More Cassie sayings, and Celebrating 100

I trimmed Camie's bangs the other night and was once again surprised at how much less irritated I get when I am not distracted by hair hanging over her eyes when we are talking. It's like the sun coming out from behind the clouds to be able to see those bright eyes and sweet face.
Cassie also noticed the trim. "Camie, did you have a shortcut?" she asked. After a few seconds I realized she meant haircut.

Today the kids were drawing pictures and Cassie came to Felicity's chair and asked if she would draw her handful. I was stumped for a moment and realized she meant handprint. Life with a very verbal 2 1/2 year old can be perplexing, but hilarious.  It's especially cute when she realizes she's said the wrong word. She'll laugh her deep little laugh and say, "Not (whatever word she came up with)!" Our fourth-born definitely seems to be our clown.
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We celebrated 100 days of school today and will do more things related to that tomorrow. No, I didn't say we've been doing school for 100 days, I said we celebrated it. Last fall I made up a chart where the intiention was that each school day we would mark off a day until we reached 100, then we would have a fun day of activiites and such related to the number 100. Well, we kept forgetting about the chart. All except Felicity. She kept bugging  reminding me about it,  even more so the last few weeks now. I'd already planned to take off school next week, and our schedule this week was messed up a little bit, so we weren't doing much school. A lightbulb went off in my head when I was trying to figure out how to fill in the last few days of the week. I found lots of ideas online and came up with one or two of my own, and we finally get to celebrate our 100 (+) days of school. They loved it. We read Psalm 100, graphed 100 m&m's by color, made a trailmix of 10 pcs. each of 10 different items so each kid ended up with 100 items in their bags (they loved this--well Cassie had about 30 in her bag. She ate the rest as I gave them to her.), we took a walk to check the mail and eat the trailmix, then did some exercises. We did 10 each of 10 different things such as jump up and down, clap, stomp, wiggle all over, and their very favorite, booty shakes. They thought it was hilarious that Mamma was out in the yard shaking with them. That might be the highlight of the day for them. ;)

 After lunch we each listed on a big poster 5 things we like, then did it again after supper, for a total of 50 things today. Tomorrow we'll do it again. So far the list includes candy, Daddy and Mamma, video games, Polly Pocket, blankies, pink, trampoline, pets, plates, to name a few. In the afternoon we talked about 100 pennies =100 cents, being the same as $1.00. I gave them each a dollar bill and took them to Dollar Tree to pick out a toy.

For tomorrow I have planned to read Psalm 100 again, let them draw a portrait of themselves showing how they'll look when they're 100 years old, play the board game Uncle Wiggly (it counts to 100--I am not looking forward to this very much. Games usually result in tears and hurt feelings and Mamma getting irritated because Cassie keeps talking and bumping the pieces. I'm going to try to be a good girl tomorrow, though, and not yell. At least if I do I guess I should do it 100 times.), make necklaces by stringing 100 fruitloops on a length of yarn, make mosaics from 100 small squares of pre-cut paper (I'm not a dummy. I can't cut and  keep count while listening to "Look at my picture, Mamma", 100 times), and use 100 stickers (yes, those are already counted out too) to stick on an outline of "100".

It feels good not to have this hanging over me making me feel like a failure for starting yet another project and letting it fall by the wayside. Thankfully my kids don't have a good perception of time yet, so they have no idea how far past 100 days of school we've come since last fall. :) All they know is that we get to do tons of fun things for two days and call it school.

Camie is coughing in her sleep, so I need to go tend to her before her cough-count reaches 100. :)
~Rose

That Cassie-Girl

Cassie charms, and sometimes baffles, us with the things she says. One of her latest cute lines popped out when the kids were talking about how old they are. Cassie announced, "I'm half and a two."
She often has trouble getting the words out that she's trying to say. She'll make two or three attempts, then in frustration say, "I can't say it!", or sometimes she'll look at me and ask, "Will you say it?" There are times when I am clueless as to what she's wanting to tell me, so I'm not much help.

The "y" sound is not a part of her alphabet (or her "a-b-cd's" as she calls them). She uses "w" in it's place and I think it's terribly cute. If she thinks something is gross: "Dat's wucky". When asked if she'd like a snack, "Wes, I do!" But when she wants to say "you" or "yours" it comes out "ooo" and "ers".

She was playing with a little black babydoll we have and I asked what it's name was. She told me, "Micah." The real Micah didn't like his name being used on a doll and he protested, but she wouldn't change it. Not even when I dressed it in white and pink pajamas. Later tonight I was cuddling her and said, "Look, Daddy. We have a newborn baby. What's your name, baby?" She grinned and said, "Micah". He is her hero. Many days she will ask me if her name is "Micah Dames". I tell her we can pretend it is, and she grins and agrees. She loves it when I call her Micah James while she's helping me with stuff.

