Back to School!

Summer went by much faster than I expected. Right about when we had got a routine down and were really starting to enjoy having all the kids home, it was time to go back. Luke wasn't sure he was happy to go back until the end of his first day, but Sully has been looking forward to this day for a year! They both have really great teachers, and I love the school that they're at this year. The week before school started, my sister, Jean, and my sister-in-law, Buffy, came out to visit us with their sweet children while Cameron was out in UT visiting his family. We had so much fun! My sister-in-law Buffy taught us some basics in making and working with fondant, which was really neat; I would've been to scared to try it on my own. We made crayon cakes for a mini-back-to-school party for the kids. One cake was made out of Rice Krispy treats for an allergy-free option, and that worked really well, too. It was really great having the 9 little cousins together that week.

Nancy's Wedding

Here are a few snapshots from my Cousin's wedding in Greenville, NC. We had a delightful time! Luke and his cousin Claire were the ring bearer and flower girl. Nancy was so sweet to involve them - they were so precious.

Nancy and Kyle are both historians--he loves the Civil War period, and she worked as a tour guide at Monticello (the gorgeous home of Thomas Jefferson, in VA). They are both wonderful people and a terrific match! I love this picture (taken by their photographer).

Andrew was a great sport. He was dragged all over the place for pictures, rehearsals, the bridesmaids chambers, and the wedding! He's getting so big. :(

Cameron with my Uncle John at the rehearsal dinner.

A Busy Few Weeks

It's been a whirlwind around here lately! In the last 30 days, we celebrated Sullivan's 5th birthday, moved into a new house, and celebrated July 4th with friends. We've had a great time despite the hectic-ness, especially now that the move is done! Here are some random pics of our last few weeks.

I let Sullivan pick whatever kind of cake he wanted this year (I realized that may have been a little bold once I heard some of his ideas). He opted for another train cake, which we have done for the last 3 years. This time, after watching too many "Ace of Cakes" shows, I was more ambitious. While it wasn't as awesome as I imagined, it turned out okay--which was a relief since it almost fell completely apart before the birthday. Structural support is everything! I would do it very different next time, but, it survived long enough to blow out the candles. Whew!

We closed on the sell of our beautiful home back in April, and the new owners kindly rented it back to us for two and a half months until they moved down. While that was very nice and a huge help, it was a relief to finally move out. The move had been looming over us, along with the sadness of knowing that we would soon have to leave our wonderful home and 1 acre lot. We had lots of great times there, but it we knew it was time to move on. Now that we're out, I feel much lighter! It was a big move. We filled this truck 3 1/2 times! Luckily we were only moving about 4 minutes away.

Another sewing project for Lillian: this is actually my second test of the same pattern from Sew Sensible, slightly altered, with the bloomer pattern as well. I used leftover fabric from kitchen curtains I made a few years back, and from covering our bar stools. I look at this outfit and think of our kitchen, but hey, it was economical and still cute!

Luke goofing around while we ate watermelon waiting for fireworks!

Back me up, moms: A husband is never more attractive than when he is carrying a child or cleaning supplies! You look fantastic, Cameron--screaming babies suit you well. Very thinning . . .

I took a picture of myself to prove to future-Andrew that I really was present and involved during his childhood since there won't be many pictures . . . It looks like I have cellulite on my wrist that was holding the camera--not good for the vulnerable, post-baby self-image. :)

Hope you all had a great July 4th!

Back to the Sewing Machine!

I love to sew, but it's been a while! I've been wanting to sew again, but it's hard to find the time. I finally dusted off my machine the other day, and volunteered to try a test pattern for Sew Sensible . The designer has really cute patterns, and it felt so good to be sewing again! I turned in my review last night, with pictures, so here they are! The actual pattern is for a top with ties at the shoulder, but as it was a test pattern, it still needed some tweaking in the size department, so I altered it a little bit to make it fit better. I have to pick up some fabric-covered button kits before I can finish it, which is why there are pins instead of buttons. I'm going to put little buttons covered in the contrast material. I must say, the fabric didn't look quite so neon yellow in the shop--darn fluorescent lights! I picked it out quickly--it's VERY bright in person.

