Seven!

**Again, we are pretending it's still August...this time the 26th**

Happy Happy Seventh Birthday, Magdalyn! I'm so glad you enjoyed all of your gifts and more importantly that you enjoyed the day with your brothers. You are the best sister any boys could ever ask for...you love to watch birds with Jay, to play football with Rock, to play tic-tac-toe with Aaron and to help Parker get dressed. Thanks for being you and for bringing giggles, girly-ness, noserubbies and group hugs to our family!

Happy Birthday, Jay!

***Pretend with me for a moment that it is August 3,2009. Life does not stop for me to blog and so I'm behind on posts. Aaron got "lucky" as I had a bit of time on his birthday. The other recent posts were ones I've worked on here and there, but posting for Jay, Rock and Mag's bdays is just a tad late.***

Dear Jerald,

Happy Birthday! Double digits, a decade, TEN years! I can remember it like it was yesterday. Falling down the stairs on my due date and coming home from the hospital with a cast on my arm instead of a newborn in my arms. A week later, Your dad and I spending our first anniversary walking the mall in the hopes that labor would start. I remember going to bed cranky and so tired on August 2, 1999. Your dad was twice as tired and at least as cranky as I was that night. I remember saying "honey, I think my water just broke" and him saying "can't we sleep for a little bit first and go the hospital in a few hours?". Hours later, I remember having his loving support (especially after I threatened his life if he ever again went to the cafeteria to eat while I was in labor) and being so excited, nervous, joyful and terrified that we were really about to become parents. How in the world has that been ten years ago? Etched in my memory forever will be the sight of your daddy holding a baby for the first time in his life. The love and fear on his face, but mostly I remember the complete amazement as reality sunk in for him...this is our son.

Jerald, you have been nothing but a blessing to us these ten years. Through the days of frustration as we tried to master breastfeeding, the years of exhaustion as we struggled to sleep when that was the last thing on your agenda, the years of food issues as we've pushed for answers and tried to do the best we could, through all of that you have been a constant source of Joy. Slow to anger and always quick to forgive, you have been an example of peacekeeping and love to all of us. You have such a servants heart and daily I am humbled as you cheerfully do chores you'd rather not, plays games with your siblings when you'd rather read, and often seek to give me a "break" because you think I work too hard.

I love your passion for everything in life and how you enjoy the simplest of things...applesauce, a good book, birds in the yard. More than your passion, I love your desire to share it and your willingness to teach others about the things you love. You are an example of what it means to be diligent, to serve wholeheartedly and to love unconditionally.

I am forever grateful for the past ten years, grateful to be your mom and so looking forward to all that the next ten years will bring.

I love you Jerald Thomas and you will always be my little man!

Proof that Parker does sleep...sometimes

When he does decide to sleep, look out! It doesn't matter what, or in some cases WHO is in the way.


Who needs a bed when you have squishy beanbag chairs?



Nothing follows the reading of a good book better than a good nap.




Sometimes, a good book...


cannot be finished, because the good nap is just that good!



Other times, the good book (or magazine in this case) is so good, you need to hide so you can finish it before being interrupted. Few places are better for hiding, reading or sleeping than the floor of the bedroom closet.



Where's a boy to go when he's on noise overload and wants to escape?
Why, the big couch that swallows you up of course.

Yes, he could breathe just fine...plenty of room under the cushions, just didn't look like it.

(**He wore this same shirt in several of these pics, but they were actually four different occasions...some not even in the same months. Also, notice that in the above picture, he's wearing two shirts. He really likes that green shirt, but he really hates the feel of the seams. His solution is to wear a shirt under it. No pants, no socks, but two shirts...it's all good)


He really does have a bed of his own.

Promise.

In fact, lately he has started sleeping a few hours a night there.

Really.

Some nights...

Well, some nights, he is sound asleep before his head

even

hits

the

pillow...zzzzz

See? The pillow is several inches away still...


I think this was a once in a lifetime moment. One where he just couldn't hang in there a second longer.


Parker has learned...

Brothers are cozy to cuddle with for sure.

Beanbag chairs are squishy and soft no doubt.

Big fluffy sofas swallow you right up.

Bedroom closet floors are perfect for sleeping when you toss in a favorite blanket.

Bunkbeds built by daddy are the best bed, especially when you were able to help with the building.

But

There is no better place

Nope

No better place on earth to fall asleep,

than in the arms of your daddy...

FIVE!!!

Aaron is five today and he is milking it. He has been making birthday rules all morning...
"I do not exercise on my birthday, all other days, but not my birthday."
"It's a birthday rule, that birthday boys don't have to take puppies outside"
"I can eat cake, cookies and lots of syrup 'cause it's my birthday. I can have cheeseburgers for breakfast too, if I want, but I don't."
"You can only take three pictures of me on my birthday."
and the best one...
He buttoned his shirt this morning, but didn't line up the buttons quite right. I told him to come for help because he was "looking a little crooked" and he very sweetly said, "You can only tell me that on other days. You aren't supposed to tell me I look crooked on my birthday. It's kind of rude of you don't you think?"

Five! Where has it gone? Such joy he brings to me everyday. I remember being pregnant with him and so worried. I had miscarried just before getting pregnant with him and then my brother died while I was pregnant. Grief was so consuming during his pregnancy, I was constantly worried that it would have some affect on him, that he'd be a miserable, melancholic baby. All that fear for naught, because Aaron is so far the opposite extreme it's unbelievable. He has been such a balm to my heart and joy to my soul so often these five years. I am blessed tremendously by all of my children, all equally, but all in such different ways. Aaron has been my little ray of sunshine. When the clouds are gray, and all around is dismal, I only need look at his little grin and it all fades away.
Happy Birthday Zigity Zoo! I love you and I'm trying really hard to remember your birthday rules!

Just how old is Pop-pop?

Today is Pop-pop Reb's birthday and we were talking about that at breakfast this morning. Jerald mentioned that it was also Columbus day. After a few moments of thought, Magdalyn said in amazement "Pop-pop is as old as Christopher Columbus?" Jerald jumped in and explained not only are they not the same age, but that it isn't even Christopher Columbus' birthday today.
Happy Birthday, Pop-pop even if you're a bit younger than Mr. Columbus! We sure are glad to have you in our life and hope it's a wonderful day!

When the kids get the camera...

you never know what you are going to find...

Fire Prevention Week

We were invited to visit a local fire station to take part in "Fire Prevention Week". It was a great time with several other homeschooling families. We first sat through a little presentation where we learned about the need to have a fire escape plan, how to crawl under smoke, feel doors before opening and to stop! drop! roll! if our clothes are on fire. Much of this part was geared towards the younger set, but even the biggers enjoyed it. We were able to see an ambulance, crawl through a dark "smoke" filled maze, spray a fire hose and see a firefighter dress up in all of his gear.
The highlight of the trip was a ride in a real Firetruck! (*I adjusted his seatbelt after the picture)




Yesterday afternoon was spent pretending our house was on fire and I was ever so glad to have some great firefighters here to rescue me.


Remember to test your smoke alarms regularly and to have an escape plan!