V-day

 So I'm finally getting to our Valentine's Day. We started with a special breakfast.

 And wouldn't you know, they didn't really care for what I made. I put my heart into this special meal (which if you know me, I'm soooo not a morning or breakfast person), and I was really hoping they'd enjoy it.

 So instead of fried eggs, asparagus, tomatoes, turkey bacon, homemade hash browns, fresh fruit, hollandaise sauce, and whole-wheat Englsih muffins, I should've served pancakes, waffles, strawberries and juice. I did get the juice and fruit in there. I was trying to open up their taste buds--this was one of my fav breakfasts as a child. I wanted it to be passed on.

 But they did try it. And I love them for it. They're rockstars like that!

 This one ate just about everything--at least everything we put on her tray!

 Contemplating that green stuff on her plate.

 I believe she may have been picking at her egg. She only likes certain parts--the whites. 

 Turkey bacon makes her smile.

 I like the green stuff--and the toast, bacon, yellow and red stuff. Such yum stuff!

 We went on about our day and then came home to do our little presents. They all got to share the Zingo numbers game. I made a little book full of family pictures that relate to something special they did for each of the three big girls. 

 Peach got her Minnesota book (a vacation we took last summer), skittles and a Starbucks cake pop. The older four all got skittles and a cake pop too. 

 I made them wait in the basement while I set out the gifts. 

 Checking it all out. 

 It appears Boushka was playing dress up in the basement. And we didn't leave Scrunchie out. I think she stole somebody's cake pop! So totally Scrunchie!

 She loved her book!

 I didn't make her a book this year, but this girl lives and breathes and dreams Mickey Mouse. Her second thing she lives, breathes and dreams is blank paper to color on.

 Brownie and Bug each got a Nutcracker book to commemorate their first performance. They, too, loved starring in their own book. 

 

Matt brought roses home for me. I thought I got a picture of them, but I can't find it. They were 12 beautiful red roses! I wrote a message in a card and got him some of his fav candy--Hot Tamales! He was happy. 

And that was about it. Love is all around us all the time--with seven people running all over the place, it's kind of hard to not feel it everyday!

My Baby is One!

My beautiful Scrunchie, you are one whole year old! I'm just in awe that you've grown up so much right before my very eyes in the last 365 days. You are quite the silly little thing with a sweet spirit and a cuddly side (that I tell myself you save just for me, though I'm sure I'm just in denial).

You are truly a sweet blessing to this family full of girls. You are the baby of five. You will always be my baby (just as your sisters will too). You are spunky, funky, stinky, sneaky (yes, you sneak up the stairs constantly), sweet and sassy, all while being the most perfect you there could ever be.

I love the way you snuggle into me as I rock you.

I love how your feet are forever stinky.

I love how your four teeth peek through your smile.

I love the way you clap and wave on command.

I love the way your hair falls on your neck.

I love your two ticklish spots on the sides of your back.

And oh, how I love that laugh. The full-of-heart chuckle that comes from your belly.

You are easy to entertain--you love it when Brownie pushes you on the "motorcycle." You sit on it like you were made to ride bikes.

You are starting to appreciate milk and the sippy cup. You've never been a big fan of the sippy, but you are a big fan of whole milk--so it works.

You still love food. Your favorite activity is, I'm sure, EATING! You tried black beans and quinoa with peppers today. Mmmmm....

You like to scratch and hit when you're tired/being ornery. I'm not sure what this is, but your older sister also did this around age one. I'm hoping it'll just disappear like Boushka's bad habit did.

You still like to get up at night. Don't ask me why... I'm too tired to determine. Though I think it has something to do with Daddy and cuddling.

You took a few steps today. Your first steps without holding on to anything. I tried to capture it all on video but no luck!

And you can now point to your nose when we say "Touch your nose!" YAY for you.

You are a size four shoe
size four diaper
wearing 18 month clothes (your 12 month jeans have been too tight for quite some time)

You weigh around 20 pounds (I'll know official stats the end of next week)
I don't know how long you are (but we'll know soon enough)

You still say "da-da," "dah" for dog and that's about it. I thought you had four words a couple months ago, but these are the two that really stuck around. Though, you do understand so much of what we say. Since you've been mobile (about 5 or so months now), you've understood "hand that to mama," since I'm always catching you about to put stuff in your mouth. Of course you know your name, your sisters' names, pets' names, commands to clap, touch nose, and wave. You know baba, eat, bye-bye, and so much more. I'm sure I'm missing several.

