Happy Birthday Collette!

My sweet girl turned eleven this February. She has maintained her impish personality since toddler-hood. Only now am I starting to see signs of big girl desires and attitudes creeping ever so slowly in. On the horizon adolescence looms, but right now she is still my girl who loves a practical joke, playing with the littles, and running through the park with her friends.

For her birthday, Grandpa Bruce brought up the cousins to play. Poor Collette struggled with a sore throat and general lethargy from an oncoming cold. She spent most of the time watching everyone else have a grand time playing. However, true to form, she held up admirably for she did not want anyone to know just how poorly she felt. After cake and presents, she fell exhausted into bed. 

Two days later, on her official birthday, we had gravy for every meal- bacon gravy, chicken gravy, and beef gravy! Collette does love her gravy and it is amazing that one really can have gravy morning, noon, and evening. She also requested a nut-less gf carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (and no gravy.)  I drew her annual birthday card and decorated the cake to complement. Those are dandelion birthday wishes around the rim of the cake. Collette wanted a surprise so I had a grand afternoon creating with frosting. She loved every bit of it and was so sweetly thankful. For presents, she received two Calico Critter play sets and stylish denim dress. She was a happy girl!

Collette Right Now

1. She smiles big and laughs unabashedly.

2. Caring for little ones is her specialty. Collette has a real gift when it comes to wrangling temperamental toddlers. Like the Mary Poppins, tears are forgotten, the room is cleaned, and everyone thinks they have just played a game when 'Lettie is in charge. Oh, she is such a gift to me and all her siblings!

3. She prefers to wear her ponytails and bangs swept to the side.

4. Fashionable clothes definitely intrigue her and shopping is something of which she'd like to do more.

5. She loves to set up elaborate worlds for the bunnies and raccoons from Calico Critters. The whole playroom floor is often transformed into a miniature wooded land.

6. She has the gift of organization which she uses sporadically. While she can carefully organize all the play food by type, color, and location, it is often easier to just shove it under the fridge. 

7. She can have a fiery temper and strong sense of justice. This is tempered with her desire to keep peace even when it means self sacrifice.

8. Whole days can slide by while listening to books on tape.

Happy Birthday, my love

I don't know what I would do without you!

Happy Birthday Dominic!

My dear Dominic turned 6 this past December. 

He's a big kindergartner now that seem to be soaking up all he can despite my inconsistent time spent teaching. He doesn't seem to mind. Instead he keeps busy reading books, playing cars with his brother, and jump, jump, jumping on the trampoline. 

When I asked him what he wanted to eat to his special day, he had only one request: In-N-Out Burger. Goodness, even this sleep deprived mama could do that! We spent the day playing at the park with his friends and then headed over to the local restaurant to eat. Everyone treated him so kindly. No one seemed to mind the enormous family coming in to celebrate with burgers, fries, shakes, cupcakes, and presents. Collette made him that adorable monster who now helps him to read through his flashcards.

Dominic Right Now

1. He lost all four of his upper teeth within the span of two weeks. He now has two enormous uppers taking up all that room. I definitely see braces in his future!

2. He has an amazing memory. Poems, prayers, songs, and dinosaur facts all stick with the greatest of ease. It is humbling to try and do memory work with him because he can memorize most topics within a try or two. 

3. Lots of hugs and kisses are mandatory punctuation points to his day. This boys absolutely needs them! The best part is that he doesn't sulk if he hasn't had his daily requirements, he just comes over and gets one or two or three hugs to fill up his love tank again.

4. He is sensitive. Hurtful words, rambunctious brothers, and gentle teasing bring him to tears instantly. He tries so hard to wipe away those tears and stifle the sobs, but it is hard work.

5. Reading is coming along easily. He loves to spend short snippets of his day doing official school work and the rest of the time looking through countless books in the home library.

6. Upstairs is scary unless a brother is willing to come along.

7. Taley, his little blond neighbor friend, has a magical ability to turn a ho-hum day into something super exciting. He can't wait to play with her everyday.

8. He loves Kolbe fiercely and wants to make sure that I know he is 'a keeper.'

9. Routine means everything to him. He must know that Dinosaur Train begins after 11am, Wednesday breakfast is frittata, and his blue will be folded into a 'taco' each night for him to snuggle into.

Happy Birthday Dominic

I love you so much!

Happy Birthday Olivia

Olivia is Fifteen!

1. She is almost 6' 2" which has volleyball coaches eyeing her enviously.

2. She still loves the beach and wants to swim and body surf all summer long.

3. School is much more interesting this year as she plows through Latin, astronomy, geometry, and an intense classical ancient history program.