I am going to have too much fun sewing for Lillian!

"Lillianisms"

1) The other day, Lillian wanted to hold Andrew, who was on my lap. I lean him forward, and just as she comes in to hug him, he throws up all over her shirt. She's usually pretty tough, but this really grossed her out. "Yuck yuck yuck! Take shirt off!" She then steps forward, looking Andrew straight in the eye, and says fiercely "Don't spit on me, stinky boy!" Where she got this from, I have no idea!

2) Last night, we had a trip to the ER (a not-that-uncommon occurrence in the last 3 years) after Lillian fell backwards off a bar stool in our kitchen, bumping her head. She seemed really out of it right afterwards, and then vomited in the sink, so I took her in. She quickly recovered on our way to the hospital. As she was waiting for her precautionary CAT scan, the sweet elderly nurse was befriending her by chatting niceties with her about her age, her name, her Nana, and her new baby brother. Lillian answered her questions appropriately and cutely, scoring lots of points. Nurse then asks, "What is your baby brother's name?" Lillian looks up at her and says, "I have gas." Luckily the nurse thought it was hilarious, and was too busy laughing and telling the technicians that Lillian had diagnosed herself with gas, to notice when the smell hit.

We love you spunky Lillian!

Kindergarten's Over--let the summer chaos begin!

This is all of us at Luke's kindergarten graduation! We loved seeing him in his classroom with his friends.

Yesterday was the last day of Kindergarten for Luke, and I am honestly terrified. I had been looking forward to this: no more schlepping 4 children around in the car, picking up and dropping off. But, today solidified my worst fears for the summer: 4 children, home all day long, with not enough to do except for driving mom bonkers. Today was a day full of couch cushion/pillow/blanket forts in the living room, "What can I eat???" all day long, lots of crying from children fighting and hurting each other, fits being thrown in resistance to the time outs mandated for the hurting, one child being shoved off the trampoline by the other, another fit for then being sent to their rooms, a much-needed naptime for the youngest 3 (whew!), an entire thing of bubbles dumped on the floor (twice! once upstairs, once down), a whole jar of Carmex smeared around the bathroom, and you get the idea. Most of the action takes place while I'm nursing the baby, then I clean up all the messes until it's time to feed him again--it's a wonderful cycle.

I love my children . . . but I am dreading these next 3 months! Today made me realize that I REALLY need to do some planning and get some structure going to keep us sane. I would love to hear you share your best summer tip for staying sane with kids--leave a comment!

Luke with his wonderful teachers, who I can't thank enough!

Below are the gourmet candy apples that I made (and LOVED) for Luke's teachers. These are some of my favorite treats, and they cost a fortune at the candy stores, so I was thrilled that they turned out. The best was the one on the right: dipped in caramel, rolled in crushed peanuts and Heath bars, and then dipped in chocolate and flecked with white chocolate. Sooo yummy. I think I'll make these each year for the teachers. I got everything I needed at Walmart, made them in one afternoon, and we get to enjoy the extras!

Andrew, 8 weeks old . . .

"Are they ALL really going to be home all summer, mom??" Hang in there, buddy!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Awesome modest dresses! Man what I wouldn't give for a dress this cute! They're having a giveaway . . . hope I win! :)

"Give your sister back her nose!! NOW!"

The things we say as moms. I found myself yelling the above phrase from the kitchen this afternoon. A month ago we discovered that the old "got your nose" trick was a lot of fun with Lillian. It didn't scare her, but she was not satisfied till you "put it back." So, it's morphed into a family game. We take her nose, throw it in the air, put it in our pockets or our mouths, and she laughs as we grab it and stick it back on. Better yet, she'll "grab" it: out of the air if we throw it, dig it out of our pockets, etc, and stick it on her own face. Now if you don't give it back to her, or let her get it, she will eventually flip out: "Gimme back my nose!!" or more common, "Mom, he won't gimme my nose!"

