Christmas 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas - visiting here and in Memphis.  So much fun to hang out with all of our cousins and grands!
Making Xmas cookies with Poppy:)

Jack's new Kepi hat - a gift from the Cauler side of the fam:)

                                           Xmas eve at the Simpson grandparents.

                                     Cousins modeling their new hats!  Precious girls!

                                             Jack recieved a camo-Jags t-shirt!  Score!

              The boy cousins opening their special boxes from Poppy - handcrafted with love:)

                                                     Will chillin' in the bean bag.

                                                            Ryan waiting his turn.

There are some videos I'll post on youtube - since Jeff only shot video on Xmas morning there are  no stills:( Sorry!

Stitches

Well, we almost made it a whole year without someone needing stitches!  Oh well!  This morning Will and Jack were playing and somehow(?????) Will fell face down on the floor and split open his chin.  We have hardwood floors, over a concrete slab foundation, so there's little give if one takes a spill here. 

After concurring that he would need to be seen by a Dr., we all had to get dressed!  The poor boy sat on my bed holding his chin with a wet washcloth, while the rest of us scrambled to put clothes on and brush our teeth! 

He was so good and brave and patient!  Thankfully our local medical clinic could see us us quickly.  He only cried when they used the lidocain to numb up the area - a needle of course had to be used and it was uncomfortable to say the least!  He really was amazing though!

I had him laughing and being silly while we waited for the area to become totally numb.  We were blessed to have a Fellowship member as our PA - she was great:)  When she came back in to stitch him up, he became really anxious.  But, I cannot express enough how calm he was after she got everything underway.  He kept his eyes closed the whole time:)  I held his hands and just stroked his little head.  She was super efficient and after getting 3 stitches we were ready to go.

He looks like he's got three really dark whiskers:)  Afterwards, we all headed to Chick-fil-a for some lunch.  Because we were in such a rush to get him to the doctor, we never got Will dressed, so he was still in his jammies.  As we got out of the car to head into the restaurant, Will asked me if it was illegal to eat there in your pj's! 

Here's our brave boy after munching on some chicken:)  The dr's office also gave him a "prescription" for a free TCBY treat!  So after lunch we ran over there and he got a cup of cake batter yogurt (sounds gross, but really wasn't too bad!) and some fun toppings - his picks:gummie bears, m&m's, and sprinkles! 
We were all whooped by this time so we headed home for naps.  I'll post some more pics tomorrow after we take off the bandaid. 

Toddlers, and Preschoolers, and Tweeners, Oh My!

Parenting has been really challenging lately.  So much so that this lil' ole blog of mine has taken the back, back seat.  I wanted desperately to stay up on this and keep family posted on the kids etc.  it just seems that most days I am barely keeping my head above water.  I know that this is only a season - it just feels like it may last FOREVER:)  I don't want to sound negative, and most days there is some laughter amid the tears, but geez louise, I'm in the fetal position crying "uncle" - enough's enough! So here's the catch up in photos...

Some of us have been trying new fashion ideas...

 Ella-Kathryn and I joined our friends H and M in Tulsa to celebrate H's birthday...

 The boys are all about wrestling with Daddy - every day, everywhere, all day long!

 Back in early Nov. we had fun with leaf piles:)

 We had a wonderful visit with some great friends here from GA - the boys' mom and I were in grad school together! 

This past weekend we enjoyed Jack and Ella-Kathryn's choir concert.  No pics of Jack though - there is some video, but he's not very happy about the whole thing so I thought I'd leave well enough alone:)

 Last night we headed to downtown Rogers for the Christmas parade.  Daddy rode the BCSO motorcycle so we braved the freezing cold temps (27 degrees when we arrived at 6) to cheer him on.  While we had a great time and the kids filled their candy bags, we did leave early since most of us were losing feeling in our toes and fingers!

Sorry for the scary shot of yours truly:)  It's really hard to take a picture facing yourself while wearing mittens!

Also back in Nov we were able to attend the annual Christmas Toy extravaganza - here in Wal-mart land the vendors break out the latest and greatest toys to show off for the upcoming holiday season.  There were some fun giveaways and Ella-Kathryn had her pic taken with "Barbie" again:)   The little boys were able to see Mater, Lightning, and Fin, although not as up close and personal as originally planned.  Apparently court was still in session at the County Courthouse and since the cars were parked right at the bottom of the courthouse stairs, they couldn't start the engines/honk horns etc:(  Oh well- knowing Will he would've hated all that noise anyway!

So, we are looking forward to Christmas here and in Memphis.  Lots to do between now and then and still trying to keep up with school, so we'll see how I do keeping this updated as well!

