Playing Outside

Now that it is nice enough to play outside...my time in my basement on my computer is limited.  No more just letting them do things like coloring unsupervised...

Hearing them ask for chocolate cake and then finding this wondering if they made some while you were not looking!!

It took me a moment, but I did realize I was ONLY chewed up crayon!  Why not?  It WAS BROWN like chocolate cake!  Maybe it tastes like it too???

Our mangy mother cat moved her kittens into the garage this morning... I promptly moved them out... she promptly moved them back in.  WHAT IS SHE THINKING!  DOESN'T SHE KNOW WHAT THESE CHILDREN (NOT TO MENTION MY VAN) DO TO THINGS LIKE THIS!?!

Oh yeah, they are cute.  (that is my niece Hallie, with Jadon and Kiahna).

But, so far today I have said these things...

"no, kitties can't jump on the trampoline"

"no, kitties don't like to slide"

"no, don't squeeze, strangle, drop the kitty"

"no, kitties don't like to climb trees (at least not WITH you!)

Throw in a "GET AWAY FROM THE ROAD" and a "DON'T UNPLANT THE FLOWERS!" and you get the drift!

REPLANTING...

I'd better go check on them again!!

Gotta love computers... and cameras...

Not sure why that picture of Lucas was such an odd shape and size... gonna try that again!!

I tried that 3 times yesterday on that post and it kept coming up that funny square shape!  WHO KNOWS!?!?!

So, Lucas is opening his gifts on Sunday morning... Jadon was with me in Ft Wayne last week when we stopped at the used video game store and bought the Star Wars Lego Game Boy Game.  Jadon couldn't stand keeping a secret!  But he did good!  That is until Lucas started opening!  Then he says as Lucas opens the OTHER gift!  Is that the STAR WARS GAME BOY GAME WE GOT YOU???

I'm so glad he's so cute!

Not sure what my carmera's problem was on Friday night, but I had to delete most of the pictures I took, they were all blurry.  What setting was I on??  Look at Jadon in that picture... yes, he moves that fast that you can see right through him!!  LOL!!

Speaking of bad pictures... (at least they are better than those I found in my album yesterday!)  After attending an entire season of Swing Choir Events, I finally took my camera.  (Depending on which family member you asked, we may have been to anywhere between 487984793 and 5 events)  The night I take my camera the group is only partially in good light!  Look how dark James looks!!

Here's the group picture...

Nice lighting huh... not the best for a picture, but AWESOME sound in the Decatur Church of God for their last concert!  Their director Brad Byerly is undergoing surgery this week for cancer.  He has been in treatment most of the school year.  Please keep him in your prayers.  He brings praise and worship music into our public school DAILY in this class!  All that this group does is bring music into churches on Sunday evenings. (oh and have parties after each event! Brad's no dumby!!)

Lucas turns 10... a trip down memory lane...

There are definately some birthday's that are monumental. Turning 10 (or any change of decade for that matter!!!!) Is a BIG deal!! Lucas is my youngest biological child. It's been 10 years since I gave birth!! And I am pretty sure that I am still trying to lose the weight I gained from that pregnancy! (okay maybe I lost that weight and it just found me again!!)

I got out the old photo album this morning to scan in a baby picture of Lucas to share with you all. I found all kids of fun things to show you!! One thing I noticed is that THERE ARE NO PICTURES OF ME WITH BABY LUCAS UNTIL HE IS A WEEK OLD!! What is up with that!?! Lots of Jim and the kids with him, but where am I? Oh yes, on the operating table, recovery room, and recuperating from surgery! All 4 bio kids were delivered by C-Section. THANKFULLY!! Lucas was my biggest (they kept growing larger as we went!), weighing in at 9 lbs 9 oz!!

Here he is!!

That's Rick* in the surgery garb, Zach and James watching, and Dad taking video (hey, we weren't totally incompetent parents! At least we took video!

This is the first picture I found with me in it after Lucas was born! And I am not even holding him!!

And this is where Lucas was at 10 days old. ICU at Lutheran Hospital. He had SVT. Supraventricular Tachycardia, a heart rythym disorder. His body was shutting down and his heart was going at close to 200 beats per minute. After a week in ICU, he had a full recovery and has not had any symptoms since! PRAISE GOD!!

Oh, and this was stuck in the album... Rick and I in high school! My senior year, Sunshine Banquet, so technically Rick was out of school.

I found evidence that my older kids may just have been as messy and into things as my younger two are! Here is some proof...

"Helping" with the dishes? Leah on the stool, Zach on the counter.

James and Zach @ 5 and 2 years old...

Reminds me of this one of Jadon this spring!

Leah a mess in her high chair...

One more from memory lane... Lucas at 3 months old...

Lucas at 10 YEARS OLD!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Lucas!! Mom Loves You!!!!

*not his real name.

