Happy Halloween

We hope you have a fair,

 lovely,

elegant, 

 tangled,

 dreamy,

 princess-like,

 lightning,

cool,

 wrapped in fun,

Halloween.

Happy eighth

Maisy turned eight.

 We had a nice, quiet, family party. She got legos (she's been sneaking into Jack's room to play with his,) a princess memory game, and books.

 We had Tangled cupcakes, which she didn't touch,

 because all she wanted to do was play with the balloons.

Cinnamon and sugar

 Sometimes we have the funniest conversations in the car on the way to school. Usually, they involve Jack talking with us listening and laughing. Here is today's:

Jack: "Mom, I know the antonym of antonym. Cinnamon!"

I'm tired today. Not the take a nap, sleepy kind of tired, more like the sleep for days, emotional kind of tired.  There are just so many people to worry about and pray for, so many people who need, want, deserve.  Most days I do fine. I can take off the backpack of concern and out it down and while it may not be out of sight, I'm not carrying it around with me. Today, I just can't seem to take it off, I can't seem to let go of the worry.

The clouds are sitting low today, as they did yesterday. It isn't really a fog or an inversion, but something in between. Occasionally, you can see patches of blue sky through breaks in the grey clouds, but mostly it is just this low grey sky masking what would otherwise be a beautiful day. That is kind of how my head has been feeling.  The kids tell me about a book they are reading or an art project they are working on and I hear them, just through this haze sitting in my head. Which may explain why I think I told Ella "good morning" instead of "have a good day" as she got out of the car and I may have called the principal "honey" when he opened the car door. I can't be sure; can I be held accountable for things I say if I'm not sure I said them?   Judging by the look on his face, I probably did.

My eyes are burning again, they have been doing that the last couple of days. I don't know if it's the need for a good cry or the high ragweed count.  We'll blame the ragweed.

spontaneous

Maisy came up behind me while I was making dinner and wrapped her arms around my waist with the biggest hug.  Those spontaneous affections don't come very often and I have to say this one was the best I've ever received.  I'm not sure what brought it on and when I turned and tried to hug her back it was over. She moved on to something else and I nearly cried with joy.  Those are the moments that make it all worth it.

our little runner

Maisy has been a exercise maniac lately.  All summer she was really into working out and lifting her little two-pound weights.

Now she wants to run everywhere. She runs around the living room, runs laps up and down the hall, runs on and off the bus. I love it. I love her!

I can't believe how far we've come.

I don't get it.

We were driving to school in dead silence, so I said, "Yay for school. Woohoo."


Silence...


then Jack says, "Why are you so happy. I don't get it."


Sadie, Ella, and I start laughing.


Then he says, "No seriously, I don't get it."


More laughing.


"Why are you laughing at me?"

trying

I really didn't intentionally abandon my blog, it just kind of happened. Things got so busy, there was little time to write. Then there was too much to write about, where should I start? Then, too much time had passed...

But now, Sadie is approaching her twelfth birthday, Maisy will soon turn eight, the summer is over, the kids are back in school, and I feel a need to record it, all of it.

Whoops

the chickens

The chickens. Ah yes, the chickens. We started out our life on our little farm here in southwest Texas the proud owners of baby girl chicks, a few of which turned out to be boys. We lost a few along the way and gained two when an older couple delivered them to our doorstep. It seems the Easter treat for their grandkids rapidly outgrew their yard.

 We love our chickens. We even tell them that when we leave them.  They give us eggs, sometimes so many we sell them.

 So, we decided to get more chickens and we promptly ordered twenty-five more.  And since they apparently throw in an extra one, we got twenty-six baby chicks in the mail, just in time for Easter.  

However, sometime between ordering chicks and receiving chicks, our mama hens decided to try sitting on their eggs.

We started to get a bit nervous when we discovered eighteen eggs under one very good sitter. Especially since we have three sitting.

But then the babies started coming; one right after church, two more before bedtime. Two more the next day...  

Now we have five new baby chicks, twenty-six four week old chicks, and twelve hens.

  I'm starting to wonder how many chickens we can handle.

Preppy Boy Blankie

I finished another blanket. It was shipped and hopefully delivered by now, although, I haven't heard yet. 

 It is a variation of this pattern.

And I love how the colors look together.

Easter

Ah Easter, what can I say.  We tried to focus this year on the true meaning of Easter, and I think the kids learned a lot.  I want them to have a strong understanding of the Atonement and a relationship with Christ.  Then Easter Sunday, it became all about the baskets and the egg hunt.  But I was okay with that because we had been focusing on what really matters every night for two weeks, and because it was a lot of fun. 

 Have you ever seen a more excited kindergartner?

 Ella's beautiful Easter egg basket. (Last year we started the tradition of hats as baskets.)

 This yard  is perfect for hiding eggs.

 Our little hunters didn't have to look too hard though.

 Cascarones, or confetti eggs, are a local tradition, and well, when in Rome, do as the Romans.

 We all spent the rest of the day with confetti in our hair, but we looked festive.