Big Girl Bike

A few Saturday's ago we attempted to teach Ella how to ride her bike without training wheels. I am not sure why i thought this was a good idea. She has had the bike for two years and hardly rides it. Now that we have a decent driveway and live in the cul-de-sak we have space for them to ride on their own i thought we should encourage her to learn. Secretly i am preparing for a move to a house with no pool for them to burn their energy off in. Anyway, it was a fun afternoon and she did okay. A few more practices and i think she will be good. :)

Jack even gave it a try.

Ben's Haircut

I haven't cut Ben's hair since his birthday. It was getting pretty crazy and i am at his mercy when it comes to how much i can cut. He got out of the bath and i thought i would give it a shot. He played with the faucet so i got quite a bit trimmed. Before i knew it he looked like a little man. Please note, i DID NOT use the ear guard. I stayed away from the trimmer all together. Lesson learned.

Before.....

After.....

Boys and their bugs

Our home here in Florida is a bit different than i had expected to find. Most homes in Florida, especially near the coast, are squeezed into developments like sardines. Well, here in Vero Beach that trend started and came to an abrupt halt when the market crashed. Most developments are half finished and will remain that way for some time, others are gated with no houses inside, or like ours, planned to have club houses and amenities that it will never get. Lucky for the home owners here, that is just the way they like it. We have an acre lot and only one visible neighbor. Pond out front and a pool and woods out back. We are surrounded by conservation land so no one will ever build there nor can people walk around in those woods. This is a great lot! With all the woods we have lots of bugs and the pond is nice fishing. The kids are loving it! Here are a few of their finds.

A lizard. Poor poor lizard.

A roach........At least it was on the back porch.

Caterpillars

Something with a stinger. I am not sure how John caught it because it was still moving. Lucky boy.

Jack is a pretty good fisherman. John is convinced he has a bass in the pond. He just likes for someone else to catch it for him and then he runs. I am not sure why he is scared of the fish but touching it is not something he is going to do. :)

Jack's first fish

John's first fish (this was when we finally got him to come back )

Ben's is learning.

This has been a great place for them to explore. Just praying for the rest of the time we are here we don't run across a snake. John would probably want to keep it.

Random

Another random John moment. He came downstairs......

That's John.

Yankee Candles

Here is the final report on Ella's candle fundraiser. Her goal was to win the iPod shuffle. She had to sell $800 worth of products. With lots of help from family and Melissa..... she not only met her goal she exceeded it. The candles came in and they called me to come and pick up the boxes.....

It was a fabulous smell when i unpacked the boxes but i had a hard time making dinner. It was a great excuse to eat out. :) When Ella got home we took a peek at the prizes she won....

Her most favorite....

We immediately added Hannah Montana. She slept with it on the first night. Well, she came down stairs really late with Hannah blaring to tell Eric she couldn't sleep. Go figure. He told her to cut the iPod off and go back to bed. :) When all was said and done she sold over a thousand dollars and won all the prizes (including a mini video camera) and the TOP SELLER in her school. She out sold 5th graders! They announced it on the TV during announcements and presented her with a gift certificate to Chili's. She thought it was cool to be on tv for all the school to see. She would have never been able to do that with out all the support she got from Alabama and North Carolina! Thanks you all!

Spiraling

At this point my life is spiraling out of control..... I have a running list of blogs on my calendar in front of me and i WILL get to them. Eric is gone, melissa is here which means i am busier than usual. We have been swimming a lot and Melissa has really helped the kids. Jack and Ella are like little fish. John is still working on his skills. They have been showing the house again so we have been getting it ready for people to walk through and are preparing for a trip to Sea World. At the end of the week we are taking a girls trip back to NC so Ella can visit her old class. Lots going on but i do have a camera again so i have pictures. Will post as soon as my head stops spinning.

Salamanders

What is the difference between a salamander and a lizard? I have no clue but i can tell you the salamander was the only one brave enough to come and live in my house.

A week or so ago i was cooking dinner and i looked down by the door and saw a black lizard. I guess he came in a hole where the door doean't seal. I thought for sure he would go right back out so i just waslk to my room and call Eric and express my EXTREME displeasure with a "lizard" walking into my home. I requested he call the landlord immediatly. As we are talking i turn the corner to go back into the kitchen to see the "lizard" coming towards my bedroom. I scream and jump on my bed. Now why am i on the bed? I am not scared of lizards but the idea that one was trying to shack up with me while Eric was out of town was a little much. My screams apperantly startled the little thing and he ran under the desk. The boys come in and ask why i am on the bed and Eric is on the phone laughing. He would have never done that to my face. :) I tell the boys, who have been honing their lizard catching skills over the last few weeks, and they gather their supplies and began looking under and around.....no lizard.

Honestly, with all that is going on here i forgot about it. I figured it found its way back out or i would find it shriveled up dead somewhere when we moved out (like the lizard that got out in our apartment when i was little). Either way i didn't have to think about it and i figured he would realize this wasn't a house he wanted to be in.

