Episode 18 - Posers

Never a Day Off

Even when you are ill on the couch, kids find a way to remind you that moms never get a sick day.

It's a good thing I coupon.

6, 9 & 35

Geez! Three birthdays in the last 3 months has worn me out. Next birthday? Baby #5.

Wanted to recap the events of those special days with a few pictures.

Rob turned half-way-to-70 on January 9th.

Our tradition of displaying all the wrapped gifts in our china hutch

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Sitting down to birthday dinner of Jambalaya and Ramen Salad.

Kids had no problem helping themselves to an opened gift of candy from Katelyn.

Rob fell in love with this picture on the internet and I thought it fitting to have a t-shirt made for the king of all carnivores himself.

Once a kid, always a kid.

Requested my blue-ribbon blackberry pie, of course.

Olivia's birthday followed just 9 days later on January 18th.

She woke up to cheater donuts with sprinkles. It's just refrigerator biscuits, holes cut and then fried.

The big 6 year-old requested her favorite...

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and

I threw in a batch of rolls.

For dessert...homemade ice cream. To die for...the best recipe I have come across

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We had upside-down caramel apple torte with hot caramel sauce drizzled on top.

Rob thought it was his birthday again. In awe.

My favorite card had "balloons" drawn on the outside. Thanks Martha, for clearing that up.

In love with Barbies.

Eden Rayne has been waiting about 364 days for her 9th birthday and it finally arrived on March 14th...Pi Day!

First request...a stack of pancakes for breakfast.

She might have been reveling in her day a little bit here...

Grandma Lynn makes the cutest banners.

Wanting a solar system theme, her cake was a sun.

I was mighty proud of that sun...

I am not sure...surprise, disgust, shock...

I brought sugar and water to the hard crack stage on the thermometer (300), added yellow and orange food coloring and poured it on a cookie sheet to cool. Stained glass effect is so cool.

Hit that bad boy ever so lightly with a rolling pin and made the shards for her sun.

Those things were quite tasty too!

happy. birthdays. my babies.

REWIND - Joan & her leaves

Out on a walk one day, I spotted a yard just begging for a few kids to run through its leaves. The next day, I took my four kids for a walk, heading straight for this yard. Upon arrival, the owner was in her front yard, raking them up. Rotten luck, I thought, and I continued past. However, Indiana wasn't going to let an opportunity pass and he began to frolic. The owner came over and started making very friendly conversation mixed with a few cheerful giggles. She jokingly offered to find a few extra rakes so the kids could be put to work and it turned out to be just the service project we needed. Those kids had the best time raking those leaves. We cleared out an entire lawn, while Joan, showered us with compliments and grateful words.

Joan insisted that we return on the night of Halloween and she would gladly give out extra candy to her handy helpers, and we did just that. She was our first stop and she recognized the kids instantly.

By the time we were done, Joan again jokingly commented that she would let the kids have all the leaves they wanted and then, once again, before I knew it, we loaded up 4 giant trash bags full of leaves to spread in our own lawn at home. It was quite the picture, the stroller pushed on gravel, bogged down with trash bags while I carried Tatum all the way home.

V-Day the Realistic Way

The reality: we have children who are little and Valentine's Day just isn't celebrated the stereotypical way. There will be a day in the future for wooing and fine dining and walks on the beach at sunset, but for now, we eat candy hearts, put up red decorations and stay at home...as a family.

However, my sweetheart knows how much I enjoy this holiday for its simple proclamation of love with small tokens of appreciation and adoration. I consider myself pretty low maintenance but I appreciate a true heartfelt thought.

One year he went a little over the top and bought me a teddy bear, shipped all the way from Vermont that cost him a kidney but he knew I would appreciate the grand gesture.

One of my favorite years was when I had given birth to Olivia four weeks prior and he was away at school. Ahead of time, he had made these posterboard hearts for the kids to wear. His mom was staying with us so she made sure they were all in costume before I saw his little gift.

So, here I am pregnant with my 5th, overcome by a giant sweet tooth on a daily basis and several days before, he saw a commercial for Shari's Berries on TV. He made the call and no matter the cost, had those chocolate-dipped strawberries shipped right to my door on that lovely day.

On the front of the box were some very important instructions...

...that I took to heart.

But someone found me and I shared an ice-cold look of death and one chocolate chip that had fallen off.

How can you resist this little face?

(the bow came from the outside of the box and is the perfect headband.)

After the hubs arrived home and we enjoyed a delightful carnivorous dinner, we all sat down to Heart Bingo.

And then ended the meal with a whopper of a peanut butter torte. It was so over-indulgent that I quickly drove most of it over to my skinny friend's house and dropped it off.
Those strawberries really made my year and here is where I tell you that I am ever so grateful for the man that I married. Over these past 6 months (since the announcement of this pregnancy) he has been my worst enemy and once we worked through all that he is now my biggest fan. There isn't a day that goes by that he isn't sympathetic to my leg pains, sore feet and headaches. He forces me to bed, out of the house or to sit down and follows them each with a foot rub.

(on our first date in August of 1999)

I am one lucky girl!