Mr. Potatoe Head

Oliver has become quite the clown these days. Tonight, he ate his dinner with a spoon all on his own. After five kids and countless messes I've opted for spoon feeding him myself to avoid unnecessary clean-up. I decided to be brave and let him feed himself tonight and most of it ended up on his head.

Before long we were all peeing our pants laughing while Camilla made jokes about "Mr. Potato head".

He loved every minute of it! Here's to more messes in his near future.

Lemon Bread

 The cooler weather begs for baking, sipping hot tea, and devouring novels. I was lucky enough to have plenty of little helpers home enjoying a day off today. I spent the morning in awe of how well they were all getting along saying things like, "I love you" and "you're the best brother ever!" Hyrum hugged me and told me that this was the "goodest day" he's had in a long time. I think he was happy to have a day off school! 

There's was lots of opening and closing the door as they played with neighborhood friends both outside and in. The air nipped at their fingers and cheeks and when they couldn't take the cold any longer they would come in to warm up. 

The oven made our home feel extra cozy and the kitchen became a gathering place as I put together the ingredients for some lemon bread. I doubled the recipe, knowing how quickly we can polish off a loaf, and enlisted my little helpers. They ran back outside to play while it cooked and when they came back in they all sniffed the air and exclaimed, "mmmm!" 

In the early afternoon Camilla asked if she and her friend could make chocolate chip cookies. I couldn't think of a good reason not to, so back to the kitchen we went to mix up some cookie dough. The girls did most of the work, dropped the cookie dough on the pan, and pulled them out when they were done. It was a great team effort! 

By the time dinner rolled around, I was exhausted. It was sure wonderful having my kids home today, and seeing them play so well with their friends. I checked on all of my littles after they fell asleep, just to soak in a moment of stillness.

Meet the Teacher

 We had a lazy morning in our Pj's. I opened all of our windows and finished up a crochet project. The house was cool and fresh. The little boys played quietly and we even had some success with potty training Fin! 

In the early afternoon Fin fell asleep on the couch in his undies. I was a little bit worried he wouldn't wake up dry, but he did amazing! While Fin and Ollie were napping, I cleaned the basement a little bit and played UNO with Joe. 

When the kids came home from school they mentioned that the kitchen "looked cleaner than usual". I decided to take it as a compliment! 

As I put together a beef quinoa soup and cheesy biscuits everyone else ran outside and played with the neighborhood kids. They were all bundled up and the wind nipped their noses. They came in for dinner rosy cheeked and warmed their bellies with a semi-successful soup and warm biscuits. 

As soon as we finished we rushed out the door to "meet the teacher" night at the school. We got to walk around each of their classrooms, meet their teachers, see their desks, and check out their art work. Hyrum's teacher said that he has the neatest printing she has ever seen. I smiled, because I had just made the same comment to Mike a few nights before as we looked over his school work from the day. Camilla could hardly wait to show me her drawing. She had traced her hands and feet and drew herself floating in the Ocean. I loved her detail, right down to the mole on her hand. We finished off the night with cookies and a stop at the photo booth. 

A Thankful Heart

Waking up was easy this morning. Everybody slept in an extra half hour, leaving just enough time to go through our morning routine. Joe's visit to the chiropractor yesterday was magical. Not only did he sleep for 12 hours in a row, but he woke up at a decent time feeling extra happy and rested. I got a good morning hug and lots of "I love you's" before I even began making breakfast. His anger and frustration most days is a sign of pain or discomfort that he can't express. It's been this way since he was a babe, but we've only just discovered why this past year. He loves visiting the chiropractor for his "back massage" and wakes a completely different kid the next day. 

As I flip the pancakes off the grill, the children jump up to the island, dressed and ready for school. Daddy had to ask where Joe was, which is super rare since he's usually the one whining at my feet for food. He was off playing and skipped into the kitchen and waited patiently for me to pass him his plate. 

After the big kids leave on the bus, we get ready to go to the clinic for Ollie's one year immunizations. He weighs a whopping 22lbs and is sitting in the 90th percentile for his height/weight. His brothers distract him from crying when he gets his needles and before long we are off. 

We make a spontaneous stop at the park to play at Joe's request. He does the monkey bars over and over until his hands hurt. I watch them explore and dare new heights. We then make our way to the library to return our books and check out new ones. The boys happily search through the shelves of books to find the perfect ones. When they've each picked out a few things, we head to the desk where they use their library cards and even remember their "thank-you's" without being prompted for once. 