Flash forward to yesterday. After our morning swim i am cleaning house. As i am putting away the dishes i realize one of my mixing bowls is missing. I ask the kids who point me to Ben's room. They had made a mess of some popcorn on the other side of the bed so while i am there i get all the books back on the shelves, toys in the closet, little toys in the baskets and pull the comforter away from the floor so i can come through with the vacuum and get all the popcorn. I see some picture frames on the floor (just another reminder of a project not completed) and move the cord to the humidifier and when i did out came the lizard except in good light i see it is a salamander. I again scream and it stares at me as if i have lost my mind! I call the kids to bring in their equipment and he takes off under the bed. I am going to get this thing out. A salamander, in my mind, is one step closer to a snake than a lizard and he has got to go. We move furniture and get him corner.

Ella and Jack are on him. I lift the night stand and Ella snags him. Jack cries. I didn't care who caught it as long as it was removed from my house. The studied him as close as they could through the hazy tupperware and then release him (after they roughed him up a little. Had to teach him a lesson :)). We run a catch and release program here. Well, at least for those that make it out alive.

Hole fixed and salamander gone. More boys and bugs to come.

Happy Anniversary

Six years ago today Eric and I married in an outdoor chapel and danced the night away. Another wonderful year full of surprises, a move, arguments, change and lots of love. I couldn't imagine my life without him.

Eric- thank you for six long great years. I love you and look forward to sharing many more years together.

Muffins with Mom

It was supposed to be Muffins with Mom and Donuts with Dad but since Eric was out of town I attended and we just had muffins. :)

Wednesday afternoon when i picked Ella up from school there was a note reminding us of the program and requesting us to dress our children "nicely". I like to think i dress her nicely everyday but i understood what they meant. I scan through Ella's closet and realize she doesn't have a dress with sleeves or nice shoes that still fit her skis feet. We have to find something simple. Mainly shoes and a casual dress that will look good with a shirt under ( sleeveless and open toed shoes are against school policy). I look at the boys and figure we will go with a redneck theme for our shopping trip. See, John had gotten in the car in his John Deere shirt and blue underwear, Jack was dressed but didn't grab shoes and of course Ben was in a onesie (i wish i could say it was clean but it had remnants from lunch still on the front). In my defense i didn't know we were going to have to go in anywhere. We walk the mall from end to end. Nothing. Target, Dress= check. Mcdonalds for drive-thru dinner. Shoe Carnival, Ella allows me to run in the door and grab some shoes, too bad they didn't have any. Payless= BINGO! Well sort of. They were cute and fit and i got over the gold.

Molly, our neighbor, came over to sit with the boys while i went to see the program and spend some time with Ella. It was a HUGE relief to have her! Anyway, all the kindergarten classes were on stage and sang songs about mom's and dad's. Ella was placed behind other kids and i couldn't find a good spot so i could see her clearly. I saw her face occasionally but spent most of the program staring at a small swatch of her blond hair.

Here are a few songs where you can see ella's face.....briefly.

It was cute and i was working the video on my phone in one hand and my camera in the other. Then we got to collect all the things she had made for Eric and i over the last month. A vase full of her "hand-flowers", a mug for Eric,

and then a portrait of mommy and daddy.

On the inside of the shirt they posted a letter. They would ask the kids questions and then put in the kids answers. Here is what Ella thinks about Eric and Me.

My mom's name is Whitney . My mom has dark brown hair and brown eyes. My mom likes to eat healthy food. My mom is happy when she is swimming. But i know she is really angry when my brothers do something bad. My mom's favorite tv show is the news. My mom is smart. She knows all about helping me. If my mom would have one wish come true it would be that she was a princess. I love my mom because she is happy. Love, Ella

My dad's name is Eric . My dad has black hair and blue eyes. My dad likes to eat honey buns. My dad is happy when he swims. But i know he is really angry whensomebody does something wrong. My dad's favorite tv show isthe news. My dad is smart. He knows all about elephants and his work. If my dad would have one wish come true it would be that he was a prince. I love my dad because he is cool. Love, Ella

Well, she didn't say anything embarrassing so that is good. She did let Eric's love for Alabama (elephants) slip. HA! Sorry Eric your secret is out. :)

Group photo and then she went back to class and i went back to the tornados. They were great and liked Molly and she offered to come back anytime.....the morning, LOVED it!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mama readers! I hope the day is super special for you because you deserve it.