Sweet Scrunch, I can't wait to see where this next year will take us. There will be some big things happening around here--walking, talking, maybe some more snuggling. On preschool days, you'll be the only one in my care for a while. What on earth will we do with all that time? I'm sure we'll find plenty to do.

Mama loves ya!

Ooops, This One Ended Up Lengthy

I have a Valentine's post and pictures to share once I have time. Time that I can spend on the computer without the distraction of grading papers or answer/writing work emails. But who knows when that will roll around, and since I feel like I really should post something V-day related, well... this will have to do.

Love is all around. Perhaps that is why I have more than the average number of offspring--to surround myself with love. Or maybe it's because I "don't know how it keeps happening." That has to be the most annoying comment to say to somebody with more than 2.4 children. Anyway, back to the things I love...

patients (the character quality)
honesty
milk shakes
my daughters
chocolate after dinner
hot coffee on a cold morning
bright colors
mountains
salad
loyalty
celebrating birthdays
the Jayhawks
SNL
writing
farmer's markets
boneless chicken in wing sauce
alone time whilst slumbering in my bed
fur babies rolling over for belly rubs
back massages from my girls
goodnight kisses
baby laughter
MOPS
the moment I first lay eyes on my child
dates with my husband
farms
crafting
cooking new recipes
journaling
taking pictures
Christmas Eve
Thanksgiving Eve
organizational tools
blues, jazz, 90's alt, a little pop, alotta soul, maybe some disco, definitely60's music, some reggae
Spring rain
the sound of a neighbor's mower on Saturday (mid) morning
watching old cowboy movies with Matt
reading with my kindergartner
cheese, really good cheese
really good wine
pinterest
laughing with friends
packing for vacation
reading non-fiction
Brownie's passion for the arts
big laundry rooms
watching a couple trashy reality tv shows
lighting candles
opening my windows
driving with the radio up
being curious
Bug's helpfulness
my carbon monoxide detector
the smell of onions and peppers cooking
baby breath
baby feet
baby hiney
The way Boushka describes crying ("Dere's wata toming outta my eyes.")
history
bright skies
(don't laugh) Olivia, the pig (on Nick Jr.)
Christmas movies
vacation
lunch with my mom
soccer games (that my children play)
dancing in my living room
Chevy Chase movies
comfy socks
my husband's willingness to help
Doris Day movies
tomato and chips (thanks, mom)
linguistics
cards
WWII era
outdoor concerts
vanilla coke
running
being home
redbox movies
grocery shopping (only sometimes though)
reminiscing with my sister
watching family/friends love my children
comedy before going to sleep (I prep for sweet dreams)
my college days
riding horses
"Amazing Grace"
staying up late (when I can sleep in)
beaches
bowling
baby sleeping on my chest
spacious bedrooms with spacious closets
holiday decor
parties with awesome appetizers
parties with awesome people
cruise ships
pizza
breadsticks--just about any kind
relaxing family time
cleaning house by myself (or with Matt's help)
authentic cuisines
baby-naming
Scrunchie's energy
coffee shops
dates with my babies
going to the movies
spell-check
wood floors
my memory foam pillow
stand-up comedy
aprons
going to the library
recipe books, mags, websites, etc.
reading blogs
reading old letters between my grandparents
genealogy
Chipotle
vinegar
hugs
cuddles
reading to the kids
hearing/reading about the Dust Bowl
exercising my right to vote
old photographs
living room picnics
back-to-school shopping
maternity jeans
my grandmother's house
peppermint mochas
hiking
breweries
church family


I should say these items are not listed in any particular order. I probably left several things, or even people (sorry if it's you) off the list, but I'm only human. And I love being human--simply because I don't have to be perfect!! I LOVE a good excuse (SMILE)!

