Happy Halloween!

Goblin cupcakes I made for Drew's Kindergarten Halloween Party!

Sleeping Beauty...as a Caterpillar

My handsome little Stunt Driver

Papa! You owe me five dollars!

Drew had a soccer game yesterday, not the nicest of days, but not the worst either. As we were getting ready, Grace exclaimed, "EWWW! I don't want to watch her game in the rain!", to which Drew retorted..."Why not? I'll play in the rain!" and giggled. We got there a little late, I have too many people to get ready! I finally got a camcorder battery and was going to record this game, then Daddy could see her play too since he was at work. It wasn't raining yet, as the game started. Before I could get the camcorder out, the game began, and Drew scored a goal right off! This set the tone for the rest of the game. She coming, faster and faster, right on target, and she ended up scoring a total of 5 goals! Even though by the games end, it was just pouring down rain on all those girls. These 5 goals were the only goals scored by either team the entire game! She was so thrilled by the 4th, that she started jumping up and down! I had her give me a high 5! She was beaming, glowing, thoroughly excited! As was I! My little soccer girl!
After the game, they slap hands, and say "good game " to the other team. Little Beau had to join in the fun, he ran out there holding his little hand up to have them slap his hand too, and he followed in line. HA!

On the way home, I asked Drew, "Did you like playing in the rain?"...she replied, "YEAH! I loved it, it was so much fun!"

I am so proud of her!

Mommy's Little Helper

I sat Beau down this morning with a bowl of dry cheerios to watch Bob the Builder. Shortly after I walked away and started feeding Leah her cereal, he came running in with an empty bowl saying "OH NO, OH NO", and put the bowl on the counter top. Then, the next thing I knew, he was getting into the garbage under the sink, I hadn't connected the 2 just yet, then I realized, beside him was his CAT dump truck full of the cheerios he had spilled, and he was taking them by handfuls and placing them in the garbage can! Too cute! I laughed, he laughed, what a wonderful boy!

Hot Mama???

At work last night, a male coworker said to me, as I was walking down the hall away from him..."Victoria...sooo pretty, but sooo married!" I laughed, "NO! I'm just fat!" I must assume he just being fecetious. I will admit, it does feel good to hear that from someone after having 4 kids!

Breakfast & Bathtime Buddies

2nd to Mommy

Leah has taken to Grace very well the past week. She will lift her arms out for Grace to take her, then she cuddles up against Grace's neck and quite quickly falls asleep! It is amazing. I now have a reprieve, and does Daddy when I am at work.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white...

and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!

Shadow! Let go!

My loves...

Beau Michael Joseph Dye, you are the twinkle in my eye.
Leah Dee, you are the gleam.
Drew Marie, you are not quite what you may seem,
but you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.
Gracie Mae, you amaze me,
with your kind, and deeply caring ways.
I love you all with all my heart ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Booby Biter

Leah is back to her own little self again! No fever, no puke, no "ragdoll". She is now wild and crazy, and seems to find it quite funny to bite me as she nurses. She will look right up at me, and smile, then bite me, not nurse, just bite! I am glad she's back to normal, but I am ready to strictly bottle feed!!!

Ducklings vs. Fawns

Drew had one of her last few soccer games last saturday, and once again, unfortunately, her team lost. I felt so bad for her, even though she probably has no comprehension of the win/lose ratios. This game was against the team that one of her friends, and also our neighbors daughter, is on. She wanted so badly to beat them. Not out of mean-ness, but to show "Nichole" that she can be better I guess. Drew comes out of nowhere and heads straight for that ball, dribbles amazingly well toward the goal, but either the other team intercepts it before she kicks it in, or she misses slightly. With time, she will improve, she's only 5, and I am pretty sure these girls are all 1st year players. I just know she can do it! I know she can be a winner! She already is to me! ♥

Just a Virus

Leah continued with a fever through today, and was acting, as my husband said, "like a rag-doll". So, I took her to urgent care, and they did an RSV test, CBC, checked her O2 saturation, listened to her lungs, and checked her ears and throat. Ends up, she just has a virus that should get going on it's own pretty soon. I dream of a full nights sleep! She is not sleeping well, clinging like a monkey to Mama, and Beau is waking every night as well. I am sleep deprived!!!