I want to share with you how i feel about my motherhood. Not because it will make an interesting post but when i print my blogs into a book i want to go back and read all the things i will have probably forgotten. I have four beautiful little babies. Well, none of them are babies anymore. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. They are all growing up right before my eyes and it doesn't make me sad in the least. I am nothing short of the proudest mother in the world. They think i am the coolest mom ever. Can you blame them. :) (Just a little pat on my back). I cherish these days because as they get older i will become less cool (i hope, if not i am doing something wrong) and will not be near as smart as they think i am now. The older they get i will turn into a mean prude of an old lady who couldn't fathom understanding what is going on in their teenage lives. Okay, well i hope it is never that extreme but i am prepared. My only hope for them is that they also know that the old prude loves them beyond measure and only wants the best. I say no to protect them and show them i love them never because i am angry or mean. I am prepared for them to yell at me and call me names. It doesn't mean it will make it any easier to hear. I am prepared for them to grow into beautiful people who will leave my house to find their own way in this world. It doesn't mean they won't take a piece of my heart when they go. I think i can handle that trade. I get space and peace and quiet. HA! I hope they aren't to hard on me as they grow up. And now that i have thought of some of the things to come i turn my focus back on them now. The blessing of getting to stay home with them daily. We play, clean, eat, laugh, snuggle, build forts, fish (sort of), and swim. None of which i take for granted. I cherish ever moment i spend with them ( i try and forget the moments when i want to pull my hair out) . I can close my eyes and map their little faces in my head. Like Ella's not green but not brown eyes and Jack's mark under his eye and his dad's mouth, John's big forehead that i cover with his long hair and Ben's big head, fat cheeks and the way his two bottom teeth turn in just enough to make a V shape. Things i think i will never forget but know that as time changes so will they so i write things here so those memories will always be with me because one day i will close my eyes and i will see Ella with long hair headed to college or getting married or in a hospital bed holding her own baby; Jack all grown up with a hairy face and driving a truck, John in a baseball uniform and hopefully he will have grown into his forehead; and Ben will finally be bigger than both of his big brothers and still have a baby face. I like to think that i will always see their baby faces somewhere when i look at them no matter how old they are. What ever they grow up to become i pray the Lord will guide them and bless them and they will follow the path he has planned for them. They make my Mother's day so special.

I have prepared for many of the things to come because those were some of the things i put my mother through. Mom, i am sorry for all the mean things i said when i was 10 (at any age really), the times i should have come to you and didn't, all the times i thought you wouldn't understand but you would have know just what to say. You have always been there waiting for me to come to you and pushing me to make my own decisions so that i would grow up to be the woman i am now. You have always given me guidance and a love that i could have never gotten from anyone else. I know you are proud of me but i want you to know i am proud to have you as my mother. Much love to you on this Mother's Day.

Now on to what we did today.

It was a beautiful day and i was thankful that i was surrounded by my kids and Eric. We took him to the airport this afternoon and are ready for another week. I hope your day was just as special.

Mommy's little helper

No pill bottle or stiff drink, although on some days i feel like i could give it a try. HA!

Ben. He is my littlest helper.

he cleans the pool

he picks the perfect morsel of food for Sam

He patiently waits for Sam to notice

And Sam ever so gently takes the food and then repeat.

With Ben around I know that a very small section around the edge of the pool will always be clean and Sam will never go hungry (he also feeds the dogs from his highchair). :)

Old wives tales...

There are so many old wives tales. You know like, if you break a mirror you will have seven years of bad luck, never walk under a ladder it is bad luck, you will have bad luck if a black cat crosses your path ( i am starting to think the old wives wanted everyone to have bad luck) HA!. Then you have the ones i am most familiar with, drinking castor oil will induce labor, if you gain a lot of weight it is a girl,the swinging wedding ring over a pregnant tummy to determine the gender, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, if you blow all your birthday candles out on the first try your wish will come true, if your ears are burning someone is talking about you. Okay i am sure you get the point.

Finally comes the most important one of all, DO NOT SWIM FOR 30 MINUTES AFTER YOU EAT.

Here is why....

We picked up Eric from the airport yesterday. His flight happened to get in a dinnertime. I held the kids off with a few cookies and we stopped at Mcdonalds (where else would you stop with four kids). Bathroom breaks and then our order. The kids were so excited about Eric being home and were eager to share the small advances they had made in their swimming lessons. They all began asking if they could go swimming when we got home. It was already six o'clock so in order to swim while we still had some heat from the sun we agreed to eat in the car and swim when we got home. I guess they finished up about 10 minutes before we got home. When we parked and opened the car doors three sets of feet hit the ground running. Ella, Jack and John quickly changed into their swimsuits, Ben just stripped naked. We were all in the pool for 10 or 15 minutes. The kids had on their swimmies and were jumping in from every side of the pool. They like to be thrown so Eric and i start thrown. Up and splash. THey pop up like little buoys in the water and come back for more. All of the sudden we hear like a loud belch coming from John. He said he was fine. We thought he just sucked in some water. I turn around and hear him belch behind me again then the sound of a...waterfall. That can't be right. I turn and he is vomiting in the pool. What do you do when you kid is puking in your pool and you are ALL in it???? I throw John out on the side of the pool. Good thing he finished before i got him out. Eric and i start yelling at Ella and Jack to get out. They don't seem to get it. They thought they could just go swim in the deep end. We called it a night and sent everyone in for a bath. I stayed behind to fish chicken nugget chunks and french fries out of the pool. John stayed with me. When i got the chunks out he insisted it was clean enough to get back in. I just looked at him and said not tonight and NEVER after eating!

There are no pictures mainly because i am camera less at the moment (another great John story) and it isn't anything you want to see. HA!

Child Genius

I know that most parents like to think that their child is going to be an absolute genius! I see potential in all my children but Ben just might be my genius.

Yes. At 14 months he knows we say Roll Tide. My heart is happy and there is no denying this child was a special gift from God. :) Start them early, raise them right. Roll Tide!