Kaomi's Imagination

Tea Party anyone?

Riding her imaginary horse, Patty.

December Entertaining

It's December, we are looking forward to having several people over for various reasons.  This past weekend we got together with some of the guys that Jeff meets with and their families.  The kids (ages 5 months to 16?) had a blast playing together and the adults had some good fellowship time as well.

8 kids sat here

Dining Room Table set with my china

Jeff designed the center piece

After dinner caroling

Our wonderful guitarists

Enjoying the Snow

This morning we woke up to a small amount of snow.  There wasn't much on the ground, just on the rooftops and cars.  I had an appointment first thing this morning and had asked Jeff if he could stay home with the kids until I returned.  I enjoyed getting in my snow covered car, using the wipers to move the snow from my windshield and driving down the street with snow on my hood.  It felt Chrismas-like.
We live on the top of a hill, so it was interesting when I got to the bottom of the hill to see the cars that had almost no snow on them and then when I got out on the main road and most of the oncoming traffic didn't have any snow at all on their cars.  There was even a small amount of snow still an my hood when I returned home a little later.  Snow is fun!

Black Raspberry Ice Cream

This is one of my favorite ice cream flavors.  I remember as a child occasionally getting to pick an ice cream cone flavor at the mall.  I think I always picked the purple one.  Then when I worked at Pop's Place in high school and college it was still one of my favorite flavors.  Then I got married and pregnant with Kent.  I craved this flavor of ice cream and couldn't find it ANYWHERE.  This summer I was excited to find Black Raspberry ice cream at my local grocery store.  I thoroughly enjoyed each bucket of it.  Sadly, it was only a seasonal flavor and is no longer available.  Dreyer's,  if you read this could you please make more next year?!!!??

P.S.  I have found occasional black raspberry swirl/chocolate chunk/vanilla combos, but they aren't the same.

More of Felicity's Busyness

A Day for Thanksgiving

I am thankful for:
Clark only getting up once last night.
Felicity snuggling extra long in the rocking chair yesterday.
Kaomi getting herself dressed in a pink and brown shirt, pink skirt with green, purple and gray stripes, black stockings, white socks, and black Sunday shoes.
Katy and Kent learning to fix their squables without parental intervention, sometimes.
Jeff loving my children and I.

I love my family.

God has given me so many things to be thankful for, but I'd say my family is up at the top of the list.

Boxes

My Grandfather's Ministry

My Aunt, Grandfather and Grandma have been packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child for many years.  It has provided a ministry opportunity for them to show the Love of God to those who may never get a package for Christmas.  This year they packed over 1,200 shoeboxes.

Read more about it here.

Just in Time for Turkey Day

 We stopped at our local feed store on Thursday and we saw Turkeys!!!  The kids were so excited, after of course they had asked me what those giant birds were.

Rock, Rock

Felicity likes to rock, rock often - before naps and bedtime, after naps, and first thing in the morning.  Jeff and I don't mind, we like to rock, rock with her too.  Lately she's been asking to rock, rock, "balooo".  It means she wants to rock in the blue chair.  She snuggles with her "bleedeleee" (blanket) and rag and sucks on her bottom lip.  She's been doing this for a long time with us and now she is starting to want to do other things rather than rock, rock as much.  We'll miss our snuggle time with you Lissie.

Winner - Fall Pilgrim Activity

The winner of the Fisher Price Thanksgiving Celebration set drawn by Kaomi from all the entries is...

strawberrylobster said...

I posted on my blog. http://princessmommydiaries.blogspot.com/2011/11/little-people-thanksgiving-celebration.html


I will be contacting you today to get your package delivered as soon as possible.

Fall Craft

We spread a great big piece of paper on the table.  Got out the fall stamps.  And had fun!

A fairly easy fall craft.

After it was dry I hung it on our wall across from the kitchen to decorate our home for fall.

Don't forget the Pilgrim Activity Giveaway ends tomorrow morning.

Felicity's Busyness

I'll sit with you Clark.

This cookie is good.  It gives me energy to see what else I can find to explore.

1st ice cream cone.

Felicity keeps me busy lately.  She likes to sit in Clark's chair.  I guess she thought sitting on him was a good idea in the first picture.  He didn't mind.  In fact he had been crying and stopped when she sat on him.  I gave the kids ice cream cones one evening for dessert, so of course she wanted one too.  I put just a tiny bit around the edges and she had a blast being like the big kids and she didn't have to have a bath later.  She must not have liked the cone because she smashed it and left it sit on her tray.

Packing Boxes for Operation Christmas Child

We packed shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child again this year.  The kids have fun thinking of others and finding things to put in the shoebox they are packing.

Felicity's shoebox

Kaomi's shoebox

Kent's shoebox

Katy's shoebox

Clark's shoebox

More Pictures from Katy's Birthday

A New Doll because she loved the old one to pieces.

Zebra Pillow from Grammy

Lissie, very happy to have her own "new" doll.

Fall Pilgrim Activity - Giveaway

 My children enjoy playing with their Fisher Price Little People year round.  I try to make it extra fun for them by using our Mayflower and Pilgrim set in the fall or if we are learning about the pilgrims in history.  This year we added the Little People Thanksgiving Celebration set to our collection.  They have really been enjoying having Indians to join the Thanksgiving feasts that they make up.  I enjoy having a couple of toys that are season specific and since my children enjoy them so much I wanted to give one Little People Thanksgiving Celebration away to one of my readers.

To enter this giveaway leave a comment that tells us one of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions.  Be sure to leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if it is not on your profile page.

For a second entry share about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post. 

This giveaway will close at 8am on Thursday, November 17th, so I can have time to get it in the mail so you can have it by Thanksgiving. 

This Giveaway in now closed.

Family Pictures

And Life Just Moves On

I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've shared what is going on.  It seems like everything is so busy right now.  I've got some pictures and posts I'll be working on as well as a giveaway coming up this weekend.

Clark for the Rangers!

Go!

Clark, the Ranger fan

Katy's Birthday 2011

Katy, you are now 6 years old.  I love you, happy birthday!  We had a craft and game day for you, mixed with some school.  Daddy came home for lunch and to spend the afternoon with you, too.  You wanted a Samantha cake.  You wanted a cake with a drawing of Samantha on it.  I had fun making your cake and trying to come up with an idea.  You had a fun day.

Special place setting.

Happy Birthday!

Samantha cake

Puppies

Lissie very clearly told Mimi this morning, "I want a puppy."

I think everyone is ganging up against me.  As cute as they are I really don't want or want to make time for a puppy.

But Lissie has other plans.  She is always talking about or looking for puppies.  When she saw Grammy this week she asked her about puppies, too.

Remember, Lissie isn't even 2 years old yet.

Things that Make Me Smile

-Clark's (~4 months) ear to ear grins and giggles.
-Felicity's (~1 1/2) willing obedience, by getting her shoes and bringing them to me to put on her, after I had told everyone else to get their shoes on.
-Children who are having fun playing without fighting.
-Mostly completed school lessons.
-The sunshine.
-Memories of Fall Activities from my childhood.
-My husband's silly text messages.
-Finding a pretty picture puzzle at the store.
-Katy's excitement at her birthday coming up.
-Kaomi's snuggles.
-Kent's creativity in making his own swords and crowns from paper.
-Sewing projects, when I get to work on them.
-Pretty sunsets.
-Monarch butterflies migrating.
-Someone holding the door open for my crew and I when we go somewhere.
-Rock, Rock with Lissie.
-Hanging laundry outside to dry.
-Peaceful music.

What is it like at my house?

Here is a run down of today:

I woke up at 7:20, that seems to be the magic wake up time for me lately.  I got up, got ready for my day and Jeff handed Clark to me.  I went in the living room, opened two curtains so I had enough light to read my Bible, and sat down to feed Clark and have my quiet time.  The kids were up and reading and getting ready for their day, too.  Jeff kissed me goodbye and left for work.  Kent set the table for breakfast.  I finished my quiet time and feeding Clark.  Felicity had snuck upstairs, so I brought her back down and went to change Clark's diaper and get him dressed for the day.  Then I was on my way to change Felicity, so I tell Kent he can pour the cereal.  While I was changing Felicity, Kent and Kaomi started arguing over the placement of her spoon.  Kent had set the table with the spoons in the bowls and Kaomi took her spoon out of her bowl and set it on the table when she got in her chair for breakfast.  I finished changing Felicity and brought her to the kitchen to put her in her chair for breakfast.  They were still arguing, so I sent them upstairs to bed.  I fixed Felicity's breakfast and poured her milk and poured the milk for Katy to eat breakfast, too.  Then I turned the dryer on to run it again, it had diapers in it from last night that needed more drying time.  Clark wanted to eat again, so I fed him.  I went upstairs and talked to Kent about the argument he and Kaomi had been having about her spoon.  I left them in their beds a little longer while I got water heating to make some hot chocolate.  I checked my e-mail, then told Kent and Kaomi to come downstairs and have breakfast.  I made my hot chocolate and left it on the table to cool while I got supper started in the crockpot.  I managed to dump about a third of it on the counter, so I had to clean the counter off, too.  I came back to drink my hot chocolate and have a chat with Felicity.  Then I got her down from her chair and let her go play.  She decided to go upstairs again.  I brought her back down again and told her no stairs.  Then Kent and Katy were reading in the living room to Clark and Felicity was playing/reading, too.  I put a load of laundry in the washing machine.  By this time it was 9:30.  We hadn't started school yet and we had to leave for an appointment at 10:15.  I went upstairs and corrected some school that was in my drop box from last week.  Kaomi was playing in the gameroom and talking to me, while I was working.  I called Katy up to fix some math and Kent to fix one of his cursive words.  Felicity came back upstairs, but since no one was down there I didn't blame her for wanting to join us.  I let her play for a few minutes, then took her back downstairs and it was time for everyone to start getting ready to go.  Amazingly, everyone got ready like I asked them and we didn't have any problems leaving on time.  After the appointment we returned home and it was time to start lunch.  I put some water on to boil and changed Clark's diaper.  Felicity found Jeff's whistle on his nightstand and was having fun trying to blow it.  Jeff called while I was changing Clark and Felicity was blowing the whistle.  I finished changing Clark and helped Felicity put the whistle away.  Then I sat down to feed Clark and listened to Jeff tell me about his meeting.  Katy, Kaomi, and Kent came downstairs fighting.  I sent them back upstairs, but Kent was the only one who obeyed.  The girls went to hide behind a chair.  Felicity thought that looked fun and went to join them.  They knocked over the TV table stand on top of Felicity so I had to end my conversation with Jeff to take care of that and address their disobedience.  The water was boiling so I put the macaroni in it and went to bring Felicity downstairs, again.  I put Felicity in her chair with a paper and crayon so I could work in the kitchen.  She saw me pour the milk for the Mac and Cheese, so of course she had to have some, too.  Then she cried until lunch was ready, because she wanted to eat.  I dished up lunch and called everyone down.  Felicity decided she didn't want Mac and Cheese, so she thought she should cry.  She quieted down, after I told her "sh" and she watched the rest of us eat.  Then she started crying again, so I got her down and cleaned her up.  She was sleepy and had missed her morning nap, so we sat and "rock rocked" for a little while, then I put her in bed.  I checked and responded to my e-mails and then decided the kids needed some school to do, so I went up and wrote all their history reading assignments on the white board for the week.  I told them they need to have them finished by tomorrow.  Kent had a project that was due last week, but since school was set to the side last week, he hadn't turned it in.  I told him he had to finish it and turn it in today.  I took Kaomi downstairs to read her a book and feed Clark, again.  Kent came down whining that he couldn't find his project information sheets.  I sent him back upstairs to look again with a few suggestions where he might have put it.  When I was finished reading to Kaomi, I took the wet laundry outside to hang up.  When I came it it was time for quiet time.  Kent still hadn't found his project stuff.  I told him if I had to come find it for him, he would probably have to clean his room when I was done.  He went to look again.  I went upstairs and remined the girls it was quiet time and what I was expecting of them.  Kent still couldn't find his project, but he said he had put it in his drawer.  I went to look for Kent's project.  It wasn't in his drawer, but I did find it.  It had fallen out the back of the drawer and was on the trundle under his bed.  I came downstairs and sat down to recoup.  Kent came down and said he finished his project, so I told him he should do some of his history reading.  Kent came down again and asked if he could redeem some x-box minutes.  I told him "yes" after he cleaned up his room.  Then I reminded him that it was quiet time and that he shouldn't come down again until quiet time was over.  Now I need to change Clark and feed him, bring the laundry in and hang the rest out, and I didn't get to make any cookies yet!  Quiet time is over, Kent is playing x-box and I haven't heard the girls.  Maybe they fell asleep?  Probably not.  Felicity is still sleeping, but I expect her to wake soon.