Food for Thought

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/dont-delay-your-kindergartners-start.html

I'm linking to this article because I found it so interesting!  Our public school system has applied Aug. 1 as the cutoff date for entering kindergartners.  As such, if we had remained in the system, Will would not begin school until he was about to turn 6. So according to this article/research, we would be doing him a disservice in "red-shirting" him.  Ah, more parental angst - as if I don't have enough to worry about!  I'll tuck this one aside for our future (if we ever return to public school and/or discussions with our friends who are headed into kindergarten) but for the time beginning it was a very thought provoking read.  I am also reading Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman - stunning new scientific research/studies which debunk many of our commonly held parenting beliefs.  Some have been not too shocking, as in kids getting more sleep perform better and have better overall attitudes, but reading about one study including 4th and 6th graders and the difference 30 minutes of "real" sleep can make - truly amazing!  Some of the other chapters, like the one dealing with lying, has given me new insight into handling this issue in our own home.  So, just some food for thought:)

The Big 4!

 This little boy turned 4!  Jeff and I filled his room and his bunk with balloons the night before so he woke up to a decorated room:)  We heard Will and Jack playing with them bright and early thurs. morning!  Then he got to have a birthday cupcake for breakfast - always a fun treat.  We did a family breakfast and then had the grandparents over for a cookout and campfire that night.  He really enjoyed his day and was blessed to receive lots of fun gifts!  I know I sound like a broken record, but I really cannot believe that this boy is 4!  I was reminded by a friends comment on facebook that the day before he was born I had taken a bumpy school bus ride with Jack's kindergarten class to attend a field trip to the county fair.  We also had a picnic at a local park and then walked over a mile back to the school.  Her comment was "I remember the bumpy bus ride that triggered your labor!"  Ha!  I had forgotten, but it's so true:)  I awoke around 5:00 the next morning (a Sat) realizing that my water had broken.  Hours later our sweet William Charles was born.  Here are some things about Will:
*he has such a grateful heart!  He always thanks us for even the simplest of things, which in turn reminds us to have thankful hearts!
*He is really funny - he always makes us laugh, everyday, and it's often not because he was trying to be funny - he just has a way of saying things that crack us up
*He LOVES his siblings - he's really bonding with Jack lately, has always adored his sister, and is finding his groove as a big brother.  He was recently teaching Ryan to read one of the early-reader books he's learned
*He has the most adorable run - seriously, he's got the most determined look on his face and the wackiest way of swinging his arms - let's hope he can out grow this:)
*He has come a LONG way in terms of his temper and outbursts and demonstrates a contrite heart pretty quickly when he's been corrected.  Can't wait to see what God has in store for this very Willful little man:)

 On Fri we were invited to check out a local cave with some other homeschool families.  Originally Jeff was going to hang out with Ryan, but at the last minute he found out he had to attend a class at work, so I ending up bringing all 4.  About half way into the tour, in a cave where you literally are not allowed to touch ANYTHING, I said to another mom, "I really should have my head examined for bringing a 2 year old here!"  When all was said and done though, they all did a great job and Ryan was fantastic!  This was after the tour - notice Will and Jack's identical 'smiles'!

 Will recieved a headlamp from Poppy and during the campfire Will had his on so of course Ryan had to have one too!  Thank goodness Jack let him borrow his or else the whole neighborhood would have heard about it:)  He was making such funny faces trying to get it adjusted just right on his forehead!

 Earlier in the day Jeff set up his new tree stand and of course everyone had to have a turn.  Here's Ryan making another one of his famous silly faces:)

I keep forgetting to post about this too.  About a month ago we took down the crib.  Ryan and Ella-Kathryn sleep together in her bed quite comfortably so I just couldn't see keeping the crib up, taking up so much space in their room, when he wasn't even using it anymore.  But I had to take one more picture of him in it before it went up in the attic.  It was really hard to take it apart, knowing that there would not be any more babies sleeping in it.  I hope to keep it for our kids to use when they have children of their own, or to put up when we keep our grandkids!  I shed a few tears but tried to keep a positive attitude.  I know there are many great adventures ahead of us, without a little baby, and I am enjoying the kids where there at now.  I just know that I am one of those women who will never be done having babies:(  Other moms are able to confidently say, that's it, I know I'm finished - not me!  Jeff, on the other had, can say it with gusto! 