Catch Up

I only have a few minutes to write--I promised myself an hour ago that I'd go to bed 30 minutes ago... OOPS! I'm not the best manager of time, I suppose. But I'm striving to keep a balance (of sorts) in all areas of life. There's too many jobs for me to do and not enough time for me to have fun. So a quick update on Copeland things was due.

I really don't know what I thought I'd write about, but I always worry that if I go too long without a post I'll be confused years down the road when I look back at our blog. So, here's a short list of the highlights!

-Work is still there. Papers are due tonight so we all know what I'll be doing the next 72 hours of my life.
-My husband put together the treat bags for Peach's Valentines. I don't have a picture handy, but I decided to put a doughnut hole in cute themed bags. I then attached a note that reads, "Do-nut" doubt my love for you." HA! I am not too creative, I know!
- The girls baked several Valentine themed cupcakes with my mom yesterday. They dressed up for the occasion--which makes me laugh. They look for any excuse to dress up--which is so the opposite of how I've always been.
-Soccer practice starts this week
-We finally got snow last night and today. I'm talkin' a few inches.
-Brownie built two snowmen today.
-Peach is really starting to read well. We go through her early reader books a few times a week, and she knows so much more than I originally thought. She's even remembering little phonics lessons I'm teaching her on my own.
-Poor Scrunch has a little cough. I just noticed yesterday that she is (maybe) wheezing and a little rattly.
-My little Bug is the best eater in the whole family. She almost always eats what is put in front of her--which is a rarity among my offspring.
-Boushka is so going to be a lawyer someday. It scares me. And at this age, it just flat out wears me out!
-I asked Matt what he got me for Valentine's Day. Since we don't usually do much for the occasion, I honestly said this as a joke. But apparently he's got something up his sleeve. I do like surprises!
-Which is why I'm not sharing what I did/got for him!
-Because I did realize that he actually reads the blog.
-My baby is about to turn one... I'm happy/sad. I will cherish the little positive things that come with having a toddler/older baby. I can honestly say I don't miss nursing, getting up a lot at night, or changing 12 diapers a day. I am enjoying bottle-feeding and playing with her hands as she eats, sleeping a little more that I did six months ago, and changing about half the amount of diapers I used to. But I will certainly miss the cuddles that come with a little baby. And I already miss her not being mobile! She's my most mobile baby yet!

That's it for now. I'm out of details. Until we meet again...

Radom Stuff

 Like I said in a previous post, I have not been the best at snapping photos the last month. And while I do have thoughts pertaining to politics, civil rights, the weather, and food, we all know I blog about my family 9.9 times out of 10. And these blog posts are easily written when I have pictures to look at to help me recall recent blog-worthy events. So here are a few of the 12 or so pictures I took over the last month!

We made these cookies one day. They are cherry, shortbread-tasting cookies. They are pictured here in their pre-baked stage, but once baked these little puppies get a chocolate kiss in the center. The girls really enjoyed them, and my husband has had a long-time affair with chocolate and cherries. So yes, they were a hit. I thought were okay; and if left up to me, I wouldn't make them again. But the masses win again!

Brownie has mostly been her normal self recently. The poor girl has had her fair share of the stomach bug though. Honestly, her battles with it are so short-lived I didn't even realize just how many times she'd been ill recently. That is, until my oldest daughter reminded me she's thrown up four times since Halloween. I would think this has some kind of allergy tie, but it is never immediately (like within a couple hours of eating) after eating anything.  I do know she's a bit hypoglycemic, so this may play a part in some of the isolated incidents.

One thing I'm loving about this girl right now is her desire to be prepared for school. She sometimes comes home from preschool with homework, that I'm 99.99% sure isn't real homework. But she insists upon doing it anyway--right alongside her big sister (who does have real homework the first four nights of the week). And of course, I let her. I remember wishing for and eventually inventing homework when I was around her age. It may have been due to the fact that I was lusting over a particular Trapper Keeper that my friend a couple grades older than me owned. But oh how I yearn for my girls to know the love of a Trapper Keeper. I think I've brainwashed them into loving organization enough that they would swoon just as their mother did (SMILE)!