Poor Baby

Little Leah was quite the fuss-butt last night. I had a real hard time getting her to settle down for the night. She had felt warm to me, but Jack said, "NO, she's fine!" So, I gave her tylenol anyway since she's been teething. As soon as we laid down at about 11pm, Beau woke up screaming due to the dogs barking outside his window. Then no sooner did I lay down after getting Beau back to bed, did Leah wake up. I fed her, then laid her back down, she started coughing, so I picked her up, and just as I sat down into the bed with her on my left hip, she puked all down my shirt, and pajama pants. She was crying, and also covered in her own vomit, so I tried to rustle through my dark closet, trying not to wake Jack, (he had to work dayshift today.) I found some more PJ's, but every time I set her down, she screamed bloody murder, so I had to walk, covered in vomit to the other end of the house and change as she screamed laying on the bathroom floor. She never did sleep well all night. She woke multiple times, ate a little, remained warm, so I dosed her again with tylenol. This morning when she woke, I was amazed to see that her diaper was completely dry, the last time I had changed it was after she vomited. So, I watched for her to fill her diaper, and she finally did by 10am. But, she has remained ill all day. No more vomiting, but continues with a fever, very solemn, and quiet, cuddly, and sleepy. Poor thing! I sure hope it passes quickly.

Jack came home the other day with a canine costume for Evie. It is a "shark eating man" costume. This morning he decided to try it on the babies before it was used for the puppy. You gotta laugh!

♥Oh, how that boy loves his sissy! ♥

Runway Volleyball

Grace had her 4th volleyball game this evening. At about 5pm I told her to start getting ready, and a few minutes later, Drew came running out saying, "She's not getting ready Mom! She's putting on make-up!" So, I once again, reminded Miss Grace that "it's not a fashion show!" She just rolled her eyes at me. On the way to the Boys and Girls club in the van, I told her she needed to get out there, play good, and sweat some! She just looked at me with disgust, "THAT'S GROSS! No, I don't want to sweat!" OMG...drama queen.
Last week she had professed her expertise at the sport, stating how they could never possibly lose a game. I told her that was exactly the attitude that would lose them a game. She just laughed, but tonight she found out that I was right! As I always am. Hey, I'm MOM! Her team lost both games by quite a bit. The other team had some very strong players. Grace was not happy. She did volley the ball over real good at one point, but for the most part, her team scared away from the ball. Girls!
After the game, she did reveal that she thought the ball was gonna hit her...well, I reminded her it's volleyball, the ball is meant to be above your waist! Ofcourse, I'm wrong at that, she emmediately retorted, "NO" One thing is for sure, she's gonna have to practice, practice, practice to get back on her 'we always win' track.

The Pumpkin Patch

Today was Drew's kindergarten field trip to the Davis Family Farms Pumpkin Patch. She was sooo excited! They had a hay ride for the class, cinnamon covered donuts, and warm apple cider. It was alot of fun. She picked out a pumpkin with a crooked stem, looks kinda spooky we thought. And, I picked out a small one for my Beau, he was at the sitters with little Leah. When we got home, Drew decided to draw scary faces on the pumpkins with just a plain old black sharpy pen, then she brought them to me to show. I was surprised, since I had told her already that we were going to paint the pumpkins with pretty paint...to this she replied, "But, pumpkins aren't supposed to be pretty Mom, they're supposed to be scary!" I guess she's right!

Boy crazy already?

