Bits and pieces from the past MONTH(!)

Has it really been a month since I posted? It feels like I've kept up with the blog because I come to it nearly everyday. . .to check other people's. Sorry to all you faithful followers.(I jest. I think there are about 6 people who regularly read this. But thank you to those who do.) I'll try to make up for my procrastination by including lots of pictures. :)

A word about the new banner picture. I really like the one of Matt and me with the helicopter, but this one with Grandma and Grandpa is so cute I decided to use it this month. Afterall, 35 years ago they brought my wonderful husband into the world, along with his twin sister Melissa. Thanks Mother and Dad. We love you.


Last month the homeschool group went to the Hattiesburg Zoo on a filed trip and picnic afterward. It was a lot of fun, and as usual, I think the train ride and carousel were the biggest hits of the trip with our kids. The playground next to the zoo was a close runner-up. :) As you can see from the picture I took of Cassie and me, she enjoyed herself after I drugged her. Just kidding.

Daddy is Cassie's property. She knows which shirts and socks are his when I'm folding laundry, which seat at the table is his, even which bowl he uses at breakfast. When I'm putting dishes away or setting the table and she sees one of those black cereal bowls, she matter-of-factly tells me "Da-da." She and Daddy have a game they play, invented, and perpetuated, by Cassie. She makes a sound or movement and Daddy copies her. Then she does another one and he copies that one. Repeat ad nauseam. Sometimes Daddy tries to make one up but she ignores that. Here they are playing her game while Daddy is trying to watch sports or something on Netflix.

I've been wanting the kids to have a rope swing and Matt doesn't have much time at home that's not taken up with school-related work (and playing Cassie's game) so I decided to just try it myself. After and hour I successfully got the rope wrapped twice around the oaktree limb. This required dragging an old dresser out of the shed to stand on, tying a heavy piece of metal to one end and flinging it with all my might as hard as I dared (keeping in mind the possible need to duck real fast in case my throwing was off) about a dozen times before I got it up on the VERY HIGH limb and in the right spot. The kids really like it and so far it has held up. I just love looking out the window and seeing them having fun on it. And with the door shut I can't even hear the arguing over whose turn it is to swing. :)

Cassie seems to have a fondness for getting into things, and I don't just mean tupperware and markers (although those are favorites). She likes to sit in this little basket in the big girls' room and look at books. Another favorite spot is a babydoll cradle, and when I'm folding clothes, she's emptying the basket by armfuls into my lap so she can get into the basket. She calls it a "bo" (boat).

Grandpa and Grandma Morris came for a weekend in November and we were all glad to see them. The kids were eager to show them all their new tricks. Cassie looks a bit shocked at what her hi-jackers are using her car for, though.

Camie took this picture of us, and everybody wanted in it. I finally got Lissy and Micah to step aside, and just as Camie took it, Cassie and her bouncy ponytail walked in front of the camera.

I really like this one of tall Grandpa and tiny Cassie. He pushed her around and around the yard in that car and always ended by parking it with the front wheels on the bottom porch step. This became a tradition after two or three times, and on the last round when he failed to do it Cassie babbled and grunted and pointed letting him know the job wasn't finished.

Since Matt has a new car now, the old Chevy truck is just parked in the yard. The kids like play on it and in the back of it. (Note: Micah dresses himself this day. Those are not pink shorts as Matt said they looked like, but faded swimming trunks.)

I love his expression here. Camie is whacking him on the behind, and he disapproves.

"Where's a big, strong Grandpa when you need your car moved?"

I am blessed with two very loving and sweet parents-in-law. Dad is so good to Mother, and I love to see the look on her face when she looks up at him and says "Love you, Gary.'

The heroes of the weekend. Matt had a weekend class so he was gone except at night, so I was thankful for their unplanned visit. It made a weekend that could have been long and hard to get through easy and very enjoyable.

We went to Missouri for Thanksgiving. Every time we go we pass a big fruit stand called Donna's #6 just north of Hattiesburg. I've often wanted to stop but we're usually in a hurry or they're closed. This time Matt surprised us by turning around after we'd gone by and taking us there. Cassie liked the tiny rocking chairs they had on display.

And I had to get a picture of our cute punkins in the pumpkin display. :)
The Thanksgiving meal was held at Matt's sisters Kristy's house. The Day turned out to be cold and rainy (very different from the sunny, 80 degree weather we'd left in Mississippi the day before), but thankfully they have a garage where we, and especially the kids, could sort of get outside. Micah watched the big guys play ping pong for a while and finally told me "I want to play it with Uncle Mike." He finally got to play, and had a blast. Here he's playing with Matt.

Aunt Melissa, pregnant with their fourth blessing was pretty worn out. Abby, her very-nearly-two year old and Cassie (19 months old) ended up taking naps on her lap. It was so sweet. Melissa very often asks me on the phone, "Have you counted your blessings today?", referring to our four kids. I usually stop and feel ashamed as I realized I've not really thought of them that way up till that point. In the busyness of the day I too often notice that they are being fussers or interrupters, but Melissa helps me get back in the right frame of mind. I heard her call them and ours "little blessing" or "blessing number 2" while we were visiting.

Kristy did pretty much all the cooking for the main meal, and Melissa made 5 pies. I stayed around after the meal and helped clean before going back to Melissa's where we were staying, to get kids ready for bed. The food was wonderful, ladies.

Friday evening we went to Kristy's older son's basketball game. Brian is at least as tall as Matt's Dad, and only 16. He must be 6'3" or 4. I know very little about basketball, but I had a good time watching the action of the game, and his team won. Micah wanted to go home to MS and get his basketball shirt, travel back to MO and get out on the court with them. Cassie was content to be in Grandpa's lap, her chosen seat for the weekend.

And lest I forget them before the next post, here are some quotes from our kids:

We were eating cashews and I told the kids to try a bite and see if they liked them. Lissy tasted hers then politely said, "Mamma, I don't like cat shoes."

While in Missouri, Micah got to play Uncle Mike's video game. Mike was pretty impressed with how well Micah was doing with the controller and asked, "He's only 3, right?" Then he asked "When will he be four?" Micah, ready to be included in the men's conversation, answered, "After I'm three."

Camie got to go out to eat at Sonic with Matt and me a few weeks ago. After the meal she was eating her Sonic peppermint and didn't like the taste. "It tastes like some of the workers at Sonic touched it with their hands."

Felicity has had some more good ones, but I don't remember right now what they are. Maybe if I think of them that'll give me the incentive to post again before January. :)

Rose