Well, I think everyone is all caught up on this ornery little thing. Although, she has been acting so oddly lately. She developed a fever on Sunday with no other symptoms other than crankiness! She didn't sleep nary a wink that night, and on Monday she was worse. She spent the majority of the day on my shoulder sleeping or fussing with a fever of 103. Monday night was just as bad as Sunday night, as we tried to comfort her in the wee hours of the morning to no avail. Matt and I were beyond exhausted, but he went to work and I held her for another day. All day long she slept if she wasn't eating or fussing. I originally thought it was all due to teething, but by this point I think it's something more; however, I'm concerned about her fluid intake/output. I gave her a dose of Motrin at 3ish, and she perked right up. She was herself--actually she was her ornery self. So I got excited that we were over this thing--whatever it was-- and went to bed hoping for tons of sleep. But the poor thing had another rough night last night. She finally got more meds at 6 am, and she is still asleep right now--four hours later. I have never seen her like this. And I'm still kind of worried about what is going on inside her little body. My mind always goes to the worst place when my kids have fevers for no reason, so I'm praying for this to be resolved soon. 

Aww, my first-born. I love her, just as I love all my children. But I love it when she lets her hair down. She is usually wound a little tight (I have no idea where that came from--wink, wink), so I love it when she acts silly. She is a very serious and sensitive girl who takes on emotions of those around her, and when she puts apples in her mouth and smiles it reminds me to encourage her to be more like a kid. 

The two-year old in the house is really just as this picture looks. Silly, ornery, messy, happy, and sweet. In fact, one of our favorite games right now goes like this: 

Me: Who's my favorite 2 yr old?

Her: (with a huge smile on her face) ME!

Me: Who's my orneriest 2 yr old?

Her: ME!

Me: Who's my sweetest 2 yr old?

Her: ME! she says enthusiasticly! 

And our game continues with a variety of adjectives.

My little Bug has been growing and maturing a ton lately. She's completely knocked my socks off with her development in controlling her emotions. We've gone through 1 1/2 years of horrible hours-long fits several times a day for weeks on end. It left me drained--more drained than any physical labor could make me feel. It strained relationships between our kids, my husband and our kids, the kids and me, and even Matt and me. It really was a very long and hard battle that I pray we never go through again (though I'm not hopeful since we also went through this with Brownie), but my girl has really turned a corner. Not only are the terrible fits a thing of the past, even her normal 4 yr old tantrums are much milder. Additionally, she is helping A LOT! She is even offering to do chores that I haven't bothered asking her do to. I'm absolutely shocked at the difference in my girl since the fall. Even in the last month, her attitude has improved with leaps and bounds! Through those trials, I have learned so much. And for that, I am thankful!

 

Matt and I went on a date last week. Two friends (their husbands as well) and I (and Matt) have decided to start a babysitting co-op. None of us really want to pay for childcare, but we could all use a date night. So we set up a system where two couples go out during a particular month, and the other couple watches all the kids. Then the next month another couple will watch the other couples' kiddos. And so on. We've only done one month so far, but I'm excited to have these dates with Matt and play dates for our kids. 

On our date, Matt and I had dinner and went to a coffee shop--where neither of us had coffee. I dined on the chocolate cake and Matt enjoyed a brew. Most importantly, we were able to talk--which is something we don't get to do often. 

So there's all of our random facts. If you're still reading...

Scruncie is 11 moths old

My Scrunchie baby turned 11 months old Saturday. I am so sad, yet I feel ridiculous for feeling sad that my baby is growing happy and healthy and learning more everyday.

You really do love to play peek-a-boo! Whether you are in your highchair or not, peek-a-boo is your favorite game. You'll even grab a blanket (or something of the like) and cover your eyes, then lower it and smile--as if you are saying "I'm playing peek-a-boo, are you going to join in?" And we always do!

You are eating many things these days. Apple, green beans, peas, carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, avocados, chicken, turkey, rice, black beans, noodles with assorted (light) sauces, and rice crackers are some of your favorites. So far, the only food I've found that you really don't care for is bananas. Which is so funny because Boushka was a HUGE banana (or as she calls them "banas") fan. Between the ages of 1 and 2.5, she ate at least one, and as many as three, bananas a day. And you won't touch them. I've tried several times to no avail. But that's okay, you like plenty of other yummy foods!

