Four Fantastic Months

Rebekah will be 4 months old on the 30th. How is this possible?

She is so sweet and yet she has the worst temper! When she's happy...she's very, very happy. When she's not happy...well, let's just say that she could out wail the siren on an ambulance ANY day. I'm not even exaggerating.

Fortunately, we don't see the temper that often. Mostly lots of smiles and coos. The past 4 months have flown by. I've really enjoyed Rebekah and spoiled her alot more than I did the others. I just know that she's my last. If she wants me to rock her to sleep, then by golly that's what I'm going to do.

She is very well loved for sure!

Speaking of spoiled, Sarah keeps me on my toes.

If I had a penny for each time she said my name during a typical day, I would be a very rich woman indeed. She is always saying the funniest things!

I'm proud to say that she is completely potty trained now. She has had only one accident this whole weekend. If/when I go back to work one day, can I put that on a resume? "Potty trained 5 (hopefully 6 by then) children." That is pretty impressive, if I do say so myself:)

She is the new weapon of choice when the boys are wrestling and fighting outside. I actually heard Jackson yell, "Come and get me suckers!" He then started swinging her around and knocking down his attackers.

She also loves to play with guns. (Dear Mimi, they are just airsoft guns and they are unloaded. You may proceed without worrying.)

Sarah may need a little gun safety instruction...or an eye patch.

Levi has a pet turtle that now resides in his bedroom. He had a frog, too, but I have my limits. I made him let him go. It was a bit crowded. It wasn't so much the frog. It was his cuisine that I couldn't take....

Tommy the turtle has a lettuce leaf every now and then...THAT I can handle.

This, not so much....

As Caleb would say, that makes me want to "barth".

Jackson is my eater. All of the boys like to eat, but food gets Jackson especially excited. I've started to let him in the kitchen by himself. He has been baking brownies and making sandwiches for a while now. The other day he baked his first banana bread. He then picked out a recipe for chocolate chip pie that he wanted to make. We bought the ingredients and he made it all by himself. He even added some extra small chocolate chips on top for presentation.

He was so proud!

It was good, too!

Backyard Beauty

We need to change our last name to Sanford.

It's beautiful outside and the boys have been staying out there all day long. That means fort building is underway.

Caleb making what he calls a "brick sandwich". Genius.

Sarah is in on the fun. (still pantless)

Levi demonstrating the relaxing accomodations.

The bug bucket. They collected quite a few bugs and crawly things. The lid keeps them from crawling out, if they don't die of suffocation or heat exhaustion first.

Just a random shot of the beauty that is my backyard. Do not covet!

I have been waiting for a while for a letter from the Property Owners Association. Will this be the year?

Around Here Lately

This about sums up the way we've been feeling around here lately.

I went out of town to a homeschool conference and left the boys with Christian. Sarah and Rebekah stayed with Mimi. I left on Thursday and when I talked to Christian Saturday before we started back, he told me that Jackson and Sarah had both been puking. By the time I got home...Levi and Caleb bit the dust. Sunday everyone seemed to be on the mend, but Sarah awoke this morning throwing up again. She has not been very happy today.

At least there was Diego to keep a sick little girl's mind off of her hurting tummy. Is it just me, or does she look like a little girl in this picture and not my baby girl!

I guess that title now belongs to this precious thing...I sure did miss her while I was gone. She is trying to suck her thumb and is just cooing and talking up a storm.

Caleb is giving Levi a run for his money in the pig pen department. He got up from dinner tonight and I snapped this picture. I wonder why my floors are always dirty?

He was washing up and sneaking grapes. He looks so grown up to me today, too. I guess that's what happens when you leave your kids for a few days.

Sarah is officially potty training now. Around here, potty training means you go without pants til you figure it out. No pull ups for my kids, thank you very much. Naked is the way to go.

I couldn't resist snapping a few pics of a pretty cute tushi hanging out around here.

Christian doesn't find it so cute. He said after dinner the other night that he thought that underwear should be mandatory at the dinner table.

This is what we call "crazy eyes". For some reason she'll bust this out every now and then. She did it to the waiter at Mi Rancho. I think it kinda creeped him out a bit.

Jackson and Aaron bought some airsoft guns the other day, and Christian said that as long as they wear something on their eyes they can shoot each other. They also got some badges and are the police of the cul de sac.

Aaron is looking at his reflection in the window.

This shows the personality of these two so perfectly. Aaron...goof ball! Jackson...at attention and ready to follow directions.

Sarah looked out the window the other day and said, "Look mommy! A squirrel!" She then made her fingers into a gun (pictured below) and made a shooting noise.

Is there any hope for her?

Friends

I love having an even number of children. Everyone has a buddy...no odd man out. I also love how room sharing helps cultivate relationships between each of the siblings. I can hear them talking long after the lights are out. Jackson and Aaron have been buddies for a long time. They get along so well and really don't know what to do when the other is not around. Levi was a bit of a third wheel with them until Caleb got old enough to pal around with. Now they have become good buddies.

The boys watched a few of the Rocky movies and ever since have been a little bit obsessed. Jackson has "Eye of the Tiger" on his MP3 player and I caught Aaron doing sit ups while hanging from a tree branch by his legs in the backyard.

Levi and Caleb are getting in on the training, too. I looked out the window and saw Caleb and Levi both doing pushups with their legs on the picnic table bench, but Caleb stopped before I could get my camera.

I hope for a good relationship between Rebekah and Sarah. I know that girls are probably a bit trickier in the relationship department. Boys can get physical, but then they are over it. No grudge....over it. We girls tend to be a bit more complicated.

I love these pictures. Sarah is tending to Rebekah. She kept wiping her mouth with the burp cloth and eventually I thought she was going to rub her lips off! Notice the thumb in the eyeball. Poor Rebekah!

She doesn't mind! She loves smiling at her big sister....

For now, Rebekah is flying solo in her room. Sarah's toddler bed is in the room with Levi and Caleb. When Rebekah gets a little bigger I'll move them in together. I'm looking forward to these sisters becoming friends.

Dear Sarah

Dear 2 year old Sarah,

You are killin' me. This sudden irrational fear of bugs is really getting to me. I am not used to children in my house being afraid of anything creepy crawly. Moths will not harm you. Ladybugs are just minding their own business. Fruit flies are just an annoyance. It is not necessary to get into the fetal position (literally) and scream until the windows rattle. I may have to put you up for adoption if this continues.

Thank you,

Your Mother

Giggles and Snuggles

Rebekah laughed at me this morning for the first time while I was changing her. I was right in her face talking to her and I sort of cleared my throat and she laughed. It surprised me...she did it a few times and then no matter how I tried, I couldn't get her to laugh again. So sweet!

She is enjoying the Bumbo for short periods of time. As you can tell by the photo, it is still hard for her to hold her head up for long periods of time.

I love her little feet peeking out below!

It was quiet this morning upstairs (except for Diego yelling at everyone) and I walked in the playroom to find this....

How cute is it that they were all snuggled up on the couch together?

You don't have to adjust your computer screen...that is in fact the dirtiest couch in the free world. You know what? I don't care. I have tried to clean it and put slipcovers on it. I am done worrying about it. I just let them lie on it with their dirty selves and turn a blind eye to it all. At least it is in the playroom and not my living room!

A Few of My Favorite Things

A few things that I want to remember....

Levi flowers

Sweet big brothers

Rebekah smiles

Daddy holds

Preschool fun

Little lisps