever agreed to camping with a nursing baby, but here I was, and Emma was the most solid sleeper of them all.  I thought about how much work we had ahead of us in the morning, plus a day full of hiking.  About that time, Jason kissed me and asked if I was having fun.

"Fun?"  I replied.  "No... but I'm glad we're doing this."

I feel that way a lot in my life these days.  There are brief moments of fun, sandwiched between a whole lot of hard work, but man, am I glad we are doing it.

*****

That would be a perfect place to end this post, but then the morning came.  Watching the kids wake up one by one was my favorite part of the entire trip.  There is something magical about the sun rising again after a cold, dark night. 

The kids were thrilled to be drinking hot chocolate (something I'll be sure to remember for next time!) and playing with friends again.  They tried their hardest to get another fire going, but eventually gave up and started "playing camping" again.

After taking down camp, it was finally time to go hiking!  I think my arms got a better workout than my legs- carrying 15, 30, and 40 pound weights with me all over the park. 

But Jason won the prize for giant muscles with this awesome daddy move-

We started hiking too late in the day, and the heat and humidity were almost awful, but the kids did great- going up the stairs, down the ravines, across the logs, and into the muck

 There were butterflies to point at and millipedes to shriek at-

Emma did fantastically in the snugli,

and the trip ended just as it began- like this.

I only regret not having pictures of our kids dancing half-naked in the water spigot after our first hike.  It was super hot by then, and, had we not had a bit of modesty about us, I'm sure the adults would have been in there right along with them.

And I'm not sure how this turned into the most epic blog post I've ever written- but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that we won't be camping again anytime too soon!  Daytrips seem about the right speed for us.

Pull Up

Time to take baby-proofing to the next level...

The Best Part

Every night when we are putting the kids to bed, we lay down with them to snuggle for a few minutes.  Even though there are always a hundred other "have-to-do's" waiting downstairs, I like to use this time to whisper sweet secrets in their ears and fill up their little love cups one more time before the day is over. 

I say things like, "I'm so glad you're in our family" or "I l thought you were brave for touching that frog today" or "Emma is lucky to have a funny big brother like you" and then ask the kids what the best part of their day was.  It gives me a chance to hear about their days, to smooth over any bumpy moments we had, and to send them off to dreamland thinking happy thoughts. 

I think they are quite used to the routine- as soon as I laid down with Adam tonight, he said, "My favorite part was going to the zoo".  Well, that happened 2 days ago, but it must have left a big impression on his little mind.  Then I asked him if he would go to Leah's preschool picnic with me tomorrow.  He replied, "I would... because I love you, Mama!"

The best part of my day comes early- when the sun is streaming in through our bathroom window and I am snuggling in bed with Emma.  Jason is getting ready for school, and Leah and Adam wander- sometimes half-asleep, sometimes at full gallop- into the bedroom.  Some days they snuggle up in bed with us, some days they head out to the toy room, but I love that we all get to start our mornings off together.  The craziness doesn't usually start until my feet hit the floor... all the more reason to stay in bed a little longer (when I can!).