I transfer a sleeping Ollie from his carseat to his crib. He has just enough energy to open his eyes for a brief second before he snuggles under the blankets and falls back to sleep. Lunch consists of gold fish, pumpkin muffins and pizza buns left out on the counter from packing lunches early in the morning. 

The early afternoon sneaks up on us as I continue to tick things off my to-do list. I rock out to this song quite a few times while I work around the house. I start a batch of bread dough while watching the boys play at the park. Joe sweetly lifts his little brother on the swing and gives him a few good pushes. Fin is smiling so big I can see it all the way to the house. Then Joe hops onto the swing next to him and they both swing their hearts out for quite a while. It makes me so happy to see Joe taking his role as big brother so seriously. 

The rest of the afternoon is quiet and slow. When I hear the bus at the corner I step out in front of the house to wait. The two big kids run across the street and crash into my arms for a hug. There is nothing better than that! As we walk up the steps their noses smell the cinnamon buns that just came out of the oven moments before. They quickly wash before tearing apart a bun and we enjoy good conversation at the kitchen table.

Ollie wakes from his afternoon nap just in time to enjoy a few bits of a gooey cinnamon bun. When the rest of the kids run off to the park to play with their friends, Ollie and I sit on the kitchen floor to play. He giggles and grabs my face before wrapping his arms completely around my neck. He climbs all over me, lays his head on my lap, and gives me kisses. I sing "round and round the garden" and after a few tries he traces circles around his own hands with his index finger, laughing the giggling the entire time. 

When the world outside is so full of natural disasters and turmoil, this is where I find my peace and joy. I'm holding my little ones close and counting my blessings today. 

I throw some seasoned chicken and veggies into a casserole dish and bake it for dinner while I finish round three of dishes. It goes over surprisingly well and the kids inhale their plates so that they can squeeze in a few more minutes of play before bed. They come running home just as the wind picks up and jump into their jammies. 

A storm blows in as we gather together for a story and prayers. The bright autumn leaves look magical, dancing against the dark sky as the clouds roll in from the west. While the trees sway and the leaves blow I can't help but open every window I can reach to let the cool, crisp air swirl in. We read stories by the light of the lantern, just for fun, squished together on Joe's bed. The hint of cinnamon from an afternoon of baking, mixed with the fresh Autumn air makes my nose tingle. Before long, all of the littles are cozied under their covers with a kiss on the head. As I listen to the Geese fly by at dusk, I nestle in with a blanket and a book while I wait for Daddy to come home from scouts.

Oliver: Cake Smash

 My talented sister offered to do a cake smash with Oliver over the weekend. She got some pretty great shots of his hilarious facial expressions, his rolls, and his whispy hair. I will treasure these always!

Sunday Snoozin'

Oliver: One Year

One year ago today we welcomed the sweetest little boy into our family. I remember being convinced that I was going to have a girl. I thought Mr. Stannix was totally joking when he said proudly, "It's a boy!" The first words out of my mouth were, "What am I going to tell Camilla...?" She is a rockstar big sister who has survived four brother's coming home from the hospital. As soon as she sees them, gender doesn't seem to matter anymore, and she exclaims how sweet and cute they are and tells us that she'll "love them anyway." And as I type this I can't help but tear up a little bit as I count my blessings and think about that special morning, bright and early, when we walked in from the hospital to introduce our little Ollie to his big brothers and sister. 

Oliver has been such a happy little soul and a special addition to our crazy family. He is almost always smiling, always watching, always observing contently. He is an old soul stuck in a little body, just waiting to run and explore. He loves the outdoors, rain or shine. He adores his older siblings and nothing melts my heart like watching him wrap his arms around them and rest his head on their shoulders. He has some pretty great examples to look up to! 

Oliver is tender, and loving. He is sensitive to his surroundings and to other people's emotions. He brings sunshine to every day and I can always count on him to cheer me up. Most of the time when I hold him, I love him so much that I just want to squeeze him all day long. His cheeks are perfectly kissable and we often mug on his face throughout the day. 

He has a belly laugh that is to die for! It bubbles up right from the bottom of his big belly as he shakes and giggles. He has a wave that makes everyone exclaim, "Aww!" when they see it. He elegantly waves his hand, bending at the wrist, with the biggest smiles and captures all of our hearts. 

Being his mamma and watching him explore, and learn, and grow over this past year has been such a pleasure. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for him!

