THE Question

Matt was teasing the kids, saying he was going to nap in the baby bed. He stayed there while I got Camie down for nap, and when I returned, he had really fallen asleep. I warned him that if he did, I'd have to take a picture and post it here, to which he said he didn't care. So here's my sweet baby. It looks white becasuse I had to use night shot in the dark room. Now you know what to use at your house for an extra bed when guests come. :)

Nearly every night after the girls' light is turned out for bedtime, Camie has at least one last (trivial) thing to say. Tonight was no different, though the question was a little different from the usual "tomorrow can we go to . . ." or "Would you tell Daddy I said . . ." I switched the light on and sort of irritably asked "What?" She asked,"How do babies get out of their mamma's tummies?" Oh, no. I've been expecting (ha! good pun!) that one, and even have a book ready on my bookcase written for children to discreetly answer that. Tonight I just told her it was kind of complicated but we could read about it another day. "Maybe early in the morning right after you wake up?" :)

It's been a week since I posted any news or pictures, so this might be a big post this time. For starters, here are a few more quotes:

"Sometimes my bock won't pack. I mean my pot won't bap. I can't say the right words!" (and those would be: my back won't pop.)--Camie

Robin Noodles(Ramen noodles)--they all say this

Daddy-long- spider (granddaddy long legs)--Lissy

"Junip Marlangly. That's sign language for help or please." --Camie

Matt and I are trying to teach them to add "please" to their requests. At breakfast Lissy asked, "May I have more grits?" I looked at her and gestured for her to finish the phrase. She just looked at me blankly, so I asked, "And what's that last word?" She was quiet for few seconds, and then no doubt just to be goofy Lissy suddenly answered "Boo!" I laughed pretty hard, so "May I have some more, Boo!?" became the phrase of the morning. :)

And what does a mom of four do to entertain and pass the time when Daddy's at a 2 and half hour meeting in the evening? Why, swat flies that are attracted to a rolled-up, smelly diaper on the porch of course. I could've just taken it right out to the trash in the shed, but the kids and I had more fun with the sport of fly-hunting. Then I turned into Circus Announcer while the kids sat in little chairs a little distance from the show-ring and watched my performances. We laughed and acted silly, managing to while away about 30 humid minutes. Micah kept yelling, "Dare he is!" and pointed to ones I'd already killed. So helpful. :)

The lastest news in the Morris home is that Matt is planning on going back to school, taking night classes. He wants to be a highschool teacher, for several reasons. Since he's working with youth, if that's something the Lord will have him continue doing for a few more years, he'll be in a job where he's with them during the day. Right now he takes lunch sometimes and goes up to the school to try to spend some time with them. Also, besides the pay starting out better than what he makes now as a mechanic, he'd get holidays off, two months off in the summer, retirement, health benefits. So, if we can endure the four-year road of night classes a few times a month, along with his John Deere job and youth minister work, Lord willing he'll be certified to teach. He's excited, and I'm starting to be less overwhelmed by the idea. Pray with us for grace as our schedule gets even fuller.

The kids wanted to paint one day, so I found three scraps of wood in the shed, and set their painting areas up outside. (The foggy look is because the camera had been in a nice, cool house, and outside it was very hot and humid, thus fogging the camera lens.)

Saturday before Father's Day Matt surprised us by not going to work and took us all to Brushy Creek. It was so fun! Here's a very bad picture of me, but Matt and the older girls were down in the creek while Micah and I were up on the bank with Cassie for a few minutes. This is the best I could do with the camera at arm's length.

Cassie slept pretty much the whole time. She really liked being outside in the shade with the breeze blowing. That little portable bed with a zip-up net top was wonderful for keeping bugs off of her.

Lissy and Camie would float downstream over a barely fast current to Matt.

I have more pictures to post, but Blogger doesn't work like it used to for some reason. It's hard to get the pictures where I want them in the post. I'll try to get them on here soon, but figured I'd better get this posted before it's too outdated. (It's already a day later than when I started it.)

Camie's World

I went in the older girls' room this morning and saw that Camie had been packing. She loves doing this. Sometimes it's toys to be moved from one room to another (groan) or organizing things into cardboard boxes I've tried to throw away and she's salvaged. This morning it was all her shortsleeved shirts and a few shorts packed into a little suitcase and a small purse. Reminding myself it wasn't a big deal and to just relax, I asked her why she was packing. "I thought we might go to Aunt Jessica's and Uncle Matt's [my brother and his wife who live 2 minutes from us]. . .for a few weeks." Guess I need to give them a heads-up. :)

Last night at church I was sitting in the nursery feeding Cassie while the others played. Camie had some baby dolls in a toy stroller. When she started walking, she did this spread-leg waddle like a really fat person. Then I recognized it. It was my pregnancy waddle! I laughed and asked if she was walking like that because I used to. "Yes," was her sheepish answer. Matt used to call me Mamma Duck, but I couldn't help it. I tried once to walk normally but it was too much work. Now, thank the Lord, my hips aren't in pain and I can even run up the stairs when I feel the urge.

Oops, forgot to include these

Cassie Hope--8 weeks

Bored?

Happy times are here again.

This what I found Micah doing while the older girls and I were outside weeding. Smart kid. :)

This is often what happens when I'm at the computer. She'll be fussy and restless until I sway her back and forth on my knees. At least I get a little computer time this way.