4. Handwriting and spelling are still her nemesis.

5. She has started researching what needs to be accomplished so she can drive and get into college. (TAC is her favorite.) How in the world did we get to this point?

6. She loves routine - predicable tasty meals, school & work schedules, and time with friends keep her happy.

7. Kolbe and Marie Claire have captured her heart.

8. Researching parrots while grappling with her crazy lovebird, is her passion.

9. She inhales books. I keep finding new ones added to the Kindle account.

10. Her favorite evening is one spent watching a movie and eating mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I love you Olivia!

You are my favorite guinea pig!

Happy, Happy Birthday 

(belated, of course)

Please Welcome...

Born Friday, October 18th

Seven Pounds & Fourteen Ounces

Twenty Inches

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Deo Gratias

Happy Birthday, Xavier

Well, this baby is due any day now. My to-do list is quite long and somehow I don't think I am going be crossing it all off. However, birthdays must be remembered with joy especially when we have such a joyous occasion which to look forward. Thus, here is my Xavier from way back in August. He is four and he'll tell anyone, anywhere, anytime how old he is with a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smile on his face.

Xavier had a little family party complete with cupcakes, presents, and rides on the zip line. He requested the cupcakes so I suggested gf brownie ice cream creations with chocolate ganache and fresh whipped cream. Mmmm, yum! However, they were so messy!

After presents, the big kids settled in for an uproarious game of cards while the little ones ran down slope to zip between the trees. Dominic is the only one who can ride from the platform and across the clearing. Xavier and Marie Claire like to be hauled up just a little ways and then let go. That is still plenty of thrill for them. 

The picture of Marie with the big pink balloon is actually her with my belly. As that was two and a half months ago, I laugh to think that I couldn't even take the photo now. She would be completely hidden beneath it!

Xavier Now

1. He is such an outgoing and social boy. He'll chat with anyone. Chat, heck, he'll talk their ear off. One difficulty is that they may not understand him very well as he still has that mumbled toddler pronunciation. We have to bring in the interpreters.

2. Xavier has boundless energy for running and throwing himself at couches and brothers. 

3. He wants to be included in everything for at least a couple of minutes.

4. Footie jammies with glow in the dark dinosaurs absolutely delight him.

5. He must must must be with Dominic at all times.

6. He loves Grandma Ricky with a passion.

7. Drawing is still frustrating, but the idea of school is intriguing.

8. He offers up very sincere and sweet apologies right after he has purposefully throw your toy off the balcony.

9. He is enchanting to watch romp through his day, smiling always.

10. Yes, he still wears the red helmet, but not as much. I think those days are sadly behind us.

Happy Fourth Birthday, my Xavier boy!

I love you!

Happy Birthday, Marie Claire

Marie is two!

So much has changed in the last year. She has gone from a quiet bald baby teetering around the house to a rambunctious talkative toddler who wants to do everything 'the boys' do even if that is chucking herself off the end of beds in an attempt to fly onto one of the pillows.

Here's a quick look back over the past twelve months of baby joy.

Since Marie is still gluten free, we had a gf cookie pizza for her birthday. Even though she didn't know that this was what she wanted, she enjoyed it tremendously. How can one not like sugar cookie spread with cream cheese frosting, topped with cut fruit, and drizzled with melted chocolate. Ooo, that was sweet! As you can see, by the end of a full day of playing and swimming and eating forkfuls of sugar, she had had enough and threw herself on the floor for a good cry. Two is rough.

Marie Claire Right Now

1. Her skin is amazing. I finally, finally took her in to see an allergist who said she has no allergies and prescribed super strength steroid cream. While I did not want to cover her prescription medications, she is so much happier now that she is not bleeding from all the scratching. We also made the decision to keep her gf because we witness a tremendous difference in behavior when she is exposed. Two days of crying tantrums and tummy aches are not worth a bowl of pasta. I don't care what the prick test says.

2. She can climb out of the crib. Yes, that now means midnight visits from stealthy little feet. I have trouble getting mad though, because she is so darn cute.

3. She talks continuously- complete thoughts in a soft squeaky voice toddler voice. Oh, how I love toddler voices.

4. She loves to see pictures of herself especially in hats.

5. She has boundless energy. This translates into lots of bouncing, jumping, and running. 

6. She loves to color, thank goodness. I don't don't know how we would homeschool without a pack of little squeeker markers and a stack of scratch paper.

