I figure my kids will need concrete evidence of the wretched mom I was. You know, for therapy when they are adults. So I might as well supply it in the form of photos. To add to the collection..... Emma was helping with cookies the other day. She wiped her hands on her butt. Cracked me up. I was laughing so hard I almost could not take the picture. Then I almost peed my pants. Of course, Davis had to be in it too. So the combo of the butt prints and Davis's grin.....good stuff. Looks like a ghost grabbed her butt.

We cleaned yesterday. The dumpster is just about full. This is how the kids felt about that... What cracks me up is Alexander. It is as if he is saying, "Lord help me. Why did You stick me with THESE people?!?!?!" And for fun, Xander was just having a complaining kind of day.

Most days I have no idea what that is. Or for that matter why I do any of the things I do. It seems odd to me that some may see something I do as more work or a bit out there, when well, it just makes sense to me. I stay at home. Always have (since Emmaline was born over 8 years ago.) I will in all likelihood always be at home. I honestly do not ever see myself working outside of the home again. At this rate, IF we have one more child, I will have four kids spaced about four years apart. Even if Xander is the last, I could easily be raising a teenager and be a Grandma. (Though Emma says she is not having kids. She wants to work for the ASPCA and kids and a job do not mix to her.) For a lot of people this is odd. Never working again? Nope. I have breastfed two kids now. Davis nursed for 11 months. Xander is still going strong at just over six months. I am leaning to child led weaning this time. Which could mean nursing to the age of two or beyond. Yes, to most this m...

It has been a long time since I have just let loose and written. So here goes. Mark and I have decided that a vacation is in order. After some discussion, we settled on venturing to NYC. Now you may be thinking, "What is she seeking permission for?" Going without feeling guilty. Alexander will be eight months old at the time of the trip. He is breastfeeding. Often. I am both in need of this break and yet torn at the same time. This has been a long year thus far with Mark's work. Long hours for all of us. Add in a new baby. A homeschooling second grader and a very energetic four year old boy and I am one tired mama. I have hardly had time to breath in the last four months. (In fairness, neither has Mark.) Also, this has meant very little time for Mark and I as well. I will not even say what I mean by long hours. Six days a week. For four months. The funniest part is not even the leaving the kids for the four days. My big kids will be fine. They will lov...

Tuesday I loaded up the kids for a field trip. We headed down to Crown Center for the day. I wanted to check out the What Do You Want To Be? exhibit. I was thinking (actually Emma was) that I should check Kaleidescope and see if they had any Open Family Sessions as well. And sure enough, they did! A trip to Crown Center is not a real fun day though unless you have lunch at Fritz's. How awesome is it to eat at place where a train brings your food?!?!? AND.......Kaleidescope was practically empty. Bonus. Here is our day in pictures: (yes, I took all three kids by myself and remembered my camera. I was ON that day.) Even Xander wears the engineer hat. I LOVE this picture. So funny. My oldest boy wearing his hat. He looks so big in this picture. All the kids in front of the train. (at the bottom I linked to a past post. From a year and a half ago. Do you see how big Emma has gotten as well???) Emma is going to be a cowgirl.... Or a news reporter.... Davis painting at K...

Here you go. Here are the last couple of weeks in pictures at the Crazy Ranch. Opening Day at the K (it was freezing out) Emma being Mommy (just ask her, she excels at this) My Men Eatin' at our house. Xander is enjoying carrots. Homemade. Davis is eating flowers. Don't ask. And lastly, old bright eyes. Who me?!?!? Fingers and his tongue.....YUM! That is what we have for this week.....or two. Mostly crazy. Never a dull moment. All good.

When I was, well younger, my parents used to take us for drives on Sunday afternoon. Actually, since my sister and I are five years apart, once I was a teen it was just me. And yes, as a teenager I still went on the Sunday drives with my parents. I should also say this was in nice weather, spring, summer, and fall. Dad would drive us out to the lake to look for critters. We would rive the winding roads looking for deer. Then after that, he would rive us to the neighborhood I now live in so mom could look at all the old houses. The drive would end with a stop at Dairy Queen for ice cream. The same one that is two blocks from my home now. I remember these drives and always have. When Mark and I first looked at this house, I remembered all the drives along this very street. I thought how interesting it was that we were buying this house. One that I probably drove past countless times growing up. I was reminded today of these drives. The kids and I were coming back from stoppin...

KU takes the title baby. Two words.... ROCK CHALK!!!!!!!!!!!!! See ya in 2009!

Just to prove we are Jayhawk fans.....

Tonight is the night. KU takes on Memphis. ROCK CHALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you missed the game Saturday I am sorry. It was lovely. First KU was up by a gazillon points. Then UNC got it to 4. But ah....KU fought back and won the game. 84-66. If I was ten years younger I would have had my badonkadonk on Mass Street Saturday night. It was a party. If you need me, call before eight tonight. I will be unable to answer the phone after that. If I was younger, once again, I would go to Allen Fieldhouse and watch the game there. Oh and if I did not have all these kids. ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK KU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bring it Memphis.

Ah yes. Go KU!!! Xander is ready to go. (Thanks to Uncle Patrick for his KU outfit. It is a 12 months size and buddah belly almost did not fit in the shirt......good night) We will be watching the game tonight. May KU beat 'ol Roy Boy and those tarheels. Xander is resting up for the excitement of this evening.

I have accepted my inner hippy. I cloth diaper. I breastfeed. And I make my own baby food. I also try to use reusable grocery bags. And I am trying to buy natural/organic foods as often as possible. I am a tree hugger. Sue me. There are much worse things I could be, right? So Mr. Alexander has been lusting after food for some time now. I have been holding him off, hoping to get him as close to six months as possible. He is almost five months. I asked my mother in law how to make applesauce (for those of you out there, my mother in law is great at natural cooking. I do not think she even realizes she is doing it.) Upon her recommendation, I steamed some apples and then put them in our food mill. Volia! We had applesauce, made from nothing but a fresh apple. I divided it up into five little containers, putting four in the freezer. Xander had his first bites of mommy's yummy applesauce today. Oh my. The boy loved it. After the first 2-3 bites he began to open his m...

My baby girl is eight years old today. It was eight years ago that I lay in the hospital bed awaiting the first time I would get to hold my first born child. Miss Emmaline was officially born at 8:58 p.m. As I told her today, that was the moment and she was the one that made me a mommy. Precious baby girl, happy birthday. Today, as is the usual, we made our annual voyage to Build A Bear. This marks our sixth trip. Would you take a moment and look back over the last couple of trips with me? I tried to get similar photos, as in all these were taken at the fill the bear station. This way you can see how much she has grown. 2005, Emma's fifth birthday (oh my.....she looks so incredibly tiny here) 2006, Emma's sixth birthday (no idea who the random kid is) 2007, Emma's seventh birthday (I will admit, I miss the long hair) 2008, Emma's eight birthday (where did the little girl go????) Yes she is carrying a wristlet purse. And yes it seems in a lot of the pictu...

My nephew harassed me yesterday. I have not posted pictures in forever. He even knew the date of my last post (and he was right!?!?). So without further ado, here ya go Jameison! Fresh and clean from a bath His new way to sleep....keep all objects in until the ride has come to a complete stop. Bright eyes.... You need something? Funny....like father like son. Happy Easter!

One year ago today, I got this.... Nine months passed.... And on November 5, 2007 Alexander joined us. The first month went by... The second month passed.... And the third month was gone... Here we are today, with our four month old baby. Who we learned we were having a year ago today. The time goes really too fast. It seems like just yesterday I got the positive test.... Then next thing I know I will be posting first birthday pictures, he will be walking, and playing with his big brother and big sister. I am so thankful for each and every second I get with these kids. Time is fleeting.....