Yesterday as I drove Drew to a birthday party for her friend, she revealed to me something that happened at school last week. She said, "When I was line leader, this boy, I don't know his name, he said "your beautiful", I don't know why he said that!" She was blushing, smiling so big. I asked her what she said back to him, she replied, "I just said 'thanks', what am I s'pposed to say?" Then she said, "He says, next time, when he is line leader he will give me a piece of paper." Then she giggled. It was too cute.

Watch the boy!

My ill-fated attempt at capturing what I thought would be an adorable photograph of all my 4 children in footy pajama's...Beau kept being silly, he just would NOT sit still...so here are the results. Enjoy!

Kids say the darndest things!

The other day, Drew said to me, "You should only get married one time." I was shocked by her statement, and asked her what she meant. She said, again, "You should only marry one person, you got married 4 times, you should only be married one time." I finally denounced that she interpreted my having 4 kids to being married 4 times since she has been told by us that you have to get married to have a baby. So, I asked her, "Do you think I got married 4 times because I have 4 kids?" She answered, as I expected, "Yeah!" LOL!

Mom, don't pop it!

This morning Drew was sitting with her legs in the air trying to show me a "huge zip" on her leg. What she meant was a zit, and she would not let me see it close enough. She kept saying, "NO, don't pop it!" Upon closer inspection, all the while Drew trying to protect the giant "zip", I noticed that it was only a teeny tiny bubble heart sticker! She was so surprised to find this out that she almost didn't believe me. I could have died laughing!!!

Millsberry Madness

My 10 yr. old recently gave me a peek at her world of Millsberry. It is this adorable website where you choose a person, personalizing eye, hair, and skin color, then sex. You get to choose where to live, out of about 6 different sections of Millsberry, then you build a house to your liking. To earn money you play games, then you buy anything you want to add to your house. You must feed your person healthy food to keep up thier fitness, and health. If you get a pet, you have to keep it fed or they take it back from you. You can change his/her clothes, etc. IT IS ADDICTING! I am obsessed. It is sooo cool! Check it out: www.millsberry.com

Baby Bottle Battle

This morning as I took Beau's milk bottle to him, Leah's eyes followed my hand, and she got so exicted. So I made her a bottle, and laid her down next to the boy, and they both drank thier bottles in-sync! It was so cute.

A new DOO

Yesterday I gave in and finally got a haircut. My hair was almost to my butt! She cut off 3 inches and it still sits below my shoulder blades. I had her taper it from my jaw bone, down. No bangs...yuck! And, then she put some short layers in the bottom. I just love it! Now, I just have to get over to my Mom's and have her help me dye it "chocolate velvet" brown!

She speaks!

Leah said DA-DA today! It was so adorable to see those little lips form to say a word. And her 2 little tiny stubs of teeth on the bottom! She is just growing, growing, growing...

She kicks, she scores!

Drew made her first goal today in her 3rd soccer game! She was all over that ball! She was even trying to take it from her own teammates. I told her she didn't need to take the ball from the girls on her team, only the other team, then she looked at me and said, "I thought I was just so good I was gonna take the ball from my team!" Way to be confident, but...not the way to be! So, after we got home, Daddy and I explained to Drew that if she were further down the field instead of right up against her teammate, then the other girls could pass her the ball and she would be closer to the goal to be able to score! "Oh! I get it!" She liked that idea. I've got a ball hog on my hands!

Demanding Drew

Yesterday we went to town and had lunch with my friend at Red Robin, then went to Goodwill to look around for halloween goodies. Drew was instantly begging for a toy. She would not let up, and so I had to cut my browsing short. I made sure she knew she was going to take a nap once we got home because of this. Well, that stirred up all kinds of emotion in that girl! She was Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde. She went from shock, to balling her head off, to aggressive anger in seconds! The girl screamed at me, "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!...I hate this famly! You shouldn't make me take a nap!"...all the way home! I was so astounded by her behavior that I could do nothing but break into laughter, which made her even more angry. I knew she was just so overly tired, and desperately needed this nap! We got home, and she tried pretty hard to persuade me not to make her nap, but I persevered, and finally, after 3x getting up, and trashing her bed, she fell asleep! Little Monster!