This afternoon, she was bothering Luke, so he methodically takes her nose and won't give it back. Now starts the ear-piercing screaming and crying which mights as well be nails on a chalkboard. Prompting me to yell the most ridiculous phrase to date, and not be the least bit joking.

Sullivan graduated from Pre-school! One grade down, 17 more to go!

The Best Brownies Ever!

I'm trying to lose baby weight, but my cravings for chocolate, peanut butter, and sweets keeps getting in the way! The other day, I succumbed, and made some brownies which came out slightly overcooked around the edges. To cover that up, I looked online on a whim, and found the best recipe ever for Peanut Butter Frosting, which would satisfy my other craving and pack on more pounds. Yay! Thanks to the frosting, these turned out to be the best brownies I have possibly ever had, and made me feel so incredibly sad for people with peanut allergies. Here's the recipe, Enjoy!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting (from Allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
• 
  
• Cream the butter and peanut butter together till well-blended (and try to ignore the fact that you are about to eat all of that fatty buttery goodness). Add in the sugar gradually, mixing well. Finally, add in the milk. Mix just till blended and creamy. If you overmix, it may start to look grainy. Supposedly you can fix that by microwaving it for a couple seconds and then mixing it a bit more.

I only made HALF of this recipe to frost my pan of brownies, and I am telling you, it is soooo GOOD! The frosting tastes similar to the insides of Reese's Pieces, so if you like those, you'll love this.

Introducing . . . Andrew

Our little guy was born April 8th, weighed 7lbs 11oz, and was 20.5". Labor was fine, thanks to an epidural, though long (it was an induction), and the delivery was short--a personal record of about 2 minutes worth of pushing! He looks like a blend b/w all three of my children as newborns: Lillian's mouth, Luke's hair, Sullivan's head shape, and a blend b/w Luke and Sullivan's nose. Everyone says he looks a lot like Cameron, too, but everyone says that about all of our newborns who are born with dark hair, so time will tell.

We chose a nice, classic, neutral first name that Cameron and I could both agree on, which is not easy. I was pushing for Phineas so we could call him Finn. Cameron was still rooting for Matai, which is both his and Luke's middle name. "But it makes a great first name too, Sara!" Andrew's middle name, Knox, was chosen in honor of my grandfather, John Allen Knox, one of the most neat and admirable people I've ever known.

We had several scares during this pregnancy regarding Andrew's health, one of which actually was valid. He had Wenckebach heart block, a very unusual heart rhythm to be found in a fetus, and it was considered to be a high risk pregnancy. We were lucky to live near one of the best pediatric heart care programs in the nation, MUSC, and attended weekly ultrasounds and echocardiograms for a while there to monitor his heart and make sure the condition didn't worsen. We had so many wonderful friends help us out. Luckily, after a lot of worrying and some special blessings, Andrew's heart block, (an interruption in the electric circuit which controls the rhythm of the heart) disappeared suddenly a few months before his birth, and did not return. We're so grateful for that miracle. He had a temporary heart murmur for about 24 hours after his birth, and while more common and not considered a big deal, it of course caused me a little worry, but that cleared up as well. His heart was monitored after his birth for a couple days, and he's been given a clear bill of health. We're so grateful to have him here, seemingly healthy and strong, and very sweet.

The kids have really enjoyed having a baby brother. Lillian is constantly telling me, "She's so cute!" (everyone's female to her). Sullivan just adores everything about him, and is always telling me, "You need to feed him" every time he makes a peep. Luke is a terrific and helpful big brother. Luckily, they all give him space enough that it's not overwhelming or dangerous! 4 kids feels good, and for the moment, complete. (And yes, we think we're done).

Oh and by the way, Cameron found a job here in town that he started last week, so it looks like we get to stay here a little longer after all--though we'll still be moving to a new house next month! Thanks for all the kind words and prayers for us over these last months. They've meant a lot.