A few weeks ago one of the kids was being quite a complainer so Matt told that one to name 3 things they were grateful for. Already in a bad mood and ready for more complaints, it took quite a while to get those three things listed. In the meantime, the other three were chiming in with their answers. Cassie would say, "I'm thank you for...."

We are thank you for our 4 kids, and the continual wackiness and fun they bring. :)
Rose

Twue Wuv

Ten years ago on October 19 Matt and I were married. Tonight I looked through old photos of the past 10 years and took pictures of pictures (I don't think our printer scans) to post here. The quality isn't great, and we look a little flat in some of them, but I wanted to show us on our wedding day, on each anniversary when we took a picture, and for those years when we forgot to take one, I used one taken at some point that year. 

Happy anniversary to my best friend, Matt. I love you and all our wonderful babies. Thank you for marrying me and being so irresistible. 

October 19, 2001
Our wedding day
Palestine Gardens, Lucedale, MS

2002, 1st anniversary,
Navarre Beach, FL.
 We brought the cake topper from our wedding cake. We should have taken a picture of us spitting it out right after that first taste. It was awful after one year in the freezer.

2003, 2nd anniversary
 the sidewalk to our apartment, Lucedale
 I set up the archway for our anniversary and we celebrated at home that year. I was 5 months pregnant with Camie.

2004,  3rd anniversary
Pointe Clear, AL
My sister-in-law watched Camie for the day while we went out to nearby Fairhope and Pointe Clear.

My sweetie chilling on a swing at the fudge shop in Point Clear, AL.

2005, 4th anniversary
Our living room at the log house, Lucedale
I was 7  months pregnant with Felicity. Matt surprised me with all kinds of gifts for  our anniversary. I had just opened my eyes here, after being led down the stairs from our room where I'd been sent while he got it all set up.

2006, 5th anniversary
Gatewood, MO
I was 5 months pregnant with Micah  on this trip. We spent our anniversary at Matt's  parents' home in  MO. One afternoon we went four-wheeler riding with his sister Melissa and her husband Mike and their little girl. (Melissa is about 2 months pregnant with their second daughter here. We have kept the grandparents well supplied with babies over the past 7 years.)

2007, 6th anniversary (although the picture was taken February 2007 Camie 3, Micah, just weeks old, and Felicity 14 months)
Living room at the log house, Lucedale
 I think we might have gone out to a movie and dinner that year. No photo, so not sure.

2008, 7th anniversary (picture taken earlier that year.)

We spent our anniversary at the beach in Pensacola, FL, but  took only 3 or 4 pictures, and I'm the only one in them. This is a picture I made in the sand with our footprints and shells. I was 3 months pregnant with Cassie on this trip.

2009, 8th anniversary
picture taken in our yard
We must've gone out for just an evening again that year. In November we spent  a week  in  WI at an indoor water park with our family and Matt's sister Kristy's family. Lot's of fun. 

2010, 9th anniversary
Defuniak Springs, FL and Enterprise AL
We stayed at  a bed and breakfast in FL for two nights and I  suprised Matt with a heliciopter  ride for the two of us one afternoon. Three days with just the two of us was wonderful.



2011, 10th anniversary (picture taken in May)
Spending it at home because he won't have a break from school until the beginning of November.
but making plans for a trip then. Woohoo! I can't wait! And I'll be 4 months pregnant on this trip. ;)

To brag on my man:

He called from Walmart tonight on his way home from class and I asked him to get me something to eat. I said I wanted something really meaty but not greasy, and already cooked so I could eat it fast. "Can you find something with only that to go by?"

 I started to suggest a roast beef and gravy I've seen and even thought of a subway-type sandwich, but just left it up to him. When he came home he brought me two things to choose from:   1)the roast beef and gravy (that I've never bought before, so how did he know I was thinking of that?), and 2) a 3-meat subway-type club sandwich. That man is good to his pregnant wife. :)

And for my anniversary gift: a poster-size print of one of our wedding pictures. I've been wanting a large print of our wedding picture and had even considered as a gift to him/us having our picture taken professionally this year and framed nicely. He beat me to it though. Okay, I'm through gushing over this man I'm very much in love with. 

~~Rose

Boys

Tonight Micah was taking a bath. I've been working on  3 basic bathtime routines with all the kids: scrub, pick up dirty clothes, hang up bath towel when done. I asked Micah, "Now what is it that you do in the tub?" He looked blankly at me for a couple of seconds then said, "I don't know."
I reminded him, a little exasperated, "Scruuuuub."
"Ohhhhhhh," he responded, as if it was something he'd just begun learning.
After bath time I asked if he remembered to do the other two things. He answered," I didn't need a towel, 'cause I just ran to my room naked." And that means he put his fleecy pajamas on his little wet body. Ugh.

