Sometimes my sissy and I sleep together

And I think she's just as comfortable as I am.

Slip slidin' away

Summer surprise

After the kids spent a lot of time on the Slip-N-Slide, Daddy came home from the store with a new toy!

Look at me! I'm learning how to smile.

Good times

A long-time-no-see friend stopped by our house yesterday and spent the day reminiscing. Mark, whom Jimmy last saw when Mark was 11 years old (and he was even younger when I knew him), has grown into a fine young man. He is one of seven children in his own family so he fit right in around here, even calming a cranky Peyton with his expertise in babies.

He played several songs for us and he is AMAZING! Currently, he plays for weddings and DJ's receptions for extra money to make ends meet while going to college. But watch for him in the near future as he writes his own songs and performs them, as well as some popular tunes, beautifully.

You can listen to several of his songs by going to this site. Do yourself a favor, go there now and turn up the volume. You'll be proud to say you knew him "when."

"Watch and learn, Grasshopper"

Remember when I mentioned here that my family is going a little crazy for the TV show, Ninja Warrior. Well, to further our little obsession, Keaton and Hayden began Tae Kwon Do classes yesterday.

The rest of us are a little hesitant, but these two are quite confident. Watch out Jackie Chan!

The first picture began seriously:

















In the next picture they started feeling pretty good about their new-found skills:

















Then our goofy little martial-artists hammed it up:

















"Ki Ya!"

Pre-church pretty girls' photo op

Daddy's plane was delayed...TWICE!

And as hards as I tried, I couldn't stay awake until he got home. However, snuggle-sleeping with Keaton's pink blanket in Dad's chair made the wait a little easier.

When my children argue about this, I get tickled...

Mom (feigning concern): "Oh, Peyton. You're diaper really needs changing, doesn't it?"

I watch as three sets of daughter ears perk up and each girl lunges toward said baby with needy diaper.

Reagan (enthusiastic as usual): "I got it!"

Sutton (irritated at Reagan's eagerness): "No, Reagan! I'll do it.
You got to do it last time."

Keaton (always feeling left out): "I wanna help!"

Sutton (frustrated teenager): "Keaton, no. Reagan back up."

Reagan (losing her perky demeanor) "I said I would do it, so stop!"

Sutton: "Reagan, you're being selfish."

Keaton: "What about me?!"


The argument continues until I pick a "winner." (Insert wicked mommy laugh here.)

Under the heading: "Is Nothing Sacred in Our House?"

Keaton (screaming from the kitchen): "Mom! Landon's poopin' in the pantry!"

Landon (quietly from behind pantry door): "No I not."

Keaton: "Yes you are and you're making our food stinky."

Landon (shamefully): "Oh."

We watched as Landon ran by, flying towards Daddy's closet to continues his "job."

Sorry Daddy.

Reason 416 why it's fun being a girl...

...playing dress-up.

My biggest sister makes me smile

Did I mention how much Peyton loves ceiling fans?

As soon as someone picks her up, she throws her head straight back and searches diligently until she spies the fan. She then stares at it for long stretches of time, allowing me to steal hundreds of "neck sugars."

Like her mother, she's easily amused.

Answer: 82 1/2

Question: Number of days left of summer break before everyone goes back to school.

(Maybe I can just sleep through it.)

I'm ashamed to admit it but...

...my family watches this program. It's silly, it's funny and completely addictive. Jimmy tries to mimic the announcers and "busts a gut" when the contestants fall into the murky water. Laughing at him is almost as fun as the action on the TV.

Hopefully, our children will eventually forget our lapse in television-watching judgement. This show is in no way educational but anytime we can get all eight of us in one room laughing simultaneously, priceless memories are being made.

A stinky record

Who: Peyton and still-adjusting-to-all-the-changes Landon

What: Five dirty diapers that soiled two outfits, one pair of socks, a changing pad, a baby blanket and required half a box of wipes and the help of a less-than-thrilled twelve year old sister.

Where: Landon hid out in his "poop spot" (my closet), while Peyton started her messy contribution in the living room and moved to the changing table for three more blustery explosions.

When: Yesterday, in the span of five minutes!

Why: Not positive, but I think they discussed this plan ahead of time just to keep me on my toes and to remind me who's really in charge.

Look Ma! No hands!

Hair twins

In a family of children with light hair and blue eyes, Keaton has been so thrilled to have a sibling with dark hair and brown (we think) eyes. She told me that while I was pregnant she prayed for a baby sister that looked like her. Looks like God filled her order...right side dimple and all.