You really are an excellent eater. There are some days where I swear that you would eat anything I sat down in front of you. And you are certainly growing healthy and strong. You are very curious and very mobile--so all that food is coming in handy to fuel you for all your moving.

You sleep fairly well these days. You hit the hay between 7:30 and 8. You always get up around 5-6 and eat a ba-ba with daddy before he wakes up. If I'm sleeping, he'll take you back to bed wen you finish the bottle. But if I'm about to get up, I'll snuggle you. I always like to snuggle you, but some mornings you just want to pull my hair, or pinch me, or crawl on my belly... but I still try to convince you to snuggle with mama. Then you'll nap during the day. You'll take a short morning nap and a long afternoon nap. Or sometimes you take one very long afternoon nap. And some days when you didn't get a morning nap, you'll take a long afternoon nap and go to bed rather early. I'm so glad you can adapt to whatever crazy schedule we keep that day. What a good quality for a fifth child!

Here's one little SPOILED fact about you-- you almost never hold your own ba-ba. I tend to make you hold it more often, whereas Daddy is perfectly fine with holding it for you. You two have a sweet bond, and it's very obvious. He loves playing with you and there's a twinkle in both your, and his eyes when you are with the other. Really, it makes me a tad bit jealous. But Daddy and I think you have a soft spot for him in your heart simply because he is the one who rescues you in the early morning with a ba-ba. At least I'm okay with believing this!

You drink about 4-5 bottle a day, and you eat meals when we eat. So I think you are well on your way to growing even more!

Your two bottom teeth have been your only teeth for several months, but the other day I saw one more pop through. The top, right front tooth is peeking out just a little. But since I saw it, you have been uncomfortable, fussy and running a fever. You don't have any other symptoms, so I'm hoping all this is simply due to your top tooth poking through. I just hope you're back to all smiles tomorrow!

You really love your walker-push toy. You go everywhere with it. Just two to three weeks ago, you acted like you didn't know what to do with it. This was the week we were all sick, and as the week progressed you were walking everywhere with it. You go so fast with it now. I'm so proud of you!

I will say that you still aren't a fan of trying to walk on your own. You will hold on to my hands or fingers to walk, but you won't let go. When Daddy or I try to let go a little, you lean back against our hands and walk at a 135 degree angle. It's quite comical!

You have one of the best smiles ever. It is full-blown, 100% pure cuteness. You smile with your whole face. I adore this about you!

You won't really let me put anything on your head these days. I try with the stretchy headbands, and as you can see here, I even tried with a hat---but you were not interested.

But I'm okay with that. You look cute and beautiful to me no matter what is on  your head!

I've been trying to think about what we'll do to celebrate your first birthday (in less than a month), but I'm having a hard time even grasping the fact that nearly a year has passed since the first time I held you in my arms.

You are so big now--we even moved you up to a car seat (still rear-facing) that fits you much better. It was a struggle to get you buckled every time we got you in the car. I couldn't believe that just months ago I was worried about how tiny you were in that gigantic car seat. Then all of a sudden I could hardly buckle you in because you'd grown so big.

You still snort when you are being silly. I love, love, love this about you! I hope you do this forever, at least when you're around me!

One other thing I hope you'll do forever.... let me rock you. I know, I know... it ain't gonna happen! But I plan to rock you until you're begging me not to. You are so scrunchie and snuggly, so it's really hard to think about not rocking you some day. It is maybe a little to easy for me to think of you as a baby forever. But I've always had a hard time accepting the fact that these little people I birth do grow up. Become toddlers. Go to school. Then go on to kindergarten and pretty much abandon me from there on out.

I'm only kidding about abandoning me. Sorta...

Because in all honesty, I know it is my job to raise you the best way I know how. Impart all the knowledge and life lessons I can. Teach you the right way but be there when you fall. Let you lean on me. Kiss your boo-boos, clean your toes, dress you, diaper you, feed  you and rock you. All so that one day you can leave this house and start your own life. Discover who you want to be. Find things about yourself that you can't discover in a classroom. Learn how to live an adult life. Set goals for yourself. And become a responsible, loving, empathetic, intelligent, hard-working, determined woman. So that maybe one day, you can write to your child all of your hopes and dreams you have for them. This is my dream for you! I love you Scrunchie!