Remembering Summer 2012 Part 1

Madeline got to play t-ball again this year and this time they had a few actual games.  She had a lot of fun and we all enjoyed watching her play.

Madeline

Thomas, Violet and Zella hanging out

 

 

We spent a lot of time outside playing (especially in the tree house). 

The girls also love to play tea party.

Our dog Josie is always near by in case someone drops a cookie.

Thomas loves walks with Papa.

 

 

The girls picked flowers almost every day and love to arrange them for me.



 

Zella snuggling with Thomas.

We made a  "Summer List" this year of fun things (big and small) that we wanted to do.  We almost finished the list and had a lot of fun doing it. 

More later,
Lori

Turns Out

having four kids makes life really busy. So busy I haven't updated this blog all summer. There has been lots of change since I wrote last.



For instance:

• Zella got to quit patching her lazy eye for 8 (!) hours each day.  Woo hoo!  Her vision improved by two lines.  Her opthamologist was very surprised and happy with the results.  And so were we!!!  I am very proud of her for sticking with it and having a great attitude about it.
• Thomas patched his lazy eye for two hours a day.  Patching didn't improve his vision or eye turn so he got glasses when he was ten months old.  (Much more on this subject later)  He looks adorable in his blue glasses and keeps them on for the most part.
• We had a crazy busy summer...t-ball, arts and crafts, fishing vacation at the cabin, week at Grandma's house complete with annual trip to the zoo, bible school, county fair, Hobo Days, etc. etc. etc.
• Madeline Zella had their dance recital.
• We participated as a family in the "Light the Night for Sight" vision walk for Prevent Blindness Iowa.  We raised $750 in three weeks to help screen kids for strabismus and amblyopia (cross-eye and lazy eye).  It was an amazing project and we plan to participate next year.
• Zella caught a pig in the greased pig contest at the fair and won five dollars. :)
• A new school year started.  Madeline is in first grade, Zella started kindergarten, and Violet is in three-year-old preschool two mornings a week.  It has been an adjustment for all!!!  My house is VERY quite during the day now and I am still not used to it.  (Quite being a relative term, of course.  Violet and I are still here and we both are loud and talk a lot.  Ha!)
• Madeline lost her first tooth.
• Zella learned how to tie her shoes.
• Thomas has seven teeth, learned to walk, talk and turned ONE!!!!

I have a lot to catch up on and I hope I get the chance to.  If not, I want to pick up where I left off before my days as a mama to little ones passes me by too quickly.  This blog is my personal memory keeper and scrapbook. 

And if I were to remember the summer of 2012 in one word it would be "WHIRLWIND".

More later,
Lori

Songs In My Head

A combination of two of my favorites:  Mumford & Sons and one of my fav hymns.  Love it!

Tree House

When we bought our house almost six years ago we were excited the back yard had a tree house.  Travis has done a lot of work fixing it up and it looks great.  The only think left to do is paint. (Unfortunately he won't get a lot of help from me...I am afraid of heights!)  The deck and staircase he built is awesome.  (I forgot to take pictures but will soon.)

The kids have been spending hours playing in their tree house since summer vacation started.  I know they'll make a lot of great memories of their tree house clubhouse this summer.

Madeline sweeping the deck.

Zella giving her doll the tour.

Ta-da!

Violet loves how part of the tree shows.

How cute is this? 

Zella taking a turn with my camera.

Photo by Violet

 

Something To Think About

Things I Am Learning Are Not Normal

Apparently it is not normal to:

have a dance party in your living room/kitchen/back yard/car at a moment's notice (and not care if others are watching)

always have a song in your head (Always. No. Matter.What.)

sing random songs from the 90's to your children as part of their  bedtime routine (or camp songs you learned in girl scout camp 20 years ago)

turn on the dining room light when you let the dog outside or you won't remember to let her back inside

setting an alarm on your phone for ANYTHING you need to remember, including but not limited to:  taking medicine, putting patches on or off two children, picking someone up or taking them to an activity, starting meal preparation, feeding pets, making an important phone call

There are more but I think I'd better keep some to myself!  I guess you could say I have a lot of quirks!

Songs In My Head

Love, love this song.

Little Buddies

All the girls adore Thomas and each day (usually several times a day) there is a fight over whose boy Thomas is. Shouts of, "He's MY BOY!", "NO. He's MY boy!" are common.