Lela...as the boy calls her!

Leah now has 2 teeth! And... she is trying like mad to get up on all fours to get where to wants to go! And...she is trying to say Dada! She is just growing way too fast for me. My very last baby is growing up, and no more will ever take her place! *sob*

My Gift from God

♥ As I was holding that boy this evening, rocking him back and forth, I whispered to him..."I love you so much! I wanted you so bad! God gave you to me, and you are just so wonderful!" And he just looked up at me as if he fully understood what I had said to him, and smiled a big binky smile and gave me a big hug! I melted. What an amazing boy! ♥

Volleyball Queen

Grace had her first volleyball game tonight. They played 2 games, and WON! I was so impressed with her ability! She served very well, and got right in there. I half expected her to hide from the ball, but she did great! These girls hit the ball a few times into the rafters, once it bounced around awhile in the rafters before falling back to the floor. And one ball actually hit my sweet little Leah right in the face! I was in shock! Just before that happened I was watching for Beau to get out of the way of another ball, poor baby! She had red marks on her forhead, and left cheek for half the game time. Then Beau ran into a metal bleacher seat with his forehead and has a red bump! (Thank goodness my Mom was there to help me out!) Anyway...I really look forward to seeing Grace play the rest of her games. I hope this is something that she sticks with for a few years.

Boy meets Crayon

As I was washing a sink full of baby bottles this morning, Beau got into the girls' craft cupboard and colored my white kitchen floor with orange and purple crayons! He had scribbles all over 1/2 the kitchen! My magic eraser sponge took it all away though. Funny, my husband put them in my stocking last christmas! And even better, my christmas presents were an ironing board, and a new broom! Ha!

OH NO!

My husband has stopped drinking, I bugged him long enough I guess. It's actually been atleast a few weeks. He is still chewing though, the nasty stuff. Last night, the boy was real into playing with Daddy, and watching him closely. Daddy put a wad of chew in his lip, and as he did, the boy took out his binky, then pretended to do the same! I was in shock. Not funny, gross! I do not want my boy thinking it is okay, cool, normal. It's not! I will now work on bugging Jack to stop chewing tobacco!

My Halloween Flower Barrel!

Orange & Black Pansies

Merely a coincedence?

Recently there was something on the news about a fake police car pulling over a young girl in Eugene, or Gresham and the man driving it raped her. Well, it just so happens to be that a fake police car has been parking down the road from us at a house with young men living in it. Also, it is registered to someone in Eugene. Hmmm...the same house that the yellow jeep that "faked" running over my girls on thier bikes, parks at times. Gives me the shivers!

Oh, that sweet boy!

I think I finally figured out what ails my sweet handsome. He kept pulling at his PJ's on the shoulder, he has a prickly rash behind his neck, and so I put some hydrocortisone ointment on it, and we got him dressed, new diaper. Then I tried to get him to drink his milk bobby, but he only accepted 1/2 of it, and gave it back, emmediately putting binky back in his mouth. I asked him if his teeth were hurting him and he nodded yes, so I went to put anbesol on his gums and low and behold, as soon as I put my finger in his mouth, I felt a mouthful of teeth! The only one's he has yet to come in are the eye teeth, sooo that must be the problem. Diahrrea, runny nose, fever, slobbery mouth, not eating much...now he's napping soundly.

My hands are full...overflowing in fact!