Corn Bust

Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful evening at the church picnic. The skies were smokey because of the forest fires and the sun cast a pink glow over everything. We got there early, our van packed full of corn that Mr. Stannix picked up from Taber bright and early this morning. It smelled amazing! I enjoyed the drive to the community hall and admired the freshly cut fields the entire way. People began trickling in as we husked the giant bags of corn and boiled them in the biggest pot I've ever seen! Before long, the table was full of chili, salads and sides brought by friends. 

The food was blessed a line was formed for the food table. Baked potatoes, chili, a variety of salads and a mountain of corn to finish it off. I sat with the younger two children on our picnic blanket and watched Fin and Ollie devour their cobs. I caught a glimpse of Joe eating on the baseball stands, and Camilla wandered over every once and a while for a drink of pop. 

When bellies were filled the children gathered on the baseball field. Some played ball and others joined in on the potato sac races and tug of war. 

Some frolicked around the groves of trees and played old fashioned picnic games. I smiled as I thought this is how childhood is supposed to be.  

There was much laughter and good conversation. 

As the last of the sun dipped low into the golden, freshly harvested fields, we loaded up our tired children and took them home to bed. When we got home I realized I hadn't seen Hyrum eat anything. "What did you have for dinner?" I asked. He replied, "Two brownies and a corn." I laughed out loud. Camilla piped in, "I had chili!" Immediately Hyrum shouted, "What?! There was chili?" A comedic end to a wonderful, fun-filled evening!

First Day of School

 This year I sent two off to school! They were up bright and early, dressed and ready to go before the sun barely had any time to come up. It was an exciting morning! Hyrum has been counting down the sleeps until school for over a week. They both picked out their outfits last night and set them on the end of their beds. Backpacks were placed by the door, and lunch kits lined up on the counter. I managed to get half of their lunches packed up the night before to help make the morning rush go a little smoother. Pancakes were made for breakfast as requested and each child ate at least two. We finished family scripture study and family prayers with plenty of time to spare before the bus. I was able to snag some pictures of each of them, a tradition I hope to continue each year. 

Joseph will be starting Kindergarten this week at home, but I wanted to make sure he felt included in all of the excitement around school and learning. He felt pretty left out when the big kids left for the bus and half way through his screaming and despair I half joked with Mr. Stannix that maybe we should have just sent him to school! Although that may have been easier (on everyone) I know in my heart that a year at home and some extra one on one is just what this boy needs. His back to school blessing last night stated how special this boy is and mentioned that he has an important role to play in the future. I think knowing that makes me more aware of how I interact with him and teach him. He has a gentle heart, a fierce love for life, and a quick mind. I am excited to watch him grow and mature over this year as we spend extra time together and he takes on his role of "big brother" as the oldest at home.

 It is crazy to me that this boy is in Grade 1 already! I worry I didn't prepare him well enough, but he's a quick learner and a fairly good listener, so he should do okay! He was so nervous last night and fell asleep as his mind swirled with questions, thoughts and excitement. I think knowing that he had Camilla to go with him made it seem a little less scary (for both of us). 

Camilla has a few years under her belt and is so on top of things that I never have to worry. She has kept her room clean for weeks and has an awesome routine going on where she sets out her clothes the night before, folds her jammies each morning and makes her bed/tidy's her room. Each night before bed she writes in a journal and reads her scriptures all by herself. This is not something I remind her to do, or have forced her to do. It makes me feel proud though! She will do amazing this year. I love her pazazz and quick whit. She is a good friend and has a kind heart.

 They are practically the same height!

 Mike was able to stay home for the morning, so we drove to the school and met them there. I wanted to make sure they found their teachers and classrooms okay. It was a little chaotic with everyone figuring things out. I felt so bad for Hyrum though because he didn't end up getting the teacher we were told he was going to have. Camilla had prepped him on all of the ins and outs of that classroom because she had the same one in grade one. He was a little bit confused and disappointed when he discovered he would not have the same teacher that Camilla did. He is instead in a grade 1/2 split with a teacher I don't know very well, but have heard good things about. My heart ached when I left him in his desk looking confused and timid. 

He totally rocked it though and came home anxious to tell me all of the awesome things about his first day. After giving hugs and love to a very excited puppy they washed up and gathered at the table over a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies and took turns excitedly telling me all about their day! When their tummies were satisfied they rushed out the front door to play with friends for the last few hours of daylight.