Man of the house

Yesterday while Peyton was unhappily grunting loudly...

Hayden (sweetly and reassuring to baby sister): "I know you're sad that your Daddy is gone, but your Hayden is here."

Being dethroned

Going from being the baby to not-the-baby all in one day has had some lingering effects for sweet 3 1/2 year old Landon. Those initial gentle kisses and touches he gave to Peyton have since been replaced by not so gentle blows in the face and hard-as-he-can squeezes to her hands, cheeks, and feet.

We are forced to be ever-vigilant as he adjusts to his new position in our family. We know these acting out episodes are normal and we expected some fallout. Regardless of what we knew or expected, it remains very hard to see him struggle. Providing him the extra attention he needs is proving to be quite the challenge for us.

Of course, stealing "neck sugars" from that little boy neck isn't difficult for me to do. In fact, doing so is one of the highlights of my day. I just have to make more time to do so...making both my always-to-be baby boy and me much happier.

The grands are back!

Jimmy left on a trip yesterday so we brought in reinforcements. Granna, Pawpaw, and Aunt Paula came to take turns holding Peyton and playing with the other kids. The plan is for them to stay through Saturday. However, with everyone home for the summer, I'm hoping this "total kid immersion" all day for three days doesn't drive all this good help away sooner.

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they will never cease to be amused

Recently someone I know was applying makeup (my husband calls it "war paint") while looking into a magnifying mirror (very bad idea) when something on my chin (okay, fine, this is all about me) caught my attention.

Upon closer inspection (actually a panic-filled probe) I discovered a hair. There was a hair protruding proudly from my chin! This hair wasn't just lying there as hair on a woman's chin should; rather it was standing alert and proud, waving wildly back at me. And to make matters worse (if that's possible) the hair was gray! What? I'm getting so old that I couldn't even muster a dark-colored hair on my chin?

How is this possible? I only recently celebrated my "milestone" birthday. Should this sort of thing be happening already? And for that matter, what's next? Will I be searching for my spectacles soon? Am I doomed for the little blue-tinted hair color aisle at the grocery store? Will I be trading in my beloved treadmill for a walker long before I'm ready?

I plucked that ugly, wretched whisker with my best tweezers, hoping I pulled it from the deepest follicle. Now I need to decide, should I continue using that magnifying mirror so I can snatch any future (gasp!) beastly chin bristles? Or should I pretend to ignore any more troublesome tufts?

So as I ponder this earth-shattering decision, I will grab my magnifying mirror and do a quick body search since really, who knows where else I might be sprouting these hag-like, errant gray hairs from next? I will pioneer my own plucking frenzy since I don't need anyone pointing them out to me because, frankly, I'm horrified enough.

Things I know now that I'm one month old

The ceiling fans in my house are so cool...I stare at them all of the time.

I love my baths; it's the cold, drying-off part I don't like.

I don't think Mommy likes to get up with me at 2am but I enjoy spending quality time with her.

My daddy's chest is the softest sleeping place I know.

I really like it when Sutton takes me outside.

My brothers are very loud and they kiss me...a lot.

My mommy and daddy always tell me how much they love me.

Keaton sings so pretty when she holds me and I always fall fast asleep.

The wipes warmer is my friend.

Reagan takes very good care of me. She reminds me of my mom.

I rarely have to cry around here because grunting gets me anything I want.

When I am forced to grunt, all of my family members jump up to help me.

I don't like changing my clothes and I really don't like being naked.

My brothers and sisters fight over who gets to hold me next...Mommy says I'm spoiled.

God made sure I went to the perfect family for me. They love me and think I'm really cute. I know I'm going to like it here.

The doughboys

Jimmy and I enjoy watching Food Network; a dangerous activity when you're hungry (which is all the time with me now in a perpetual nursing state). Recently we saw an episode of Everyday Italian with Giada de Laurentiis where she made Italian Donuts. Now, I often remind myself that she can make any recipe, good or not, look delicious simply because she is so beautiful (and thin), but Jimmy really wanted to try this one.

He bought the ingredients and he and the boys cooked breakfast for us. The donuts were quite tasty. The process of cooking them, however, was the true joy as the boys got to participate in just about every step of the process.

If you're interested, the recipe is here. Be mindful, if you want clean clothes and an untarnished kitchen when all is said and done, do it without little boy help. But if dough-eating, sugar-coated finger-licking, flour-wearing boy children (and a Dad) sound appealing...we'll send a couple over to assist.