February 14th

 When I asked the boys what they wanted to do for Valentine's Day this year, they were all in agreement....make Monster Mailboxes!  We did this a few years back, when Hen was the baby.  The mailboxes lasted for almost a year, getting used whenever anyone wanted to send a message to someone.  It was great fun.  (And was excellent for boosting courage with reading!)  So when they said they wanted to do it again, I was game.

 How to make them?  Raid the recycling bin.  Make a smallish box out of cardboard, or use one already the right size.  (kleenex boxes are really good for this).  Using a scissors, make a mouth to be used as a mail slit.   Somehow Valentines are more fun when they can be eaten by your monster box.

Paint the box with acrylic paint.  Then decorate it however you like.  We used foam stickies, which isn't something we would normally use, but someone gave us a giant bag of them a long time ago and we are still using them up.  Hen wanted to do his entirely by himself and for some reason I was just not in the mood to let him.  I was certain he needed my help to paint it and tell him ideas of how it should be.  (I have no idea why some days I am less up for the adventure of letting him be his independent self.)  I realized pretty quickly to just step aside and let him go!  And this is why he wanted to do it himself....

 Because he could do it really well!  On his own!  You might not be able to tell from this picture, but every side of the box is a different color and the edges are painted really well, with pretty straight lines.  He did all of it on his own, from squeezing out the paint to washing out his brushes.  I am so impressed!

 Boy #1's is not a monster mailbox, but a robot.

 Boy #3's.  I love the toothy grin.

 Boy #2's has a crazy mouth that opens and closes.

 So the rest of the day was spent making Valentines!  Hurray!  I love days of making.  Although, these days, I am not involved in the making very much because little peanut is all hands on and will only sit watching the boys for a short while.  Then she's off! 

 Her new skill of pulling up on the furniture....or pulling up on the dog...yes she's done it, and poor Millie just lets her.

Oh, and J...this is post is for you.  Happy Valentine's Day my love.  Thank you for encouraging me to post on the blog again.  I love you more than words can say.

About Having Five

The little lady is at my feet, trying to figure out the latch to open my giant bin of yarn.  She is so determined and funny in her smallish way that she sometimes reminds me of a kitten.  She is so busy!  Her little fingers are always finding the tiniest piece of this or that on the floor and putting it in her mouth.  Her little legs are getting so strong.  She is pulling up on furniture and crawling over things and up things.  She has found the steps!  I have rescued her from certain death at least twenty times today and it's only 1:00.  I had no idea that becoming a mother would require me to develop so many skills!

In this few years I have also learned how to be a triage nurse (is it broken?  does it need stitches?  is it strep?).  I have learned how to feed an army for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day....and to do it with whole, organic food on a budget.  I have learned how to be a diplomat between nations (think brothers).  I have learned how to teach someone to read, do fractions, carve wood, start a fire,  to NOT start a fire, and to ride a bike.  And so many more things that I can't even list.

But more than that....what has shaped me more than that are all the things that having five has taught me about love.  Because for us, J and I, having five kids has made us take a good, hard look at us.  I think it has come to this, simply because there is so much work involved with raising a crew, that you have to be purposeful to survive.  Purposeful in how you spend your time.  Purposeful with your words, your actions.  Purposeful with who you are! 

And we are a team.  If I am purposeful about something, but he is not, then it is kind of pointless....maybe even harmful?  And if something is important to him, but not to me, what good is that?  So we've spent a lot of time these past two years figuring it out.  It's been crazy hard.  But he is so patient....and  I, so tenacious....and somehow it's just been so good despite how much work it is.

And are days are full.  These children blessings.  And we keep on laughing at how good it all is.

Winter Days

It's snowing again as I sit to write.  A blustery icy kind of snow that makes me want to curl up with a good book and something warm to drink.  Yet I am in this creative whirl just now and I must write while I can!  The little girl is sleeping...finally....and this is my chance.

 She is all adorableness.  Even when she is upset, she somehow manages to still be the most adorable thing ever.  And she has had her share of upset this week.  She has a nasty cold, complete with rocket snot and an icky cough.  And at the same time is getting her top two teeth.  She's had some pretty miserable days (and nights) and there has been much rocking, and nursing, and playing peek-a-boo, and willing brothers who take a turn to try to entertain her long enough to keep her happy. 

 

 Boy #4 said this morning, "Hello babygirl!  You are my best friend." 

 Yesterday we had an awesome day of learning.  All kinds of good things which I didn't get pictures of....like boy #2 reading up a storm, the little boys reading to one another, and so much more.  We also baked a cake!  Because the strawberries demanded to be in a cake with organic whipped cream.  That's why!

 There was much discussing about how to decorate it.