I hate to break it to them, but he's MY boy. Mama makes the milk, people. And gets up in the middle of the night. AND changes poopy diapers. I think that qualifies me as his favorite.

Violet and Thomas living it up in the tub.

Madeline, Thomas and Zella--resident cheeseballs.

It has been fun to see the girls be so kind and caring with their little brother.  They live to make him laugh and always brag if they get him to giggle or show both dimples when he smiles.

We are very lucky!

More later,

Lori







Something To Think About

Songs In My Head

Something To Think About

Growing Up

Happy Easter!

Thomas (aka Trav's mini-me) after breakfast

Violet Leone happy as can be.

Zella checking out her eggs on Easter morning.  She's wearing her Tangled cloth eye patch.

Miss Madeline playing dress up.  She is equal parts serious and goofy.

I'm Just Going To Pretend

that I haven't taken an unforeseen blogging break.  I will ignore the time that has passed and the pictures and stories I have not posted. 

I won't mention that Violet got her tonsils out and had a hard time with it.  I won't bring up all of the crazy things I have done due to little sleep (like forgetting to remove Thomas' dirty diaper before putting a new diaper on him).  I won't go into detail about Thomas' baptism.  I won't talk about having two kids wearing eye patches to strengthen lazy eyes.

I'll just put words on the page and hit publish so I can get out of this rut and move forward.

Because I have got to get back into blogging so I can share all the hilarious and sometimes embarrassing stuff that comes out of Violet's mouth.  That girl has ATTITUDE.

Happy day, Internet.  We'll catch up soon.

More later,
Lori

Things I've Done Since I Last Blogged

*Went to a hotel by myself with all four children (Travis had to unexpectedly go to a funeral visitation.)

*Developed a cyst on the top of my foot (on the tendon).

*Fell down an entire flight of stairs in my house.
  Three days of awful pain.  I could barely move and could not stand up straight.  And of course this happened while Travis was gone.

*Survived a week alone with the kids 24/7 while Travis was in Colorado for work

*Took Violet to a pediatric hematologist to confirm she doesn't have a rare blood disorder that we knew she didn't have.  (At least Travis and I had a fun overnight trip to Iowa City with just Violet and Thomas while Madeline and Zella stayed with Granny)

*Managed to not cuss at the Sears repairman who told me it would be over two weeks before my washing machine was fixed.  (STILL waiting for parts.  I detest Sears.)  I did, however, tell the repairman that I was going to take a deep breath so I would not cuss at him. 


Things That Need to Happen SOON Before I Lose My Mind:

*have washing machine fixed

*Have Violet's tonsils removed (she just had strep AGAIN!)  Now that we are cleared from the hematologist I NEED to have the surgeon schedule her surgery.  Poor girl is miserable.

*Have the cyst disappear so I can walk and exercise without pain

*Have Thomas sleep through the night.  Mama needs some SLEEP.



Hilarious Things That Happened to Lighten the Stress I've Felt The Last Month:

*The podatrist thought I was a serious runner who overexercises for hours a day.  Not to be mean to myself, but there is no way I look like a runner.  I informed him I hurt my foot walking 30 minutes a day on the treadmill and dancing to MC Hammer's "You Can't Touch This" on the Wii.  (For real, that is the truth.) 

*The podiatrist told me to have complete rest and stay off my foot for TWO weeks while utlizing ice and elevation.  I literally laughed.  I have four kids!  Two flights of stairs!  My husband out of town!  Sorry doctor but that is not possible.

*Violet has started saying "I'm SHOCKED" in response to almost everything anyone says to her.  That little girl requires all of my patience (and then some) but has a great sense of humor!

*Thomas started laughing after he passes gas.  Dimples included.  Super cute. (Even though it is smelly!)

So there you go.  My crazy few weeks summed up in a super long, wordy post.

Big thanks to my sisters Karen and Bonnie who helped me at the hotel, and to my mom for letting me borrow her washing machine for a couple days.  Thanks also to Travis who took nine loads of laundry (not even all of it!) to the laundry mat for me.  He was Mr. Mom for a couple days while I laid on the couch with a heating pad on my shoulder/back and ice on my foot.  I do not recommend falling down the stairs while having a painful cyst on your foot.  Not a great combo!

More later,
Lori

Thomas

Violet - Three Years Old

Zella

Madeline