Thursday Update: Happy Thanksgiving!

So, we are spending the week down here at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Oklahoma. Everyone is swarming into the kitchen, following their noses (the house smells great!), but we can't it eat it yet! It's a nice break from daily life back home, and the country is so peaceful, no police sirens and all that.

Everyone is swarming into the kitchen, following their noses (the house smells great!), but we just can't it eat it yet! We are having fun though, riding tractors and chasing the cats. I would post pictures, but I can't get the camera to connect to their computer. :(

Anyway, we hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday Comings and Goings

I went to a yarn store today that I've been meaning to check out for some time. It's a lovely store, and I was particularly happy to find it because the last time I went to a lovely yarn store I was unable to look at anything. (I'm speaking of a store in Lawrence that was so kid-unfriendly that I would get fed up with the salespeople following me and the girls around and saying "Don't touch that, please don't let them touch that" and leave before I really got a chance to look around.) This lovely store actually had a little room with toys for the girls to play with and they were politely amused when I laid the sleeping baby down on the floor and left her there to look around. I bought some yarn to make some leg warmies for the girls, and I'm planning on going back soon and often.

We went out again in the afternoon to take Margaret to play practice, and in the hustle to get everyone to the car we could not find Anna's single pair of shoes that fit her. (We used to have two pairs that fit her, but she lost one of her boots at church last week, so that pair became a single.) I was exasperated and decided then and there to get her some new shoes. So, I went, unaided, to Target with the three little girls and tried to shop for shoes. It was a bit like trying to herd the chickens around the backyard. I managed to get them all to the shoe area, but Anna simply refused to try on any shoes. I was desperate, so I bought a pair of size fives and I'm happy to report that when we got them home she consented to wear them and they fit.

By the time we needed to go and pick up Margaret I was pretty sick of getting everyone in and out of the van, so I decided to park along the street and just wait for her to come out. I actually saw her peek out of the building a few times, look right past us, and go back in, but I was so weary that I just waited for her and she found us in the end. I spent the time looking longingly at the other moms with kids that get into the car and buckle themselves in and wishing for the return of those times when simply going somewhere wasn't so much work.

Here is my start on Anna's leg warmies.



In the end, a pretty good, typically exhausting day. :)

Overheard Conversation

Ellie: Sophie, can you give me the red crayon?

Sophie: You have to say the magic word.

Ellie: What's the magic word?

Sophie: Guess.

Ellie: Lily cupcake?

Laundry Challenges

I'm in need of some comic relief today, so here it is. This is a bit of photographic evidence of what I'm up against as I battle the mountains of laundry our family produces.

The story goes, I carried a load of darks in the laundry basket to the laundry room and left it there to do something else. When I came back 10 minutes later to put the clothes in the washer, they were gone.

Here is where I found them:


Here is where I found the empty basket:


Here is the culprit posing for me when she noticed I was taking pictures:

Thursday Update

Ill. Most of us are, anyway. It started with Sophia and has worked it's way through Eleanor and Anna and as of this morning, me.

The cough and runny nose did not keep the middle girls down, though. Yesterday afternoon in fact they strapped on parachutes (that is, pillows tied to their backs with scarves) and literally screaming all of the way down they jumped from a plane (the sofa) and landed face down in the middle of nowhere (the living room floor). It was so much fun that they did this about 12 times.

I've prompted Margaret to give an update to her play try-outs but since she hasn't I'll just say she got a part that isn't big, but I'm sure she's going to have a lot of fun with it anyway.

To get inspired for the Christmas shopping season, we watched a documentary called What Would Jesus Buy?
The Jacobs family review of it is that it was quite funny in places, a bit depressing in others, gives a lot to think about, and is (for those wondering) not necessarily coming from a Christian viewpoint. Having a simple and traditional Christmas shouldn't seem like such a challenge, but we need inspiration at times to ignore the pressure around us to buy, and just stay home and bake cookies.

Here are a few pics and then I'm going back to bed.

A beautiful pink unicorn, part of a series of animal drawings Sophia did this week, based on this book.


Our chickens have been spending the chilly days pecking about the leaf-scattered backyard and digging up what remains of the garden. Margaret's favorite afternoon past-time is going outside to chase the chickens around. They are surprisingly fast, and outrageously funny to watch!


Edited to Add:
I almost forgot, I actually gave myself my first black eye this week! In a surprising feat of clumsiness, as I was sweeping around the table and leaned over to quickly rescue a teacup that Anna was about to grab, I stuck the end of the broom handle in my eye. It really hurts, and it's pretty embarrassing, and I can't wait for it to go away. I'll skip the photo. :)

Eleanor

This child is a bit scary. Here's evidence I found under the table this afternoon:


I wasn't sure at first whether it was Sophie or Ellie who drew it, but Ellie took credit and explained to me that this is Hello Kitty and her little sister, who turned into a mermaid, and also happens to be bleeding. She wouldn't say why the little sister was bleeding, she just is and you can tell by the red dots where the blood is. Hmmm.

Thursday Update

So Wednesday, I (Margaret) auditioned for the play Best Christmas Pageant Ever at our local children's theatre. I was invited to the callbacks earlier tonight. I still don't know what part I will get, but I have that wish (that all kids get) to have the BIG part.

Sophie and Ellie are rejoicing in the large amount of toy catalogs arriving in the mail for the holiday season. They have cut out hundreds of the little pictures of toys out of the catalogs and have been playing with them for hours at the table. As usual, Anna climbs onto the table and tries to play too, making them scream as she crumples the cutouts up.

Right now, everyone is exhausted. Mom has been breaking up fights, and Dad has been juggling family life, work, and church. Sophie and Ellie are throwing fits randomly. Now Dad is reading to them 'The poetical works of Spenser'. I think they are asleep. Anna is sobbing because Mom set her down to do the dishes.

Bedtime Checklist

1. Dishes washed...check.

2. Baby removed from kitchen sink, dried off and diapered...check.

3. Eleanor's teeth brushed 4 times (one for each year)...check.

4. Eleanor's toothpaste-covered dress in the laundry, exchanged for pajamas...check.

5. Sophia in bed with Lile on her pillow and throw-up bowl handy (just in case)...check.

6. Sparkey located under sofa and returned to his cage for the night...check.

7. Mom and Dad ready to collapse...pending.

Goodnight all.


*edited to add: Sophia isn't really sick, sometimes she just needs a little extra tlc at bedtime ;)

Baby dance

The following was captured a few nights ago in the kitchen...Anna was being crazy cute while Margaret was playing music on the computer, Sophie was cheering her on, and Ellie was ready for bed:

More Fall Fun

Well, the rest of the leaves fell yesterday, so the girls got busy raking this morning: