Madalyn and Asher

Madalyn adores Asher. She loves to talk to him and make him smile. I just love this series of pictures of Maddie and Ash together. The third one is my favorite.

     

Snoozing

Daddy and Asher, enjoying a nap together…

 

Trips and More Trips

We spent a wonderful six days with Rick’s parents, his sister Elaine, and her two kids Kate and Eli, and got visits from several other siblings and their families who live nearby. We had a blast! The kids loved playing with their cousins, Elaine and I had a great time talking, and it was a wonderful vacation. Brenna had a great time riding bikes and scooters with her cousins and with the neighbor kids. Josh spent a lot of climbing trees, catching bugs, and helping Grandpa on the farm. Maddie and Kate did a lot of giggling, squealing, and running. Braden snuggled with Grandpa, begged for bread, and followed the big kids around. Grandpa even rigged up a “water slide” for the kids. It went down a large, muddy hill (with a hose at the top to keep things moist) and into the “pond” at the bottom. The kids loved it!

I ended up getting a UTI while we were there, my second since Asher was born 7 weeks ago. I was able to get a prescription called into a local pharmacy even though we were out of state. But things progressed into what I assume is a mild kidney infection (based on my chills, fever, and horrible back pain). My immune system must be shot because this is my second UTI since Asher was born, plus the kidney infection, and I’ve been sick with a sinus/cold/cough for nearly 3 weeks and just can’t get over it. I was glad for Elaine’s help. She really gave me a hand with kids and meals and things in general. I really love having her as a sister (in law) and as a friend!

On Wednesday Rick drove back up and picked us up. We got home late Wednesday night. I’ve spent all day todayunpacking, doing laundry and packing again. The kids and I are leaving on Saturday to spend a few days with my parents. Rick will fly in after work on Wednesday night and then we’ll spend the weekend at our family reunion. I have to finish packing, register Brenna for choir, take her to gymnastics, get bloodwork done for Maddie and Braden, and go to my six-week post-partum check up. Packing is a lot of work… 5 kids, 8 days, and we are camping so I need to pack camping gear, shoes, jackets, long pants, etc. And our van is in the shop (the A/C went out and the check engine light is on) so I really hope it is finished on time! It will be a busy two days until we leave on Saturday.

We are all very excited!! I can’t wait to see my parents, my brothers, my sisters-in-law, my nieces and nephew, my friends from “home.” It will be a great visit I am sure!

Celiac Disease Awareness

Aunt Elaine poured cereal for Joshua.

“Did you check the label?” Joshy asked with a little concern. Aunt Elaine, who is well aware of his Celiac Disease and knows all the ingredients to avoid, told him that she had checked the label.

“Does it have gluten in it?” Josh wanted to know. Aunt Elaine assured him that it didn’t have gluten. 

“Does it have wheat in it?” Joshy asked. 

“No,” Aunt Elaine promised.

“Does it have flour in it?” Joshy questioned, still not convinced. ”Because, did you know that flour comes from wheat?”

Good to be Four

We used a restroom at Target and Madalyn was thrilled to find that there was a sick low enough that she could reach it by herself. As she washed her hands, she sighed with pleasure, “Oh, I just love being four years old!”

Streamers

Madalyn was placing plastic hangers on the handle bar of her scooter. She explained, “These are my new streamers.”

Josh the Sloth

Joshua asked me to watch him climb Grandpa’s tree. I started to get nervous as he scurried up higher and higher in the branches. Then he really made my heart skip when he flipped upside-down under a branch and proudly declared, “Look, Mom! I’m a sloth!”

Later in the day I couldn’t find Josh for dinner. I looked for him, called his name, and eventually found him at least 10 feet up in Grandpa’s tree, stretched on a branch as if he was taking a nap.

Bigger Hands

Joshua requested a second helping of breakfast cereal. I was busy helping another child so I told him that he could get himself one more handful of cereal. Joshua thought for just a second before logically stating, “I’ll wait for you to get me a handful because your hands are bigger than mine.”

Sweet Baby Boy

Asher is getting so big and so cute! His skin is so, so soft and he smells so good. He loves to smile. He is getting to be quite the chubby little guy and I just love pinching his cute thighs! He is such a chunky boy now and I am so excited to have a chubby baby! I just have to show off his darling face and his cute little fat rolls!

 

The Wicked Stepmother

Madalyn was playing with puzzle pieces and scattering them about. When I asked her to please pick them up so they wouldn’t get lost, she replied that she didn’t really want to.

“Well, you made a mess so you need to clean it up even if you don’t want to,” I told her.

“Well,” Maddie responded seriously. “Then I guess you are the wicked stepmother.”

I smiled at her logic, and at the fact that she felt “like Cinderella” over a few scattered puzzle pieces. I do think that she’s seen a few too many Disney movies though!