September

Ah, Colorado, how I miss you!!!Jeff and I had an amazing trip - not just the uninterrupted conversations and freedom to eat only a soft pretzel for dinner if we so chose, but also the beauty of the state.  I can definitely see a place for our family there someday:)

We've been back to school for a couple of weeks now and honestly it's been challenging; more so than last year when we were just trying to figure the whole thing out!  Ryan is certainly in a very high maintenance season right now:)  He is demanding, angry, bossy and so often frustrated by his own inability to communicate what he wants, that he takes it out on all of us!  The blessing in all of this is that God has SO been working on my heart - in a huge way. The Holy Spirit is seriously keeping my mouth shut and my heart open.  I have been much more patient and kind with my children.  It is NOT working any miracles with my children, other than I know that  I am not operating out of anger which was manifesting because I felt out of control!  Once God laid it out, that I am not a puppeteer of my kids, it clicked.  Loving discipleship of my children is my job!  Not being a dictator demanding certain behaviors regardless of their hearts and personalities.  So, in my quiet time I've been working on my personal mission statement (it's been great for me to clarify my roles and how I want to live those out) as well as spending time praying and reading the bible.  Finding scripture that helps me define who I am at this stage in my life has opened my eyes to God's purpose for me!  Let me tell you what a big deal this is for me.  All of my life I have struggled to feel significant and like I mattered.  Obviously getting married and having children brought some of that into focus, but at the end of the day it only mattered in terms of who He designed me to be.  His plan for me is the ONLY thing that can give me a lasting, real value. 

OK, so enough of the heavy stuff;)  Here are some funnies I wanted to record for posterity:

*Will didn't want me to cut up his waffle, but the piece was still pretty big and I asked him how he was going to eat it.  He replied, "with my big mouth!"

*Ryan will ask where something/one is and when he gets the answer he'll respond "Oh yeah" or if he asks for something and it's all gone he'll say 'Oh man"

*For some reason there has been a bit of talk around here about dating???   I've been trying to explain what Jeff and I expect about that time in their lives etc.  So Will was asking when he could date and I was reiterating our answers.  He then said that he could go on date when he got married (I'm guessing b/c Jeff and I say we go on dates?) and Jack pipes up, "Well yeah that's b/c you'll have your own woman!"  What in the world????  So Will says "Duh" which I am really not sure where that came from and I tell him "your silly" and he shoots back, "no I'm not, I'm Will!"

That's all she wrote...

August

 The end of July and the month of August are busy, busy for us!  Starting with my bday, we then have my Ryan's, my mil's, Jeff's, Ella-Kathryn's, and then my dad's!  This year of course we missed Ryan's actual bday-day, but I don't think he minded at all since he was being spoiled rotten by Poppy, LaLa, and Gran who were in charge while Jeff and I were out in CO. 
The good news in Ryan's little life is that we've been ear-infection free since June!  We switched to Almond milk and have been going to the Chiropractor regularly.  Whether or not it's those things or just his age, I don't care!  As long as we can NOT get another one of those dang things, I'm thrilled;)  So now that Ryan's 2 here's the low down:
He LOVES his daddy!  More than any of the other kids, he is quite attached to daddy and for that I'm grateful:)  Now don't get me wrong, he's still a momma's boy, but he really does want to go wherever Jeff goes and asks after him constantly.  His go-to answer for just about anything is "no" but we're working on that!  He sleeps through the night, in Sissy's bed - it works for us and she thinks it's fun, for now.  I'm sure we only have another year or so, so we're enjoying it while it lasts.  He still really likes music and will bee-bop to almost anything.  We haven't had our 2-year checkup yet, but I'll post that after we go in Sept.

This little girl is now 7!  Honestly, I know I say this after every birthday, but I simply cannot believe another year has passed!  What in the world??  Ella-Kathryn continues to be  encourager, our cheerleader, but we can now add drama-queen to the mix!  She certainly has mastered the eye roll and smirk (don't know where she learned those:))  and she can sigh with the best of them!  She can be so tender with ther brothers, but watch out if you try to do it your way as opposed to hers!  She officially accepted Christ earlier in the summer, but we're still waiting on daddy to work up the courage to baptize her:)  She continues to be a great student and we're excited to see what this school year will brings.  She is so social, loves her friends and family, but is also content to play on her own.  She such a blessing to me especially, not just as my only girl, but also because she loves to play teacher/mommy to the littles.  She will set up a "pre-school" for them while I'm working with Jack or doing house stuff!  Love her sweet spirit!

This little man started AWANA for the first time last night!  He is also signed up for choir, so after a family meal at the church at 5, he goes to choir at 5:30, then on to Cubbies at 6:30 and we're not finished until 8.  It's a long, late night, but with only a few tears last night, he enjoyed it immensely!  He's already practiced his first verse 20 times today!  He was so excited and really so proud of himself - we are proud too; it's a big achievement for him to participate in both things and while I'm in the building all night (I'm standing in as secretary for the club )and did have to dive under the desk twice so he wouldn't see me, hopefully, as he gets better acclimated I won't have to resort to such ridiculous tactics!
Here's the parting shot: Jeff and I, self-portrait, atop Mt. Evans, one of CO's fourteeners.  CO was such a special trip for us.  Yes a child-free vacay was amazing, but it was just such a sweet time to be together, to have entire conversations - uninterrupted!  It was great for our marriage and while we both missed the kids terribly, we both wish we could do this annually!  Ha!