Underwear and baths are such inconveniences for little boys.

At bedtime he found some wind-breaker pants I'd dug out of a box of next-size-up clothes. He came in the girls' room where I was and asked, "Are these my new swimming pants?"


~~Rose

From the mind of Camie.....

I came home from town today with many needed items, one of which was a box of trashbags for the kitchen trashcan. Camie said they had taken the full trashbag out while I was gone and didn't have one to replace it, so she made a note and taped it to the trashcan. She told me it said don't put trash in the trashcan. I found the note a while later. Reading and spelling are a struggle for her, so it'll take some deciphering:

SOP (Stop)
Doo  not poot thash in the thashckcn. (Do not put trash in the trashcan.)

To help the (other) non-readers in the family she drew a picture of the trashcan.

Normally I avoid any jokes about passing gas, but this time I couldn't help but laugh at her note and then tell her what she really wrote. Of course, all 3 big kids thought it was hilarious, even more so that Mama was laughing with them.

Later we were talking about babysitters. She asked why I hadn't asked one of the moms from church (who has a teenage daughter) to babysit them and I explained that grown-up, married ladies like to be home with their husbands in the evenings, but teenage girls don't really have home responsibilities like a married lady does, so babysitting is fun for them. They get to play with kids and earn money. Camie said, "Yeah. 'Cause then they can buy bubble gum." Camie will nickel and dime herself away with gum, so surely everyone does that; blows their babysitting money on Bubblicious.

~~Rose

And some pictures.....

The girls were excited that it was cool enough for long sleeves and jeans. They picked out the same shirts without knowing what the other was going to wear, and Felicity thought this was great. Here they are racing before breakfast. (Don't be too impressed. It was 9:30. See the little blue hat peeking out from behind the tree? That'd be Micah.

We've been using Madeline as a Unit Study this week, so we learned about the body. (Madeline had her appendix out in the story.) Here we made a wearable body, with working lungs (plastic bags on straws) stomach (plastic bag on cardboard tube) into which we dropped some chocolate chips through the esophagus, and then we labeled everything. They had a lot of fun making and wearing this.

Another week we were reading The Story of Ping and learning about China. So that Saturday the girls and I made a very simplified version of  Chinese Moon Cakes, which was basically a butter cookie into which we pressed an indention with our fingers and filled it with jelly. They were very buttery, and very good.

Yet another week, we read Lentil, a story about a boy that can't sing or whistle, but he becomes an excellent harmonica player and saves the day when an important man comes to town. One line in the book says, "His favorite place to play was the bathtub, because there his tone was improved 100%." We couldn't find our harmonica all during the week that we were reading this book, but finally on Saturday Felicity located it. Outside. Micah was walking around wheezing on it and I wanted to see what he would do, so I casually commented, "I wonder if you could improve your tone 100%." He stopped playing and looked at me for a few seconds then ran to the bathtub to try it out. Little sister joined him and approved of his talent.

Here are 3 of our Homeschool Boys. We have a co-op class every week or so, and this one was story telling. Each family chose a story to act out and brought props. We did Little Red Riding Hood and Micah was our woodsman with his sword/gun.  Here they were just watching some of the other performers. Sitting beside him is one of his best buddies in the group, Jackson . (Sara, that's Lindsay (Shirley) Whitaker's son, and Sawyer, on the left is Kathy Eubanks's youngest. )

Changing Seasons

Today is High Attendance Day at church, but two members won't be there.Cassie and I are home  this morning while the other kids went with Matt. Cassie started throwing up last night, and did so all night, even though her little belly was empty of food or drink.She'd sleep about an hour, cry, throw up, then lay back down. Repeat. Again. And Again. All night long. I had her on a mattress in mine and Matt's room so I could tend her quickly and easily, plus when you're sick your always need a little extra special something like getting to get to sleep in Daddy's and Mama's room. Since she's not had a fever Matt and I are wondering if it's food poisoning. Right now she's asleep,sucking her thumb, on the sofa, wrapped up in Robie, her favorite blanket/robe.

Last night being a rough night, we didn't wake up until 45 minutes before Sunday School time. Matt got dressed then stepped out of the room and told the kids to get dressed. I fixed hair, and put Micah's shoes on him, but other than that, our kids got themselves ready, and found something to eat. I guess because I wasn't rushing around getting ready too, I relaxed enough to realize we've arrived at a new season with our kids, and I like it. They were ready on time, basically on their own, looked nice, and fed themselves. And I think their breakfast choices weren't too bad. Felicity started with bubble gum, but I made her spit that out and pick something else. I think homemade lemon bars, mozzarella cheese sticks, and bread and butter were the main features of breakfast. Ahhh. A little independence goes a long way to making Mama feel energized. :)

....And lunch is being served at church today. I love eating at church. The food is wonderful, and I don't have to cook more than one dish. Sigh. Oh well. We have lots of food ready  in the fridge, it's just nice to eat something I didn't have to cook.