 It was delicious boys!  Thank you ever so much!  They did most of it by themselves.  I only helped them put it in and out of the oven.

Oh, and in case you were wondering where boy #3 was in those pictures.  Here he is!  Supervising, I think.

January 2013

 Well here we are at the end of January...okay technically it's February 1st as I "publish" this....but still....these pictures are from this past week.  What has happened to allow me this precious space of time to write here on the dear old blog?  Well....nothing.  And everything.  I'll spare you, just now, the details of this messy life....and let you get on to the pictures of these beautiful kids.  As you can see Boy #2 and Boy #4 have been doing some awesome playing together these past days.  It's such a gift to see them growing closer together during our days.

 Boy #3 has lost his front tooth!  Take note!  He's done it!  Crossed the threshhold from little boy into big adventurer.  He also has conquered his fear of the water (so thankful for our awesome swim teacher!) and has started reading.  Hurray!

 My beloved had his 37th birthday this week.  We celebrated by sleeping in (sort of...it was past 7am, which is technically sleeping in for us) and having a snow day.  It was low key for sure, but sometimes that is best, especially for my guy who loves being home.  The little girl is amazing and loves her papa.  She said his "name" first of course...and it's so sweet being greeted first thing in the morning by her cooing little voice saying "papa, papa."

 These pictures....really...I couldn't help but post them....because the cuteness is just too much!

 She loves the bathtub!  Here she is concentrating on those top teeth that are soon to appear.

 She is my little companion throughout the day.  Always smiling.  Always busy.  She loves to just be where everyone is and explore the things around her.  And yes, she has started crawling....and yes, I might just never get anything done ever again.  I keep telling myself that it is a season and to enjoy it, because it will all be so different before I know it.  I just want to drink it all in...this time of littleness....where everything is new for her....where all of her sorrow can be fixed by holding hands, nursing and a pink blanket.

How It Is...

 Well, it's been two months now since our little babe's arrival.  She's added so much to our days.  So much.  It is almost silly to try to capture it in words, because whatever can be said just won't capture it all.  Yet, I really find myself wanting to save this time forever in my mind's eye.

 Her little body that so easily snuggles in.  Her soft hair that smells of newness and wonder.

 Her tiny toes.

 How one day she just magically had eyelashes that weren't there before.  How her hair grew long enough to flip over her ears just so.

 I've had to rediscover baby-wearing.  (so glad!)  And how to manage the day's work and flow with another person in our home!  She wants to be entertained!  She wants to talk to someone and be held constantly!  But she is such a joy, and there is always someone in this big family (i can say big now right?)willing to give her some love!

 She sits up in her bumbo chair already.  At just two months.  Look at those cheeks!

What else have we been doing this summer?  Well...we've been playing a lot of baseball.  A lot.   The three oldest boys have all been participating and enjoying every minute of it.  Unfortunately I could only find photos of Cricket, but considering I had to take all five kids by myself most of the time I think it's pretty wild that I got any pictures at all! Ha!

 We've also been creating.  I have a whole post on some of the art that these boys have been doing....you'll have to wait for that.  But in the meantime, here is some Lego art that Badger made for a Lego contest that he recently entered.  The contest was to design a room in Jabba the Hutt's house.  Our boy decided to make a movie theater.  (note the droids are selling popcorn....and yes, on the screen is Cars the movie)

 We've also been visiting friends and family.  On a recent visit to my parents' house we found this old relic.  My brother's old table tennis game.  We used to play this thing all the time. (do you remember uncle b?)  The boys totally loved it!

 And of course we've also just been doing a ton of this.  Yep, holding that baby girl.

 J seems to be taking it in stride.  He's such a good papa that way.  And for the record at first he was giving me a hard time about all the dresses and pink things and how much time I spend picking out outfits for her.  (it's true, I do)  But the other day I caught him commenting that her dress was not very cute so I know he cares too! :)

 I love this photo!  J reading to the boys from a 3D book about snakes.  Look at how big Owl is getting.  He's only 6, but wow.  He's growing up fast.  And that's how it goes.  The days just go tumbling by.  And if you don't stop and notice them it's all past before you know it!  So..this post is me doing just that.  Noticing.

Baby Love

 A few more pictures of our little love.  She's starting to unfold right before our very eyes.  And she's fitting right in.  Oh, how we love her!

 Everyone has to take turns holding her of course!  She doesn't seem to mind. :)

Her first dress.  Be still my heart.

(i soooo want to write more, but my headache just doesn't like me sitting at the computer.  soon though, soon!  i think i am on the upswing.....)

Our New Little One

 Our Ada.

 Meeting her for the first time.

 Some skin to skin with Papa.

 Her first little nightgown.  Her soft thick hair washed and ready for snuggling.

 

 Can I nurse on your face?

Love.