Learning to speak Childese

With three preschoolers in the house there are plenty of mispronunciations throughout the day. Here are a few I heard today. Some I'm so used to hearing they sound right. For instance, I have a friend named Loria, whom Camie calls Mrs. Gloria. After hearing her say it so many times and correcting her, one day she got it right, and before I knew what I was saying I said, "No, it Mrs. Gloria. As Mom likes to quote:Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids.
So here they are:

"boo-fi tul" (beautiful)--Lissy

"Terriful"(terrible) --Camie

"Washmouth"(mouthwash)--Camie

Singing Victory in Jesus: "He punched me to victory . . "--Lissy

"For God so loved the world, He gave His only forgotten Son. . ."--Camie

I was trying to teach Micah what beside, under, on, and in meant at the table during lunch. I put a bit of bread in his hand and said, "This is in you hand." Then I flipped his hand over and did on, etc. To prove he'd learned it, he would copy me and say, "Dis is my in hand. Dis is my side hand. Dis is my on hand. Dis is my under hand."
He calls Felicity Marie Dittee Wee, which I think is terrifully cute. :) We don't use her middle name except under certain circumstances familiar to all parents, so it's funny to me that he refers to her that way regularly. That's okay. When she was learning to talk she called him Man, because we called him Micah Man. We'd try to coax her into saying Micah, and she'd reply "Man."

And I may have already put this in another post, but we have a cat (named by Camie) called Flopsy Cottontail. She's all black with no tail. Matt calls her Flopsy Rottentail which makes more sense, like her tail rotted off. Anyway, Lissy thinks Daddy's version is the right name, and even shortens the name to "Wottentail." And yes, I'm so used to hearing it that at first I typed it like that. Insanity.

PS--Spellcheck had blast with this post. :)

Part of this complete breakfast. . .

Cassie slept well last night (9 hours), which resulted in my getting EIGHT hours of sleep. Camie woke me up at 2 am because her ear hurt, but I was back in bed and asleep again within a few minutes of tending to her.

However, the other day my brain was not doing so well because I had not had much rest. Lissy was in the kitchen and I saw her sneaking something to eat. I asked her what it was and she said cake. I knew I had thrown all of it in the trash because it was dried out, and told her don't eat out of the trashcan. It turned out she meant to say muffins, which were fresh and on the stove. During all this Micah was outside beating on the front door and crying to be let in. In my brain-dead state I looked at my three year old girl and said, "Lissy, go eat the trashcan." What I meant to say was "Go open the door for Micah". But I had just used the words "eat" and "trashcan" seconds before and that's all my brain could come up with. I've never done anything quite like that, being so sure I was saying one thing and something so totally different coming out. :)

Matt was coming up with endearing(?) things to say to me while we were watching a movie while I was crunching away on an apple. These are the ones I remember:
"You're the seed in my apple."
"You're the core in my pear."

And my favorite:
"You're the skin on my kiwi."
Hmm. I'll take what I can get. :) I dont' really mind these type of sayings he comes up with. I think they're pretty funny. Sort of like bad poetry done on purpose. Of course when I laugh at them he gets inspired to do more.

Goodnight. I need to go to bed and try see if I can get close to my record 8-hours again. Going to sleep is so exciting. Sort of like a gamble, wondering how much sleep I'll get tonight. :) I praise the Lord Cassie is the best sleeper at this age (from week 1, really) we've had so far. Most night she sleeps 6-8,and I get 4-6 of those.

Phillip Jones

My sister Sara had her baby boy Monday. Check out her blog for pictures! (See side bar for her site.) Congratulations Sara and Darren on such a handsome little man.

Technical Difficulties

There is a new post below "Camie and Confession". I had started it Tuesday and after I finished it today, it still posted it with the original date. Not only that, I accidentally deleted several paragraphs. Sigh. Computers; I love them. I love them not. I love them. . . .

Camie and Confession

Buddy and Micah (15 months), June 2008

Matt just told me he went out on the porch and Camie was sitting in the kids' little porch swing with Buddy the dog beside her. She told Matt that Buddy had prayed and asked the Lord to forgive him for not doing what he should do. Matt noticed her little New Testament in her hand and asked if she had been preaching to him. "No," she told him, "I'm just doing a little reading." I need to ask her what Buddy prayed. That could be interesting. And Matt said Buddy was just happily sitting next to her waiting to be petted. No doubt he was just thrilled to get some attention. I might need to warn her that his prayer may not have been sincere. :)

PS-I asked Camie what he prayed. She said he couldn't talk so she did it for him, and that it was for biting people.

A Father's Wisdom

Micah, a week or so ago. I was trying out the natural light that comes through the bathroom window onto the stairs.



These two pictures of Cassie (7 weeks old) were taken this afternoon (which is actually Sunday, June 6). She had been making goofy grins, but of course stopped by the time I got the camera pointed at her.

10 lbs. 4 oz.

May 29, Cassie 5 weeks

We went on a picnic lunch to the Lucedale Greenway that winds through a swamp at the edge of town . The kids love running on this very long walkway, especially getting near the unrailed edge and causing Mamma to lunge. Climbing on the rail and peeking over gets the same reactions. :)






Last night the kids weren't too eager to finish their supper. Matt was making rounds at the table making sure everyone was eating and swallowing. He told Camie to hurry up. "I feel like I might throw up," she complained. With true Daddy wisdom, he said flippantly, "You can throw up later. Right now you need to eat." I'm glad I was upstairs where I could laugh all I wanted without the kids seeing me. (Not only did she finish her food and not throw up, she ate two more crescent rolls, and marshmallows. Nobody outsmarts a Daddy.) :)