Preschool, Mother's Day, and Birthdays... oh my...

Add in a stressed out, too busy mom and life is just grand... uhg!!

Jadon had his last week of preschool last week, it included a muddy picnic and a graduation ceremony...

Not getting too close to the edge of the water, right Jadon??

We were walking around the Bison pen. We came upon these geese. The faster the kids went, the fast the geese went, the faster the kids went, the faster the geese went... there was no need for the parents to exercise again that day after that hike! You can see who's little head is in the lead...

Kite flying...

Chasing Bubbles...

Graduation...

He will go to preschool again next fall... but he graduated anyway!

Lucas will turn 10 on May 18th! We celebrated along with Mother's Day and his cousin Whitney's birthday last weekend. This weekend he will have a few boys overnight here!

Lucas now hold the family record for the dirtiest shirt ever...

I tried not to listen, but it was something to do with 4 wheelers, wagons, and dragging behind in the grass... and he is my calm child...

And, me being the miracle mom that I am! Got that shirt clean enough, I think he could wear it in public once again (because of course it was one of the only new ones I bought him this spring!)!! YEAH ME!

IT'S DONE!!!!!!

IT'S DONE! IT'S DONE!! IT'S DONE!!!!

I am guessing 15 hours? Around 100 Yarn Extension Braids.

The beads are from SNAPAHOLICS, they are the Screaming Deal Multi-Mix.

We also just received a free sample from Steph at SNAPAHOLICS of her homemade body cream "like BUTTAH!" a mix of Kokum Butter, Shea Butter, and Coconut Oil blend. I would highly recommend this cream! Kiahna's skin has never been so soft! It works great on my heals too!! I put it on Jadon tonight too... not sure I like him smelling that good!

Well... all that work on the hair... and my kitchen looks like this...

I should go, I guess and clean that up...

Oh yeah... Jadon did this today...

I let him play with scissors.. yes, I did...

Then he cut the dogs hair... AT LEAST IT WASN'T KIAHNA'S! And it couldn't have been his own!!

Cleaning it up...

What was I thinking?

Well, it is Thursday... and as you can tell I haven't had much computer time this week! Mostly because I have been spending every spare moment braiding Kiahna's hair. Why I have this drive to go overboard I don't know. Why did I think that buying 4000 beads what a good idea? Why did I buy all that construction paper that I just gave to my sister after so many years? Why do I do projects that overwhelm me and are too much?

Kiahna's hair is gorgeous... if I do say so myself! It should be thought...

Saturday I began in the front redoing the braids one at a time and making them smaller, in some places putting 4 braids where there was one... it seemed like a good idea at the time... i don't think I had a clue how long of a process this would be. Saturday I worked on it 3 hours.

Monday it was 4 hours of hair in small increments. The house cleaning and laundry didn't happen!

By Tuesday I needed to take her out in public! And this is what it looked like then... I could take the new and cover the old into a pony tail! WA-LAH! I should have left it go at that!

Is that ONE BIG pony tail or what!

This is what the old stuff underneath was looking like by now...

I worked a couple hours on Tuesday. Four hours on Wednesday. Today I have done 3 hours. I have about 1/8 of her head to go I am estimating and that will take about 2 more hours...

I enjoy this, but this is ridiculous!!

I'll post pictures as soon as it is done! And let's all pray that it lasts 6 weeks!!!

Baseball officially begins!

It's May! Baseball officially started this week, with games Monday night and Wednesday nights. Monday's was rained out after not even an inning was done. The wind chill was in the 30's and they were wet! NOT fun! Last night was a beautiful evening for baseball.

Zach is playing on the Kofax league this year. His team wasn't off to the best start on Monday night, but did win last night! Zach even got a home run! (on a single and 3 errors, but it was a home run!!)

Lucas will begin practicing with his team this Friday.

MY excitement for the season is finding out that the concession stand is selling CAPPUCCINOS and HAMBUGERS this year! When you made most of your meals at the ball diamonds, it is sure nice to have a variety outside of nachos and hot dogs!! WHEW HEW!! Got to celebrate the small stuff!!

So, things are definitely quite busy around here. Besides baseball, there is track still going on, 4-H, voice lessons, counseling appointments, throw in a little homework, and there is the whole eating and sleeping thing that some people highly recommend! AHHH!!!!

I got Jadon a new bike yesterday... He is doing very well and feels very big stuff riding it! I would guess he will be without training wheels by the end of the summer!

And we just love this random stuff don't we... please tell me your children do these strange things...

NOW THE CANDLE AND THE CLOCK ARE EVEN MORE PRETTY THAN THEY WERE BEFORE, DON'T YOU THINK???!!!!

This just makes me laugh! So I had to put it on! No, we don't have wild hogs in Indiana... one of the neighbor's sows got lose! The kids had fun watching it until they got it back in! Little things excite us out here in the country!