Conversations with Sullivan

I was tucking Sullivan into bed tonight, and had just turned on some music for him. Tonight, like last night, it was the "Safety Kids" cd, the one that has cute songs about saying no to drugs, etc that my mom played for us when we were little. As I turned to leave, Sullivan says, "Mom, drugs are bad. Some people have drugs."

Trying to keep this at a 4 year old level, I say, "Yep. Not in our family though, huh? Drugs are bad!"

"Yep. I don't have drugs . . . but Luke sometimes has drugs."

"What?" I'm laughing now--I figure this is just a 4 year old mind trying to make sense of why Luke always seems to be in trouble while Sully is almost never in trouble (these two boys have night and day personalities). Drugs = Bad, Luke = Continous Time-outs for "bad decisions", so therefore, Luke probably has drugs.

"Like he smells goo." (I had trouble understanding this one--he had to repeat it about 6 times, but I think that's what he said).

"Huh???? What do you mean? Where did you hear that?"

To self, 'please tell me my 6 year old hasn't been learning about smelling glue in kindergarten!'

Sullivan just pointed to the CD player. After asking a couple more questions, it's pretty clear Sully doesn't really understand what drugs are at all, which is what I would expect. I emphatically tell Sully that Luke does not have ever have drugs.

I'm pretty sure Luke's not smelling glue or goo, despite his crazy behavior at times, but I think I need to listen to this CD again--it has been about 23 years! Maybe our enlightening conversation will make sense then. Talk about TMI--I think I'll shelve this CD for a couple years.

Camcorder Advice Please?

So, we are shopping last minute for a new camcorder before our little guy is born. I'm torn: HD mini DV camcorder, or do I go with a Hard Drive camera??? I'm terrible at downloading family movies--I've got 6 years worth of tapes that we've never seen, from the old big ones, to the mini DV ones, so I need something that is not going to be hard to figure out! Any suggestions out there? Thanks!

Funny Boy

Those who know Luke, know that he is a Mr. Personality. He keeps things lively at our house! Yesterday we were going over his weekly word list: words made of 3-5 letters that he has to read and make a sentence with. Usually his made-up sentence consists of "I saw the ___" or "I like to ___." Yesterday was a little more exciting though. Here are a few of my favorites (he happened to also be saying all of these words and sentences in a deep frog/Italian mafia voice, which added to the experience):

hunt . . . "I am hunting for fresh fish."

bust . . . "My brother busted my eye."

plug . . . . "I plugged the toilet."

He was referring to clogging the toilet. The last two sentences give a pretty accurate take on his everday life! I think he was bored at school that day--he was wired!

We then went on to read his school book on dinosaurs. On one page, it mentioned how some dinosaurs had very strong jaws. I tried to show Luke what his jaw was. "I have a strong jaw too--want to see?" I was a little nervous, expecting him to look for something nearby to bite, which was most likely to be me or Sullivan. Instead, he started pushing his face into my shoulder. I'm wondering what the heck he's doing, and if he's going to bite me next. "See??" He continues to push (not very strongly I might add) for another minute while I busted up laughing--he was trying to push me with his jaw! I guess that's one way to see if your jaws are strong.

December

Here are some snapshots from our Christmas. We had my family in town for a few days (every sibling but John made it), and it was so much fun! Unfortunately, I came down with a major sinus infection, so a lot of it's a pressure-filled blur, but it was wonderful! I have the best family a girl could ask for.

Lillian took quickly to her Aunt Jean with the help of only a few treats!

What are younger brothers for if not to hold the umbrella over your head while you blow bubbles in the rain?

This is how Santa Clause makes the rounds in the South. I sure hope that rocking chair was tied down! The boys loved it!

Family photo with Cameron . . . Jesse taking pictures.

Family photo with Jesse . . . Cameron taking pictures. B/w the two of them, you can pretty much get the full effect! :)

From left front to back: James, Luke, Sullivan, Gillian, Tim, Elizabeth and Eleanor, Jean, me and Lillian, and Jesse!

January Beach Trip

We had family in town in January, so got ambitious and took a short and cold beach trip! Got some great pictures, though!

Last picture courtesy of Luke--he's actually pretty good!