7. She has decided that almost all fruits and vegetables are yucky. Sigh. 

8. She loves the boys and runs with joy when Daddy comes home. 

I absolutely love toddlers. I love the high highs and the crazy lows. I love the sense of wonder and joy that permeates their very existence. I love the abandon with which they give hugs and kisses. 

I do love love you!

Happy Birthday, Marie Claire

Happy Birthday Gracie

It has been quite a summer. As my stomach has rounded out with our newest addition, older children have kept getting, well, older and taller and stronger and and and... Always more. Always good, hopefully. :-)

Grace turned eight this past June. I am still trying to remember that she is getting to be a big girl now and is not the tired little pumpkin who fell asleep in odd places at the drop of the hat nor the little one  who spent large chunks of her afternoon petting the dog.  No, now she is a happy big eight.

Grace Right Now

1. She is turning into a voracious reader. 

There is constantly a stack of books on, beside, and under her bed.

2. Her favorite books are from the American Girl historical series.

3. She loves to draw pictures of princesses and animals.

4. When she is off with friends, she is chatty and active. When she is home, she is quiet and sensitive.

5. She loves to match her clothes by color from head to toe.

6. She would prefer not to make her bed or dry the dishes.

7. She has discovered the joy of telling jokes.

8. She is tenaciously pursuing the goal of ten pull-ups without stopping. I think Daddy has promised a prize to anyone who can do that and I do believe she will win!

Happy Birthday, my love!

Quinton is Thirteen!

My dear Quinton has been waiting for quite some time for his birthday pictures. For boy of thirteen, he is patient and kind, only reminding every once in awhile. So, for my big boy...

Quinton Right Now

He's almost as tall as me and his feet are bigger

He loves to read fantasy novels about dragons and magic

He serves at Mass every Sunday with absolute devotion

He was promoted to incense swinger for Easter (The Thurifer)

He builds elaborate Lego space ships and lets the little boys join in

He climbs to the top of ridiculously tall trees and gives his mother a heart attack

He has decided to give Boy Scouts another try

He flies through math with ease and loves to read, but could really care less about the rest of it

He'd play video games and watch movies far more than permitted

His heart is big and his soul is sensitive

Yet he finds it endlessly amusing to poke his sisters

He loves to run and play with the other big boys and needs more time to do it

He loves to snuggle with me and box with Stephen

He loves to eat casseroles

He can't wait for baby #8 to arrive in the Autumn

For his birthday, we headed off to the Safari Park in San Diego. 

His favorite part? The tram ride, of course!

Happy Birthday, Quinton

Thirteen is a whole new world!

We love you!

A Birthday Bonanza

Three of my lovelies have had birthday over my blogging hiatus. Each has gently inquired, "But Mom, where are my pictures?" Where indeed? Thus, without further excuse or procrastination, I give you Olivia, Dominic, and Collette.

Olivia is 14
Fourteen, really? Really? How does that happen? Stephen is teaching her drive the little car around and around the ranch while I patiently wait at home for the tales of triumph. Marie Claire adores her and everyone else is so pleased when she grants them a smile. High school has been quite an adjustment, but I think she is getting the hang of it now. The tears have generally vanished and she is back to romping around the property now and again, reading in front of the fire, training her lovebird, Misty, and playing chess with a friend far away. She spins tales of grand Roxaboxen buildings and diligently works for different families every week. My blue-eyed girl, you may be taller than me now, but I am still bigger! Happy very belated birthday. I love you!

I asked her to show me her baby blues. :-)

Dominic is 5

This is absolutely one of the most cuddliest, snuggliest, talkative children around. He reminds me constantly of the his great love with lots of hugs and kisses. I love it all! For his fifth birthday we headed off to the San Diego Zoo. Apparently, it is now tradition for five-year-old boys to go to the zoo and wear the lion shirt. Quinton did the same! Grandpa joined us for a perfect day. Really, the weather was gorgeous, the crowds were sparse, and the company was grand. After a day of romping around with the animals, we sat to eat lion cupcakes. Unfortunately, the camera battery died pretty much immediately so I only have a few pictures of monkeys and not my own. Thank goodness, I have Dominic to tell me stories and keep the memories alive. He is already planning his sixth birthday, oh my. Happy Birthday, Dominic!

Collette is 10

My sweet Collette, you are my fairy child. Somehow you always know just what to say to quiet crying babies, encourage toddlers to tidy up, and play games with sisters and friends who simply have no idea what to do. Your gift is precious indeed; use your powers for good! This year you received a stack of books and a real American Girl doll for your birthday. The joy on your face was precious for you had been waiting so patiently and hopefully for a real AG doll. Read and play and enjoy, my love. Happy Birthday!