On a brighter note, the weather is wonderful here this weekend. We have door open, Matt did a lot of yard work yesterday so now we don't look like we live in an abandoned house in the woods. :) But this weather is just a teaser; highs in the high 80's again this week. Eagerly awaiting fall time here in South MS.

Rose

Start Spreadin' the News!

Probably most people who read my blog are on Facebook too, but I view this as sort of a journal (one day I plan to print my posts out....) so pardon the repeat of a recent FB post.

We're expecting baby #5 in April. The 17th is my due date, so Cassie might get a brother or sister as a birthday present. (Her birthday is the 19th.) We found out the second week of August, but decided to wait to share the news until I had an ultrasound picture to show off. :) At the time it sounded like a fun idea, since with all my other pregnancies we've told within a day or so of finding out ourselves. Then I found out the first ultrasound would be at about 12 weeks. Waiting 7 weeks was tough, especially since my 4-times-over pregnant belly isn't exactly flat to start with, and I started showing a earlier than before. If anybody suspected my weight-gain wasn't from too much snacking, we didn't hear about it.

We told the kids the news last night and they were so excited. Felicity kept saying, "Do you really have a baby in your tummy?" like she was afraid of looking like a fool for believing me. Camie was so happy she was about to cry, Micah grinned a lot and asked if it was going to be born tomorrow, and Cassie had no clue what we were talking about, but grinned anyway. In the past 7 weeks each kid has at one time made reference to wanting another baby, and Camie even prayed at one of our meals, "Help mamma not have anymore babies unless you want her too." I was a little worried, until after she said the amen she added, "And I hope He wants you to." Whew. :)

This past weekend we made one of those speedy trips to MO to see Matt's family. It was his parents' 40th wedding anniversary, and his sisters were throwing a surprise party. They had a slideshow of pictures and music (instant tears for me, even when I'm not pregnant) of their wedding 40 years ago, their 3 kids through the years, the spouses, and then the grandkids. As part of the pictures of our kids we included the ultrasound picture to make the announcement. It was a fun way to tell everyone.

Micah got to experience riding a four-wheeler and a Rhino (kind of like a John Deere Gator). He loved "feeling the air" as he put it as whoever was driving at the time flew down the hills at Grandpa's farm and bumped over rocks and holes. I think he's hooked now. When Felicity heard us talking about riding the Rhino, she came over to me and quietly asked, "Do they mean the kind with a horn?" She rode only once with Daddy driving , and that was enough for her. She sure enough would've balked if it'd been the kind with a horn. :)

Below are some pictures from August and September when we had two week-long visits from friends and family. That was a busy (there were 7 kids one week, and 8 kids another, all 7 and under) yet relaxed (we just hung out and had fun) two weeks.

 Brandon, Becky's and Dave's youngest sneaking a turn at the computer.


This was our big group outing while Becky's family was here: Going to the creek. She and I spent a lot of time doing this when we were teens when she would come visit, so it was fun to introduce her kids to it.

Camie, 7

Cassie, 2

Zachary, 6
He and Micah loved this rope swing.

Felicity, 5
The water was the perfect depth for the kids to play in.  And for those not familiar with South MS creeks, that water is  clear, not yellow. The golden sand is what you see in the picture.

Matt found this sandbox lid and used it for a boat for each of the kids. He is so fun. 

Zach gets a turn in the boat.

Julia, 5 and Felicity worked long and hard to get themselves in the boat together. There was a lot of girly giggling on that ride.

My best fwiend.

Aunt Melissa brought a siamese cat for the kids. Camie loves cats and was excited to see one, but thought it was just here for a visit. Her expression when she found out it was staying here was so sweet.

Simon, the cat after his bath in raspberry scented shampoo. His name was Raspberry as a result for a few weeks until I talked them into Simon.

Thsese were taken at Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island. It was a hot trip, but so fun "discovering" tunnels and stairways in the fort.

After we were done at the fort we went to a park and had a picnic. Matt and kids climbed all over this tree. We finished the day at the beach, and the weather was perfect. We got there about an hour before sunset, the water was calm and shallow for quite a ways, and there were no jellyfish. I told Matt this was the best beach trip with kids to date. I guess it does get easier when they get older. And not having to worry about sunburns was nice too, since the sun was about gone.

This is a new bridge at our city park, full of Morris and Van Nort cousins. The kids and I had been learning about China that week, so this was a fun "field trip" to make. We also fed ducks and got threatened by geese. Not so fun.