Beau woke up with a fever this morning, he was running one last night too, but he seemed alot warmer this a.m. He did not eat well yesterday, snacked mostly, and did not drink his milk last night or today. He has taken some juice, ate some dry cheerios, and some "nemo" fruit snacks but nothing more. When he woke up I was in the middle of breastfeeding Leah, but he was screaming, so I had to leave Leah screaming to get him. When I got him up, he was saying "owie" and pointing to his diaper, I changed it, but then while I held him on my hip, he kept pointing to his dingaling (as Daddy calls it) saying "owie". I gave him some tylenol for his fever, and he laid down and went to sleep for over an hour. I got Leah fed, and calm, the girls off to school. Then Beau and I just sat down and watched Teletubbies for the 100th time this week, and then "Go Baby" vidoes on the computer. Now he is watching "Finding Nemo", he loves it, and for the moment is calm, sucking on his beloved binky. I sure hope this isn't an ear infection he has, since he has had what seems to be a cold for over a week already. There should be a rule that no child should be physically able to become ill until they are potty trained, and can speak sentences to tell you exactly what is wrong with them!

Puppy Training

Tonight was my 2nd puppy training session, well, actually the first real training session, last week was the introduction. Evie does pretty well, even though I haven't worked with her as much as I planned to. My husband just works too much, and the babies need my time, so I get very little "free" time to spend training her at home. I wish I could go away 4 days/week to this class! Tonight we worked on heeling, sitting, and staying. Evie did okay with heeling, got distracted quite a bit with other dogs, but overall did well. But, when it came to sitting, they are supposed to sit straight along side you, well, she sits facing me all sideways, not the way she should be. But, she does look right up at me as she should. She will do better with time, I know, but it is hard to imagine her changing that much. I need alot more hand coordination than I thought to keep her in line with me. Leash in right hand with a treat ready for rewarding, left hand ready to correct her as well as bring her butt in to a sitting and keep her alongside me while at the same time, the right hand is not only popping the pinch collar to make her sit, but also dispersing the treat! WOW! I gotta work on this. She did a little better with staying than I expected. She just can't stand waiting for you to give her the treat though. Her eyes wander to see what the other dogs are doing, and I need to have her eyes on me. This is gonna be quite an experience. Wish I had a lot more time.

Hand-me-downs

This is Leah in an OshKosh overall outfit my Dad bought for my dtr Grace 10 yrs. ago!

Cry Baby Bluffer

Yesterday Drew had her 2nd soccer game, it was at 10am, cold, rainy morning, but cleared up for the game atleast. Drew got up and ready, all excited, we dropped babies off at my Mom's house, and got to the field early. Once the coach arrived, she went with him to start practicing, and I followed, then she just started balling! She cried and cried, and refused to play! She did none of practice, saying, "I just want to go home and play! I didn't know it was gonna be cold outside for soccer! You made me sign up! I don't want to do soccer no more!" She whined for a good 45 minutes until I got her coaxed into getting out there, and she warmed up a little with a jacket from a friend. Then once she got out there, she was amazing! You would never know the girl had never played soccer before! She got right on whoever had the ball, took it, dribbled it down the field alone a few times, and would have scored 3 goals or more if she had been just a bit more center. I was so shocked, I clapped uncontrollably, and jumped up in the air! The coach looked at me with a very surprised look on his face and said, "WoW!!! She's good!" I was so proud of her. I just knew she could do this. Now, hopefully next time she'll just get out there and do it!

Mean Girls

This is an email I came across while I was checking my Dtr's email to delete any unwanted spam. I deleted it from my Dtr's inbox, she doesn't need to read this crap from someone who is supposed to be a friend!

Grace to Kam: why did you and samantha try to keep it away from me that you were going to have her spend the night at your house?? oh and you said you would not be able to do any thing this weekend to me why???????well just so you know i dont get mad at you for having sam over i get mad cuase you try to keep it away from me and are you mad at me cuase you did not even really talk to me today at school!?!?!

Kam's response: whatever grace you get p.o about it its really anoying and guess what i did not do anything this weekend so there anjd you did the same thing exsept you lied to me oh i dident hang out with sam exsept for once that was a lie ya right like im going to beleave that im friends with sam and im not gonna lie i know you hate sam you say it all the time you go i hate sam kam stay away from her shes a brat shes sol rude and a millone other things yo say to her thats rude so dont say you wouldent get mad ya write whatever so dont lie other peapole you always suck up to sam