The "Skunk Tattoo" Chipmunk....

Well, here he is....it's the best I could do seeing as chipmunks are faster than a speeding bullet. This little guy zips across our deck a billion times a day. One morning we were sitting by this window playing a game and the chipmunk flew up to the window, stood up on his hind legs and stared at us. The boys were fascinated and they are now convinced that this chipmunk likes us! I'm sure he really does now because we looked up what chipmunks like to eat (I told Jack what I knew, but he wanted proof...really he just LOVES to look up stuff about animals with me) and we threw some sliced almonds onto the deck for him to eat. Later that night while watching tv I saw something on the deck out of the corner of my eye...looked up and this HUGE black cat was chowing down on some almonds!! Never seen him before and luckily he didn't like them enough to continue his feast. The next day the chipmunk finally appeared, filled his cheeks, and looked grateful! :^)

Comparisons.....

JACK'S HAND IN 2008



JACK'S HAND IN 2002

THATCHER 2004

THATCHER 2008

They are growing up so fast and I can't do anything to stop it....Jack was touching a bug in both pictures. After I took the one of his round hand with the ladybug, he smooshed it and told me that when he did, "mustard came out of it!" I can't believe how completely round Thatcher was from top to bottom....I always thought it was SO hard when they were babies, but I think it just gets harder in different ways....I feel like there is so much for me to teach them and "train them up" and so little time. It's harder to pull the wool over their eyes anymore. Now it comes with explanation! It's SOOOO hard to let go....every time I do, it leaves a space for worry to nest....I'm so glad God loves them more than I ever could and has got them covered!!
When I was in the hospital having Margaret, all of the nurses would ask "Is this your first baby?" I'd say "No, this is the 3rd...and last ";0) Then so many of them would follow with "Well, then you've got this down! You're an old pro now!" I thought....yeah, right...I'd ONLY consider myself an "old pro" if I was giving birth to the EXACT SAME child for the 3rd time!! It's starting over EVERY time because you have a brand new unique being! It's sad to look at these pictures and realize how time is flying, but it's a good reminder to make the most of the time I have now! I don't always do that, but I want to...;^)

The Brick Master....

I thought I was the most creative person in this house until Jack....his LEGO creations are much better than mine....he often gives me suggestions when I'm building with him! He took these pictures of just a few of his models that he designed so he could remember how he made them in case he needed to take them apart and rebuild them later. I let him take these pictures so I would have them to remind him one day of just how creative and unique he is! However, his creativity failed this week when he broke a huge branch out of the tree he climbs in our front yard. He was afraid he might get in trouble so he ran for a quick fix....scotch tape....needless to say the branch was picked up with our yard waste today with several feet of tape wrapped around it! ;^)

A Baby's Constitution....

We the babies of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish that parental persons may NOT have rights to any of the following:

1. freedom of sleep (a full night's sleep is strictly prohibited)

2. right to BARE arms (parental persons must hold infant 24/7)

3. search and seizure of diapers (parental persons must not change diapers until explosion occurs)

AND WE MEAN IT!

A Freshly Bathed Baby...

There's nothing like them! I LOVE that baby smell! Margaret, much like her brothers when they were babies, LOVES taking baths! I can't sniff her enough when she's freshly bathed...with that said....(sorry, Chris) I just HAVE to tell this story.....

Okay, last Friday night I went to play BUNCO while Chris so graciously held down Fort Ray! When I came home and was holding Margaret I went to sniff her freshly bathed head and wasn't pleased with this scent I was sniffing....Chris watched me and before I even spoke he said " I KNOW she just doesn't smell as good as when you bathe her and I'm not sure why...." I said "that's okay, I'm sure she's fine and clean.." after all, he tried right? Well, I couldn't help it...I kept sniffing her and finally identified the scent...URINE! Really....it was urine.... So, I said "she smells like URINE!" Chris then began to tell me play by play how he bathed her and then he got to one part that struck me....I ALWAYS keep the faucet running and get fresh water every time I rinse her....water bill conscience Chris proceeded to dip the cup back into her little bathtub to rinse her each time instead of running the faucet. What do ALL babies do in the bathtub without fail.....they TEE-TEE!!!! AHHHHHH!!! He bathed her with urine!!! I couldn't stand it...I wasn't mad, in fact I laughed hysterically as I was marching back upstairs at 10:15 pm to RE -bathe this baby girl!!

At 10:40 pm that same night I was holding her close and of course, sniffed her little head.....it was baby fresh and all was well.

I'LL SHOW HIM!

So, today one of Jack's friends came over to play, then the mom picked up the friend and Jack and took them to his house to play.....Naturally, the little brother was not so keen on the idea of Jack getting to go without him...there was sobbing, weeping, and nashing of teeth...

So, later that evening I'm on the phone and walk into the living room so I can hear (can't imagine why I couldn't hear) Casually turn my head and my buffet catches my eye....I clearly didn't remember decorating in such an unusual manner....with Thatcher's pictures happily smiling outward and Jack's FACING THE WALL!!! Then I knew what had happened and I couldn't help but laugh....it was just too funny, so I called Thatcher in and pointed (I was serious with him of course) he admitted his handiwork with a very sly smile on his face....I left it to show Chris, then I HAD to take a picture to document this!! I admit I've turned some pictures a time or two when I was hurt....but I wasn't four....add about 20 something years to that....and I didn't leave it for the world to see!

Just Missing the Beach.....

Rose Colored Glasses....

Okay, well maybe wistera colored? Gran sent another one of her famous packages and in it were these John Lennon take off glasses....However, they have not been "taken off" since the box arrived yesterday! They both look really cute wearing them even though they add about 4 years to Jack!

Please don't look at how messy my den floor is in the background....Now you just looked since I mentioned it didn't you? We have this great finished basement...something positive about living up here....and I have turned half of it into a playroom with ALL of their toys! Keeps their rooms neater and they have a space to play.....great concept, but they are always bringing them upstairs to the den to play....It reminds me of the dog we used to have. Her name was Maggie. She was a Chow....anyway, she would go to her food bowl in the kitchen and grab cheeks full of kibbles, then run to the den where we were sitting and drop them along with a string of drool on the carpet then eat them....We finally came to the realization that she didn't want to eat alone. It was sweet, but messy...The boys don't want to be down there if we are up here. Same concept...again sweet, but messy.

I've always said there is a reason why little boys are made of puppy dog tails. They are quite similar to puppies. They romp and wrestle, carry sticks around the yard, dig in the dirt, and yes, even pee outside! (Although, we've had many discussions about why that's only okay in the woods, not in the suburbs!)

He Wanted To Play TBALL...

If they have an award for the "Best Twirler In The Outfield" he will win.

The Whole Point....

of having a girl is so you can revert back to your childhood days of playing dolls and dressing them up! So, of course I have to take advantage of the morning when she's in her best mood, dress her up, take dozens of pictures until she objects, then put her back in a onesie and put her down for a nap!!

She's a pretty good baby, but like most is cranky at the absolute WORST time of the day....DINNER time! She just wants to be held and that's all there is to it! Then you've got 2 boys who act like they haven't eaten in weeks and will absolutely pass out and die if they don't eat within minutes of saying "I'M HUNGREEEEEEEEE!"

At night, she is doing well! She pretty much eats on schedule. She only wakes up one time, usually around 4 am, eats, then goes right back to sleep!! I knock on wood as I type that because I know how babies change as they become more alert and stimulated during the day....all of this could fall apart and she could be up all night!! For now, I'll take her daily crankiness over a total sleepless night!!

We are all still adjusting to life where the children officially outnumber the adults! Just means that the boys are having to learn more about patience.... Not a fun lesson, but a necessary one!
The princess is now awake and letting us all know about it....I must attend...

The Other Day...

Thatcher was looking at Margaret's pictures from the hospital. Then he looked up and asked "When the Doctor got Margaret out of you, was she wearing that hat?"

Father's Day....

He doesn't think so....in fact he believes the exact opposite, but Chris is such a great Daddy! Is he perfect? No.... Mistakes? Of course...but Chris is a GREAT Daddy! He's had to struggle to figure that out due to his lack of a father growing up, but I think it's made him what he is and what he is so determined to be for them....everything he wanted and didn't get... It's made him turn to the ULTIMATE Father. The TRUE Father. The FAITHFUL Father for guidance and THAT is what makes him soo good!

These boys adore him! They can't get enough of him! They love to wrestle and giggle with him, but at the same time they have a healthy fear of him and know when he means business! Isn't that how we should be with our Heavenly Father? To know Him intimately enough to laugh and enjoy Him as well as to have that reverence for Him. Sometimes we get so down on ourselves that we fail to recognize what God is all ready working out in us.

We both agree that we have NO CLUE what we're doing....everyday is a new experience with these children. Just the other day Chris was saying "I remember those days of us dating in high school and then I look up and see these 3 children and us and I'm just amazed. Don't you ever think about that?" I do, but I also told him "when I think about that...even into our first several years of marriage, I see 2 completely different people." That's when I see how much God has changed the course of both of our hearts. I've seen a huge transformation in Chris and transformations only occur in those whom God has such great plans for!!

I'm so glad for Jack, Thatcher, and Margaret. They've been blessed with an earthly father who is involved and whose love for them will point them to the One whose Love for them surpasses all.

He Waited All Day....

Just to hold her. I can't believe the amount of dirt that Jack and Thatcher attract when they play outside. We have these huge fir trees behind our house....big enough for them to play under and now they've begun climbing them. So, not only are they covered in dirt now they are covered in SAP! They came in to eat lunch today and were caked in mud since it rained like mad all night last night! Thatcher knows he has to wash his hands before he can touch Margaret, so he rushes in to the sink and then waves his WET hands in my face and wants to hold her. What he doesn't realize is that he's muddy, wet, covered in sap and it's actually hot and humid today, soooo he's dripping SWEAT! (And dirty little boys smell like wet dogs!!!) No way was he going to touch this sweet smelling girl!! So, I told him he couldn't hold her until he'd had a bath! Well, he didn't forget after his bath tonight. It was his first order of business!! He couldn't put on his pajamas fast enough!

It makes me sad to think that this picture might be shown in one of their graduation videos or even a wedding video one day. So, I won't think about that yet. I'll just revel in the moment!

More of Margaret...

My Sentiments Exactly....

Wild Life In The City...

We don't live in the country by any means, but we do have a lot of wooded areas around. It's not like Dallas where there is hardly any land that doesn't have a Starbucks or a Target on it! (not that there is anything wrong with that!!) Anyway, they are big on preserving land up here and it truly is pretty up here! It's just too far from home.....

It is not uncommon to see a whole family of deer prancing around, beavers heading to the water, rabbits galore, every bird imaginable, even wild turkeys strutting down the road. It's like Animal Kingdom. We have these large glass windows and sliding door out to our deck off of our den. We have many animals that enjoy our deck as much as we do. We have a robin that loves the railing and will land there a dozen times a day and run back and forth! I thought all robins looked alike, but all of us can tell this robin from the rest, even the boys. He's HUGE for one thing. He never passes up a worm! Chris says he must be the early bird....

Then, we have chipmunks. I'd never seen one up close until we moved up here and Chris and I had a big debate about what it was. I thought it was a midget squirrel...thanks to Chris' brain (aka the internet) we figured out they were chipmunks!

In the fall, I had an incredibly cute Frankenstein on my porch. I've had him for years, but this year he took a fall....due to the fact that he no longer had feet....he had felt feet that were stuffed at one time....I noticed he kept leaning and saw that his feet were getting smaller and smaller. Then I caught him, the chipmunk on my front porch with cheeks FULL of Frankenstein FEET! I'm sure his nest was the envy of all the neighborhood chipmunks this year.

We've noticed one that loves to zip across our deck several times a day. Last week, he stopped long enough for Thatcher to take notice of his coloring. He had several black and white stripes running down his back. Thatcher yells out in all seriousness
"That chipmunk has a skunk tattoo on his back!"
I admit, I couldn't have been more clever myself! If we manage to take a picture of him, I'll put it up for all to see! I'd hate for you to miss out on the Wild Life of the Rays!

Our Life These Days....

Today's Personality....

Dash from The Incredibles....

For some reason, Thatcher gets these "Wild Hairs" so to speak and loves to dress up and be different characters! His own character is unique in itself, but he makes us laugh! He was determined to fix his hair like Dash so he could run faster, so finally Daddy stepped in and moussed up his hair!! The fact that he could do so much with it confirms that he is in terrible need of a haircut!